《Familiar Magic [LitRPG, Progression, Isekai]》 Chapter 1: Monster of a Climb Ethan Bishop¡¯s shaking, bloody hands clutched the small black box to his chest. He was panting, gasping for air, which¨Cdespite the altitude halfway up the mountain¨Ctasted sweet and rejuvenating. Though perhaps it was just the contrast to the hot, fetid atmosphere of that terrible place he¡¯d just escaped. Try as he might, he couldn¡¯t banish the images that flashed through his mind. The red skies, the twisted landscape, and¡­the creatures. The twisted, awful creatures. It was quickly becoming a blur of horrors all mixed together. Running, climbing, hiding, doing everything in his meager power to keep ahead of his pursuers. Always wanting to look back, but dreading what he would see. After what he¡¯d experienced, anywhere would feel like paradise. Still, the land that stretched out before him seemed to be exactly that. He felt his pulse racing, and the adrenaline still pumping through his veins, and forced himself to look out at majestic scenery, hoping it would bring him some much needed calm. The sun¡¯s rays were shining down from behind picturesque white clouds, illuminating a verdant green valley. Mountains of remarkable height stretched off in either direction, snow-capped even in the pleasant warmth of summer. They seemed to circle this place like a shield, as if understanding that the land they contained was so pure as to be worthy of their eternal protection. Glancing down at the fresh wound on his leg, and remembering the appalling creature that had inflicted it, Ethan considered he might be exaggerating the vista¡¯s splendor by contrast. The world seemed to take that as a challenge, however, as he spotted an unlikely waterfall on a neighboring mountain. His gaze followed the water¡¯s journey through the idyllic landscape, swept up by the scene. The burgeoning river carved through stone to reach fields of grass, which soon gave way to lush, dense forests. Ethan recognized various evergreens, as well as the more diverse, leafy types that he¡¯d grown up with. They seemed to create patterns and waves of textures and colors, pleasant to look upon. Despite their pristine appearance, he couldn¡¯t help but stare at the woods with suspicion. He¡¯d never see trees the same way again after what he¡¯d experienced. He could still feel the slithery, writhing root in his hands, and a shiver passed over him. Thankfully, these ones seemed content to move only with the gentle breeze, and at last he allowed his gaze to move past them. It was getting difficult to make out details beyond the expansive forest, but he thought he could spot something man-made, possibly even a small village in the distance. He was distracted as a shadow passed over him, however, and he looked up to see birds of some kind soaring overhead. They were backlit by the sun, disguising their appearance beyond vague shapes, but he was certain their size was unusual. Still, after the things he¡¯d encountered on the other side of the rift, he felt compelled to search for more threats. While he couldn¡¯t see much more from this height, once or twice he did catch sight of shapes moving ominously through the woods, and finally he made himself look away. He glanced again at his bloody leg, then began tearing at his shirt to create a bandage. It was far from the best use of his medical degree, but he had few options. Inspecting the wound, he considered how lucky he was that only the creature¡¯s pincers managed to catch him. What did that woman call it again, a scorpiursi? Ethan winced as he tightened the knot, considering that he very well could have been poisoned if it had been the stinger that connected. Or worse, that horrific mouth¨Cno. He banished the image. He could wait for the inevitable nightmares to see it again. What remained of his climbing gear made soft metallic sounds as he regained his feet. He¡¯d been quite well equipped for a journey into the Rockies, and after his first year practicing medicine, the vacation had been exactly the release he needed. Indulging in a hobby he¡¯d been forced to ignore for a few years, climbing mountains had been invigorating¨Cup until the blue-white light had ripped him away. What came next was a recipe for life-times worth of therapy in only a few hours. The things he¡¯d seen in that other place¡­the blood-red landscape, the beasts he could only describe as monsters, and those strange people, all lined up in formation. They had to be an army, right? If he hadn¡¯t already checked himself for concussions, brain injuries, and general lucidity, he¡¯d be sure it was all an elaborate delusion. Ethan was still irritated that he didn¡¯t have more time to talk to the woman in silver. He had thousands of questions, not the least of which was how she managed to kill that impossibly large, ape-like creature, that seemed to be at least partly comprised of stone. He¡¯d swear that ¡®King Kongcrete¡¯ actually dissolved into snow when she touched it, but all she¡¯d revealed was that it was something she could do because of ¡®her Familiar¡¯. So many questions, but she was convinced that place was killing him¨CPotentia she called it. A gentle name considering it had nearly convinced a man of science that he¡¯d died and gone to hell. Ethan looked down at his yellow shirt, orange harness, and bright blue climbing shoes. ¡°Imagine spending the afterlife dressed like a complete douchebag,¡± he muttered. His own voice sounded ragged, but it was pleasant to hear something other than the low whistle of wind. It made everything feel more real somehow, as if staying silent were giving this world permission to be a dream. ¡°What did that woman think, seeing me in this outfit? I guess she was in armor though, so we were both making bold fashion choices.¡± Again he considered his torn shirt and tight shorts, which looked ridiculous out of context. ¡°I guess this could pass for women¡¯s armor in some of the games I¡¯ve seen.¡± He sighed, hearing Dean¡¯s voice in his mind. You¡¯re stalling, idiot, shut your mouth and get to work. ¡°I¡¯ll agree to half of that,¡± he said to the specter of his older brother, then made himself focus. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m stuck on a ledge, hundreds of feet up a mountain with no climbing gear. All I really know about this place is that this shoe box is supposed to keep me alive here. Oh, and that I¡¯m not supposed to tell anyone I¡¯m a doctor¨Cmaybe that word means something else here.¡± He shook his head in frustration. He had so many questions, all he could do was hope the black box held answers. He laid it carefully on the ground before searching for a latch, not wanting to risk anything falling out and tumbling down the mountain. The box had a few symbols carved into it, swirls and patterns not unlike the tattoos the woman had possessed. At last he found some kind of clasp, and the container opened with a satisfying click. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what I was expecting, but this isn¡¯t it,¡± he said. ¡°I could use a first aid kit, dinner, and a bazooka, and I get a bunch of funky stones. Typical.¡± He ran his hand over the dozen or so strange objects secured in the so-called survival kit. They were mostly black, like the box itself, but with more symbols written on them in different colors. ¡°She called this ¡®a world of violence,¡¯ with my luck I¡¯m supposed to chuck these at threats.¡± They were uniformly smaller than the palm of his hand, with a single exception. By instinct he reached for the largest stone, which inexplicably managed to feel heavier than the entire box. Before he had time to consider this oddity, the book-sized rectangle of stone melted in his hands. ¡°What the hell?¡± he said, caught between a reflex to try to catch the liquid, and also hurl it away from him as far as he could. In the end it didn¡¯t matter, as the ink-like substance disappeared into his flesh in an eyeblink. Ethan may have freaked out then, swatting at his own arms like a madman, and only his climber¡¯s instincts prevented him from tumbling from the small ledge to his death. He could feel the stuff moving inside him, cold and questing, flowing through each of his limbs before it seemed to gather at the underside of his left forearm. He watched with disturbed curiosity as black patterns began to dance and swirl around in an area no larger than the tip of his thumb. It only took moments to resolve into a series of three, connected spirals, which lit up with a cool blue glow. The light poured out of the symbol, like fast-moving smoke, to form a small rectangle, hovering in the air like a hologram. Ethan stared at the oddly familiar image, only then recalling the mysterious woman¡¯s words as she handed him the box. ¡°It was made by someone who visited your world. He¡¯s a bit eccentric, but it should make sense to you.¡± He shook his head in disbelief. This was definitely a little piece of home¡­circa 1991. The cool blue square belonged in any number of interfaces now decades old. He had to admit though, after getting past the initial shock, the nostalgia was somewhat comforting.
Master Arturo Dalton¡¯s System activated! Scanning current world¡­Identified! Welcome to Nexum! Scanning world of origin¡­Identified! Warning: Terra currently inaccessible! Dimensional tides not in alignment! Scanning current magical matrix¡­complete! Familiar Bonds: 0/3 Abilities: N/A Rank: Pre-Dawn Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Physiology: Basic (human) Codifiable Skills: 3! Congratulations! Dalton¡¯s Survival Recommendation: Consume Skill stone! Consume now: (Y/N)?
Given his exhaustion and the increasingly mind-shaking experiences of the day, Ethan found himself reading the message several times before he was able to make sense of it. ¡°Wait¡­Master Arturo Dalton¡­M.A.D¡­She gave me a ¡®Mad¡¯ system?¡± After considering the terrors of where he¡¯d been, and the endless unknowns before him, he chuckled. ¡°Alright, that tracks.¡± He looked back to the message, focusing on the part he thought he understood. ¡°The silver lady did mention Nexum, and warned me that she didn¡¯t know how I could get home. I guess that part, at least, isn¡¯t really a surprise,¡± he sighed, resolving not to think about it. Focus on what you can control, not what you can¡¯t, his brother¡¯s voice echoed through his memories. ¡°Yeah yeah, you even need to be right on a whole different planet, don¡¯t you?¡± To forestall the imaginary argument, he turned his eyes to the second half of the message. ¡°Familiars¡­just like she said.¡± His mind almost refused to picture the enormous, flying creature the woman had been riding, as if the impossibility of it compared to the world he knew made the memories suspect. But it had been real. He remembered the feeling of profound insignificance as the gargantuan beast had appeared from behind the red mountains. The dim colors and earthy tones of that place had made the vibrant silver, white, and blue stand out even more. Its two sets of enormous wings had barely moved, as if it were swimming rather than flying, and despite where he¡¯d been, he¡¯d felt lost in its undeniable majesty. It had been reminiscent of an eagle, though that felt like comparing a house cat to a tiger. A giant, godlike, magical tiger, no less, if he could believe what he¡¯d seen. Ethan glanced at the sky again. ¡°I saw some large birds, but nothing close to that. Maybe I¡¯m supposed to start smaller?¡± His mind immediately conjured an image of the horrific scorpiursi, looking like an unholy cross between a scorpion, a tarantula, and bear. It had indeed been quite a bit smaller, and he considered the idea of keeping one as some sort of pet. ¡°Hmm, I think I¡¯d rather die,¡± he said without irony. Knowing it was a question for later, he finally turned his thoughts to the last part of the message, the confirmation still waiting. ¡°Codifiable Skills, eh?¡± Again he considered the dangers he¡¯d experienced, and that the woman who gave him this kit had little to gain from deceiving him. She¡¯d saved his life in more ways than one, and trusting this box was effectively the same as trusting her. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s do this. Uh¡­Yes? Codify me¡­please?¡± The Mad system didn¡¯t respond directly, instead, one of the stones from the box lit up. The symbols on it glowed with a soft yellow, and he hesitantly picked it up, expecting what would happen next. As before, the stone liquified, then disappeared into his skin. Ethan shook his head as he felt the somewhat familiar experience of cold rushing through his veins. ¡°I¡¯m going to be one more jackass with a bunch of tattoos in a language I can¡¯t read,¡± he remarked sadly. This time he felt symbols forming on his left temple, right hand, and right calf. The one on his leg formed first, and truly did look a bit like Japanese characters. ¡°I¡¯m going to find out later this means something like ¡®Princess Duck Lover¡¯.¡± He paused, ¡°Actually I¡¯ll be lucky if it says ¡®Duck¡¯.¡± A moment later the symbol on the back of his hand completed, and he was surprised to see that it was something he recognized. A tiny bow and arrow were encircled together, once more in black ink. At first he was confused; he definitely had no familiarity with archery, but then he recalled how he knew the symbol. He¡¯d been young when he¡¯d chosen to become a doctor. Young enough that he¡¯d done some childish things, like look up gods of healing and drawn their symbols in his notebooks. This one belonged to Apollo, more famous for his work with the Sun, but with a solid side hustle in healing. Ethan obviously couldn¡¯t see whatever had appeared on his temple, so he turned his attention back to the system window hoping for more information. Interestingly, the image had remained stationary, despite him moving the arm and tattoo. Sure enough, it had more to say.
(3) New Skills Codified, Congratulations! Skill # 1: Wall Climbing (Dawn Rank 0: 0%) Your mastery of climbing techniques has been transposed into Wall Climbing! You may adhere to any non-organic, non-magical surface, regardless of friction or traditional holds.
¡°Holy shit, I¡¯m Spider-man,¡± he said, before moving to inspect his own hand. It looked unchanged, but something felt different. When he considered his knowledge and memories of climbing, they weren¡¯t missing exactly, but they somehow seemed compartmentalized, and organized, like they were isolated from the rest of his mind. He was excited to try out the new skill, but his mind immediately snapped back to the mark of Apollo, and the implications of a skill connected to healing.
Skill # 2: Hand of Apollo (Dawn Rank 0: 0%) Your mastery of internal medicine, injury, and disease, has been transposed into Hand of Apollo! You may heal wounds and afflictions that would have been possible with your previous medical knowledge! (Note: may not target self). Skill # 3: Apollo¡¯s Gaze (Dawn Rank 0: 0%) Your mastery of medical diagnoses has been transposed into Apollo¡¯s Gaze! You may evaluate injuries and afflictions by sight alone! (Note: Apollo¡¯s Gaze must be used on a target to enable Hand of Apollo!)
Ethan leaned back again, looking at the symbol on his hand. This had been what he was afraid of, years of medical school and training somehow changed in a way he didn¡¯t understand. He hastily tried to access that knowledge, again feeling like it was somehow partitioned in his mind. He struggled until he considered a specific problem¨Clike the wound on his leg¨Cwhich finally provided easy access to everything he¡¯d been taught. Strangely it almost felt like opening a book in his own mind. ¡°How the hell is this helpful for my survival?¡± he said. ¡°I could already diagnose and treat other people¡¯s injuries. A bag full of medical supplies would have been more useful, and those I could at least use on myself.¡± Ethan got to his feet, anger rising up even as his brother¡¯s voice echoed once again. Use what you have, little brother¨C ¡°Shut up, Dean! I¡¯m allowed to be pissed sometimes.¡± He sighed, calming himself. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll use what I have. Supposedly I can climb this extremely dangerous mountain now. That¡¯s something, I just need to¨C¡± He stopped, looking down at the unfortunately large black box that still had numerous mysterious objects contained within. ¡°Right. You. Maybe I can strap you to my climbing harness or something.¡± As Ethan leaned down to pick it up, he noticed the small interface had followed him as he moved, and it had a new message.
Dalton¡¯s Survival Recommendation: Consume Inventory stone! Consume now: (Y/N)?
Ethan read the message, then looked down at the large open box. ¡°At least this one seems self-explanatory. Fine, yes, consume the thing.¡± Once again a stone began to glow softly, this time with white light. Used to the process now, he picked it up and felt it melt almost immediately. This time it didn¡¯t make much of a trip as it gathered below his right wrist, mirroring the first tattoo from the Mad system. Again, the symbols were stylized, but clearly formed a familiar picture. ¡°It¡¯s like a little treasure chest,¡± he said, running his hand over it. Immediately light coalesced into a new window of the same general color and style as the one still floating to his left. It was a plain, empty grid, but still pleasantly familiar after a lifetime of games. As he closed and lifted the black box, Ethan wondered exactly how much more terrifying and disturbing this would all be if he hadn¡¯t started his day on Potentia: world of living nightmares. ¡°Apparently a quick jaunt to hell will really open your mind,¡± he thought bitterly. Not knowing quite what to do, he touched the box against his tattoo, and smiled as the same white light wrapped around it hungrily. A second later it was contained in one of the neatly arranged slots. Finding the novelty of the process entertaining, he quickly did the same with his climbing harness, and the small bag that he refused to call a fanny pack. He hesitated briefly before touching the tattoo in an attempt to close it. Thankfully it dutifully obeyed, rather than sucking his entire body into a small square. Wanting to maintain his momentum, he closed the interface in the same way, then moved closer to the edge and looked down the sheer drop. Fortunately there were other small ledges on the way down, but he doubted he had the strength to climb hundreds of feet after the ordeals he¡¯d been through. Instead he focused on a small outcropping about thirty feet down, considering it the safest test of his new skill. There were just enough proper cracks and handholds that he figured he might make it, even without whatever the skill was giving him¨Cprovided the wind remained friendly. Finally he leaned against the mountain, feeling the cool stone beneath his fingertips, and tried to put himself into the zen-like climber¡¯s mindset he tended to use. Belatedly he considered that he might need to tap the symbol on his calf to activate it, which would be extremely inconvenient. However, when he looked down, he saw that it was already glowing with a soft yellow, and when he tried to move a hand to touch it, he realized that hand was already stuck to the wall. ¡°Damn, I am Spider-man,¡± he said. ¡°Well, without the webs, or strength, or spider-sense¡­okay, I¡¯m basically just some bug, but this is still awesome.¡± It took a couple of minutes of experimentation to find out how to release his hands at will, and how to balance the weight so it wasn¡¯t all on his fingertips. He was also very grateful to find that it worked for his feet without removing his shoes. ¡°I think there was a comic that explained that, but I never read it,¡± he muttered while slowly moving himself out past the ledge. He tried to pick a route that would allow him to switch to regular holds if necessary, but after a few moments he was reveling in the ease at which he was able to move down the mountain. It was addictive, exciting, and¡­joyous. He needed this, far more than he¡¯d realized. He felt a sense of freedom and renewed hope that he¡¯d worried might be lost. He felt purposeful and alive, as the wind rushed through his hair and the sun warmed him. Optimism, long since atrophied, seemed to blossom once again, and with it came conviction. ¡°I¡¯m going to make it off this mountain. I¡¯m going to find people, and I¡¯m going to warn them that there¡¯s an army at their door,¡± he said as he methodically shifted his weight. ¡°Then I¡¯m going to get home...somehow. Hell, maybe I¡¯ll even get a magic ferret or something.¡± There was a small smile on his face as he looked down, seeing the mountain fall away seemingly forever beneath him. As he placed his right foot, his eye was caught by the tattoo that allowed him to experience this miracle. ¡°Huh, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s glowing as brightly as¨C¡± Dr. Ethan Bishop, born-again optimist, fell off the mountain. Chapter 2: Please Dont be a Volcano For the third time today, Ethan felt the rush of weightlessness while plunging from a deadly height. There was a moment of absolute panic as his hold on the rough stone disappeared, and his arms and legs grasped and cartwheeled uselessly as he tumbled backward. The first two times he¡¯d fallen had ended with him landing in entirely new worlds. This time he just landed on his keys. ¡°God¡­What am I being punished for?¡± he groaned, rolling to one side and pulling the spare key from the sewn-in pocket of his shorts. Dropping his only set in a climb several years ago had given him the brilliant idea of keeping an extra somewhere secure, but this was a particular scenario he hadn¡¯t considered. Standing up¨Cone hand applying pressure to a wound he hoped never to explain to his scar-obsessed brothers¨Che tossed the offensive key off the side of the mountain. Revenge accomplished, he turned to surveying his new surroundings. He quickly confirmed that he¡¯d landed on the ledge he¡¯d been climbing to, though the last eight feet or so had come more quickly than he¡¯d have liked. Another surprise came when he felt a slight vibration under his feet. It was so small that he attributed it to shock, and with a shake of his head he turned to his traitorous tattoo, confirming it was completely inert to his eyes. His system tattoo on the other hand, was blinking. With a tap, he revealed new messages.
The Skill: Wall-Climbing (Dawn Rank 0: 2%) has exhausted available mana! Dalton¡¯s Survival Recommendation: Bond Familiars to increase mana pool!
¡°Pristine timing, Dalton,¡± he muttered. Stepping close to the ledge, he looked down at the hundreds of feet of poor climbing conditions, before shaking his head and leaning back against the mountain side. Even on his best day he couldn¡¯t do a free climb like this, and he was far from having his best day. Pain shot through him as his bleeding left cheek pressed against the stone, driving that truth home. As he reached back to his injury once more, Ethan realized he could feel a warm breeze, and his face scrunched up in confusion. The summer sun may have been pleasantly shining, but the air this high up was cool at best. Turning around and crouching, he brushed at some loose stone and dust, revealing a narrow crack. Warm air was escaping, which could be a very good sign. Ethan began scraping and digging like a possessed dog, widening the hole slowly but surely. Thankfully it seemed to be a chute that had collapsed, rather than a newer crevice. Soon he was able to pull out entire chunks of rock, which tumbled away down the mountain. When it wouldn¡¯t get any wider, Ethan was faced with an uncomfortable choice. The opening was big enough for him to enter¡­if he shimmied on his stomach¡­and didn¡¯t breathe too deeply. He wasn¡¯t terrible with tight spaces, but he wasn¡¯t exactly a fan. The warm air was a good sign; it meant the small tunnel didn¡¯t simply end. But the most it guaranteed was a gap large enough for air currents, not desperate idiots. As he was considering, he felt another gentle vibration, this time requiring a hand against the stone to maintain balance. ¡°I really don¡¯t need another thing,¡± he grumbled at the universe, then turned his mind to the problem at hand. In the end, the decision was made by a realistic assessment of his only alternative. He couldn¡¯t trust his new skill, and traditional climbing was a death sentence. Don¡¯t waste time debating what you know you have to do, Dean¡¯s voice seemed to chide him. Ironic given that his oldest brother actually was claustrophobic. Still, Ethan knew that wouldn¡¯t have stopped the relentless man. He quickly checked himself for anything that might get caught, but everything that fit the bill was already in his new inventory, or chucked out into oblivion for stabbing him in the ass. Not willing to wait and let his resolve fail, Ethan ducked down and began squeezing inside the narrow entryway. Immediately he felt the pressure squeezing him, as if the entire mountain was just a single vice, designed to crush arrogant explorers. The good news was that water must have been seeping into the chute for some time, as it was fairly smooth and level. The bad news was that it was entirely dark. Slowly, painfully slowly, Ethan pushed himself forward anyway. He couldn¡¯t be certain how far he¡¯d gone as he shimmied his body and pressed with his toes, but the minutes ticked by, and the distance with them. He was making progress, but it was miserable work, requiring constant mental exercises to keep from losing himself to panic. The warm air drew him slowly onward, and somehow he managed to retain his sanity¡­until his questing hands reached solid rock. He controlled his reaction long enough to identify the crack the breeze was flowing through, and confirm that it was only a finger¡¯s breadth wide. He started scraping and pawing at it, but not even dust shifted. He¡¯d gone as far forward as the mountain was willing to allow. Desperately wishing he could take deep, calming breaths, Ethan tried to push himself backward. He didn¡¯t budge. He¡¯d been crawling at a downward slant without realizing it, and he simply didn¡¯t have the strength or leverage to climb in this position. All at once his anxiety and adrenaline shot up to barely manageable levels. He wiggled, and wheezed, failing to find the breath even to scream. A particularly horrifying medical case flashed through his mind, one he¡¯d been actively suppressing. A man had been exploring a cave, crawling through tight spaces just like this one, and gotten stuck. Face down, in a six foot vertical shaft. His heart had given out. Ethan could easily understand why, as he shook and spasmed, his rational mind screaming for calm while millions of years of evolution pushed him to rage and fight. Survive at all costs. He was so far gone that he almost didn¡¯t notice the temperature rising in the chute. The vibration, however, was unmissable. Unlike the previous two, it didn¡¯t subside, and visions assailed him of the tunnel collapsing inch by inch, crushing his life away. One more Bishop lost to an early death in some foreign land. That future came crashing down along with Ethan, as the stone beneath him crumbled and fell away. Once more he was falling through the air and slamming into unforgiving rock, but this time the pain was nothing compared to the relief of escaping that terrible fate. The shaking continued as Ethan panted and laughed in nervous manic cackles. At last the mountain settled, and he pushed himself shakily to his feet, needing to feel himself move to believe he truly wasn¡¯t trapped any longer. As he walked in a small circle, breathing the warm, damp air, he inspected his new surroundings. The first thing he noticed was the light, as some kind of moss was weaving through the walls like arteries, casting dim, green illumination. It revealed what seemed to be a tunnel, rather than a cave. The ground was conspicuously flat, and the ceiling was well above his head¨Cwhich he was grateful for, as it helped him get past his recent ordeal. He finally noticed that he was sweating from more than just the stress. ¡°It would be the perfect end to this day to find out I¡¯m actually inside a volcano. It would also explain the earthquakes¡­damn it. I don¡¯t know enough about volcanoes to know if this might actually be a possibility.¡± He looked around the tunnel suspiciously, noticing some faded pictures carved into a nearby wall. He couldn¡¯t make out what they were, but comforted himself with the hope that people likely wouldn¡¯t tunnel into a volcano and draw pictures. He didn¡¯t know if that was true, but it made him feel better, and that was the bar for today. Not willing to wait around for more surprises, Ethan started moving again. At least it was an easy decision which direction to go, as one way was clearly heading back up the mountain. Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that it was growing hotter as he moved further downward. With few options, he kept plodding forward. The heat was uncomfortable, but far from dangerous, and Ethan was growing worried that his flagging strength would soon become an issue if he delayed. It had to have been a full day since he¡¯d eaten, and in that time he¡¯d been almost continually physically active, as well as sustained injuries. He needed food soon, and water sooner, and the heat wasn¡¯t helping. ¡°Such an amazing survival kit,¡± he grumbled, hearing his scratchy voice echo in the long tunnel. ¡°Give me my own private pocket dimension, then leave me to die of dehydration.¡± He listened to his voice echo a second time, then came to an abrupt stop. He¡¯d heard more than just himself that time. There was another sound, something he couldn¡¯t quite make out. Scratching, maybe? Skittering of evil, clawed little feet? Remembering the horrors of Potentia, he started searching for anything he could use as a weapon. Backtracking slightly, Ethan was surprised to find something he¡¯d missed when heading in the other direction. Lying against the wall was a piece of solid metal, bent and broken, but about the length of his arm, and quite heavy. He grinned when he realized it looked a bit like a crowbar. ¡°Alright you little bastards,¡± he whispered, ¡°this worked for Gordon Freeman, it¡¯ll work for me.¡± Gathering his resolve, he continued moving forward, straining his ears for any more strange sounds. But after a few minutes of silence, irritation started to replace concern. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Freeman would have killed a dozen head crabs by now,¡± he lamented. ¡°Didn¡¯t he wind up in a different world too? Oh shit, and we¡¯re both doctors¡­I think he was a physicist though.¡± The tunnel curved, and Ethan carefully flattened himself against the wall before peeking around the corner. Again, nothing. He sighed, then continued to ramble, knowing he was talking to keep himself calm, and not caring. ¡°I guess if I find any strange substances down here, I¡¯ll have to resist the urge to push them into mysterious beams of energy. I don¡¯t want to count on finding a bunch of rifles lying around.¡± Deeper. Hotter. Thirstier. Still alone. More shaking. ¡°How was he such a good shot anyway?¡± Ethan wheezed, feeling lightheadedness setting in. ¡°His doctorate must have been on bullet trajectories,¡± he muttered, no longer sure what he was even saying. The crowbar¨Che was just calling it a crowbar now¨Cdragged the ground behind him, but he refused to let it go. At last, he heard another sound, and adrenaline jump-started his weary body and mind. There was more skittering, this time closer. Giant rats, mole-monsters, he didn¡¯t know what, but there was no longer any doubt that he wasn¡¯t alone in here. Strangely though, he thought he could hear something else now that he was concentrating again. Lifting the crowbar in both hands, he braced himself for an attack. Was that screaming? he wondered as he steadied himself. More sounds, somehow from both directions now. That time, I¡¯m sure it was voices. Are there people here? More sounds, scraping and unidentifiable clangs. The heat was rising again. The sounds grew louder, and Ethan¡¯s hand shook as he held the crowbar poised for a swing. The sounds were closer, somehow right on top of him, and his eyes darted from side to side in confusion and panic. ¡°Where the hell are you, you little¨C¡± The world went white, and then Ethan was on the ground, blinking and coughing dust. His ears were letting out the shrill whine of tinnitus, and he was temporarily blinded. Forcing himself to a sitting position, he realized he was covered in shattered rock. As feeling returned and shock wore off, he noticed dozens of bleeding cuts all over his body. He had no time for them, however, when his vision cleared and he saw the cause of his predicament. The wall had exploded inward just in front of him, small fires still burning from whatever had caused the destruction. This new gap revealed a massive chamber, and a battle like nothing he¡¯d ever experienced. Flames were everywhere, and heat blasted him like opening the door of an oven. Although if the heat bothered the dozens of armored knights, they didn¡¯t show it. They all appeared to be on the same side, with blue capes and white sigils displayed proudly on their breastplates. They were differently armed, though, utilizing a variety of swords, lances, bows, and more exotic weaponry Ethan couldn¡¯t name. The small army was in careful formations and defensive positions, using massive stalagmites as cover, but their opponent was chaos unleashed. Even after what he¡¯s seen in Potentia, Ethan could tell this creature was special somehow. It looked to be about twice as large as an elephant, though it lept and pounced with remarkable grace. Its deep orange fur and white highlights made the comparison to a tiger immediate, though there were differences that were impossible to ignore. Long, slightly curved horns jutted outward from above the creature¡¯s face, which had a more canine maw than the feline comparison would have suggested. It also appeared to have multiple thin, whip-like tails which slashed and cracked as the creature leapt around the chamber. The question of the growing heat was answered as tremendous bouts of fire burst from the creature''s mouth, and even erupted wherever the tails touched. Ethan stared in wonder as he slowly regained his senses. The beast was terrifying, but also undeniably majestic. It moved and fought with a fluidity he struggled to look away from, and without fully understanding why, the word ¡®noble¡¯ came to mind as he watched it battle for its life. It made it harder to cheer for the knights, though Ethan had to acknowledge that they possessed a certain nobility themselves. From their pristine armor to their coordination and skill, everything about them seemed more than human . Further examination brought another discovery, and he felt his jaw drop as he realized that the lightshow and explosions weren¡¯t just coming from the beast. Some groups of knights would hurl bolts of white energy, while others wielded weapons with glowing edges. He saw one blade trailing a mist of frost, and another that was sickly green in color. While the beast was fast and difficult to pin down, it nonetheless had countless wounds on its thick hide, demonstrating that the knights clearly had some sense of what they were doing. An increasingly large collection of casualties proved it wasn¡¯t a one-sided fight however, and Ethan was on his feet before he knew it, eyes locked on a half-dozen armored bodies in the middle of the room. Without conscious thought, [Apollo¡¯s Gaze] made its purpose clear, the world shifting before his eyes. Suddenly he wasn¡¯t seeing knights in heavy armor, but overlapping images of internal views of their bodies. Skeletons, organs, blood flow, Ethan could see their immune systems at work. It was like the results of every test he¡¯d ever run in a hospital were all instantly available to him. The most common injuries were burns, unsurprisingly, followed by blunt force trauma, and lacerations. But he could see so much more. One of the uninjured knights had a lung infection. Another had asthma, one more even had¡­well he¡¯d need penicillin. A lot of penicillin. Ethan considered the still forms in the center of the room, those too far from their comrades, and too close to the raging battle. This was the moment, he realized, the revelation coming on suddenly. This was the culmination of decades of arguments with his family about his career, his life choices, and especially about courage. He expected to hesitate. He expected to doubt. He expected to hear his brother¡¯s voice¨Cwhether pushing him forward or holding him back, he honestly didn¡¯t know. But what he didn¡¯t expect was for it to be no real choice at all. There was no debate, or careful consideration of the cost. He was just moving. This was just who he was. Ethan charged out into the middle of the battle, ignoring the eruptions of flame from the beast, and the continuous attacks from the knights. Arrows flew inches past his face, fire singed his hair, but he didn¡¯t stop charging forward. He was a doctor, and people were dying. The first body he reached was long dead, but [Apollo¡¯s Gaze] guided him to the next one with ease. Broken bones, torn ligaments, internal bleeding, savable. He reached under the man¡¯s arms and began dragging him back toward the tunnel. This close, he could hear the knights calling out and screaming, but Ethan couldn¡¯t make sense of it, and no one tried to stop him. Thankfully the armor was lighter than it appeared, and soon he deposited the man beyond the rubble of the collapsed wall, hoping it would provide some safety. Ideally he wouldn¡¯t be moving injured people at all, but with the way the enormous beast was bounding around the chamber, the greater risk was these people being crushed. That in mind, he charged out once again. The more he looked around, the more he got a sense of the battle. It seemed like some groups were trying to control the creature¡¯s movement, while others wore heavier armor, and tried to absorb its attacks. He noticed someone who stood out in the final group, seemingly dedicated to dealing damage The man was unique in that in his armor was a deep shade of purple, and lighter than those around him. He was helmeted, like all the rest, but it was easy to spot him as he moved rapidly around the battlefield, twin swords slashing at the beast from unpredictable angles. The speedy warrior appeared to have a counterpart in armor so dark it was nearly black, and far heavier than the rest. A massive shield seemed to be attached directly to the man¡¯s left side, and he used it with considerable skill. He always seemed to be in exactly the right place to put himself between the massive beast and the swordsman. Ethan couldn¡¯t waste time watching however, as he darted back to the center of the chamber, searching for another person in need of aid. There were so many wounded that it didn¡¯t take long to find one, and soon he was dragging an unconscious woman back to join her injured companion. Ethan¡¯s strength was waning, but he stumbled back out into the chamber anyway, determined to save as many as he could. Something was different though when he emerged. The tone of the battle had shifted in a way he couldn¡¯t understand, but definitely felt. Some knights were moving in, while others spread out, and the beast was howling and circling ominously. Still, Ethan continued his work; he¡¯d have to leave the warriors to handle whatever was happening. As he knelt over a third injured knight, however, he realized something was wrong. Several of the combatants were waving and gesturing furiously at him. For a moment he was worried he¡¯d upset them, but looking back revealed the truth. The creature had moved again, and was breathing out a continuous raging inferno that was heading directly for him. With no time to move or react, Ethan could only smirk. At least I¡¯ll die a Bishop, he thought, and then the fire was all around him. Truly around him as it seemed to arc and bend away from Ethan and the injured warrior. Looking up in disbelief, he was stunned to see the dark-armored knight standing over him, the massive shield holding back the flames like a dam against the tides. His savior yelled something indistinguishable that was clearly an order of some kind. Its meaning was immediately apparent, as the knight began slowly side-stepping toward the tunnel entrance. Ethan didn¡¯t hesitate, grabbing the latest casualty, and pulling him along, trying to ignore the heat of the scorching flames only a few feet away. Thankfully the attack stopped before they were halfway to the tunnel, allowing them to move in comparative safety. The shielded knight hesitated when the flames abated, but after spotting the swordsman far from combat, he actually reached down and helped pull the injured man the rest of the way. As they moved, Ethan watched the swordsman who was in a kneeling position, both swords planted in the ground before him. Those blades were glowing increasingly bright, and the knights around him were clearing a path. On the other side of the chamber, the beast was up to something as well. Its two massive horns now had a glow of their own, and orange light was coalescing between them, raining sparks on the ground at its feet. As Ethan and the two warriors reached the mouth of the tunnel, the swordsman was suddenly moving again. He was almost too fast to see, but the trail of light his swords left behind made him easy to follow. As he reached the creature he jumped impossibly high, easily twice the height of the immense beast. At the apex of his jump, he raised his blades over his head¨Cpoints downward¨Cthen struck like a bolt of lightning from the heavens. At the same time, the monster unleashed its own attack, and an explosion tore through the chamber. Ethan felt himself thrown backward from the shockwave, rolling to a stop inside the tunnel, just in time to witness the wave of fire collide with the black knight¡¯s massive shield. The sturdy warrior managed to hold his position until the already damaged ceiling above them gave way, dust and rock crashing down around him. In moments the light of the fire was gone, and they were sealed in. Chapter 3: Hand of Apollo Ethan needed time to collect himself after the explosion. His ears were ringing again, and he was breathing more dust than air. He made it shakily to his feet, dirt and debris falling from him as he did so. His eyes were slowly adjusting to the dim light of the glowing moss in the tunnel, revealing the fate of the four knights. He¡¯d dragged the first two away from the opening to avoid collateral damage, leaving them no worse than they had been before he¡¯d reached them. The other two were a different story. The injured man he¡¯d been dragging was completely buried. Ethan was only sure he was still there because of a single, exposed gauntlet. The shield-bearer was in a far more complicated situation. He¡¯d bravely stood between the devastation and his knights, but it had left him near death, his left arm and shield actually embedded in the makeshift wall of rock. Ethan approached him carefully, [Apollo¡¯s Gaze] showing numerous bone fractures, lacerations, and severe trauma from the falling rocks. Strangely, Ethan¡¯s skill showed nothing at all where the man¡¯s left arm should be. He remembered how the massive shield¨Cnow part of the wall¨Chad appeared fastened to the man¡¯s armor, and wondered if it may have been an unusual prosthesis. Feeling around the shoulder joint of the man¡¯s dark armor, Ethan discovered that he was wrong. A few straps and buckles later, and the knight fell away from the wall, a perfectly intact left arm slipping out. Ethan lowered him to the ground, then carefully moved him in line next to the other two injured knights. As he did so, he noticed a series of tattoos stretching from the man¡¯s chest, and part way down his bicep. They were familiar, looking very similar to those he¡¯d seen on the woman in silver¡­except they were a strange, sickly red. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what¡¯s messing with my super vision?¡± he muttered, before turning his gaze back to the other two. Triage rules demanded he treat the most severely injured first, but the three patients were in nearly identical condition. Not wanting to waste time, he decided to help the shield-bearer first. The man seemed like he might be in charge, and he¡¯d seen Ethan try to help¨Chopefully that made him the knight least likely to stab a friendly doctor. His immediate instinct was to try to address the broken bones, but as he considered how to make a splint, his remaining unused skill popped into his head. The bow and arrow symbol on his hand was glowing with a soft yellow light¡­ ¡°To hell with it, maybe it¡¯ll summon a doctor¡¯s bag from the 50s or something.¡± He began concentrating on what he¡¯d need to do to treat the man¡¯s injuries. Set the bones, brace for rehabilitation, disinfect, stitch, and cover wounds, stimulate clotting for internal bleeding¡­ As he formulated the treatment plan in his mind, he felt a tugging at the symbol on his hand, and the sense of something extending from him, into the unconscious knight. [Hand of Apollo], was working. Ethan¡¯s eyes widened as his enhanced vision showed the man¡¯s body rapidly healing. It was as if the results of every medical procedure he would have done were being applied in moments, and soon the knight¡¯s body looked as if it had never been injured. Except for the left arm, which remained an odd blank spot when he directed [Apollo¡¯s Gaze] at the extremity. Ethan didn¡¯t know how to react to the miracle he¡¯d just performed. He¡¯d seen more than a few displays of magic since he¡¯d been ripped away from his vacation¨Ceven managed a couple of his own¨Cbut to a doctor, what he¡¯d just witnessed made everything else seem insignificant. He wanted to pause and admire his work, but he still had his instincts, and two more patients needed him. Besides, his exhaustion and dehydration were leaving him lightheaded, and there was a chance he¡¯d pass out if his blood pressure dropped much lower. Shaking his head slightly and moving to his next patient, he tried to repeat what he¡¯d done. The second man¡¯s injuries were similar, and required a near-identical treatment. However he also had several burns and abrasions that were beyond Ethan¡¯s ability to diagnose. Absently he wondered if the injuries had been caused by one of the beast¡¯s attacks, as he recalled his skill would only work on damage he already knew how to treat. ¡°Apparently that doesn¡¯t include firebreath,¡± he said, before moving to his final patient. He cursed silently as he realized she was in slightly worse shape than the previous knight, and quickly put [Hand of Apollo] to work. As he was muttering about treatments however, he heard a groan, and realized she was awake. Her head was up, and appeared to be watching him, though he couldn¡¯t tell with her helmet still on. A moment later, she laid back down, seeming to lose consciousness. Ethan finished his work with a small chuckle. ¡°I just treated severe internal injuries on someone still wearing a suit of armor. Last week I had to cut off some guy¡¯s pants just to find where he¡¯d cut his knee.¡± At last finished, he moved to the side of the tunnel, and leaned back, finally allowing his battered, bleeding body to rest. *** It only felt like moments later that he was peeling open eyes sealed with blood and dust, groggily swatting at the boot that was prodding his side. Barely aware of where he was, he looked up to see the black-armored knight standing over him, left arm dangling uselessly at his side. ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± Ethan muttered, before trying and failing to stand. The man started speaking in some unrecognizable language, a deep voice echoing from within his helm. Ethan found himself fixated on that helm. It was of plain design, with a single slit for a visor, and some scorched red plumage emerging from the top. A small, golden shield was emblazoned on the forehead, however, something the other two knights lacked. Again, an armored toe pressed into his side, and the man repeated himself, this time the implied question sounding more like a threat and command combined. ¡°I don¡¯t understand you,¡± Ethan said, waving the man away. ¡°Do you have water? I need¡­I need water,¡± he grumbled, trying to mime drinking. The knight was still for a moment, before turning and walking back to the caved in side of the tunnel. Once there, he bent over the gauntlet of his fallen comrade. With deft movements, he used his one functioning arm to reveal the dead man¡¯s own, tossing the armor aside, and pushing back the exposed sleeve. Ethan saw a familiar tattoo, nearly identical to own: a small chest. The knight performed a series of strange gestures, after which the symbol glowed briefly, and a few items emerged. There were a couple of keepsakes, including a locket which the knight took reverently, and finally a small bag and canteen. He returned, tossing Ethan the canteen, before placing the bag down carefully. While his doctor¡¯s mind immediately went to potential toxins, parasites, and various germs and impurities, his body acted almost of its own accord. He quickly unstopped the container, and drank greedily, only pausing to breathe before emptying it. He reached for the bag next as the knight watched silently, and found several dense lumps of what had to be food. Ethan knew military rations when he saw them, but still his stomach grumbled. As he tore into the meal, he spoke to the knight between bites. ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re saving my life right now, even if you don¡¯t know it.¡± The helmet cocked to one side, and Ethan sighed. ¡°This is going to be a bummer of a journey if you can¡¯t understand me.¡± As if hearing his words, the three swirls on his left forearm blinked, announcing another message. Ethan obediently opened the interface, then grinned at what he saw.
Dalton¡¯s Survival Recommendation: Consume Translation stone! Consume now: (Y/N)?
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.¡°Oh hell yes. Maybe this damn thing is finally taking requests.¡± Ethan resisted the urge to yell at his arm to give him some decent clothes, instead removing the black box from his inventory and retrieving the latest stone. He was happy to find that the knight was content to simply observe. In moments, the ink was disappearing into Ethan once more, and soon a feeling of coldness at his throat announced the presence of a new tattoo. ¡°Um, testing, testing?¡± he said, looking at the knight with equal parts hope and doubt. ¡°What did you do to my knights?¡± the man said, wasting no time. ¡°Oh, I¡­¡± he had not been prepared for this to happen so soon. As much as he wished the word ¡®doctor¡¯ meant something like ¡®sheep-diddler¡¯ in this world, he suspected the warning was more about healing in the general sense. ¡°I brought them in here, like you saw, but they¡¯re badly burned.¡± Not a lie. Lies were bad. Not because lying was bad, but because being caught lying was very bad. Especially when the person who might catch you looked particularly capable of extreme violence. For his part, the man remained still, as if considering what he¡¯d been told. I¡¯d rather he not spend too long mulling this over. ¡°My name is Ethan Bishop,¡± he announced, wondering how his words sounded to this man. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m here quite by accident, and I don¡¯t know who any of you are.¡± ¡°How in the names of the Three could you get into the lair of Flagras by accident?¡± he demanded. ¡°It¡¯s a long, insane story. It involves portals and scorpion-bears, and I¡¯m not sure you¡¯d believe¨C¡± ¡°You came through a rift?¡± the knight said without hesitation. Oh, that¡¯s a freebie, Ethan thought, eyebrows going up. ¡°I¡­guess so? I¡¯m from far away, but I encountered this blue-white light that¨C¡± ¡°Damnable rifts!¡± the knight roared. ¡°Each year they grow worse, and this forsaken mountain is a hotspot for them. It¡¯s not enough that they spill demons into our world, now they deposit foreigners inside our borders!¡± He took a threatening step forward, and an obsidian warhammer appeared in his good arm. ¡°To which Kingdom are you pledged?¡± the knight asked in a voice heavy with danger. ¡°Uh, Vermont?¡± Ethan¡¯s mind raced as he tried to figure out how much to tell the rather short-tempered knight. Thankfully he was saved by a fortunately timed roar, echoing up from the tunnel. ¡°The beast lives,¡± the knight said, looking down the tunnel warily. Abruptly he turned back to Ethan. ¡°I am Valanor, First Shield to Prince Calevaro. You¡¯re clearly a very unusual man, but I have trouble believing a spy would dress like¡­that. If the beast lives, I must pursue it, as the Prince will no doubt be on its trail. I need your word that you mean this Kingdom no harm.¡± Ethan raised an eyebrow. Maybe knight¡¯s honor is a thing here. He got slowly to his feet, wanting to look the man in the eye¨Cvisor, whatever. ¡°You have my word. I don¡¯t mean anyone harm. I¡¯m not here by choice.¡± Valanor watched him for a long, tense moment, then nodded once. He burst into sudden action, pulling out small metal objects¨Cpresumably from his own inventory¨Cand placing them in a rough circle around the unconscious knights. Ethan looked closer and saw they were amber gems in tiny stands, and they glowed with a soft inner light. ¡°What do those do?¡± he asked. ¡°Wards. Any monster powerful enough to ignore them would likely be too strong for us anyway. I¡¯d prefer not to leave my knights, but our duty is clear. Do you have a weapon?¡± ¡°Oh, sure,¡± Ethan replied, before moving away and fishing his crowbar out from a pile of rocks. ¡°That¡¯s your weapon? What happened to it?¡± he asked. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s actually a very famous and versatile tool where I¡¯m from. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll do much against that giant tiger though.¡± ¡°Are you mad? You think you¡¯re coming to fight Flagras? You¡¯re Unbound. If you were an actual threat to anything I¡¯d have already killed you here for the sake of the Hunt.¡± Unbound? Ethan¡¯s mind went back to what he¡¯d read from the survival interface. It said I have zero of three bonds. How can this guy tell? ¡°I can help. I helped you already.¡± Valanor seemed to consider his words, ¡°You have courage, I¡¯ll grant you that, but¨C¡± Another roar interrupted his words, and he made an irritated sound. ¡°Fine! Just move quickly. I can¡¯t promise you my protection during the Hunt, but there may be more injured knights, and we¡¯re a long way from the surface.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s not waste any time,¡± Ethan said, surprised at his own energy. He quickly scooped up the canteen and food sack, noticing symbols engraved on each. ¡°I feel weirdly good, what¡¯s in this stuff, amphetamines?¡± ¡°Magically infused. Don¡¯t lose them,¡± Valanor said, then began moving down the tunnel. Ethan stared at the simple objects skeptically, then quickly stashed them in his inventory and hurried after the knight. His injuries were unchanged, but it felt like he¡¯d gotten eight hours of sleep, and the renewed vigor cleared his head. ¡°Stay a step behind, and to my left,¡± Valanor said, indicating the warhammer in his right hand. ¡°No worries,¡± Ethan said, gripping his crowbar. It was tempting to pepper the knight with questions, but he had a strong impression that anything beyond the scope of the man¡¯s duty would be met with irritation at best. Still, he needed some answers. ¡°So why are we after this creature?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s Flagras,¡± the man responded, with the tone of someone explaining the obvious to an idiot. ¡°Right. Of course,¡± knowing it was a mistake, his medical curiosity got the best of him. ¡°Hey what happened to your arm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Broken Dusk,¡± Valanor replied. There was something in his tone that made Ethan restrain his dozen follow-up questions. Okay, new topic. ¡°Can you tell me where I am? I¡¯m not working on a lot of information here.¡± ¡°This is the Kingdom of Viridus. We¡¯re in the Western mountains.¡± He glanced back and surprised Ethan with a question of his own. ¡°If you came here by mistake, why did you bring a survival kit? I¡¯ve never even heard of one that big.¡± More treading lightly. ¡°This is actually the second place I appeared against my will,¡± he answered honestly. ¡°The first one was just¡­so much worse. I met a woman there who gave me the kit, then pushed me through another ¡®rift¡¯.¡± Valanor grunted in response, seeming unconvinced. They moved in silence for a few minutes, until the tunnel¡¯s monotony was finally interrupted. They entered a chamber the size of a banquet hall, rectangular in shape, and littered with broken, decayed furniture. The walls were even more brightly lit than the tunnel, with the glowing moss virtually everywhere. There were several doors leading into darkness on the opposite wall. Looking up, Ethan was surprised to see the same, three-spiral symbol carved into one of the walls. Not only did it glow with the same soft light as the moss, it actually seemed to be the source of the strange growth, as countless trails of the stuff spread away from it. Ethan had taken a few steps into the room, eyes on the symbol and enjoying the high ceilings, when he heard a familiar skittering sound. He looked down just in time to witness a confusing scene play out. Something that looked like a beetle¨Cbut the size of a dog¨Cwas charging toward him. It was shades of gray and green, appropriate camouflage in the tunnels, and its foremost legs were pointed and reaching for out threateningly. Ethan raised the crowbar protectively, only to watch the large insect be utterly obliterated by something else. The second creature was humanoid in shape, about the size of a child, but seemed to be made up entirely of black rock that shone like glass. Its proportions were unusual, and it was all sharp, right angles. Ethan took a step back, raising his crowbar with very little confidence. ¡°I told you I couldn¡¯t protect you,¡± Valanor said, ¡°You¡¯re lucky that Toby enjoys squashing bugs.¡± The little stone man stomped a few more times on the beetle, then spontaneously shattered into dust, which flowed back into the knight¡¯s hammer in an instant. ¡°That little guy was your¡­Familiar?¡± Ethan said, looking at the paste of the creature that had nearly attacked him. Then his gaze moved back to the knight. ¡°Wait, you named him ¡®Toby¡¯?¡± Valanor cleared his throat, ¡°My younger brother did. It¡¯s a fine name.¡± ¡°No objections here!¡± Ethan said hastily. ¡°And thank him for me, the squashing was appreciated.¡± Ethan¡¯s smile faded when he realized that the knight was staring at one of the far doorways. It took a few more moments for the familiar sounds of tiny legs tapping against stone to reach him¨CValanor¡¯s hearing was impressive. Moving forward and giving his warhammer a few practice swings, the knight spoke, ¡°They¡¯re coming. Ready yourself.¡± Chapter 4: Monster Egg Ethan wasn¡¯t certain that any version of himself could be truly ready for what came next, as dozens of the beetle-creatures began emerging from the door in the far wall. Valanor crossed the room rapidly, planting his large frame in front of the onrush of insects, and began laying waste with methodical swings of his warhammer. A trickle of the creatures managed to get around him, but Toby was there in an instant, stomping on them, or smashing them with jagged, stony hands. Ethan was fascinated with the spectacle, moreso when he realized the knight was rapidly employing numerous abilities. Sometimes the hammer crashed into the ground, disabling the creatures, other times his armor burst into spikes, impaling his attackers. Ethan was forced to look away when a number of the insects managed to make it into the room, crawling along the walls and ceiling. He readied himself, the crowbar poised to attack. Having grown up with three older brothers, he was no stranger to fighting, and he¡¯d even been hunting a number of times when he was young. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t think living room brawls and ¡®shooting Bambi¡¯s mom¡¯ as his brother had called it, quite prepared him for this. Still, he refused to back down as the beetles approached. Fortunately they were relatively slow, and when the first came within range, the crowbar slammed down, cracking through the outer shell with a satisfying crunch¨Cand remaining there. The first beetle was down, but Ethan was beginning to doubt how true to life Gordon Freeman¡¯s experiences had been. He pulled harder, managing only to drag the dead insect along with him, while three others approached. Finally he let go, and started moving in the other direction, looking for new ideas. The room offered plenty of options for alternate weapons, though none of them were ideal. Broken, rotten furniture wouldn¡¯t prove particularly effective, though he continually tossed stray pieces behind him as he searched. The beetles were surprisingly relentless in their pursuit, barely even reacting to being struck, and it wasn¡¯t long before a half dozen were on his trail. He took a few out with large rocks, a makeshift wooden spear that broke in half after a single use, and even duplicated Toby¡¯s stomp technique when he¡¯d been backed into a corner. While his weight had been enough to injure the insect, he slipped in the disturbing goo that spilled out of the thing, and took a few hits before scrambling to his feet. Super Mario, he was not. Nursing a few more bleeding wounds, Ethan nonetheless sprinted toward his first kill now that he¡¯d gotten around his pursuers. Planting a foot, he heaved the crowbar out, then wisely moved to stand closer to Valanor as the fight resumed. The flood of insects was slowing, and Toby kindly assisted Ethan with the stragglers as the knight continued the extermination. Focusing on legs turned out to be a much more effective strategy, and soon the fighting had slowed enough that he could turn to speak to his companion. ¡°Valanor, are the things supposed to be this dumb?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± the knight called over his shoulder as a wave of stone projectiles burst from his chest to slam into the closest insects. ¡°Well, animals usually have decent instincts. These things are just walking into a meat grinder.¡± He jumped back as a beetle nearly landed on him after falling from the ceiling, then gave it a golf-swing with his crowbar that sent it bouncing further into the chamber. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Valanor said, sounding surprised. ¡°This isn¡¯t normal. I don''t know what would cause them to behave like this, but there isn¡¯t much we can do about it.¡± Ethan nodded and went back to work. Though only moments later the sounds echoing out from the bug-filled tunnel started to change. Skittering shifted to heavy footsteps, and low growls soon followed. Recognizing the sounds, Valanor glanced over his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s a lacerignus, you should fall ba¨C¡± he stopped when he realized Ethan wasn¡¯t there. Grunting, he turned back toward the tunnel. A few final bugs went by, but the knight ignored them, focusing on the true threat ahead. He backed away slightly, his warhammer dissolving as a long steel lance took its place. He hurled it down the tunnel before him, two more following in rapid succession. Toby was back beside him a moment later as the hammer reformed, and he braced himself for the attack. The beast emerged at last, howling in rage and pain. One of the lances had buried itself in the thing¡¯s heavily muscled foreleg, slowing it slightly. Exposed to the dim light of the moss, it looked like a dark green lizard the size of a horse, but more bulky. A thick, stocky tail whipped back and forth, and the monster moved sideways to allow the tail to strike. This also served to keep the small head away from Valanor, who wasted no time in bringing his warhammer crashing down against the beast¡¯s limbs. It was fast, and not every strike was a clean hit, but the knight knew his work, and was relentless. He took hits in turn, but that often cost the lizard as much as it did Valanor, as spikes would rise out of the dark armor, leaving bloody wounds on his attacker. The battle was monotonous and brutal, with Valanor¡¯s unprotected left side leaving him continuously open to attack. Toby tried to make the difference, but he was too small and slow for this type of opponent, and soon the knight was in full retreat. His hammer moved continuously, but he simply couldn¡¯t do enough damage to the twisting, flailing form of the lacerignus. He was pushed halfway back to their original tunnel when Ethan called out. ¡°Hold him still!¡± The voice echoed from every direction in the big empty room, but despite not seeing his unusual comrade, the knight¡¯s instincts took over. With no hesitation he leapt forward, dropping his hammer and wrapping his good arm around the lizard¡¯s middle. Spikes burst out of his armor, pinning him to the creature for good measure. Valanor looked up just in time to witness Ethan drop from the nearly twenty foot ceiling, the straight end of the crowbar point-downward. He was directly on target, but his arms barely absorbed the force as the improvised weapon pierced directly through the lizard''s small head. Three feet of metal tore its way through the monster¡¯s brain, propelled by Ethan''s weight and the tremendous drop. The monster''s body was softer than the stone floor, and absorbed some of the fall, but Ethan still flew sideways, rolling and crashing to the ground to eventually stop, groaning in pain. Valanor didn¡¯t fare much better, as the large monster had collapsed on top of him after an already long, painful battle. He dug himself out from under the heavy limbs and tail, then likewise rolled onto his back on the hard floor. Ethan coughed, struggling to get his wind back. ¡°I¡¯d like to see Gordon Freeman do that,¡± he muttered, then saw the knight staring at him. ¡°Sorry¡­I saw the sword guy do it¡­seemed like a good move.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you warn me?¡± Valanor grumbled, pushing himself up. ¡°Was that thing dumb enough to hear two voices and think it was one person?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the knight answered. ¡°Me neither,¡± Ethan muttered, forcing his bruised body to stand. As he did so, his eyes widened and he pointed. Valanor didn¡¯t notice, and kept speaking. ¡°Fair enough, I suppose you may have some knack for this. But ¡®that sword guy¡¯, is Prince Calevaro. You¡¯ll address him with appropriate respect in the future.¡± He looked back when Ethan didn¡¯t answer, and followed the gesture to see the line of blue and white energy in the corner of the room. ¡°Shit.¡± ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± Ethan asked, not sure how to feel. He¡¯d been told by the silver woman and the Mad system that there was no easy way home, but could they be certain? If they were, did that mean the rift led back to Potentia? Ethan didn¡¯t think he could take that chance. ¡°It¡¯s a rift. The beginnings of one at least. Come, we¡¯ve wasted time and it¡¯s not safe to stay near those things. You¡¯re the least threatening thing I¡¯ve ever seen come out of one.¡± ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you see me slay that demon? I¡¯m more dangerous than these stupid beetles, at least,¡± Ethan said, following the knight as he moved toward the exit. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a demon,¡± Valanor said dismissively. ¡°The opteras and that damn lizard are both native to this region.¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± Ethan called, ¡°I¡¯m supposed to use another survival rock thing.¡± He was pulling the case from his inventory when Valanor¡¯s words registered. ¡°Wait, did you say those weren¡¯t demons? As in, demons are a thing?¡± Valanor turned, watching the process as Ethan gained a new tattoo. ¡°Of course. They¡¯re what come through the rifts. If you¡¯d appeared near the wrong village, they¡¯d have accused you of being one too.¡± He cocked his helmeted head, ¡°What does that one do?¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. In response, Ethan moved over to touch the lizard corpse, which immediately seemed to deflate, as small motes of light rose from it. Some of the light flowed into the diamond-like symbol that had formed right beneath his inventory tattoo. As it did, messages popped up from the system.
You have looted [Dawn Rank Lacerignus]: You have received:
¡°Gods save me, that box had a looting power? Do you have any concept of how much those are worth?¡± ¡°More than I did a minute ago,¡± Ethan mused, looking at the coins in his inventory. ¡°Is it worth more than three ¡®Dusk Coins¡¯?¡± he asked. ¡°Three? If that tattoo is permanent, you¡¯d need to loot another few thousand lizards to come close to paying for it.¡± ¡°Hmm, better get started then,¡± Ethan remarked, quickly running around and tapping every dead beetle¨Copteras?¨Che could find. They only gave a handful of Dawn coins, which were presumably less valuable, but it was an addictive experience. Finally he realized Valanor was leaving without him, and hurried to catch up. ¡°What¡¯s with all this Dawn and Dusk stuff, by the way?¡± he asked as they entered the dark tunnel. They couldn¡¯t avoid stepping in bug remains as they walked. Ethan could feel his climbing shoes soaking through from the gore, but chuckled when realized he was still able to loot the bodies he stepped in. ¡°Are you telling me that whatever backwater you come from doesn¡¯t even know the names of the True Gods?¡± Dangerous ground. ¡°We probably¡­just have different names for them.¡± Valanor snorted, ¡°Whatever you say, heretic.¡± He stopped suddenly as the tunnel abruptly turned, and Ethan walked into the man¨Cit was like walking into an irritated steel wall. ¡°Look,¡± he said, pointing at another line of blue and white they¡¯d nearly walked into. The two ducked low to avoid it, then continued on. It wasn¡¯t long before they saw another, however, and then several more after that. Soon they were moving at a crawl, struggling not to touch the things. ¡°Is this normal?¡± Ethan asked, frustrated. ¡°No, it¡¯s definitely not,¡± Valanor replied, his heavy armor making it even more difficult for him. Finally the cluster of rifts ended, and they both breathed easier for a few minutes as the tunnel became more traversable. ¡°All these rifts, what happens if we touch them when they¡¯re this small?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Valanor replied, seeming somewhat disturbed. He stopped, turning back to speak. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen them like this before. It¡¯s possible that¨Clookout!¡± Ethan¡¯s eyes had been on the knight, so he didn¡¯t see the new source of blue-white light forming behind him. Valanor¡¯s right hand reached out to grab him, but it was already too late. The light flowed over Ethan¡¯s body like liquid, devouring him before the knight¡¯s eyes. *** For Ethan, the entire experience occurred in an eyeblink. Much like his other encounters with the phenomena, there was just a flash, and he was somewhere else. It was disorienting, of course, but in a weird way he was almost used to it. He still appeared a half dozen feet in the air, though. Ethan¡¯s eyes widened as the ground rose up to meet him, and he barely managed to adjust his fall so he¡¯d land feet first. He let his legs fold as they hit, and he rolled with the momentum. Coming to a stop, he groaned, and let himself lay still for a moment. ¡°That was my most successful fall today,¡± he muttered. After a few deep breaths, he made himself sit up, and looked around the room curiously. It was a dark chamber, with none of the convenient moss to light it up. A familiar blue-white glow did the job, however, illuminating the small stone room. Two things immediately stood out, a complete lack of doors or other ways out, and a round object sitting on a table opposite Ethan. It was the source of the light, as the familiar glow zigzagged across its surface. Ethan got to his feet, carefully examining the rest of the room before approaching the suspicious object. It was in better shape than the tunnels, but clearly of the same construction, so he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d been taken to a new world this time. Running his hands over the stone walls, he was surprised to see more pictures like those he¡¯d seen before, except these were intact. Once again he found the spirals, though there were actually four instead of three. There were also creatures. Dozens of different creatures, of all different shapes and sizes. Some were vaguely familiar, not much removed from the animals he knew from home. Ethan traced the many images as he drew closer to the object, curious, but lacking the context to understand any significance they may have. At last he approached a stone table, which gave off the disturbing impression of being something closer to an altar. This was made more concerning when he realized the round object was actually more of an oval¡­it was an egg. An egg covered in cracks made of the familiar blue-white light. Just being close to the thing prompted a response from the Mad system.
Disabled [Ultra Rare] Eidolon detected! Attention: Eidolon is too weak to form True Bond. Consume Bond Stone to Bond Familiar? Dalton¡¯s Survival Recommendation: form Familiar Bonds to dramatically increase your chances of survival!
Ethan withdrew from the egg. ¡°There¡¯s really some little creature in there,¡± he said. ¡°But what the hell is it?¡± He considered the familiar lights, and the rift that had pulled him into this doorless room. ¡°That woman, she said something was anchoring the rifts¡­Valanor said basically the same thing. This mountain is a hotspot for them.¡± He leaned closer, examining the egg. ¡°Is this all your fault, little guy?¡± he asked. Then stepped back and tried to consider his situation. There was no way out of this room. There may be no way off this planet. Ethan was a healer, in a violent world. He¡¯d spent his life refusing to take a path that led down a road like this back home. Plus there could be a godforsaken scorpion-tarantula-bear in that thing. He sighed, looking around once again at the empty room, his eyebrows drawing down in irritation. ¡°You know what, screw this escape room nonsense,¡± he turned back to the egg. ¡°I¡¯m going to do this, but not because I have to. This is just a convenient opportunity for something I¡¯ve been thinking about since I saw an evil giant ape explode into a blizzard.¡± He walked closer. ¡°You hear me, egg? You¡¯re just a means to an end. Besides, what kind of idiot wouldn¡¯t choose magic powers? Taking them is my choice, and what I do with them will be too.¡± He pulled out the rapidly depleting survival kit, and grabbed the glowing stone. Unlike the others, it didn¡¯t melt into his skin right away. Instead, it felt drawn toward the egg like a magnet, and he didn¡¯t resist its pull. As it touched the glowing oval it finally began to behave like the others, though only some of the ink leaked into his hand, while the rest disappeared into the egg. ¡°Please don¡¯t be a horrible scorpion-thing,¡± he whispered. He felt a tugging, then, as the coldness of the ink gathered in his chest, and seemed to be pulling toward the unseen creature. All at once the cold seemed to turn to fire, and he looked down to see new symbols burning into his flesh at the base of his sternum. The swirls and patterns didn¡¯t form a familiar picture, but nonetheless he felt the significance of them as they imprinted not just on his skin, but on something deeper. At last the pain faded, and he was surprised to see the egg still in front of him. He expected it to disappear into light, or become the tattoo or something, instead it was just sitting there, as if nothing had happened. Finally he looked down, seeing messages waiting from the system.
Congratulations, you have formed a Familiar Bond! New Bond Affinity: Dimension Total Bonds: 1/3 New Familiar: (Unnamed) Dimension Devourer New Ability: (Unstable) Rift
Ethan paused, despite seeing that there were more messages waiting. ¡°Dimension Devourer,¡± he said, needing to hear it out loud. He inspected the egg again, ¡°Maybe you devour itty bitty little dimensions? Ones no one would miss?¡± He sighed. ¡°I guess it¡¯s alright if you turn out to be friendly¡­though I¡¯m only now realizing that I have no idea if that¡¯s the case. Even puppies need training¡­what¡¯s a Dimension Devourer like if it¡¯s not housebroken?¡± At last he turned back to his messages, hoping for more clues.
Attention: Dimension Devourer has been Bonded in an unhatched state! Dimensional Energy is required to awaken Dimension Devourer! Familiar Bond is in a state of flux until Dimension Devourer has awakened! New abilities are blocked! Existing abilities may be unstable!
¡°Okay, so I just need to find you a nice, healthy dimension to eat. How hard could that be?¡± Ethan sighed, shaking his head at how absurd his life had become. ¡°Well, it¡¯s all pointless unless I can get out of this room. I was hoping you would just come out, and kind of solve all my problems. That hasn¡¯t been how my luck has been going though.¡± Without another option, Ethan carefully touched the egg to the inventory symbol on his arm. It obediently disappeared, which was lucky, in hindsight. ¡°I didn¡¯t consider that I was putting a hungry dimension eater into my own little pocket dimension. Please don¡¯t eat my inventory,¡± he whispered. The egg didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Alright, time to see what all this was for,¡± he said, opening up his final message.
Ability: (Unstable) Rift (Dawn Rank 0: 0%) Type: Dimension You may create a rift that allows one-way travel through linear space! Mana cost increases with distance traveled. This ability requires an anchor point for precise targeting, and may have unpredictable results without one.
¡°Okay. I understand some percentage of that,¡± he said. ¡°I guess in a way this is no more dangerous or stupid than some of the other things I¡¯ve done today.¡± Ethan ran a hand over his face in frustration. ¡°I¡¯ll just keep telling myself that,¡± he said. Then, following some strange, instinctual understanding of what he was attempting to do, Ethan did the latest stupid thing. ¡°Rift,¡± he whispered, and the blue-white light enveloped him. Chapter 5: Legendary Monster It was a different experience for Ethan to be the one creating the rift, rather than just its continual unwilling passenger. He felt the power being pulled from his chest, his newest tattoo¡¯s faint yellow glow dimming slightly as the world seemed to tear, the blue-white light engulfing his body. There was virtually no delay between the rift taking him and appearing at his destination, so to Ethan¡¯s eyes he was simply looking toward the wall, then a flash, and once again he was falling straight down. ¡°Oh shi¨CRift!¡± he shouted scant inches before crashing into the ground. Another flash, another blink, and he was at the ceiling again, still trapped in the room. Only this time, he was falling faster. Apparently the rifts didn¡¯t affect momentum at all, and the floor was racing toward him. He barely had time to react, but managed another hasty ¡°Rift!¡± just before impact. Again, the ceiling, again, faster. This time he tried to focus on a different location in the room, and upon simply thinking of [Rift], the blue-white light swallowed him. A moment later he was emerging once more, but this time he was looking at the ceiling. His momentum sent him soaring upward, only for gravity to bring him crashing back down a moment later. The air burst from his lungs, and Ethan lay gasping on the floor, rolling to one side as the pain slowly left him. He eventually got to his knees, looking around to confirm he was still in the same room, then quickly inspected his bruised body. ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s like Portal but with very breakable bones,¡± he muttered. He¡¯d made progress though, even if he paid for it with yet more injuries. Ethan considered what he¡¯d done differently that time, how clearly he¡¯d pictured his destination¨Cand how much he¡¯d wanted to be there. Taking a deep breath, he prepared to try again, then thought about his climbing tattoo failing him earlier, and looked down at his chest. The Bond tattoo was covered by his shirt, but easy enough to see when he pulled the torn fabric aside. Impressively, it still had a reasonable glow. Apparently a Familiar granted a lot more reserve energy than whatever powered his other skills. Content that the rift should still work, he prepared himself, concentrating. He felt a brief moment of panic when his traitorous mind momentarily imagined appearing inside a rock. However, when the thought came up, he immediately had a sense that the rift would fail. ¡°Maybe some kind of safety mechanism?¡± He mused. ¡°Or¡­I just can¡¯t displace that much mass, the way I can with air. Hmm¡­¡± Feeling somewhat less afraid of dying, his molecules fused with a mountain for billions of years, he went back to his unusual task. Let fear motivate you, don¡¯t let it hold you back, Dean''s voice whispered. ¡°Right. This is just a science I don¡¯t understand yet,¡± Ethan said to himself. ¡°And good science involves experimentation. Rift.¡± The light came again, and Ethan held the image of the moss-lit tunnel in his mind, trying to picture as many details as he could. It was difficult, as he¡¯d walked for miles, and it all seemed the same in memory. Still, for the first time the ability seemed to be on his side, and a moment later he dropped lightly into a place that blessedly wasn¡¯t the same closed-in room. Bracing himself for another game of ¡®fall forever¡¯, Ethan was surprised to find himself dropping only an inch or so before connecting with the stone floor. Looking around, he let out a relieved breath to see that he was, in fact, back in the moss-lit tunnels. ¡°Or¡­at least one that looks similar?¡± he commented, realizing that the floor beneath him was actually stone blocks, rather than the dusty texture of a cave. He looked around, spotting no other difference. ¡°Well, same as before then. Walk down, and hopefully find an exit.¡± He did exactly that, easily identifying the slope, then slowly plodding along. He never even truly considered using another unreliable rift, knowing it was far more likely to hurt than help. After more than an hour passed, Ethan was starting to feel a bit demoralized. Even more skittering beetle-things might have been a welcome relief from the endless, unchanging tunnel. Trying to assuage his boredom, he pulled up the Mad system interface, curious to see what had changed since forming his bond.
Ethan Bishop Familiar Bonds: 1/3 Affinities: Class: (In Progress) Rank: Pre-Dawn (Dawn Rank: 33%) Physiology: Basic (human) Abilities: Dimension: (1/4)
¡°That¡¯s something,¡± he said, re-reading the display. ¡°Looks like things will get really interesting if I get a couple more Bonds.¡± He considered the egg in his inventory. ¡°Do I have to keep finding eggs? Was Toby in an egg?¡± He sighed, hating the lack of information. Being a doctor had always felt like weaponizing knowledge against disease and injury. The only true tools in the fight against death¨Cat least that¡¯s what he thought in his more megalomaniacal moments. He may have also occasionally said it when he was hitting on a girl in a bar. Regardless, being so ill-informed was grating. Dismissing his interface, he turned back to the endless tunnel, only to finally spot something new. Up ahead, the tunnel intersected with another. This was frustrating at first, as there weren¡¯t many ways for him to differentiate a path. Although the countless dead beetles changed that, bringing a grin to his face. ¡°Valanor, you pest-controlling badass, thanks for leaving me the grossest trail of breadcrumbs I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± With renewed confidence and vigor, Ethan turned right at the junction. Not only was it still going downward, but the bugs had all died facing in the opposite direction. ¡°Hopefully they weren¡¯t retreating¡­¡± he considered as he walked. Still, he was heading down, and that seemed unlikely to change. He was disappointed when he tried and failed to loot the creatures, though, there was simply no reaction, suggesting he needed to either be closer when they died, or possibly even directly involved in fighting them. Soon the trail of bugs ended, and he put the thought behind him. He tried to increase his pace, though his aching body protested. Nevertheless, it wasn¡¯t long before he heard sounds up ahead, and raced forward, surprised by his own desperation to see another human. The metallic ringing made it clear that he was running toward a fight, and his crowbar was in hand long before he reached the source of the sound. Thankfully, it was Valanor. This didn¡¯t feel like the best circumstances to make new friends, and the knight¨Cwhile gruff¨Chad been a reliable companion. Fortunately the battle was only against more beetles, and Ethan utilized the same strategy of disabling limbs while he approached the knight and his Familiar¨Cthe latter nearly invisible in the dark tunnel. ¡°Valanor! I¡¯m behind you, please don¡¯t kill me by accident.¡± ¡°I know,¡± the knight replied, not slowing. They continued the monotonous work, Ethan wondering exactly how much bug-slaying was expected of people in this world, but thankfully there weren¡¯t nearly as many this time. The moment the last one was crushed under a typically expert blow from a warhammer, Valanor began moving forward once again. ¡°Walk and talk, we¡¯re running out of time. Where¡¯d the rift take you?¡± Great, more questions I¡¯m scared to answer. He thought of the Familiar Bond tattoo, poorly hidden under his shirt, and remembered Valanor¡¯s promise that he¡¯d kill Ethan if he was anything resembling a threat. ¡°It dropped me into another room, somewhere in the mountain. It took a while, but another rift finally got me out. Different tunnel though, I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d find you.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Valanor was silent, presumably considering the half-truths. ¡°Very well. I haven¡¯t seen any rifts for some time, so if we¡¯re lucky they won¡¯t be a problem again. Stay sharp and stay close. We have to be nearly to Flagras¡¯ den.¡± ¡°His den? So we know where he went?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°It¡¯s likely. Flagras is unique, but he¡¯s still a beast. If they can¨Cand if they¡¯re intelligent¨Cthey hide when badly injured. It¡¯s why we need to hurry. We mustn¡¯t let him die before Prince Calevaro Bonds him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what this hunt was about?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a lot of work for a single Familiar? Knights were killed..¡± ¡°Any cost is worth it. It¡¯s Flagras,¡± Valanor said, and once again Ethan felt the weight of the statement. He sensed that there was more to this than he could possibly understand without asking way too many suspicious questions. ¡°Of course. Obviously it¡¯s worth it for Flamegrass,¡± he muttered, thinking of the knights he wasn¡¯t able to save. ¡°Quiet!¡± Valanor whispered harshly. Ethan held back a quip as he recognized what the man heard. It was the same tenor as the echoed growls from earlier, but lower, weaker, even. ¡°We need to move,¡± the knight said, before taking off at a near sprint. Ethan moved after him, unable to produce more than a shaky jog. Thankfully the tunnel soon ended, opening up into a rough stone chamber, not unlike the one where he¡¯d first witnessed the battle between the monster and knights. It was large, with a domed ceiling, and while it lacked the glow-moss Ethan had grown used to, small fires burned in several places, casting flickering light. There were a few more tunnels leading into the chamber, one of which appeared to continue further downward. There were also three massive holes in the wall that the beast clearly used, which seemed to have been made by melting the rock. One led back in the direction they¡¯d come from, while two more led away into the mountain. All those details felt inconsequential compared to the massive stone wedge rising at an angle from the far wall, under which lay the injured Flagras. The monster was curled up in a ball, not unlike a dog or cat, and countless injuries lined its body. The fur was almost entirely dark red now, the white highlights stained with its blood. The rumbling whines echoed through the chamber, loud enough that Ethan could feel the vibrations through his body, and he took an involuntary step forward at the undeniable pain in those sounds. A large hand to his chest stopped him. ¡°Stay back, it¡¯s still more than capable of killing either of us.¡± Valanor looked from the beast to the three large exits, then sighed. ¡°The Prince isn¡¯t here, and those tunnels weave through the entire mountain.¡± At last he turned to Ethan. ¡°Listen, stranger. You¡¯re alone in our land, and in need of allies, if you perform this duty, I promise you¡¯ll have them.¡± ¡°What exactly are you asking?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°I must go fetch the Prince, and guide him back here as quickly as possible. But if the beast moves again, it¡¯ll be dead before we have time to search all the tunnels.¡± He produced a small, painted rock. ¡°Take this; it¡¯s a tracking stone. If Flagras moves, follow him. He should be slow enough now for you to keep up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, just follow him, and hold on to the stone? I don¡¯t need to make him swallow it or something?¡± Valanor slouched, and Ethan could practically feel him roll his eyes within his helmet. ¡°If you do something stupid and he eats you, then by all means, please make sure he swallows the stone as well. But I¡¯d suggest that you stay hidden, and quiet, and don¡¯t move until I¡¯m back with the Prince.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ethan said uneasily. There wasn¡¯t much more to say, and the knight didn¡¯t wait to hear it. Valanor nodded once, then moved toward the entrance that hopefully led toward the prince, clearly being as quiet as he could manage. Left alone in the dark chamber, Ethan crouched against the tunnel wall, eyes on Flagras. He didn¡¯t understand why they needed this creature, but Valanor¡¯s intensity had convinced him that it was for more than just some royal vanity. ¡°I guess you have to stay alive long enough to become sword-guy¡¯s pet,¡± he whispered. The minutes passed, and Ethan felt increasingly troubled by the creature¡¯s pained cries. It reminded him uncomfortably of the sounds his childhood dog Revan had made when he¡¯d been sick, near the end. Worse, the sounds were coming more slowly, and there was no sign of the knights. By instinct he activated [Apollo¡¯s Gaze], and was disturbed by what he saw. Like with the wounded from the other side of the fight, there were numerous injuries beyond what he was capable of recognizing. ¡°Magic injuries,¡± he whispered, still needing to speak it out loud to believe it. But there were countless others he did recognize. Bleeding, lacerations, bone fractures, perforated organs, torn ligaments. It was such an overwhelming sight that Ethan was walking toward the creature without any real consideration, helping the wounded beast seeming no less natural than when he¡¯d charged into the battle that led to its injuries. The enormous monster was facing away from, and it was so close to death that it didn¡¯t even react as he approached, only managing to lift its head slightly when he placed his hands on its gargantuan back. This close, he could see that its eyes were a surprisingly pale shade of blue, in powerful contrast to the tones of red and orange that made up its coat, and its deadly black horns. Ethan found himself staring into those eyes, despite the near-physical aura of power and threat that seemed to emanate from the creature. Even as its dark mane rose up, and whip-like tail began to swish, Ethan didn¡¯t budge. He simply held Flagras¡¯ gaze as he would any dying patient. After a tense minute, the beast made another sad sound, then lay back down. What Ethan did next, his rational brain tried to attribute to the Prince¡¯s imminent arrival, and Valanor¡¯s promise of aid. The beast needed to live, both for Ethan¡¯s sake, and apparently some mysterious purpose as well. The real truth was simpler. Ethan just couldn¡¯t leave it in pain. ¡°Hand of Apollo,¡± he whispered, summoning the strange power. The bow and arrow glowed brightly on his hand, and he felt its energy flow into his unusual patient. It wasn¡¯t enough. It wasn¡¯t close to enough. His magical gaze showed nearby wounds close, but Flagras easily had the mass of a hundred injured knights. It would take more. ¡°Hand of Apollo,¡± he said again, louder this time. More power flowed, and more injuries knitted themselves together. ¡°Hand of Apollo!¡± he called out, the glow on his hand starting to dim. More, he needed to do more. This time the skill went off without the command, clearly reading his intentions. More! He screamed inside himself, and images flashed in front of his eyes, some real, some imagined. He was eight years old, in a hospital, watching nurses run by. More! He was eleven years old, on a battlefield he¡¯d never truly seen. More! His father was dying, but they didn¡¯t know why. More! A man dressed in camouflage was running into a warzone, always the hero. The glow from Ethan¡¯s hand was barely visible, but he couldn¡¯t see it anymore. The creature¡¯s obvious agony, the reminder of his life back home, the culmination of an impossible and anxiety-ridden day, altogether it was too much. Ethan had hit his limit, and rational thought was replaced by pure instinct. More! He just kept healing, because he could. Because he was a doctor. Because that¡¯s what he did. Because the world¨Cno matter which one he was on¨Ckept trying to tell him what he could and couldn¡¯t do. Screw the world. More! Something inside him hurt. More! The room was spinning. More! A massive head was watching him. More! His hand was numb and on fire at the same time. More! Something was obstructing his vision. He tried to focus, to remember where he was. A glowing square had writing on it.
Disabled [Unique Rarity] Eidolon detected! Legendary Guardian Flagras is attempting to form a True Bond. Accept? (Y/N)
The messages continued, but everything was growing blurry. ¡°You want to be my friend?¡± he mumbled, looking into a pair of pretty blue eyes. ¡°That sounds nice.¡± There was a strange sound then, and the world just kept getting brighter. Ethan¡¯s chest burned, and suddenly he was falling forward, no longer leaning on the warm, soft thing. He was coughing, something wet spattering out with each heave. Darkness was closing in around him, and the heat was only growing. Pain ravaged its way through his body, though he could only register it with detached curiosity, his mind still miles away. Finally he felt the cool stone beneath him, strangely soothing. As his eyes drifted shut, he noticed the message again, still hovering in front of him. He just barely made out what it said before the darkness won.
Extreme Danger! New Bond Not Recommended!
Chapter 6: Monkey Monster Mayhem Ethan Bishop opened his eyes to an incredible vista. Gone was the oppressively hot, cramped, and dark series of tunnels, and in its place were endless, rolling hills of green. The sun shone down on him, and it felt like it had been weeks since he felt its warmth against his skin. A blue, cloudless sky had replaced the chamber he remembered, and for a single, beautiful moment, he could almost believe it had all been a dream. Finally his head rolled forward, and he was greeted by new sights, and new complications. He was in an uncovered wooden wagon, being pulled by something that might have been mistaken for a horse, save for the unusual coloring and too-broad shoulders. The wagon driver was facing away, dressed in plain leathers, but Ethan wasn¡¯t alone in the back. Looking from his bound hands, to the blonde man in front of him, an odd sense of familiarity tugged at his mind. ¡°Hey you, you¡¯re finally awake,¡± the man said, and Ethan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh my god, this is really happening isn¡¯t it?¡± He rapidly checked the seats to his right, hoping to find a gagged man and thief, instead finding two stern looking guards. ¡°Uh, what?¡± the blonde man said. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t let me ruin it, just say what you were going to say!¡± Ethan insisted. ¡°I¡­I wasn¡¯t going to say anything, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Man, don¡¯t waste this! Come on, have you ever taken an arrow in the knee or something? Throw me a bone!¡± ¡°Do you understand what he¡¯s talking about?¡± the man asked the other two guards, who both shook their helmeted heads. ¡°It¡¯s too late,¡± Ethan complained, ¡°the moment¡¯s ruined.¡± As the novelty faded and his mind cleared, Ethan began to properly assess his situation. He looked down, examining the heavy manacles that bound his wrists. This time he noticed that his tattoos were also changed. Each one had a circle drawn around it in some kind of red ink, and none gave off the telltale glow he¡¯d grown used to. Unsure what was going on, he tried to force his tired mind to recall the endless, brutal day he¡¯d experienced. It had seemingly begun in hell, and ended in an emotional turmoil he hadn¡¯t experienced since¨Cno, don¡¯t need to revisit that right now. He remembered Valanor asking him to stay put, and the importance of the Prince binding the¨C Oh shit. Oh shitshitshit¡­ He looked down again, this time shifting a bit so his filthy climbing shirt opened slightly. There was a second Bond tattoo. Memories came flooding back. He remembered telling himself he was doing one thing, but knowing he was doing another. What was that feeling? Just being close to that creature¨Chis Familiar?¨Chad shaken him to his soul. Ethan came back to the moment when a canteen landed in his lap. ¡°Drink,¡± a familiar voice said, then a sack of food landed in the wagon. ¡°And eat. Your life isn¡¯t your own anymore.¡± Valanor had ridden up on another one of the almost-horses. Seeing it from the front showed that it may have been closer to some kind of oxen. Looking around, there appeared to be about fifty knights riding down the dirt road in columns. Ethan obligingly took a long drink, realizing his thirst the moment the water touched his lips. Finally he looked at the large, dark-armored figure, staring down at him. ¡°What do you mean my life isn¡¯t my own? What¡¯s going on, Valanor?¡± ¡°You know your crime, it¡¯s branded on your chest,¡± he replied, his tone acid. ¡°How you managed to acquire two Bonds since we met is a whole other story. Are you hiding any other deadly secrets?¡± Ethan considered his true home, his brief trip into Potentia, and his healing ability, and wisely changed the subject. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to Bond with Flagras, it just sort of happened. I don¡¯t really understand any of this stuff, I wasn¡¯t trying to steal¨C¡± ¡°Save your words, the King will decide your fate. Only he has the wisdom to find a suitable punishment for dooming a nation. For now, you¡¯ll find your runes disabled, but we¡¯ll keep you alive.¡± The knight gestured again at the food. ¡°Eat. You¡¯ve been unconscious for two days, and it¡¯s another two to the capital. Your life is already ticking away fast enough.¡± ¡°Whoa, wait, what does that mean?¡± he asked, but the shield-knight was already riding away. He spun back to the guards, ¡°What the hell did he mean?¡± ¡°Highness,¡± the three said as one, and Ethan was confused for only a moment before once again spinning around. This time it was the swordsman¨CPrince Calevaro¨Cwho had ridden up. Seen up close, it was clear that his armor was more than just a different color, being a deep purple to the other knights¡¯ blue. It was also covered in various symbols¨CRunes apparently¨Cand clearly of higher quality. The prince surprised him by reaching up and removing his sleek helmet, one of the only knights to have done so. His appearance was a shock for several reasons, and Ethan stared openly. His gaze was immediately drawn to the man¡¯s ears, which came to distinct points. Is he an elf? Ethan thought in wonder, followed quickly by: is it racist to ask? That feels racist. Calevaro¡¯s possibly elven ears were pierced with about a dozen small rings of different colors. Each of which seemed to be chosen to set off his short, and surprisingly silver hair. It stood up in spikes, despite being encased by a helmet moments earlier. The final surprise was his East-Asian features. Is he an Asian elf? Okay, that one definitely felt racist. Staring into the man¡¯s pale green eyes, Ethan couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit inadequate when compared to the prince¡¯s obviously striking appearance. His own dirty blonde hair was filthy after his time in the tunnels, and with all the new scars he¡¯d need a mirror to see if he even still qualified as ¡®not a terrifying eyesore¡¯. After a long, evaluating look, the prince finally moved, reaching forward to push aside the scraps of shirt covering the Bond Runes. He tilted his head curiously, then released the fabric. A moment later his helmet was back on, and he was riding away. Ethan could only watch him go in confusion. ¡°Well that was chilling,¡± Ethan remarked, turning back to the guards. They were all wearing their helmets though, and refused to acknowledge him. ¡°Perfect,¡± he muttered, then began eating the food Valanor had tossed. It was filling, but strangely he still felt empty, somehow. Dismissing it as something to do with the rune on the container, Ethan put the concern aside. There was a lot going wrong, but that was par for the course lately, and it didn¡¯t entirely erase the relief that came with simply sitting on a bench out in the sun. It may have been a bench on a wagon taking him to an execution, but compared to some recent moments, that was a step up. *** The first day of their journey was uneventful, which suited Ethan just fine. He watched the hills roll by, saw herds of unknown creatures charge across the open fields, and got to see the enormous forests up close. At night, he slept under the wagon, basking in the uninterrupted rest. Still, he felt strangely off, almost ill, and found himself longing for [Apollo¡¯s Gaze] to diagnose himself. When they approached a village around midday, Ethan appreciated the distraction. He turned, leaning away from his silent guards to take in the sight. It was a farming settlement, though he quickly saw that meant something very different from back home. There were numerous fields, but far fewer workers than Ethan would have expected. Instead, there were Familiars. Each field had a single person¨Cuniformly tanned men and women¨Cwho would stand alongside a monster, and make things grow. The Familiars ranged in size, but appeared to be of the same type. They looked something like trees, with barklike flesh, and walked on all fours. They were covered in flowers and sprouts that appeared unique to each one, and glowed with a soft green as their counterparts guided what could only be magic. The people Bonded to them appeared to be enhancing the plant life somehow. As the convoy of knights moved into the village, Ethan saw the fields in every state. Some were just rich soil, showing no visible sign of what was being done to it. Others were covered in seedlings he could see grow before his eyes. Even those already blooming with vegetables¨Csome familiar, some not¨Cwere enhanced, reaching sizes unheard of on Earth. When they finally got into the village proper, the sights continued to impress. While the buildings themselves weren¡¯t far off from those he¡¯d seen in historical movies, being uniformly wood, and a mix of thatch and tiled roofs, their construction was something else. Ethan saw a man building what looked like a house with only a single worker, a four-armed, humanoid-looking monster, with yellow skin and thin appendages. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. He saw another creature assisting with cooking, while a blacksmith forge was kept alight by what looked like a smaller version of the lizard Ethan had killed with his crowbar. The Familiars had seemingly been integrated into almost every aspect of life, though they weren¡¯t exactly common. There seemed to be one for every twenty or thirty people at most, however they always made their presence known. Ethan enjoyed his trip through the village, which only slowed long enough for several people to run up and give gifts of food to the knights. The villagers were likewise what he expected, contented people in plain clothing of earthen tones, though he saw more than a few sets of pointed ears as they passed by. Curious, he kept a closer eye, and soon realized that almost all of the people with Familiars were elves¨Cor whatever they were called here. Ethan saw two more oddities before they left the village, each of which left him with more questions. First was what he was almost certain was a church of some kind, which disturbingly was marked by the same three-spiral symbol that made up his Mad System Rune. Ethan was nervous to be sporting an unknown religious marking, but soon noticed that many people had the same. If not in tattoo form, then on necklaces or bracelets. The final surprise came just as they were leaving. An inn, or possibly a tavern suddenly had its doors thrown open by two remarkably large men, with red skin. They each had to be at least seven feet in height, and while one was bulkier by far, they both had corded, muscular physiques. And horns. They had horns. Ethan thought it was probably rude to stare, but the pair looked so much like demons that he couldn¡¯t help it. Part of him couldn¡¯t handle the fact that they just strolled away like a normal part of society¨Cwhich they obviously were. He shook his head in disbelief as the village disappeared behind him. The group was barely an hour out of the village when screams halted the convoy. The knights and wagons came to a stop, and scouts were sent forward. The area they were in possessed the same idyllic, verdant feel that permeated this land. They¡¯d left behind the farms and fields, and were just cresting a hill covered in sparse trees when the disturbance came. The prince, Valanor, and someone who appeared to be an officer waited at the front of the column for the scouts to return. After only a short delay, two mounted Knights returned. Ethan couldn¡¯t hear what was said from the center of the group, but after a moment the whole convoy continued forward at an increased pace, while a dozen knights charged ahead. It didn¡¯t take long to catch up, as the wagon rolled down the hill, then around a bend. The cause of the commotion was immediately apparent, as an open field of grass came into view. He immediately spotted the body of someone who might have been a villager, and several more simply dressed people hiding behind the small wall of knights. Unmissable in the center of the clearing was a familiar oval of blue-white energy. ¡°A rift..¡± Ethan whispered, having somehow convinced himself that he¡¯d left them behind. Strangely, the field appeared otherwise empty, the warm breeze rustling the waist-high grass peacefully. And yet there was the body, and the screaming. ¡°Simithera,¡± one of his near-silent guards said angrily. Ethan was going to ask the man to elaborate when the unknown officer began barking orders. ¡°Knights, there are Simis out there! Squad four, left flank! Squad five, right flank! Two and three, center!¡± The group began moving all at once, those who were called dismounting and taking their assigned positions. The animals were all brought close to the wagons, then surrounded by the remaining knights, who were mostly those in heavier armor, and carrying shields. Valanor and the Prince remained mounted with the officer, speaking quietly. Another barked order sent the knights forward, slowly wading into the grass, weapons at the ready. Ethan noticed that nearly all of the assembled warriors were using melee weapons, though each group of twelve had three knights following behind that either had bows, or empty hands. When it began, it was like the flip of a switch. One moment the warriors were methodically advancing, and then several just disappeared beneath the grass. Everyone burst into action then, as some knights screamed, and others called out orders. From the wagon, Ethan could see the occasional disturbances as things moved through the grass, then another knight would disappear. It was far from one-sided, however, as several of those taken had popped back up, covered in blood and charging back toward their comrades. Other groups were stabbing ruthlessly into nearby grass, presumably fighting something Ethan couldn¡¯t see. As the minutes passed, the knights made slow progress toward the rift, and finally the enemy showed themselves. Bursting upward from the grass they came, pouncing with feline grace, then flailing with disturbingly human-like arms. Stealth was apparently abandoned as the field exploded with activity, dozens of the strange ape-panthers having managed to conceal themselves until that moment. Ethan got a clear look at one who landed atop a knight in the middle group. It looked to be about half the size of a man, its fur a deep green with shades of brown. The mouth and body were pure feline, the jaws snapping at the knight who struggled to protect his face. Its back legs were also cat-like, no doubt what had propelled it at the man with such force. However, it also possessed two sets of ape-like arms at the front, which were clearly powerful as they forced the knight¡¯s own hands away. The surprise attack had managed to break the knight¡¯s ordered line, and the battle had devolved into brawls. The real danger appeared to be when the creatures knocked the knights down into the grass, for they seldom rose again unless their comrades acted immediately. After the fighting went on for a few minutes, it was clear that while the flanks were doing well, the main unit in the center was buckling. Looking to the officers, Ethan expected more warriors to be sent forward, possibly Valanor at their head, but he was surprised when it was the prince who dismounted. Calevaro unsheathed his twin straight swords, and seemed to be among the enemy in an instant. He didn¡¯t appear to be going for kills. Rather, anywhere his knights were struggling, he would suddenly be there. His blades flashed out in harmony, disabling, deflecting, and injuring the monsters. Everywhere he slowed to attack, knights would regain their feet, and the line would reform. He managed to control the battle as a single participant, with only the occasional, and precise use of some flashy ability. Glancing to Valanor, Ethan could see that the shield-knight was struggling to hold himself back, clearly not appreciating his prince being in the frey, but surely he couldn¡¯t doubt the result. In a matter of minutes, the knights were moving forward again, though a dozen were retreating with severe injuries. The grass still shifted from the unseen presence of the simitheras, but most were swiftly cut down. At last the group reached the rift, and a half dozen warriors ran forward, pulling out unknown objects and surrounding the glowing oval. Ethan could just make out Potentia¡¯s red skies through the blurry doorway, and he shuddered in remembrance. He couldn¡¯t tell what the knights were doing, but it wasn¡¯t long before the portal began to flicker, and shrink. Blue-white light would occasionally crackle off into the atmosphere, where it seemed to dissipate harmlessly. A cool feeling drew Ethan¡¯s eyes downward, and he raised an eyebrow at his first Bond Rune. Every time a small burst of energy escaped the rift, the rune glowed slightly. He even thought he saw the lines symbols and swirls grow and shift, as if they were waking up. ¡°So that¡¯s what you eat?¡± he asked the unseen creature, presumably still sleeping in its egg. ¡°At least you don¡¯t need to devour this dimension,¡± he said chuckling, then looked up to see his three guards watching him, then exchanging glances. ¡°No worries, guys, just making conversation with my chest,¡± he assured them. Turning back to the site of the battle, he saw that the rift was gone, and the knights were returning to the convoy. As quickly as it started, it looked like the excitement was over. Soon they were on the road again as if nothing unusual had happened, and Ethan realized by their relaxed postures, this was usual. *** The rest of the day was comparatively uneventful, though Ethan still enjoyed the passing scenery, and tried to keep track of the creatures he spotted. He thought he was getting better at understanding what separated those native to Nexum¨Cthe beautiful paradise¨Cand Potentia, the little piece of hell. Valanor had remarked that the lizard they¡¯d fought in the mountain wasn¡¯t a demon, but Ethan would have wagered that the ape-panthers¨Cwhich had almost certainly come through the rift¨Cwere. Considering what he¡¯d seen when he¡¯d been on the other side, Ethan thought he had a good sense of the distinction. The demons¨Canything from potentia¨Clooked like a mad scientist had squished together several normal creatures, creating horrifying nightmare chimeras. By contrast, the beasts here looked more like unique animals, even if they were often larger, and more deadly than on Earth. With magic, he amended. After a night where he bristled at being unable to treat the many injured knights, and another half-day on the road, Ethan had grown bored. Countless attempts at engaging his guards in conversation had slowly¨Cand organically¨Cdevolved into Ethan rambling on about things from back home that seemed important for the knights to understand. ¡°So there were three endings, which sounds cool right? A good ending, a bad ending, and I guess a neutral one? You know, for people with the passion and ability to save the universe, but who are still kinda bored of the whole experience? So that sounds like it could be interesting. But then it¡¯s all just the same ending, but with different colored explosions! Years of our lives, building up to that moment. Wasted.¡± The guards just continued watching him, possibly curious, more likely suspicious. Ethan bet on curious, ¡°I know, I know, it was a long time ago and I should get over it, but I missed a lot of games while I was in school, and only just got back to them recently. Besides, the point stands! If you think about¨C¡± he cut off, his eyes widening. The many miles of idyllic scenery had begun to blend together, like driving through the country for too long. Ethan had stopped registering the world around him, but that came to an abrupt end as they crested a hill, and an immense valley opened up before them. While everything thus far had been uniformly green, the expansive area before them was dusty and brown, and suspiciously flat. The cause was immediately apparent, as he spotted what could only be the capital they were traveling to. A massive, white-stone castle was built into a hill, with a fair-sized city sprawling outward beneath it, all wrapped in a tall, looming wall. Beyond the walls, the ground gave way to sheer cliffs, which after a steep drop, gave way to legs. Impossible, mind-altering, enormous legs. It was like the kingdom was the shell of an immense crab, roaming the valley. ¡°Welcome to Corvale, prisoner,¡± came Valanor¡¯s voice from behind him. ¡°Heart of the Kingdom.¡± Chapter 7: Timely Execution Ethan¡¯s wonder and enthusiasm didn¡¯t fade, despite the two hours it took to reach the nearest boarding platform to Corvale. He didn¡¯t even mind hearing that it would take even longer for the mobile city to reach their platform, as it allowed him to witness the most remarkable sight of his life. The walking city had eight, gargantuan stone legs, like a crustacean or arachnid, which meant that four were always in contact with the ground. One of his guards remarked that it was necessary to keep the city stable and level as it moved. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t even spill your drink,¡± one had promised. Surprisingly, the group had become talkative as they neared their home. Whether it was the relief at their journey nearing its end, or Ethan¡¯s childlike enthusiasm toward their remarkable city, they had plenty to say. ¡°It was a gift from the Kingdom¡¯s first Champion,¡± a guard told him. Ethan couldn¡¯t be sure, but he thought it was the blonde man he¡¯d seen without his helmet. ¡°She had an unusual combination of Familiars. Stone and earth tend to do the same things, but she made it work. She came back to celebrate here, and made this before she left.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s not a real creature?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°Magical construct. There¡¯s more than a few beasts of this size in the legends, but not many of ¡®em would consent to hauling around a city for a few thousand years.¡± ¡°Why¡¯d she do it? Is this¡­giant art?¡± The man laughed softly, ¡°In a way, yes. Champions like to leave their mark, and they tend to develop a dramatic flare. But there¡¯s a lot more. Awful pain to attack a moving city, especially with limited ground forces.¡± ¡°Is it worth it?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°It has to be a nightmare to keep the city supplied.¡± The knight shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s challenges, but the city stops at a few platforms each day, and merchants coordinate their deliveries. The belly of the construct is also filled with dark farms, and factories. Not quite self-sufficient, but close enough.¡± ¡°Enough talk,¡± Valanor barked, riding up to the wagon. ¡°Get ready to move, the bridge is nearly here.¡± Ethan looked back at the city, surprised as it was still some distance away. When he spotted the titanic drawbridge lowering, it made sense. His excitement to be on the wondrous crab-city grew, and a grin spread across his face. ¡°This is going to be remarkable,¡± he said. *** ¡°This is a tremendous let down,¡± he muttered, as the iron cell door slammed shut. True, there were windows, and the dungeon was well-lit, but he didn¡¯t really want to have to look for the bright side of prison. He hadn¡¯t even been able to see the city proper, as his wagon was led down around the outside of the wall. ¡°Though it would do you some good to rot down here for a while, I¡¯ll likely be back soon,¡± Valanor said from the other side of the metal bars. ¡°We must inform the King of the Hunt¨C¡± he paused, looking at the gathered prisoners in the other cells, then started over. ¡°The King will address your crimes soon enough,¡± he said, then leaned forward. ¡°One of my knights will be posted outside your cell. For their own sake, tell no one what happened in the mountain. Anyone you tell will likely share your fate.¡± With that, he marched away, leaving Ethan alone in the cell. As promised, one of his previous guards took up watch, leaning against the wall across from him. The prison was carved directly into the earth and rock beneath the city, and sunlight from the many barred windows cast the dreary place in warm tones. There was no privacy, as the cells backed against stone, and the chambers were separated by more bars. You could see all the way to the end of prison in either direction. Ethan noted a hole for obvious but depressing purposes, as well as a pile of soiled straw meant to work as a bed. The smell was bad, but not much worse than any of a number of his experiences at the hospital. He noticed the emaciated faces of the other prisoners staring at him with envy and irritation, and realized most cells this size held four people or more. Sighing, he went and sat on the small ledge of rock that passed for a bench, and leaned back, the reality of the situation threatening to tear through the veneer of positivity he¡¯d been hiding behind for the last two days. It wasn¡¯t long before a voice caught his attention, however. ¡°Oi, look at that. He¡¯s a Bonded, no wonder he has his own cell,¡± a neighboring prisoner muttered. Glancing down, Ethan realized his Bond Runes were visible, and adjusted his shirt to cover them a little better. ¡°Only got two though,¡± another voice said. ¡°Hey, new guy! What powers you got?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Ethan replied, ¡°can¡¯t use them.¡± In truth, he was a little curious himself. The Mad system was still locked, and he hadn¡¯t had a chance to see what abilities he¡¯d received from his new, forbidden Familiar. ¡°What types though?¡± A third prisoner asked. ¡°I remember talking to my friends about that when I was a lad. Which types we wanted, and what we¡¯d manifest.¡± ¡°As if you ever had a chance of gettin¡¯ Bonded,¡± the first prisoner said. He was missing his left eye, and using a filthy strip of cloth as an eyepatch. ¡°Unless your elven ears got cut short, he¡¯s right,¡± agreed the second. This one had fiery red hair, matted with mud. ¡°We was just having fun as kids!¡± the third prisoner insisted, his missing teeth slurring his words. ¡°Kids can still dream. Tell me you never chose your types while staring at the stars and I¡¯ll call you a liar!¡± ¡°He¡¯s got you there,¡± the redhead chuckled. ¡°But they¡¯re called ¡®affinities¡¯. I always thought ice and fire had a poetic flare to it. Mix in something for speed, maybe manifest ax, if I was lucky.¡± ¡°Ice and fire don¡¯t do well together,¡± eyepatch said with derision. ¡°You get nothing but attacks from one, nothing but defense from the other, you¡¯ll be hopping back and forth like an idiot.¡± ¡°Lots of people do that!¡± redhead insisted. ¡°Lots of people are idiots,¡± eyepatch insisted. ¡°You need a balance, or you¡¯ll be second rate. It¡¯s why all them knights have to use the same combinations.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± toothless said. ¡°I knew a guy who came to my village once when I was young. He had steel, stone, and ice.¡± ¡°Sounds unkillable,¡± redhead remarked. ¡°Must have had shield too, with all those defense affinities. ¡°Exactly,¡± toothless agreed. ¡°He couldn¡¯t kill a damn thing. Thought he was so smart, but he couldn¡¯t even get past Dawn Rank. He was just a damned turtle, and no one would fight with him. That¡¯s why he came to the village, looking for work.¡± ¡°Idiots, see?¡± eyepatch said triumphantly. ¡°When I was living down by the port I saw a double fire. Don¡¯t know what his third Bond was, but he used a staff.¡± ¡°I bet he had no trouble killing things,¡± redhead said. ¡°Depends what you mean by trouble. I¡¯m sure he had spells enough to drop an army, but he was a wreck. His body was nothing but scars, and he was missing a leg. All attack, no defense. He was on his way to the Church when I saw him, using that staff as a crutch.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be the end of him, then,¡± toothless said. ¡°You''re not a hunter no more after losing that much of yourself.¡± ¡°Well then, what about you?¡± eyepatch asked, turning to Ethan. ¡°You figured out your third type yet?¡± ¡°What are the first two?¡± toothless added eagerly. Ethan had been caught up by the discussion, but saw his guard shift and give him a pointed look at the question. ¡°I¡¯ve got fire,¡± he said, thinking that was a safe answer. Not willing to miss the opportunity, however, he decided to throw in some honestly. ¡°My other Bond is dimension. I¡¯m not sure what my third should be.¡± The prisoners looked at one another, finally the redhead spoke. ¡°Never heard of that one. Sounds exotic though. Exotic types are usually utility stuff. Move around faster, make your weapons sharper, that sort.¡± ¡°Mixed with fire? That¡¯s all ranged attacks, then. Explosions and the like,¡± toothless said, scratching his prisoner''s beard. ¡°You probably want another ranged type,¡± eyepatch said sagely. ¡°Find a poison, or nature type, they usually do the trick. Might manifest bow then, if you¡¯re lucky.¡± ¡°That works,¡± redhead agreed. ¡°Bow might be your best bet. You don¡¯t wanna risk getting close and long range abilities, you¡¯ll be a worthless generalist then.¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Hunters guild will still take him,¡± toothless said. ¡°But he¡¯ll be guarding caravans or something till he¡¯s old and gray.¡± Manifest bow? Ethan thought. The men had used that term a couple of times, but he didn¡¯t understand it. At first he thought it was just the weapon you choose to suit your abilities, but they kept mentioning luck, and chances. He wanted to ask, but figured it would derail the conversation if he admitted to knowing so little about Bonds. From the way they were speaking, Familiars were far more rare than he realized. Ethan was planning out how to talk around the problem, when the guard clanged an armored fist against the bars. He gestured, and Ethan obediently came forward. ¡°You¡¯re gambling with their lives right now,¡± the man whispered. ¡°Say another word and I¡¯ll have to tell First Shield Valanor that they¡¯re compromised. Please don¡¯t make me do that.¡± The man¡¯s earnest request caught Ethan by surprise, and reminded him that he could get these men killed with a stray word. The stakes weren¡¯t worth the scraps he might learn. Ethan gave a curt nod, which the knight returned. As he walked back, the knight slammed the bars again. ¡°No talking!¡± he commanded, and the rest of the prisoners retreated to the backs of their cells. As the sun was beginning to set, Ethan eyed the bug-covered pile of straw, and let out a sigh. Sitting back against the stone wall once more, he let his mind drift, wondering how he could turn this insane situation around. *** The sound of his cell opening woke Ethan up, and he groaned at the new and interesting pains that came with sleeping against a jagged wall. The sun was rising outside the prison windows, the early rays reflecting off of Valanor¡¯s obsidian armor, and he squinted against the brightness. ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Valanor said, gesturing down the hall. Ethan nodded, regretting the sudden neck motion immediately, wincing in pain as he forced himself to stand. He still felt strange, but not debilitated beyond the bruising and terrible night¡¯s sleep. He dutifully followed the shield-knight down the hall, the latest guard only a step behind. They took a different path than on the way into the prison, and soon they were climbing a seemingly endless set of stairs, slowly winding their way up through the moving city. Eventually they passed a set of massive, guarded doors, which led to a hallway that clearly belonged to a different building. The stone walls were well-worn, but well kept, and tapestries and other works of art were visible everywhere. The floors were carpeted and pristine, which made Ethan feel uncomfortable about his own filthy appearance. When they suddenly cut down a hallway which led to bathing rooms, he couldn¡¯t hide his relief. ¡°Clean yourself, then change those ridiculous clothes,¡± Valanor said, stepping back into the hall. The other guard stayed, pointing at a tall, standing tub in the corner which had steam rising from it. The room was otherwise unremarkable, with clean white walls, a few tables, and a collection of towels. Ethan stripped off the remains of his climbing clothes, not sorry to see them go as they disappeared into what he assumed was a trash basket. He gratefully lowered himself into the metal tub a moment later, scrubbing gently at the countless small cuts that covered him. By some miracle they didn¡¯t seem infected, and he briefly considered that the bacteria on this world might be different. He hoped that wasn¡¯t true for diseases, as a ¡®War of the Worlds¡¯ situation wouldn¡¯t be an ideal end to his journey. That end was foremost in his mind as he scrubbed himself clean, using the provided soap to remove as much of the dirt as possible. Ethan didn¡¯t have anywhere close to enough information to plan his way out the situation he was walking into. But he knew his wits needed to be sharp, and he had to project an aura of confidence and competence that a filthy, bloody fool in short-shorts just couldn¡¯t pull off. Soon he was pulling on the plain gray shirt, and blessedly normal looking dark pants. He¡¯d yet to see how the upper crust of society dressed, and the very real possibility of stockings and puffy breeches had been weighing on him. The provided boots were less than comfortable, but should be good enough for dying in¡­or pulling off a miracle. The day could go either way. He only took the time to briefly look in a foggy mirror before leaving. His dirty blonde hair was pushed back, the way he did it in the hospital, and his three day beard was right in that sweet spot before the ¡®homeless drifter¡¯ look set in. Seeing himself with tattoos was a bit weird, but only the ones on his temple and throat were visible unless he rolled up his sleeve. Apollo¡¯s bow and arrow were the exception, but that particular Rune had appeared faded since he¡¯d woken up on the wagon. A mystery for future Ethan, he thought, if he¡¯s alive, he¡¯ll enjoy the challenge. Leaving the room and following Valanor up into the palace proper, Ethan wondered if any of his countless heroic ancestors had ever known this far ahead of time how likely they were to be killed. Certainly most of the soldiers had known it was a possibility, and more than enough Bishops had died on the battlefield. Still, he was surprised by how calm he was. Whether it was denial, or simply the fact that every moment had felt like borrowed time since he first fell from that mountain in the Rockies, he couldn¡¯t say. Either way, he smiled as they finally made it to the throne room. If you know what¡¯s coming, no matter how bad, may as well smile at it. Because screw them. ¡°Wise, wise, words,¡± he whispered. ¡°All I said was ¡®don¡¯t act the fool¡¯, but perhaps no one¡¯s ever told you that before,¡± Valanor said from beside him. ¡°Bow when I bow, don¡¯t speak unless directly commanded to, and don¡¯t be stupid enough to lie. Everyone will know.¡± ¡°Follow those simple rules and live?¡± Ethan asked sarcastically. ¡°Follow those rules and die with some honor,¡± Valanor replied. ¡°Ooh, what a treat,¡± Ethan laughed. The knight shook his head in disappointment, then went back to staring ahead at the curtain which blocked the entrance. There were a few more painful minutes of waiting before someone called out their names from inside, and Valanor pushed him forward. The throne room was expansive, with a ceiling easily forty feet up, covered in fascinating art. Mostly depictions of battles, each one showing a crowned warrior slaying some type of stylized monster. When he finally looked back down, he saw that there were only two ways in and out of the room. The other was a door on the far side of the thrones, but massive windows lined the wall, letting in the sun from one side. The room was surprisingly empty, with only a few people present, some of whom immediately left through the door he¡¯d just entered. Two Knights stood next to the entrance, another two flanked the thrones, and a stern man and older woman sat to one side, dressed in white robes adorned with the three spirals. That left the thrones, which Ethan had purposefully avoided looking at until he was ready. There were three, all of the same wooden design, rising up with overly tall backs. They were beautifully crafted and carved with symbols, but not opulent, and the centermost was differentiated only by virtue of being raised a hand taller. The leftmost was occupied by the prince, who was still wearing his armor, though with the helmet replaced by a simple circlet of gold. The rightmost had to be his sister, as the silver hair and pointed ears were identical, though her face may have favored a different parent. Still she was as beautiful as he was handsome. The King was the most interesting. His fury was palpable as he stared directly at Ethan, who met his gaze with a steady smile. The man was larger, and thicker than his son, though it looked like muscle under the heavy robes of office, not fat. His crown was larger, but still functional, and likely could have been worn into battle. It was his ears though, that were the surprise, being as round and human as Ethan¡¯s own. On the wall above them was an enormous picture of what could only be Ethan¡¯s accidental Familiar. It was painted on top of a shield, and wearing a copy of the King¡¯s crown. Well that¡¯s a great sign, Ethan thought, definitely a ¡®forgive and forget¡¯ vibe in here. ¡°King Rothavaro, Princess Ellevaro, Prince Calevaro, allow me to present Ethan Bishop. False-Chosen of Flagras.¡± Ethan raised an eyebrow. He was already surprised Valanor remembered his name¨Che¡¯d never used it, but gaining a new and damning title was exciting news. He bowed slightly when Valanor did¨Cthere were enough reasons to execute him without adding disrespect. The King leaned forward on his throne. ¡°Reveal the Bond Rune,¡± he commanded, and Valanor turned to obey. Ethan caught the man¡¯s good arm however, giving him a death-stare to rival the King¡¯s. Surprisingly, the knight nodded, and backed away, allowing Ethan to unbutton his own shirt, displaying the elaborate symbols without shame. The King merely nodded. ¡°Bring in the Runemistress!¡± he bellowed, and a woman was striding through the door in moments. Ethan had to control his reaction, as she was one of the unusual, red-skinned horned beings he¡¯d spotted in the village days earlier. She was shorter than the men had been, but still easily six and a half feet tall, and her long, blue scholar robes didn¡¯t disguise her muscled frame. She stopped in front of Ethan, looking down at him with a surprisingly warm smile. He smiled back automatically, trying to look at her purple eyes, and not the black horns that curled around her head. ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Runemistress Selina, and I need you to consent to a runic ritual,¡± she said in a friendly tone. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know what that is,¡± Ethan replied, his eyes following the countless, tight purple braids that cascaded down her back when she bent forward to inspect his chest. ¡°Oh! It¡¯ll just reveal a few standard things about you. Most importantly your Familiars, but also your age, race, where you were born, and so forth. It¡¯s a bit invasive, I know, that¡¯s why it requires your assent.¡± Oh joy, ¡®where I was born¡¯. And I was worried this might not be complicated. ¡°Go right ahead Selina, let¡¯s put it all out there and see what happens.¡± She seemed surprised by his tone, but her smile didn¡¯t fade. She immediately went to work, drawing out a circle around him in some kind of green chalk, then carefully adding runes. The throne room was tense and silent as she went about her business¨Cexpertly, it seemed¨Cbut thankfully it wasn¡¯t a long process. When she¡¯d finished, she took out a crystal from an unseen inventory, then began whispering something Ethan couldn¡¯t understand. After a few moments the crystal began to glow a deep green, and all at once the drawings around him burst into smokeless flames, dissipating almost immediately. The Runemisstress stared into her crystal for a few moments, then looked up at Ethan. ¡°Oh my,¡± she said at last. ¡°What is it?¡± the King demanded, standing up for the first time. ¡°Does he have the false Bond, or not?¡± ¡°Um, sorry, Majesty, there¡¯s just¡­a lot of information coming from the ritual. Yes, he is Bonded to Flagras but¡­but, it¡¯s a True Bond, not a forced one. Your Majesty, he¡¯s an actual Chosen.¡± Ethan could see everyone in the room struggling to maintain their decorum, but each person still reacted visibly. The prince and princess exchanged shocked glances, and the two robed figures stood up suddenly. Even Valanor retreated a step. Well then, maybe this will go better than I hoped, Ethan thought. Then the King spoke. ¡°Irrelevant. He took the Bond that was meant for my son. Valanor, execute him immediately and put an end to this farce.¡± Oh, never mind, we¡¯re still right on track. Chapter 8: Gambits and Conspiracies Everyone in the throne room seemed to take a collective intake of breath as the death sentence echoed out. Ethan expected Valanor to hesitate, but when he glanced to his side, the obsidian warhammer was already raised. Ethan took a quick step back with his hands raised, but it was a calm female voice that halted the blow. ¡°First Shield, a moment please?¡± The hammer froze, the knight turning to look at the King for confirmation. It was a long, tense moment, before a dismissive flick of a hand bought Ethan a few more minutes of life, and Valanor moved away. ¡°Speak, daughter,¡± King Rothavaro said at last, before sitting back in his throne, a hand pressed against his head with irritation. ¡°Whatever resolution we come to,¡± the princess said in a stately voice, ¡°haste needn¡¯t be a part of it. A decision with decades-long consequences shouldn¡¯t be made in moments.¡± The King rolled his eyes and let out a long sigh, but Ethan got the impression the man was used to these kinds of moments with his daughter. ¡°Let us lay the situation out, as its complexities are many. If we execute this man, then Flagras is lost to us. This time the Guardian won¡¯t simply be prowling the mountains, but caught in its cycle of rebirth. The shortest cycle on record was still more than a quarter-century. Selina, the Runemistress seemed forgotten, but was raising her hand as if she were in school, still staring at Ethan. The king and princess didn¡¯t seem to notice, but Calevaro clearly did, watching quietly. Ethan however, was focused on listening and absorbing, waiting for his moment. ¡°What else can we do?¡± the king asked. ¡°This is no different from the Hunt failing. The Chosen should be a member of the Royal house, and must be of Viridus. Valanor says this man refused to even identify his kingdom! The power of Flagras cannot fall into the hands of another nation! Nixus and Arinae are practically at our borders!¡± ¡°Our neighbors are always looking for an excuse to attack,¡± the princess countered. ¡°Cal becoming Chosen might give them pause, but unless he became another Champion, he would never be a true deterrent.¡± ¡°And Flagras is the surest path to gaining such a coveted title!¡± the king roared back, standing up once more. ¡°The Guardian is strong, father, and its powers are deadly, but this family knows only too well the limits of that power.¡± That statement made the king sit back down, and Ethan could tell that there was something going unsaid. Why is this time different? he wondered, considering her words. Ethan was so close. He hoped that Selina would remain quiet for just a few moments more. The information she wanted to share could either derail the discussion, or possibly save him¨Cbut only if he could gain control of the situation. Thankfully Princess Ellevaro was an unexpected ally, and he wondered if their goals aligned. At last King Rothavaro spoke again, ¡°You speak with wisdom, as always, daughter. Your brother¡¯s sacrifice bought us this time, and part of me does feel like I¡¯m throwing it away. But I ask again,what else can be done?¡± Brother¡¯s sacrifice? What could Calevaro have sacrificed that¨Cno. This situation is different, she said as much. Calevaro was on the Hunt, he would have Bonded Flagras, he wasn¡¯t in a position to effect¨CEthan looked up at the picture of his Familiar once again, and the crown it wore. Flagras is some kind of royal Familiar, and a brother made a sacrifice to give them ¡®time¡¯. A brother, but not this brother? Selina was practically jumping up and down now, and the arguing royals were finally taking notice. That¡¯s it, time¡¯s up. ¡°I think the solution is simple,¡± Ethan said loudly, drawing every eye in the room. Valanor moved to silence him without hesitation, a stone blade pressing into Ethan¡¯s throat. ¡°I wish to hear what he has to say,¡± Calevaro said quietly, the first words Ethan had ever heard from the man. His voice was deep, and he spoke with measured precision. ¡°We must hear from the thief, now?¡± the king grumbled, but after a glance at this stoic son, he made another dismissive gesture, and Valanor backed away, growling slightly. ¡°Thank you, Majesty,¡± Ethan began, ¡°and please forgive any lack of decorum on my part, I¡¯m very much a stranger in these lands.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t test my patience, thief. If the answer is simple, then speak it, or lose your tongue.¡± ¡°Of course, and forgive me again, but there¡¯s a single point on which I¡¯m unclear, that I think may determine my fate. This Runemistress,¡± he gestured at Selina, who jumped, ¡°why was she necessary in confirming my Bond?¡± The king didn¡¯t deign to respond, but made another small gesture at Valanor, who spoke. ¡°Bond Runes are unique, and no one can be forced to reveal their Familiar under normal circumstances. It was the only way to confirm that you truly joined with Flagras¨Cthough under the circumstances it was more of a ceremonial gesture. I know what you did.¡± Ethan ignored the knight¡¯s anger, trying not to sag with relief at hearing his assumption validated. ¡°Then I stand by my words,¡± he said, ¡°the answer is simple. Just tell everyone that the prince¡¯s hunt was a success.¡± Seeing the king¡¯s outrage, Ethan hurriedly clarified, knowing his life was hanging by a hair. ¡°As Princess Ellevaro mentioned, Flagras alone isn¡¯t a guaranteed path to a¡­¡¯Champion¡¯.¡± I would feel so much more confident if I knew for sure what that was. ¡°It sounds as if the true test is of the warrior, not the Familiar. I¡¯ve seen your son in action, Majesty, and he is remarkable. He fights with bravery, and skill. He protects his men, and no one could claim he¡¯s lacking in power. He already is a true warrior.¡± The king didn¡¯t argue that, even looking at Calevaro with what may have been pride. It¡¯s time to hammer this home. ¡°So I say again, the solution is simple. In fact it comes down to the answer to one question: do you trust your son to become your Champion?¡± The king leaned back, looking contemplative, and Calevaro gave him an expectant look, as if challenging him to disagree. The princess¡¯s reaction was the most interesting, however, as Ethan caught her hiding a smirk. At last the king turned to his daughter. ¡°What do you think, can it be done? It¡¯s true that there are few who would be capable of finding out the truth, and fewer still motivated to do so. And Cal,¡± when he looked at his son this time, the pride shone brightly, ¡°Cal¡¯s reputation is well-earned. None will doubt his victory over Flagras. That our Guardian would bond a stranger is actually the taller tale.¡± ¡°I think the plan has merit, father,¡± Ellevaro agreed. ¡°We simply need to secure a suitable third Bond for him that grants the right powers, and no one will question.¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Oh, thank goodness, Ethan thought, as the king nodded in agreement. ¡°This is a gambit worthy of your grandfather,¡± he said with a barked laugh. ¡°Very well, we¡¯ll discuss further details later. I admit, I see no better way to protect our kingdom until Flagras returns to us, daughter. Now the execution can proceed.¡± I need to stop celebrating early, Ethan thought, then smiled in resignation. Okay, I suspected this was coming from the moment I arrived in this world. Maybe I pictured making this decision differently. Possibly on top of a hill with the wind in my hair¡­but saving my life in a giant walking castle will have to do. ¡°Let me be the Chosen!¡± Ethan called out, then spoke rapidly into the stunned silence. ¡°I¡¯m from a long line of warriors. In many ways, my life has been building to this moment as much as Prince Calevaro¡¯s. Allow me a chance to prove that I¡¯m worthy of Flagras¡¯ choice.¡± The king looked at Ethan in surprise, but didn¡¯t silence him right away. ¡°You mentioned a gamble, your Majesty, why not gamble on a year? What¡¯s one year compared to the decades you¡¯d have to wait for Flagras¡¯ return?¡± Ethan turned to Calevaro then. ¡°As one man who lost a brother to another, give me the chance to make up for my mistake, and try to be worthy of the sacrifice yours made.¡± Ethan looked in the prince¡¯s eyes, knowing he was gambling blindly himself. He didn¡¯t know enough about the sacrifice to be sure this was the right tack, but it was the strongest weapon he had at the moment. The King seemed furious, which was expected, but once again he turned and noticed his son¡¯s reaction, raising a royal eyebrow. The prince looked to his father, and something was clearly communicated without words. Then the king threw his hand in the air. ¡°Enough of this!¡± he cried. ¡°The discussion is moot. I¡¯ll say again: I will not have Flagras¡¯ power in the hands of another nation!¡± Ethan hadn¡¯t forgotten about that little detail, however. Time for the final gamble¡­wow. I won¡¯t even buy a lottery ticket back home, but apparently I¡¯ll bet my life all goddamn day. Here goes¡­ ¡°Actually, your Majesty, if we hear out the Runemisstress, I think it will prove that I don¡¯t have any divided loyalties.¡± The King¡¯s face went red with rage, clearly having been pushed farther than he had the tolerance for, but nevertheless he glanced at Selina. He seemed to finally realize that she¡¯d been all but jumping up and down since the ritual, and groaned audibly. ¡°Why not?¡± he said to the heavens. ¡°There¡¯s been more impropriety in my court in the last ten minutes than there has been in the last ten years. By all means, Runemisstress, enlighten us.¡± Selina was bouncing from foot to foot, her nerves clearly battling her excitement to share her findings. ¡°Majesty, he¡¯s not from any nation.¡± This declaration made the King freeze, and the rest of the court seemed to lean in. ¡°Explain,¡± the King said. ¡°The ritual I cast, it can give a great deal of information about where someone has been. Everywhere has its own unique magics and energies, and the longer you spend in once place the more¨C¡± ¡°Explain more succinctly!¡± King Rothavaro said with cold fury, and Selina jumped. ¡°He¡¯s not from Nexum! He¡¯s from Terra¨Cby way of Potentia,¡± she said rapidly. ¡°Impossible!¡± came a voice from the side of the room. This time it was the old woman in robes who¡¯d broken decorum, and she immediately began apologizing to the king, who waved it all away. ¡°Terra? Not Terranovus?¡± the King asked. ¡°Uh, no, Majesty. The people of Terranovus have been here for generations, supposedly. The ritual wouldn¡¯t mistake the two.¡± Wait, what was that? There¡¯s a place in this world with other people from Earth? The revelation would have to wait, though. ¡°This man appears to have spent the vast majority of his life on the Third World. Only the scant trace of energy shows that he visited Potentia on his way here,¡± Selina finished. The court was silent. Ethan noticed Valanor staring at him, his good hand seeming to ache for its warhammer. The princess seemed contemplative, while the prince¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t changed. The two in robes appeared to be¡­praying. Finally the King broke the silence. ¡°This claim is true, thief?¡± Ethan nodded. ¡°I was pulled into Potentia against my will only a few days ago. I spent some time fighting with scorpiursi¡­¡± he leaned down, revealing the still-healing pincer wound. ¡°Then I was lucky enough to run into a woman in silver armor. She was riding an enormous snow bird and she rescued me, then sent me here. I appeared on the mountainside only a few hours before I met Valanor.¡± A small clang echoed through the chamber, and all eyes fell on Valanor, who¡¯d slapped his gauntlet into his helm, and was now shaking his head. ¡°First Shield?¡± the King prompted. ¡°I am sorry, Majesty. He mentioned a woman in silver, but my mind was on the Hunt, and getting back to the prince. When I saw his survival kit I should have realized.¡± He sighed, ¡°It was full of items that were at least Master rank.¡± ¡°Father,¡± Princess Ellevaro said, ¡°if he was truly saved by Champion Allyara¨C¡± ¡°Then he¡¯d be in the company of countless others! Just because she protected the thief then, doesn¡¯t mean he has free reign to do as he pleases ever after.¡± The princess tried to speak again, but he cut her off. ¡°It¡¯s the rest that interests me,¡± he said, then stood up and strode forward. Up close, it was clear that he was a fair bit taller than Ethan¡¯s six feet. The king inspected him silently, looking in that moment very much like his quiet son. ¡°What interest does Terra have in our world?¡± he asked softly. ¡°Broadly speaking, no one knows your world exists. At the very least it¡¯s not common knowledge, and I¡¯ve never seen anything to indicate otherwise. My world has its own problems, but they don¡¯t include monsters or magic,¡± Ethan answered honestly. King Rothavaro listened, but seemed surprisingly disinterested. His face transformed, however, when he spoke next. ¡°Tell me of Potentia,¡± he commanded. Another key moment. Ethan had considered playing this card earlier, but was convinced he¡¯d be dismissed out of hand. Now however¡­ ¡°I have stories I could tell, of horrific monsters and close calls, but none worthy of a king¡¯s attention. On the other hand, if you¡¯re asking why the woman in silver saved me, that is a message I¡¯m happy to deliver.¡± ¡°You did see something,¡± the king replied, not a question. Ethan nodded slowly. ¡°I saw this land, this beautiful, remarkable land, through a rift half the size of this palace. There was an army amassed in front of it. I was too far to give numbers or details, but they appeared to be waiting.¡± This triggered muttering around the room, but King Rothavaro remained silent, searching Ethan¡¯s eyes. Ethan met the gaze steadily. After finding whatever it was he was looking for, the king finally gave the smallest of nods, then turned and began walking back to his throne. ¡°You¡¯ve done this nation a service,¡± he called out. ¡°But you¡¯ve also stolen my son¡¯s future. One does not excuse the other,¡± he said with finality. The princess moved close to her father then, and began speaking softly into his ear. At first his stern expression didn¡¯t slip, but slowly his face relaxed, leaving him with a contemplative look. After a few minutes of Ethan painfully waiting, she stepped back. ¡°I have been given reason to entertain mercy in this matter,¡± King Rothavaro began, and Ethan felt a frightening surge of hope, ¡°however, it is not only against me that you have transgressed.¡± He turned to the prince. ¡°I know your ways, my son, you would let all others have their say before you do, that you may consider the right path and speak with finality. Now is that moment, Calevaro.¡± Ethan¡¯s eyes shifted to the silver-haired prince. He¡¯d spoken highly of the man, and truly had seen him fight to protect his soldiers, but truthfully Ethan didn¡¯t know the prince¡¯s feelings. He expected there were few who did. The prince nodded to his father, then mirrored his actions, coming to stand before Ethan and appraising him in some mysterious way. Finally he turned, moved to his father, and whispered in his ear as the princess had done. The exchange was brief, and the prince simply left through the doors behind the thrones without a glance back. The room seemed tense after the departure, and the king was apparently in no mood to relieve it. He leaned back on the throne, resting his head on a hand as he stared off into space. Ethan¡¯s body began to ache, and he realized he¡¯d been standing with every muscle locked for some time. At last the king spoke, without even looking at Ethan. ¡°You have your year,¡± he said simply. ¡°Valanor, escort him to guest quarters, post a guard, then return to me. We have much to discuss.¡± Ethan didn¡¯t know how to react, just smiling in disbelief as Valanor pulled him from the room. The king¡¯s voice echoed after him. ¡°One year, thief. Make it count.¡± Chapter 9: A Fight You Cant Win Ethan leaned against the railing on his private balcony in the guest wing, overlooking the remarkable, mobile city. He was continually impressed by the fact that he couldn¡¯t feel the movement, though ¡®because magic¡¯ would always follow the observation. ¡°Going to take some time to get used to all this,¡± he said. ¡®All this¡¯ included the medieval city spreading out before him. Beyond the palace gardens was a wall which separated it from the city proper. Past that were elaborate mansions of white stone and red tiles, which¨Cwhile paling in comparison to the castle¨Cwere still no doubt housing for the richest citizens. Farther out looked like markets, followed by smaller houses, then parks and trees which led to the outer wall. Ethan stepped away from the balcony and returned to his lavish suite. The room was pristine, with a large bed complete with canopy curtains, a sitting area and table for meals, and a small private washroom with questionable facilities. ¡°Please let the plumbing be magic,¡± he muttered, and not for the first time. There were interesting works of art in the room as well, mostly depicting monsters and warriors locked in combat, but Ethan found himself drawn to the bust of some unnamed man sitting on a shelf at eye level. The man had the look of a philosopher, and seemed contemplative. The way the hair was carved, and the prominent monocle created a very distinctive and familiar look which amused Ethan. The stone head was proving to be a good listener. ¡°Well Garrus, we have our year. I can make this work, right? I wasn¡¯t lying to the king, afterall. Well¡­much. I really am from a long line of warriors. Bishops have fought and died in more wars than I can count. My life really has been leading up to a moment like this¡­¡± He sighed, flopping into one of the surprisingly comfortable chairs. ¡°I just neglected to mention that I did everything I could to escape this kind of moment. But it wasn¡¯t the same, back home. Nations and politics and wars¡­I had more than enough reasons to hate them.¡± Ethan grinned, ¡°But this? This is different. What I saw the prince do¡­who the hell wouldn¡¯t want that? Maybe being one more soldier wasn¡¯t for me, but a fireball tossin¡¯ badass that slays monsters? Now that¡­¡± Ethan¡¯s voice grew more serious. ¡°That is something I can do, which won¡¯t be a constant reminder of the worst days of my life.¡± Garrus seemed to approve. ¡°I knew you¡¯d understand,¡± Ethan said before leaning back in the chair and shutting his eyes. Pounding on the door woke him up, but he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d slept long. After the terrible night in the cell, and the stress of the morning, it felt like no amount of sleep would be enough. Ethan cracked his sore neck as he went to the door, quickly downing a glass of water as he did so. He threw open the heavy wooden door, only to see a grim man he didn¡¯t recognize. Back home, the man likely would have had Mediterranean ancestry, but what that meant here was anyone¡¯s guess. He was a bit taller than Ethan, with a shaved head, and clean-shaven lantern jaw. He was dressed in thick leathers, with sleeves rolled up to reveal a few runes that looked vaguely familiar. It wasn¡¯t until Ethan noticed the man¡¯s left arm wasn¡¯t just resting against his chest, but subtly strapped to it, that he knew who he was looking at. It was just the first time without a helmet. ¡°Valanor! Welcome to my humble home. May I introduce you to Garrus?¡± The shield knight¡¯s resting glare turned briefly on the stone head before coming back to Ethan. ¡°The king has put me in charge of your training,¡± he said. ¡°Come. We don¡¯t know how much time we have, and there''s a great deal we need to accomplish.¡± Ethan laughed softly, ¡°Come on Valanor, I just found out that I¡¯m not being immediately executed. You and I have a lot we need to talk about, why not join me for lunch or something? I admit, I¡¯m excited to get started, but we have a year.¡± ¡°We only have a year if your Familiars don¡¯t burn up your soul before nightfall.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get my coat!¡± Ethan said immediately, then hurried after an already departing Valanor. He caught up to the man in the hall. ¡°Please explain that life-altering and horrifying statement,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re human, like I am. We need years to prepare for a safe Familiar Bond. Even then it starts a ticking clock toward our deaths, unless we form our Soul Rune in time.¡± He looked at Ethan as they made their way down the steps toward the main palace doors. ¡°You had no preparation, and Bonded one of the most powerful monsters on the planet.¡± ¡°Right¡­what¡¯s a Soul Rune?¡± Ethan asked as the massive double doors were opened for them, unleashing the pleasant aromas of the gardens. Valanor stopped a few paces from the exit, then turned and unbuttoned the top of his shirt. ¡°This is a Soul Rune,¡± he said, pointing to a symbol that looked a bit like a stylized shield. It was formed at the intersection of his three Bond Runes, and seemed to be created by the other symbols weaving together into a fourth pattern. Ethan¡¯s attention wandered, however, when he again noticed the Bond Rune leading to Valanor¡¯s limp arm was sickly red. The rest of the symbols were a warm orange, though Ethan¡¯s own were both a soft yellow. The knight noticed his scrutiny and resumed walking, buttoning his shirt with practiced ease, despite only having one hand. ¡°So three Bonds creates a fourth, somehow?¡± Ethan prompted. ¡°It¡¯s not a Bond, it¡¯s your soul¡¯s reaction to all the magic that¡¯s been flooded into it. Each time you gain a Familiar, it¡¯s taking up residence in your soul, which is an imperfect vessel. Their power, their very presence is destroying that vessel.¡± ¡°How does more power fix that?¡± Ethan asked, trying to picture his soul¨Cwhich he only just found out really existed¨Cslowly disintegrating inside him. ¡°It¡¯s the gift of Nexum, the Goddess that created our world. You should spend time in the Church if you want to understand more, but this world has been gifted Bonds the same way Potentia has been gifted power.¡± ¡°Why is Earth left out of all the fun?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°And are there more worlds? More um¡­Gods?¡± ¡°You¡¯re from Terra, how can you not even understand your own gift?¡± Valanor waved him to silence as they went through even larger doors to reach the city. ¡°Never mind, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m here to teach you. All you need to understand is that your final Familiar will allow your soul to Evolve¨Cas they do¨CManifesting powers to balance those you already have.¡± ¡°Ooooh,¡± Ethan said in excitement. ¡°Some very nice, and only somewhat smelly prisoners talked about that. They said I should hope to get a bow, or something?¡± Valanor rolled his eyes as they moved down a wide, empty street past the large mansions Ethan had seen from his balcony. ¡°Yes, by all means listen to a group of Bondless prisoners and Manifest ¡®bow¡¯. I¡¯m sure their expertise will serve you well.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for listening to the first people that actually want to talk to me. You¡¯re my only friend here, and you tried to kill me twice today.¡± Valanor stopped suddenly, and Ethan wondered if he might actually get an apology for what had happened in the throne room. One look at the man¡¯s dark eyes was enough to disabuse him of that notion. ¡°Friend? Friend?¡± He poked Ethan in the chest hard enough to push him back a step. ¡°Perhaps we were on that path before you sabotaged the Hunt. Before you risked my nation¡¯s safety with your foolishness. Before my trust in you had me removed as First Shield to the prince! A duty I¡¯ve worked my whole life to earn!¡± Ethan wasn¡¯t sure what to say. None of it had been planned, but that was little comfort. And the man wasn¡¯t exactly wrong. ¡°Valanor I¡¯m¨C¡± ¡°Shut your insolent mouth!¡± the knight said, poking him once again. ¡°That you had the gall to speak out of turn to the king astounds me, but I refuse to hear more of your false words. You were lying to me from the moment we met.¡± ¡°You mean the moment we met, as I was saving the lives of your knights? And your own?¡± Ethan shot back, having more than enough reason to be furious himself. ¡°I was lost, and confused, and didn''t know who to trust. I made mistakes. But I won¡¯t be your punching bag, Valanor.¡± Ethan poked him back, it was like poking a brick wall, but the pain only served his anger. ¡°Flagras was dying. Minutes from dying. Your Hunt had already failed, Valanor. You only have my word on that, so all I can do is make that word mean something again, now that I have the chance.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Ethan expected the man to scream back at him. To call him a liar, or a thief, maybe even to strike him. Instead, the shield knight just stared. He did that same, strange evaluating glare that the king and prince had done. It was uncomfortable, and the silent pause was doubly strange in the middle of such a heated argument. Finally Valanor simply muttered, ¡°You speak the truth.¡± He then withdrew a small stone from his inventory, and pressed it against Ethan¡¯s chest. The extra marks that somehow locked out his runes immediately dissolved, and he sensed they were functional again. The Mad system was blinking furiously, but Ethan was more curious about something else first. ¡°I am telling the truth, but you sound more certain of that than I¡¯d expect. What did you just do?¡± he asked. Valanor gestured with his head, and they resumed walking. ¡°I looked at your soul within the Astral. It¡¯s far less capable of deception than your body is. Reach Dawn Rank, and you¡¯ll be able to do it as well.¡± ¡°The Astral?¡± Ethan asked. Valanor let out a long breath, seeming to calm himself. ¡°You¡¯re on your first step of a long journey, and I have no interest in speaking of the hundredth. Come, we¡¯re nearly to the Church.¡± ¡°Wait, why are we going to the Church? I thought we were in a hurry,¡± Ethan said. ¡°Only the healing priests can tell us exactly how much of a hurry we¡¯re in. They¡¯ll measure the damage to your soul, which will tell us how much time we have to find your final Familiar.¡± Maybe I can finally get some insights as to why healing is so taboo here, he thought. ¡°That makes sense. Will it be hard to find my last Bond?¡± ¡°Not precisely, the princess has already determined its ideal nature. We just need to ensure we have the time for the Hunt. Otherwise we¡¯ll need to use some of the tame stock we keep for the knights.¡± That was an unexpected twist. ¡°Why does the princess want to choose my Familiar? Is she an expert on Soul Runes or something?¡± he asked. Valanor looked at him, considering. ¡°If I were to tell you she has selected a lightning Bond, would that answer your question?¡± Ethan considered. The king had seemed ready to execute him in spite of every revelation, until Princess Ellevaro whispered something in his ear. Now he was getting a lightning Bond, just like¡­ ¡°She¡¯s making me into a decoy, or maybe an expendable copy. She wants me to fight like the prince.¡± ¡°Well done,¡± Valanor said, sounding surprised. ¡°The power of a Chosen belonging to the kingdom, without risking Prince Calevaro is a tempting prospect. One worth your very life it seems.¡± He stopped then, as they¡¯d reached a more busy part of town. ¡°I warn you now, you mustn¡¯t speak of any of this outside the palace.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Ethan replied, eyeing the crowds of busy people ahead. ¡°None of this works without secrecy. Prince Calevaro is the Chosen of Flagras, and I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡± Valanor nodded, and they continued walking. The cobblestone street was well-worn, and Ethan wondered how old the city truly was as he took in the sights he¡¯d missed upon arriving. Merchants were everywhere, proving that goods were most certainly reaching the city in a steady flow. They stepped around entertainers, jugglers, and musicians playing unfamiliar tunes. Ethan even saw a couple of smaller monsters as part of the fun. They were a pair of orange monkeys, dancing with an elf for coins. ¡°If Bonds are so dangerous, how come I keep seeing them used for smithing and¡­dancing apparently?¡± ¡°Those are almost always elves, and the bonds are often handed down through family lines. I told you that Bonds are dangerous to humans¨Cless so for elves. Each race has their boons.¡± Valanor responded, then gestured down another street toward a tall building, marked with the familiar swirls. ¡°What about the red people with the horns? Is their boon being absolutely jacked or something?¡± Ethan asked, thinking of the surprisingly muscular Runemistress. ¡°Nator? They form their Soul Rune first. It¡¯s both a boon and curse. They¡¯re dangerous even without Bonds, but it makes it far more difficult to find the right combination of Familiars to match their unique abilities. It¡¯s why Nator Bonded are so rare.¡± Ethan nodded, wondering what his own Soul Rune might end up being. With his luck it would be a stethoscope. He refocused as they entered the Church, its ominous appearance not making him feel any better about the talk of Gods. He noted it had a belltower, like many churches back on Earth, which gave him a strange touch of comfort. As they walked in, Ethan saw there were quite a few other similarities as well. There were benches lined up toward a stage where some kind of priest likely gave sermons, and the architecture, art, and endless candles all lent themselves to an arcane atmosphere. He resolved to take one of the services Valanor mentioned, when he had time. Ethan¡¯s gaze fell onto a statue of a robed woman who appeared to be holding a globe over her head, and he wondered if he was looking at the goddess Nexum. Valanor kept walking, however, and brought them to a backroom that clearly served as an office based on the books, desk, and tired looking woman fiddling with papers. She was older, with mostly gray hair, and wore the same white robes with three spirals that Ethan had seen before. When she turned around, he realized it was actually one of the two Church representatives who¡¯d been in the throne room. That makes sense, better not to let any more people in on the secret. ¡°High Priestess Abigail,¡± Valanor said, bowing. ¡°Paladin Valanor,¡± she responded, though she was glaring at Ethan. ¡°I take it you¡¯re here for the ritual?¡± ¡°Indeed, High Priestess. We need to know how much time we have left.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been made to understand that the thief actually has a second Bond as well? I hope it was a common monster, or your task may be even more difficult.¡± They both turned to Ethan. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t really understand the rarity thing. Where does ¡®Ultra Rare¡¯ fit in?¡± The woman¡¯s eyebrows rose as Valanor ran a hand over his face in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯ll start immediately,¡± she said, shaking her head in disbelief. Putting down the papers, she began gathering objects from her inventory, and placing them on the desk. ¡°It take it that Ultra Rare is an issue?¡± Ethan asked the knight. ¡°Is this part of the ranks?¡± Valanor sighed, then stood back as the High Priestess began drawing runes on the floor. ¡°The ranks are as follows: Dawn, Dusk, Twilight, Master, Legend. The names reflect the Goddess¡¯s journey, though I¡¯m sure you can learn more from a sermon. For Bonded, they represent thresholds of power. Forming your Soul Rune will bring you to Dawn rank.¡± Ethan nodded, then held still while the Priestess opened his shirt and began drawing runes on his chest. ¡°Okay, so how does that fit with Bonding new monsters?¡± ¡°Common monsters only have low rank potential, they need a Bond to go higher. The rarer the monster, the higher the Potential.¡± Ethan considered that. ¡°Is that why Flagras is so powerful? He can reach the highest rank on his own?¡± ¡°In part. As you saw, even at Twilight Rank he¡¯s extraordinarily dangerous. Normally he¡¯s Bonded at Dawn or Dusk at the latest, but these were unusual circumstances.¡± ¡°Wait, that was only three Ranks in? How big does this guy get?¡± ¡°Big,¡± Valanor said. ¡°Regardless, the point is that monsters with higher potential put a greater strain on a soul. With two high rarity Bonds on a human, we may need to turn around and go straight to the pens.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that extreme,¡± the High Priestess said. ¡°He may be a thief and a False Chosen, but his soul is¡­strong. The ritual is incomplete, but¨C¡± she paused, looking into Ethan¡¯s eyes, ¡°it looks like he¡¯s been fighting his entire life.¡± Don¡¯t fight unless you can win, Dean¡¯s voice whispered. Never stopped me before, Ethan answered bitterly. Didn¡¯t stop you. The ritual was taking longer than he¡¯d have liked, especially when he was essentially waiting to find out how long he had left to live. I¡¯ve had to make patients wait for moments just like this, he thought, not appreciating the symmetry. Finally he decided to pass the time by asking questions that would likely get him in trouble. ¡°So, Abigail,¡± he began, ¡°you¡¯re probably the only one I can ask this without giving away my situation. What¡¯s the deal with healing here? I was given the impression it¡¯s a little complicated.¡± Valanor''s hand was over his face for some reason. ¡°My title is High Priest,¡± she said icily. ¡°And you¡¯ve been misinformed. Healing is a very simple matter. It is the realm of the Gods, a gift given to the Church, and the Church alone. All other supposed practitioners are nothing more than charlatans and Heretics.¡± Ah. Okay the Doctor thing is starting to make sense. ¡°You must have your hands full then, having to take care of every ache and pain for a whole population.¡± She snorted. ¡°Hardly, only the gravest of wounds are worthy of our Great Lady¡¯s attention,¡± she said absently, focused on the ritual. ¡°Do you think we ask the creator of our world to help with splinters?¡± Ethan struggled to control his reaction. ¡°Then, regardless of how the Church feels, you must have all sorts of people trying to treat the¡­less important maladies?¡± She grunted in response. ¡°They show up from time to time, trying to take advantage of those with fragile faith. The martial order of the Church makes quick work of them. Hold still, you¡¯re making this difficult.¡± Ethan had been shaking slightly, despite his efforts. He¡¯d expected something along these lines, but her casual dismissal of not only healers, but what she saw as unworthy suffering was too much. He noticed Valanor watching him closely and worked to school his own expression. When the High Priestess spoke again, it took a moment for Ethan to understand what he was hearing. ¡°Two months, at the outside,¡± she said, moving away from runes that were burning up on the floor. I only have two months to live? It felt like moments ago he¡¯d negotiated for a year, now that time was chipping away. He needed to move, he needed to take action, he needed to¨C ¡°Plenty of time,¡± Valanor said with a nod. ¡°Now we can catch a show at the arena.¡± Chapter 10: How to Fight Giant Monsters Ethan was caught in a cycle of self-affirmations and righteous outrage as he and the shield knight moved through Corvale¡¯s streets. The arena was in the South-West quarter, a ten minute walk he didn¡¯t even register. It¡¯s fine, two months is tons of time. Of course if I¡¯m injured during that time the Church will probably leave me to die. Valanor isn¡¯t worried though. Also if I heal anyone else, I may get burned at the stake. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they refuse healing to people,¡± he finally blurted out. ¡°My world has its problems, but I¡¯d like to believe that even we¡¯d rebel against a Church that outlawed healing.¡± ¡°Then your faith is weak, heathen,¡± Valanor spat, and Ethan looked at him in confusion for a moment. Then something he¡¯d heard suddenly registered. ¡°Wait, she called you ¡®Paladin¡¯ Valanor. Does that mean what I think it means?¡± ¡°If you think it means I¡¯m a warrior of the Church, then yes. They were responsible for my initial training, and sponsored my Bonds. It was a great honor to be accepted into the King¡¯s Shields, but the Goddess will always have my faith.¡± Ethan wisely remained silent. He¡¯d known both wonderful and terrible religious people back home, and they had one thing in common: they didn¡¯t love having their faith questioned by an ignorant non-believer. Besides, there was a more interesting question that he hoped wouldn¡¯t get him hit with a warhammer. ¡°Your Goddess, she can really heal people?¡± he asked, trying to keep his tone neutral. Valanor narrowed his eyes, but seemed to accept the sincerity of the question. ¡°I¡¯ve seen miracles, yes. But¡­¡± he paused, seeming to question whether to continue. ¡°Greater injuries still take a toll, especially for the Bonded. There can be a price that not all are prepared to pay.¡± Ethan glanced at the dead arm, folded across the man¡¯s chest. ¡°Is that what happened to your arm?¡± ¡°No.¡± Gotcha, backing off, changing the subject. ¡°Do you really think we have time to go to the arena?¡± he asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be leaving right away?¡± Valanor huffed loudly, causing a few people in the market to glance at the large man. ¡°You need to unlock your powers and earn a new Bond, how exactly do you think we¡¯re going to achieve that?¡± ¡°Actually I don¡¯t really know. It¡¯s one of a thousand questions I still have.¡± ¡°Hunt monsters,¡± Valanor replied. ¡°When a monster dies, the magic inside it will dissipate. Your Familiar can use that magic as a catalyst to grant you one of its own potential abilities.¡± ¡°Potential abilities?¡± ¡°Magic has enormous potential, and it can grow in different ways. Out in the wild you can fight five identical monsters, each of which has a different set of abilities. It doesn¡¯t tend to work that way in practice, but it¡¯s possible. Familiars can grant you any of their potential abilities, provided they have the right catalyst.¡± ¡°What does this have to do with the arena?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°Simple, you need to learn to Hunt. The arena will show you far better than I can tell you. We have a few other stops to make, so we¡¯ll spend the rest of the day preparing for the journey. We leave tomorrow.¡± Reminded of his own abilities, and with a lot more city to cover, Ethan finally took the chance to open the system, and see everything he¡¯d missed.
Congratulations, you have formed a Familiar Bond! New Bond Affinity: Flare Total Bonds: 2/3 New Familiar: Legendary Guardian Flagras (Revan) New Ability: [Volatile Infusion] Warning: You are suffering soul damage. Dalton¡¯s Recommendation: Bond final Familiar, and form Soul Rune!
Dalton is still killing it with the timing, he thought. Wait, Revan? He¡¯s already named? I thought ¡®Flagras¡¯ was his name. And I definitely don¡¯t remember naming him after my dog. Those moments of healing and confusion were a blur, but Ethan did recall thinking about his childhood pet. Whatever, Revan is still awesome, no matter what they did to him in the MMO. Damn, what if Keanu Reeves finally gets a Revan movie and I¡¯m trapped on another world? Finally a truly compelling reason to find a way home. He chuckled at his own joke, and Valanor looked at him with the mild irritation that was becoming standard. Refusing to be swayed by the knight¡¯s ever present melancholy, Ethan continued reading.
You have looted (Flagras, Legendary Guardian): You have received:
New ability! Ability: Volatile Infusion (Dawn Rank 0: 0%) Type: Flare, Trap You may infuse up to three objects with condensed volatile energy. These objects will explode, dealing highly potent fire damage to anything at close range. Infused objects may be set to explode upon making contact with a target, after a set amount of time, or by giving a mental command. Objects lose charge after one hour.
Ethan¡¯s eyes widened as he read the description. ¡°Holy shit, I¡¯m not just Spider-man, I¡¯m Gambit!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Valanor demanded. ¡°Just learning about my new ability, the one from¨C¡± he paused, considering the need for secrecy. ¡°The one I got from Revan, my newest Familiar. It really doesn¡¯t seem like something I can try out in the middle of the streets though. Also, I might be rich?¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. The knight raised an eyebrow. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss it later. We¡¯re nearly at the arena, and you¡¯ll have ample opportunity to use your abilities on the road. For now, it¡¯s time to see how we Hunt monsters.¡± *** The roar of the crowd was deafening, even from high up in the stands. The arena wasn¡¯t quite as large as those back home, but there were thousands of people present. It had to be extremely popular in the city. The arena itself was made of the same white stone that must be abundant in the area, though the benches were thankfully covered in some kind of soft, red material. Looking out across the crowd, Ethan was impressed by how colorful everyone was compared to the village they¡¯d passed through. There were still the muted browns of the commoners, but Colevale had such a large population of nobles that they were represented in almost even numbers. Vibrant blue, greens, and yellows made the assembled mass of people create a rainbow across the stands. Down in the center, entertainers were warming up the crowd. This included more of the same that Ethan had seen in the marketplace¨Cjugglers, fire dances, and the like, but also far more Bonded monsters. There were several small fox-like creatures that spewed flame on command, doing a routine with a group of turtles that would use blasts of water to extinguish the fire in interesting ways. There were a couple more that did choreographed routines with their Bonded, but Ethan and Valanor had arrived late and only caught the end. Soon the arena floor was being cleared for the first team battle of the day. Valanor leaned close to be heard over the crowd. ¡°This is what we¡¯re here for. Watch carefully. You need to understand how to take down large monsters, and how different types of Hunters fight.¡± Ethan nodded, excited to learn. Valanor had already explained the many reasons why the Hunt for Flagras wasn¡¯t normal, and that teams of three to five were the standard. This was going to be his life now, and he was determined to treat it with the same diligence and enthusiasm that he had for medicine¨Chopefully without the complications. It wasn¡¯t long before an announcer came out to talk up the fight. Her voice was amplified by some kind of magic, and Ethan could hear it clearly even though they were in one of the last rows. ¡°Our first team Hunt is about to begin! You all know the Backfire Squad¨Cpride of the arena¨Cso allow me to introduce their opponent. Straight from the Northern ice mountains, welcome Glacius!¡± The crowd erupted in cheers and boos in equal measure as a platform in the center of the arena opened, and a large monster¨Cmaybe the size of a rhino¨Cwas raised up. It looked a bit like an enormous crocodile, but with a broader body and more powerful limbs. It stayed close to the ground, searching warily for an opponent, and its massive jaws snapped in anticipation. The name and its albino coloring made it clear it was some kind of ice creature, but its long bladed tail and sharp claws proved it had plenty of deadly tools at its disposal. When it stood up taller, Ethan noticed that its legs also had membranous webs connecting to the body. Tiny wings? The announcer had already run from the arena, despite the creature sporting a massive collar chaining it to the ground. Ethan leaned over to Valanor. ¡°What happens if it attacks the stands?¡± he asked. ¡°The chain comes off when the battle starts, but the collar doesn¡¯t. Magic prevents it from getting past the arena wall with it on. Besides, it¡¯s considered to be a major disgrace for the Hunters if they allow it to happen.¡± Ethan nodded, then leaned forward with anticipation as team Backfire entered through a far door in the arena. There were four of them, two men and two women, and they slowly spread out to surround the beast. Glacius clearly knew the threat they posed, and began slapping its tail in warning, and even breathing out small puffs of frost which froze the sand floor around it. The larger man on the team had an odd mix of thick armor, and exposed skin. His hugely muscled arms were bare, and he was wielding a massive, two handed ax that looked impossible to lift with human strength. He turned it upside down and began slamming the double-bladed head on the ground, making an incongruous cracking sound with each blow. ¡°Is that the you?¡± Ethan asked Valanor, and the man grunted. ¡°He is the vanguard, yes. It¡¯s his job to keep the monster from the rest of the team.¡± The man was already doing just that, as each time the sound of his ax echoed through the arena, Glacius would shake and writhe as if attacked, and its gaze locked onto the large man. That appeared to be the sign to start the battle, as the chain disengaged from the collar moments later. The frost crocodile bounded forward without hesitation, mouth open as its heavy body plowed through the sand. Rather than move, the vanguard readied a massive swing, and his ax crashed into the charging beast with bone shattering force. Interestingly, a thin red chain appeared at the point of impact, which attached to the hilt of the man¡¯s weapon. As the two exchanged blows, the other three team members began fighting in their own way. One of the two women was wearing lighter armor, and a hood which obscured her face, and she remained close to Glacius while adeptly dodging around stray attacks. Once she¡¯d managed to get behind the creature, she revealed a single curved blade which she immediately used to slash repeatedly at the creature¡¯s bladed tail. The large monster wasn¡¯t passive during this time, however, blasting the ax-wielder with frost, before turning and leaping at one of the more vulnerable opponents. It put the webbed limbs to work when it did so, gliding across the arena with every jump. The vanguard was clearly expecting this, as he now had a half dozen small chains attached to the beast¡¯s head. Amazingly, each time it got more than a few strides away, a man-sized red insect would appear, and yank back on the chains, like reigning in an angry dog. It wasn¡¯t a perfect system, and his team mates needed to continually adjust their positioning, but it was working. The second man turned out to be an archer, and he¡¯d been firing his bow since almost the moment Glacius began moving. The creature¡¯s erratic movement made accuracy difficult, but more shots were on target than not, all of which appeared to be directed at the beast¡¯s small wings. He would occasionally be joined by his own familiar, a green bird that sent waves of bladed feathers after each arrow. ¡°They¡¯re disabling the creature, bit by bit,¡± Ethan said to Valanor, who nodded. ¡°Larger monsters have tremendous reserves of energy and strength, and they heal rapidly. Shallow wounds will take them down, but it leads to a long, dangerous battle. Broken limbs, shredded wings and the like are much more effective¨Cand they limit what the monster can do in return.¡± As if to punctuate his point, the fourth member of the team suddenly made her presence known, sending a large blast of energy at the sword wielder. The melee fighter¡¯s weapon began to glow, and she immediately jumped high into the air, her weapons raised above her in both hands. When she came back down, the tremendous chop severed the tail, leaving it flailing uselessly, the spiked end landing a few strides away. The fourth member wasn¡¯t done, tossing spell after spell at her comrades. Some clearly added different types of damage to their attacks, while others made them move faster, or their bodies bulge with strength. Most importantly seemed to be her attention on the vanguard. She never healed him, of course, but occasionally a wall of light would intercept an attack, and once he even appeared to turn into steel for a brief moment. Between buffing her team, the final member used a staff, sending small blasts of different colored energies into the beast. A small burning orb, like a sun, would occasionally hover over her shoulder to join in the attack. ¡°You see how they each play their part?¡± Valanor asked. Ethan nodded, wondering what role he belonged in. His current powers didn¡¯t seem to force him into any obvious archetype. ¡°How will I know where I belong?¡± he asked the knight, who actually smiled. ¡°You already know, even if you aren¡¯t aware of it. Your Soul Rune will determine your role. It always reveals what you¡¯re meant for.¡± Ethan sat back, the implications of that worrying him. Will it make me a healer, in spite of everything? Or maybe a support class, like that woman in the arena. It was strange to wonder about the motivations of your own soul. Looking back to the fight, Ethan realized something was changing. The creature was a pin cushion of arrows, and its wings were torn to shreds. The melee fighter had moved on to hacking at its legs, and the creature limped where tendons had been slashed. But rather than slow down, the beast seemed enraged. It roared and bucked, even rolling over at alarming speeds. The swordswoman was actually caught by surprise, and didn¡¯t get back up after being crushed beneath its bulk. The archer fared better when Glacius turned on him suddenly, leaping high into the air, and firing a rapid series of glowing arrows beneath him. When he landed, he held perfectly still, a single arrow drawn with golden energy gathering at its tip. The support fighter was likewise readying some kind of major attack, her staff held high and a dark cloud gathering above the arena. The vanguard was moving like a blur, speeding between his teammates to intercept attacks, and laying on more and more chains at the same time. Finally everything seemed to happen at once. All the chains tightened as the vanguard slammed his ax into the arena floor, bracing it. The archer released his arrow, which grew as it flew forward, until it looked more like a ballista bolt. Glacius was pulled tightly to the ground, the enormous arrow striking it right in the mouth. A tremendous bolt of lightning crashed down from above barely a second later. The monster slumped down, unmoving, and sparkles of light began rising from it a moment later. An arena worker hastily ran out and slapped a hand against it before it disappeared entirely, and the crowd erupted in applause and cheers. Team Backfire ignored the praise, sprinting to their fallen team member, who remained still. ¡°They used their finishers well,¡± Valanor said approvingly, then turned to Ethan. ¡°And that¡¯s how fighting large monsters is done. Now, we need to get you supplied. Anything we can find to keep you from dying immediately would be ideal.¡± Ethan got up and followed the knight out of the arena, but couldn¡¯t stop staring at the victorious team, huddled over their motionless comrade. Chapter 11: Summon Your Familiar ¡°The Hunter¡¯s Guild is this way, come on,¡± Valanor said, leading them back in the direction of the palace, but taking a different road. ¡°Hunter¡¯s Guild?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°They¡¯re a key pillar of our society. Hunters are Bonded warriors that fight monsters¨Cand anything else that needs fighting. There are countless monsters out there. Some are little more than beasts, but many are dangerous, and need to be controlled.¡± ¡°So Hunters are called in when monsters become a problem?¡± ¡°Yes. If a pack moves too close to a village, or starts attacking people, Hunters are dispatched. Far more important are the rifts. when one opens, demons will continue to spill out until it¡¯s closed,¡± Valanor said. ¡°Hunters close rifts, then?¡± ¡°The Church provides rift sealing rituals when they can, but they have an entire order that exists for that purpose, under Dedicant Savilar¨Cthe man behind High Priest Abigail in the throne room. Hunters mostly just clean up. Sometimes rifts aren¡¯t discovered for weeks, and hundreds of demons can come into this world during that time. Most Hunts are about chasing them down, before they grow too powerful.¡± ¡°I see. Are you a Hunter?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°I¡¯m registered, all the knights are, but I¡¯m not assigned Hunts. I have to choose them myself, which is what we¡¯re on our way to do. We¡¯re after fulven, they¡¯ll give you the element you need.¡± Ethan grinned, feeling a touch of excitement. My final Familiar, he thought, looking down the street toward a large, two story building. There was regular traffic going in and out, and it had a sign with a picture of an arrow in flight. There were more of the unusual mounts tied up outside, which Ethan had learned were fittingly called oxsteeds. Valanor nodded to a couple of Hunters on the way in, their profession clear from the well-worn leather armor, and matching bows, though one was a male human, and the other a female elf. Inside, Ethan was surprised to see the Guild hall was actually something of an inn, complete with bar and kitchen, though he figured it made sense. Hunters needed to go somewhere between hunts. He followed the knight to a large notice board taking up an entire wall on the other side of the common room, covered in pictures of monsters, with various details underneath. ¡°These are all Dawn Rank monster sightings. Help me look for fulven, they¡¯re canines with yellow coats and wide, bristled tails.¡± Ethan nodded, looking over the board. It was an interesting experience, being confronted with dozens of new types of monsters. Seen in such a large number, he noticed trends he hadn¡¯t been aware of. They appeared to fall into categories that could pass for mutations or evolutions of animals from Earth. Many had feline or canine body structures, though varying widely in size and additional oddities. There were a number of lizards and serpents as well, plus a wide assortment of insects. Interestingly, the insects were most similar to Earth, tending to just be larger. Makes sense, bugs already come in so many different species, with a lot of natural defenses and strength. At last he found a picture of what had to be a fulven, and he turned to Valanor, who was holding one of his own. ¡°I can¡¯t read mine anyway, what do they say?¡± Ethan asked. The knight examined the two. ¡°The one I found is to the South West, about a day¡¯s journey. There was a pack spotted there, but they haven¡¯t caused any major problems yet.¡± ¡°And the other one?¡± ¡°South East. Nearly three day journey. This one has been up for a while. Most Hunters don¡¯t like venturing that far, especially for such a low offered reward. It says there¡¯s a den of them in the nearby mountains, and they¡¯ve been harassing farmers.¡± ¡°If there''re people who need help, we go with that one, right?¡± Valanor looked up with a glare. ¡°Have you forgotten the point of all this? Or that your life is being drained by the minute?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Ethan shot back. ¡°But I didn¡¯t stand up to your king to be a drone who takes the easy way. It¡¯s only a few extra days, and that¡¯s a worthwhile risk to help people. That¡¯s the point of being a Hunter, isn¡¯t it?¡± Valanor let out a long breath, surprisingly, he looked almost¡­ashamed? ¡°We can handle a few extra days,¡± he said, putting his own notice back. ¡°But there will be delays, and we¡¯ll have to keep them to a minimum. That might require compromises you don¡¯t want. I suggest you make peace with that now.¡± Ethan nodded, a small smile on his lips. He followed Valanor to an odd looking machine next to the notice board. It looked a bit like a standing desk, with a hinged lid covered in runes. The knight pulled the lid back, and placed the notice, as well as a crest from his inventory, inside. Next he closed the lid, and it flashed with light. Finally he took both objects back out, and removed a copy of the notice from a slot in the side. ¡°You just used a magic photocopier,¡± Ethan said, shaking his head. ¡°Whatever you say. Come on, we need to get to the Rune Shop before it closes,¡± he replied, already moving to the door. They returned to the street and began hurrying to the market square. ¡°Do I really need more runes?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m already bordering on unemployable.¡± ¡°You have a great deal of utility, but you¡¯re ill-prepared for battle, and what the Hunt requires. There¡¯s a few standard runes you¡¯ll require to have any real chance of survival.¡± Ethan nodded, but Valanor kept watching him for a moment. ¡°Do you really think there¡¯s some life for you out there, beyond this? You fought to walk a difficult path for a man who seems uncertain.¡± Ethan¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°I¡¯m more than certain, I¡¯m committed. A few days ago I was in a world of relative safety, and all of this was beyond imagining. I may joke for a sense of normalcy, but when I make a decision, it¡¯s final. No matter what stands in my way.¡± We never wanted to stand in your way, Dean¡¯s voice whispered. You all hated that I didn¡¯t fall in line, Ethan thought back. ¡°In the throne room, you said that you came from a long line of warriors. You are not a warrior.¡± It sounded like a challenge because of Valanor¡¯s typically gruff tone, but Ethan saw curiosity in his eyes. ¡°Not yet,¡± he replied with a grin. ¡°I lost people, on my world, when I was still young. I convinced myself that they didn¡¯t have to die, and that one belief ended up shaping my entire life. But after spending the last year doing what I thought I was meant for, I realized I was living a child¡¯s version of what my life should be.¡± ¡°And now?¡± Valanor asked. ¡°Now¡­now it¡¯s time to accept what¡¯s in front of me, and what¡¯s inside of me. Whatever that might be.¡± Valanor didn¡¯t respond, but he seemed to consider those words as they made their way through the city, the sun beginning to set. The Rune Shop stood out, being the only one of its kind, and with familiar stones on display in the red-trimmed windows. Ethan followed Valanor in, stepping around a few customers leaving together. The inside was packed with displays, seeming even more full as they all required written descriptions to make any sense of them. An older man was behind a counter, a human with dark hair only slightly graying, he was fiddling at a workbench on something Ethan couldn¡¯t see. As they approached, a Familiar burst into being behind the man, stunning Ethan with its unexpected appearance. It was a hovering disc about twice the size of a dinner plate, and seemed to be made entirely of brass. More shocking was that it seemed to be some kind of clockwork construction, with visible gears and springs moving inside it. ¡°Wow,¡± Ethan said, not able to contain the reaction. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± The man straightened, looking confused, and Valanor scoffed at the rudeness. ¡°Apologies, Kenji, Mr. Bishop is a foreigner and isn¡¯t used to the wonders of Viridus.¡± The man gave a merchant¡¯s smile. ¡°All are welcome in my store. And this is Calces, my Familiar. He¡¯s a Techwork type, I take it you¡¯ve never encountered one before?¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°I haven¡¯t, and apologies for my reaction. I¡¯ve mostly just experienced big bugs and bigger lizards so far, this¡­Calces is something entirely different.¡± ¡°Well they don¡¯t exist in the wild. Also, I understand the Techworkers of some lands like to keep an air of mystery about them, so it¡¯s no surprise. It¡¯s exactly what you think though, without Calces this shop wouldn¡¯t be possible.¡± Ethan held back his follow up questions at a gesture from Valanor. Likely he was about to ask something that everyone should know. The knight steered the conversation away. ¡°Mr. Bishop is newly Bonded, a Pre-Dawn, and he needs the standard package while we track down his final familiar.¡± Kenji squinted then, and a pair of unusual goggles materialized over his eyes. They were brass, and would have looked steampunk on Earth. ¡°Ah, I see. You must be a noble to have so many high grade Runes already. You¡¯re missing some typical Hunter runes though. Are you sure you want to get them here? I can¡¯t offer refunds if your House wants to provide better later.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Ethan replied. ¡°Valanor recommended your services and I trust his word. What do you suggest I get?¡± Kenji began taking stones out of small drawers opposite his workbench. ¡°Standard package means nightvision¨Cyou don¡¯t want to be carrying around a torch when you¡¯re fighting. Plus quick-change, for different armor and equipment. Your interface also needs an up to date Monster and Treasure database.¡± ¡°Those all sound extremely valuable,¡± Ethan agreed, though he couldn¡¯t help picture his poor body covered head to toe in tattoos. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°The most essential, actually. The rest are utility types, and you won¡¯t need to worry about them again after imprinting. This however,¡± he held up a larger rock, shining slightly green, ¡°is a Dawn rank regeneration rune. They¡¯re exceptionally complex, and I can¡¯t craft better until I reach higher ranks myself.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll take it,¡± Valanor assured the man. He turned to Ethan, ¡°If you manage to reach Dusk rank, you¡¯ll buy a new one.¡± Ethan gave him a confused look in return, questions he couldn¡¯t ask bubbling up. ¡°I¡¯ll take the lot,¡± he said to Kenji, who smiled and began placing the items in a small box. ¡°He also needs a written word translation rune,¡± Valanor added. Kenji nodded, then added another small stone to the box. They left the store a few minutes later, Ethan several Dusk coins poorer. As soon as they were relatively alone on the dark street, he turned to Valanor. ¡°Regeneration rune? How is that not forbidden healing?¡± He asked in irritation. ¡°It improves a body¡¯s natural recovery. Did you think forming a scab would be blasphemy?¡± Ethan rolled his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t really have time to think about it. I was too shaken by the whole thing.¡± ¡°Well now you know. Forming scabs more quickly isn¡¯t blasphemy either. Neither is binding a bloody wound or any other obvious thing. We¡¯re not backwards fools, we just have no tolerance for those who walk about promising to heal that which the body can¡¯t.¡± Ethan didn¡¯t respond, taking in that claim. So much of what Valanor had just dismissed was basic medicine, and could save so many lives. Glancing down at his still faded healing rune, he decided it was a war to wage another day. *** Ethan looked at himself in the mirror of his room, examining the armor and new runes. ¡°It¡¯s a look,¡± he said to Garrus, considering the stained, brown leather armor that made his movements stiff. Valanor had gotten it from the armory, assuring him that it wasn¡¯t worth getting anything custom until they knew how he¡¯d fight. At least the runes weren¡¯t as bad as he worried. There was now a second tattoo on his opposite temple, which allowed for night vision. It had made sleeping very strange until re¡¯d realized he could turn it off. It seemed to work fine with [Apollo¡¯s Gaze]¨Chis first temple tattoo¨Cwhich was nice, and seeing in the dark was undeniably valuable. The rest of the runes were mostly hidden, the passive ones being in out-of-reach places¨Cintentionally he¡¯d learned¨Cwhile the active ones like [Quick Change] were conveniently placed on his forearms. He¡¯d even confirmed he could activate them through clothing and armor. The regeneration rune had been the surprise, taking up a large portion of his back, situated over his heart. It still seemed unusual, and he kept running through medical scenarios where it might be a hindrance, but he¡¯d woken up feeling more refreshed than he had since leaving Earth. With a quick tap his armor flashed away, ready to be re-equipped when needed. It was time to meet Valanor in the marshaling yard, and Ethan discovered that he was actually excited. The uncomfortable feeling deep inside having been revealed as his own soul decaying was an unfortunate presence, but he kept reminding himself it would be gone soon. Ethan hurried through the halls, recognized as a palace guest and largely ignored. He finally made it outside, where the sky was still lightening with the rising sun. Valanor was there waiting next to a wagon with a man and woman, both dressed for travel. Four oxsteeds were being held by stableboys nearby. As he approached, eyes drawn to the many beautiful gardens and hedges that decorated the courtyard, the shield knight tossed him a spear. ¡°Oh, thank you?¡± he said, looking at the simple weapon. ¡°It¡¯s the easiest weapon to use with minimal training,¡± Valanor said, before tossing Ethan a large, rectangular rune stone. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Minimal training,¡± Valanor answered. ¡°It will impart knowledge directly into your mind. It¡¯ll be as if you just finished reading a book, but with perfect recall. This one is basic martial training.¡± ¡°No way, it¡¯s a skill book? Or¡­skill rock? If I use this I¡¯ll be an instant warrior?¡± The two other knights laughed, and Valanor shook his head. ¡°Dear Gods no. Training is muscle memory, experience, judgment, and technique. That stone gives you one of those things. I¡¯d rather have avoided it altogether, but we have a time issue.¡± ¡°Right¡­still cool though,¡± Ethan said defensively, before absorbing the book¨Crock. Sure enough, knowledge appeared in his memories, as if he¡¯d just finished reading a beginner¡¯s guide to basic combat. He understood how he was supposed to stand, and move, but it felt similar to reading about dancing¡­the theory had clear limits. Looking at the other knights¨Cwho didn¡¯t seem to be going anywhere¨Che got curious. ¡°I¡¯m Ethan Bishop,¡± he said, extending a hand. They each shook in turn, but grasping at the wrist. ¡°Glenn,¡± the man said. He looked a bit like the prince, in the way he had somewhat elven features. That was where the similarities ended, as this man was shorter, with curly brown hair and dark eyes. He also had a burn scar on his neck. ¡°Maggie,¡± the woman said next. She was human, and would probably have had African ancestry on Earth. Her head was shaved, and she had numerous piercings. Strangely, she had burn scars as well, and gave Ethan an oddly assessing look as they shook hands. ¡°We owe you our lives,¡± Glenn said, catching Ethan off guard. ¡°Valanor said you pulled us away from the battle. We¡¯re grateful for the chance to pay back that debt.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll keep you safe,¡± Maggie agreed, though her smile seemed more forced. ¡°Oh wow, yeah I didn¡¯t recognize you without massive suits of armor. Glad you both got out of there safely. Nice to have more company on the road, though I doubt you¡¯ll match Valanor for witty repartee.¡± Both smiled genuinely at that, until they glanced at the older knight. ¡°It¡¯s time to go,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s still a lot you need to learn, and I want you to have a new ability by the day¡¯s end.¡± *** ¡°Gems. You get them sometimes when you kill a monster,¡± Glenn said from his place on the wagon. ¡°Ah, yeah that makes sense. I picked up a couple,¡± Ethan replied, trying to remain steady on the steed. ¡°And nobles use them the most?¡± ¡°Rich people use them the most,¡± Maggie replied, sitting next to Glenn and watching the green countryside pass them by. ¡°It¡¯s expensive enough to pass on a Bond, pretty much only the nobles can afford it. But you still need a new full set of abilities.¡± ¡°And not every noble is looking to Hunt¡­twenty monsters?¡± ¡°Twelve at least, but that¡¯s only if you find the right ones. Gems are easier,¡± ¡°But limiting,¡± Valanor said with authority. ¡°The ability is basically random, whereas your Familiar can ensure you get something that matches your Soul Rune.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t get that,¡± Ethan said, trying and failing to steer his mount around a large puddle. ¡°If it¡¯s better to get your Soul Rune first, why am I trying to unlock something today?¡± ¡°Two reasons,¡± the shield knight replied. ¡°First, you need abilities to survive long enough to gain your last Familiar. Second, Flagras¨CRevan,¡± he said with obvious distaste, ¡°is no ordinary Familiar. He likely already knows your soul better than you do.¡± ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Glenn said eagerly, ¡°can we see him?¡± Ethan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Can I do that? I figured summoning your Familiar was some advanced technique. Plus¡­I mean can I risk people seeing him?¡± It was Valanor who answered. ¡°Summoning your Familiar is basic, and integral¨Cyou won¡¯t be able to progress without mastering it. For that reason, the early evolutions of Guardian monsters are considered state secrets¨Cotherwise new Chosen would be immediately spotted and killed when they left their home nation.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they be spotted anyway? I mean, it can¡¯t be a secret that the prince is the one meant to be Chosen. Hell, I¡¯m surprised any Chosen would leave before they were as powerful as possible. Any enemy nation would have to be laying in wait to take out a living super weapon, right?¡± Maggie and Glenn shared a glance, then hastily looked away. Valanor was silent, and Ethan held back his questions, considering. ¡°Is that why Calevaro always wears a helmet? Where I come from everyone¡¯s face is everywhere, but I guess if you haven¡¯t met the prince, he¡¯s basically a stranger.¡± At last Valanor resumed his explanation. ¡°Correct,¡± he said flatly. ¡°That¡¯s why the early evolutions are kept a secret, so they can¡¯t be used to easily identify a chosen. To most, you¡¯ll just be another foreigner with a rare fire type.¡± ¡°Okay, so how do I do this?¡± Ethan asked. Glenn spoke up again, seeming relieved by the change in subject. ¡°It¡¯s about cycling, have you learned about that yet?¡± Ethan shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s the key to being an effective Hunter. You can only use the abilities of the Familiar you¡¯re currently channeling. For now, just focus on, um, Revan, and check out your Bond Rune.¡± Ethan did so, picturing the monster in his mind. Almost immediately he felt a gentle warmth pass through his body, and when he looked down he saw that the cool yellow glow of his second Bond Rune was glowing more brightly. ¡°Perfect,¡± Glenn said, smiling wide. ¡°Now you can use any abilities tied to that Bond. Even better, if you call to him he should appear. Soon you won¡¯t need to say it out loud, but it¡¯ll be easier this way at first.¡± Ethan nodded, then focused on the warmth coursing through his body. He could feel his new ability, but pushed it out of his mind, having no interest in blowing up his saddle. Instead, he focused on his Familiar. ¡°Revan, come to me.¡± Chapter 12: Solo Monster Hunt Ethan expected some kind of fanfare when he summoned Revan, his Legendary Guardian Familiar, but instead it was lightning quick, and almost subtle. A burst of energy seemed to pour from his Bond Rune, and suddenly the beast was simply there, walking calmly next to the tall oxsteed, looking up at him. The Familiar was changed from what Ethan had seen. The most obvious difference was the size, as Revan was about as big as a wolf now, rather than a small building. His colors had shifted as well, now being primarily black, with red stripes, very much in contrast to the deep orange and white that had made him seem so tiger-like before. He still had multiple tails, though there were only three, rather than the dozen or so flailing whips he¡¯d possessed. His horns remained as well, but were shorter, and less threatening. With his small red mane, he certainly could be considered related to his Twilight counterpart, but not so closely as to be immediately apparent. Still, Ethan decided walking through town with him might be tempting fate. ¡°Hey buddy,¡± he said, hopping down from his mount and holding his hand out. Ethan wasn¡¯t sure if petting the legendary creature was wrong somehow, but he still remembered the feel of the beast¡¯s fur under his hands while he used his healing, and felt a need to feel that contact again. Revan surprised him by pushing up against Ethan like a cat, leaning his impressive weight hard into Ethan¡¯s chest and rumbling with deep, contented sounds. ¡°Good to see you too,¡± he said, feeling the familiar, soft coat. ¡°This seems¡­sacrilegious somehow,¡± Maggie said. ¡°No,¡± Valanor said, surprising Ethan. ¡°Theirs is a True Bond. If I didn¡¯t believe it before, I do now.¡± They¡¯d all halted to watch the display, and respectfully gave the two a few moments to get acquainted. Glenn even summoned his own gray, dog-like Familiar, who began playing with Revan, the two running into grass next to the field to chase one another. ¡°Be nice, Kit!¡± Glenn called, then Valanor indicated they should move again. ¡°Are they going to be okay out there?¡± Ethan asked, enjoying seeing his Familiar happy after only knowing it as the target of a brutal Hunt. ¡°They¡¯re in little danger, and can easily be recalled,¡± Valanor said, then turned to Ethan in his saddle. ¡°But that leads to an important lesson. Familiars are powerful companions in combat, but they are also a liability. If defeated, they¡¯ll retreat back into your soul, and you¡¯ll lose access to their abilities until they¡¯ve recovered.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the best way to win a fight against other Hunters,¡± Glenn said. ¡°If you can bait them into bringing one out, then take it down, a third of their power is gone like that,¡± he snapped his fingers. Valanor turned a glare on the other knight. ¡°Of course, you shouldn¡¯t be facing other Hunters,¡± then he sighed. ¡°Though it is best to be prepared,¡± he conceded. ¡°Speaking of, summon your other Familiar, and tell me of its ability.¡± Right¡­ ¡°So about that,¡± Ethan said awkwardly. ¡°You remember those rifts we encountered in the mountain?¡± Valanor nodded, eyes narrowing. ¡°Well, when I got sucked through that one with you, I kind of found their source. It was an egg¡­and I Bonded it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Valanor said, at the same time Maggie snorted and said, ¡°You can¡¯t Bond an egg.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have a lot of choices!¡± Ethan insisted. ¡°I appeared in a sealed room. No door, even. Just a glowing egg on an altar. My system said the creature inside was dying, but I could Bond with it. So I did, and it gave me a teleportation power.¡± All the knights turned to look at him at that revelation. ¡°Those are¡­exceptionally rare,¡± Glenn said. ¡°There aren¡¯t supposed to be any monsters in Viridus who grant them. What exactly was in that egg?¡± ¡°A¡­uh, dimensional type,¡± Ethan replied, not sure if this was going to lead to another fun visit to the king. ¡°Those are rare,¡± Glenn said, nodding. ¡°They¡¯re only supposed to be in Terranovus. What kind was it exactly?¡± Terranova again? I need to know more about that place. ¡°Nothing too fancy,¡± he said, feeling Valanor¡¯s glare on him. ¡°I think it was called a Dimension Devourer,¡± he added casually. Surprisingly, no one panicked. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of that one,¡± Glenn said after considering. ¡°Not a surprise really, they might know more in Terranovus.¡± Ethan let out a nervous breath. Looking around he realized the road they were on was now descending, and the green fields were giving way to some kind of swampland. ¡°I was worried the name might be alarming,¡± he admitted. Valanor barked a laugh. ¡°Not if it came out of that kingdom,¡± he said. ¡°They have a number of exports, but none so plentiful as melodrama. It¡¯s not like your Familiar actually eats dimensions.¡± Ethan thought about the surge of power he felt when the knights had sealed the rift on his way to the capital, and chuckled awkwardly. ¡°Either way, I don¡¯t think I can summon it. It¡¯s still in the egg¨CI kept it in my inventory.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t Bond an egg,¡± Maggie repeated, shaking her head as she steered the wagon. ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Glenn confirmed. The second you Bonded the thing, it went into your soul. If it was dying though, it probably needs to be exposed to its element before it¡¯ll wake up. I¡¯ve seen it before. Bonding unhatched monsters is a pretty common practice, especially if the egg is damaged.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find a few rift notices when we return to the city,¡± Valanor said. ¡°After we¡¯ve awakened your Soul Rune.¡± That¡¯s comforting, Ethan thought, then looked down at his runes. It was a little more difficult to swap to his dimension Bond, but imagining the blue-white light of a rift did the trick. Immediately he felt Revan disappear, and Glenn¡¯s Familiar Kit whined a little before returning to its own master. Ethan¡¯s ability to create unstable rifts was accessible again, though he had no interest in playing with it right now. Instead, he practiced switching back and forth between the two until it began to feel natural. By the time he was getting the hang of it, he realized they were completely surrounded by swamp land. ¡°Is this where we¡¯re supposed to be?¡± he asked. ¡°Fire Swamp,¡± Valanor called back from the lead. ¡°The monsters here rarely leave, so they¡¯re almost exclusively used for Hunting. We¡¯re looking for an ignarana. It¡¯s something like a giant, fire spitting frog.¡± Ethan began looking around. The swamp was foggy, and humid, and smelled a bit like rot. It was mostly tall reeds, and short trees, with streams and ponds shifting into marshy areas all around them. The road was impressively well maintained, if small. It was raised up a couple of feet out of the water, and covered in a layer of small stones. The group had to move in a single column, with the wagon behind. It soon became apparent why it was called the Fire Swamp, as the stench of methane reached Ethan¡¯s nose. ¡°I take it we need to be careful using flame abilities in this place,¡± he said, and Valanor nodded. ¡°I was debating whether to mention it, or enjoy the show,¡± he said back. Ethan smirked, then resumed looking for their prey. Several times he thought he saw monsters, either ducking out of sight behind reeds, or disappearing under water. Ultimately though, Glenn had to call Kit once more, the gray beast¨Clooking a bit like a cane corso¨Cbounded off, sniffing the ground. It still took a half hour before Kit growled, then returned to its master. ¡°Up ahead,¡± Glenn said, pointing to a mound in the center of a nearby pond. Ethan quick-changed into his armor, and removed his spear from his inventory, then took out something he was excited to try. The bandolier of knives fit comfortably around his left thigh, a gift he¡¯d looted from Revan when they Bonded. Now that his system was upgraded, he¡¯d been able to identify its function.
Infernal Bandolier (Dawn Rank) You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Throwing knives that replenish over time. Knives replenish more or less rapidly depending on the damage they deal. Knives may be imbued with specific abilities. [Special Effect] Abilities normally restricted to melee can maintain their charge when used at range.
Ethan grinned. It didn¡¯t all seem to apply to him, but given he hadn¡¯t found any playing cards for sale in town, these would make an excellent method of utilizing [Volatile Infusion]. The bad news was that he didn¡¯t have any experience with throwing knives, but the good news was that he shouldn¡¯t need it, given these ones would explode. Valanor had already halted the column, and the well trained mounts remained still as the group gathered. ¡°I want you to try to handle this on your own,¡± the shield knight said. ¡°We won¡¯t let you die, but making your own mistakes now, with us as support, is far better than in less controlled circumstances.¡± Ethan was surprised, but Valanor seemed to be in a constant struggle between desperation to keep the Chosen alive, and not wanting to coddle him. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m on board to try. What should I know?¡± he asked. ¡°Check the bestiary that Kenji gave you. That should become standard practice, especially for someone who knows so little about this world.¡± Ethan nodded, though it felt uncomfortably like he¡¯d just been told to ¡®Google it¡¯.
Ignarana (Fire Frog, Common) Often found in swamps and other hot, wet climates, full grown ignarana can weigh up to 200lbs. They are slow, unless underwater, possessing only a single set of legs, and a large tail, which they use for attacks. They are also capable of breathing out a combustible gas, which they may ignite with simple fire attacks.
¡°Okay, I think I get it,¡± he said. ¡°Do I have to do anything to make sure Revan unlocks an ability when I kill it?¡± ¡°Just make sure your Familiar is summoned before you loot the thing,¡± Valanor said. ¡°Also, try not to fight it in the water,¡± Maggie said, arms crossed. Ethan glanced at the swamp, realizing he had no idea how deep it was. ¡°Good call, thanks,¡± he said, and she nodded. Excited and a little nervous, Ethan followed the gravel road a little farther, until he was as close to the creature as he could get while staying dry. His spear was far too short to reach the deep green lump, so he took out one of his daggers, then channeled Flare. ¡°Volatile Infusion,¡± he whispered, and the long, steel dagger began to glow with a red and purple light. Despite knowing it wouldn¡¯t trigger by accident, it still immediately felt like he was holding a live grenade, and he hurled it in panic. It easily traveled the fifteen or so feet to smack into the lump¨Chandle first¨Cwhich instantly caused the dagger to explode in a burst of fiery power. Two thoughts occurred to Ethan during that instant. First, he very much should have tested this ability to determine how big the explosion was. Second, holy shit that was awesome. Fortunately the distance was great enough that he wasn¡¯t harmed, the burst of fire and energy being contained to a sphere a little smaller than a person. It had the desired effect, as the huge frog burst out of the water, letting out a groaning roar that was amusingly similar to an angry ribbit. Standing on two thick front legs, the water barely past its knees, it seemed to evaluate Ethan with two tiny eyes on top of its very flat, frog face. The heavy, dark green tail flicked back and forth in the water behind it, making the creature look like it was still half-tadpole. Ethan tried to maintain the momentum, hurling another Volatile dagger at the creature, but it used its massive legs to bound out of the water, landing on the road in a burst of rocks and dirt. The knife exploded harmlessly in the water, creating a small geyser as Ethan turned to face his opponent, spear at the ready. He took on the pose his mind told him was correct, point forward, body sideways, weapon balanced. He nearly dropped the thing, though, when a massive pink tongue fired forward, and Ethan fell backward in surprise. He rolled to the side by instinct as the ignarana tried to leap on top of him, revealing a row of blunt teeth. Ethan just barely held on to his spear, and beat at the creature¨Cwhich was about waist height¨Clike an old lady chasing a mouse with a broom. Shockingly that turned out to be ineffective, and the thick tail crashed into him a moment later, sending him sprawling to the ground once more. Scrambling and pulling himself up, he palmed a handful of stones as he heard the beast thump while turning around behind him. Hoping that the size of the object affected the size of the explosion, Ethan used [Volatile Infusion], then chucked the charged stones while diving away. Three small booms went off in rapid succession, and the frog let out a horrible pained croak. Ethan again scrambled to his feat, unhurt, though he¡¯d felt the heat of the blasts this time. Looking back, he saw that the frog¡¯s face was scorched, and one eye was closed, but it was far less injured than he hoped. ¡°You just used a fire attack against a fire monster in a wet swamp!¡± Glenn called, and Ethan groaned. Valid points. Readying his spear, and wary of surprise tongues, he charged. The frog leaped to get away from him, but the missing eye meant depth perception was compromised, and the spearpoint lanced into the creature. The momentum of the beast¡¯s jump only made the injury worse, savagely tearing the spear downward though its soft underbelly. The frog landed a dozen paces back, groaning again as blood poured from the wound. That¡¯s a good lesson, Ethan thought, magic powers are awesome, but everyone hates getting stabbed by sharp things. Confidence restored, Ethan charged again, spear held tight and aiming for the same spot. The creature didn¡¯t try to jump, though, instead opening its mouth enormously wide, and spewing a sickly green gas out in front of it. Ethan desperately skidded to a stop, then dove to the side as the frog snapped its teeth shut, creating a hail of sparks, and igniting the gas cloud. This explosion put Ethan¡¯s to shame, the shockwave sending him crashing into the swamp. He came up sputtering, not sure where his spear had landed. His head hurt, but he¡¯d managed to avoid the worst parts of the blast. He tried to stand, only for his legs to sink deep into the mud beneath him. When he looked up in panic, the frog was gone. ¡°Ethan,¡± Maggie called loudly, and he looked at her in confusion. ¡°You¡¯re in the water.¡± His eyes widened in understanding, but he had no time to react before the frog burst out of the swamp in front of him, crashing into his chest. He felt the cold water rush over him, his back squishing into the thick mud beneath him. He swatted uselessly at the thick, ropey legs that held him down, but it was like pulling against slimy wet trees. His lungs were starting to burn, and he could just barely make out the form of the creature above him through the muddy water. Bubbles drifted slowly upward as he thrashed and coughed. Ethan could feel his body slowing, his eyes bulging and the panic setting in. Are you really giving up? Dean¡¯s voice whispered. He never felt alone when he imagined Dean speaking to him, and that thought reminded him of a truth his oxygen starved mind had ignored. I¡¯m really not alone. More bubbles rose to the surface as he used the last of his air to speak into the dark water. ¡°Revan.¡± The weight was suddenly thrown from him, and Ethan burst out of the water, coughing and spitting up mud as he desperately inhaled warm, reeking air. It tasted like the sweetest summer breeze. Looking over, he saw his Familiar scratching and biting at the frog, ravaging it with sharp claws and deadly teeth. Ethan could barely stand, but he forced himself to his feet. Glancing at the road, he saw the three knights at the edge of the swamp, poised to help him. ¡°I¨C¡± he coughed up more mud. ¡°I got this!¡± he managed to yell, waving them back. He turned to his familiar and the surprisingly deadly frog. ¡°Alright Kermit, let¡¯s finish this,¡± he muttered, starting to wade slowly forward. Things escalated, however, when the larger monster managed to throw Revan backward into the swamp. Ethan recalled his Familiar when he saw the frog begin to exhale the familiar gas. ¡°Not this time,¡± he whispered, quickly drawing three daggers. ¡°Volatile Infusion¡­¡± he said, feeling the power flowing into them. He was only a half dozen paces from the frog this time, and when he threw the blades they were all on target, right in the middle of the monster¡¯s enormous round mouth. Ethan smiled as let himself fall backward, catching a quick glimpse of the frog suddenly snapping its maw shut. Too late, he thought, sending a mental command to his three projectiles. As the water closed over him again, everything lit up. The gas inside the creature created a massive fireball as it exploded, washing over the swamp. He was still short of breath, so Ethan didn¡¯t wait long before emerging from the water. He was treated to the sight of the remaining half of the monster slumped over in front of him. Thank you Legend of Zelda, he thought. There wasn¡¯t much more than a thick tail at this point, but he hoped it would be enough. ¡°Hurry,¡± Valanor called out. ¡°It¡¯ll disappear soon.¡± Revan was there in an instant, half walking, half doggy-paddling over to the dead creature. As the telltale sparkles of light began to dissipate, the Familiar placed its paw on the remains, and began to glow slightly. Ethan felt a responding pulse in his chest, and glanced down to see his Bond Rune grow slightly, twisting to create another small branch.
Attention: You have unlocked a new [Flare] Ability! New Ability: [Internal Combustion] Type: Flare, Debuff, Damage of Time For a small ongoing mana cost, you may apply an instance of [Internal Combustion] with each successful melee attack. Targets afflicted with [Internal Combustion] will take a small amount of Fire damage, and become more susceptible to Fire and Lightning attacks. Additional hits will apply more instances of this affliction, and refresh existing instances.
Ethan smiled, before looting the frog with a touch, and dismissing his familiar. He only received coins this time, which were more than enough after attaining a new ability. He slowly pulled himself out of the water, the grin never fading, and approached the knights. Valanor looked at him, covered in blood and muck, then shook his head. ¡°You dropped your spear.¡± Chapter 13: A Taste of the Astral It was past nightfall when the group reached the first village on their journey. The wagon had ample supplies for campouts, but Valanor had insisted they keep to their schedule. He had given the impression that he¡¯d rather continue traveling through the night, if not for the drastically increased danger of monster encounters. As such, the village was lit only by torches when they arrived. It was a farming community, and it was a bit eerie to walk down the single road leading to the small defensive wall. The fields next to them were overgrowing with crops that grew taller than the mounted party. Ethan recognized corn on one side, but the twisting vines on the other were a mystery. In the dark, the fields felt oppressive, capable of hiding any number of horrors, and he found himself jumping a little at every sound. At last they reached the gates, which clearly weren¡¯t meant to keep out anything more than the smallest of creatures. A single guard in brown clothes was lounging against a nearby wall, and leaped to the ready, even drawing a bow when he noticed the group. ¡°Identify yourselves!¡± he called. ¡°I can have twenty more men here in a blink!¡± ¡°Hunters,¡± Valanor called back, turning to look at the other knights with a raised eyebrow. ¡°We¡¯re passing through, responding to a notice in a village to the South East.¡± ¡°A fine claim for a group of suspicious characters in the night! What proof have you to show?¡± Maggie raised her hand, and a glowing blue bird appeared, perched on her arm. It looked a bit like an owl with exceptionally long wings, but wasn¡¯t particularly intimidating¨Clikely the point. The man lowered his bow in relief, then wiped his sweaty brow. ¡°My apologies, Hunters. You are not the first strangers in the night we¡¯ve seen of late, and we¡¯re a bit quick to put hands to weapons.¡± He hastily moved forward, opening the chest-high wooden gate. As the group moved through, Valanor addressed the man. ¡°Bandits?¡± he asked in his deep, booming voice. ¡°They¡¯ve moved in from the old fort to the East,¡± the man replied. ¡°There¡¯s always been some unsavory sorts in the area, but they¡¯ve stuck to their little hideout and the Patrols have kept things peaceful.¡± ¡°Something changed?¡± the shield knight asked. ¡°They¡¯ve started coming to the village, causing a fuss. Don¡¯t rightly know why, but there¡¯s some scared folk. The Tree-Bonded don¡¯t mind if someone knicks some crops¨Cthere¡¯s always more, but that¡¯s not what these are after.¡± Valanor nodded. ¡°Thank you for the warning,¡± he replied, then started moving the group away. The others followed, the gate clicking shut behind them. As they continued down the quiet firelit street, lined on both sides by small cottages with thatched roofs, Ethan moved up next to the shield knight. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t ask more questions. Don¡¯t we need to track these guys down?¡± Valanor gave him a long-suffering look. ¡°In certain situations it might make sense to post a notice to Hunters about common criminals. Perhaps if they number former Hunters among them, or the location is suitably obscure, but neither is the case here,¡± he answered. ¡°So we¡¯re just going to ignore this? You¡¯re,¡± Ethan glanced around and lowered his voice, ¡°you¡¯re knights! Isn¡¯t this what you do?¡± Glenn laughed, ¡°Where you come from, is one single group responsible for managing every single problem?¡± Ethan shrugged. ¡°Actually sort of, it¡¯s going uh¡­mixed?¡± ¡°There you have it,¡± Glenn said. ¡°There¡¯s not enough Bonded in Viridus to handle problems that can be managed by the Unbound. The King¡¯s peacekeepers will take care of things¨Cwe¡¯re barely a day away from the capital after all.¡± Ethan grumbled, but didn¡¯t argue further. He knew if he pushed, Valanor would remind him that time was limited, and there wasn¡¯t much to say to that. When all this is settled and my life is in my own hands again, I¡¯ll decide what problems are, and are not worthy of my attention. The group reached the center of town, which was dominated by a single structure several stories tall. It looked almost like an old fashioned oil derrick, save for a large stone fastened halfway up. Ethan started to ask what it was, only to notice the rest of the party had gathered in front of the largest building in the square. Ethan trotted his oxsteed past the benches and closed market stalls, then hopped off to join the others. A stableboy took the reins as Glenn and Maggie unloaded the wagon. Valanor led them inside what was clearly an inn, heading toward the bar on the other side of the common room. A woman and man were there, both wearing aprons. The man was cleaning glasses and clearly trying to ignore the other¡¯s crying. The matronly woman started mopping at her eyes when she noticed customers, then hurried through a door, which released the aromas of spices and cooking. ¡°Two rooms,¡± Valanor said, placing a few Dawn coins on the table. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Ethan asked, coming up beside the knight. ¡°Two rooms it is,¡± the innkeeper said. ¡°Stew¡¯s almost done, and I can bring it upstairs if you prefer.¡± He reached behind him, removing two keys from his belt. ¡°Sorry,¡± Ethan repeated, ¡°I was just asking¨C¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Valanor said loudly, and with finality. He then pushed Ethan ahead of him, toward a set of stairs against a far wall. ¡°Not everyone wants to share their troubles with a nosy stranger arriving after dark,¡± he whispered in an irritated tone. ¡°We eat, we sleep, and we leave at first light. *** First light came, and the group found themselves standing around their wagon, staring at the broken axle. ¡°Stable boy says he heard a crack,¡± Maggie said. ¡°He was sleeping in the hay, claims the back just collapsed on itself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the damn swamp,¡± Glenn said. ¡°Stones keep the road from washing away, but it¡¯s hell on wagons.¡± ¡°How long?¡± Valanor asked, glaring at the collapsed wagon like it had done this intentionally. ¡°Stable boy already told the blacksmith. Says we can be out of the village in less than two hours,¡± Maggie replied. Valanor sighed, then looked at Ethan, nearly bouncing with eagerness. ¡°Two hours. Don¡¯t leave the village, don¡¯t get into trouble.¡± With a grin and a salute, Ethan raced off. He was grateful for the extra clothes he¡¯d been given at the palace, letting him stroll around without making too much of a spectacle of himself. He started with the market, which was only just starting to fill up this early in the morning. He sampled various local foods¨Cmostly fresh produce, but also a meat thing kind of like shawarma. He walked the village, mystery meat in hand¨Cthere can be cows here, or pigs, he thought, just because I never see or hear them doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m eating monster butt. Haunch? Haunch makes it sound better, right? His next stop was the odd structure he¡¯d seen the night before. In the light of day he was surprised to see tubes leading from the stone into the ground. There was also something that looked like a massive weathervane drifting at the top, which connected to the stone from above. The stone now glowed a bright green, and he was about to ask a villager about it before hesitating. ¡°That¡¯s the boring version of today,¡± he said, before following the black tubes into the ground with his eyes, and gauging the direction it went. With a destination in mind, he took his snack and started wandering through the village, stopping only for some fruit juice to help with the spice. It felt good to just walk around with regular people. It didn¡¯t matter that this was a medieval village, or that most of the people had pointy ears. The sky was blue, the sun was out, and Ethan wasn¡¯t falling off of mountains or being attacked by monsters. Part of him knew that this life had chosen him as much¨Cor more¨Cthan he had chosen it, and he needed to feel like it wouldn¡¯t all be a sprinting toward or away from death. At last he came to the edge of the village, and finally spotted the black tubing emerging from the ground, to attach to a massive water tub. The tub was in turn fed from a stream that disappeared into the distance, in the direction of the mountains. Squinting, he thought he might be able to see something that looked like it could be a fort up there, but pushed it out of his mind for now. Dr. Ethan Bishop, slayer of bandits, and protector of Shawarma Village can save his origin story for later. Turning back to the water, he saw that it fed some kind of irrigation system, spreading out into the nearby field. He grinned when he noticed some of the plant life moving, and realized he was looking at one of the farming monsters he¡¯d seen on his way to Corvale. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Glancing around, he saw no danger and no Valanor, and with a grin he hopped the low village wall to get closer to the field. This one was only half-planted; it was the corn from last night, which turned out to be red and purple in color. Ethan walked past it, and found a dark skinned elf kneeling in the dirt in the empty field, the farming monster right next to him. Up close the quadrupedal creature was even more unusual. Its legs were like thin tree-trunks, and this one had a back covered in vines and moss. It didn¡¯t appear to have a head, and Ethan was worried he looked for one too long, as it turned to maybe? stare back at him. Feeling like he¡¯d committed some kind of brand new faux pas, he hastily turned to the young elf. ¡°Howdy friend, sorry to interrupt.¡± The elf stood up, a serene expression on his face. ¡°Hello, are you lost?¡± he asked. He sounded so calm that Ethan actually glanced back to the man¡¯s Familiar, wondering if there might be a certain herb growing on it that he¡¯d missed. ¡°Not at all, my good man. I¡¯m just new to the area, and I¡¯ve never seen a Bond Farmer at work up close. I was hoping I could watch you do some magic, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± The elf smiled, nodding slowly and running a hand through his long brown hair, heedless of the streak of mud it was leaving in its wake. ¡°That sounds nice, everyone in the village grew up watching my grandfather work the fields, so I¡¯m usually out here alone. I¡¯m Carl,¡± he said, holding a hand out to shake. ¡°Ethan, it¡¯s a pleasure,¡± he said. ¡°And who is this handsome fellow?¡± he asked, indicating the tree monster. ¡°Oh that¡¯s Bella, we¡¯ve been Bonded for three years now. She¡¯s good company.¡± ¡°Calming influence, I¡¯ll bet. So how does this work, Carl? Is it connected to the pretty green stone in the center of town?¡± ¡°You got it,¡± Carl answered with a grin. ¡°The tower collects magic and feeds it into the stone. The thing is ancient, from some Tree monster no one even remembers. It infuses the water with magic, so it doesn¡¯t all need to come from me.¡± He led them a few paces away from the field, then turned to Ethan. ¡°Watch this,¡± he said, grin growing wider. Bella began to sway, and her tree-trunk legs dug into the ground. Carl likewise dug his own hands into the earth, then they both began to softly glow with green light. At first nothing happened, then Ethan noticed the soil seeming to dry up before his eyes, the water being absorbed downward. The next moment rich green vegetation burst from the ground, vines and stems twisting and braiding together. It was like watching one of those sped up videos that shows a seedling going through its whole life cycle, but for the entire field. When the crops were about waist-high he began to clap, only to realize the show wasn¡¯t over. Bella abruptly switched from swaying, to vibrating violently, and Carl dug his hands further into the ground, the glow increasing. All across the field, the plants Ethan thought were done began to branch out in every direction. Some stabbed into others, with others reached higher, climbing into the sky. Flowers were suddenly everywhere, and fruit and vegetables began to burst to live only moments later. It took Ethan a moment to realize what he was seeing. ¡°You¡¯re hybridizing them on the spot,¡± he said, his own grin widening to match the elf¡¯s. The field kept growing for several more minutes, with so many different types of plants that Ethan couldn¡¯t keep track of them all. ¡°That was incredible,¡± he said, enjoying a magical display that didn¡¯t just kill something. ¡°I can¡¯t believe how much food you can produce on your own, hunger must not exist in Viridus,¡± he said in awe. ¡°Not in Viridus, and we keep the neighboring kingdoms pretty happy as well. Keeps them out of our land,¡± Carl said, stretching as he stood up. ¡°They can¡¯t do all this?¡± Ethan asked, surprised. Carl barked a laugh. ¡°Where are you from anyway? No, the desert and snow Kingdoms can¡¯t do this,¡± he said, indicating the field. ¡°Great markets for glass and oil though, gotta hand it to them.¡± The threat of invasion was starting to make more sense to Ethan, wondering just how much of this world was oddly polarized in landscape. He¡¯d been impressed with this place which seemed so idyllic, and it hadn¡¯t occurred to him how homogenous it was until that moment. He was going to ask Carl more questions, when he realized the man was staring in the direction of the village, his calm expression turned angry. ¡°Trouble near the East gate,¡± he said. He turned back to Ethan, ¡°You¡¯re safe with me. I have to stay here to protect the fields.¡± Ethan smiled, ¡°Awfully kind of you Carl, but I¡¯m a Hunter. Well, in training, but I know enough to know I go toward trouble. Thanks for letting me see you work!¡± he called out as he ran back toward town. The buildings flew by as he charged through town, feeling the odd tension of the villagers, most of whom were moving quickly in the opposite direction. By the time Ethan reached the center of town, it was clear that the trouble had moved. A group of five men and one woman were arrayed near the town well. They were dressed in leathers and animal skins, and each had a weapon at their belt, or in their hands. Clubs mostly, but the largest member of the group was a man with long, thick, greasy black hair, and he was resting a large ax on his shoulder as he stared down at the innkeeper. ¡°Going to tell us to leave again, old man?¡± he asked with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, and I¡¯ll say it again, you won¡¯t find what you¡¯re looking for here. The peacekeepers know about you, and could be here any minute. You should want to be gone,¡± the portly man insisted. The large man¨Cwho could only be one of the mentioned bandits¨Cgave the innkeeper a casual push, which sent him tumbling to the ground. By then Ethan had joined the small crowd that had gathered at the commotion. He noticed that not even the single guard he¡¯d seen last night was in attendance, and wondered exactly what kind of disturbance had occurred at the gate. The large bandit let his ax dangle then, alarmingly close to the innkeeper who was scrambling backward. ¡°We know she¡¯s here, old man. If you¡¯re hiding her, we¡¯ll just have to look around. That sounds fun, actually.¡± Ethan took a single step forward, before an enormous weight settled over him. In his haste to get here, he hadn¡¯t considered what he actually planned to do. Fighting monsters still seemed so ludicrous and impossible to him, that despite the danger it didn¡¯t quite feel real. But these were people. Ethan Bishop was a doctor, a man who¡¯d chosen a life of healing. More than that, with the power he had now¡­He imagined one of his daggers sinking to the flesh of the large man, then exploding. The image was horrific. His new ability would burn the man from the inside out, and without using those abilities Ethan wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. His brothers were soldiers, and had talked to him a lot about what it felt like to hold a real weapon, designed to kill people. They¡¯d had serious conversations as well as drunken ones over the years, and they¡¯d done a good job of impressing upon him the odd sensations that came with having that level of power and violence at their fingertips. Ethan had refused that call, reaching for a scalpel instead, and now he was on path to becoming more dangerous than any single person on Earth. In the end, watching the scene unfold, the ax drifting closer to the man, Ethan simply froze. He kept picturing himself killing these people, and bile rose within his throat. Then he heard Dean¡¯s voice, full of disappointment. So you¡¯ll just leave them to die? Maybe patch up the victims after the damage is done? Shame and rage in equal parts rushed through Ethan¡¯s body, and he let his head drop. That last thought had been a little too close to an actual argument he¡¯d had with his older brother, and the added emotions only crippled him further. He looked up again when the crowd reacted suddenly, afraid of what he might see. Ethan¡¯s eyebrows rose as he realized the large bandit was on the ground, a dozen paces away. The other five had ceased milling about, and were now drawing weapons on the one who¡¯d attacked their leader. Valanor seemed utterly unconcerned, despite not wearing his armor, and his left arm still bound across his chest. ¡°The smart ones live,¡± he said in a loud voice. ¡°I¡¯m in no mood to chase you, and you might even make it back to your little rathole before the peacekeepers arrive.¡± The five looked at one another, then glanced at the large bandit, shakily getting to his feet. One of the braver¨Cor more foolish¨Cdecided to try his luck, charging forward and swinging his club with a mighty, two handed strike. Valanor didn¡¯t even move, allowing the heavy, three foot slab of wood to impact him directly in the head. It splintered into a hundred pieces, leaving the man with little more than a handle. He looked from his bleeding hands to the knight, and the orange runes just barely visible at his exposed right bicep. The man visibly shook, ¡°Sh-sh-shit,¡± he muttered, taking a step back, ¡°Dusk rank¡± he finished, before turning and sprinting from the square. The other four might have fled with him if not for the return of the first man. The large brute was enraged, charging forward with his ax raised. He let out a howl as he closed the distance, and his comrades appeared bolstered, tightening grips on weapons and turning back to the lone knight with the dark eyes. Then the world seemed to shift. Ethan¡¯s stomach turned, and his knees went weak. His chest felt like it was collapsing in on itself, and his first, improbable instinct was that he was having a heart attack. Then he looked back up and realized the entire crowd was suffering, most far worse than he. Valanor hadn¡¯t moved, hadn¡¯t used any abilities, and yet somehow he seemed like a giant in that moment. A wave of terror and danger seemed to emanate from the man, and from the looks of it, it was far worse at close range. Two of the bandits were already running away, while the rest were falling forward, retching on the ground. The man with the ax was still standing, but he¡¯d frozen in place, and the weapon fell from limp hands a moment later. He shook, every muscle in his body seeming tensed to the point of cramping, bulging in inhuman ways. The knight walked slowly toward him, stopping within easy reach. ¡°I have no interest in letting you break an ax over my head,¡± he said softly, though his deep voice carried over the square. ¡°You¡¯ve made a mistake today. Several in fact. I won¡¯t kill you, though, I know that would only bring the rest of your foolish kind out for revenge.¡± He stepped even closer, and the man¡¯s eyes rolled back in his head as he appeared to choke. ¡°I have no interest in wasting more of my time killing them,¡± he said in a voice rich with promise. ¡°I¡¯ll be in the area for some time. Go, and spend the rest of your lives trying not to be worth my time.¡± At his last word the feeling was suddenly gone, and Ethan let out a breath he didn¡¯t realize he was holding. The bandits picked themselves up immediately, slipping in their own sick as they did so. They ran toward the East gate in uncontrolled panic, though the leader moved more slowly, barely able to walk. Valanor watched them go, looking bored if anything. Once they were out of sight, he turned directly to Ethan. ¡°Axle is fixed, let¡¯s go.¡± Chapter 14: Diversion in the Woods ¡°They were after our Hunter,¡± Rebecca said. She was the cook at the inn, the one Ethan had seen crying the night before. Unlike the innkeeper, she turned out to be more than happy to share their problems. Glenn and Maggie were loading the repaired wagon, so Ethan decided to take the extra few minutes to try to better understand what had happened with the bandits. He also felt that he needed the time to recover from whatever Valanor had done. The taciturn knight paralyzing an entire crowd with fear was a lot to take in. ¡°Your Hunter?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°I thought Hunters just worked with the guild. Is there a local one or something?¡± Rebecca let out a long breath, dusting flour off her hands then leaning on the bar. The inn was mostly empty, but she still glanced around to make sure they weren¡¯t overheard. ¡°Cara Fletcher,¡± she said finally. ¡°There¡¯s a village to the South East, near the mountains, and they have a single Bond they pass down each generation.¡± ¡°Like the farmers?¡± ¡°Sort of,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s a bit more rare, but not entirely uncommon, especially for border towns. It¡¯s something for the youths to aspire to, and they have competitions and the like to see who will be the next village Hunter. They got more than they expected with our Cara though.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, how so?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°Driven, that one is. She won the competition a few years back, but that wasn¡¯t enough for her. No single Bond for that one. She Hunted down two more herself, became a Full Bonded, like them in the cities. Like your scary friend.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him he¡¯s¨C¡± Ethan cut off, realizing he doubted whether he truly knew the man at all. ¡°He¡¯ll be gone soon. Tell me more about the girl.¡± Rebecca laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you she¡¯d put an arrow in your arse if she heard you call her ¡®girl¡¯. But in truth she¡¯s probably a little younger than you. Still, she won her Bonds, then went to work. Travels between the local villages, takes out the monsters that get too close. We¡¯ve all come to rely on her.¡± ¡°What about Hunter notices? Why would you need a local?¡± ¡°We have a notice board in the square, but no one uses it. Takes at least a week for someone to accept it¨Cif we¡¯re lucky. Then they mosey down when they find the time. If a monster is prowling around near the village that¡¯s too long to wait, and Cara is only ever a day away. It¡¯s much worse for the smaller villages.¡± ¡°I see, I suppose that makes sense. So why are the bandits after her?¡± ¡°Gunther¡¯s fools? Well they crossed Cara a few months back. Tried to muscle their way into her home village, even stole from her daddy¡¯s shop. She did what Cara does: hunted them down.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah that¡¯ll do it. So what¡¯s the problem, she doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯d be scared of a few bandits.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not scared of anything, which is a problem all on its own. Gunther isn¡¯t some food bandit, he¡¯s Bonded. The two of them got into it a couple of weeks back, and we haven¡¯t heard from Cara since.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that, but if they¡¯re looking for her she must have gotten away.¡± ¡°We¡¯re praying to the Goddess that¡¯s so,¡± Rebecca said, tearing up again. She noticed the innkeeper coming back inside and quickly wiped her eyes again. ¡°You be careful out there, alright? I know you¡¯re with¡­that man, but you should be careful around him too, I¡¯d wager.¡± ¡°Thanks, Rebecca. I hope you see your Hunter again soon.¡± With that, Ethan went to join the others, sure that Valanor was already growing impatient. *** Ethan and the Knights made it out of the village after a reasonable amount of time, though Valanor was still grumpy. Glenn and Maggie seemed to be in the same general moods as the day before, not seeming appropriately disturbed by their leader¡¯s display of weaponized terror. As they traveled down the dirt road, the farmlands quickly gave way to dense forest as the mountains rose to meet them. Ethan eventually turned to the knight, needing to know what he¡¯d seen. ¡°Valanor, that thing you did in the square¡­what the hell was it? Do you have some kind of horrifying Familiar I couldn¡¯t see? Please tell me it wasn¡¯t Toby.¡± Valanor grunted¨Csomething Ethan had discovered was the man¡¯s equivalent of a laugh. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Toby. It wasn¡¯t a Familiar, or even an ability, I just unleashed my spirit in the Astral¡­a little bit.¡± ¡°Astral¡­I feel like you mentioned that before.¡± The knight let out the long sigh that signified he was about to begrudgingly teach something. ¡°The Astral¨Cor spirit¨CRealm, is a layer of existence that people don¡¯t normally have access to. Magic and Familiars change that. All our spirits exist partially in that realm. It¡¯s how I can tell when you¡¯re lying; your soul isn¡¯t quite so capable of hiding it.¡± ¡°Right, the creepy glare you and the royal family keep giving me. You can see into this realm?¡± ¡°All Bonded can interact with the Astral, once they reach Dawn rank. You won¡¯t have much control over it until Dusk, but it¡¯ll become an important part of your training, and interactions with other Hunters.¡± Ethan swatted away a mosquito the size of his fist, then let Revan out to walk next to his steed. The Familiar¡¯s burning tails tended to keep the insects at bay. He turned back to Valanor. ¡°Okay, and it¡¯s possible to attack people using this place?¡± ¡°Not quite an attack. It¡¯s a complex system you won¡¯t be able to understand at this stage. The short answer is yes, but it wouldn¡¯t be anywhere near as effective against other Bonded. It¡¯s one of the many reasons why Unbound are little threat to a Hunter.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Ethan said. ¡°It seems a little hard to believe that there¡¯s so many regular people surrounded by a few Bonded with such terrifying power. How does the world even work like this?¡± It was Glenn who answered. ¡°This isn¡¯t the world, friend, this is Viridus. I love my land, but we¡¯re a tiny Kingdom surrounded by a wall of mountains. If you ever venture out, you¡¯ll see that things are very different.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ethan asked curiously. Surprisingly, it was Maggie who answered. She was not only quiet, but didn¡¯t seem to care much for Ethan, and he¡¯d mostly let her be. ¡°The reason there are so few Bonded here is two-fold. We have very small breeding programs for the tame beasts that allow True Bonds, and our access to Terranova technology is severely limited.¡± ¡°Terranova again, what does that have to do with anything?¡± Ethan asked, once more getting conflicted feelings at hearing there was a whole nation filled with people from his home. Valanor answered. ¡°There are two ways to Bond,¡± he said. ¡°You form a True Bond with a willing monster, or you capture them with a Bond Stone. Only Terranova has the ability to create them in any significant quantity. The nations who trade for them try to create their own monopolies on the devices. We¡¯re too far from the source to trade directly, and have to accept what we can get.¡± Ethan thought back to the stone he¡¯d used to Bond his Dimension Devourer, and things started to make a bit more sense. ¡°So in other nations¡­¡± ¡°There are Bonded everywhere,¡± Valanor confirmed. ¡°Never so many as to create a true standing army, but enough that the rules for interacting with the Unbound have been codified for generations. Bonded deal with Bonded-level threats, and Unbound look after themselves.¡± Glenn spoke up again, excited. ¡°That¡¯s not all! We¡¯re a bit spoiled in Viridus, because we¡¯re considered a Dawn rank Kingdom¨Cthe magic here just isn¡¯t that dense. It means you mostly only see Dawn rank monsters, with the occasional Dusk as the exception. Go visit Arinae to the West and Dusk is the weakest you¡¯ll find.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Maggie scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s as much a curse to Bonded as it is a boon to the regular folk. There¡¯s no chance of reaching Twilight as long as we stay in this realm.¡± Glenn laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll happily stay in the kiddie pond where it¡¯s safe, thank you Maggie. Dusk rank is ambitious enough.¡± Ethan considered that, glancing at the only confirmed Dusk rank he knew. ¡°So you can¡¯t reach the next rank, Valanor?¡± The group immediately went silent, and Glenn made a ¡®shut up you complete idiot¡¯ gesture at Ethan. Valanor seemed resigned, however. ¡°I told you when we first met, I¡¯m a broken Dusk. This is as far as I go, never mind the magic around me or the monsters I face.¡± Ethan opened his mouth to ask for more info, but this time Glenn actually threw a cup at him from the wagon. He then made a ¡®he will absolutely kill you, you complete and utter tool¡¯ motion. Ethan actually took a moment to just be impressed with Glenn¡¯s ability to mime complex thoughts. Valanor missed the entire exchange, riding at the front as usual, but when his steed halted they all prepared for some kind of outburst. It didn¡¯t come. ¡°There¡¯s something¡­¡± the shield knight said, eyes scanning the thick forest. A shrill sound echoed through the woods. The knights burst into action, leaping to the ground as armor enveloped them and Familiars emerged to form a perimeter. The well-trained oxsteeds were moved to the center of the road, as Ethan hastily joined the others on the ground. His borrowed armor appeared a second later, as well as the spear he¡¯d retrieved from the swamp. Revan let out a low, panther¡¯s growl from his side, and Ethan rested a hand on the Familiar¡¯s back, not sure if he was giving comfort or receiving it. ¡°Simiavus,¡± Valanor said, as the sounds grew louder, seeming to come from one side. A moment later, Ethan spotted movement in the trees. The creatures looked like deep red chimpanzees, though larger, and with long, pointed beaks. They swung through the trees easily, letting out their shrill bird calls, at least two dozen of them. Ethan took an involuntary step back, moving his spear out in front of him. ¡°Form up around the Chosen!¡± Valanor commanded, and the knights shifted so that the armored forms of Maggie and Glenn were on either side of him, while Valanor stepped out in front. Glenn was using a two handed sword, while Maggie revealed twin handaxes. Surprisingly, Toby was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a massive steel crab appeared in front of them, easily twice as wide as the oxsteeds. It only had four legs, each gleaming like chrome, but two massive claws snapped in the direction of the woods. As the ape-birds swung toward them, steel shards began firing out of those claws, skewering the attacking monsters. Valanor joined the assault, hurling steel spears forward. It was a remarkable sight, but Ethan immediately saw how ineffective the ponderous creature would have been in the tight tunnels of the mountain. Turning back to the battle, he began drawing throwing daggers, ready to do his part. Planting his own spear in the dirt in front of him, he began hurling the daggers. Ethan had been practicing during the long hours of the trip, throwing them at every tree they passed, letting his magic bandolier return them after a couple of minutes. Thanks to those many hours of practice, one of his first six throws connected. ¡°Okay, they¡¯re moving way too much,¡± Ethan insisted, then glared at the stupid crab after it bullseye¡¯d three of the apes in a row. Still, he got to see [Internal Combustion] at work, as the simiavus he¡¯d struck began swatting uselessly at his arms, volcanic veins of fire stretching outward from the wound. There was no time to celebrate as the beasts were finally upon them. Maggie went to work, her axes slashing out, arcs of water following in their wake, with deadly cutting force. Glenn¡¯s sword took slow, even swings, but each one seemed to be right where it was needed, slashing through grasping ape-hands and snapping beaks. Behind them, Kit and Revan kept their mounts safe, while Valanor and his showoff crab held the front line. As more of the beasts screeched and dropped from the trees, Valanor summoned the slightly faster Toby, the conjured warhammer making its presence known as well. It was interesting to see the knight back with his shield, as he seemed truly untouchable now¨Cat least by the ape-birds. He was always moving, always keeping his shield toward the enemy, and he¡¯d occasionally slam the shield with his own warhammer, the sound drawing even more of the beasts to him. Ethan had to turn his focus to his own problems, however, as the wave of enemies crashed into them. The knights did their jobs well, and Ethan rarely engaged a target on his own, but he nevertheless resolved to do his part. His spear, a poor weapon for the tight conditions and fast targets, turned out to be a great way of spreading his new affliction. He would quickly dart it, stabbing a screeching ape that was distracted by a knight, then dart back. Once [Internal Combustion] went to work, the creatures were inevitably distracted and easily dispatched. Ethan was tempted to use [Volatile Infusion], knowing the debuff would make his fire damage far more effective. Sadly, though many things were different in this world, hurling fiery explosives into dense wood was still idiotic, and so he focused on his second Flare ability, glad to have it. As the minutes ticked by, Ethan felt weariness settling over him, and his mana depleting. He had to start spacing his special attacks out, reminding himself again that a sharp spear was still a dangerous weapon as he harassed any enemy within range. From the front, Valanor called out. ¡°This many shouldn¡¯t be possible! There has to be a rift nearby!¡± ¡°Then we move into the woods, let the familiars guard the steeds!¡± Glenn called back. ¡°Stay close!¡± the shield knight called back, as he began pushing forward. Glenn swapped his large sword for two small ones, then pulled Ethan behind him. Maggie took up the rear, her axes ironically ill-suited to the woods. Dealing with the same problem, Ethan took a throwing knife in each hand, and moved with the column. Valanor¡¯s warhammer had to be worst suited to the environment, but you¡¯d never know, as his swings continued at the same pace. The heavy obsidian weapon simply crashed through tree trunks as easily as monsters. For the part of the simiavus, they may have possessed the same reckless drive to attack as any other demon, but they proved far from suicidal. As they watched their brethren being slaughtered, they began to shift tactics. Clearly realizing that each of their opponents was focused on close-combat, they began to hurl tree limbs, rocks, and anything else they could find. Hopefully they don¡¯t throw the same thing as monkeys on Earth, Ethan thought with distaste. The knights shifted to using what ranged attacks they had, but they were relatively limited. Stone shards fired from Valanor¡¯s armor, while Maggie unleashed more arcs of water. Neither were precision attacks though, leaving the majority of the damage to come from Glenn, who sent concentrated blasts of wind back at their enemies, knocking the creatures from high in the trees. Ethan got plenty more practice with his daggers, and was actually making contact half the time when they finally reached a small clearing. As promised, a rift hovered in the air in front of them, ape-birds popping out every thirty seconds or so. Valnor pushed the group toward it, showing no sign of tiring. The clearing was fairly large, and it looked almost like the demons had eaten the trees near the portal. The group had to fight over fallen logs, and wade through branches and mud to finally make it to their destination. The rift was easily eight feet wide, and as soon as they reached it, Glenn charged forward, pulling objects out of his inventory. ¡°Try to cover Glenn,¡± Valanor commanded Ethan, who switched back to his spear. The shield knight and Maggie took up guard positions, the crab making another appearance as the ape-birds redoubled their attack, clearly recognizing their way home was under threat. The close range fight resumed as a flood of the simiavus ran at the group from every direction. Thankfully the rift only worked on one side, so they were able to use it as cover. It didn¡¯t stop the beasts from popping around from either side, though, and Ethan found himself stabbing wildly to keep Glenn protected. Every half minute the fight would become far more chaotic, as another demon would burst through the portal, attacking without hesitation. Glenn would wisely pause in his work then, holding the creature for Ethan to dispatch it. Unfortunately that made the work exceptionally slow, as the knight had to keep stopping and starting. The runes that would seal the portal appeared with agonizing slowness. To his left, Maggie was finally slowing, and was forced to summon her owl-like Familiar to help hold her flank. Valanor was in better shape, but had to pick up more and more slack as his slow steel familiar failed to catch the rapidly moving monsters. Still, their progress was steady and inevitable, as Glenn proved his ability to multitask over and over, the ritual appearing rune by rune. Ethan did his best to cover the man while also assisting the Dawn rank Maggie whenever he could, his spear lancing forward to disable and wound at every opportunity. Ethan¡¯s own limbs felt like wood, and a glance at the indomitable Valanor made him envy the strength and stamina of a Dusk rank Bonded. Counting in his head, he turned his exhausted body back to the rift, spear braced to impale the monster he knew would be exploding through at any moment. The portal flashed, and the maneuver worked. Ethan felt his spear-point dig into flesh, but stop suddenly. He looked up, confused by the dark shape blocking most of the shining doorway. Rather than soft belly, his spear was lodged in the thick thigh of a simiavus at least three times larger than the rest. It looked down at him, its beak over a foot long, and razor sharp. It raised its arms, grasping clawed hands reaching forward. Ethan retreated, mouth open in shock as a second set of arms snatched for him as well, and something between a screech and a roar echoed through the clearing. ¡°Dusk rank!¡± Glenn called, diving into Ethan from the side, his armor slashed for his trouble. Then the real fight began. Chapter 15: A Monstrous Hunger Ethan scrambled backward, Glenn struggling to get off of him, while also escaping the four huge clawed hands reaching for him. They were both shocked when a wide, steel form settled above them, the crab Familiar using its broad shell as a shield. The two men had an odd moment of confusion, as they had to decide whether to leave the relative safety, or risk being crushed by a thousand pound metal crab. The decision was made for them as the huge ape-bird grasped the snapping claws with its two sets of power arms, and lifted the Familiar off the ground. Glenn and Ethan retreated, grateful to see that the seemingly endless wave of smaller simiavus had slowed. Just the stragglers plus the giant, terrifying one to deal with. Easy. The clearing was transformed from the fighting. Most of the downed trees had been knocked to the edges of the wood by Valanor¡¯s heavy strikes, and everything was soaked from Maggie¡¯s water attacks. She was doing better now that she only faced one or two monsters at a time, and her axes were hard at work. ¡°Glenn! Take my position!¡± Valanor cried, charging at the ten feet of fury and muscle that made up the Dusk rank monster. He was just in time, as the massive ape was tearing a steel arm from the crab, which disappeared abruptly. In its place, the relentless knight leaped through the air, his warhammer crashing into the beast¡¯s chest, sending it staggering backward. Glenn did as ordered, his two handed sword coming out as he ran to the other side of the portal, intercepting the handful of ape-birds still emerging from the woods. Ethan, on the other hand, had no idea where he was best used. The departed crab had left a gap in the line that he could fill, but Maggie and Glenn barely let anything through. Instead, he turned to the target he should really be running from. For the first time, Valanor was struggling. He intercepted every blow, including the occasional blast of force fired from the beast¡¯s enormous beak. The knight couldn¡¯t seem to do enough damage, however, as the simiavus used its four arms like a martial artist, slapping the warhammer away while it shifted its bulk. Ethan took a breath, then planted his spear. At least this bastard is too big to miss, he thought as he flung his first dagger, the searing orange of [Internal Combustion] spreading out from the wound. A second dagger followed, and a third after that. He¡¯d been able to conserve mana since they left the road, and now he put it to good use. At first, the beast seemed entirely unconcerned. The blades were tiny, and irrelevant on their own, and the Dusk rank monster just kept hammering on the knight, clearly trying to reach the weaker, squishier targets Valanor protected. Soon though, the affliction began to stack up, and the creature was aglow with firefly light, its veins scorching it from the inside out. Feeling his limited reserves running out, Ethan mentally thanked Maggie for turning the clearing into a damp rainforest, and switched tactics. He had to get his timing right to avoid Valanor, but fortunately the beast was continually moving back and forth to avoid the warhammer. On its next step backward, a small blade stuck into its chest, but this time it exploded with tremendous force, as [Volatile Infusion] made use of the stacking weakness to fire attacks. The monster roared in pain, a fist-sized hole in its massive chest appearing. Ethan didn¡¯t let up, sending three more knives in quick succession, one even embedding in the giant¡¯s neck. The explosions rang out, one after another, each taking a chunk out of the creature¡¯s flesh. It was bleeding judiciously now, but Ethan¡¯s mana was gone, and he was learning a valuable lesson about what the difference in rank really meant. While the Dusk rank simiavus was hurt, it hadn¡¯t slowed, and its own attacks were coming faster. Thankfully, Ethan had bought time, and before the creature could redouble its attacks against Valanor, twin axes began slashing at the back of its legs, tearing through tendons and causing it to wobble and slow as it attempted to move and dodge. Ethan realized that Maggie had dispatched her last opponent, and Glenn was only a minute behind her. Just like in the arena, each team member went to work in their own way. Valanor refused to allow his opponent to ignore him for even a second, his warhammer crashing into bone with every opening, and punishing each attempt the beast made to grab the Dawn rank knights. Maggie used impressive agility to stay behind the towering ape, as Glenn¡¯s sword bit into wrists with deadly accuracy. It wasn¡¯t long before a huge, clawed hand tumbled to the ground, severed from repeated strikes. Ethan wasn¡¯t idle during this time, as small monsters were still emerging from the rift. He had his spear braced in front of him once more, and did his best to dispatch the beasts each time one appeared. Lost in his task, it was a complete surprise when he heard another voice. Hungry, it said, and he whirled around, shocked and looking for who had spoken. He turned back to the rift, confused. Okay, I may have internalized Dean¡¯s voice a little more than is strictly healthy, but he doesn¡¯t usually ask for snacks. Ethan kept fighting, glancing occasionally at the practiced smoothness of the knights with envy, then trying to improve his own clumsy form. Hungry! The voice said again, and again Ethan spun halfway around, looking for the source of the voice. Only when he turned back did he notice a tingle on his chest. He only realized it was there because it faded when he moved away from the rift, and returned when he did. Looking down, he saw a faint glow coming from his first Bond Rune. The mana of his Flare Bond was depleted anyway, so with a thought he channeled Dimension. The voice¨Cif it was a voice, it seemed to be just as much a feeling, or an impulse¨Cgrew in intensity. HUNGRY! It seemed to roar, and he felt the pull toward the rift. Ethan glanced over, seeing that the fight with Dusk Monster was coming to an end. It only had two hands left, and could no longer rise from the kneeling position it was trapped in, its legs a mass of bleeding slashes. Ethan looked back to the rift, just in time to move his spear into the path of another Dawn rank simiavus. He stabbed a few more times to make sure it was down, then moved toward the blue-white light. The feeling in his mind, and the urge in his soul dragged him forward, the hunger far beyond anything physical. He didn¡¯t realize what he was doing until he felt the cool bite of energy where his hand pressed against the rippling surface of the rift. All at once the feeling changed, from desperate hunger to overwhelming gluttony. He could taste the energy flowing through him as the portal warped and dissolved. The familiar blue-white light crackled and sparked, and his chest throbbed as if he had a second heartbeat. Finally the rift seemed to lose whatever held it together, and it winked out of existence. Ethan stumbled backward, sated in a way he¡¯d never before experienced. Even the dim emptiness that he¡¯d felt since Bonding Flagras seemed lessened, and he grinned, basking in the moment. A heavy thump drew him from his reverie, and he turned to see the giant beast collapse in a ruined heap. ¡°What happened to the rift?¡± Glenn asked, panting and leaning on his sword. Ethan grinned, noticing his system rune blinking furiously, but not needing it for an answer. ¡°Dimension Devourer,¡± he said, pushing his armor aside to look at his first Bond rune, which had grown to match his second in size and complexity. ¡°I think my littlest Familiar is all grown up.¡± Valanor walked over, limping slightly and drenched in demon blood. ¡°Your Familiar truly ate the rift? Are you able to summon it now?¡± Ethan shrugged. ¡°Good question. Before I do, should I try to get an ability from the demon?¡± Glenn shook his head. ¡°Definitely not. Demons and the monsters of our world don¡¯t mix. No telling what you¡¯d get.¡± ¡°You may as well loot it though,¡± Valanor said. ¡°Then we should really get back to the wagons before resting.¡± Ethan nodded, then went and gingerly poked the sparkling mess with a toe. He ignored the system messages for the moment, trusting the shield knight¡¯s instincts that they were better off away from here. He followed the other exhausted warriors as they left the clearing, idly nudging demon bodies for more loot as he went. *** The Familiars had done their duty well, and the battered group returned to find their mounts alive and well. Valanor insisted they move at a trot for some time, looking for a more defensible location to take a break. There was no telling how many more demons might have come through the rift. Stolen novel; please report. An hour later Ethan found himself leaning against a rock in a wide clearing, having already washed himself in a small river flowing peacefully nearby. The forest was thinner here, and they had good eye-lines in every direction. Nonetheless, Toby and Kit were patrolling the perimeter, ever watchful. At last Ethan was able to let out a breath, feel his heart rate slow, and go over the messages from the Mad System.
Attention: [Dimension Devourer] has absorbed sufficient energy to awaken! Dimensional Bond has stabilized! New abilities may now be unlocked! Existing abilities have stabilized!
Ethan grinned. It was a relief to know that he wouldn¡¯t be saddled with a broken Familiar Bond. Could something similar have happened to Valanor? Putting the thought aside, he was going to do what he¡¯d been wanting to do since he first saw the unusual egg in the mountain. He was finally going to see what¡¯s inside. ¡°Dimension Devourer,¡± he called, and there was only the briefest hesitation before he felt the presence of his first Familiar. He followed the sensation that linked him to the creature, finding it floating in the air above him. He squinted against the sun, then stood to get a better look at the creature. It was surprisingly small, barely as long as his arm, and it was thin and sinuous, covered in deep purple scales. It was also flying, but without wings, seeming to writhe and twist through the air like a snake, though it had tiny fore and back legs, ending in tiny black claws. Ethan knew instantly what the creature would be called on his own world. It was the closest thing to a dragon he¡¯d seen since he arrived here. Though it was much more like those depicted in Japanese, or maybe Chinese artwork, save for an obvious exception. He leaned closer, and the little creature spiraled and twisted through the air to examine him in turn¨Cwith both its heads. They were identical, and seemed to move independently. Each had spikey manes¨Cnot quite hair¨Cthat flowed from their foreheads down their backs, in the familiar white-blue color of rifts. Their eyes were the same, and lacked any other visible color or pupil. Their twin mouths gave some hint of their nature, being absolutely filled with little teeth. ¡°Damn, you are awesome, little guy. Guys? I don¡¯t know how this works.¡± The little creature continued to swim through the air, though oddly its heads remained stationary as the long serpentine body coiled and moved. ¡°Whoa,¡± Glenn said with shock, walking up from the river still dripping water. He was pulling a towel from the wagon¨Capparently Glenn liked to come prepared¨Cwhen he cocked his head. ¡°Hydras are truly rare. I¡¯ve never even heard of a hydra-wyrm before. Wait¡­¡± He came closer. ¡°It has tiny little legs! What is that thing?¡± ¡°Something extremely rare,¡± Valanor said, walking past with a glare for Ethan at the word ¡®rare¡¯. Evidently he was still angry about the ticking clock they were under. ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± Ethan said, ignoring the dour knight. ¡°Twins, white hair, this one¡¯s easy. Dante and Virgil it is.¡± ¡°Oh, you might want to reconsider that,¡± Glenn said. ¡°What, you know those names?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°No, sorry. I mean you might not want to name them separately. It¡¯s one being, just with two heads.¡± ¡°How could you possibly know that?¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re trained to fight hydras,¡± Maggie said from where she was resting under the wagon. ¡°You attack one head, the other one knows it.¡± ¡°Oh¡­that¡¯s surprisingly logical,¡± Ethan said with a nod. ¡°And that¡¯s not the only reason, you understand he¡¯s Dawn rank now, right?¡± ¡°Sure, I guess. Why?¡± ¡°Familiars evolve, remember?¡± Valanor called out. ¡°What do you think happens to a hydra when it evolves?¡± ¡°Oh¡­he¡¯s gonna get more heads?¡± Ethan asked? ¡°Probably a lot more,¡± Glenn confirmed. ¡°Bigger, and more heads.¡± ¡°How much bigger?¡± ¡°Thank the Goddess you don¡¯t need to feed him actual food bigger,¡± the knight replied. Ethan looked at his tiny Familiar and wondered what Twilight, or even Master rank might look like. ¡°Dimension Devourer, indeed. I¡¯m going to need so many names¡­¡± he reached out an arm and the little creature happily wrapped around it. ¡°Okay, compromise. Dante and Virgil, D and V¡­Deevee?¡± The two sets of white eyes watched him impassively. ¡°Tacit acceptance! I¡¯ll take it. Now, there¡¯s something else I want to check out.¡±
Ability: Rift (Dawn Rank 0: 4%) Type: Dimension You may create a rift that allows one-way travel through linear space! Mana cost increases with distance traveled. This ability requires an anchor point for precise targeting, and may have unpredictable results without one. Familiar [Deevee] may act as a target point. You may additionally assign objects as temporary anchors for a small mana cost.
¡°Oh that¡¯s a big relief,¡± he said. ¡°This plus a thousand years of therapy, and rifts may become less of a terror-inducing nightmare.¡± As Ethan was reading and idly petting Deevee¡¯s scaly hide, his eye caught something unexpected. The bow and arrow symbol of Apollo was faintly glowing once again. ¡°That¡¯s unexpected,¡± he said aloud, running his finger over the rune. He¡¯d been forcing himself not to think about it since he¡¯d realized it stopped working. The possibility that all his medical knowledge had been swallowed by magic that may be broken had been too painful to consider on top of everything else. Now that it was mysteriously back, however¡­ ¡°Hey Glenn,¡± he called. Glenn seemed like the most likely of the three knights to answer questions¨Cwithout demanding a backstory that might get Ethan killed. ¡°Do you know how Skill Runes work?¡± ¡°Skill Runes? Of course. I don¡¯t have any myself though, they tend to be used by tradespeople. A few months pay to turn my mediocre cooking ability into a magical mediocre cooking ability? Never made sense. Why?¡± ¡°I have one for climbing. It¡¯s pretty impressive, but I don¡¯t understand how it works. I could use it before I was Bonded, where did the mana come from?¡± ¡°Oh, I get it. Yeah that¡¯d be a dangerous one to use without understanding. You could fall off a building or something.¡± ¡°Or something¡­yeah,¡± Ethan answered, absently touching a scar, one shaped like the key to a honda civic. ¡°Well they absorb ambient magic, so they¡¯ll charge over time. Faster in regions with higher magic density. You shouldn¡¯t have to worry anymore though. Now that you have Familiars, the rune will be able to feed off of your own mana.¡± That finally cleared things up¡­mostly. He must have been burning through the mana of a weakened Deevee, maybe even damaging something with how much he¡¯d poured into the injured Revan. Now the little Devourer was awake, and generating mana properly again. Ethan breathed out a sigh of relief. If my rune was dark much longer, I might have resorted to crystals and sage. With that put to rest, he went back to the system, curious what other messages it had waiting for him.
You have looted [Dusk Rank Simiavus] You have received:
¡°Hey guys, we got some goodies from that ape-thing. There¡¯s a ton of currency, and something called the ¡®Girdle of Simian Power¡¯. It¡¯s Dusk rank, do you want it, Valanor?¡± The normally sour knight actually perked up a little, though he didn¡¯t quite smile. Apparently fresh loot brought out the best in everyone. ¡°Let me take a look,¡± he said, and Ethan tossed him the thick, brown leather belt. ¡°There¡¯s also something called ¡®Silent Strider Boots¡¯. Looks like they mute any noise you make while walking.¡± ¡°You take them,¡± Glenn said, while trying to get Deevee to play some kind of chasing game with his finger. ¡°We use heavy armor; we¡¯re not meant for slow and sneaky. Better that you wear them, keep you out of trouble and make our job easi¨Cow!¡± He pulled his finger back, waving it around. ¡°I think that means you lost,¡± Ethan supplied helpfully. Looking down, he realized there was a final message from the system. Big day¡­
Congratulations! New Title Earned! Note: [First Title] Titles are the result of the system utilizing unusually high levels of released magic to shape beneficial effects! Can only occur when the soul has been made malleable by extraordinary circumstances! New Title: Fools Rush In By dealing significant damage to a [Dusk rank] opponent while still in [Pre-Dawn rank] you have gained a new effect: attacks against higher ranked opponents are slightly increased!
Ethan grinned. ¡°I think I¡¯m starting to like you, system.¡± ¡°Ethan, stop talking to yourself,¡± Valanor called. ¡°It¡¯s time to mount up and ride on. We¡¯ll be at our destination by nightfall. I want you Fully Bonded by this time tomorrow.¡± Ethan¡¯s grin widened. Chapter 16: Blasphemous Healing Once again the group found themselves entering a small village after sunset. This time there were no mysterious fields of vegetation looming in the darkness. The remote town was too deep into the mountains for serious farming, and instead acted as a hub for the hunting and skinning trade¨Cthe normal kind, apparently. The smell of tanning oils and leather permeated the air before they¡¯d even reached the village, emerging from the dense woods on exhausted mounts. The wall that greeted them was far more impressive than the last, rising easily ten feet above the ground, and the guard standing on the ramparts didn¡¯t appear tired, or surprised by their approach. ¡°Stop where I can see you,¡± he called out as they reached the perimeter of light coming from the torches lining the wall. They did as asked, Valanor even dismounting, and prompting the others to follow suit. ¡°What¡¯s your business here?¡± the guard asked, nothing but a shadow behind the torches. ¡°Hunters answering a call,¡± Valanor spoke back. ¡°There¡¯s supposed to be a fulven pack nearby, causing trouble.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it,¡± the guard called back, then signaled behind him and the gates slowly opened. Another man emerged from behind, wearing simple leathers with a long knife at his side. He bid them enter, as the other guard dropped down. ¡°Notice has gone unanswered for months, but we¡¯ll take what help we can get.¡± ¡°Are the fulven a big problem?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°There¡¯s always been some of their kind in the mountains hereabouts,¡± the man answered as he stepped into the torchlight. He had a deep hood hiding most of his features, but a scruffy beard stook out. ¡°Lately though, the monsters that keep them under control have been dying out. Now they¡¯re breeding. And eating. And taking all our game.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see what we can do,¡± Valanor promised. ¡°I¡¯ve never been here before. Is there an inn?¡± ¡°Small one, center of town. Doubles as a tavern or it¡¯d be out of business in a week,¡± the man replied, pointing. ¡°Thank you,¡± the shield knight said, ending the conversation and leading his mount away. The village was quite a bit smaller than the last one, though the streets were still wide enough for the wagon. Ethan tried to enjoy the sights as they moved through town, but he got the impression he was witnessing his first real example of poverty in this world. The buildings were run down, the street was just dirt, and poorly maintained. It appeared that leatherwork simply wasn¡¯t as lucrative as farming, unless there was something else at play he didn¡¯t understand. The village square was likewise rundown, but did possess a sight worth seeing. There was a massive, stuffed brown monster in the center of town. It better be stuffed¡­how¡¯d they even do that without it dissolving? The beast looked a bit like a bear, though it had a long, barbed tail, and was spiked like a porcupine. The knights seemed unimpressed however, and moved straight to the only two story building. It was unnamed, but looked like an inn, and Maggie and Glenn took the oxsteeds to a small stable around back. Ethan followed Valanor, who¨Cin typical fashion¨Cstrode in like the landlord, ignoring the looks from the dozen or so townspeople drinking in the common room. ¡°Do you have rooms?¡± He asked the man behind the bar, a short, skinny fellow with tanned skin and a neat ponytail. ¡°Certainly sir! Always glad to meet a new customer. We don¡¯t get many around these parts. I have two rooms, clean with fresh bedding. Also have some meat on the spit and plenty of ale if you¡¯ll be joining us for supper.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take the rooms and the meals,¡± Valanor said, producing coins and sliding them across the table. ¡°Wonderful! I am David, the owner of this establishment. Please come to me if you need anything,¡± he took the coins with a wide smile, pushing two keys across in return. ¡°May I enquire about your business here, sir? We don¡¯t get many travelers, other than the occasional trader.¡± ¡°We¡¯re hunters, here about the fulven problem,¡± Valanor answered, and several of the patrons turned and looked at him. One even raised his mug in salute before drinking deeply. ¡°That is marvelous news!¡± David exclaimed. ¡°They¡¯ve been causing problems for so long, but never so bad as this. Plus their pelts are nearly worthless, and they¡¯re far more deadly than most of the beasts in this region. Pests of the worst sort.¡± ¡°Indeed. Do you know where we can find them? I¡¯d like to begin our search at first light.¡± The man looked awkward. ¡°Unfortunately, sir, I won¡¯t be of much help. Everyone knows they come from the Eastern mountains, but the location of their den is a mystery. There are caves everywhere they can be hiding in, and even our best trappers would likely die in the search.¡± ¡°What are you talkin¡¯ about Davey? Cara knows right where they are,¡± an older man said from down the bar. He was slurring his words from the drink, and several other patrons looked angry that he¡¯d spoken up. Valanor looked from the old man to David. ¡°Is this true, there¡¯s someone in town who knows the den¡¯s location?¡± The innkeeper glared at the old man, then turned his smile back on the customer. ¡°There was a Hunter who used to patrol the villages in the area, but I¡¯m sorry sir, no one knows where¨C¡± ¡°She lives across the bloody street, Davey! Have you been dipping into your own ale?¡± the old man said in confusion. David actually dropped his head into a weary hand at that remark. ¡°I truly am sorry, sir, please ignore the man at the end of the bar, he¡¯s very drun¨C¡± his voice cut off as Valanor¡¯s good hand snaked out and gripped his collar, pulling him halfway over the bar. ¡°You¡¯re lying to me, and I don¡¯t know why. You¡¯ll tell me the truth, or things will get far less pleasant, very quickly.¡± Less pleasant was easy to imagine, as the man¡¯s legs were already dangling in mid air. Surprisingly, the innkeeper¡¯s expression actually grew more resolved. ¡°You can do what you like, sir, but I¡¯ve told you all that there is to know.¡± Valanor actually looked impressed, but simply turned to the drunken man, who opened his mouth to speak once again. Before he could, the patrons on either side of him clamped hands over his mouth, and every other person in the tavern stood as well, many putting hands on large hunting knives. Valanor¡¯s only reaction was to raise a single eyebrow, but before it could escalate further, Ethan jumped in. ¡°You¡¯re talking about Cara Fletcher?¡± he said loudly, drawing every eye, including the knight¡¯s. Ethan looked back at his companion, but spoke to the room. ¡°You think we¡¯re here to hurt your Hunter, but we¡¯re not.¡± Valanor relaxed as he began to understand the situation, and lowered the innkeeper back to the floor. Ethan continued. ¡°We were in another village to the North West, bandits showed up looking for a Hunter who¡¯d been taking them out. He,¡± Ethan gestured at the knight, ¡°scared them off before they could kill anyone. We¡¯re not here for trouble, we¡¯re genuinely just looking for the fulven.¡± The innkeeper inspected Ethan carefully, then glanced back at Valanor. ¡°If you¡¯re really Hunters, I doubt we¡¯d have a chance against you anyway. Go back to your drinks everyone,¡± he said, and surprisingly, they listened. ¡°This girl really knows where the fulven are?¡± Valanor asked. ¡°We just want the location,¡± Ethan insisted. David sighed. ¡°She knows, but there¡¯s no way she could just tell you. I was serious about that mountain. You can¡¯t just pick a direction, you need to be led or you¡¯ll be lucky to make it back at all.¡± ¡°But Fletcher can lead us?¡± Ethan prompted. The man looked Ethan in the eye, as if judging whether to answer. Finally he did, though he still looked unsure. ¡°She¡¯s injured. Badly. She barely made it back after facing the bandits¡¯ leader. She isn¡¯t leading anyone anywhere, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Valanor grumbled, leaning against the bar and clearly trying to control his temper. For Ethan¡¯s part, his eyes went to the rune on his hand, the bow and arrow glowing softly. ¡°Let me speak with her,¡± he said, and David¡¯s posture immediately went defensive. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not even a full Hunter yet, I doubt I¡¯m much of a threat to her even if she is injured.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of this?¡± David asked. ¡°She can¡¯t tell you what you want to know.¡± ¡°Let her decide that,¡± Ethan insisted. ¡°Look, drunky over there already said she lives across the street. Why not tell me where, so I can have a friendly chat with her, before my large friend starts having unfriendly chats with everyone. That¡¯s not a threat by the way, he¡¯s just an unpleasant asshole.¡± Valanor turned his glare on Ethan, and the drunk at the end of the bar started cackling. Finally a proper audience, Ethan thought. David looked torn, but after glancing back at the large knight, he shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re right that she could probably still kill you. She¡¯d be angry if she knew I was even trying to protect her. Go,¡± he said, sounding resigned. ¡°Her house has a faded red door, and she¡¯s in bed at the end of the hall. Don¡¯t bother knocking; door¡¯s unlocked so I can bring her food and drink.¡± He held up a hand, ¡°In fact, hold on.¡± David disappeared into the kitchen for a moment, and returned with a covered tray of food. ¡°Give her this. At least then she¡¯ll know you¡¯re not just trying to rob the place.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Valanor said. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be putting yourself in unnecessary danger.¡± Ethan smiled, then handed the man a dagger, which had a soft blue-white gleam. ¡°If there¡¯s any problems, I can be wherever that blade goes in an instant.¡± Valanor looked at the dagger, considering. He was aware of Ethan¡¯s improved ability, having insisted on being kept apprised of every aspect of his charge¡¯s powers. ¡°Fine. But if you¡¯re not back in twenty minutes, I¡¯m coming in after you.¡± ¡°See you in a tight fifteen, then,¡± Ethan replied with a wave. He moved back out into the dark village, pausing long enough to tell the other knights where he was going, and directing them to Valanor for their room key. He crossed the square and found the small home with the faded red door as easily as promised. It looked like it had doubled as some kind of shop once, a wooden market stall was falling to pieces in front of it. Ethan climbed the stairs and let himself inside, trying to keep the food carefully balanced as he pried open the door. The inside of the house was a bit larger than he¡¯d have guessed, looking to be four rooms divided by a single hallway, and he could see the faintest light from one at the back. He walked down the hall, noticing the bare walls, and considering how odd it was for people¡¯s homes not to be filled with pictures. The door was open when reached the final room, and he could see an empty bed within. Confused, he walked in without knocking, noting that the sheets were pushed back in a pile, obviously used recently. ¡°What kind of killer makes that much noise opening a door, only to be as silent as death walking down a hallway?¡± a woman¡¯s voice said. Ethan turned in surprise, seeing an elven woman on the floor opposite the bed. She was leaning awkwardly against the wall, with a bow drawn and aimed at his heart. ¡°Whoa there,¡± he said reflexively, as if she were a wayward horse. ¡°I¡¯m not a killer at all, just wearing magic boots,¡± he said, pointing downward at the black stealth boots he¡¯d recently looted. She glanced downward then back to his eyes, bow never wavering an inch. She was an attractive woman who might have been average height standing up. Raven-black hair was bound into a single tight braid behind her, and her bright green eyes were a stark contrast to her deeply tanned skin. She appeared to be evaluating Ethan in turn, and hadn¡¯t spoken again. Wary of being shot¨Cespecially by a Hunter¨CEthan slowly gestured to the covered plate of food. ¡°Killers don¡¯t normally bring delivery, do they? I¡¯d likely have a weapon more deadly than heartburn.¡± When she still didn¡¯t react, he clarified further. ¡°David told me where to find you. I just need your help, then I can get out of your hair.¡± She still didn¡¯t move, and Ethan was growing frustrated, until he realized she was sweating, and nearly shaking with effort. [Apollo¡¯s Gaze] flared to life, and his eyebrows rose with what he saw. ¡°You¡¯re paralyzed,¡± he said, forgetting all of his bedside manner, then immediately feeling like an ass. She lowered her bow slightly, but only looked more angry. ¡°If you think that makes me an easy target, you should look to your left.¡± Ethan did so, trying not to react as he spotted the lithe form of a jaguar perched atop a nearby wardrobe. It was one of the closest Familiars he¡¯d seen to an animal back home, though the patterns on its fur actually looked like runes instead of spots. He let out a sigh, ¡°Look, lady¨CCara¨Cwe can do this all day. I can point out that my familiar is behind you, then teleport there in an instant. You can shoot me, I can call my friends, we can burn down this whole village, and so on and so on.¡± She glared, clearly resisting the urge to look behind her as directed. ¡°Or,¡± he said in an even more aggravated tone, ¡°you can let me give you your stupid kebabs, and I can try to help your back.¡± That finally changed her countenance slightly. ¡°You¡¯re from the Church? There¡¯s no way they¡¯d dispatch someone all the way here. And I¡¯m not interested regardless.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking anymore with an arrow aimed at my heart, and dinner growing cold. Do you want to have a conversation, or ruin both our days?¡± At last she lowered her bow, and her Familiar leaped to the floor, padding over to her side. ¡°Thank you Talia,¡± she whispered, clamping her arms round the jaguar¡¯s chest, which then dragged her back to the bed. ¡°Do you want me to he¨C¡± ¡°No,¡± she said sternly, letting the bow disappear as she pulled herself upward, then painstakingly repositioned her injured body so she could sit up against a stack of pillows. Ethan stayed back until she was done, recognizing this behavior from patients and case studies he¡¯d read. Seeing a small table nearby, he slowly approached and placed the food on top, careful not to move suddenly. Despite the jaguar¨CTalia¨Cbeing the only one growling softly, it was clear there were two wild animals in this room. He moved the food and table close to her bedside, then backed away to a respectful distance, putting on the confident but slightly detached posture he used in the hospital. ¡°You were lying about the Familiar,¡± she said. It was part accusation, partly sounding as if she respected the deception. ¡°Not exactly,¡± he replied, and a single headed Deevee appeared on his shoulder. A moment later, Cara looked up at a small blue-white flash, and a second Deevee materialized through a tiny rift, joining the first. Another flash and they were a single entity again. God I love that, Ethan thought, having discovered the Familiar¡¯s ability during the long trip to the village. Cara seemed suspicious of the whole display, but showed little reaction. ¡°Are you really from the Church?¡± she asked. ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± he assured her. ¡°May I ask why you were so insistent on not being healed if I was?¡± ¡°Are you serious? You¡¯re clearly a Hunter, are you so ready to give up your Familiars?¡± Ethan couldn¡¯t hide his shock or confusion. ¡°What are you saying? I¡¯m not from here, and the Church doesn¡¯t really heal people back home.¡± Except on certain public access TV, but best not to get into that. Cara let out a disbelieving sound. ¡°Well here, they¡¯ll heal you¨Cif you¡¯re lucky¨Cand do so by sacrificing a healthy part of you. The Unbound are never the same again, but people like us? We lose our power, our Bonds. How can you not know this?¡± Ethan was reeling from the news. He¡¯d heard hints of this that only now made sense. What kind of miracle healing had a cost? Again his mind went back to Earth, and he begrudgingly admitted this wasn¡¯t as uncommon as he was treating it. ¡°Well I know now,¡± he said sadly, gazing at his heretical rune. ¡°So what are you doing here?¡± she asked. ¡°Before all this, you said you needed my help. What for?¡± Ethan snapped back to reality. ¡°Sorry, lost myself for a moment. You¡¯re right, I came here for a reason. I¡¯m with a small group of Hunters. We¡¯re looking for the fulven pack, but no one else knows how to track them to their source. A few people in the tavern said you were the only one that had seen their den.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here from the Guild?¡± she asked. ¡°That notice has been up and down for years, and the reward isn¡¯t even close to worth the effort. How did it draw a group of Hunters?¡± Ethan decided that blunt honesty was the right path. ¡°I need my final Bond. My surly mentor says fulven and lightning are the right choice for me, and your village has plenty to spare.¡± Cara absently petted her jaguar as she watched him. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to come this far for fulven. There¡¯s plenty to the North that would be much easier to track.¡± ¡°Sure, but the ones here are actually causing trouble. Are you really going to tell me that people don¡¯t go out of their way to help one another? I know a village or two full of people who worship you like a hero, I suspect they¡¯d disagree.¡± Care glared, but also blushed slightly. ¡°Look,¡± Ethan said, feeling a little tired of the back and forth after such a long day, ¡°it¡¯s late, and you can debate my morality later. Do you know what you¡¯ve done to your spine?¡± ¡°What I¡¯ve done?!¡± she asked, her voice rising in pitch. ¡°You think I did this to myself?¡± ¡°The original damage? Of course not. It looks like your L3 to L5 vertebrae were shattered¨Cprobably by a blunt weapon or another impact. The nerves are intact though¨CHunter healing and regeneration runes are truly remarkable.¡± She stared at him in confusion, not speaking. ¡°What you did, I¡¯d wager, is travel for miles with a broken back.¡± Ethan indicated the jaguar. ¡°Same way you got into bed?¡± ¡°How could you know that?¡± she demanded. Ethan considered his answer, and how he wanted this night to go. ¡°Would you categorize yourself as particularly devout?¡± She seemed surprised by the question, but seemed to give an earnest answer. ¡°My father taught me that the Goddess made this land, then departed. He said you can still feel her presence if you know how to listen. The priests do not listen.¡± She cocked her head. ¡°If this is some trick, you¡¯ll find that the Church¡¯s thugs don¡¯t do well in these parts.¡± Ethan smirked. ¡°No trick. You asked how I know what I know. I was trained in healing, the same way you were trained to Hunt, I¡¯d imagine. Where I come from it¡¯s an important skill, and injuries like yours are well documented.¡± ¡°You¡¯re one of the other ones then,¡± she accused. ¡°You plan to sell me a potion and be in the next village by morning?¡± Ethan laughed. It sounded like a description of a snake oil salesman, but with just enough of the old ¡®two aspirin¡¯ joke mixed in. ¡°No,¡± he assured her. ¡°I doubt I¡¯m quite like anyone you¡¯ve seen before. I¡¯d like to try to heal you, right here, right now. But I should warn you, I¡¯ve never treated broken bones that have already healed incorrectly. It may not work¡­or it may work and be painful.¡± Cara¡¯s eyes narrowed suspiciously once again. ¡°Already making excuses for a future failure, and promising pain as well? You¡¯re not just a salesman, you¡¯re a bad one.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you that one,¡± he agreed. ¡°But I¡¯m willing to try, and what¡¯s your alternative? Your body already did what it could. You don¡¯t strike me as someone content to remain bedridden for the rest of her life.¡± That statement seemed to tear down the last of her walls, and her voice was softer when she spoke again. ¡°You¡¯ll do this if I take you to the fulven den? I don¡¯t have enough coin to make any difference to a Hunter from the city.¡± Ethan smiled. ¡°No, I¡¯ll do this because I¡¯m a doctor. I know you don¡¯t understand what that means. But with what I¡¯ve been going through, a chance to heal someone is more important to me than I can explain.¡± He paused, ¡°But if you could not tell the Church and have me burnt at the stake or something, I¡¯d consider that a fair payment.¡± She watched him for a long moment, appearing to try to read his intentions. ¡°You¡¯re an unusual man,¡± she said at last. ¡°What would actually be involved in this¡­blasphemous healing?¡± Ethan pointed at his hand, ¡°I have a Skill Rune. I basically just use the ability, and it does the work for me. I¡¯ve done it before and seen it work¡­I just don¡¯t know about the vertebrae. If the skill has to re-break them, it¡¯ll be painful, and I don¡¯t think I can do pain relief.¡± Could I? I¡¯d love to spend a while testing this without the wrath of an angry God to consider. ¡°I¡¯ve felt the pain once, I don¡¯t fear it a second time.¡± She turned to her Familiar. ¡°Go, Talia,¡± she whispered, and the jaguar disappeared. ¡°If she sees me in pain, she might react poorly.¡± Next she undid her belt, and raised it to her mouth. ¡°Screaming would also be a problem. Do you know how long this will take?¡± ¡°Should be fairly quick,¡± he assured her, eyeing the belt. Okay, this woman is scary. ¡°Are you ready? Sorry for the rush, but we need to do this without my companions bothering us.¡± She nodded, laying down on the bed as he rested his hand on her gently. When she had the belt in her mouth, he nodded back. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do this.¡± The power began to flow out immediately. There were definitely screams. Chapter 17: Monsters in the Mountains The group was waiting outside the small inn just after sunrise, a cool mist still in the air. Valanor and Glenn were going over their supplies, discussing what they¡¯d need for their trek into the woods. They¡¯d have to leave the wagon and mounts behind, and the knights¡¯ inventories apparently only had space for a few items. A light whistle announced the arrival of their newest party member, as Cara Fletcher walked into the town square. She moved much like her jaguar had, silently and with purpose, and Ethan was doubly glad that he¡¯d been able to help her the night before. Although he still regretted the risk he¡¯d taken. His logical mind kept focusing on the facts. He¡¯d healed others in moments, and there had been plenty of time before the knight was supposed to arrive. Plus, if the knight even suspected Fletcher had an unhealable injury, there would be no saving the situation. But Ethan knew he was trying to justify an emotional decision. He could heal again. His years as a doctor weren¡¯t lost. His identity as a doctor hadn¡¯t been stripped from him. And then to learn more about the Church, and what they took from people¡­it had been too much. Ethan had allowed himself to pretend for a moment that he was the man that he¡¯d been days before, and also somehow a lifetime ago. Thankfully they hadn¡¯t been caught, but he¡¯d slept poorly, his mind going over the consequences of discovery again and again. There were enough terrible things working against Ethan already, and he resolved not to be so careless in the future. Although he never even entertained the thought that Cara Fletcher would be the last person he healed. As for the restored woman herself, her reaction had been surprisingly contained. Apparently the idea of his healing being a trade¨Csomething gained with effort and skill like her own¨Cwas a comforting and acceptable notion. She even managed to quickly present a plausible cause for her temporary paralysis. Apparently quillursi¨Cthat was what the stuffed monster in the center of town was¨Cwere common in this area. She¡¯d walked to the inn and told the other villagers that a quill had been lodged in her lower back. Her story was that she¡¯d allowed Ethan to help change her bandages, during which he¡¯d noticed the barbed object, and pulled it out at her request. Natural healing had done the rest. It seemed improbable to a doctor, but the townspeople were so relieved to have their Hunter walking that they all simply celebrated. The knights had been giving Ethan odd looks, however, Maggie especially. Still, Valanor¡¯s enthusiasm that the mission was still on track was more than enough to refocus everyone, and now they were ready to move out. ¡°I¡¯ve scouted a few of their hunting trails, and they¡¯re definitely still active,¡± Cara said. ¡°It¡¯s been a few months since I¡¯ve gone up there, and I didn¡¯t want to make any promises I couldn¡¯t keep.¡± ¡°If they¡¯ve moved on, can you still track them?¡± the shield knight asked. ¡°Depends. I can find you a pack of them, of that I¡¯m certain. But if they¡¯ve moved their den, I can¡¯t guarantee I¡¯ll find it again.¡± Valanor nodded. ¡°Good enough. Even thinning their ranks would be a boon to the village, and still serve our purpose.¡± ¡°But we¡¯ll take out the den if we can, right?¡± Ethan prompted. ¡°These things are ruining these people.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t know until we find the den,¡± Valanor replied. ¡°If we find the den. Lightning beasts are extremely dangerous, and their numbers may simply be too much for us. Hunters follow notices, evaluate for themselves, and act with judgment. Remember that.¡± Ethan nodded, realizing he hadn¡¯t truly been considering the danger. He¡¯d fought so many demons the day before, that it had skewed his impression of Hunting. Glenn had explained that most common demons were like the ones they¡¯d faced: fast, strong, and numerous. But they had few special attacks, unlike their monster cousins from Nexum. The group of knights had been well-suited to the battle they fought. Especially as Valanor was able to keep most of the attention on himself, and leverage his Dusk rank defenses well. A dozen or more wolves that spit lightning wouldn¡¯t be quite so easy to deal with. As the group moved off toward the mountain, Ethan tried to consider how best to fight the creatures, and pulled up his bestiary.
Fulven (Lightning Wolf, Common) Often found in higher altitudes, and areas prone to thunderstorms, fully grown fulven can weigh up to 80lbs. They are fast and agile, like most canine monsters, and have small, powerful jaws. They build up an electrical charge when they run, and project that lightning from their tails, or electrify their bodies in defense.
¡°Hmm¡­they shoot lightning,¡± Ethan said. ¡°That¡¯s actually extraordinarily dangerous. Do you have any idea what electrical current can do to your nervous system? Let alone stopping your heart, and the potential brain damage¡­¡± The knights turned to look at him. ¡°Have you been struck by lightning before?¡± Glenn asked, sounding disturbingly excited. ¡°My brain is fine, thank you. I guess there¡¯s ways to protect ourselves but¡­I feel like I¡¯m only the one who knows CPR.¡± Four confused faces stared back at him. ¡°Let me put it this way, if someone¡¯s heart stops from lightning, what is your¡­policy?¡± Glenn shrugged, ¡°We have something for that.¡± He went rummaging through the bags in the wagon, then turned back around triumphantly, holding a rune-covered gauntlet in his hand. ¡°Charge Gauntlet! Bad lightning stops your heart, good lightning starts your heart.¡± The others nodded, then resumed packing as Ethan stared at them in disbelief. ¡°Have any of you had your heart started with that thing?¡± he asked. ¡°Never needed to, we¡¯re all Dawn rank. Pre-Dawns don¡¯t usually get in fights like this,¡± Glenn said, putting the gauntlet on as he packed away the last of his supplies. ¡°What does rank have to do with it?¡± Ethan asked. Cara gave him a suspicious look. ¡°You¡¯re a single Bond from Dawn and don''t even know what that means?¡± ¡°Not everyone grows up in a village with a Bond-prize,¡± Valanor cut in. ¡°Bishop¡¯s current state is a result of unlikely friendships, and his education is lacking.¡± ¡°Must be some friends,¡± Cara said, obviously hoping for more information. ¡°Archer,¡± Valanor said in his ¡®I¡¯m scary and in charge¡¯ voice, ¡°we¡¯re wasting time here. Go with Maggie and start marking the trail. I¡¯ll make sure our companion is informed.¡± Cara grunted. ¡°Let me make something clear, Shield, I¡¯m not under your command. I¡¯m helping because I want the fulven, and you out of my woods. Till then, we¡¯ll fight as equals, and you¡¯re welcome to request my assistance. Unless you have some reason to think you have more authority in this matter?¡± She raised an eyebrow at Valanor, who glared back. ¡°Please move out, Miss Fletcher. We¡¯ll be right behind.¡± Cara gave a slight nod. Maggie joined her and the two women jogged off toward the edge of town. ¡°What was that about?¡± Ethat asked. ¡°She¡¯s not an idiot,¡± Valanor said. ¡°She knows we¡¯re knights, and that this is far from an average Hunt.¡± ¡°Ah, right. That¡¯s my fault isn¡¯t it? I never know what question is going to give me away.¡± ¡°She already knew, I¡¯m certain of it. I think she¡¯s just fishing for more information.¡± He finished readying his own supplies, then moved off after the other two, Ethan and Glenn following. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re right that this is dangerous in the extreme.¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually surprised you¡¯re willing to take these risks,¡± Ethan said, thinking of how protective the knight had been. ¡°Oh, and how would Dawn rank change things?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a longer discussion, and one that makes more sense after you reach it. For now, understand that the Bonded path will change you in more ways than one. Becoming less physically vulnerable to attacks is just a small part of it.¡± ¡°But Bonding with a lightning Familiar is still worth the risk now?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°The risk is smaller than you may think. My Steel Bond will help keep us safe in a fight we¡¯re prepared for, though an ambush could still be deadly. Now that you¡¯re able to rely on your rift ability, you¡¯ll need to be prepared to use it.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Ethan said. ¡°You have a big metal crab, and you make metal spears.¡± ¡°Sylvie will do most of the work,¡± Valanor confirmed. ¡°She can draw the lightning to herself. Still, be vigilant. Glenn¡¯s gauntlet is¡­unreliable.¡± ¡°It worked that one time,¡± Glenn said defensively. ¡°Wait did you say ¡®Sylvie¡¯?¡± Ethan asked. The knight sighed. ¡°I told you, little brother named my Familiars.¡± ¡°Toby and Sylvie, that¡¯s adorable,¡± Ethan said grinning at the knight¡¯s discomfort. ¡°What¡¯s the last one¡¯s name, Marigold?¡± Glenn immediately whipped around, making a ¡®why do you never know when to shut up¡¯ gesture. ¡°Enough talk. Let¡¯s move,¡± Valanor said coldly. *** It was a dysfunctional group that made their way into the dense forest. Cara was clearly used to Hunting on her own, and kept disappearing without warning to scout ahead, follow trails, or otherwise. Maggie was red-faced, from fury, exhaustion, or both, as she desperately ran after the other woman. She was clearly nowhere near as comfortable in the woods, but refused to shirk her duty. Stolen novel; please report. Valanor was still silently brooding, and had disappeared behind his heavy armor and helmet to reinforce that fact. Glenn, on the other hand, looked way, way too excited for a chance to use his Charge Gauntlet, to the point that Ethan was getting uncomfortable. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Ethan, when your heart stops, I¡¯ll be right there to get it going again.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®when¡¯ it stops?¡± Ethan asked in a high pitched voice. ¡°And shouldn¡¯t you have a second gauntlet?¡± ¡°Why would I need two? I won¡¯t miss; I know where the heart is.¡± To demonstrate, he placed the gauntlet in the center of Ethan¡¯s chest. The doctor shuddered, and adjusted the placement by a few inches, then moved the knight¡¯s other hand to the side of his ribs. ¡°Wear your other gauntlet if¨CIF¨Cyou have to restart my heart. The current will flow between them.¡± Seeing Glenn¡¯s disbelieving expression, Ethan sighed. ¡°Just trust me on this, alright?¡± They moved deeper into the woods, which were mostly fur-trees and pines, and Ethan could feel the mountain¡¯s incline more and more as the hours passed. Cara assured the group that they were following tracks that only she could see, but it was a fairly boring journey compared to the previous day. After some time, Ethan decided to practice the ability he¡¯d been avoiding, reminding himself that he could need to use it at any moment. Deevee burst into existence at his call, then obediently split into two at his mental command. It was somewhat strange that the little hydra could understand his desires without verbalizing them, but undeniably valuable. With another thought, the twin serpents raced off in different directions, and Ethan began his training. Rift. He was a few dozen paces behind the group. Rift. He was off to the side, standing on a massive boulder. Rift. He hastily grabbed hold of the nearby tree trunk, struggling to find his balance fifty feet up, while perched on a thin branch. He grinned at the view, looking back down the mountain at the sea of green, even spotting the village in the distance. Turning back around, he looked up at the mountain instead. It was an interesting peak. It looked almost like an ax of impossible scale had sliced into it, leaving something like a wound splitting it down the center. Ethan couldn¡¯t make out many details from this distance, but he thought he saw something red in the shadows where the two sheer sides of the split met. The forest was too dense for any kind of scouting from this sight, so he forced himself to jump, disappearing into a rift after a short fall. In a blink he was bursting back up from the ground behind the knights, the momentum launching him upward, and his boots silencing the landing. Deevee immediately flowed back into one creature, and he grinned down at it on his shoulder. ¡°Enough training,¡± Valanor whispered, ¡°Cara spotted fresh tracks, and you should save your mana.¡± Ethan nodded, but the feel of his Bond Rune told him that he had mana to spare. Using his Familiar as an anchor drastically reduced the cost, in exchange for putting the small creatures in danger. He wanted more practice using his throwing knives as anchors, but now wasn¡¯t the time. They followed Cara slowly up the mountain, giving her space to scout ahead. At this point they could all see the paw prints on the ground between the rocks and roots, the fulven having a distinctive three-toed foot. Occasionally they¡¯d see Talia, the Hunter¡¯s jaguar prowling nearby on the watch for ambush, but the woods were strangely silent. Ethan had only just realized that he couldn¡¯t hear any bird calls, and the party was now moving tensely and more slowly, as if they could all sense that something wasn¡¯t right. The four were moving up a slight rise, Maggie out front and trying to spot Cara when Valanor quietly signaled for a halt. The trees had been thinning as they climbed higher, rocks leaving little room for them, and the small plateau they¡¯d reached was fairly open. Ethan couldn¡¯t see anything suspicious, and he glanced around warily trying to find what had disturbed the shield knight. There were a few logs, and large stones, but nothing that seemed big enough to hide behind, and he couldn¡¯t spot any movement in the surrounding woods. Valanor appeared convinced of some danger though, as steel spears began to appear in his hands. He drove a few into the ground, making a small perimeter, then indicated Ethan should stand in the middle, who did so nervously. Glenn smiled at him with child-like joy, pointing at the Charge Gauntlet eagerly. Ethan glared back, then tried to prepare himself for¡­whatever the hell was happening. He imbued a dagger with a taste of dimensional energy, creating an anchor which he hurled up into a tree, then drew his own spear. He was grateful that its haft was made of some dense wood, as he considered what they were meant to face. Maggie was still a ways ahead. She turned back, her own deep blue armor materializing around her in a soft flash of light. ¡°I don¡¯t see the Hunter!¡± she said in a whisper. Valanor nodded, then gestured for the knight to return to the group. As she did, something impossible happened. One moment the clearing was empty, the next they were surrounded, fulven prowling near the treeline. Maggie went down hard as two fulven leaped on her at once. They were fast, and all Ethan saw was a streak of yellow before they were on her, powerful canine jaws snapping at her. Glenn moved to help her, but was forced to stop when another pair of the creatures charged at him, again seeming to materialize from nowhere. He managed to get his two handed sword into a defensive position in time, but the group was getting increasingly out of formation. Valanor pulled him roughly back when Ethan moved to assist, instead sending another steel spear into the closet fulven. ¡°Stay by the spears!¡± Valanor ordered, summoning Sylvie as he did so. The massive crab began moving toward the still-downed Maggie, only to be intercepted by yet more of the yellow-furred wolves. ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± Ethan shouted, hurling daggers as more of the creatures kept appearing. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the shield knight said angrily, while driving a spear into another fulven. There were at least a dozen in the clearing now, a few of which were sprinting in circles, trails of sparking electricity building behind them. Ethan ducked down as an arc of power cascaded into the small circle of spears, then hurled a knife back at his attacker. Glenn managed to fight a careful retreat back to the group, then took up a position at the rear so that Ethan was protected on both sides. ¡°Where the hell are these things coming from?¡± he demanded, but no answers were forthcoming. ¡°Maggie is still down! What do we do?¡± Valanor could only grunt in response while knocking a fulven away, only for two more to take its place. Ethan stabbed forward with his spear to give the knight more room, then shielded his eyes as another bolt of electricity chained into one of the makeshift lightning rods. ¡°I can get to her!¡± he shouted, preparing to charge another rift anchor. ¡°You¡¯ll stay where you are!¡± Valanor roared back, slamming his shield in an attempt to hold the attackers¡¯ attention. Through the chaos, Ethan could see Maggie struggling on the ground, unable to get any leverage with a single ax, while the other arm held back a snapping yellow maw. Her other attacker was savaging her leg, and a third fulven was rushing forward to join the other two. She couldn¡¯t wait for help any longer, and Ethan hurled his knife forward, embedding itself in one of the attackers, a blue-white glow surrounding it. Ethan was calling his power, but stopped abruptly when his target went flying backward, a single arrow embedded in its neck. A second of Maggie¡¯s attackers was hurled back a moment later, leaving just one directly on top of her. A third arrow pierced the final beast¡¯s hide, but the fulven barely seemed to register the attack. An odd red glow from the arrow began to spread across its victim, however, and when Maggie¡¯s ax finally crashed into it, the red spiraled into her. She seemed to get a surge of energy then, and threw the monster away, pushing herself to her feet a moment later. A second ax joined the first, and she made quick work of the wounded creature, the red glow flowing into her with every strike. After a few more moments of bloody work, she turned and ran back to the group, her bloody leg somehow not slowing her at all. Maggie moved past Sylvie¨Cwho was not only engaging three speedy targets of her own, but was being struck repeatedly with bursts of electricity¨Cand quickly joined the formation. Once again in the center of three protective knights, Ethan was able to switch his focus to hurling daggers as he tried to make sense of the scene. Most of the fulven were down now. They were fast and deadly, but not particularly durable. Without being focused on trying to stay alive, the knights and unseen archer were able to make quick work of them. Ethan was turning around in place, trying to find Cara when a weight slammed into him from behind. A fulven had pounced on his back, and they rolled on the ground together. It was a chaotic few moments as the world spun around him, both combatants desperate for some advantage. When they finally ceased their tumbling, the beast was above him, but Ethan had managed to put a dagger between himself and his attacker. His blade was held outward, and he tried to ignore the sick feeling of blood spilling down on him while he stabbed repeatedly, his eyes locked on snapping jaws and red, hateful eyes. The fulven soon slowed, its weight collapsing onto him. Ethan pushed it off with a heave, panting as he lay on the ground recovering. He looked over just in time to see Glenn approaching, an eager look in his eye as he raised a hand crackling with electricity. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare, you damned lunatic!¡± Ethan shouted as the knight reached for his chest. ¡°Oh, I guess you¡¯re alright,¡± Glenn said innocently. ¡°I mean, I could have restarted your heart anyway, so it wouldn¡¯t have mattered, but¨C¡± Ethan pushed the man aside, who gave him a wink to show that he¡¯d been joking. ¡°You¡¯re psychotic,¡± Ethan said with a disbelieving laugh, managing to stand but still catching his breath. The knights gathered around him, and Cara emerged from the trees a few moments later. ¡°What in the hells was that?¡± Maggie asked while inspecting her leg. ¡°Where¡¯d they come from?¡± Glenn just shrugged, but Valanor looked around the clearing curiously, and Ethan followed suit. It took him a moment to notice what was different, as the sparkling monster bodies were distracting. His eyes widened when he realized how empty the plateau was. ¡°The rocks and logs¡­they¡¯re all gone,¡± he said. ¡°They were all roughly fulven-sized, weren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Cara said as she joined them. ¡°I was ambushed as well. Talia sensed something, and suddenly three fulven were right next to me. They were disguised somehow.¡± ¡°Not just visually, but in the Astral as well,¡± Valanor said in a concerned tone. ¡°They¡¯re not capable of anything like this. What¡¯s happening here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Cara answered as the rest exchanged looks. ¡°I didn¡¯t encounter anything like this the last time I was here. But I was trying to avoid them then, not track them down. Still,¡± she continued, ¡°I think I have a clue.¡± She gestured for them to follow, and the group moved off, Ethan quickly touching each fulven for loot as he did so.
You have looted [Fulven (13), Common]: You have received:
Ethan hurried after the others, Glenn having waited to make sure he was safe. ¡°Shame I couldn¡¯t Bond any of these,¡± he commented as he caught up. ¡°That part won¡¯t be easy. You definitely can¡¯t do it in the middle of a battle. We¡¯ll need to corner one, weaken it, then use a Bond Stone. Valanor would have gone over this if we¡¯d been the ones ambushing, but this day is not going according to plan.¡± ¡°Welcome to my life,¡± Ethan said as they followed the group between the trees. Cara led the way, this time staying close as she silently guided them forward. After a few minutes they emerged in another small clearing. It was likely where she¡¯d been ambushed, judging by the blood staining the rocks and pine needles. The group came to a stop as the Huntress pointed upward, toward the mountain. They needed to move slightly to get a clear view, but when they did, Valanor cursed. ¡°A Dimensional Bleed,¡± he said angrily. ¡°How could one so old even be here?¡± Ethan didn¡¯t recognize the term, and couldn¡¯t make out what they were seeing from the ground. In a flash Deevee was up a tree, and a rift brought Ethan up a moment later. With a better view, his jaw dropped at what he saw. There, tucked into the bottom of the cleave in the mountain, was the spot of red he¡¯d viewed earlier. Now seen clearly, he found that he recognized it. From Earth. The local architecture felt like medieval Europe, with nothing but bland, square buildings and cottages. With the exception of the stone palace, they were all brown with thatch or tiled roofs. This, on the other hand, was unmistakably Japanese. It was a five story pagoda, with the famous multiple false-roofs that marked that particular style of construction. Each tier was the faded red Ethan had spotted from further down the mountain, though the windows were all sealed shut by dark wood. Without knowing why, he was certain that the building was the source of the mysteries they were encountering. He was equally certain that he needed to get inside. Chapter 18: The Haunted Tower ¡°How could a Dimensional Bleed be here for this long without us knowing?¡± Glenn demanded, as they stalked slowly toward the tower. ¡°It has to be hundreds of years old, you can all feel it.¡± ¡°The Forgotten City has been around for longer than that,¡± Maggie replied. ¡°Yes, but we know about the City,¡± Glenn shot back. ¡°There¡¯s a permanent settlement of Hunters there just to keep the demon numbers down. How does this one stay here for this long, with a village just down the mountain?¡± ¡°I share your bewilderment,¡± Cara said, seeming to materialize next to them. ¡°I¡¯ve been up here countless times since I was a girl. I¡¯ve never seen this tower, nor heard about it in stories. It should be in the stories.¡± ¡°What exactly is a Dimensional Bleed?¡± Ethan asked from the back. He¡¯d been holding back the question to avoid looking more suspicious in front of the archer, but his frustration was growing. ¡°They¡¯re called by many names,¡± Valanor said quickly, clearly covering for him. ¡°We speak of the phenomena where the other worlds tear into this one through unstable rifts. Chunks of Potentia or Terra that find their way into our world. It¡¯s important to find them and seal any rifts inside as quickly as possible.¡± Ethan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, if there were rifts in that tower, they wouldn¡¯t be dangerous, would they?¡± Glenn turned around, giving him an odd look. ¡°Are you mad? How many more demons do you need to face before you consider them dangerous?¡± ¡°But there wouldn¡¯t be demons in a¡­a ¡®Bleed¡¯ from Terra.¡± The whole group stopped then, and Ethan realized what he¡¯d just done. ¡°What makes you think that structure is from Terra?¡± Cara asked. Valanor¡¯s eyes bored into him.Yup. Shit. Time to improvise. Valanor loves it when I improvise. ¡°I¡¯ve seen pictures of similar structures in Terranova. Wouldn¡¯t hurt for you guys to crack a book sometimes.¡± Cara nodded as if it didn¡¯t matter, and continued on. Valanor somehow glared louder. It was impressive. The group began moving again. ¡°Either way, no demons, right?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°Perhaps not,¡± Valanor agreed. ¡°But something is definitely wrong here. Those fulven either gained an ability they shouldn¡¯t have, or¡­¡± ¡°Or?¡± Ethan prompted. ¡°Or there¡¯s something else in that tower,¡± he finished, and a slight chill went down Ethan¡¯s spine. Glenn asked the question Ethan hadn¡¯t wanted to. ¡°Are we really still moving forward? This is well beyond the scope of the notice, and there¡¯s other ways to find fulven.¡± Valanor paused, considering his words. ¡°Long term, an unknown Bleed cannot be allowed to remain within the kingdom. Right now, we simply don¡¯t know enough to give an accurate report. I¡¯d rather not send the next group of Hunters into an unknown danger, and I don¡¯t want to leave that same danger to possibly doom the village below.¡± He turned and looked directly at Ethan. ¡°What do you say? We may find nothing, we may find you a Bond. Or¡­we may drastically shorten your year.¡± Ethan grinned, ¡°What kind of year would that be, knowing we left this behind?¡± Valanor nodded and almost smiled. Almost. Aligned in their purpose, the group continued through the forest for another hour. Despite thinning out on the slopes, it had grown dense and lush as they neared the Bleed. They saw no more fulven, which was more disturbing than it was a relief. Every log and rock could have been an enemy, and they began prodding them with spears as they passed. As they neared their destination, Ethan asked a question that should have occurred to him earlier. ¡°Cara, you said that you¡¯ve been to the den before, is this where you saw it, or are we following a different trail?¡± The archer looked uncomfortable, but spoke at last. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯d swear this was the same path. All my instincts tell me it is, but my eyes disagree. That tower simply wasn¡¯t there.¡± ¡°But you guys are sure it didn¡¯t appear recently?¡± She shook her head. ¡°A Bleed appearing is supposed to be a momentous sight. Not only does a massive rift appear, but this one¡­¡± She pointed up at the slash in the mountain. ¡°I think this one is what tore apart the mountain. If my village was around when it happened, it likely would have been destroyed by the landslide.¡± ¡°More mysteries,¡± Glenn said, sounding irritated. ¡°I can see a clearing up ahead,¡± Valanor said. ¡°The tower is on the other side. Let¡¯s take a moment. I¡¯d rather not walk into another ambush.¡± ¡°I can scout ahead,¡± Cara supplied. ¡°They got past your senses before,¡± Maggie pointed out, receiving a glare from the Hunter. ¡°I don¡¯t think scouting will gain us much under the circumstances,¡± Valanor said. ¡°We can send a Familiar or two forward and see if we can bait the enemy out, but I suspect our best bet is simply to make ourselves as prepared as possible.¡± He stood up tall, examining the clearing. ¡°There,¡± he said, indicating a small rise with bounders on each side halfway to the tower. ¡°If we¡¯re attacked, we retreat to that rise. It¡¯s the most defensible location I see.¡± The rest nodded, and he gestured for Ethan to come closer. Valanor handed him a small, rune-carved stone. ¡°A common Bond Stone,¡± he said. ¡°That represents a Bond that one of our knights won¡¯t get. Don¡¯t waste it. If we can isolate a fulven, we¡¯ll handle weakening it, and tell you when to use the stone.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Ethan replied, remembering the rarity of the stones. He also recalled he had a few more in his survival kit. I guess I can donate them or something, he thought absently. ¡°Alright, we move. No one gets too far ahead,¡± Valanor said while looking at Cara, who just rolled her eyes. With that they geared up, and moved forward. Maggie¡¯s blue bird familiar swooped through the clearing ahead as they approached, with Talia the jaguar stalking on the ground. Nothing happened. ¡°Time for the real test,¡± Valanor said, then advanced into the clearing, steel spear raised. They moved slowly, every member of the party pointing weapons. They stared down every stone and shrubbery with suspicion as they neared the tower. Valanor tossed a few spears into the ground near the raised area he¡¯d identified earlier, preparing it for a hasty retreat. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. When they¡¯d made it halfway and the only sound was the wind whistling around the mountain, Glenn spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t like this, Valanor. I feel like we¡¯re being watched.¡± ¡°I feel like we¡¯re being toyed with,¡± Maggie muttered, and Ethan had to agree. He looked upward, following the tower¡¯s rise with his eyes. This close he could see more detail, from carvings to hanging lanterns, and wondered how it was possible it could be so old yet so preserved. Looking higher, he was impressed with the immensity of the mountain, and the unusual cut that rose up for a thousand feet or more. Part of him felt the old urge to scale it, to pit his strength and skill against the ancient uncaring stone. And yet, there was an ominous feeling connected to the peak. Staring at the strange darkness where the edges of the massive crevice met, he had a sense of wrongness. Some part of him knew what he was looking at didn¡¯t belong, though he couldn¡¯t express why or how. All he was sure of was that the feeling grew worse the closer they got to the pagoda. It felt like hours before they reached the other side of the clearing, though it must have only been minutes. Ahead of them was a narrow pathway lined with wooden boards, leading to the twin doors of the tower. On either side of the path appeared to be gardens that had long overgrown, leaving a chest-high mass of coiling vines, flowers, and other vegetation. It was far too dense to walk in, and the whole group eyed it suspiciously. ¡°We¡¯re all thinking that¡¯s a mass of fulven, right?¡± Ethan asked, receiving immediate agreement. ¡°Spears,¡± Valanor replied, and as one they moved forward and began stabbing at the plants. The plants reacted like¡­plants. Leaves fell, vines snapped, and nothing more. As if rehearsed, each of them backed away as one, and began looking around for an ambush. Still, nothing happened, but the strain was clearly affecting them all. ¡°So¡­we knock?¡± Ethan asked. Valanor looked at each member of the group, assessing them in turn. ¡°We¡¯d be fools to pretend there isn¡¯t more going on here, but I¡¯m also loath to turn back simply because of a feeling. We can always choose not to enter, but I think we should at least look inside.¡± Every member of the group nodded, save for Ethan who grinned. ¡°Why are you so happy?¡± Glenn asked. ¡°People don¡¯t tell stories about the haunted tower they almost went in,¡± Ethan answered. Glenn seemed like he was about to argue, then shrugged and grinned back. The group squeezed together, still fearing an ambush. Valanor took the lead as always, with Glenn walking backward, his large sword poised. In the middle, Cara¡¯s bow was drawn, and Ethan had glowing daggers in either hand. Maggie¡¯s owl circled above them looking for danger, while the woman herself was between the two ranged fighters, ready to protect either one. They inched their way toward the tower, up the slight incline. The tower, in turn, seemed to await their arrival, looming over them. Finally they came to a stop, right before the path of wood and earth gave way to the stone foundation. Ethan looked from the stone to Valanor, trying to understand the delay. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± he whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel it?¡± the shield knight answered. ¡°We can¡¯t go any further,¡± Maggie said, reaching a hand out as if to test that. Glenn and Cara turned to look, but also didn¡¯t move. Trying to understand what they were talking about, Ethan squeezed around the knights¨Ccareful not to get too close to the evil garden¨Cand proceeded to walk up to the door without any difficulty. ¡°Weird,¡± he said, examining the door. ¡°They open outward but don¡¯t have any handles.¡± He turned back to the group, still frozen on the path. ¡°You really can¡¯t go any further? I don¡¯t get it.¡± Ethan waved his hands through the empty air in front of the shield knight. ¡°Am I missing something?¡± In answer, Valanor took a few steps back then tried charging forward. When he neared the stone he slowed so suddenly that he fell to one knee. ¡°Ethan! Get back here, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s¨C¡± he cut off as they all felt a change. Valanor surged to his feet, warhammer poised, and the rest of the group twisted and whirled, searching for the danger. The world was silent, but the feeling of imminent attack only grew stronger. Ethan began to move back to the group, but froze. ¡°Cara, your hair!¡± Everyone turned to look as every black hair on the elven woman¡¯s head began to rise. Howls suddenly echoed all around them, and the group¡¯s anxiety finally reached its peak. ¡°Where are they!?¡± Glenn screamed. As if a dam had burst, the world changed. In an instant the gardens were simply gone, and in their place were two deep pits. The path they¡¯d walked was revealed to be a single ridge of stone with steep drops on either side, and at the bottom: fulven. Dozens of fulven, all sprinting in circles, dust rising beneath their feet, and electricity building on their bodies. ¡°BACK!¡± Valanor called. But it was too late. In each pit, the fulven unleashed their attacks together in a single, massive blast. The enormous wave of energy crashed into the stone ridge from both directions, shattering it at its base. Ethan rushed forward, hand extended, but the group plunged downward in an eruption of shattered rock. He reached the edge of the tower¡¯s foundation, and stared down, desperate to help, but not knowing how. A cloud of dust rose up, obscuring everything. Ethan could see bursts of yellow light flaring through, and heard indistinct sounds, but he couldn¡¯t tell what was going on. ¡°Maggie, wind!¡± Valanor¡¯s deep voice roared, and a moment later a powerful gust blasted out, clearing the dust and revealing the chaos. The Dusk rank shield knight was up, of course, standing in the center of a ring of debris. It looked like he¡¯d cleared it with the warhammer slam ability of his. Glenn was on the ground behind him, clutching his leg with one hand, and holding a short sword with the other. Maggie was standing over him, her axes already bloody. Cara appeared to have managed the best, as she rode her jaguar Familiar around the perimeter of what was now a single giant pit, firing a continuous stream of arrows. The fulven were everywhere, and they just kept coming. Holes and cracks in the stone let out a continuous stream of them, and soon the knights were completely surrounded, fighting for their lives. Ethan took in the whole sight in a matter of heartbeats, then went to work, helping wherever he could. Charged knives rained down. He didn¡¯t even bother aiming for the fulven, simply picking a dense area of yellow and hurling his explosive traps into the center. The beasts were knocked back, seared and slamming into one another, letting out pained howls as Flare made its deadly power known. Ethan even considered letting Revan loose, certain the Guardian could wreak some havoc of its own. He only held back for fear of the proud beast being overwhelmed, cutting off Ethan¡¯s access to the devastation he was currently casting down. For a time, it almost seemed to be going too well. The monsters were so densely packed that it was like fish in a barrel, with Cara¡¯s arrows and Valanor¡¯s taunts forcing them into even tighter clusters. The easy wins came to a sudden end when he heard paws on stone behind him. Whipping around, he saw three fulven running toward him along the thin stretch of stone that extended past the building¡¯s walls before giving way to the pit. Ethan reflexively tossed a single charged dagger in their direction, feeling the mana tied to his Flare Bond fading. He channeled Dimension in case he needed a hasty escape, then turned. He figured he should have no problem scaling the tower and getting to some semblance of safety. Unfortunately he was confronted by five more of the lightning beasts coming from the other direction. Running out of options, he summoned Deevee, commanding it to race to the other side of the pit. The hydra wasted no time, but only reached the edge of the foundation before whirling around and disappearing, as if terrified. ¡°Oh come on, you two,¡± he said with undisguised disappointment. He brought his spear out next, knowing he¡¯d be too easy a target if he tried to climb down to his party. Not to mention the liability he¡¯d be if he succeeded. The fulven were quick though, and soon he was jumping back toward the tower¡¯s door, brandishing his spear at the group of monsters that had cornered him. A quick channeling and summon brought Revan to stand next to him, but he knew it was too much to ask of the mighty beast to fight eight of the Dawn rank monsters, essentially on his own. ¡°Thanks for giving me a chance, buddy,¡± he said to his Familiar. Ethan hated himself for accepting defeat while there was breath left in his body, but knew this was a fight that he couldn¡¯t win. Maybe if I quickly swap back to Dimension, then chuck a rift anchor into the pit? If there¡¯s even a chance¨C A loud creaking behind him drew his attention, and he glanced back to see the tower doors opening of their own accord. The inside was a black void. He turned back to the fulven slowly stalking toward him, clearly wary of the growling Revan. Ethan looked at the monsters, then back to the open doors. Finally he grinned. ¡°Sorry guys,¡± he said to the beasts, ¡°people don¡¯t tell stories about the haunted tower they almost went in.¡± Ethan turned, and dashed away into the darkness.