《A Record of Ash & Ruin: The Grieving Lands》 Chapter 1: Strands of Fate Chapter 1: Strands of Fate The war had started at the behest of the elves when they were still one people. The First Children spoke of the great devourer, the herald of the end that would consume all things and leave this world a shriveled, cold husk of rock. They predicted that Mana, the god-gift which flowed through all things, the giver of life and the hope of the future, would be ended by this grave new threat. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC The ce between dreams and control is one where the imagination is free to run riot. In my dream state, I had flown over vast endless ins of grass filled with giant majestic animals, walled cities filled with stout armored knights, and a great zing desert popted by worms that could swallow small suburbs whole. A cold breeze yed across from the open window, bringing with it the sounds of an awakening city. The radio blurted out the morning news, the announcers'' sonorous voice filling the emptiness of my small single room. Lately, the dreams have been growing more vivid, more real, I mused as I forced myself to get out of bed. I almost tripped over a pile of books in my rush to the sink to brush my teeth, only correcting myself by iling my hands to keep bnce like some demented cartoon character. Staring into the mirror, I turned once more to the dreams; how stimting would it be to live in a world like that? After my morning toilet and getting dressed, I had a quick search in the mini-fridge in my room. The investigation revealed a half-eaten chocte bar and a loaf with mold merrily growing on it. I quickly scarfed the bar down while hurriedly cing the moldy loaf in my bag along with some books that I would need for the day. Moving to the door to leave, I noticed a new letter from the managementpany of the building. I already knew it was going to be asking me to pay this month¡¯s rent which was two weekste. Myst job didn''t pay as well as it had promised, so I would have to beg or borrow money from friends this month; or, heaven forbid, from my parents. Always I wondered how the management could charge so much for such a terrible room. There was a leak in the roof and the room was permanently damp in winter. Making sure to lock the door, I decided to take the long way to school through the park. I passed a jogger going the opposite direction who was determined on destroying their eardrums with the loud music ring from her headphones. For a moment I could be sure that I heard the sound of an army marching to the beat of war...when the wild neigh of a warhorse was abruptly reced by the harsh honking of a car in reality as a stray cat crossed the road. Snapping out of my episode, I crossed into the park and was greeted by familiar birdsong. Few people used the park at this time in the morning, and for a few precious moments, it felt like this section of the park was truly mine. Lately, I had the recurring notion that my life had been spiraling out of control. My recent break-up had done more damage to my confidence than I cared to admit, and it had started to affect my studies and my part-time job. I reyed in my mind the phone conversation with her again, my curt "Okay," before putting the phone down. Should I have begged instead? Bought a present with my non-existent money? Round and round the scenarios swirled. Torturing myself with these thoughts I continued walking through the park until I reached a small pond. Ducks swamzily across the brown surface, quacking and asionally diving down to feed, tufted bottoms in the air. I noticed a few indistinct shapes of fish lurking in the murky depths. Reaching into my bag for the moldy loaf, I began feeding the ducks and fish. A frenzy of activity whirled wherever I threw the bread, and I smiled as two birds squabbled over arger piece. I was just about to throw another piece when arge shadow appeared beneath the birds, a shape growing so suddenly I was forced to step back in surprise. Something flew towards me and I instinctively closed my eyes. I could have sworn I felt water graze my cheek, but when I opened my eyes there was nothing but the peaceful scene of ducks and fish. Shaken, I quickly threw the rest of the loaf into the pond and took off. Feeling disorientated I hurried to my lecture, making it with a little time to spare. I had few friends and none of them had chosen this particr course, so I found my customary corner near the back and sat down to prepare. My mind began wandering again to the dreams and my encounter in the park. Overactive imagination, I thought to myself. Too rich a diet of video games and fantasy books. The history lecturer¡¯s sonorous voice, as it had done so many times in the past, brought me back to reality. I loved the subject and had already looked over the section of the text we would be studying, but the lecturer on the podium¡¯s voice was just so monotonous. Ever since primary school, I had been gifted with great teachers who made it one of the more enjoyable subjects taught, but it seemed that I had lucked out in higher education. It required memorization of facts and dates, but the main difficulty was giving these things life through good prose that answered the limited number of questions that could be posed in a concise manner. Here again, my mind was wandering. An errant thought drew me to picture fields of the most brilliant emerald grass, a viridian sea swaying softly in the wind... Grass...? I could hear the whispering susurration of each individual de dancing to the cool spring breeze. The taste of the crisp clean air pervaded my imagination, a striking contrast to the acrid aftertaste of the city. I saw a small hill with what looked like arge acacia tree overlooking it, a vision that would make for the most perfect ofndscape pictures. I yearned to go there, and one stepter I was...back in the lecture hall as the lecturer continued listing the reasons for the fall of an empire. I listened with half an ear to the lecturer, asionally casting a nce at a girl a few seats away on my right. Hair like burnt gold cascaded around her shoulders and framed a heart-shaped face with eyes of cornflower blue. A cute button nose, a little upturned, was perfectly positioned above blossom soft pink lips. I knew her name as I had heard her friends greet her once before, but I never had the courage to introduce myself. Sighing, I entered an almost zen-like autopilot for the rest of the lecture, my subconscious taking in all the relevant data. After the lecture finished I checked my timetable on my phone. The next one would be in thete afternoon, providing me a little time to carry out a few errands in town. With a smile, I was reminded that I had scheduled to y a game online with a friendter in the evening. It was so difficult recently to find time to do things together as we both lived in different time zones. But first I needed to go to the post office to pick up a package. Whistling an off-key tune I made my way to my next destination to find a long lunchtime queue had already formed. Patiently, I waited in line, part of the tune on endless repeat in my mind. Finally, my turn had arrived. The cashier was a bespectacled mousy woman of middle years, hair tied in a tight bun with small streaks of gray just beginning to appear. She pretended to carefully check over my details before handing me a small brown package and an invoice for import tax. I grudgingly counted out the necessary money. As an aside, I asked her the cost of sending a package back to its country of origin. With a sigh, clearly already irritated by my presence, she replied, ¡°Well, you will have to choose between...¡± ¡°Choose!¡± a voice thundered somewhere behind me. Eyes wild, I turned searching for the source of the voice. ¡°...will be more expensive but faster...¡± I half-heard the post clerk continue. ¡°Choose!¡± the voice thundered even louder, and this time there was a burning sensation in my heart and lungs. It felt as if chains were constricting them, squeezing ever tighter. I leaned against the counter for support as I tried to desperately breathe. ¡°I did take my medicine this morning, didn¡¯t I...?¡± I panicked before remembering my rush to leave early. Screaming a silent "No," as my eyes zed over and I began to fall to my knees. Some of the people in the queue behind me rushed to help. Thest thing I remember was the clerks'' change of expression from annoyance, to worry, then to perturbing awe. As the pain became too great, I felt something important give way inside. This is what death is, I thought to myself, as I felt a sensation of falling. I was traveling through a ce filled with a bright incandescent light before I was wrenched into a brand new reality. Suddenly next to me was...the girl from the lecture hall? Cornflower eyes once so warm and soft now seemed cold, and the lines of her mouth and lips had be hard and unyielding. A wave of disorientation passed over and I could hear a ringing in my head before her features fully shifted. In front of me now was the perfect ideal of ssical female beauty, like the ancient Greek statues of yore. It felt so strange, yet somehow absolutely right. As if this was fated, like the final piece of a puzzle finally slotting into ce. A perfect veiled symmetry of face and form. Piercing cobalt eyes both familiar yet utterly alien under sheer cloth were framed in a delicate, now oval face. Her loose gown, simr to a roman st, billowed slightly as if floating in the water around a more luscious figure. Beneath a lovely high nose, sensuous lips stained crimson hinted at the beginning of a yful smile. With a rising sense of panic in my throat, I began to question what this experience truly was. The encounter was so distant from anything I could have ever imagined in any vapid daydream. ¡°You have been chosen,¡± the figure intoned with the lightness of an angel, yet carrying an ominous echo of ages long passed. Through some intangible power, I sank to my knees, overwhelmed by a mixture of absolute reverence and adoration. I could not bring myself to raise my head. I am not a religious man, but a small corner of my heartmunicated that I was in the presence of absolute divinity. ¡°I am justice and you shall be my herald. All that you do will be in my name. You will be the avatar of my will,¡± the goddess proimed, for there could be no doubt that she was indeed a goddess. My heart missed a beat with every exmation, and I could do nothing but bow under that divine gaze. Still, where bravery failed, panic and fear rallied. ¡°Why?¡± I croaked under the weight of the holy countenance. ¡°You have been judged and have not been found wanting. A life lived without sin and in service to your fellow man. A soul that ispatible with our needs. Forged anew to be a tool of the righteous. This will be our covenant,¡± she stated in a voice filled with total control. I felt a burgeoning sense of excitement and forced adtion invading my inner being. But still, the fear remained in the leftover hollow ces of my soul, crying against the wrongness with every beat of my heart. A soft warmth spread throughout, every fiber of my being was filled with purpose, and every word struck my soul with the force of a hammer. A look of puzzlement crossed her face for a fraction of a fraction of a second, as if she was analyzing all that stood before her. A hesitant smile tinged with sorrow grew across her face and once again I felt my soul rise with joy as tears tracked their way across my face. Lifting my face she spoke unto me, ¡°But, let it not be said that there is no justice without mercy. Though it will cost me greatly, you will be given a day to face the trials toe. I am Avaria.¡± Thest utterance was said with suchment that I was filled with nothing but a deep shame; a feeling that a being such as myself was unworthy of such benevolence. Slowly I felt the warmth start to fade from my soul as my dream began to fade back to reality. The peace was followed by a sudden and jarring sensation of falling... The idyllic dream and sense ofplete fulfillment were then utterly shattered as tendrils of shadow ripped through what felt like infinite universes¡­stabbing into my very soul, and drawing me into a gaping void of utter darkness. iling my arms and legs around, I sought a way to escape whatever dire fate awaited me. The tendrils originated from a giant maw that grew ever closer as it drew me steadily in. I struggled more, howling animal noises as I devolved into an absolute panic. I sought the calm within the storm. A sh of understanding swept across my mind as the tendrils bored ever deeper into my being; I was Avaria¡¯s chosen. ''The goddess would surely not abandon me...'' I clutched to this fleeting hope before it was swiftly snuffed out as I was finally pulled with a sudden force within the maw. My being was stretched andpressed before finally being spat again into the void. Darkness was so absolute that it was more than just the absence of light. As primal fear finally overcame me I sensed a consuming presence. I could feel it breathing behind my neck, yet suffusing all around me; a paradox of being. Yet the embers of divine revtion still flickered, and somewhere I found it utter the word, ¡°Who...?¡± A voice rumbled withughter which betrayed an infinite slowness of eons and the volume of a meteor impact. ¡°What are you...Are you a god?¡± I squeaked as fear once again ruled my soul. Laughter sounded again that evoked images of barren deserts and the death throes of dying stars. ¡°I am not a God,¡± it intoned, followed by a pause which held the time of the rise and fall of empires. ¡°I am a higher Truth. The final Truth of all things.¡± It spoke as I felt my very sense of self shredded, rewritten and analyzed again and again. ¡°Avaria is a mere mortal and wed concept. She has Chosen and imed, but in her mercy broke the Rules. She thought to prepare you from my brothers and I, to gift you enough sweet precious time to ready yourself for the great trials. What a foolish child, to think that we would not notice. No respite can be given in the rules of the great game. I im you now, child of Earth,¡±the voice eximed with all the dread of a dying world. Sibnt whispers skittered across my mind intruding upon my consciousness, shaping it so that I might better understand the being and prevent my mind from shattering against the cliffs of insanity I now stood upon. The whispers, echoes of the great being, spoke directly in my mind with voices like sharpened ss. Every word was a lesson in pain. ¡°We will gift you nothing but our curse. We care nothing for your sess or failure. We will simply try again as this moment will fold into itself once more. Know utterly the futility of your existence. However, we will curse you with that which so often shapes mortal existence. I give you pain, as a small reminder that here you exist for a blinking of an eye to the eternity of the cosmos. Take this and know a fleeting joy, mortal. The pain I give to you, you will give to others, as is the nature of your being. The pain will guide your growth in your new world, guide your understanding. An endless spiral of lost energy to chaos. As it once was, so shall it all be again,¡± intoned the being. Then an agony filled me across long moments, ying the fibers of my soul. All thoughts of the goddess burned away. A moment stretched across infinity. And all I could do was hear the hollowughter of a thousand uncaring gods. Chapter 2: A Choice Chapter 2: A Choice I sojourn now in blessednds of the Rawesan for a time, the birthce of Her church. Many are the prophets who venture into the deep deserts in search of guidance, but few return with the divine scripture. Those who do are often blessed with the gift-spark and write on parchment, paper, or vellum the instruction of the divine that others may know greatermunion with Her. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 A.C As suddenly as my soul torture began, it stopped. I sensed a shift and I was no longer there, but elsewhere. With a sudden sense of vertigo, I fell face forward into what felt like earth and grass. Curled in a fetal position, I whimpered as the aftershock of pain yed across my mortal body. Shadowy purple tendrils continued to whip across my consciousness, yet fainter now, slowly reced by a plethora of error messages. I kept on begging for the agony and torment to end before exhaustion finally imed me. I fell into a nightmare-fuelled sleep filled with visions of the deaths of everyone I had ever loved or known. I awoke naked, gibbering nonsense to an uncaring universe. Dull sunlight mercilessly pounded my senses as I tried unsessfully to raise myself on fever drunk feet, retreating instead to curl on a soft bed of grass. Rocking back and forth to a rhythm known only to the mad, I chanted ¡°Not real...not real,¡± to myself. Over and over, a litany to a world that did not care. Looking across the sea of green I saw that it was a grey and dark day, clouds pregnant with rain on the distant horizon. At the edges of my vision, the hint of shadowy things scuttled back into the recesses of my mind. Across from me in the semi-distance, I saw a picture from what felt like a lifetime long past; the imposing tree on the hill. I was vulnerable, naked, and alone in a ce known only to my madness. Memories from another ce smashed into my consciousness, a high trilling of sound flooding my senses. I wrapped my head in my hands and closed my eyes, willing the world to go away. As inexorable as time itself, a message yed across my inner eyes in a bold script; CHOOSE YOUR CALLING Flustered I could not help but be drawn to the message, and as my awareness brushed against understanding new text was shown to me; INITIATE and below another choice STUDENT Just as I was musing on the incongruity of ¡®Student,¡¯ the text shed static across my vision and there was a ringing in my ears. The ¡®Student¡¯ option had changed to disy ¡®Acolyte.¡¯ Could I get any crazier? I felt instinctively that I had to choose quickly or there would be dire consequences. I knew in my gut that the ¡®Acolyte¡¯ must be some sort of hidden ss. Those were usually harder to y but tended to have some real endgame advantages if you could master their skills. With nothing else to go on, no wikis, guides, or even friends to exin the choices in front of me, I mentally chose Acolyte. I heard a rumble from within as text zed and imprinted across my mind. A rushing sense of power filled me, a feeling ofpleteness. STATUS Calling$%^& Level 1 Acolyte ([emailprotected]% Strength8 Dexterity8 Constitution8 Intelligence8 Wisdom8 Charisma8 Luck8 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC - GIFTS - Experience to next level 0/100 It looked like the user interface, or UI, of one of the many games that I would often y. What was this? Pain Nullification!? Shock and indignation rose to the fore of my mind with this notification of a skill. Before I could fullyprehend this, new numerical markers blossomed in the lower-left corner of my vision; Health5/6 Stamina16/16 Mana2/6 Feeling vulnerable with my nakedness, I pinched myself to make sure this was no dream, then pinched again harder to draw a little blood. "This must be a game, this can not be real..." I felt my mind teetering once again on the brink of insanity, sibnt whispers reassuring me that it was real, followed by a far off scream of a distant divinity. At the edges of my vision, I could sense the impression of dark shadowy tendrils, ever-moving just out of sight. The pain proved this was genuine, I must be here. Was this really the ce of my dreams? An escape from the meaningless doldrum of a pedestrian life? The idea both disturbed and thrilled me. Looking at my hand, I curled my fingers into a fist before straightening them again. What power awaits me in such a world? Love? Immortality...? As I contemted the bewildering scale of my circumstance, the next message appeared; New Quest: First Steps My being was once again hammered by the importance of the message. Finally forcing myself to my feet, I drew with leaden steps to the tree on the hill. Barefoot, step by painful forced step I made my way to the ce of revtion. Arriving after what seemed an eternity, I drew a long breath and looked at the scene before me. A majestic tree that looked like some sort of acacia but with ded green leaves, with branches that rose from its great trunk like an usation against the heavens. A smell of strong pine mixed with lemon blossoms saturated the air around it. Beneath its generous boughs stood a crude stone altar. At its foot, fallen from its ce,y a stone carving of a female figure, a crude facsimile of the goddess. ¡°Avaria...¡± I croaked, somewhere between desperation and joy. There was no answer. Yet I thought I heard again the screaming of a distant female voice. Shaking my head I wondered what madness on top of madness was possessing me. There, an echo. A tinkling echo of joyfulughter. ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked in a quiet hopeful voice to no one. ¡°I am Power Strike.¡± Impressions of a female voice tickled my mind, a resonance close to my ear that left me shivering. Renderings of war and conflict, the press of the melee, an image of a peasant bringing down a cruel warlord, and an unsung hero alone atop the battlements unleashing savage blows against unspeakable horrors. A solemn note entered my mindscape. A soft choir of angels. A cry of anguish and salvation. The music built up to a crescendo until there was a new voice. ¡°I am Heal,¡± spoke a motherly voice, exuding gentle authority. New images were brought to my mind. A man bleeding by the road only to be saved by a blue light, a dying man coughing blood only to rise again. A hope to rectify a little of the pain and hurt of the world. I felt the budding feeling of real, true hope. Like a game I was being given my initial ss skills, I enthused to myself, my heart growing a little lighter. With these I could grow to be a mighty pdin, ying all who stood before me, advancing in strength and making the world a better ce. Then something very wrong invaded thest notes of tranquillity. A sense of uncaring, of change and hunger that knew no bounds. Shadowy tendrils once again yed against the edges of my mind, but this time demanding attention as they pressed firmly against my consciousness. ¡°I am Rust...¡± a voice uttered in a sibnt gravelly voice behind me. I turned around finding nothing, met only with dark hollowughter. Images assaulted my senses, viting my sense of self. A sword forlorn, rusting as a grave marker to a forgotten soldier. Its serrated de marked red with blood, corrosion failing to cut through the hide of a majestic beast. Then a pause, pregnant with all the future of a dead promise. Shaken but undaunted, I optimistically chose not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Another skill, this one a little more dark and edgy, probably a debuff that reduced enemy weapon damage I thought to myself as I applied my gamer logic. ¡°But first...you must look...must look!¡± thundered the voice, now sounding a thousand strong. I felt the shadowy tendrils force my attention to the ces at the edges of my vision. Curse of En^r*<> -20% all starting attributes. Gilt in ck was an error message, the name of my curse. ¡°What is my name?¡± demanded the voices, insistent and wheedling. I coughed blood as I was struck by a blow as sharp as any sabre. ¡°What is my name?¡± the legion cried again in savage demand. They had grown ever more unrelenting with a wrath that spoke of thest death throes of a supernova, the echoes of the silence of the grave. Visions of the dead, rotting flesh and the slow decay of alien civilisations filled my consciousness. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± I wailed to the uncaring voices, my voice harsh as I screamed with all my might. ¡°What is my name? What is my name? What is my name?¡± again and again, each utterance a hammer blow to my psyche. New visions now of the cosmos, explosions of light, the scattering of the stars, the cruel end of all things. The heat death of the universe. I saw that my Health was failing as it plummeted. A sh of inspiration struck me then, fuelled by utter desperation. ¡°...An endless spiral of lost energy to chaos¡±, a fragment of a half rememberedmunion with the ultimate end of all things. ¡°Entropy...you are Entropy!¡± I cried in ast gasp bid to live. Impressions of a smile, a tear in reality a gxy-wide, as the true name of my curse was revealed; Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. A myriad of new system messages then shed across my vision with the cessation of the pain. Finally I saw a simple line of text at the end that made me smile in satisfaction as darkness once again imed one of their own; Quest Complete Chapter 3: Struggle Chapter 3: Struggle Thediviners and the truth seers of the elves called for war against a small country far to the west, across the Untouched Sea, ruled by a mage-king they divined would bring about the end-times. The High King of the elves, acknowledging the words of the prophecy, sent his envoys to the realms of man and throughout the civilizednds. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC I awoke still naked, sodden, and shivering. Teeth rattled in my skull as I futilely fought against the cold. My earlier joy at being transported to a new world had now mostly evaporated. This world was full of pain and suffering greater than anything I had known in the old world. My difort demanded that I look with my inner gaze to the notifications; 100 Experience gained New Skill: Power Strike (Lvl. 1) New Spells: Heal (lvl.1), Rust (lvl.1) Level 2 attained - 3 unassigned attributes have been distributed automatically. STATUS Calling$%^& Level 2 Acolyte of Avaria Strength8 Dexterity8 Constitution9 Intelligence8 Wisdom8 Charisma8 Luck10 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.1) Rust (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 100/220 I scrambled closer to the tree, sitting against its hard trunk. Gathering myself, I closed my eyes and tried to draw a deep even breath. Gazing to the bottom left corner of my vision where my Health, Stamina and Mana were represented, I scanned my new status; Health5/13 Stamina14/16 Mana4/6 My thoughts scattered as I realized my Health was just over a third, really more when I thought about it...no, just under half. This must be responsible for the stabbing pain that throbbed all over my body. Iparable of course to the banquet of agony that I had gorged on previously. I noticed the irony that two of my randomly assigned points were allocated to Luck. This was my new reality it seemed. I was stuck in a cursed game that felt like a thousand other games I had yed across my life. I could not stifle a manicugh that possessed my body. Great shakes filled me with pain as the madness tore through my being. My hysteria ceased abruptly when I realized my Health had dropped by one point. I was going to die here. Ripped across time and space to die to exposure under a tree in this unknown and alien world. I needed to think rationally before insanity overtook me again. I needed to regain Health. My eyes darted, panic drove a manic scramble of my thoughts as I desperately sought something to save me from this predicament. ¡°Heal!¡± I desperately shouted, willing something, anything, to save me. A pulling sensation shifted energy through my body, followed by a hint of soft warmth, then nothing. Echoes of absolutely nothing. It would appear that my spell had failed. I cried tears of frustration at the futility of it all. Magic was tantalizingly out of reach. "What can I do?" I puzzled to myself as despair began to rise again. Unbidden returned memories of a mathematics lesson once long-forgotten. My mind reviewed the calctions involved with factoring, polynomials, and double-decked equations. I smiled brusquely; I was never good at mathematics but I was surprised about how much I was able toprehend in my new mental state. You have gained 1 Intelligence The message floated across my vision. Incredulously I looked at my status, noticing that despite no change to my maximum Mana, I had increased a point of my avable Mana to five. "What did this all mean?" I wondered to myself as another dull wave of pain hit me. Shivering I rose on shaky legs, leaning against the tree to survey my surroundings. Under the treey the familiar sight of the dpidated altar with the fallen statue of the goddess. Yet as he looked down at his feet he noticed something unfamiliar; a bundle of rough-spun cloth. "The third person, I must be losing it..." I gathered the bundle to myself and opened it. Inside was a coarse robe of a simr fabric to the cloth bundle. Hastily I scrambled to put the robes on my still shivering body, ignoring the itchy sensation that reminded me of sackcloth. Finally tying the robe closed, an immediate sense of security stirred me. A tear tracked down my face as the constant hum of vulnerability finally lessened, if only moderately. I grit my teeth and forced myself to focus. The world I was in resembled a game, and I had yed many games. There were rules and I needed to find and test every aspect out as soon as possible. I wanted to live, in defiance of all the suffering I had experienced. Hands still shaking, I whimpered in pain. My avable Mana had risen to five now from four. Perhaps I needed more Mana to cast the spell or was the earlier dull pain the result of a miscast? Some games I knew had a chance of spell failure, especially for novice magic users. Last time I had definitely felt something when I tried to cast Heal, and I refused to give up. ¡°Heal!" I shouted out to the world, willing myself to be made whole. Once again I felt a power shift slowly and flow sluggishly through me, yet this time an unpleasant ripping sensation coursed through my insides. This was followed by a pleasant sensation of healing warmth. My Mana had bottomed out to zero, but my Health had increased by two points. I now had just about half of my Health. Everything felt such a burden, my earlier enthusiasm was fleeing from me as I was assaulted by a painful attack on my mind. Stabbing needles beat against my brain as I wearily struggled back to the tree and sat. My breath began to slow. I fought against closing eyelids that weighed like a mountain, remembering a titude from a previous life before they shut. ¡°The serenity to ept the things that you can not change,¡± I whispered as a troubled sleep came over me. How apt... You have gained 1 Wisdom Chapter 4: Growth Chapter 4: Growth When facing a manticore it is prudent to note that the beast has little to no blind spots. The scaly hide is dense and thick and will repel most non-magical weapons, though across the belly one¡¯s weapon may find purchase. One must also observe that despite being a beast it has some capability with the arcane, with an ability to cast elemental magics from the fire and ice domains. I would rmend a party of a least five highly skilled adventurers to best one of these fearsome creatures. - Monsters of the Mortal Realms by K. D. Fidditch Groggily I woke to the night. Above, stars shone in the sky like a sparkling beautiful tapestry gilt with shining pearls. My eyes wandered to the heavens and I saw a single oversized blue moon through the boughs of the tree. Squinting, I fancied I could perceive great craters on therge moon¡¯s surface. Its light bathed the world with a soft ethereal glow in blues and silver, and the grass rustled to the chilly night breeze. I pulled my thoughts from the stunning beauty that surrounded me. Slowly I hugged my knees to my chest, trying to draw some warmth from the bitter cold. Shivering, I forced myself to look across my notifications, confirming the changes to my character. I noticed that despite gaining one Wisdom my maximum Mana had not changed yet. Still, I was standing now at the full six points of Mana. Perhaps the Wisdom attribute affected Mana regeneration? More importantly, I breathed a sigh of relief as I noticed my Health had climbed to an eight after my indeterminable rest and the painful healing spell. I had also gained a mystery skill ¡®Endure¡¯ in my sleep which was at level one. STATUS Calling$%^& Level 2 Acolyte of Avaria Strength8 Dexterity8 Constitution9 Intelligence9 Wisdom9 Charisma8 Luck10 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) Endure (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.1) Rust (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 100/220 Health8/13 Stamina14/16 Mana6/6 I was hesitant to try Heal once again. In some games, the system punished you if you ever reached zero in a statistic. Ack of Stamina would mean you lost the ability to move, depleted Mana stymied your ability to cast spells, and having zero Health meant, most obviously, that you died. I didn¡¯t want to die and I was willing to brave the pain again. I tried to think of it as having a very painful injection shot. I hoped the pain from the previous time was a side effect of bottoming out my Mana. Wincing at the expected suffering toe I gingerly said ¡°Heal,¡± and willed the spell to restore me. Once again I felt a shift of some sort of energy and an ufortable pulling sensation. Expecting daggers to assault my mind, I scrunched up my eyes and closed my fists tight. Aforting warmth filled me, but there was no pain. Looking down at my status I saw that my Health had risen a further two points to a much safer ten. I breathed deeply as tension fled my body. My Mana had fallen to one; I felt a little woozy but there was no hateful pain. Fighting a wave of mental fatigue I tightened my robe and rose to my feet. No doubt that if this was a game world, then this robe represented my pathetic starting gear. The mystery skill was to be investigatedter. A growling in my stomach and dryness in my throat reminded me of my immediate and more pressing needs. Searching around the stone shrine I was prompted with another Quest; Restore the Shrine of Avaria? Yes/No "No," I thought to myself, dismissing the notification from my inner eye. I owed nothing to the ¡®goddess¡¯ who tore me from myfortable life and thrust me into a world filled with pain and suffering. I needed to find food, water, and some form of protection. I shivered as I remembered my encounter with Avaria in another life. The cold realization that she had all but stripped me of my will with feelings of forced adtion; deigning to mould me as a mere instrument of her awful indomitable will. With the moon high in the sky, there was more than enough light to see. Searching around the altar I found a broken spear. It was split and broken about halfway up the haft. The spear point seemed to be made of sharp stone bound to the haft by sinew. I had one of man¡¯s oldest and trusted tools as a weapon. Buoyed by my discovery I searched more of the area, revealing a rolled up piece of leather parchment tied with what looked like rawhide string. Untying the cord I noticed that there were further knots on the string at varying points down its length. I slowly unravelled the cloth under the moonlit sky, wondering if there was enough light to see by. I was not to be disappointed. Written across animal hide, esoteric symbols glowed a dull red. Fractals and other mind-boggling geometric shapes writhed and changed across the surface. I traced my fingers across the shapes awed by what I saw, feeling an electric sensation ying across their tips. A smile unbidden rose to my face as a voice whispered and a notification shed across my inner eye; Learn the spell Identify? Yes/No ¡°Yes!¡± I shouted with joy, the inner child and gamer within me feeling a rush of aplishment. Another presence made itself felt with images of moldy tomes in a forgotten library, an explorer holding a torch searching the dark ruins of a long lost civilization, and a wise sage pouring over a mountain of scrolls. ¡°I am Identify. Call and the mysteries of this world you will know,¡± whispered an echo of a schrly voice fading into nothing in the recesses of my mind. The esoteric symbols stopped moving, their glow fading as the scroll began to crumble to dust. You have learned Identify (lvl.1) Finally a sess in this inscrutable new world. I dared not cast this new spell, memories of my previous agony still haunting me. I decided to wait until I reached full Mana once again. Giving myself a mental pat on the back, I began humming the victory tune from my favorite game. Though I knew my night was far from over. I needed to explore my surroundings more. Walking behind the altar I saw a sight that brought relief to my weary soul. At the foot of the hill, I saw a small pond glistening silver. "Water," I thought as I licked dry and parched lips, before noticing small shapes moving around the shore and moonlit waters. I clutched both halves of the broken spear to my chest as I cautiously moved down the hill at a half-crouch. My heart beating in my chest, I stopped perhaps forty paces before the pond. There I saw dark fish-like shapes about half a meter high and two meters long with high crested dorsal fins. On the far side, some were swimmingzily in the pond, while others basked in the moonlit glow making odd yet undeniably musical gurgling mating calls. The creatures reminded me of mudskippers that I once saw in a nature documentary. So alien was the scene in front of me that I took pause. As quietly and as silently as I could, I lowered myself to the ground. Crawling along the soft moist grass I edged ever closer to the pond. Thirst drove my actions as I finally reached its edge. From earth and grass, my hands quested forwards and found fine-grained sand before the water. Resisting the all-conquering thirst for a moment, I peered at my reflection in the water, hazy in the moonlight. Wild frazzled short hair framed a gaunt clean-shaven face. It was hard to see, yet everything felt even more real than my old world. It was as if everything was set to a higher resolution. Gingerly I touched my face before a small wave disturbed my crystalline reflection. Snapping out from my reverie, hands cupped I drank from the silvery water. Slurping quickly, uncaring to the world, sweet blessed relief as I ked my thirst. I continued to drink heavily as another small wavepped against the shore of the pond, this time one not of my own making. A few paces away from me two googly eyes on miniature stalks rose up from the water. Bubbles formed where its mouth would be before a ball of water shot with great speed towards me. I flinched and ducked down to the ground, making myself as small as possible as the solid ball of liquid passed over me. A momentter I heard its ssh as itnded somewhere behind me. Adrenaline flooded my system, my fingers gripping my scavenged weapons. This close to the creature I felt an equal mixture of sudden surprise, wonder, and fear, which was soon overridden by a another scathing hot emotion. Perhaps it was the constant agony that I had been suffering, or possibly the frustration against an uncaring universe, but in that moment I felt a rage I had never felt before. Hot anger boiled within me screaming for an outlet as I scrambled to my feet,unching myself at the oversized fish. My eyes rapidly scanned over the piscine form, the size ofrge hound, looking for ces to attack. I loudly sshed into the waters, breaking the serene tranquillity of the night as I struck, stabbing with the half-spear in my left and swinging the broken haft like a club with my right. As I engaged the strange creatures I noticed new bubbles had formed again just below the surface. A part of me registered the surprise drawn infinitesimally slowly on the fish¡¯s face as my twin blows hit it with a force filled with all of my desperation. The fish creature made a gurgling scream as it reactivelyunched another ball at my midsection. At this range, the creature could not miss and it felt like a cricket ball had impacted my chest. The pain only spurred my frenzy to greater heights as I repeatedly stabbed and clobbered the creature with both halves of my scavenged spear. A dark purplish film stained the roiling waters as the creature turned tail to flee as I gave ast savage twist with the spearhead. Panting heavily I noticed more of the foul creatures making their way towards me, entering the pond and swimming with considerable speed. I ran with desperation from the water, drawing rapid panicked breaths. My robes were cold, sodden and heavy. I heard sshes on the ground to my left and right, before one of the water balls clipped me on the left shoulder, almost making me drop the half-spear. I doubled my pace as I struggled up the hill, sparing a nce at my status within my inner eye. My Stamina was around half and my Health stood at just under two thirds. A final dash led me to hide behind the tree as I peered down at the ugly fish creatures below. I gave silent thanks that they moved slowly onnd. They seemed to have stopped near the bottom of the hill, a scant few meters from the shore. Panting I continued to look at them, willing them to withdraw. After what seemed like an eternity, but what could have been mere minutes, they turned back as one towards the pond, slipping once again into its silvery waters. I cried, breathing a long sigh of relief before new notifications shed before me, bringing a sly grimace to my lips; You have in ??? 10 experience gained You have gained 1 Dexterity You have gained 1 Strength You have learned Stealth (lvl.1) It seemed that today I did get the one that got away. Chapter 5: Testing Theories Chapter 5: Testing Theories Although humans were short-lived inparison to the elder race, they were as numerous as the trees in the forest and were almost as ferocious as the barbaric orcs of the Long Hills. The League and the Old Empire ceased their endemic wars, united with the promise of gifts of powerful elven artifacts and mithril bullion. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC Looking at the night sky I saw a veritable ocean of stars shimmering down like a bright tapestry, with a singlerge moon as an ephemeral counterpoint to their shining light. For all of its beauty, however, something was wrong. Though no student of astrology, I could not see a single familiar constetion or guiding star. This emphasized an unexpected feeling of homesickness and loneliness that onlypounded my misery. The n was to stay awake for the rest of the night to keep watch on the pond below. However this intent shattered when faced with the cruel reality of my tired body. Exhausted, my eyes felt like lead as the exertions of the battle rush left me cold and shivering. Slowly and inexorably, like the turning of seasons, I closed my eyes and faded into a troubled sleep. I slowly awoke as morning sunlight yed across my eyes between the boughs of the tree. Rushing then to panicked wakefulness, I looked around with wild eyes searching for threats. There was nothing but an endless sea of grass as far as the eye could see under a cloudless sky. Sometime in the night my robe had dried out, and I was at least no longer shivering. The warm sun shone down on me as I attempted to gather myself toward some semnce of calm. The rough lesson I had learned so far was that this was a world that taught in pain and suffering. Those that did not stand up to muster would die. Checking my notifications it seemed that I had gained another point of Constitution. I hypothesized I had gained this single point due to my current harsh conditions and that this was the reason both my maximum Health and my Stamina had increased. Perhaps there was a threshold where increasing my basic attributes improved my Health, Stamina, and Mana? Muttering to myself, I swore to increase my Constitution as often as I could. I simply did not want to feel the awful pain anymore. Checking the rest of my stats I noted I had gained a new skill ''Rest,'' which was at level one. It appeared I could gain skills from the most innocuous of things. I registered that my Health was just under the maximum and my Mana was now full. I needed to know more about the world I was in. I needed more data. It was time to experiment. STATUS Calling$%^& Level 2 Acolyte of Avaria Strength9 Dexterity9 Constitution10 Intelligence9 Wisdom9 Charisma8 Luck10 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) Endure (lvl.1) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Spells & Magic Heal (lvl.1) Rust (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 110/220 Health13/14 Stamina19/19 Mana6/6 I analyzed my current status. If this was a game, apart from the horrible start, I was in a satisfactory position. I had likelypleted one of the early stages of a grueling ¡®tutorial.¡¯ My cautious nature willed me to cast Heal to top off my Health, but the curious gamer inside of me wanted to experiment with my new spell Identify. With a slight spring to my step, I made my way around the tree to look down to where the mudskippers were. Finding a medium-sized specimen with my eyes on the far side of the pond, I uttered "Identify,¡± willing its secrets to be mine. Undergoing the now-familiar sensation of shifting and pulling as my Mana was channeled from within my body, coursing through it. But this time it abruptly funneled outwards towards my chosen creature. Bibsis (lvl.1) Health 8/8 "Bibsis," I muttered to myself. I fought the frustration of being unable to see all of its relevant stats, such as Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. Drawing a deep breath I attempted to calm myself. It was probably physically weaker than I was, but I had no idea if it had spells or any other special abilities. However at least I now knew the name, Health, and rtive level of the creatures I faced. This further reinforced my working hypothesis that this area was some sort of ''tutorial'' zone. My Mana had dropped a single point with the spell, and I decided to cast it four more times for confirmation. As I continued to apply the spell to different targets, I felt a growing pressure in my head. On the fourth cast, I was swamped with a dazed feeling, not unlike the second time I had used Heal. Blessedly this time it did not feature the knife stabbing-like pain. Nor did I sumb to weary exhaustion as when my Mana had bottomed out to zero. In my estimation, and to my great relief, all of the creatures that I was casting my spell upon were only level one Bibsis. If I had been stuck in a high-level area, my future would be well and truly bleak. I decided to take a small break from my experimentation. Leaving my scavenged weapons by the shrine, I relieved myself a little way down the hill on the opposite side of the pond. As I walked back up to the tree and altar, I determined that the next skill to test would be ''Power Strike.¡¯ Arriving, I drew a few deep breaths preparing myself. Once again picking up the half-spear in a loose grip, I practiced jabbing at the air in front of me. Finally, I shouted ¡°Power Strike!¡± while stabbing forward with all of my limited might. Nothing. Nonplussed, I continued to attack the air while shouting "Power Strike!" After a few minutes of wasted effort, with my stamina bar drained to around half, I threw down my half-spear. In half frustration, Inded a punch at the tree, screaming ¡°Power Strike!!¡± to the wind. My left fist flew at a great speed, drawing a portion of my body along with it. Chips of bark flew outwards at the point of impact as something in my poorly angled wrist snapped. Screaming once again as I cradled my wrist to my chest with my good hand, I curled up into a fetal ball on the ground. Blood was running down my knuckles, a vivid crimson contrast against my skin. The pain was a visceral reminder of the harsh reality of this world. I bled in this world, just like in the other. After what seemed like another eternity, I summoned the will to lean against the tree. I drew shallow breaths through gritted teeth as I half-screamed against the pain. Closing my eyes I recited the births and deaths of long-dead leaders, battles that changed my home country, theing and going of ages, rebellions, and revolutions; a mnemonic tool to help stave off the agony. Although the world was game-like in nature, certain things most definitely were not. Here instead of controlling a character with a mouse and keyboard, I was well and truly in the ¡®game.¡¯ I could now feel my character¡¯s pain through my every stupid mistake. Though this world presented itself like a game, the real ramifications of my choices meant that I could not throw all reason out of the window. You have gained 1 Intelligence Iughed wryly between the waves of pain. Closing my eyes I decided to take what rest I could to raise my Mana, whimpering forlornly all the while. I spent the rest of the morning and the better part of the afternoon casting Heal when I could, determined to bring myself back to full Health. My maximum Mana had risen by one point, I theorized likely due to the recent increase in my Intelligence. When my Health was around eleven or twelve I felt my wrist snap back into ce with a painful crunch, then to be soothed by the remaining aura of my healing spell. Finally, sometime in thete afternoon, I was back to full Health. A self-inflicted injury that would have taken at least a month and half to heal in my other life was fully rectified here in about half a day. "Magic...I wield magic..." Preposterous, I thought to myself, half denying my situation. The pain, if anything, reminded me that this was all too horribly real. Yet for all this, I could not help but wonder at the miracles I had performed. ¡°Magic...¡± I whispered in a hushed reverent tone. In a different life, I had once read that ¡°Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.¡± Were nano-bots or some other super technology responsible for the ¡®Magic¡¯ and this game-like world? Were my struggles entertainment for some interster audience? Perturbed by these questions, I brushed them quickly from my mind. Survival was my only imminent concern. I refused to die. The first pangs of hunger hit me as the sun dipped ever lower in the sky. I waited for my Mana to reach full again before picking up the two halves of the broken primitive spear. Absently I considered casting Identify on my weapons, but thought better of it as it was painfully obvious what I held in my hands. My ominous Rust spell was also perhaps worth experimenting with at ater time; I could not see anything in my local environs that would precipitate its use. I needed all my resources to do what I nned to do next. I needed to grow, and growing in this world meant killing. Chapter 6: Hunt & Harvest Chapter 6: Hunt & Harvest The berry of the Galebush is sweet and nutritious, drawing in fauna and adventurers alike. However, unless thoroughly cooked the seed will sprout within a few hours spontaneously from within, causing an almost certain and gruesome death. This is likely a mechanism to provide the new seedling with fertilizer for the next part of its life cycle. Should the being somehow survive the ¡®sprouting¡¯ then they will slowly turn into a vtile and strange chimera of nt and animal. One such creature was the infamous Sun Bear of the Duskdown Forest who terrorized the local territories for many years before a group of Knight Penitents put it down. - Monsters of the Mortal Realms by K. D. Fidditch My twin weapons in hand, I crept down the hill towards the pond with a furtiveness I never knew I possessed. Walking along the edges of my feet, heel to toe, I mused how the newly acquired Stealth skill was clearly bearing fruit. Crouching slightly forward with my weight evenly spread, I instinctively knew how to bend my knees just enough to absorb as much of the sound as possible. Edging ever closer, I slithered across close to the shore of the pond on my belly. Hiding behind some shallow rushes on the shore, I decided to stake out the scene I saw before me. Across on the opposite shore, the amphibious Bibsis rxed under thete afternoon sky, asionally making musical gurgling noises. I observed that the school of Bibsis consisted ofrger creatures the size of a monstrously big breed of dog, along with smaller juvenile specimens. I waited, forcing each drawn breath to be slow and even, thinking of a n. Some of the juveniles were currently ying in the shallows close to the shore. I needed to surprise one of them, kill it, then retreat back to the rtive safety of the shrine. I waited patiently in position, trusting my Stealth skill to hide me from the monsters. After an indeterminable length of time, I grew impatient, picking up a scattering of fine sand and throwing it a short distance from my ce of hiding at the surface of the water. Two adult Bibsis broke away from the main school, swimmingzily to investigate where I threw the sand. Gurgle-chirping to each other before diving below the surface and swimming to look for the source of the disturbance. After a minute or two, one of the creatures swam back to the main school with a babble. The remaining monster was the size of arge hound and it beached itself on the shore, rolling onto its side while closing its googly eyes in contented rxation. Perfect, I thought to myself, time to use one of my skills in abat situation. I rushed out of my position to assault the monster. Instead of casting Power Strike by shouting it loudly, I invoked it with my mental voice. Targeting the basking Bibsis, I struck out with the half spear in my left hand to ce it through its pping gills. There was a moment of resistance as I felt my Stamina drain by ten points, before a driving sensation, different to the spell reaction, traveled through my body and along my arm to guide my weapon to its fated target. The stone spearhead passed cleanly through the gills and into its brain matter, bypassing the cartge of its skull with a squelching noise. For good measure, I struck its stilling body along its length with the blunt other half of the spear from my right, scattering wet muddy brown scales across the shore. Hastily I ripped out my half-spear from its cranium, scanning my surroundings for iing Bibsis, but none approached. I was gratified with a notification of the monster¡¯s death granting me another ten experience points. A critical hit I assumed, which meant I could execute perhaps eight damage with my current attributes and equipment. A dark liquid was rapidly congealing on the shore underneath the fish¡¯s head. Blood thick like tar now stained the sands. Quickly I heaved and tried to drag the creature from the edge of the pond. Struggling, I soon realized the impossibility of such a task. Cutting near the tail end of the fish, I used the spear¡¯s de edge like a butchery tool. Piercing first then sawing across, avoiding bone and cartge, taking great pieces out of the beast. I grabbed a chunk each with both hands, spear halves tucked into my armpits, as I hurried at a fast pace back up the hill to the rtive safety of the altar, my Stamina drained. Once there I dropped my weapons and ravenously tore into the chunks of flesh like an animal. I barely registered the taste at first, such was my hunger, raw flesh chewy to my tongue. My stomach finally began to settle as I ate the second piece of monster flesh. It was then I noticed that it had a slightly slimy texture, yet one apanied by a distinctly rich vor. I imagined that this would be like eating a frog raw, which almost caused me to throw up the rest of my savage meal. Finishing off thest piece, blood congealing down the front of my robe, I crept down again to the rest of the carcass with more practiced ease. Crouching over the remains of the creature I began to clumsily butcher a few more chunks, then ran back up the hill to ce the fresh meat upon the altar. On my third run, I stopped to drink some of the cool water from the pond, washing as best as I could the slimy congealed blood from my hands. I repeated this ambush tactic repeatedly through the night, hoping to farm experience and gain new skills. Times beyond counting I had clumsily attracted too many of the creatures and was forced to rush back up the altar, dodging and weaving in a crazy zigzag pattern. Still, I was asionally hit by an errant solid water ball and I had to pause to heal myself to restore the damage of bruised flesh and broken bones. asionally I would cast Identify after inflicting a solid hit, trying to gauge how much damage I was mounting with my blows. It seemed I was doing between four to six damage with my half-spear, and a rather weak one to two with my impromptu club. Perhaps I was taking penalties for dual-wielding or not being proficient with my equipped weapons? Still pondering the mechanics of my new world, I finally submitted to sleep as rosy-fingered dawn broke through the sky. Upon waking I cleared my weary eyes and then scarfed down a few bites of Bibsis flesh. Cautiously I made my way down to the pond to drink from its waters. Checking to be sure I was at full Health and Stamina, I repeated the tactics of the previous day. During the warm early afternoon, I was struck by two water balls in quick session. Oddly with the first, I felt no pain, while the second hit me with all the agony of a fast-pitched ball. A pattern began to form in my mind as I tried to piece together some of the game¡¯s logic. Resting and healing myself to full Health, I purposefully endured two water ball attacks without attempting to dodge. It would almost be my downfall. The first shot hit me in the stomach, rapidly knocking out over half of my Health. Then the next struck, rattling my brain inside my skull. Concussed and disorientated, I somehow made it back up to the altar. Quickly I cast another Heal spell, helping to clear my head and hopefully a potential brain injury. My dangerous experiment did however prove one thing; I would feel no pain with the first hit IF I was at maximum Health. Finally, I had an exnation for my mysterious skill, ''Pain Nullification.'' I had to remind myself that this was not some form of invulnerability, as I could clearly still take damage from attacks. Nheless, anything that reduced the pain from this horrible world was sorely wee. Leaning against theforting security of the tree, I decided to take stock of the situation and reviewed my current gains. STATUS Calling$%^& Level 2 Acolyte of Avaria Strength9 Dexterity10 Constitution12 Intelligence10 Wisdom9 Charisma8 Luck11 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) Endure (lvl.1) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Backstab (lvl.1) Dodge (lvl.1) Polearms (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.1) Rust (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 170/220 Health16/16 Stamina21/21 Mana7/7 A day and a half of a consistent loop of receiving damage and healing myself had increased my constitution by another two points, increasing both my maximum Stamina and Health. My Dexterity had also climbed to ten somewhere along the line, and I noticed that my average damage with my half-spear was increasing by one point. I confirmed this by casting Identify after a good hit on one of the monsters. I had not gained any Wisdom or Intelligence, likely due to relying almost exclusively on physical attacks rather than magic. Interestingly I had also picked up three new skills. Two of the more mysterious, ''Dodge'' and ''Backstab,'' were at level one like all of my beginner skills. I deduced that I had gained Dodge by evading the innumerable water balls that had been spat my way. Backstab could be due to my sess in surprise attacks against the Bibsis. I assumed it was this skill that was responsible for the asional spikes of one or two damage points I achieved against the overgrown fish when I was able to catch them by surprise. Logically my third new skill, ''Polearms,'' was obtained from the extensive and exclusive use of my scavenged spear. Thank heavens I was an avid gamer in the old world. Without that skill set, I would have little frame of reference for this absurd experience. Shrugging internally, I spotted that I had also mysteriously gained an extra point of Luck. I only had hazy ideas about how that attribute would affect my situation. Circumstances were certainly not perfect, not by a long haul, but they were definitely improving. I felt a glimmer of constion that I was beginning to understand the world I was in. It was satisfying working out some of the rules that I had to y by. There was no inte or Wikis here with easy answers, yet for all this, I was enthusiastic about tomorrow. In this world, self-improvement was a more tangible notionpared to my old life. Experiences and skills were broken down into numbers and I was fed solid feedback showing when I had gained in my abilities. Huddling cold against the tree, I decided to rest despite being at full Health, Stamina, and Mana, as I was at the limit of my mental endurance. Tomorrow was another day and I had five more monsters to y to attain level three. Chapter 7: Progress Chapter 7: Progress The Under-Kingdoms were slower to answer the call, but dwarven greed eventually won over ancient enmity and they flocked to the banner under elven kind. The dragons of the mountains and the sky, understanding the threat the mage-king possessed grudgingly promised aid, though in their pride they would suffer none tomand them. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC I awoke to the pleasant aroma of pine and lemon blossoms as I slowly opened my eyes, fearfully optimistic about what was in store. All around me were featureless t ins of endless green that met the azure horizon somewhere in the far distance. This would be a problem when I eventually decided to leave my ce of rtivefort. However, these were concerns for another day. I had five fish to fry on my te! The Bibsis were a level below me, and I could kill them easily now; distracting some of their number, doing damage to one of them, then running away as fast as I could back up the hill. I had employed simr strategies for clearing areas filled with strong enemies back in my gaming days. The problem was that I had no baseline to work with to gauge my rtive strength in this brave new world. I needed to learn about its rules. It was essential to discover how to raise my skills, as this was directly rted to my survival in both the short and the long term. Would meaningful practice and repetition allow me to advance them? The Bibsis I had identified were all at level one, which suggested that there might be a level two or three monster or creature out there. Climbing the first branches of the tree a little above my own height, I carefully stood and dropped onerge and one small stone. I observed that they hit the ground at the same time. Taking one of the stones I threw it as far as I could, noticing that it fell in a smooth even arc. It appeared that gravity was applicable to this world. Next, I decided to hold my breath. Isted around fifty-two heartbeats, so it seemed I would need oxygen here too. Like in fiction, I tried shouting ¡°log out,¡± and ¡°disconnect,¡± once even yelling ¡°Alexa, log me out,¡± willing myself out of my newfound world with pure force of will. It looked like the world was not virtual, or at the very least I presently had no way of finding out. Already acquainted with this world¡¯s pain, I decided that aspect needed no further tests. It had convinced me that it would not be a good idea to reach zero Health in this world. With my experiments out of the way, I decided that the remaining goals of this day should consist of raising one of my skills or spells in any way I could. Walking casually to the stone altar, I noticed that the chunks of meat about it had grown rank and pungent. Disgusted, I threw them as far as I could down the hill away from the pond. It seemed that I would have to feed both my bodily hunger and my desire to increase in power. Creeping confidently along the edges of the pond with my newfound stealth, I vented my built-up rage against these low-level creatures that had dared to hurt me. Rage, like an animal that had been beaten too many times and had finally snapped, filled me as I lured the creatures in small groups toward me. I ambushed the slow and the weak as they retreated back to their side of the water. My spear felt more sure in my hand, my attacks more ruthless and precise, as I struck at them from my hiding ce among the rushes. I would violently stab, pierce, cut, and clobber the unsuspecting Bibsis until I got a notification of their death. Butchering only what I needed for the day, I ate my morning repast slimy and raw. Half forcing each piece down my gullet as quickly as I could, ever watchful against another attack. On my third ambush, I failed spectacrly. Hit in the face by one of their water balls, feeling nothing, before a second cannoned into me full on the chest, making me drop my half-spear in the shallow waters. I fumbled searching for it in the cool waters, gasping all the while in agonized breaths. Half-blind with pain, my questing hands found the familiar wooden haft and I beat a hasty retreat. As I fled I received another excruciating ball to my back, which took out another chunk of my Health. Healing myself and determined to reach level three, I ventured back again, albeit more carefully this time. After a few more hours filled with pain and death I was granted the much-anticipated notifications; You have reached level 3 3 unassigned attribute points 1 unassigned skill point In the bottom right corner of my vision, the writhing shadowy tendril returned, obscuring a little of the numbers before blossoming into a cascade of indecipherable digits. A short countdown appeared and the numbers began dropping rapidly with each beat of my heart. NINE¡­ EIGHT¡­ SEVEN¡­ Panicked, I willed all of my unassigned attributes into Constitution. SIX... FIVE... I felt a surge of energy rise from my stomach to all of my extremities, leaving a feeling of exhration. My breath came a little easier, and the chill of the cold waters through my sodden robes seemed more distant. I felt more able, whole, and robust. THREE... TWO... With scant seconds to think and choose, I quickly looked within myself; searching for the presence of Heal and focusing on it, willing the magic to be. The countdown ended, but in my haste, I had foolishly cast Heal despite already being at full Health. I did not fully know what would happen if I did not allocate my points before the countdown ended, but I felt the price for learning such knowledge would be too steep. ¡°A waste...¡± I cursed silently, as I checked my status confirming the changes to my character; STATUS Calling$%^& Level 3 Acolyte of Avaria Strength9 Dexterity10 Constitution15 Intelligence10 Wisdom9 Charisma8 Luck11 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) Endure (lvl.1) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Backstab (lvl.1) Dodge (lvl.1) Polearms (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.2) Rust (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 170/220 Health29/29 Stamina24/24 Mana5/7 My Health had risen to a staggering twenty-nine points and my Stamina by another few to twenty-four, with no change to my Mana. Also, I could now increase the power of my spells and abilities by leveling up. I whooped for joy, the sense of aplishment banishing my recent brushes with death and unbridled, unceasing violence. I posited that I would gain increased Health at each level, regardless of my Constitution score. Giddy at the prospect, I vowed to test this theory on my next level promotion. Without a second thought, I cast Identify on the great tree in front of me. Aeyory Tree ??? The result was less remarkable than I had anticipated. Apart from identifying the name of the tree, I could see that magic was no substitute for basic human observation. With four Mana left I decided to identify another of the objects close to me. ncing down I cast at the fallen statue lying at the feet of the stone altar. The now-familiar, yet still ufortable, sensation of Mana flowed first around then out of my body towards the object. Statuette of Avaria ??? Again, little I could not have deduced on my own. Growling in frustration, I cast the spell again in my mind, focusing now on the zing sun high in the sky. The name of a star roared across my vision like an exploding supernova¡­ Sahel (Star) #$d...Dur......Ma..1110011100 This was followed by an infinite string of numbers and raw data flooded through the hallows of my mind, threatening to tear it asunder with its scope. Clutching my head in agony, I screamed once more to the heavens in a primal, bestial shout of the purest pain. When atst it was over, I found myself rocking back and forth on the ground clutching my knees to my chest. Somewhere behind the pain and shock, the thought ¡°Why didn¡¯t Pain Nullification work?¡± repeated itself in rhythm to my rocking. In perhaps foolish investigation, I found myself morbidly casting the spell again at the stone half-spear to my left. What did a little more pain matter? Broken Half of an Ancestor Spear Durability 27/53 I smiled a crazy grin of the mad and the broken, as a notification briefly shed across my vision before the pain and exhaustion took me once again; You have gained 1 Intelligence You have learned Identify (lvl.2) I had seeded in increasing the level of a spell. Chapter 8: Surprise & Respite Chapter 8: Surprise & Respite The Fae of the deep woods and the ces of the In-Between honored ancient pacts and promises, presenting their best warriors and life mages. They also gave unto the First Children great stores of witchwood lumber, grown from the giant sentient trees that had roots in both worlds so that the elven craftsmen might make living ships to travel the deeps. The forces under themand of the Elven High King were named the Eastern Alliance, as an entire continent prepared for war. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC I awoke first to a kick in the stomach, where I felt nothing, which was followed by another more painful strike to the small of my back. Howling in pain, I forced my eyes open, reaching for a weapon that was no longer there. I dimly realized I was surrounded by four individuals d in heavy-looking fur-trimmed leathers and chainmail. Shock filled me, as it dawned on me this was my first encounter with people, and they did not seem at all friendly. Through the pain, I tried to exin that I meant no harm, that this must all be some sort of mistake. But all that came out of me were wheezing coughs. One of the men, the leader I presumed, was equipped with a plumed iron nasal helm. He spat out what I guessed was a mixture of invectives, curses, and orders in a coarse gutturalnguage that had far too many consonants. I nced at the other men, my eyes drawn to the mixture of cruel weapons hanging from their belts. An eclectic mixture of weapons, ranging from cavalry sabers to crude-looking clubs, heightened their menacing presence. One of their number held my broken half-spear reverently, which I subconsciously reached out for only to be met with a stinging backhand to the face. The men wereughing cruelly at me, no doubt viewing me as no threat. Grasping at straws, I mentally targeted the leader of the small group and invoked Identify to try and regain some control of the situation. Bogurchu Batbayar - Waverider (Human lvl.12) Health 142/144 Stamina 36/37 Mana 8/8 The men continued to taunt me, some with undisguised scorn in their eyes. One straddled my back, forcing my face to the ground, and muffling my cries of pain. Overpowered like a child, he grabbed my hair, forced my head up and shouted at me in a rage-filled voice, spitting droplets of hot saliva all the while. I imagined I could understand from their tone one in three of his insults, something to do with my mother, animal, or perhaps ve? Another of the men, squat and heavily muscled but bow-legged in the manner of experienced horsemen, kneeled down before my face. Looking closely at him I saw cruel ck Asiatic eyes and a jagged scar ran across his nose in a face that was pockmarked with the ravages of e. His hands were calloused and rough from a hard life. He ran them almost gently through my dirty hair, muttering soft tones of perverse appreciation. Then from behind, I felt the hands slip up the hem of my robe before another pair grabbed my buttocks firmly. Panicked, I tried to twist away, futilely iling and kicking with my limbs. The men jeered andughed at this, trading whoops and hollers with one another. With an angry grunt, Bogurchu pushed the man to my rear off me. Angered, the man issued a feral challenge to the leader, snarling with pent-up frustration. Bogurchu, in a firm voice that brooked no rebellion, barked at the man, until eyes downcast he grunted in frustration and stepped away from me. They then gagged me with some sort of dirty cloth, the horrible taste like ash and ruin in my mouth. A crude sackcloth cover was then forced over my head before my limbs were tied with a strong rough rope. Then I felt another strike hit me in the back of the head. Dropping arge chunk of my Health, I fell into merciful unconsciousness. Awaking to darkness, my first sensations were of the acrid stench of the sackcloth, like a mix of rotten vegetables and spoiled milk. I became aware of the rocking motion of some sort of creature. I could feel blood trickling down from the back of my head and a ringing sensation in my brain. The hood was ripped from my head and a rough canteen was brought to my lips. I drank fervently, the water tasting of leather and stale, before coughing a little to the crude jeers of the men. Two pairs of hands from behind set me down upon the ground, and I could see that the animal in front of me was just a horse. It reminded me of the steppe ponies I had seen in nature documentaries, but a few hands taller with stronger, more muscr nks which promised great strength and endurance. Tied behind the animal I was forced into a shuffling stumbling walk, half dragging against the rope that bound me. Looking wearily in front of me I saw the strangest of sights Before me was a sprawling city of tents surrounded by a high wooden palisade and a deep earthen ditch filled with sharpened stakes. Pairs of men armed with fine longnces patrolled upon the ramparts. There were four gates, at what I presumed were the cardinal points of thepass. Gasping, I saw that in the center was what could only be described as a great ark of a ship, like some enormous leviathan of the ocean that had been beached. Its neighbor was arge golden-domed white structure of some sort, reminiscent of the grand mosques I had seen back on Earth. Around the ark, four main streets of hard-packed earth, sporadically paved with bleach-white stone, could be seen flowing from the center of the city. Scattered across the tents there were a few rare stone and wooden buildings one and two stories tall. Towards the east just outside the walls was a primordial forest of trees golden and green in thete afternoon light. The smoke of many charcoal burners could be seen at the forest¡¯s edge risingzily into the air. Near the forest, I spied a quarry or a mining pit filled with workers toiling away at the baster rock. Taken together the nomadic tents, the rough stone buildings, and the presence of primitive industry defied direct categorization. But the academic in me ced the level of civilization at around the 11th or 12th century, and a really rough guess would establish the poption at perhaps twenty to thirty thousand. As I performed these rough calctions in my head, I was filled with a renewed sense of wonder as I realized that this single area was bigger in scale than the entirety of any of the adventure role-ying games I had yed back on Earth. Someone kicked me from behind as I had stopped in my tracks, snapping me from my reverie and forcing me to hurry and keep pace with the horse. Weary and exhausted, it was sundown when we finally approached the southern gate. Bogurchu exchanged words with the group of guards at the entrance before handing a length of knotted leather string and a single copper coin to a young boy who then quickly scampered into the city. The streets were dry hard-packed mud, with the asional deep ruts. People were closing down shutters as the city began to wind down for the day and make ready for the night. I could hear the daily sounds of city life when humanity is pressed together; the arguments, the minor violence, the crying of babies. A long line of miserable pale-skinned muscr men was being led down a street in chains, their eyes devoid of hope. They passed just as we walked by a great tent filled with music and the sounds ofughter and merriment, a stark contrast to the misery of the chained men. Their equivalent to a tavern I presumed. asionally a mounted patrol would pass us and Bogurchu would salute them, a closed fist over his chest. Finally, we arrived at our destination; a squat building of rough-cut stone around two stories high. Every window of the building had wooden shutters and cast iron bars. At the entrance, two guards stood. They looked bored and tired in the way of men who had performed the same duty many times over, every action and order now just rote and repetition. They saluted our leader beforezily making way for our party. Inside a stubby, bored-looking man was reading characters written on animal hide at a desk. He looked up to give us azy nod as we passed before I was roughly shoved into a stone cell. The hinges of the stout iron door squealed in protest as it closed with an ominous ng, heralding the finality of my imprisonment. I saw the guards turn to leave through the bars of the cell, a jaunt to their step of a job aplished. Further down from my cell, the sound of yfulughter could be heard; men giving each other a ribbing, only to be tersely cut short by an authoritative voice. My new environment consisted of a small cell, with a pile of straw in the corner. In the other corner were two buckets, one filled with water and the other empty. The walls were made from solid stone of uniform length and shape, the gaps filled with damp rotting mortar. A small window secured with iron bars just above my head let in a drizzle of twilight into my new dank dwelling. I moved to the straw in the corner, sitting almost catatonic. A nce at my Health reminded me that I had suffered great damage with my beating this morning. Silently I cast Heal. Normally in a game, I would always be eager to try out an improved spell or skill, but now I felt nothing but dejected exhaustion. Halfheartedly I noticed that my spell was healing me for five points of Health, a vast improvement. This helped soften the aches that were running through me. However magic could do little for bitter humiliation and hope cut savagely short. Huddling in the corner on the straw, I hugged myself in my cold damp cell. Feeling helpless, alone, weak, and under-leveled, I longed to return to theforts and security of my old life. Frustrated at the absolute powerlessness I had experienced, I wept myself to a troubled sleep, filled with grim dreams of cruel men. Chapter 9: Introspection Chapter 9: Introspection Prophecy is a rare gift granted to only a select few by the River God. The ability to see the future by ssical definition means that the temporal is a straight and defined path. Knowing the future if even for an instant would mean that all destiny is set and shackled. However the flow of time is not straight and predestined, instead, it is curved like a river around inds of primordial chaos and Entropy that stain the very fabric of our existence. The unique gift for those with oracr sight is that they are able to see most, but not all, possible threads of the future and through their own agency eliminate unwanted paths to serve the temple of the God of the Wend and Way. - On the Prophecy of the Gods by Gideon de Svia 376 A.C The next day I was jolted awake by shouting. A tray of food was slid into my cell by one of the guards. My stomach rumbled as I picked up my meal. On the tray was a crudely carved wooden bowl filled with some sort of thick gruel. I hesitantly tasted the liquid, uneasy at the meaty chunks within. The vor was nd with the texture of chewed salty cardboard, but I still hungrily slurped down this rough repast. My first ¡®civilized¡¯ meal in this new world, I thought miserably to myself. The meal did wonders for my mental condition. For better or worse, I had encountered civilization. ording to my Identify spell, the inhabitants were at least human. Being fed must surely mean that I wouldn¡¯t be killed, at least not so soon. Despite my recent dire ¡®cultural exchange¡¯ with the locals, I was for some bizarre reason cautiously optimistic. I felt, no hoped, that with that there was at least a little room to maneuver and improve my fate. This was a very different situation from killing murderous amphibious fish. Yet humans could be every bit as cruel as monsters. I remembered yesterday¡¯s savage beating and swore vengeance against the men who had found me. I now had a chance to review my situation and to take a little stock. The previous day was just an unskippable story event, I rationalized to myself. My rest had refilled my Health to just a little under my maximum, and my Mana and Stamina were full. I noticed that likely due to the beatings and forced march, I had gained a point of Constitution. Almost automatically I cast Heal, an ingrained habit from a lifetime of ying online roleying games, to keep my Health full. This time the familiar sensation of magic engaged me with a new twist; the shifting and pulling of my body came slower and stronger, like water in a dam building up with pressure. A pulse flowed through my core with a greater warmth that was iparable to any castings I had previously experienced, leaving me a little tired when the spell finally ended. You have learned Silent Casting (lvl.1) So instinctive was my casting, I had forgotten to say Heal; the somaticponent of the spellpletely forgotten. I had simply willed the spell to be. Wonder filled me as I considered the implications of this new ability. A potential ace in future encounters. They would be unaware of what spells, if any, I was going to unleash upon them. However, I did note that this method of casting took a little extra time, perhaps a scant few seconds. Still, time could be an eternity in the heat of battle. Carpe Diem, one of my father¡¯s quaint familiar quotes, rose unbidden to my mind. It meant to seize the day, and I intended to take full advantage of my situation, despite the dire straits I had found myself in. Surreptitiously, I moved to the bars of my cell, checking that no guards were watching my next actions. I decided to train my body while waiting for my Mana to recover. In my cell, I started a number of exercises; jumping jacks, press-ups, crunches, and even using the barred window frame for pull-ups. Every time I rose my chin above the shutter¡¯s barred bottom ledge, I caught a glimpse of the small square, now empty, and the main thoroughfare that ran alongside it. I continued to pull myself, arms screaming with effort until my Stamina reached zero. Still straining with all my will, I could begin to taste blood at the back of my throat as I finished myst pullup. Panting heavily, I saw that I had pushed myself so hard that I had caused some damage to my Health, dropping by a single point. Next, while waiting for my Stamina to recover, it was time to train my mind. Sitting cross-legged on the straw pile in the corner, I closed my eyes and reviewed my past actions froming into this world to this moment. What could I have done differently? What lessons have I learned? Taking a deep breath I pushed deeper into my past, attempting to review random nuggets of information from half-remembered lessons. I mulled over a myriad of topics, ranging from mathematics, science, economics, and history, to astronomy and religion. Focusing on science, I reviewed what I knew about atoms, particles, charge, and bonds; the very fabric of the material world that I once knew, trying hard to reinstate my previous knowledge and understanding. For my efforts, I was to be rewarded. You have gained 1 Intelligence The notification shed across my mind and Iughed with pure joy. The local culture that I had encountered was nowhere near as developed as my own world. As a student in the modern world, I stood upon thousands of years of umted knowledge and wisdom. What was taught so casually in a ssroom would take me far beyond the schrs of this small settlement, perhaps even of this world. I realized that I might have finally found my edge to survive in this cruel ce. Throughout the day I continued much in the same way. I trained both my mind and my body in the cell, thankful for the security of its walls. During my training, I gained a single point each in Constitution and Strength. Every time a small voice urged me to lie down and take a rest, I thought of Bogurchu and the scarred man. Remembering the touch of his fingers across my face brought a shiver of revulsion, and I redoubled my efforts. My body was bing stronger, my limbs felt more powerful, my movements more graceful, and my breathing a little more even when I pushed myself to the fullest. However, the most startling change of all was in my Intelligence. As the attribute grew, I found that I could recollect things more clearly, and concepts that I was taught but did not fully understand came easier to me. Slowly, as my burgeoning intellect grew, I was able to recall a greater depth of obscure facts I already knew but thought forgotten. This in turn allowed me to increase my Intelligence attribute again, which propelled even more rity of thought. Breathing deeply, I settled myself. If Intelligence was learning, knowledge, and retention, then Wisdom must surely be the correct application of Intelligence. With my new intellect, I drew up in my mind Aesop, to, Socrates, and the other great ssical thinkers. I thought deeply on the implications of morality and man¡¯s ce in the universe, situating the arguments of these great thinkers. As the day turned to dusk I was rewarded for my efforts with a notification that I had gained a point in Wisdom. Opening my eyes, I noticed that sometime during my meditations a new tray of food had been delivered. Checking the contents, I saw what looked like the sorry remains of a root vegetable ced in with my gruel. I had to take sustenance wherever I could find it, and I promptly devoured my meal, leaving the tray by the entrance to my cell. It would do me no favors to antagonize my jailers by making their job difficult. The idea of nning some sort of daring escape at this stage struck me as simrly foolhardy. My encounter with Borgurchu and his men had left an indelible mark of fear on me. I made excuses to myself, doubting that I wouldst long on my own in this high-level zone. I decided to y it safe and wait for the next story event on this quest arc. I needed to improve myself and get stronger. I continued my mental training well into the night, this world''s pale moon lighting my cell with an argentine blue. Before sleep took me, I remembered that today was probably my ex-girlfriend¡¯s birthday and I wished her the very best wherever she was. What if time flowed differently in this world to my old one? For all I knew, the days were longer here and it was getting steadily harder to keep track of the time. I was wise enough now to know that it was neither of our fault that things had ended the way they had. Life and circumstance could make monsters out of anybody. Chapter 10: Halls & Corridors Chapter 10: Halls & Corridors Thenguage of the knots was the Tide Children¡¯s answer to a life spent almost perpetually on the cold grey seas. Parchment and paper too quick to rot in the salt air. Surprisingly detailed, whole meaning can be conveyed by both distance and type of knot on a length of twine, silk, cordage, or anybination thus. I myself find it a slow and ponderous form of record, but perhaps that is just a failing of one who was not born to a life on the rolling waves. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 A.C The following morning was spent a little different from myst. My regimen consisted of a basic breakfast, followed by vigorous physical training consisting mostly of calisthenics. As Ipletely drained my Stamina, I healed the damaged Health with magic. At the end of this brutal session, I was awarded an increase to my Constitution. This was then followed by the mental training of my Intelligence and Wisdom, where I would slip back into the knowledge and lessons of my old world. I still had a few ideas on how to increase my Charisma and Luck. An attempt to alter the former through interaction with my jailers failed when they pointedly chose to ignore the strange man in the cell. Around midday, my cell was alive with the sounds of the bustling city outside. I watched the busy scene of people going about their daily lives from my window, and as Ipleted my set of pull-ups, a sh of inspiration came to me. A little way outside of my cell, in a small square, a market was forming. Sellers had ced many stalls with a wide variety of goods, ranging from the mundane to the exotic. From pots and pans, arms and armor, to tropical fruit and menacing alien-looking creatures caged in bars of cold steel. The merchants hawked their wares with guttural cries, no doubt espousing the quality of their goods and offering bargains. The smell of cooking meat and unknown vegetables wafted into my cell, and I felt a rumbling in my stomach which I chose to ignore. A little regret filled me as I held myself up to the bars, my gateway to the outside world. I spotted a middle-aged turbaned man in furs arguing jovially with a woman d in fancy colorful clothes of amber and gold. I steeled myself as I prepared to cast a spell. Focusing again on the man, I shifted my attention to the words that he was speaking; I blotted everything else out of my mind and cast Identify. A swathe of information poured into my understanding for the brief few seconds I connected with him, the man''s words tranting into my native English. Practicing the new words on my tongue, I had difficulty mimicking the coarse guttural tones and inflections. I was astonished to find that I could recall his words with almost crystal rity, a feat that I would have found impossible in my foreignnguage sses at home. A wave of homesickness threatened to drop me into despair, but I pushed my feelings down. I fired off Identify spells at random conversations, sating my curiosity and increasing my vocabry, but also thankfully distracting me from thoughts of home. Driven by a need to understand thenguage of the men I swore vengeance against, I vowed to learn their primitivenguage. After a second round of mental training and rest, I once again pulled myself up to the bars, draining a little of my Mana. The market was closing for the day, with people breaking down stalls and packing away their goods, but I was still able to catch some words. As I continued to listen, I began to understand more and more of thenguage, this time without the aid of magic. Whether it was the effect of the lingering repeated use of the spell, or due to my growing intellect, I had begun to grasp the structure of thenguage¡¯s patterns. Every word was a key to a door that opened new meaning, and every assembled pattern of grammar a corridor that revealed higher concepts ofnguage. A notification confirmed my progress with another increase in my Intelligence. Pleased with my schrly progress, I took a moment to apud myself for my creative use of magic to learn their hateful tongue, armoring myself with a false sense of superiority as a thin defense against the powerlessness of my situation. During a lull in prison life, I noticed that the local fauna had decided to pay a visit to my cell. Small insect-like creatures scuttled into view. They were about the size of arge coin and featured considerable mandibles, two joint thoraxes, and two pairs of legs attached to an upcurved abdomen. Inquisitively, two or three of them would skitter about my cell when I was perfectly still. I threw small loose stones that had fallen off the wall at them, making a game of it. With a lucky strike, I was able to injure and slow one of them. I finished the injured creature with a quick stomp. Blue viscera stained the stone floor, but I was not awarded any experience. The mini-games of this world were a bit of a letdown, I thought to myself. With this sessful act of violence against a helpless creature, fantasies of hot vengeance filled my mind. I undertook another hard round of physical training, earning an increase of one point in both Dexterity and Strength. Before resting for the night I decided to look at my character sheet. I was pleased with the gains across my attributes; thanks to my herculean regimen, my Constitution sat at eighteen points. Also, I noticed that I had considerably boosted my Intelligence and gained a smaller bump in Wisdom, no doubt due to my meditations. Casting magic and the active pursuit of understanding had also increased my maximum Mana. The hike in my physical attributes had bumped up my Health and Stamina, and I had gained a marginal increase of twenty points of experience for my efforts. It appeared that in this world there were three ways to gain experience; quests, the practice of skills, and cold-blooded killing. Thest reminded me of the party that found me, and I coldly swore to turn them into experience points. With my efforts, I had more or less countered the effects of my initial curse. Nodding in satisfaction with the growth of my mental faculties, I curled up on my pile of straw and faded off to an exhausted, dreamless sleep. STATUS Calling$%^& Level 3 Acolyte of Avaria Strength11 Dexterity11 Constitution18 Intelligence15 Wisdom11 Charisma8 Luck11 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) Endure (lvl.1) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Backstab (lvl.1) Dodge (lvl.1) Polearms (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.2) Rust (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.2) Silent Casting (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 240/364 Health29/33 Stamina2/28 Mana1/10 Chapter 11: Arbitrary Justice Chapter 11: Arbitrary Justice After many years the great horde started their journey across the vast Untouched seas, unmolested by the scaled leviathans of the deep. The dragons had negotiated their safe passage, securing it in the ancient way of their kind. The serpents of the sky and sea were to be bound together once more. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC I wasn¡¯t in any immediate danger, but the monotony of life stuck behind bars, unable to enjoy the wider world, was taking its toll. I wanted to be free, but for the time being, I had to content myself with a little experimentation and training. It seemed that magical healing, as testing with robust exercise indicated, relieved the body of muscle fatigue when cast at full Health. As long as I had the Stamina, the Mana, and the will, I could engage in a torturous loop of self-improvement. But it seemed that fate would have other designs in store for me. On the third day of my incarceration, instead of one of the guards, a boy just on the cusp of adulthood appeared to deliver my first meal. Exhausted after a strenuous bout of exercise, I was sitting cross-legged in the corner of my cell when the sound of the meal tray disturbed me. As I stirred from my meditations on the nature of the state¡¯s responsibility to the people, my eyes met his and he suddenly backed away from the bars of my cell. Short cropped hair between a dark brown and true ck, a button nose slightly set in a round face with a weak jaw, and panicked brown eyes that had opened in surprise like wide saucers. He wore a brown ill-fitting woolen tunic two sizes too big for him withrge buttons made of horn, and dark linen trousers of a coarse design. The overall impression was like a startled mouse that had been surprised by a cat. Feigning calm, I cast Identify on the boy. Jongshoi Aigiam - Trainee Warrior (Human lvl.12) Health 48/48 Stamina 22/22 Mana 6/6 My Identify spell failed to reveal his primary attributes. However, I could discern that he likely had little in the way of Constitution despite being at a higher level than me due to hisparatively low Stamina. Perhaps he was a ¡®ss cannon¡¯ with a ridiculous amount of Strength, but I doubted it. Furthermore, having such a low amount of Mana would indicate to me that he was possibly not the sharpest tool in the shed. In an attempt to appear approachable, I smiled to greet him, my voice unsteady and hesitant. ¡°Jongshoi,¡± I called out in a halting voice, likely butchering thenguage. His eyes only opened wider, changing from surprise to fear. He cried out words of rm, scrabbling to get as far away from me as possible. Two of the guards promptly marched to my cell. Armored in a mixture of half-te and sturdy leathers, with mean eyes and meaner weaponry, one of them rapped loudly on the bars with an unsheathed dagger. The meaning was clear with implied violence; I was to be silent and not cause trouble. I red at the guards as they turned their backs to leave, realizing why Jongshoi had panicked. Never had I asked him for his name, and I cursed my mistake. I did not know how this culture viewed magic; perhaps he thought I was a witch that had cursed him. My cell was no longer a safe haven from the world. Suddenly the idea of trying to make a daring escape became more appealing instead of waiting passively for circumstances to change. It seemed that my unlucky encounter with Jongshoi was an omen for further misfortune. Henceforth, despite almost bursting a blood vessel with my efforts in training, I gained no bonuses to my attributes. Perhaps this was due to the game bing exponentially difficult as you progressed? I berated myself, I couldn¡¯t think of this as a game. This was a world filled with all too real suffering and pain. Pulling myself up the barred window ledge, I resumed my quest to learn their aliennguage. By the end of my session, between my magical assistance and increasednguage, I could probably understand seven in ten words in spoken conversation. I was now demonstrating feats that would have wowed the most talented of linguists in my other life. The city¡¯s name was Ansan, a frontier mining town of sorts, famous for two things. One was for the mammoth ship at its city center; ording to legend, the ship had been ced there as the waters had receded after a cataclysmic event known as the ''breaking'' or ''scouring.'' How or when this event urred remained shrouded in mystery to me. The ship now served as the seat of local governance for the people who were known in theirnguage as the ¡®Children of the Tides,¡¯ originally a maritime people before the breaking. The second was for the city¡¯s burgeoning ve trade. Ansan¡¯s flesh markets, ve pits, and fighting dens were famous among the trade caravans that frequented the city. The Children of the Tides were a martial people whose economy revolved around a constant state of war and very. Outside the city, near the forest, were mines rich with ore, worked on by ves who were brought in by the Children¡¯s never-ending wars. Marketce rumors had hinted that there had recently been movement in the Sainba, the tree song forest which was to the east of the city. Strange chittering creatures had been sighted along its borders by charcoal burners who made their living at its borders, disrupting the supply of precious fuel for the mines. This led to a visible increase in military patrols in the area. There was strained tension in the air, taut as a tight bowstring ready to be released. Straining my ears, I had also heard hushed cryptic rumors that a local ce of some religious significance had been desecrated, leading to some consternation among the warrior sses. I found it odd that there was no mention of levels, attributes, experience, or magic. Were any of these subjects a local taboo? A few hourster I would have another visitor. I heard the nk of armored feet, and the scream of tortured hinges as my cell door opened. Without any ceremony, a new group entered my prison; a veritable hag of an old woman, nked by two burly guards who I didn¡¯t recognize. The crone was a small hunched thing, clothed in dark brown robes the color of fresh-turned earth. Animal nes and fetishes made of bones, teeth, and ws of unidentified beasts were hung around her neck. In her left hand was a walking stick made of gnarled wood, ck feathers ced along its tip. Her hair was ank light grey that dribbled down across her face and shoulders. A hawk-like nose, thin narrow lips, and ck piercing eyes gave the overall impression of a shriveled mystic raptor. Her burly guards, d in a mixture of workmanlike te, chainmail, and riding leathers, funneled past her. One of them was carrying a thick orange cloth rug of some sort which hey across the middle of my cell. She indicated her guards to position themselves behind her, standing to her left and right. The guard to her right, who had a porcine face with arge bulbous nose, idly explored the depths of one of his nasal cavities through his open-faced helm. Finding no treasure, he wiped his hand on his leather tassets before fixing me with a menacing re. As he was shooting daggers at me, the woman hitched up the hem of her robe and with a small cough sat cross-legged on the rug. I started to half-heartedly offer a word of greeting before she cut me off with a held hand and gestured for me to sit. Timidly, I sat down on the rug across from her. She smiled at me in the way of a snake eyeing up a rabbit. Looking me full in the eyes, she tried to greet me in anguage that resembled Latin but was heavily ented. The confusion must have shown on my face as she went back to her nativenguage. ¡°Ounder,¡± used the old crone in a clear lilting soprano voice that was surprisingly firm and strong, belying her advanced age. She noticed the dawn of understanding writ across my features. ¡°Do you know why you are here?¡± she continued, couched more as a statement than an actual question. I began to mouth a reply before she plowed on, ¡°I am Navigator i of the second fleet. You have caused quite a stir and no end of trouble. Jongshoi uses you of witchcraft, but from his tale, I deduced that you probably gleaned his name from one of his inane conversations with one of his father¡¯s friends here. They gossip like little unmarried girls! Did you know the foolish boy begged and skipped one of his duties to view the strange ounder? We must move up the schedule for his blooding, put a little bit of spine into thed.¡± As I was just ruminating about my failure at handling that situation, one of her scrawny chat arms shot like a snake and grabbed my face just under my chin with surprising strength. The guards moved their hands to the weapons at their hips as she tilted my head at a slight angle, examining me with cool calcting eyes. ¡°Too pale to be a Qisnian, and too short to be an Imperial,¡± looking now to my soft uncallused hands, ¡°perhaps a runaway house ve or some noble¡¯s get then? What in the fields of Hell possessed you to desecrate the shrine, break the Spear of the First Ancestor, and burn the words of the Covenant? And to provoke further, killing the sacred rain-bringers and partake of their flesh?¡± Her fingers tapped my chest with each usation. ¡°I didn¡¯t...¡± I started, but the hag didn¡¯t let me finish. ¡°You would deny this? Each of these crimes alone warrants death.¡± My face grew flushed and one of her thin eyebrows arched as she continued. ¡°You were the only intelligent being, and I use this term very loosely, in a day¡¯s ride of the shrine. The Sea Council hase to a conclusion, despite your mysterious origins, to dispose of you...¡± I cut her off as my annoyance came to a head and I interrupted her, ¡°I didn¡¯t desecrate your shrine, and I didn¡¯t break the spear. They were like that when I found them. Please, you have to understand!¡± I begged as I reached out to her. The guards began to draw their weapons, but she raised her hand stopping them in mid-motion. ¡°Your pronunciation ismentable. Like an Imperial dog farting out what it thinks is speech,¡± I directly tranted her harsh response in my mind. ¡°Even if this was true,¡± she said now in a softer voice, ¡°what of your other crimes?¡± My mind scrambled to make a usible excuse in those precious few moments and drew a solid nk at the trap she had made with her framing. ¡°I would have had you killed mercifully, by sharp de or poison. We are not savages after all. But the Commodore and her captains are loath to waste resources and they wish to make an example of you,¡± she sighed in tired resignation. ¡°What is your name, young man, that we may announce your sentence on the sands?¡± I felt pins and needles in my brain in response to her innocent question. I wracked my mind, trying to remember my name. No matter how I reached, it eluded my grasp, like trying to grasp motes of light. Panic was just beginning before I recalled that this must be the part where my character got to choose their name. I quickly settled on one from my other world. His legend was that of the first hero, to which all others were but pale copies. His name would be legend in this world too. ¡°Gilgamesh,¡± I spoke with a confidence that I hope hid the little quiver in my voice and the trembling of my hands. Out of one of the folds, she drew a many-knotted cord of crimson, like the color of freshly spilled blood on snow. Running her hand along its length, as if reading, a lump formed in my throat as she pronounced my sentence in a distant authoritative voice. ¡°Gilgamesh. You have been judged of crimes against the people. Their eyes have been turned from you. Still, you have been granted a chance to redeem yourself of these vile deeds. When Sahel is at her highest tomorrow you will be brought to the sands of the winnowing. Your death will blood our next generation of warriors. Should you find the favor of the gods, you will be allowed to live the life of a ve. May the gods watch over you.¡± I was still trying to parse her words as she rose swiftly on creaky joints, waving off her guards¡¯ offers to help her. As quickly as they came they left, leaving the carpet on the floor. I made to remind them, modern-day politeness ingrained in my being, before the bars of my cell closed with a sound like a judge¡¯s hammer. Chapter 12: The Sword of Damocles Chapter 12: The Sword of Damocles The Queen¡¯s first egg was to be presented in ten turns of the seasons as a new bride. Such was the desperation of the alliance with the fate of the world on their shoulders. The Dragons in their great pride would never forget what the ¡®lesser races¡¯ had forced upon them, and their resentment would only grow with the passage of time. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC Calm. I sought calm across the battlefield of my thoughts. A thousand times I had reyed my exchange with Jongshoi and Navigator i. Was there anything I could have done to steer the conversation in a different direction, a different path, a different strand of fate to cling to? Trapped in endless contemtion, I continued to pace about my cell in circles as rosy-fingered dawn came again to light up the sky. The hush of the night was broken by the voices of industry andmerce. My breakfast was a death row inmate¡¯sst meal without the vor. Despite all of my efforts, myst training session ended with only a single point increase in Strength. This yielded a small bump in Health, and from that, I was able to deduce that Strength¡¯s threshold for increasing Health was likely every four points. Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution all had a role in determining my endurance and Stamina, though to what degree I had not calcted yet. I smiled wryly, thinking that if this was back home I would have sifted through the message boards, forums, and Wikis to confirm my theory. Here I just had myself. I checked my character sheet as I prepared to meet the rest of the day. It looked like I had also gained another ten experience points, and my character sheet had been updated with my chosen name. I marveled once more at the game-like nature of this world, far removed from my old one. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 3 Acolyte of Avaria Strength12 Dexterity11 Constitution18 Intelligence15 Wisdom11 Charisma8 Luck11 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) Endure (lvl.1) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Backstab (lvl.1) Dodge (lvl.1) Polearms (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.2) Rust (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.2) Silent Casting (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 250/364 Health36/36 Stamina29/29 Mana10/10 There would be no point in training now, I needed to face my trial with a fresh mind and body. I had little doubt I would be pushed to the limit with the odds stacked against me. As my time approached, however, I refused to give in to fear. I overruled the thoughts which hung over me like the sword of Damocles. I tried to formte a strategy for my uingbat by analyzing my abilities. Between my Mana, and my level two Heal spell, I had forty-one points of effective Health provided I wasn¡¯t instantly killed by a single attack. A respectable forty-six points, actually, if I was willing to brave the pain and disorientation of bottoming out my Mana. Though I conceded that this might not be feasible in abat situation. Perhaps I could use it with my Pain Nullification skill to some sort of advantage? Power Strike I could use three times before I started taking potentially serious damage to my Health, but I worried whether I would be strong enough to inflict serious harm against my enemies. How tough exactly was the average human in this world? Bogurchu seemed the sort that was hard as nails, with his tremendous one hundred forty-four points of Health. Dread filled me at the thought of facing something like that. On the bright side, Navigator i did mention that the ¡®winnowing,¡¯ or whatever it was, was some sort of test for their younger members. This could mean that they would not be as tough as Bogurchu. However, my opponent or opponents would be almost certainly of a higher level than myself. For all intents and purposes, I was like a newborn in this world. Yet, should I manage to survive, I would no doubt be showered with experience. My hands began to shake as I realized that if I were to survive I would have to take another human life. Was it in me, I wondered. I resolved that if it was a choice between my life or that of another, I would not y the martyr''s role. After another hour or so, two armored men entered my cell wearing wolf-masked face helms and outfitted in ovepping tes that resembled the chitin of beetles. They each carried two very severe-looking pronged long mancatcher-like devices which exuded an aura of tightly-coiled menace. I weighed my options, judging that if I was to make a break for freedom, this was probably the prime moment. But indecision took me and I lost my chance, as one of them caught me by the neck and began dragging me out of the cell. I held up my hands in the universal sign of surrender, eximing in theirnguage that I would walk willingly, but they just grunted in the way of busy men before tugging a bit harder on my leash. Once I was out of the cell, the other guard attached his mancatcher around my neck and they began to push me with the length of their polearms, pointing down the corridor to the direction of the outside street. As we passed by my sullen-looking guards, there were no longer jeers or mockingughter. As I came to the main entrance I was greeted by the bright morning sun, making me squint and slow down a fraction against her light. Two guards standing post at the door stifled their chuckles as my bare feet touched the hard-packed earth of the street. My escort stopped suddenly behind me, pushing me slightly down and indicating a space on my left by my feet. ¡°Put them on,¡± one of them growled in a surly voice as I noticed a rough pair of well-worn leather sandals on the floor by the entrance, perhaps a size too big for me. I knelt down and slowly put them on, fingers unsure with the buckles and intricate straps. I was tempted to Identify the pair but thought better of it. I would need every scrap of Mana for my uing challenge. After I finished putting them on, my escort shouted for me to keep on walking. The voices clipped and harsh as they pushed me again with their long mancatchers. I could feel the hard stone floor through the thin soles of my sandals. The market outside my jail was in full swing. Colorful merchants werepeting with each other, shouting inrge voices or conspiratory whispers as they haggled with customers. A magician of some sort pulled a silken blue cloth from the ear of a young blushing woman, all to the apuse of a rapt audience. I mused briefly whether or not this was real magic or merely sleight of hand. Now on the streets proper, moving past the market on the main thoroughfare, a girl child of no more than four years turned a cherubic face to her mother and asked, ¡°Is that the ounder?¡± pointing at me, eyes wild with the curiosity of the young. Her mother quickly shushed her, and they both hurried quickly away, the little girl casting onest nce in my direction. The people we passed on our way down the main streets barely gave us a passing nce. This was quite obviously a sight that they had seen many times before. A small brown mongrel dog with a white spot over one eye started barking as a naked man stumbled out of a tent followed by screams and thrown objects, much to the merriment of his neighbors. Despite the alienness of my situation, it seemed that humanity was still humanity in this strange world. We continued to walk past arge number of round hide and oilcloth tents, reminiscent of Mongolian yurts. Some of them had intricate patterns, wavy threads of green and red that made the mind think of ocean waves. But for the most part, they were dull squat things. I would have liked to have had a better look at them, but my eye was drawn to a building made out of clean-cut white stone. Above an iron-banded entrance hung a sign with a symbol of a crossed sword over a wooden torch. The door suddenly burst open as a Goliath of a man half-stumbled out of the building, a greatsword strapped to his back almost as long as he was tall. He drew it half in mocking rage, hands the size of hams grasping its leather-bound hilt under a crossguard just over the width of the de, shouting unknown curses at the people in the building. As he waved the sword back at them, I could see that the weapon was double-edged with a rounded point, with a shallow fuller running about three-quarters up its length. He was followed by a man in loose dark blue robes hung around his thin frame, golden esoteric patterns sewn into the fabric around the sleeves and hem. The slight man in the robes was donning a wide-brimmed conical hat with the tip folded slightly, looking like a ssical wizard straight out of a fantasy game as heughed at the mountain of his friend. Next, a woman with tinum blonde hair tied in a high ponytail nked out of the building, angry and shaking with indignation with clenched fists at her sides. d from the neck down in te and mail, a white tabard with a golden chalice loosely followed the contours of her armored chest. A mean-looking nged mace hung from a belt made from thick iron rings. She punched the barbarian of a man on his bare shoulder, but unbnced from the force of her own blow she almost stumbled, which just made therge man guffaw withughter. Ah, I concluded, a typical adventuring party, before my escort shouted at me to pick up the pace. For a long while I could still hear the woman berating the man in anguage that I thought resembled a form of Latin, until we passed another market square, the sounds of their argument lost to the hubbub of the city. We turned left from the main avenue and continued through the sprawling maze of tents. I could now clearly distinguish our intended destination; a great circr building made out of enormous wooden logs in the style of a primitive Roman arena. A small markety along its outskirts and as we got closer, there was a sense of festivity in the air as the sounds ofmerce grew ever louder. The crowd parted about us as we sailed by myriad colorful stalls. In our wake, I could hear the chatter and gossip of the people debating my chances. Eventually, we arrived at the entrance to the arena, its great iron portcullis resembling the teeth of a monster that had gorged on considerable human flesh. Guards idly lounged by the entrance, leaning against great ives of banded wood and steel. Stepping past the threshold I could feel a gnawing sense of dread in the pit of my stomach that I had been marked as a sacrifice to this ce. I was roughly shoved into a wooden cell, and once again I was alone. Another cell, I grumbled. A small open t in the door allowed a glimmer of sunlight into the main fighting area. A series of cables, winches, and pulleys were attached to the top of the door, no doubt a mechanism to lift it when it was my turn to fight. I could hear the stirring of a crowd through the opening and quickly made my way over to see the cause of themotion. Through my limited vision, I could see that the arena¡¯s white sand floor was in a rough circle, and rising above this was a fenced wooden stand area made from rough-hewn logs. A mixture of unarmed citizens and armored martial types made up the rough shouting audience. From the other end of the arena, I could see an armored warrior enter with a swagger that spoke of assured confidence and skill. I yearned to use Identify, but I knew that I had to save my precious Mana. I was stirred by a sudden grinding noise, as the wooden reinforced t to the cell on my right was raised. Quickly looking back through my window to the arena, I observed a ceremony official with a colorful plumed helmet and bronze breastte throw a gray steel weapon into the center of the arena. A scrawny shape d in rags abruptly darted from the cell to the center of the sands, scooping up the weapon with thin weak arms as if it was the most precious thing in the world, before adopting his best impression of a fighting stance. The crowd roared their approval. The shape on closer inspection was a pitifully poor specimen of a man. His beard and hair were a long and unkempt brown, and his eyes were wild with panic, and fear. He was holding a short straight steel or iron short sword with both hands in front of him, arms inexpertly locked and stiff. Across from him the armored warrior closed his face helm and hefted a wide shield to his left arm. Holding a curved backsword in his right, he executed a few simple flourishes before walkingnguidly up to his opponent. For every step forward he took, the wild man took back a step as if forced by an invisible aura. The armored warrior reached the center of the arena and gave a wild ulting battle cry, which was met by a great roar from the crowd as he suddenly charged. The man d in rags broke and panicked, seeking to escape to the arena¡¯s edge. Throwing his sword down, he tried to mber up the stanchions. After his second failed attempt, he gave up and retrieved his short sword in shaking hands, eyes now filled with the panic of a cornered animal. d in heavy armor, the warrior came ever closer, fast but sure on his feet. Sprinting, he aimed a cool methodical cut at the poor soul in rags who threw up his sword to block the blow. His effort was in vain, as the man¡¯s long curved de cut a crescent through the air and left a red line across his chest. Screaming in pain and shock, the thin man crumpled to his knees, holding his pouring lifeblood through his hands. Methodically, like a gardener plucking weeds, the armored man ended his misery with a small simple flick of the wrist, cutting across his throat and the thread of his life. Turning to the crowd, he raised one hand in salute fist closed, and there was another roar of approval. One of the Children of the Tides had been blooded this day. Despite the violently surreal scene I had just witnessed, I could for a brief few moments only think of how much experience the armor-d soldier had obtained from this encounter. How much exactly was the life of a man worth in experience points? As soon as the man fell, the victor picked up the defeated man¡¯s shortsword in his other hand and turned back to his corner, walking through the gates at the far end to the riotous apuse of the crowd. On the sands, a group of young boys between the ages of ten and fifteen hurriedly dragged the corpse away in preparation for the next bout. This scene would repeat itself another ten times as the cells to my left and right were opened one by one. Blood was spilled on the sand and a bitter harvest was reaped. Some did not even put up a fight, instead cowering in their cells. They were butchered like livestock. Another man deigned to prolong his life by simply running around the edge of the arena to the boos and jeers of the crowd. He was hunted down like a dog. I seethed inwardly at the unfairness of it all. Even here in this fantasynd, those with power would always win. The only way I could stop devolving into an utter sense of panic was topartmentalize and view this next trial through the lens of a game. This was no doubt a part of the main questline, the ending perhaps of the tutorial where I could finally start exploring the wider world. The door to my cell began to rise with the slow grinding of gears. An official from up on high threw a weapon onto the sands. It traced a graceful arc. There was a glitter as it reached its zenith, before it fell signaling the start of the Blooding. It was kill or be killed, and it seemed the universe agreed as a new quest notification shed across my inner vision. New Quest: Kill Jongshoi and survive the Blooding Chapter 13: A Test of Iron Chapter 13: A Test of Iron Our enemies are the whetstone upon which we hone our bodies and minds. Ever striving to reach perfection, until all that is left is only that which is required. - The Living Sword by Fen Vaigorus Kaldari Swordmaster circa 520 AC Repeating the mantra that this was just a game, I was able to tamp down a blossoming panic that had found purchase on fertile soil. Unlike the others before me, by some stroke of luck or a devil¡¯s meddling, I knew whom I faced. And with my character sheet, I knew my own capabilities. I wouldn¡¯t need to waste Mana on an initial Identify. I rushed to the center of the arena, eager to grab the tool of death that awaited me. With every step I took, I grew more and more determined to fulfill my personal quest. I half-stumbled in my haste as I grabbed a short infantry stabbing spear. The polearm was a little over half a meter in length at the shaft, and it had a long and wide-ded leaf-shaped metal spearhead. Whether it was my proficiency in polearms, or just the need to feel the security of a weapon, the spear was a solidforting weight in my hands. Jongshoicked the grace and calm confidence of the other warriors who I witnessed bloodying themselves in the arena. He looked skittish, like an animal about to bolt. He made his way to the center cautiously, where I waited now trying to exude an aura of calm, like an animal approaching a dangerous watering hole for the first time. This was no lion, no roaring warrior thirsting to prove himself by wetting his de on the blood of the victims. The fear of violence could be seen in his eyes, and in another world, I would have held this man no ill will. But I was here, and here he was a stepping stone for me to reach greater heights of power. And with power came freedom. The unblooded warrior was heavily armored in a mixture of heavy scale and te. A hauberk, with heavy circr scales like from some monstrous fish, was buffed to a mirror shine and reflected in the high afternoon sun. Across his shoulders and arms were interlocking ted steel pieces, his gauntlets metal with round steel nubs at the knuckles, and across his legs were thick ted leggings and greaves. He carried arge spiked oval shield like a scutum on his left, and on his right, he held a small straight-stabbing sword reminiscent of a Roman dius. An intimidating plumed open-face helm with a roaring wolf design framed his face,pleting his equipment. On anyone else, the ensemble would have looked imposing. But on the young boy, it just looked out of ce, like a rabbit that had grown horns and fangs. Jongshoi was breathing heavily, each exhale a ragged spurt in the hot sun, no doubt in part because he was suffering from some equipment penalties due to wearing such heavy armor. I, on the other hand, being only equipped with my initial robes, could move more freely. A glimmer of a battle n began to form and I decided that I would need to wear him out before striking hard and fast. He came at me first, a tired hesitant probing thrust, that I was easily able to step away from. I returned with my own weak thrust to his center, aiming to preserve my Stamina. He blocked this easily with his shield, turning aside my blow, and returning with another thrust with his short sword which I was able to avoid thanks to my greater reach. Since I was unarmoured I had to be careful, but he on the other hand looked like he could certainly take a hit or two. Piercing the boy¡¯s defenses was proving almost impossible, but on the other hand, he simply could notnd a blow on me as I darted backward after one of my own failed attacks. Then something changed. After deflecting one of my rapid jabs, Jongshoi shouted desperately ¡°Shield Bash!¡± before rushing with his shield and breaching through my feeble guard. The spike of the ¡®scutum¡¯ scored a bloody gash across my left arm. To my surprise, I saw my Health drop by five points, but worst of all I felt stunned and disorientated, my world spinning as I tried to gather myself. My enemy moved into his follow-up, a little awkwardly but nheless still deadly. With a panicked fury, he struck at me, raising his sword arm and screaming ¡°Power Strike!¡± Barely could I shake off my fugue, and I was just able to raise the haft of my spear to meet his dowing de. Strong sharp steel met the haft of the wooden spear and there was a sharp crack as splinters flew from the impact point as his attack savagely bisected my weapon. His skill-enhanced blow continued its deadly arc, tracing a red line across my chest. Sharp pain blossomed in me then as my Health dropped another thirteen points and I stumbled backward. Jongshoi was breathing even more heavily now, barely able to stand on his feet, sword arm faltering and looking totally spent. Blood was running from his nose and mouth as he had pushed his body well beyond his physical limits. I knew that feeling well. Holding the remains of my weapon in a death grip, I grinned savagely knowing that his desperate gambit had failed. He had likely depleted the whole of his Stamina with his continuous use of skills, while I on the other hand had a healthy amount of Stamina remaining. And magic, I had magic. I needed to keep the pressure on, and through the red haze of pain, I continued to throw jabs and light shes with my half-spear and broken spear haft. My adversary was barely able to defend himself, the exhaustion starting to drain away at his Health. Drawing the spell to me silently, I cast my Heal spell, the energy spreading through my body like the warm touch of a lover over the course of long seconds. Surprisingly my Health increased by seven points, and I absently concluded somewhere in the back of my mind that my spell must heal a proportional amount of damage instead of just a set amount. My opponent''s eyes grew in surprise as he saw me stand a bit taller, the bleeding now stemmed by magic, my weapons sure in my hands. The crowd was growing bestial and wild as they shouted epithets against both my opponent and me. I charged him then in my own desperate bid for survival as the crowds above us gasped in surprise that I still yet lived. Raising my broken spear haft like a club I started raining blows on his weakly raised shield. I threw a jab with my left weapon, which he met with a weak parry of his sword before I began to initiate one of my skills silently. In my mind, I summoned my pent-up Power Strike, its barely suppressed energies released now like an arrow from a war bow. My blow continued skidding across his hauberk, ripping out a few scales, and going upwards as it savagely cut across his face. Youthful innocent features now made into a vision of horrible deformity, he screamed then a cry of utter animal pain, as he dropped his sword and reached for his face. My own breathing was starting toe heavy and ragged, and I knew I had to press my advantage and finish this quickly. Tossing aside the broken spear haft, I bull-rushed him clumsily to the ground. His face was a gory mess, he tried reaching for a sword that was no longer there, before blindly trying to punch me with his ted gauntlets. His blows scarcely registered across my trunk as we were simply too close and he was barely able to cause a single point of damage despite his superior strength. Nevertheless, his blows still caused me pain, which kept my blood hot and angry. Grappling him with my right, I raised my half-spear in my left like a knife over the remains of his face and willed another Power Strike. The spearhead hammered down, punching through teeth and bone in an explosion of crimson. Then suddenly my opponent was still, his blood staining the pearl sands like vermilion ink on fresh snow, and a great hush fell across the arena. I recovered my half-spear from Jongshoi¡¯s mangled face, and it came out with a gross sick sound, the spearhead covered in blood and pink viscera. Just as I did so, a long list of notifications shed across my inner mind. My reward formitting hot murder. You have in Jongshoi Aigiam 100 experience gained You have gained 1 Dexterity You have gained 1 Strength You have gained 1 Constitution You have gained 1 Wisdom You have gained 1 Intelligence You have gained 1 Luck You have learned Dual Wield (lvl.1) You have learned Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.1) You have learned Power Strike (lvl.2) You have learned Endure (lvl.2) You have learned Dodge (lvl.2) You have learned Polearms (lvl.2) Quest Complete: Kill Jongshoi and Survive the Blooding 200 experience gained You have reached level 5 6 unassigned attribute points 2 unassigned skill points As soon as the countdown began I assigned all of my points to Constitution. Unarmoured as I was, I needed to be able to take a hit, and an increased Constitution also granted me greater Stamina which in turn allowed me to train my other physical attributes. As for my skill points, I needed to focus on the spell that seemed to be my main advantage and put both points into Heal. Some people prefer to y their characters as a jack-of-all-trades, and the temptation was certainly there, but with pain and potential death my constantpanions, my focus was on survival. I quickly checked the changes to my character sheet, confirming them with an exhausted nod. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 5 Acolyte of Avaria Strength13 Dexterity12 Constitution25 Intelligence16 Wisdom12 Charisma8 Luck12 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.2) Endure (lvl.2) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Backstab (lvl.1) Dodge (lvl.2) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.1) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.4) Rust (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.2) Silent Casting (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 550/743 Health24/78 Stamina6/37 Mana5/11 Through all of this, an explosion of hushed silence filled the arena, as if a profane and sphemous word had been uttered in a sacred temple. Somewhere up on the stands, I turned to my left to hear the wailing of a woman, her grief smashing the fragile silence with its anguish. So piercing was herment that my eyes were drawn to her, a slender form with gold circlets woven throughout her hair, a counterpoint to the raven darkness. Even at this distance, I could see that her possibly attractive features were wracked with overwhelming sorrow. The official who presided over the event was still like a statue frozen in bronze, his face through his plumed open helm a picture of shock written in bold type. All around me I surveyed the crowd and found in my questing gaze a group of robed women, rattling bone effigies about them like a monarch¡¯s mantle. There amongst them stood Navigator i, who stared at me with her piercing gaze, a cold ck midnight ocean of daggers. The men came for me then. Sure in their stride, my fate was written now in the characters that spelled ve. Bare muscr chests glistened bronze in the afternoon light as they held long mancatcher poles and cruel barbeds. I offered no resistance as I had already yed my part. As it was in my old world, the powerless were, even in victory, never truly free. They led me away, but before I was swallowed up I noticed that one of Bogurchu¡¯s men, the pockmarked man who tried toy hands on me, was staring at me with hate-filled eyes and was trembling in powerless rage. Chapter 14: The Characters of a Slave Chapter 14: The Characters of a ve They were met on the beaches by envoys of the unknown mage-king under the banner of peace. Their decapitated heads were sent back wrapped in spider silk and sweet-scented with Aeyory blossoms, a traditional deration of total war in the east. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC It stank with the general effluence of the city and the newly enved and packed humanity. It was grief in all of its stages; some were choleric with rage, defiance a bright torch in their hearts, some catatonic with shock or grief, some wailing and crying a river of tears, and yet others had epted with serenity their new station in life. This was the beginning of my new life as a ve. Naked we were prodded, pulled, and looked over by rough men and women with licentious hands. Our dentures were closely examined for decay, our bodies for disease. Those of us still clinging to their previous lives were taught otherwise with the crack of a three-pronged leather whip. All of my life the topic of very was mostly academic. The institution had perished in its most overt forms long ago. Though still present in some areas of the globe, it had no real bearing on my sheltered andfortable Western life. Here, I was learning with my body a lesson that no history ss nor acimed documentary could ever hope to impart. Two days had passed since my victory in the arena when I was brought to this pit of human suffering. I was able to hear passing gossip about my fate. Some of my captors wagered that against all tradition I would be poisoned, or a subtle knife ced between my ribs. Others spected I was destined to be broken in the mines. Determined that I would not break, the fire of defiance was like a smoldering ember within, only to be almost snuffed out as another man screamed as burning hot orange metal met pliant skin, melting a red hot mark in the shape of a flowing wave. Still, I held onto a strange mixture of rage and hope as I was given a new quest. Like witnessing a divine revtion, I knew that the gods had yet to abandon me as I read the words. New Quest: Escape from the very Pits of Ansan I would not be a ve to mere NPCs. Non-yer characters, the designated name for the myriad of entities that gave flesh to the world of the games I had yed in the old world. A simple binary series of ones and zeroes. Here, I clung to this shallow defiance, using it to fuel my anger at the current injustice of my situation. Narcissistic fantasies crossed my mind as to what I would do when I escaped and wreaked vengeance on these vers, only for them to retreat whimpering to the back of my mind with each crack of the whip. Still, I managed to hold on to the notion. In the old world, I was free, and I would be so again. Theeliest of the men and women were lined up the right, ve brands to be reced with a tattooist''s art. They were fated to be the concubines or ythings for these cruel people. With fire or ink, we were however all still ves. I looked at the man who was going to brand me with neither the defiance that invited a whip nor the animal pain that had reduced so many before me to sobbing wrecks. Just with total apathy, as if this was a routine procedure that was a mild annoyance at best. My skill Pain Nullification allowed me this small mercy as I had made sure I was at full Health before he branded me, spending precious Mana before panic took me. They shouted at each other then, confirming if someone in their mercy had used drugs to dull my pain. I had shown no expression, which had visibly unnerved them. The man with a puzzled look on his face shouted at me to move on. Another individual applied a terrible-smelling green paste to my new open wound that made me feel like I was simultaneously being stung and salved at the same time. Next, we were moved to another open-air pen under the barking orders of the cruel vers. There we were made to strip and don new clothes consisting of simple coarse-weave linen tunics, short baggy trousers, and leather sandals with hobnailed soles. We were subdivided again with the more violent and defiant ves grouped to the left. Dark bearded guards ringed this wooden-fenced pen; silent, stern, and armored in dirty chainmail and leathers, armed with a mixture of blunt instruments from cudgels to wicked-looking maces and ils. One of the guards, a particrly brutish specimen, stood almost two meters tall, and he was equipped with a giant pole il that was studded with deadly iron. He would asionally joke with his peers about how long it would take to break the weaker-looking ones, or how he would enjoy breaking bones with his weapon that he lovingly called ¡°Wife-Beater.¡± After we were all gathered into the pen, hard earth packed from the passage of hundreds of feet, we were forced to line up in columns and rows, many of our number holding an arm to their brand still whimpering from the new pain. Not all of us were fullypliant, and the guards gleefully beat the troublemakers into some form of obedience, a few extra bloody licks of the whip thrown in for good measure. Suddenly the guards came to full attention as a corpulent fat man entered the holding area. He wore a light red fur-trimmed turban, a red ruby at its center, and clothes cut of the finest silk. At his round girth was a sash of vermillion red that strained to contain his prodigious bulk. In his face two sparkling jovial eyes were set, orbs of icy blue against a backdrop of olive-brown skin. His mouth lit up in a satisfied smile as he viewed the assembled, newly minted ves. He spoke to us then in a voice filled with genuine joy, satisfied like an old man who enjoyed a particrly wee bowel movement, so incongruous to our suffering and pain. ¡°Greetings, friends, one and all. My name is Hassan. Wee to the first days of joining the family of the Children. Life aboard will be harsh but fair. All must y their part on the great waves. There is no ce forzy deck children on this vessel. By low or high tide, work, and you will be fed. But understand thatziness will be met with the kiss of the whip. Know well then that either will give us great satisfaction!¡± the fat man guffawed as his jeweled fingers sparkled and danced in time to the heavy heaves of hisughter. The guards dutifullyughed along with him, for they had yed this part many times before. I was puzzled at their use of a mariner-like lexicon before remembering that their whole culture was based on a sea-faring people now trapped ind by world-shattering events. I brushed aside these erroneous thoughts and focused all of my attention back on the jovial fat man. ¡°¡­Work well and live content,¡± he ended, my attention having wandered for part of his speech. After Hassan¡¯s introduction, we were manacled and chained together, before being frogmarched out of the pen. I recognized where we were now that I had some time to gather my wits from the pain and mental exhaustion. Across from me, to what I presumed to be the east, a breathtaking vista of golds and reds painted an autumnal riot of color across huge gigantic trees. I stopped in my tracks to drink in some of the natural beauty, only to be pulled along once again by the cutting cruel chains around my ankles which cut through my reprieve. We began our descent then, a wide dirt track that winded ever downwards cutting through hard baster stone. Finally, we made our way past a guarded waypoint, guardszing about their posts, only to be shouted at and brought to attentionughingly by our escort. As ourrge group of ves made our way through, the sound of metalwork and industry could be heard growing ever louder. The ng of hammers striking metal, the roar of coal-fired furnaces, interspersed with the asional crack of the whip and a painful scream. The smell came next, an acrid thing that crept up on the nostrils before finally overwhelming them. They led us to a pile of tools, pickaxes, shovels, and other misceneous mining equipment. The guards then removed the manacles from our wrists before gesturing for us to quickly pick up a tool. As I bent to take up a crude mining pick, I heard a sudden war cry that rose above the sounds of the mine. A blonde bearded animal of a man, hair grown long in wild dreadlocks, screamed in fury as he brandished a pickaxe, attempting to strike down the closest guard. He was hampered by chains still attached to the other ves, dragging them along with him. A guard nonchntly, with an ease born of many years of practice, clubbed him across the back of the head with a ckjack. He fell to the ground like a great sack of meat. The mes of rebellion instantly smothered and cast a pall over the rest of the ves, stifling any thoughts of further defiance. The blonde man was unchained from his line and roughly carted off somewhere by the guards. Our group now was thoroughly cowed, some of us beaten, and all of us still suffering from our recent branding. An individual approached us then, reedy thin and stooped like a bird. Hecked the muscture and solidity of his peers, but exuded a strong bureaucratic aura. Carrying a tablet and stylus, he directed our group with a pointed and oddly shrill voice through his thin lips to the mine shaft, cut deep into the rock to our left. The noise from the industry around the mines was oppressively loud, and I could not hear his exact words, but our guards nodded to his authority. My Mana had since recovered from the winnowing, and I decided to silently cast an Identify spell on him. Degei Ganbataar - ve Overseer (Human lvl.8) Health 72/72 Stamina 27/27 Mana 12/12 Interesting, I thought to myself. The Overseer, despite being three levels higher than myself, seemed to be overall weaker except for a little bit more Mana. I deduced he must be a wily individual to have risen to his current authority. I muttered an inner curse to myself for not taking the opportunity to Identify Hassan as another point of reference. As we continued to pass by the Overseer on our way to the open mineshaft, my column was forced to a halt as Degei raised an arm, checking his tablet. The ve behind me was trembling, panicked vibrations traveling along the length of the chain that connected us like a cruel Morse code. The Overseer moved closer to me, ck eyes cruel and inquisitive, before checking something on his tablet and making some notes. ¡°No trouble from you ve, work and if the gods are kind you may live to see the end of the year,¡± he said coolly with no emotion, before turning abruptly and moving off. He waved the line to continue absent-mindedly, and I was jostled forward. A few of the ves in front of me threw me wary inquisitive nces before moving forward, pulled inexorably by the others in front. Chapter 15: The Master Dwarf Chapter 15: The Master Dwarf Of all the other races I find the dwarves closest to us the race of true men. Though slightly longer lived they are not as eternal as the elves, yet for all of that, they have always seemed to me to be more solid, more grounded in the now. What truly brings us close is our love for the fruit of the deep ground, the sparkle of gems, and the lure of gold. It is through mutual greed that we findmon pance. - Attributed to Duchess Jessalyn the Unifier of the Lost Duchy circa 240 AC I gripped my mining pick in my hands, its solid weightforting to me. Attacking the guards now would be foolish, I needed more information before I could make a move. Gripping the handle harder, I trudged on vowing that I would someday be free. Slowly we descended down the gaping maw of the mineshaft, the air cooler as we proceeded further. Wooden solid support beams held up the shaft at regr ten-meter intervals, and echoes of our footsteps and nking chains could be heard down the passage. A dull blue light shone from the ceiling of the shaft, an opal-colored gem emitting soft pulsing light. My curiosity got the better of me and I decided to cast Identify on it. Zajasite Lightstone Durability 187/240 Despite the drain to my Mana, I noticed that I didn¡¯t feel so debilitated and sluggish as thest time I had pushed myself magically. My curiosity sated for the moment, I noticed that none of the other ves even cast a nce upwards in its direction as we passed. This must be somethingmon in this world, I concluded with a mental shrug. After another ten minutes of our descent, I could hear the sound of mining picks striking stone, mixed with voices exhorting ves to greater effort. We found ourselves at a fork in the mine system, and the guards divided us again, my group funneling down into the right-hand passage. As we continued down the right fork I began to hear the clinking sound of metal hitting rock echoing up the shaft. Suddenly, there was a small tremor and fine rock dust fell from the ceiling. A light pattering of soft baster snow graced the ves in front of me as the whole line paused. After the tremors stopped we continued further down, urged on by a cracking whip. A feeling of sudden ustrophobia came over me before I forcefully pushed the feeling back down through raw mental will. The clinking sounds were stronger now and soon afterward we passed mining ves on either side of the shaft, chipping away at the soft white rock under the supervision of another group of guards. Their mining tools rising and falling, up and down in a steady cadence. Some of the older ves shoveled what looked like raw rough metal ore intorge wicker baskets, which when full were hoisted onto their backs with straps around their shoulders like primitive backpacks. A man spoke up to the ves, calling a stop to their shift, his features difficult to discern in the soft blue light. He was unshackled except for an iron cor gilt with gold trim around his neck. A preferred ve, or foreman, I thought to myself. Three-quarters of the ves then grabbed the wicker basketsden with precious ore and made their way back up where we came. The man with the gilded iron cor barked out orders for the remaining workers to instruct us in our duties, confirming that they understood with a stern questioning look. One of the ves was a little slow in his reply and the whip cracked out close to him, but not striking, more for intimidation than for inflicting pain. Those that remained came over then. A burly man who was shorter than I, squat and heavily muscled, slowly demonstrated how to use a pick to me. Grabbing it with hands wide apart, rolling it across his shoulders, then bringing his hands together as he struck the white rock. Looking closely at my mentor, I could see that he was indeed very wide, but there was not an inch of fat about his impressive physique. A long braided beard of indeterminate color fell down to near his waist, tied at the end with what looked like a small disc of metal that followed the movements of his body. ¡°Now do,¡± my mentor said slowly, as if instructing a child in the rough gutturalnguage of the Children, gesturing for me to follow his actions. I gripped my tool as he did, and brought it down against the rock, cutting deep. The wide man grunted in confirmation. We worked together then, striking almost in rhythm with one another. My stamina was gradually depleting as I toiled away, though I noticed I was not sweating as much as I used to when I had exerted myself to this degree in my previous life. After an hour or two I lost track of time in the soft blue darkness of the mines. I saw a boy going down the line passing adle of water for us to drink. Though the water was stale with a distinct coppery aftertaste, when it was finally my turn I greedily slurped on it like it was sweet ambrosia. When I had finished, the boy in a surprising turn of events whispered a thank you to me before hurrying down the line to give another worker his fill of the water. The foreman barked in a surprisingly shrill voice that echoed down through the darkness. ¡°Break now! For only two turns of the ss!¡± he eximed before drinking from a small hip sk at his waist that drew stares of envy from the other ves. I took this as an invitation to sit down on the cool rock floor,ying my tool by my side, my hands chafing from the strenuous activity. My stamina had recovered a little, and I looked at the dwarf who had now worked a double shift. I decided to speak to him. ¡°Would you¡­¡± I drew another shallow breath, ¡°mind telling me your name?¡± I asked nervously in the darkness. ¡°Manner¡¯s be to introduce yourself before asking for someone¡¯s name,¡± he replied brusquely, eyes pointedly avoiding me before he sighed through gritted teeth. ¡°Though I reckon manner¡¯s be different in thends of men. Name¡¯s Durhit Coal of the Beacon Mountains. Your own?¡± He spoke thest with a raised inflection, still refusing to make eye contact with me. ¡®Thends of men?¡¯ I wonder what he meant by that. I was caught a little off guard before forcing myself to think about his question. My subconscious mind was almost able to grasp my old name, but then hit a dead end when I focused on it. Grasping at straws, I remembered my moniker in this world. ¡°Gilgamesh of Uruk,¡± I said haltingly. The unfamiliarity of my new name was a strange taste to my tongue. ¡°Never heard of an Uruk,¡± he raised a bushy eyebrow in either feigned surprise or suspicion. ¡°Sounds too foreign for my liking, you''re from far away from here little manling? Across the seas perhaps?¡± ¡°Farther than you could ever imagine. Across a sea of stars,¡± I replied, trying my best to sound mysterious and poetic. His face contorted at this, attempting to make sense of my words before we were interrupted. ¡°Back to work, dogs!¡± The wordscked anger, more said out of rote. Lines repeated so many times they had lost most of their bite. The crack of the whip that soon followed however did not. We continued our work in silence. My stamina grew very low and my arms felt like lead weights when I was granted a notification for my forced efforts. I wasn¡¯t too thrilled by gaining the Mining skill, but an increase in Strength was always wee. You have learned Mining You have gained 1 Strength The foreman called for the end of our shift in an almost high soprano, and our group began to gather the ore in the wicker baskets before starting our march out of the mines. At the previous fork, we met the other group and formed a long line up the shaft, our footsteps echoing in the soft blue darkness. We continued upwards and finally reached the entrance, the cool night air a balm for our exhaustion. The sound of the forges and the smelters had grown somewhat dimmer than during the day but had not stilledpletely. A ve stumbled at the entrance, exhaustion finally taking him, but he was helped along by his fellows. A show of a blossoming camaraderie from the shared forcedbor. My first shift as a ve had beenpleted. Chapter 16: New Lodgings Chapter 16: New Lodgings The great Arks, living ships of near-indestructible magical witchwood, made excellent time across the water, their massive bulk now pushed and pulled by the gigantic leviathans that made the deep ces of the sea their home. Great cheers were raised when the ships madendfall on the western continent. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC Half a day of gruelingbor had been an exhausting, yet strangely rxing experience. There in the mine, it was just my pick and I, waging a never-ending war against the rock. It reminded me of the time when I washed dishes for a summer job; the dirty tes heaped with leftover delectables, more arriving at an increasing pace throughout the night until finally, it was closing time. Muscle memory took over, and the mind was free to think of other things. The pull of the chain from the line snapped me from my reverie of the past, my hobbled feet almost stumbling as we were led to our next destination. The heavy ore-filled wicker basket¡¯s straps cut painfully into my shoulders as we moved. Passing by a sorting area, we deposited the load as instructed, before filing off and continuing our weary march. We arrived at our final destination, apound surrounded by tall high walls of smooth quarried stone. A single gate led into the ce, and we were herded through like tired cattle after a long day of pasture. On our left, as we entered the walled ve pens, flowing open water ran across a rough cut line in the stone floor. It rushed fast like a mountain stream, before disappearing into a wide steel grate running into the ground. We passed elderly ves of both sexes stooped and hunched, washing clothes and other misceny, eyes held low as the guards passed. We were corralled into another area and gave up our various tools to some official-looking guards, who counted and wrote on tablets as we handed them in. Another group of cruel-eyed guards took us to another area with ves in various states of undress, washing in the cool open air with cupped hands along a shallow stream that flowed into a wide iron grate. ¡°Wash here. Relieve yourself down by the grate,¡± a guard with arge pole il instructed simply, voice bestial in its implied promise of danger. It appeared that my captors had some idea of the importance of hygiene in efficiently maintaining a ve poption. Disease could run rampant if at least basic levels of cleanliness were not observed. Here, even at the bottom rung of society, a pecking order was established. Those more belligerent or strong took a ce near the source of the flowing water, while others made do further downstream with the dirtier remnants. My dder almost painfully swollen, I made to go down to the grate to relieve myself. After fulfilling my bodily needs, I moved back further upstream to a ce with cleaner water, before a huge block of a man shoved me back with a grunt. I had to tilt my neck upwards to first see blonde hair hung in loose locks, dripping water, a chiseled jaw, and an aquiline nose set in a face that looked like it was carved from hard stone. Cold blue eyes like twin ciers dared me to try again. ¡°I am first to wash,¡± he drawled in a low voice, almost like a warning growl from a bear. He raised a fist at me before turning away and going down to the water to bathe, cocky, slow, and sure in his arrogant stride. The sudden threat of violence caused a spike of adrenaline, and my face flushed with anger. I checked my Status preparing to reply in turn with violence, when a familiar gravelly voice piped behind me, ¡°Don¡¯t mind himd. Just wait your turn, we¡¯ll all get there eventually. Guards will beat you twice as hard if they see you fighting here.¡± Turning around I recognized the wide frame of Durhit, his eyes dull with exhaustion. I was in no shape to enterbat anyway, and the threat of punishment kept me in check for all but a split second. I was about to thank him for his sage advice, but something gnawed at me. A seed of violence that was born in the arena. Having faced bullies before, I felt it necessary to show at least some form of resistance. It wasn¡¯t about who got to clean themselves first anymore. If I epted this treatment, I would be epting it for the rest of my time here. I had had enough of it in my old world, I wouldn¡¯t have it here. Absently, I also noticed that my recent gain in Strength made my Health and Stamina go up by a small increment, and that I had gained a modest amount of experience from toil in the mines. Health58/80 Stamina24/38 Mana1/11 I pushed through some of the waiting ves, finding my target washing himself. At first, I only intended to prove that I was not so easily cowed, but somehow his vulnerability as he lowered his face to the water to wash inspired something much darker in me. I am no expert of the martial arts, having only learned a little karate as a teenager at the local sports center for a few summers. I am not usually violent by nature. However, my sudden transportation, the constant smorgasbord of pain just to survive, the constant threat of death, and my recently awarded victory at the arena unlocked something I think that all of us possess deep inside. I threw a punch with all of my weight and cold-blooded anger as I sshed into the water, instinctually aiming for the space just above the nape of his neck. I connected with a meaty wallop with a closed fist full of rage. By some lucky star, the titan of a man fell into the water stunned. Falling on top of him, I grabbed his head and kept smashing it against the cold hard stone with my hands. The water began to blossom crimson and the ves parted away from me like Moses before the Red Sea, fear etched in their stupid bovine eyes. They looked at me like I was some sort of wild animal. I got up then quietly, walking a bit further from the spreading crimson to wash my face in cleaner waters. After sshing my face a few times, notifications shed across my inner vision and I couldn¡¯t help butugh. It seemed that my karate sses had paid off, and a green belt was about a level three in this world in terms of skill. You have in a Human 240 experience gained You have learned Backstab (lvl.2) You have learned unarmed Combat You have learned unarmed Combat (lvl.1) You have learned unarmed Combat (lvl.2) You have learned unarmed Combat (lvl.3) You have learned Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) You have gained 1 Strength You have gained 1 Dexterity You have gained 1 Luck You have reached level 6 3 unassigned attribute points 1 unassigned skill point Something inside of me probably broke then as I keptughing at the pure absurdity of my new reality. This was a world that rewarded violence and death. If this wasn¡¯t a game then what was? The notifications confirmed it; I had killed a no-name human NPC and was rewarded for it. The guards came for me then, a new cautious respect in their eyes, with long poled man catchers and their wicked whips. I was mentally exhausted. My pent-up anger and frustration were fully spent in my cathartic explosion of violence, so raising my hands in the universal sign of surrender I epted my fate. I made sure to hurriedly increase just my Strength and my Heal spell as they closed in. They beat me after they captured me, expressionless in their discipline. Like good workmen, they went about their task diligently, going over me with a professional¡¯s effortless rhythm from a task practiced so many times it had be rote. I was dragged to another cell, raised high up on chains attached to my manacled wrists. There, with my Health already quite low, I was forced to ept the touch of thesh. Many times I thought the pain was too great and I felt myself sinking to the blessed refuge of unconsciousness. However, they were experts of their craft and would not allow me to fall into insensibility, sshing me with water or targeting a particrly sensitive nerve with their cruel irons. Finally after what seemed like an eternity of suffering, my throat hoarse with long-running screams, they left me to welter in the dark. As some sort of constion prize I was given a new notification, which caused another round of whimpered sobbing. You have gained 1 Constitution Chapter 17: Discipline & Punishment Chapter 17: Discipline & Punishment When the ever-creeping ice drifts further to the south it is often called the ¡®Time of Trials¡¯ by the people of the North. The greater cold would force these fearsome tribes to be more bellicose, raiding their neighbors in a bid to maintain their power and prosperity. When a tribe seeds in a raid the barbarians would sell their broken enemies into bondage, if they fail their ¡®excess¡¯ children are sold in their stead. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 A.C A shockingly cold ssh hit across my bruised and battered body, waking me from exhausted slumber. My eyes were heavy and refused to open until a p stung across my left cheek. Arge iron cor was fitted around my neck, and through lidded eyes, I saw Degei the Overseer looking down his nose at me like I was some sort of irritant. Two tall guards carrying cudgels nked him, adding to his aura of authority. Sighing, the weedy man exined my new situation. ¡°You are the most troublesome bilge-rat of an ounder. That Nord you killed was a good worker, and it will reflect poorly on our quotas. Good ves are hard to rece!¡± Degei punctuated by pping me lightly like an owner disciplining a dog, ¡°Still he was a bit of a troublemaker, but I digress. A survivor of the winnowing, I knew you would give me a full of troubles, but on your first day!¡± he cried, exasperated. He took my silence for acknowledgment and continued in his educated voice, ¡°This is a witchbound ve cor. You cause trouble, you will feel pain. You bezy, you will feel greater pain. You escape, you will feel agony until our Waveriders collect you. You cause violence to a free man, you die.¡± With this, he tilted my head and forced a red liquid down my throat from a thin ss vial. The taste was somewhere between old socks and rotten cheese, with a surprisingly sweet undertone of cherry. I half gagged down the foul concoction. My Health, which had been hovering around fourteen, rose by twenty points as I felt a different, yet somehow familiar, warmth diffuse through my body. I realized I was being force-fed a healing potion. If this world was a game, then it really was the work of a truly sick creator. Degei raised the rest of the vial to my lips and I unconsciously moved my face away from it. He pped me again before exining slowly in a voice as cold and uncaring as a winter day, ¡°These are valuable. Spill a single drop and I will have you beaten to within an inch of your life.¡± He pronounced each syble with the finality of a prophet¡¯sst words. My eyes grew wide in fear and I forced myself to acquiesce, nodding now in understanding. The taste was of course horrible, and I almost coughed and gagged, but this time I weed the warmth that straightened my limbs and healed broken muscles and bones. But it did nothing for my splintered soul. ¡°Good little bilge-rat,¡± he remarked, patting me across the cheek in some form of twisted affection. A smile almost unconsciously formed across my face, such was my reaction to any show of positive emotion in this new world, however distorted. Something was definitely wrong with me, and I fought down the burgeoning feeling of gratitude. The rebellious part of myself, that part that had always hated the skewed system, refused to give in to the seeds of a pernicious, newly forming Stockholm Syndrome. While looking down to avoid meeting his eyes, wishing to hide the glimmer of rebellion they held, I quickly looked over my Status and character sheet. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 6 Acolyte of Avaria Strength18 Dexterity13 Constitution26 Intelligence16 Wisdom12 Charisma8 Luck13 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.2) Endure (lvl.2) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.2) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.1) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.1) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) Ruse (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.2) Silent Casting (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 810/991 Health54/105 Stamina12/41 Mana6/11 The healing potions had raised my Health to just over half, though my Stamina was still perilously low, and I could feel tiredness weighing my limbs. I had the Mana for a healing spell, but something in my gut told me that it would not be wise to cast a healing spell in front of Degei, Silent Casting skill or not. The Overseer checked over my naked form, nodding at the requisite level of violence my torturers used. His guard nked him, solid and silent like two stone sentinels. Patting my head like a good broken dog, he turned around and indicated to follow as his guards left the cell, both of them giving me looks that promised violence on a whim. I lifted a manacled hand to shield myself from the light of two almost smokeless torches. Degei gave me a satisfied smile, like an owner that had trained a pet to do a new trick, and pointed off down the ways to a group of ves huddled on the packed earth eating their evening repast. ¡°Go, ounder. Eat your meal. Tomorrow you will be working double shift, no triple shift!¡± his eyes lighting up with glee before continuing, ¡°Enjoy your new home and be a good boy!¡± Still shackled at the hands and hobbled, I slowly made my way to the gathering, my escort following me halfway. Eyes downcast, the ves would asionally steal hesitant nces in my direction, before surreptitiously continuing with their meals. A small youth, however, held my eyes for longer than the others. A conflict of warring emotions yed about his features as he surveyed me, before snorting and continuing to gobble down his meal. I made my way to a small trestle table stacked half full with crude chipped earthenware bowls and rough wooden spoons. A cauldron filled with a thick gruel-like paste, overseen by a world-weary old crone of a woman, gave the impression of a witch boiling up a new concoction. Nheless, my stomach rumbled and the cauldron¡¯s contents gave off a most inviting smell. Grabbing a bowl and spoon, I shuffled forward and gave the old woman a greeting. ¡°Good day to you madam,¡± I said in a neutral, polite voice. I was met with a cackle, which only solidified my original impression of her. ¡°Not a madam. Just little old Aditi,¡± she somehow managed to utter between cackles, ¡°you¡¯re thed they speak of who survived the winnowing and did that giant Harun in for looking at you funny, they say. Here give me your bowl if you be wanting feeding. Give you a little extra for cutting the thread of one of the little masters.¡± I handed her my bowl, a little hesitant, timidly asking, ¡°Why am I even still alive?¡± Grunting now, ¡°They can¡¯t kill you boy. Least, not directly anyways by their own hands. You sure ain¡¯t made any friends though, that young pup was probably someone¡¯s get. Still, you survived the trial on the sands. In their reckoning, you are now a blooded warrior and member of their tribe,¡± she cackled before continuing, ¡°A lifetime in the mine will break you. Seen it too many times before. The masters be a practical lot, you¡¯ll be paying the blood price one way or another,¡± she punctuated her exnation by dolloping twodles of slop into my bowl, before spitting a huge wad of phlegm into the fire. ¡°Thank you for the food,¡± I humbly replied, the words sticking a little in my throat at the simple disy ofmon human kindness. I went to sit alone in a quiet corner. Sitting cross-legged, I made sure to eat slowly. I had experienced extreme hunger once before already. This would give my digestion a chance to adjust to the new food. My mind wandered as I ate, considering the potential bacteria and other biological dangers just existing in this new world posed. But between my magic, the recent potion, and my rtively high Constitution, I had yet to feel any of the ill effects from this world¡¯s smaller denizens. Before I knew it, and despite trying to eat slowly, I had finished my crude yet filling meal. A dozen meters or so away, a thin streamlet flowed across a crack in the rock before running down into a grate, simr to what I had seen when I entered thepound. I bent down to wash my earthenware bowl and wooden spoon with my hands, before noticing a slightly familiar face, dark eyes looking intently at me. ¡°Did you really kill Harun?¡± the young boy said in a voice with quiet childish determination. Blinking a few times at the sudden question, I looked up at him quizzically, surprise etched into the lines of my face. ¡°Harun the Iron, they say you killed him because you''re a murderer. That they put the ve mark on you for killing one of your own, a kinyer. They say you killed him because you think that even here in pens you are still a master,¡± the boy went on like a judge reading out a sentence, already convinced of his own justice. So surprised was I by how irresponsible rumor had twisted the truth, I could offer no solid defense to his words. The boy noticed the dawning understanding in my eye and mistook it for eptance of his words. This made his chin quiver slightly with repressed emotion as he continued relentlessly. ¡°My name is Gunne son of Guug and I will have my vengeance,¡± he said looking me in the eyes, fists clenched in anger. An apology that was rising as an automatic reflex reaction was suddenly stymied by his pronouncement of revenge. This whole world had offered enough suffering and pain for three lifetimes, and the only kindness I had received so far was from some sort of cooking witch who hated our masters more than she hated me. What should have been guilt was reced by anger and scorn. ¡°He died like a sow in heat being plowed by horse,¡± I spat out, making sure to thread disdain through my words. Though somewhat random, the collection of insults felt right and inventive in this context. ¡°I am Gilgamesh and you¡¯ll die as he did, sniveling and crying for thefort of your mother. You are nothing but an N¡­P¡­C¡­¡± I made sure to stress thest deliberately and slowly,ced with what icy threat I could muster, though I doubted he understood the meaning. Slowly rising, I was d to notice that his eyes had widened a little in fear. Standing, I looked at him, seeing now nothing but a scared boy who had dared challenge a killer. He almost fell back then as he turned to run, some of the other ves casting a few nces in our direction and whispering among themselves. A seed of darkness had been nted within me then. It had felt satisfying to have sown fear and not been subjected to it. Empowering even, to hold power over someone weaker than myself. For a moment it had washed away the memories of the torment that I had suffered. Looking around at the other ves, I made sure to hold their eyes just long enough to show strength, but not long enough to provoke a challenge. I returned to finish my chore. Once done, I moved slowly back towards Adita and handed her my now clean utensils, to which she gave me a short nod of appreciation. The others sensing that there would be no simr entertainment this night followed suit before slowly drifting off towards a crude t-roofed building. It resembled the sort of stable for housing arge number of animals. A single wooden entrance and crude shutters were the only decoration on its front facade. Following a herd instinct, I made my way to the tail end and apanied them inside. It was dark inside with theck of lighting, but I could still perceive crude wooden pallets at certain intervals on a hard-packed earthen floor. Some of the ves had already imed their spots, but I hazarded a rough guess that there was at least one free space today. I settled down on a simple crude pallet a little ways from the corner. Remembering that I had enough Mana for healing, I took the time to cast Heal silently amid the tulence, snores, and myriad noises that humans make in a packed space in close proximity to one another. Grinning to myself, I noticed that the strength of my spell had increased significantly and was now healing me for just over a third of my total Health. Health90/105 Stamina22/41 Mana1/11 This reaffirmed my decision to focus my points instead of trying to be a jack-of-all-trades. While I began to n for my near future, exhaustion stole upon me and I fell into a deep and troubled sleep. At least tonight I would hopefully know some measure of peace. Chapter 18: The Grind Chapter 18: The Grind Spies from the alliance and divine scrying showed that the mage-king was actually no king at all. In fact, he was seen to be more of a Steward and Servant of the people and was in fact chosen by the majority of them which was a concept that was so alien and foreign to the members of the alliance. The system of government was seen as preposterous for who would ever in their right mind allow themon man to dictate the rules of power above their station? - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC Dark things had gued my dreams, stalking me throughout my imagination. Dark sharp things that pierced, stabbed, or bludgeoned as theyughed cruelly. Dark tentacled things whispered raspy sweet promises as they caressed my cheek, before wrapping around my neck and wringing the life out of me as they plunged down my throat. Several times I had awoken during the night, limbs iling against invisible assants before finally slipping into a deeper slumber. A worker inadvertently banging against my wooden pallet raised me from thest vestiges of my unsettled sleep. The ves moved in silence, like well-trained soldiers about to embark on a dawn raid. Looking out at the open wooden entrance, still dark before the first light of rosy dawn, I saw that they had begun to arrange themselves into passably neat columns and rows under the watchful eyes of our overseers. I hurriedly followed suit, not wishing to draw the ire of our masters, or the promised pain of my new cor. As I got up, I noticed a few of the insect-like creatures with double thoraxes andrge mandibles that I had seen before scuttle into safety from the stampede of humanity into various holes and corners. There was at least one positive; as I started to make my way outside I noticed that despite my disturbed sleep, I had fully regenerated all of my Status points. Health105/105 Stamina41/41 Mana11/11 Falling into line, our ve drivers exhorted the benefits of hard work and the promise of pain to thezy among us. However, theycked the oratory skill and finesse of Hassan. The corpulent fat man truly had a charismatic voice. Even though we had been quite literally part of his captive audience, I had found my attention drawn to him when he spoke. Listening to them with only half an ear, I decided to cast Identify on my new cor. Iron ve Cor of Obedience Durability 400/400 Something about the name of my ve cor niggled against my subconscious as we marched down into the mine shafts to repeat the drudgery. During the day, while others along my line were rotated out and allowed a reprieve, I was forced to keep on working. I met Durhit again during myst shift, but I was so exhausted that I could barely manage a simple grunt in greeting. Such was my determination to resist the promised pain from the cor, I veritably assaulted the white rock. Throughout the day I had carved great chunks from it with my growing Strength. I had made progress, gaining a single point in both Constitution and Strength. Fear had pushed me so hard, and so good was my conditioning, that I had lost a few points of Health as I had bottomed out my Stamina several times through mybors from dawn till dusk. Though I did not make gains in Mining, which I didn¡¯t care much for anyway, I still earned a nominal amount of experience for my level. Taking my evening meal, Adita made sure to stack my bowl full. I sat quietly in a secluded corner. No one looked at me, and I took the time to review my character sheet. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 6 Acolyte of Avaria Strength19 Dexterity13 Constitution27 Intelligence16 Wisdom12 Charisma8 Luck13 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.2) Endure (lvl.2) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.2) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.1) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.1) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) Rust (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.2) Silent Casting (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 830/991 Health87/109 Stamina7/43 Mana10/11 Good, I thought to myself. The increases in Health and Stamina were always wee. Now that I was finally allowed a moment¡¯s respite, my limbs felt like they weighed of solid lead. As I watched the ves go about their evening meal and chat among themselves, I heard anguage that sounded simr to the one Navigator i first used when she was interviewing me. It was much more musical and lilting, like a sing-song version of a Latinnguage. I sat back and projected a few Identify spells at the words, increasing my knowledge with every cast. I stopped after the ninth spell, unwilling to push myself to undergo what I had begun to term as ¡®Mana Sickness.¡¯ Through my spells I gained a very crude understanding of thenguage, attaining some very basic knowledge of its grammar structure. In my musings, I briefly touched my Iron ve Cor of Obedience with a distracted finger, before I was met with a sharp stab of pain that ran along my spine and through my limbs like wild unbridled lightning. I almost wretched up my evening meal, but my instinct to survive forced me to keep it down through eyes filled with tears. I could see that my Health had fallen by two points, which I felt waspletely disproportionate to the agony I had been inflicted with. The message was clear; I was not to touch the Iron ve Cor of Obedience. Iron ve Cor¡­the name of the heavy yoke around my neck stirred something in the depths of my mind. However, like a falling leaf that escapes your grasp the harder you try to catch it, the connection still eluded me. Shaking my head in resignation, I washed my bowl and spoon in the running water. As I took a drink, I spied a familiar sight. The fierce-looking wildman with a cor like my own, looking like some sort of half-tamed animal was sitting down a ways from me. The man from our ve indoctrination. The man who had dared to resist. Blonde dreadlocks hung down across his neck like a lion¡¯s mane. His eyes were like smoldering blue coals filled with icy fire. They locked for a moment with mine before pointing at the heavy iron cor around his neck. I moved across, feeling somehow that we were kindred spirits. The wildman rose and pped me on the back as I came closer, a mischievous smile on his face. He guffawed as he greeted me, ¡°You are a troublemaker! The yoke does not sit so lightly about your neck, no? I am Kidu the Raider of the Three Bears n.¡± Pointing at his left breast, ¡°Like you here, I am not a ve,¡± he stated in a loud voice, almost as a challenge to the other gathered ves. Someone in the back jeered, ¡°You have a ve brand just like the rest of us your highness, just with a bit of extra heavy jewelry!¡± Kidu scoffed, ¡°Come let us ignore these sheep. Let us talk like men. How did youe to be in this thrice-cursed hell hole?¡± he inquired, his inflection growling a little towards the end. I told him my name and my meeting with Avaria, detailing my encounters with the dark things beyond the void. The need to spill the emotions that had bottled up inside me simply overwhelmed any and all of my inhibitions. In some part of my logical mind, I knew it was the wrong choice, but logic is merely emotion¡¯s vassal. For some reason, I chose not to disclose that I was from another worldpletely, instead stating that I hadpletely lost my memories before the shrine. He listened, nodding as if affirming some pre-held supposition. ¡°You are one of the god-touched. Some in my tribe go into the god madness, limbs shake and they drool like mad dogs, though different to the Berserk. They are honored among our people. Your gift must have been too great, your tribe offered you to Vari, chooser of the in, in some form of appeasement.¡± He spoke these words in thoughtful seriousness, incongruous to his wild appearance. He must have mistaken the look of confusion that crossed my face as sadness for he tried to brighten my mood. ¡°You missed your chance to fight the endless battle in the heavens my friend! But, I am fortunate to make your acquaintance Gilgamesh of Uruk. Perhaps with a little divine guidance, we may yet make our way out of our predicament, yes?¡± he said more as a statement than a question as he pped me on the back in encouragement. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s get out of this thrice-cursed hell hole. One way or another,¡± I replied, nodding in agreement. A few ves nearby shook their heads in pity and sympathy. No doubt we were not the first to make such a vow. ¡°Do you know anything about levels?¡± I asked him as nonchntly as possible. ¡°Levels?¡± his eyebrows furrowing in thought, ¡°like how high something is?¡± ¡°No no, to determine one¡¯s strength. Experience points and such? How do you get more skillful or stronger?¡± I quizzed him, determined to get some answers. ¡°Friend, truly you must be god-touched. I know no such thing of levels, but there are ranks in the armies of men and so forth. Points of experience, I guess as one practices at some things you will get better at it,¡± he replied earnestly, not truly understanding the line of my questioning. I continued to quiz him about his past in the stolen moments before we were herded off to sleep. The locals did not know the ¡®system¡¯ that was responsible for my growth, though I did glean that they were perhaps affected by it. He told me that some warriors of his n appeared to grow physically stronger as they continued to prove themselves on the battlefield or in sessful hunts. ording to my new friend, older beasts and creatures grew stronger too. Kidu spoke of monstrous ice drakes of the frozen north that became fiercer and more malevolent with each passing year, preying on their herds before a team of determined hunters or plucky adventurers culled them. I took note that perhaps the NPCs of this world had more organic growth in their strength and development, since our conversation highlighted they had no idea about the ¡®system¡¯ of the game. I, on the other hand, could to a degree guide my own progress as I leveled up. This would be of great advantage as I hopefully grew in power. Going through the doors to the ve stables, we chose pallets next to each other, some form of security against the other true ves. Exhausted, I slept. I awoke sometime in the night gued once again by dreams of dark things that stalked. Thinking of Kidu and his fantastical homnd, the frozen north, I was half tempted to see if he was also awake, only to be interrupted by the sound of two creatures trying to find what sce they could in the night. Finally, their rut finished and I was once again lulled into thend of dark dreams. The next day found us much as the previous day. The wildman and I, obvious troublemakers, were separated into different teams. Like the previous day after a rest, I had regained all of my Status points. Also, I was given a new notification that concentrated efforts at trying to sleep had given me an increase in Rest, raising it to level two. Falling into line, I toiled in the light blue gloom of the mines. In my second shift Durhit also worked next to me. While I was hacking away at the white stone with my crude mining pickaxe with the single-mindedness of a machine, Durhit paused in hisbors for a moment and talked to me while our whip-carrying minders looked the other way. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a fellow dwarf, let alone a human like you, hack away at the stone like that. Have you made an enemy of Mother Earth?¡± he said behind his bushy beard, straining between each breath. Curious at his use of the word dwarf and with Mana to spare, I decided to cast an Identify spell his way, wishing to sate my idle curiosity. Durhit Coal - Sapper (Dwarf lvl.14) Health 273/280 Stamina 38/50 Mana 11/11 Striking the baster rock, I grunted before answering, raising the tool above my head, ¡°This is ¡®grinding¡¯ sir dwarf, I need to build up my Strength if I am to ever escape.¡± Durhit had a prodigious amount of Health, truly formidable, probably due to his dwarven Constitution. Dwarves always were famously hardy in modern fantasy depictions, and it was little surprise to me that this paradigm applied to this world too. I half-heartedly concluded that the Sapper ss alongside his name exined his economical strikes against the rock. I had already burned through more than half of my own Stamina as I pounded furiously at the stone. Durhit pretended to understand my response, no doubt thinking I was perhaps a little touched in the head. Come to think of it, an infection caused by the myriad of wounds I had suffered and my questionable diet may well have caused a riot within my body and addled my mind. I mentally shrugged to myself, as I rolled my shoulders. Perhaps this was all just a fever dream? This line of thinking would produce no real answers, so I focused back on my work, striking out against my enemy the baster stone. Mimicking the dwarf, I raised my pickaxe slower and used more of the tool¡¯s weight than my own muscle when striking. Subconsciously, an unspoken bond was formed between us as we toiled under a blue glow. Just as Durhit was relieved of his shift, I was rewarded with a notification. You have learned Hammers You have learned Mining (lvl.2) You have gained 1 Strength Humming a catchy tune from my own world between strokes to break up the monotony, I continued my assault on the rock. Some of the ves around me took up the tune before they were silenced by the crack of whips on pliant flesh. The dwarf noticed my smile, however, and just shook his head at my antics as he slung his pickaxe over his shoulder and left. I continued to hum the tune, albeit under my breath, in discreet defiance. Like Kidu, I was not a ve in my heart. Chapter 19: Talk of the Past Chapter 19: Talk of the Past Dragonroot harvested in the depths of the most primal forests is jealousy guarded by the great Jaderock bees. ording to the observations of the researchers of Quas, these giant bees need the poison produced by the flowers to raise one of their number to a new queen. Dragonroot, also known as the Widow¡¯s Mercy, is much sought after in many alchemical concoctions. ording to legend the dragon yers of old coated their weapons in a paste made from the root to y their scaly foes. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 A.C When finally my shifts were over, the exhaustion I felt could still not quite dampen my good spirits. I made sure to hide my smile from the guards who looked at me as if I was deranged, and I made sure to smile at each ve who met my eyes too. Some of the poor ves even hesitantly smiled back. ¡°You look to be in good spirits boy, did something good happen in those godforsaken mines? Maybe you poked about in a different shaft!¡± Adita jibed jovially,ughing at her own crude joke. ¡°No, no madam Adita. Nothing of that nature, but I see that this evening¡¯s meal looks as delicious as ever,¡± I replied adroitly, my good spirits lighting my eyes. ¡°Told you I¡¯m not a madam, not one of those high-nobility types, and ttery will get you nowhere!¡± she cackled as she dolloped an extra portion into my bowl. ¡°Old Monta caught himself a little delicious Rockcrab by the Latifundium, threw that in today.¡± You have gained 1 Charisma I smiled knowingly, taking my bowl filled to the brim with the questionable stew. The gain in Charisma was extraneous to my current dire circumstance. My mind was more focused on the fact that the game¡¯s internal logic had tranted Adita¡¯s words into the ancient Roman word for ve quarters. An oddity that I puzzled over as I began eating my evening meal. Soon a familiar hulking manacled shape hobbled over. I rose and sped his arm at the elbow, which he returned in greetings. ¡°Wee, Kidu the Raider,¡± I grinned up at him, my neck having to tilt upwards to meet his cold blue eyes. ¡°And you, Gilgamesh of Uruk,¡± he chortled, settling his bulk down cross-legged on the hard-packed earth. ¡°I have questions¡­¡± I began hesitantly. ¡°Of course you do, god-touched, as long as we do not debate Quassian philosophy I wee them. Perhaps through the answering, you will gain a little of your past,¡± he said with sympathy coloring his voice as we both sat. We talked for a while. I confirmed that he truly had no knowledge of the strange mental script which I dubbed the ¡®UI¡¯ or ¡®User Interface,¡¯ one that apparently only I could see. He viewed my interpretation of the UI¡¯s messages as some form ofmunication from the divine. I also learned from Kidu that thenguage of the Children of the Tides was simply called ¡®Trade¡¯ and that the gutturalnguage was almost the lingua franca for this region. He considered my pronunciation of Trade to be above average; my grasp of the spokennguage had clearly grown by leaps and bounds. The singsongnguage I had some experience with was called ¡®High Quassian,¡¯ and was also spoken by the desert people of the south. In time therge man told me his tale. I found out that Kidu was from the far frozen north. His tribe was a nomadic people that hunted a massive creature called the Cronir. The Cronir traveled across the tundra in vast herds, in the manner of caribou, and were sometimes preyed upon by vicious ice drakes. His tribe had lost several skirmishes, with the allocation of hunting rights to rival tribes further weakening them. The Windspeakers of his tribe, a group of the elderly and the wise who kept the oral traditions of the Three Bears, advised the chief to send a raiding party to the South. The chief sent Kidu, who even then had a reputation for being a belligerent troublemaker, along with a few other men to form a party and travel south as raiders. The leader had nned for them to bring exotic riches from the warm verdantnds back home so that they could trade for favors from other tribes. However, in a frontier town near the frozen wastes, they had been duped by shady characters in the local drinking den promising them the location of a rich caravan that was scheduled to pass through. Instead of a profitable raid, they were assaulted in the night in their drunken stupor, stripped of their weapons, and sold into very to the said caravan. Kidu had been sold and traded from master to master due to his fractious and violent nature. Eventually, he had changed so many hands that he had finally made it to Ansan, the jewel of the grass sea of the Grieving Lands and a gateway to the Wilds. Spying Durhit with a group of tired-looking men, I called him over. His face at a distance looked like he had just swallowed a sour plum as he made his way over. Suspicion warred with a need to make a connection across his bearded face. In the end, despite initial reluctance, the need to find some form of sce won. ¡°Be a little quieter manling, the guards here be sensitive to those with loud tongues,¡± grumbled the dwarf. I held my hands up in mock acquiescence, a grin still on my face. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a human, yes dwarves aplenty, but never a human so happy pounding away at rock. I swear he is a little queer in the head,¡± he grumbled again. ¡°Then you have probably never heard of the gold rush,¡± I replied. The dwarf¡¯s eyes almostically widened at my mention of gold. ¡°Men would cross oceans, ins, and deserts in their search of gold,¡± I tried to intone as wisely as possible. ¡°Aye that, it is well known that man¡¯s greed of gold can rival even a dwarven Deeptaker¡¯s,¡± Durhit nodded sagely into his bowl, his long beard almost brushing into the stew. ¡°I know you are god-touched, but at times you sound like my tribe¡¯s Windspeakers, Gilgamesh of Uruk. Are you a schr?¡± interjected the wildman, his voice surprisingly serious in its earnestness. A bittersweet smile formed on my face, shaking my head as the lie found its way to my lips, ¡°No, Kidu of the Three Bears, though I have heard a few things here and there.¡± Already treading on dangerous ground with my mention of the California gold rush, I was wary that continuing the line of thought would lead me to share more about my origins. ¡°Your tribe will enjoy many good years with their offering, to give not only a god-touched but also a man wiser than his years to the Chooser of the in,¡± he nodded, epting my lie totally. ¡°How about you, mysterious manling, what brought you here to the great Ansan?¡± the dwarf inquired, bushy eyebrows raising a fraction in interest. Thankfully Kidu interjected, eager to tell my story to the dwarf, with just a little bit of joy in the telling. He embellished little, except for my fight in the arena. ording to the savage-looking man, instead of killing a green and untested youth, I had in a scarred seasoned warrior, his de pitted with the sh of many battles. ¡°...And what brings a stone-eater so far from your mountain halls?¡± the wildman finished finally with a question. The dwarf¡¯s face scrunched in irritation before looking down troubled, as if trying to retrieve the memory from the ground itself. In time, he too told his tale, ¡°Bunch ofds and I signed as mercenaries for the manling Lord Hayles against one of his neighbors, the Lord Farilse. Something about an exorbitant port tax that one of Haylebury''s ships refused to pay for. This led to the City Lord Farilse seizing his vessel, the Pride of Iron, that was berthed.¡± Something ticked the back of my mind with the ship¡¯s name, but I quickly turned my attention back to the dwarf¡¯s tale. ¡°The port of Seaguard had strong high walls and even stronger coastal defenses, and little Lord Hayles decided he needed a bit of dwarven ingenuity to do something about the defenses. A messy affair if there ever was one.¡± He spat on the ground before continuing, ¡°Good rights to pige and steady coin are a siren song to any good dwarf worth his ore and we marched under Haylebury¡¯s banner with the baggage train. But, Farilse was a cunning one, and he hired mercenaries of his own. Hateful pointy-eared scum, Dark Elves, quiet like shadow fell upon the baggage train near, gutting the sentries and picket lines with not so much a sound. My own mate Kabruk was taken down right before my eyes, one of their cursed ck des across his throat as he tried to raise the rm. I gave as good a reckoning as any of the Stoneborn, and I perhaps got a few of them with my trusty hammer. Like hitting leaves and twigs those Dark Elves are. They faded away like morning mist just as the first light hit, and the damage they had done was great. They had hit our poor Girabis, poor blundering beasts, and just like that our whole venture was hamstrung. A curse of ash and ruin on the sharp ears!¡± Durhit continued, ¡°Farilse never faced us in open battle after that, he hit us again and again and finally forced Hayles¡¯ surrender.¡± The dwarf paused for a moment as if dredging up the memory caused him bittersweet pain. ¡°My sister Evenes could only afford the ransom of her man Nt, and I don¡¯t in half a mind me her in truth as it was more my idea to go about on that gheap of an adventure. She promised that once she and Nt started work on the new im they had, they¡¯d find a way to pay my bond price. But with no way to pay my immediate ransom, Farilse sold us to a passing ver caravan. Those vultures always be about the edges of war, like flies to a fresh corpse. Now here I am in Ansan mining ore for manlings to make weapons to wage war upon one another.¡± Something must have struck a chord with the wildman, as he silently patted the dwarf on the shoulder inpassion, only to be brushed off brusquely. I was silent for another reason. Something the dwarf said set off something in my mind, like suddenly remembering an important memory. Then I found it; the spell Rust. Like a slippery eel, it had always wriggled its way from my attention. Circumstances had meant I never had any leeway to experiment with its use. Determined now, I called out to it and was met by resistance. ck slithering things crossed the edges of my vision and cold sibnt whispers caressed my ears, making me shiver as electricity traveled down the nape of my neck. A sense of wrongness so profound and utterly inimical to all things filled me. Wanting to release this dark energy as soon as possible, I eyed a random ve engaged in evening conversation in the corner of my eye. Focusing my target, I surreptitiously cast the spell at his manacled feet. ck lines of power left me then, seemingly invisible to everyone else, wrapping around the chains like velvet lightning as he continued talking. The whispers slowly left me, the feeling of wrongness lessening, but I could still see the dark lightning working its way around his iron chains. Gradually now, the lightning danced around the iron, slowly and steadily like a funeral procession. Where it touched, a few dots of orange and red could be seen as the metal was slowly oxidized at an elerated rate. The spell had only cost me a single point in Mana. I made every effort to hide the grin on my face as I looked back at mypanions, questioning looks on their faces at my sudden rise. I had found the keys to my chains. Exining to them that I thought I saw a ghost of a familiar face, they nodded sympathetically at my false hope. Durhit shared that he had often done a simr thing when new dwarves were weed to the mines. We talked about small things of little importance, and I learned some more of themon knowledge of this world. The name of the world I found myself in was called many things by its innumerable people. But here in this area, known colloquially as the ¡®Grieving Lands¡¯ due to the sudden tumultuous storms that were endemic to the region in the winter months, the locals called the world ¡®Gesthe.¡¯ This meant ¡®Garden¡¯ in thenguage of the First People, as the Elves liked to call themselves. The Grieving Lands were but a small part of an enormous world that was broken up into massive continents, which ording to Durhit were the bones ofnd dragons. We talked also of strange and fanciful ces. ording to Durhit, his home, ¡®The Beacon Mountains,¡¯ were an active range of volcanoes, their fiery maws bursting up into me and ash. I wondered to myself what sort of people would choose to live in such a dangerous ce. Somewhere in the conversation, there was talk of a ce to the far west called the ¡®ss Fire Sea.¡¯ Here sailors feared to navigate its treacherous waters as great crystalline ss formations floated on its becalmed surface, burning any ship to ckened husk that got too close. Still, some savvy captains would venture forth on moonless nights to gather fragments of the precious ss to be sold to the great universities of Quas. The mes of adventure were lit once more in my heart, and I could feel a desperate need to be free taking a deeper root. However, once again before too long we were herded back into the ve stables. Before going to sleep I sat up, casting Rust silently, picturing iron manacles, and releasing the energy in random directions in the room. The ck lightning from my spell was invisible, even to me in the darkness. I knew the spell was being cast as I could see my Mana drop in steady increments, and on the ninth cast I was rewarded with a notification. You have gained 1 Intelligence Lying back down on my cot, I perused my character Status. Like the other day, I had gained some nominal experience from Mining. But more importantly, I now had the tools to make a bid for freedom. I needed the patience to see my growing ns through, and it felt to me that my chains chafed more than usual now that a path to freedom could be seen. To feel, to experience the best this fantasy world had to offer, and not be just a ve to destiny. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 6 Acolyte of Avaria Strength20 Dexterity13 Constitution27 Intelligence17 Wisdom12 Charisma9 Luck13 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.2) Endure (lvl.2) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.2) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.1) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.2) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) Hammers (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) Rust (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.2) Silent Casting (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 850/991 Health92/117 Stamina13/43 Mana1/12 Chapter 20: A Time to Heal Chapter 20: A Time to Heal But the spies and scouts of the unknown kingdom had not been idle, and they discovered horrifying facts that only hardened the resolve of the people to resist. Many of those who were brought across the ocean were in fact ves. Men and women who had pulled at the great oars, who had cleaned and scrubbed the decks, tended the fires, and cooked the meals that fed the armies and a thousand morebors were chattel with the hateful mark of very inscribed upon their bodies. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC I found myself being woken the next morning by Durhit, concern etched across his features as he shook me roughly. I cleared the sleepy cobwebs from my mind as I rose to my daily grind. All of my Status points had regenerated as expected. Looking around, I was pleased to note that the manacles on some ves were full of rust spots. Slow and steady wins the race, I thought to myself. Once I had gathered myself, I fell into line and received the daily speech from the Overseer, before we filed out to the mines. However, I was suddenly osted by Degei, and our whole line was forced to stop with me. ¡°How are you in such good spirits this morning, bilge-rat? Triple shifts across a few days would test even a stunty stone-eater dwarf! Yet I have talked to your watchers and they say you work like a demon-possessed. There is something about you and I don¡¯t like it. Know that I am watching you¡­and lower your eyes ve!¡± He shouted thest as he backhanded me across the face with a wooden cudgel, drawing blood. I was taken more by surprise than actual pain. Since I was at full Health, I felt nothing due to my skill Pain Nullification. The strike had only reduced my Health by eight points, but I lowered my eyes not wishing to antagonize the cruel man further, remembering to grit my teeth in feigned pain. The Overseer, assuaged now that I looked thoroughly cowed, shrilled with smug superiority, ¡°At least we will get some goodbor out of you. Do work your little heart out bilge-rat.¡± He motioned for the line to move off, and we continued back to our daily grind. I noticed that the guards were now keenly watching me, hands gripping weapons just a little tighter, as we passed on our way to the mines. Half in defiance and half in just pure curiosity, I pictured one of the guards we had just passed, now out of my direct line of sight. I cast Rust at him, remembering his pockmarked face andzy left eye. I felt the buildup of dark energy growing steadily more painful as dark things writhed at the periphery of my vision. Panicked now, I mentally targeted his metal breastte. My heart beating in my chest, I felt the familiar sense of wrongness leave me as I finished the cast. ck lightning rushed from hands behind me in the guard¡¯s direction, and my Mana dropped by a single point. Pausing in relief, I almost tripped over my own sandaled feet as I was suddenly pulled by the worker in front of me. I realized that no one could see the visual effects of my Rust spell. However, it looked to have no effect when cast directly against living creatures, as opposed to objects which contained or were made from iron. In a strange logical way, I supposed that it made sense. Girding my loins mentally, I determined to spend this day as I had the others by working on my Strength and grinding up some experience. My first shift passed without incident. As the workers along my line made their way out of the mine, I made sure to cast Rust a further four times; dying each cast to measure the maximum distance of the spell. At the fourth cast, as I targeted a ve with a game leg about sixty meters away, I was struck by a familiar painful buildup. The spell had failed to take hold. I quickly released the pent-up magic into the leg manacles of a miner closer to me, who was two ces down the line from those who had reced the first shift. I concluded that the spell, at level one at least, possessed a range between forty and fifty meters at a rough educated guess. I kept five points in reserve in case I suffered any ¡®idents¡¯ while working to cast Heal, with one point as a buffer against Mana Sickness. I encountered neither Durhit nor Kidu for the rest of the day. Perhaps the guards had singled them out too for extra monitoring? The day ended with my usual exhaustion, my Health in the low seventies. I had pushed my body to the extreme, even using Power Strike once against the rock when I felt that our minders were not looking, with somewhat impressive results. The wicked blow had carved a great gouge through the rock. Though it burned through my precious Stamina, I didn¡¯t regret the action as it allowed me to vent a little of my frustrations. I imagined smashing the pickaxe against Degei¡¯s smug face. At the evening meal, the other ves still looked at me with some fear in their eyes. No doubt the tales had grown about my encounter with the Nord man-mountain Harun the Iron and my sessful showing at the winnowing. Still, I was never the most popr person in a group in my old life, so it did not bother me too much. Better to be feared than live in fear, a rather Machiavellian line of thinking, I considered to myself. Despite all of this, however, I did have somepanions, if not friends; the dwarf and wildman. In the manner of those at the bottom rung of a society¡¯sdder, we had bonded. Clinging perhaps subconsciously to a false sense of superiority. The wildman with his unbroken spirit, the dwarf with his diligent pride, and myself knowing that I hade from a more civilized world. A certain glumness came over me then, as I had no gains in Strength from my time in the mines, though I had still gained a small amount of experience. Kidu and Durhit were not so talkative this evening. The reason for their reticence I ascribed to the general rigor of a ve¡¯s lot. After the evening meal, and just before it was time for sleep, I washed off the dirt and grime from a day¡¯s hard work as best I could. Before sleeping, I cast Heal on myself and knotted muscles rxed, small wounds I had never noticed healing across my body. A tiny stony fragment that had embedded into my flesh, perhaps from my overenthusiastic strikes against the rock, ttered to the earthen ground, pushed out by regenerating flesh. A warm balm washed over me, more soothing than any song, and lulled me to sleep as it took away the aches and pain of the day. Chapter 21: A Change of Circumstance Chapter 21: A Change of Circumstance The Eastern Alliance vastly underestimated the depths to which a free people would resist an oppressor, and troops of the kingdom now known to be called the Republic of Arastia fought with great zeal and fervor. They knew what fate awaited every single man, woman, and child should they be a conquered people. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC My magic healed my body but in my vanity, I noticed it did nothing for the marks and scars I was umting here and there. The days followed one another in a slow steady rhythm, with little change for a further three days. Work, eat, work, heal, and sleep was my monotonous daily routine. However, on the fourth day, I took my morning toilet a little earlier than usual, due to waking from a nightmare of being pursued by sharp-ded dark things. I could just make out a woman of middling years, with a face set with hard lines of grief, making her way to Degei before his regr motivational morning speech. Gold circles were threaded throughout her raven-ck hair and tinkled as she walked. I could not help but feel that her features were familiar, but in my morning state, my mind failed to make a connection. A small leather purse was exchanged and Degei nodded solemnly to the woman, raising the purse a little higher with both hands before stuffing it into the loose folds of his clothes. Subsequently, I was made to work even harder in the mines that day. I nowbored four shifts with only a few hours rest after my evening meal, before I joined another ve gang to toil away in the dark blue depths. I was being worked to death. My mind, in its own twisted humor, noted that this gave me little time to have words and socialize with my newfoundpanions. Despite my circumstance working against me, we were able to hurriedly exchange asional snippets at brief intervals in the day. I made sure to pace myself, but this new grueling menu of work meant that I had to dedicate five points of Mana every day just to keep my body in working condition. However, thanks to this new forced work n, I had started to gain rapidly in status points and skills. I had attained two points of Strength and another skill point in Hammers. My near-sleepless nights had earned me another point in Constitution, as well raising both my Endurance and Rest skills. I had earnestly tried to raise my Rust spell and was rewarded with an increase in Intelligence and Wisdom, as well as finally raising the spell to level two. More importantly, thanks to mybors I was gaining in experience. Putting aside my nightmarish conditions, the avid gamer inside of me actually looked forward to the next day and the opportunity to earn even more experience. One small moment of levity that lightened my spirits for a day was a guard being berated by Degei for the state of his equipment. Unbeknownst to him, I had been casting Rust on his gear. He looked genuinely shocked at the state of his armor and weapons as the Overseer gave him a dressing down. I had also secretly cast Rust on Kidu¡¯s cor with some trepidation one evening before my spell had leveled up and gained in power. He showed no ill effect as hey in his deep slumber, snoring wildly like a bear. I was satisfied to observe that there were a few splotches of rust about the edges of his cor the next day. Through these observations, I concluded that it would be safe to cast Rust on my own cor. Through gritted teeth, I cast it that same evening to no ill effects, save for the usual feeling of wrongness and a very slight warm feeling around my neck where the metal contacted my skin. I had learned to effectively block out the sibnt whispers that seemed to transpire from just behind me when I cast Rust. This proved, in my mind at least, that humans are remarkably adaptable and able topartmentalize the strangest of things. I wondered if those involved in the cruel ve trade business were able to return to their families at the end of a long day¡¯s work with smiles on their faces and love in their eyes. Did the hand that held the whip also pat the head of an innocent child? Though mentally exhausted, I was certainly growing stronger. What didn¡¯t kill me could only make me stronger, I muttered to myself, remembering the famous quote from Nietzche. I needed to make my way out of here and escape. I was reasonably certain that Degei was already trying to kill me indirectly, and at this rate, who knew how much longer I wouldst? It was only my magic, my prodigious Constitution, and Adita¡¯s sympathy that had allowed me to survive under my current horrendous conditions. Just as I was mulling these thoughts over, there was a rumble that quaked through the ground. The sounds of nging industry stopped as the reverberations shook the encampment, a sense of panic infecting the air. The earthquake, for it could be nothing else, rattled the building around me as a stampede of ves made for the single entrance. Rising quickly on unsteady feet, I hurried to join them in exiting the stables. Not before long, guards woken from their sleep stormed to the pens with a tired-looking Degei in tow. The guards violently ordered us to form orderly lines, the lick of a club or whip more threatening than the shaking of the earth as we waited for the rumblings to subside. I could hear the ignorant ves whisper to each other something aboutnd dragons stirring, or the Earth Mother being angry, and other such superstitious nonsense. The locals probably had no idea about the mechanics of tectonic activities and continental drift. However, a small part of me did wonder, that perhaps maybe, just maybe, it could actually be the work of actualnd dragons. ¡°Get back to sleep the lot of you! Work tomorrow! Back! Back I say dogs!'''' Degei ordered half shouting, his words enforced with the stinging crack of studded leather. I made my way back inside along with the other ves, ourmon fear of Degei overriding our dread of the angry earth, so well were some of us broken by fear of the whip. Lying on my pallet I tried to whisper to Kidu, but the snoring noises from his direction confirmed to me that he was already asleep. It would be churlish of me to steal him from it. Turning to my right, I whispered out to Durhit. I was barely able to make out his craggy face in the gloom, and was met with an annoyed grunt. ¡°Best be going asleep manling, tomorrow will be the hardest darkest day yet, mark my words,¡± he said in his attempt at a quiet voice, before turning on his side and facing away from me, closing off all further avenues of inquiry. Apprehensive and annoyed, I cast Rust impulsively at my cor. I felt the familiar ufortable and inimical sensation flow throughout my body, before I released it into the ve cor on my neck. The whispers had be stronger, and the crackle of the ck lightning¡¯s pulses felt more and more like the beat of a living creature now that the spell had increased in level. The cor on my neck grew unbearably hot, almost sizzling my skin and filling the air with a sickeningly appetizing smell. It skirted the borders of agony, taking a chunk off my Health before subsiding to just painfully hot. I grit my teeth at the unexpected sensation, the strength of the reaction taking mepletely by surprise. But there, alone in the darkness, I was unwilling to let out a sound and draw attention to myself. Just then, I thought I heard something crack or give in the cor, like the sound of an errant foot slowly stepping on an expensive and fragile toy. I could feel a coarse sandy sensation where the metal met my neck. Tentative shaking fingers reached to confirm the state of my cor, but I stopped myself just before they brushed against the slowly cooling hot surface, remembering the pain when I had previously touched it. My mind scrambled for a solution to my predicament before I remembered an old staple of mine: Identify. At least perhaps in this way I could check the durability of the cor. Guiding my magic to the cor, I made a wee discovery. Iron ve Cor Durability 294/400 Hands shaking now, hesitant and unsure, as if unwilling to test the truth of a mirage in a desert, I touched the cor. Nothing happened. Sweet blessed, nothing happened; no pain, no lightning shock. Touching the cor again several times to affirm my discovery, I began to cry silent tears of joy. Even in my heightened emotional state, my mind sought to exin what had happened. The ¡®Iron ve Cor of Obedience¡¯ had lost its suffix and was now just a simple ¡®Iron ve Cor¡¯. Though I was never particrly gifted with the sciences, my improved Intelligence had helped me attain this sudden realization. The rapid oxidation of my iron cor caused by my improved Rust spell had released a great deal of heat in an exothermic reaction, which of course then caused damage by inflicting me with perhaps first or second-degree burns. This could be a boon, in that the effects of the spell were more rapid and significant. On the other hand, it also meant it would now be difficult for me to apply the spell against enemies secretly and without their knowledge. I hoped the dark energies released when I cast the spell proved to still be invisible, and with some chagrin, I noticed that the spell had cost an additional point of Mana. The coarse sandy feeling I felt around the area below my neck was probably oxide or rust that had shaken loose. I hypothesized that the degradation of the cor likely messed with its delicate mechanics or magical circuitry, or whatever crazy system they used to keep a man in a state of very in this magical world. Fearing a potential tetanus infection, despite my rtively high Constitution, I quickly cast Heal on myself. I checked the status of my character as the feeling of my skin knitting over was most ufortable, but the soothing balm that spread throughout my body that apanied it assuaged my concerns. With only four points of Mana remaining, and an unknown amount of time before I would probably be called to an even more grueling day, I decided to rest. Though my talks with Durhit and Kidu had stoked once more the desire for adventure, my own actions this evening had lit a burning need within myself to be free. What I had taken for granted in my old world was the thing I craved most here. My wise choice to rest had also rewarded me with a notification, the universe appearing to agree with my actions. You have gained 1 Wisdom STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 6 Acolyte of Avaria Strength22 Dexterity13 Constitution28 Intelligence18 Wisdom14 Charisma9 Luck13 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.2) Endure (lvl.3) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.2) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.1) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.2) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) Hammers (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) Rust (lvl.2) Identify (lvl.2) Silent Casting (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 970/991 Health96/117 Stamina39/45 Mana4/12 Chapter 22: Dangerous Conditions Chapter 22: Dangerous Conditions The people of the New Empire say that the best ves are those who are born into very, they have known nothing else besides the discipline of the whip and the benevolence of a master. These chattels will often work much harder and are one of the pirs of a well-run house. For surely iron and steel may rust but the threat of punishment once learned is until death. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 A.C It seemed I had only just closed my eyes when a cruel steel-capped boot kicked me in the stomach, hitting for about six points of damage. It was one of my minders, a narrow-eyed and spiteful-looking man d in a motley collection of rust-speckled chain and leathers. He had evidently tried to wake me before, and this was his second kick. Perhaps there was a disadvantage to the Pain Nullification skill after all. To avoid further harassment, I got to my feet as quickly as my sleep-starved body allowed me. Like a child used to the cane, I followed the group as quickly as possible out of the building. The distant sound of industry that had pervaded the area around the mines had quietened significantly after the initial quake. The disappearance of the sound of nging metal and belching bellows lent a certain solemn atmosphere to our morning gathering. As our minders grouped us into passable rows, another small rumble of the earth threatened to shatter the serenity of the morning. A scared ve screamed in an octave higher than usual. After a crack of the whip had reduced the vocal ve to a curled gibbering wreck on the floor, a group of rough-looking individuals of various races and skin color, perhaps a dozen strong, entered the assembly grounds. Some were tall and muscr, like meaty bs that had discovered the fine art of walking on two legs. Others were whipcord thin, lean, agile-sure of step, and quick of movement. A few dwarves were scattered about their number, dour and stout, with bushy eyebrows and long beards of various colors. Most interesting of all was what I recognized as an orc, who hulked over the rest of the group. An olive green bestial being ofyered muscles and sharp jutting tusks that rose from an extended underbite. On his sloped scarred head, a single topknot of purple hairpleted the fierce appearance. Fists the size of small boulders clenched and rxed repeatedly at his side, a sign of barely restrained animalistic fury. Most of them had bodies scarred with the loving kiss of the whip, and eyes hard and unforgiving as cruel winter. Some had the demeanor of those who had been victims of great cruelty, and in suffering those cruelties wanted to pass them on tenfold to the weaker and more vulnerable. And all bore a thick iron ve cor almost identical to my own. Kidu and I were herded off to join this new group, long sticks from our watchers guiding our way with a few savage flicks, which led Kidu to snarl at them. This in turn caused the wildman to a sharp high pitched yelp, as the magic of his cor worked to send great waves of lightning agony to its host, neutralizing a perceived threat to its masters. As I miraculously supported the massive man who was still spasming with pain, we both somehow made it over to the new group. Upon joining them we were met with calcting stares that seemed to be judging if we were to be part of their pack or just new prey. Surprisingly an uncored Durhit also joined our party. Dwarven expertise with stone, a valuablemodity in our next venture, I figured. Now separated from the main group of ves, our wolf pack of troublemakers was addressed by the Overseer Degei himself, who was nked by his usual burly guards. Unlike the previous asion, the guards seemed tense, scanning our motley crew of individuals with practiced gazes, searching for any threats against their master. I lowered my eyes to not draw attention, which evoked a few snickers from the hardened crowd around me. ¡°The recent shakings of the earth have caused a copse in one of the portside shafts near a particrly valuable vein of ore,¡± Overseer Degei began suddenly in a voice that contradicted his small size. ¡°You will work under the guidance of this dwarf,¡± he nodded in Durhit¡¯s direction before continuing, ¡°Should the shaft be cleared of fallen debris and the way open once more for industry, in good time all here will be allowed a turn with a female of your choice from our breeding stock. And two days of rest. Should we fall behind, you will be left to the kind ministrations of our most experienced flesh-sculptors with no food for a week.¡± He finished thest with an aplomb only those granted the mantle of authority for many years could marshal. It was to be the carrot and the stick, then. My new group began to make their way to the mines, some with avid lust on their features. Most horrifying of all was the orc, who looked like a wild beast in heat as he greedily picked up a mining pick and shovel in each of his giant hands. As I made to grab a familiar pickaxe, Durhit ced a hand gently on my shoulder and shook his head. He gave me a shovel and arge sturdy-looking wicker basket to ce around my shoulders. ¡°Dangerous work this, you¡¯ll be wanting to stay back as far as possible. Might not be improving your chances by much, but they will be improved nheless,¡± he spoke in his sage gravelly voice. Grudgingly I took his advice and ced the basket about my shoulders, giving my thanks before catching up with the rest of the group. A group of four mean-looking guards, who carried an assortment of intimidating blunt and ded weapons, was our escort to the mines. As we got closer and entered the dank passage, Durhit made his way to the front of the group. Our escorts ced themselves at the entrance, exchanging worried nces at each other as they counted out our numbers on an abacus as we set foot in the mine¡¯s gaping maw. Near the entrance were scattered abandoned tools and various detritus from ves and their minders who had abandoned their posts when the earthquake hit. We ventured deeper into the mines and took the furthest left tunnel. As we continued further down we saw that some wooden beams supporting the ceiling were askew, and in some ces even broken or toppled with great bs of rock and earthen debris half blocking our way. This all served to cast a worrying pall over the group. No one wanted to be trapped under hundreds of tonnes of earth and rock. Durhit ordered supports to beid at various locations. Under his and some of the other dwarves'' directions, our team efficiently ced lumber to temporarily buttress the ceiling and help prevent a future cave-in. Another small tremor rattled the mines, causing a light dusting of rock powder to fall from the ceiling in the dim blue unnatural glow. Everyone¡¯s apprehension took to the forefront of their thoughts. Even the orc paused, sniffing the air for a moment as fear and lust warred across his porcine features. ¡°Just a little shake, nothing to worry about. The faster we get this done the faster we can get out of this cursed hole,¡± one of the dwarves said to encourage the rest of the group. ¡°That¡¯s what your sire said to your dam, you stunty bastard!¡± one of the gigantic human meat bs replied, which earned him a hard look from the other dwarves. It appeared that the dwarves were sensitive about their height. The others howeverughed at the jibe, breaking the sudden tension in the air as we went back to work. I tried to force out of my mind the fact that above my head were several metric tonnes of earth and rock. Never had I been particrlyfortable in confined spaces, but that sudden quake had tested my nerve, and a part of me felt close to breaking. Nothing in my skillset or arsenal of spells could aid in the sudden and random event of a cave-in. Chapter 23: Lucky Strike Chapter 23: Lucky Strike It wille from thend of tall metal spires and poisonous fog. Hunger never sated by the harvest of the sands. Come it will to the sea that is no more, chained and buried in halls of milk-stone. Grave risen, will im the consuming end. Scion of the ravenous people. False justice and father of chaos. Herald of the final cataclysm. - Attributed to the Wrack Witch before her execution circa 245 A.C Our group eventually advanced to a blocked part of the shaft. Arge amount of stone had fallen from the ceiling,pletely obstructing further passage to the deeper parts of the mine. Some of the other dwarves counseled that we dig around the shaft to create a small connecting tunnel. Durhit, however, made the decision that we ce beams to support the roof while we break up therger pieces of stone and clear the way. The work was backbreaking, but our group worked fast under the skill and guidance of the dwarves, even without the extra motivational support of the whip. I was shoveling gravel and other loose detritus into my wicker basket when I was approached by a man of average height, lean and feral looking, with scars running up and down his limbs. A receding hairline, thinning hair, and bald spot on the top of his head painted the picture of a tonsured monk. A rakish smile crossed his face as he began to talk with me. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen your type before around here. Name¡¯s Elwin, Elwin Tucker,¡± he said in a jovial tone so incongruous to the setting, before cing his shovel in his left hand and reaching out to shake my hand in his calloused grip. Pumping his hand half enthusiastically, I returned with, ¡°Never been to these parts, though I think the hospitality and amodations are a littlecking. I believe I would very much like to put an end to my sojourn in thesends.¡± The start of a small smile reached the corner of my mouth, his cordial attitude infectious, ¡°Name¡¯s Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh of Uruk.¡± ¡°Hah! I¡¯ll drink to that Gil, if only there was anything to drink. You don¡¯t mind if I call you Gil, like? No escaping now that they got you,¡± he pointed at his heavy iron cor, ¡°you can put one of these things on a giant and that thing isn¡¯t going to be going anywhere fast!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know about that.¡± I could feel my tongue being loosened by his easy-going charisma, and I had to make a concerted mental effort to stop myself from foolishly continuing. ¡°I mean I¡¯ve never had one of these bits of lovely jewelry on me before,¡± I finishedmely. The man looked at me quizzically before continuing his work, ¡°Not exactly forck of trying on my part. I tried many things with this thing here. Tried hitting it with something, tried getting my mates to hit it with something, and now that took some doing. Grinding against some hard rock, now let me tell you that is not exactly easy. Felt like I was sawing away at my neck! Everything ended in pain,¡± he shoveled another load of dirt and gravel, ¡°Once, was even able to get a good distance out of this here lovely holiday spot. I was caught by those cursed Children. Writhing on the ground in pain so great I¡¯m sure my bastard children¡¯s children will feel it. They had a goodugh at that.¡± The temptation to tell him that there was perhaps a way out grew along with my sympathy, but I knew I had to keep this particr ace close to my chest. I had only just met him, and I began to wonder if this was some sort of test. I had absolutely no reason to trust this man, affable though he may be. Venturing to change the topic, I gave him the abridged version of my origins, necessarily leaving out the detail abouting from Earth. Unlike Kidu and Durhit, he seemed a little skeptical about my story, but was nheless sympathetic toward my feigned memory loss. At some point in the telling, Kidu, who was busy smashing up rocks close by, began to interject on asion, correcting some of the details to suit his own version of events. The brutish orc was carving up the stones in front of him, a pickaxe in each hand, gouging through the stone with consummate ease and bestial fury. Kidu responded in turn, blonde dreadlocks swinging with each mighty flourish of his mining tool, and it appeared that a sort of rivalry had grown between the two. Elwin and I hurried to keep gathering the smaller stones and detritus out of the way. During a small lull in the work, even the formidable Kidu had to cede reluctant victory to the orc. Impressed by Kidu¡¯s performance, I decided to surreptitiously cast an Identify on him, as he sucked in air like the great bellows from a forge. I was a little surprised that I hadn¡¯t thought of doing it before. Kidu Kreshin - Hunter (Human lvl.11) Health 211/214 Stamina 02/47 Mana 5/5 Kidu''s statistics were impressive, and it was little wonder how he was able to keep up with the orc for as long as he had. His ss designation of Hunter made sense from his tales of the frozen north of his home, his skills no doubt honed by dealing with the great beasts that lived there. We asked Elwin about his own origins. The temptation to cast the spell on him as he began his little tale was strong, but I decided to refrain until we were at a safer locale. ¡°My tale is a simple one. I was a Forester for a lord. My whole family were Foresters since way back in the March Reaches,¡± he began in his naturally friendly timbre, ¡°Protecting the lord¡¯s game from hungry types and the asional goblin was our lot in life. One year, after perhaps the bitterest winter and poorest harvest of the ages, I found out that one of my neighbor¡¯s sons had been putting in a little extra in his game bag. Wilf, Silf, can¡¯t even remember his name now¡­that was another lifetime. But I do remember that it was hard to enforce Reach justice, which called for death for the crime of poaching. All of this was for a lord I had only met once, on a man who had a starving family and a wailing bairn. I let it go, perhaps even snuck him a bit of coin every now and again.¡± He paused for a moment as if gathering himself. ¡°It began with poaching, and it seemed that poaching was a stepping stone to banditry for young Wilf. Needless to say that someone deep in their cups told someone else, and then a different someone pointed a finger at me. The Arbitrator said I was responsible for the crimes of the man who I willingly turned a blind eye to, that I was a corrupt civil servant. I was sold to pay for someone else¡¯s crime and as a demonstration of the Lord¡¯s authority. And here I am, toiling under the earth, when I should be under the boughs of the trees breathing in the clean forest air.¡± Elwin tried to finish in resignation, but he couldn¡¯t quite help adding, ¡°Which sure beats the stench of youds, could kill a full-grown buck just standing downwind of you folks. I¡¯d probably be dead already if my nose already wasn¡¯t!¡± We replied with a weakugh, as a dour gray-bearded dwarf gestured for us to get back to work with a scowl and a wave of a shovel that scraped the ceiling, coating his beard with fine white rock dust that looked like blue snow in the gloom. ¡°I wish nothing more than to be free and wreak vengeance on the Children!¡± Kidu dered in his simplistic way, in a voice filled with strong determination as he resumed carving up the rock, no doubt imagining he was caving in the faces of the Children of the Tides. A few hourster, we had finally cleared enough of the shaft¡¯s obstructions for two abreast to walk through. Under the blue glow of the Zajasite lightstones, we allowed ourselves a small break to rest our tired and sore muscles. Durhit sent Elwin back up to the surface to call for much-needed supplies. A group of younger ves, with Elwin at the lead, returned to uster. Water-bearers brought with them bread in baskets, which we scarfed down almost as quickly as they handed them out. A familiar face passed, eyes hot with rage, but downturned in fear. ¡°Gunne,¡± I stated. The boy flinched that I had remembered him. ¡°Son of Gunug. Will you have your vengeance this day?¡± I continued slowly, my tone filled with petty spite. To his credit, he didn¡¯t rise to the provocation, and silently handed out my portion of bread just as Durhit arrived to check up on us. ¡°Don¡¯t be terrorizing thed too much. We are¡­¡± he began just before the earth suddenly rumbled, and the walls shook as if receiving blows from mighty fists. Losing bnce, I was tossed against the wall. My shovel identally struck a ve whose name I did not know to the ground, as powerful vibrations shook throughout the mines. Our hastily made supports quivered against the seismic forces, stone dust falling from the ceiling. Somewhere in the rumbling, I could hear wailing and panicked screaming as the earth continued convulsing like an angry and uncaring god. A splitting rip as one of the supports exploded under the strain like a tree in the coldest winter, a gunshot sound adding to the cacophony of chaos. This began a horrible chain reaction as rocks began to fall from the ceiling. First small loose stones and gravel hit with a rattling sound, followed by hulking jagged boulders which added further disorder and injury to the blue-stained pandemonium. I was met with a notification as the ve I had identally struck was smashed by arge rock, squashing him utterly under its great weight. You have in a Human 95 experience gained You have gained 1 Luck You have gained 1 Dexterity You have reached level 7 3 unassigned attribute points 1 unassigned skill point Even as the earth rumbled in its rage, rocks falling everywhere, the countdown to assign my skills began. In a split-second decision, I added a skill point to Dodge, and as was my wont, I put all of my attribute points into Constitution. Being a fraction more agile, I was able to avoid another falling rock and was even able to push Kidu out of the way of arge plummeting white stone just in time. That was thest thing I remembered, as something hard hit me on the back of the head, followed instantly by a sharp pain that rattled my skull. Then the world went ck and I knew no more. Chapter 24: Small Mercies Chapter 24: Small Mercies With the cost in blood ever-rising as the war raged on, the leader of the Alliance, the Elven High King even offered amnesty to the Republic on the condition that they surrender their leader in chains. This was met with derision by the senate and their envoy was sent back with a message that there would be no surrender to the savage barbarians from across the seas. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC ck things that stabbed, while whispering sweet promises of releases, gued me as I woke up with a feral scream. Disorientation filled me as I looked around the blue gloom. The insides of my skull felt like mashed jelly as I tried to desperately take stock of my situation. Gingerly I touched the back of my head to find it crusted with dried blood. I winced inwardly as I checked my Status and character, noticing that I had sustained significant damage in thest quake. Chuckling to myself quietly, which soon turned to a dry cough, I remembered that I had gained a level and a few attribute points when I had inadvertently killed a fellow ve. Looking over my character sheet, I confirmed my gains and Status. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 7 Acolyte of Avaria Strength22 Dexterity14 Constitution31 Intelligence18 Wisdom14 Charisma9 Luck14 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.2) Endure (lvl.3) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.1) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.2) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) Hammers (lvl.2) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) Rust (lvl.2) Identify (lvl.2) Silent Casting (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 1065/1289 Health93/147 Stamina45/49 Mana12/12 It appeared that my short sojourn into unconsciousness had counted as a rest. This had thankfully regenerated the lion¡¯s share of my Stamina, my Mana, and some of my Health. Even in my current weakened state, I would be more than a match for a few Bibsis, I wryly mused. Groggily I tried to rise, only to be stopped when I realized my right leg was trapped. A b of white stone had fallen across it, stained blue in the Zajasite glow. Straining, I tried to push off the rock and was met with a sharp pain thatpeted with my other previously experienced agonies. Gritting my teeth, I began to push. Straining ever harder against the cold stone b, I finally managed to move it off, which was apanied by a final grinding noise that I hoped was not the sound of breaking bone. Whimpering a little, I tried to gather myself, finding it difficult to cast Heal through the pain. Finally, after a few long agonizing seconds, I was able toplete the spell with a short mental shout as it filled me with familiar warmth. My leg wondrously healed before me, bringing me almost to full Health. I felt a wave of relief that I had put nearly all my level-up skill points into the Heal spell. Taking a brief moment to collect my wits after that arduous experience, I looked around at what was left of the tunnel. Great bs of stone had fallen randomly and crushed and killed most of the ves. The path to the surface waspletely blocked, there would be no rescue from that direction. My eyes cast through the gloom searching for familiar shapes and faces, before alighting on the great bulk that could only have been Kidu. Scrambling to his side I could see that he was covered in gashes and cuts across his great limbs and trunk, linen tunic bloodstained in many ces. By the grace of the gods, Kidu was still breathing, his massive chest rising and falling, albeit erratically. His breath was raspy and strained. Focusing my power I cast Heal. Now, instead of focusing the power inwards, I pushed it outside of myself and through my hands into the giant¡¯s body. I sighed mentally in relief, as I was unsure if the magic would even work on another being. I watched the healing power flow through Kidu¡¯s body, closing several of his wounds. As he began to breathe easier, I sat down cross-legged beside therge man, mentally exhausted. A sound halfway between a whimper and a wail distracted me from my reverie, and I turned in its direction. Leaving Kidu¡¯s side, I made my way to the pitiful sound. In the gloom, I spied Durhit¡¯s short solid shape hunched over a small form. As I came closer, I saw that the small shape was in fact a person. It was none other than Gunne son of Guug, the boy barely into his teens who had sworn vengeance against me for killing Harun. Looking back at my actions, I was somewhat perturbed at what I had done with the man Gunne had idolized. Did the crime of cutting in line merit such violent reaction? Had this world already changed me to such a frightening degree? Still, I realized, the experience from his death was probably instrumental in helping me survive this far. This world rewarded killers after all. Gunne was mewling something weakly, his lithe youthful body half crushed by rocks, a puddle of red forming around him. Durhit was holding his hand gently, offering soft meaningless words offort to him in his final moments. Durhit then looked up at me, and I imagined that his eyes were perhaps a little shiny with the start of tears in the gloom. ¡°The boy, he is in great pain, I have seen this like before¡­in the field¡± He paused for a moment, ¡°I can¡¯t do it again, and you are, well you know¡­¡° I raised a single eyebrow, which he may not have noticed. ¡°Take away his suffering, he might be a long time dying otherwise,¡± he begged of me softly, thest barely a whisper. Cowardice and weakness threaded into his plea. I looked down at the boy and his mangled body, and perhaps a little too eagerly I picked up a mining pick from a pile of loose rubble, its point wicked in the gloom. I wanted this pathetic NPC to suffer for a long time, to feel even a fraction of the pain and humiliation that I had felt when he dared to threaten me. However, mentally shrugging my shoulders, it was free experience and Durhit was practically begging me. Without any further ceremony, I looked into Gunne¡¯s eyes as they widened slowly in horror as I raised the pickaxe. His hands clenching, his mewling growing a fraction louder in desperation. Durhit began saying something like ¡°It is all going to be alright,¡± or some other pointless tripe, as I brought the pickaxe down in cathartic anger into his skull, smashing what remained of his youthful features. You have in Gunne 70 experience gained Chapter 25: Give & Take Chapter 25: Give & Take The Great Below, the Everdark, and the Realm of Shadowed Rock are just a few names given to the great expanse that lies beneath the surface. The Dwarven miners of old were said to have first made entry there even before the cataclysm. Great artifacts from bygone ages are said to lie there, guarded by monsters and natives who have only known the embrace of the night. Adventurers from the guild have been sent on countless expeditions to map out its depths, searching for a fabled treasure trove said to lie in a ce called the ¡°Inverse Mountain.¡± - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 A.C Something broke in Durhit then, as he began to cry silent tears. I was simply disappointed that Gunne¡¯s death was only worth seventy experience points, and did not bring about any improvements to my attributes or skills. Gunne, almost useless to the end. For a fleeting second I also wondered how much experience I could get if I finished off Kidu in his weakened state¡­ ¡°Get yourself together Durhit,¡± I said as I moved to touch his shoulder in false sympathy, ¡°We need to get out of here before the rest of this tunnel caves in.¡± ¡°Gunne, he was a goodd. Always arrived on time, always willing to give a smile. You know he had a lovely singing voice? That¡¯s why that gheap Harun took him under his wing.¡± He rubbed his eyes, ¡°Goodd, shouldn¡¯t have ended like this.¡± ¡°Are you ok¡­I mean, alright Durhit?¡± He looked at me quizzically as I subconsciously used the unfamiliar English word. ¡°Kidu is in a bad way and we need to move him. I can¡¯t heave his great bulk alone,¡± I said, pointing to the wildman¡¯s prone form. Something in my words spoke to his sense of responsibility as a leader, and he rose up on his two short legs. Giving Gunne¡¯s remains ast forlorn look, filled with mncholy, he pped himself on the face with both palms. ¡°You speak the truth, Gilgamesh. Let us get Kidu to a ce of safety and search for other survivors. In the undermines a quake like this is usually followed by others, often more deadly than the first,¡± he intoned in his gravelly voice, before setting his shoulders and walking purposefully in Kidu¡¯s direction. We moved Kidu as far as we could down the tunnels before having to stop for rest. Quickly, we returned to look for any more survivors. I began to shout but was quickly stopped by Durhit, who sped a firm rough hand across my mouth. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be shouting after a cave-in. Quakes are bad enough, could bring down the whole thing on us!¡± he warned in a stern voice, looking at me intently. I nodded my understanding and we continued our search for survivors in low voices, listening carefully for any sign. Durhit picked up a fallen Zajasite stone, casting its light around the area, its blue glow throwing up strange shadows in the darkness. As the dwarf was searching, I decided to do something to improve my situation. Not wanting to hurt myself, I focused on a single link of the manacles around my legs. I slowly released the Rust spell, barely registering the scratchy alien whispers and the radiated heat. ck lightning flowed down into the metal, corroding and eating away at it in the gloom. After a time, the energy had subsided to a light thrumming and I called out to Durhit softly, making my way toward his moving light. Tripping on something in the gloom, a hand suddenly gripped my ankle. I gave a shrieked yelp which drew the dwarf¡¯s attention. Looking down in surprise, I could just about discern Elwin¡¯s features, covered as he was in rock dust. He looked like some sort of mud or earth elemental. ¡°Could you check where you¡¯re stepping?¡± Elwin said with a grimace before coughing, ¡°Also a little help if you would be so kind?¡± He chuckled, wincing in pain. Durhit quickly made his way over, helping me to raise Elwin up as we supported him on both sides. His arms draped loosely around our shoulders as we moved him further down the tunnel. ¡°Wait here and keep an eye on these two, I¡¯ll be going back to look for anything useful to keep us alive in this mess,¡± the dwarf spoke in amanding voice, and I nodded my assent. ¡°Well thanks a lot back there, now instead of dying quickly I get to die slow. Not like we can go anywhere too far with these,¡± Elwin said, darkly pointing at his cor, ¡°And not like our glorious masters will be sending a rescue party down a dangerous mine to get some trouble ves! d the big man made it through, at least we¡¯ll all be eating well before we die of thirst,¡± he finished with a dispirited sigh that echoed around in the gloom. The situation was dire; the threat of being buried alive was very real, and I needed all the help I could get. The time for keeping things close to my chest was over, and I needed to roll the dice. ¡°There might be a way to neutralize these cors,¡± I said slowly and hesitantly. Unease crept over me with my sudden confession. ¡°I told you befored, I¡¯ve tried just about everything, except for magic¡­¡± He paused, understanding slowly dawning in his eyes. ¡°The big man said something about you being god-touched,¡± he uttered solemnly. ¡°There is however a problem, it might be a little painful¡­and I need to rest before I make the attempt,¡± I replied, uncertainty obvious in my tone. ¡°Ha! I knew it all along. I knew you were hiding something big. Ad like you could have never taken out a Nord like Haran if you didn¡¯t have something special in you,¡± he said almost too quickly for me toprehend, his voice animated with childish excitement. ¡°But first I¡¯ll need something from you¡­¡± I raised a hand and he stopped yammering almost instantly. Give and take, the simplenguage of transactions was what a man like Elwin understood. ¡°Tell me quickly what you know about magic,¡± I breathed, attempting to contain my eagerness for this esoteric knowledge. ¡°Can¡¯t say I know much myself,¡± he started before noticing my expression, ¡°...And I don¡¯t know anything more than what ismonly known, also don¡¯t think this is the best of time to be wagging tongues. But that bit of magic you used just there, never heard of its like before and I don¡¯t really see how it¡¯s going to help us get out of this little predicament. That is unless you¡¯ve got a few other different tricks in the bag?¡± he asked, an edge of desperation to his usual good humor. He was right, now was perhaps not the best of times to be having this conversation. But I thirsted for any scrap of information. Was the man holding out and hiding something from me? I looked him in the eye, now not quite trusting the man. After casting Identify on him, my suspicions were confirmed. Elwin Tucker - Rogue (Human lvl.12) Health 74/132 Stamina 27/38 Mana 10/10 Most certainly not a Forester then, which meant I probably couldn¡¯t trust his spiel about his tragic past. For all I knew HE could have been the poacher turned bandit in his little story. Challenging him on this would be of little advantage to me at this moment, and I would have to reveal another of my abilities if I did so. I had no way of knowing if what he told me truly was justmon knowledge in this world. Something in my gut told me not to trust the charismatic Rogue fully just yet. I was able to take some assurance that from his Status I was probably a little stronger than him physically, despite his higher level if it came to blows. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± I replied weakly. ¡°I¡¯ll need rest to gather my strength, can you and Durhit watch over me and Kidu?¡± I began as I leaned against the rock. ¡°You do whatever it is you need to, now that I know you can help me get away from this cursed hole I¡¯ll be guarding you with my life, even if the Dark Lady pays a visit!¡± he answered enthusiastically, thumping a fist to his chest. The reference to the Dark Lady didn¡¯t ring any bells for me, but I figured it must be some grim entity held in terror in this world. Speaking to him had opened up more questions than answers, but at least I could be assured of his motives. Our only hope was to work through this together, we would all die together, here, underground. Durhit raised the Zajasite crystal, its dull blue glow illuminating the walls slightly and dering this length part of the tunnel structurally sound. Deciding to roll fate¡¯s dice, I finally rxed my shoulders and tried to rest. Soon enough I would fall into the clutches of a nightmare of drowning under a nket of dark choking earth. Chapter 26: The Darkest Hours Chapter 26: The Darkest Hours Most of the creatures found in the deep ces of the earth are best left undisturbed. Most of those underground denizens are pale and blind, living their lives in eternal darkness. Many of the creatures found there are of fearsome aspect; their other senses of smell, hearing, and touch enhanced to a murderous degree. The most fearsome of which is reputed to be the Great Crawler, though no adventurer or explorer has everid eyes on the beast. All that is known about the beast is that as it carves out great tunnels in the rock and earth, it causes great quakes on the surface. Perhaps these are the earth dragons that the uneducated country bumpkins speak of. - Monsters of the Mortal Realms by K. D. Fidditch I was awoken by a rough shaking of my shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s all rightd,¡± I heard a familiar gravelly voice say, as a solid hand shook my shoulders, bringing me from the depths of my bad dream. Groggily I rubbed my face awake to see Durhit¡¯s ash-gray eyes looking intently at me, cold in the Zajasite¡¯s blue light. Turning to my left and right, I could see Kidu now standing arms crossed, hulking and taciturn in the gloom. Elwin Tucker the Rogue positively jumped up when he saw that I was awake. ¡°Can you do it?¡± he asked almost childishly, like a young one before Christmas, desire glowing in his eyes and written in the dark lines of his face. I checked the bottom left of my vision, confirming that my Mana had risen, but not to full. Health147/147 Stamina49/49 Mana9/11 Answering Elwin¡¯s question with one of my own I croaked, voice dry, ¡°How long did I rest for?¡± ¡°About an hour I would say,¡± Durhit answered, ¡°Even for us it''s hard to keep track of the time when you''re in the earth¡¯s embrace.¡± ¡°Hrmm¡­nothing rted but I always wondered, why do they call you dwarves stone-eaters?¡± Elwin asked offhandedly. Even in the gloom, Durhit¡¯s scowl could be clearly seen, ¡°Because you manlings believe that such is a dwarf¡¯s greed that he would rather eat stone than pay for food!¡± he harrumphed at the Rogue¡¯s derogatory question. ¡°Your cor, I can do something to it. Break its mechanisms I think,¡± I all but blurted to change the subject, unwilling to let the situation escte. All attention suddenly turned to me, and I felt the full onught of their gazes. Kidu uncrossed his arms and tried to speak quietly, but ended up booming and echoing in the darkness, ¡°It is true then, you have a way? You have the truth of it?¡± I nodded in response and replied catingly, ¡°Try touching your cor, please trust me. Not you Elwin!¡± I quickly snapped as Elwin made to touch his cor, stopping just before making contact. Gingerly Kidu touched the cor. I knew for a fact that I had cast Rust on his cor once before, albeit at level one. Hiding my panic as best I could, I realized that I should have cast Identify on his cor before urging him to touch it. I breathed a mental sigh of relief when he suffered no ill effects. ¡°Now, many of the Tide will die, thanks to you Gilgamesh the god-touched. For this gift of freedom, I swear from this day forth we are brothers. My life before yours, always,¡± he vowed solemnly, looking me steadily in the eyes. ¡°Alright, now how about me?¡± Elwin chimed in, raw eagernesscing his voice. ¡°This might hurt a little...well actually to be honest with you this may hurt a lot. You will want to be seated for this,¡± a cautioned worry echoing in my voice. Elwin acknowledged my instructions and sat down on the rocky floor. Anticipating the potential pain, he ripped some fabric from the short sleeve of his tunic, rolled it up, and bit on it before nodding to me. Looking to Kidu to restrain him, I looked the Rogue once more in the eyes. ¡°You sure of this?¡± I asked, knowing his answer before I had even finished. He nodded emphatically, eyes steady with resolve. Drawing my magic towards me, I heard the familiar dark whispers, as an oily feeling of wrongness pervaded my body. The energy felt almost gleeful now, as if wishing to be released. Holding my dominant left hand forward, I unleashed the pent-up energy into Elwin¡¯s ve cor. ck energy roiled across the metal, swirling ever faster in a crescendo of movement. At first, Elwin looked as if nothing was wrong, until his eyes opened in what must have been great pain. A muffled scream reached his lips as he bit down. He closed his mouth tight against the rising heat of the cor as energy was released by the oxidation. A slight tinge of ozoneced the air as esoteric energies devoured the metal, releasing great energies within. This continued for long moments. The energy released from weeks of oxidation,pressed into such a short time frame, was weakening Elwin. Eventually, the roiling energies subsided to a soft thrumming, and the Rogue¡¯s head lolled, his mental and physical endurance at its limits. The smell of lightly charred flesh filled the small space. Durhit, in his wisdom, sshed some precious water from a scavenged canteen across where metal met the skin of the man. It hissed as it hit the hot, now inert, metal and caused Elwin to wake up with a resounding scream that could be heard even through his gag. I moved quickly then to his side, cing both hands around his neck to cast Heal, which at first seemed reluctant to follow my will. Nheless, after tense few moments, I was ultimately able to channel the positive energies into the struggling man, the warm power ameliorating his pain and suffering. His cuts and bruises along his face visibly healed before our eyes, even in the dark gloom. Finally, as the spell ended, he spat out the wad of cloth and took great deep breaths, like a man who hade too close to dying on a distant shore. The hulking Kidu looked at me then, nodding in affirmation to his own wisdom. ¡°By the ancestor spirits, you truly are god-touched. Now I know that I was right to join my spear to yours,¡± the hulking wildman Kidu proimed proudly. Durhit looked confused, conflicting emotions warring across his features, before he said a single word with the impact of a gunshot. ¡°Gunne,¡± he said, almost in a whisper. ¡°Gunne, son of Guug, swore a blood feud against my brother, under what obligation was he to help that brat? Better to die free, than to die as a ve,¡± snarled Kidu, fierce in his protectiveness, like a mother bear. ¡°He was just a child, who had fallen in with a¡­¡± Durhit stammered, surprised at Kidu¡¯s sudden unequivocal defense. ¡°Healing...like this...expensive,¡± wheezed Elwin, slowly recovering from my ministrations. He touched his cor for confirmation, breathing a sigh of relief when no lightning pain paralyzed him. He continued, ¡°Gil here was under no responsibility to help the boy, you know that the good brothers at the temples charge a fortune for his kind of healing!¡± ¡°Just¡­we could have saved him,¡± the dwarf said sombrely, looking sad as his shoulders sagged in surrender. Seeking to clear up the situation, I decided to say my piece. ¡°Durhit, I truly believed the boy was beyond saving. The healing you think could have saved him, I simply could not do it.¡± I looked to Elwin for confirmation before continuing, ¡°I simply could not have done it with the energies I had at the time.¡± Oh, how so easily the lie came to my lips. ¡°I have known many a liar, and I would stake my life and immortal soul on it that Gil here speaks the truth,¡± Elwin was able to say before taking a breath, which seemed toe a little easier now, ¡°As Kidu says, better he died quick and clean than the slow tortured life of a ve. Besides, what else was he to do?¡± I looked at Durhit then, challenging him to disagree. But he said nothing. This must have been a test of some sort, as I received a notification that I had gained another point in Charisma. The old dwarf then just took a sip of water from a canteen before passing it around to the rest of us. We each greedily drank in turn, the stale water having a slightly leather taste as it cleared the palette. The dwarf reached into a wicker basket and produced a single loaf of bread which he divided into three equal pieces, handing out a single chunk to each of us. We ate this humble repast in silence, the recent events on our minds. ¡°Well, what do we do now?¡± Elwin broached tentatively in the silence, looking to Durhit for direction. With no answer forting, I gave a suggestion, subconsciously taking leadership of the group. ¡°First, we break these chains,¡± I said steadfastly, holding up my manacled hands and pointing down to the chains at my feet. Even Durhit perked up, my proposal giving us all clear purpose. cing my hands on a sharp boulder, I turned to Kidu and asked ¡°Will you do the honor of breaking my bondage?¡± Grinning with almost childish glee, Kidu picked up a heavy pickaxe. Lifting it overhead at its apex, he brought it down in a massive swing that crushed through the iron links. A mighty nk echoed down the shaft, and his pickaxe gouged a few inches into the hard rock. The others stared in wonder at his prodigious strength. Smiling down at me, Kidu gestured for me to ce the chains of my legs on the rock, as he struck down once again with his great strength. The chains had been weakened by my Rust spell, and they split apart like ripe fruit, freeing me. At longst, freedom. Even in the blue gloom, I could have sworn that the eyes of the others brightened a little. Next, Kidu solemnly ced his own chains on the rock, almost reverently gesturing for me to break his chains. I picked up another scavenged pickaxe, and unsure if my unaided Strength would be enough, I raised the mining tool above my head and silently released a Power Strike. The results were suitably impressive. Not only did I utterly obliterate the chains, but I also shattered the rock beneath them, almost splitting the small boulder in two with a single blow. Wiping my brow and feigning greater fatigue than I truly felt, I smiled at mypanions with my bravado. They, however, were more focused on the business of bing free. Kidu thanked me quickly. Knuckles facing outwards, he touched the ce between his eyes with an open hand, which I gathered to mean a sign of respect and gratitude. He then turned to help Durhit find another suitable piece of rock. Eventually, we were all able to break our chains. Elwin¡¯s bonds had proven to be particrly resistant, the dwarf and the wildman having to take turns to smash the links. We were all free atst. Though the remains of our manacles still ringed our wrists and ankles, our spirits were much lifted. As we rested in the blue gloom, Durhit made sure to gather up some fallen Zajasite stones, asking Kidu to smash one carefully from the ceiling. He handed us each a glowing blue stone, allowing us all a source of light. ¡°I hate to sound annoying, but what do we do now?¡± asked Elwin to the group, though he looked mostly in my direction. The dwarf suggested, ¡°We need to find water. The area around here is known for its underground streams and rivers. If we can find one, deeper down, we may be able to find a way out of here, but¡­¡± ¡°There is always a ¡®but¡¯ though isn¡¯t there?¡± said the Rogue saucily. ¡°By all means speak on sir dwarf. I am just delighting in my newfound liberty for a moment.¡± ¡°In the deep ces, a few workers had been said to go missing. Strange tunnels were formed that no Overseer was responsible for digging.¡± The dwarf paused. ¡°I believe the deep ces are dangerous and that we should proceed with caution, but it could be our only way out. Coming back the way we came would take almost a lifetime digging through that mountain of rubble.¡± He finished, looking each of us in the eye wearily. ¡°I¡¯d rather try for it, than standing around here waiting to die of starvation. I say that we go for it!¡± chirped Elwin. Kidu simply grunted. I just nodded to the dwarf, giving him leadership of the group. ¡°Lead on, I bow to your expertise. I have no understanding of these deep ces as your people do.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Durhit answered back, ¡°Given this old dwarf a little bit of hope back,¡± some of his earlier confidence returning to his voice. Low on Mana, I thought to ask the group for another rest, but their eagerness to leave was infectious. And with that, we gathered up what equipment and scant supplies of water and food we could, and ventured deeper into the earth. Chapter 27: A Bid for True Freedom Chapter 27: A Bid for True Freedom So incensed by the refusal of what he thought was a reasonable offer of amnesty, the High King of the Elves begged once more with the Dragon Queen for aid, offering a dragon¡¯s egg weight in precious silvery mithril. Greed sinking its ws into her reptilian heart, shemanded that flights of dragonsunch into the sky and rain death and destruction on the Republic. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC We trudged silently down the long tunnels for perhaps an hour or two, small Zajasite stones in our hands casting strange blue shadows in the gloom. Looking to the bottom left of my vision, my Mana had mysteriously risen to three points, and I also received a new notification. You have learned Mana Regeneration (lvl.1) I was grateful for the new skill, and its effects were self-exnatory. The mystery to me, however, was how it had been triggered. Was it due to my constant draining of Mana and then resting? Did it stack with my Rest skill? I pondered these questions futilely before I almost bumped into Durhit, who had raised a hand signaling a stop. Up ahead in the semi-darkness there was an offshoot tunnel. It was almost perfectly circr, and smaller in diameter than the tunnel we were currently in. The dwarf raised a finger to his mouth gesturing for silence, as he looked down into the gloom. Slowly now, we understood the need for caution as we strained our ears, catching the impression of an insectile clicking noise. As stealthily as possible, I ventured to the lip of the new tunnel and gazed down, holding my piece of glowing Zajasite close to my chest. What I saw could only be described as other. A pair of dark, four-armed creatures just over a meter high stood on two reverse-jointed legs. Their feet had sharp-looking ws. A bony cranium sat on a squat, almost non-existent neck. Large hairy antennae protruded from their cranium where eyes would normally be, which twitched as if tasting the air. Instead of a mouth, four deadly mandibles formed a cross shape, clicking together as theymunicated with one another. Two long double-jointed arms extruded from their shoulders, which ended in sharp-looking bone spurs that resembled scythe des. From their chests, smaller, yet more dexterous arms, ended with three wed fingers and an opposable digit for possible maniption. Over their bodies the creatures were armored with pale ridged chitinous scales. These were thicker along their backs and trunks, and finer along their joints. The whole ensemble resembled terrifying albino insectile alien creatures in the blue surreal light. The creatures chittered to each other in their unknowable aliennguage, moth-like heads and antennae moved around as if searching. I noticed a bead of sweat formed on Durhit¡¯s brow as he moved closer, and I could see that he was tensed like a drawn bow. Everyone gripped their worn mining tools, ready for a potential fight. My heart beat like a war drum. An unknown part of me almost weed this potentially cathartic conflict, an alien counterpoint to the fear that I felt in equal measure in that cold dark. ¡°Echo-Stalkers...¡± the Dwarf muttered under his breath, which caused Elwin the Rogue to visibly flinch and take back a step, inadvertently kicking a small pebble. Almost instantly the pair of insectile creatures turned in our direction, antennae swishing almost spasmodically. Their chittering grew in volume, loud in the silence of the tunnel as they stalked closer in our direction, their arm scythe des menacing the air. Adrenaline began pumping through my system as I cast Identify at the rightmost Echo-Stalker to try and gauge the scope of the iing threat. Echo-Stalker - Drone (lvl.6) Health 45/45 Stamina 23/24 Mana 4/4 Suddenly without warning, their antennae stiffened and the chittering stopped as they charged us, their leaping gait bounding through the distance between us. Almost mesmerized by their speed, I saw the right Echo-Stalker run across the wall of the tunnel as it sprung straight at me, dual scythe des raised to stab through my chest. It was met suddenly by a rock thrown with lightning speed by our Rogue,nding smack into the center of its mandibles, half stunning it as it missed its fatal strike. Snapping out of my fugue, I raised my own weapon in a deadly ark to smash into its cranium with a Power Strike. The force of the blow was so powerful that the chains at my wrists hit the creature before rebounding and striking me lightly across my own forearms. Feebly, as it tried to rise on unsteady limbs, I finished its suffering with a blow to its mangled head, ending its life. You have in an Echo-Stalker 30 experience gained Its death notification filled me with savage joy. Looking around for the remaining threat, I saw that Kidu and Durhit had surrounded the remaining Drone. Its own speed and overeagerness to reach us had been its downfall, as Kidu had been able to nk it as it leaped. A scythe-de arm hung limply, clearly broken, as dark ichor flowed from the wound. Like a bear at bay, it turned this way and that as the pair made their probing strikes. They were silent in their fight, no doubt unwilling to bring more of the monstrosities down upon us, with Kidu showing surprising restraint. Elwin held another stone in his hand, throwing it up and down a small distance repeatedly, testing its weight while he waited for an opening. Sensing my approach it chittered wildly, mandibles cking as it raised its head in threat. That was all the opening Elwin needed, promptly throwing his projectile and hitting antennae square on, causing it to nearly snap off. We all charged it then, even Elwin picked up a shovel to join the fray. My group struck it with everything we had, making it crash to the ground in a bundle of mangled, iling limbs. Our group didn¡¯t stop hitting it until it finally stilled. I was given another death notification. You have in an Echo-Stalker 15 experience gained You have gained 1 Dexterity The fight could not havested for more than a minute, but my hands were shaking from the adrenaline and the aftershock of spent battle lust. We were all breathing deeply, taking great gulps of air, our hands on our knees as we tried to recover. ¡°Well that was refreshing,¡± the Rogue said, trying to make light of his earlier fear. ¡°Those two were only a scout pair, there¡¯ll be more of them further down¡­a lot more,¡± the bearded dwarf spoke dourly. ¡°They will make for fine trophies then,¡± the wildman rumbled matter-of-factly, as he ripped off a Drones¡¯ scythe des in a gory disy of raw strength, before cing them in his wicker basket. He made a move to tear off their insect heads, but at thest moment thought better of it, shaking his head. Looking into the gloom, now that the immediate threat was neutralized, we saw that the tunnel connected to arge wide circr room. Within was a vast concave floor, almost like a pit. Without a word we silently filed into the room, scanning the darkness for any new threats. Casting our weak blue lights at the edges, we walked along the circumference to find the room filled with bones, loose rock, and a misceny of detritus. The whole area resembled a great garbage pit for the refuse of the creatures that we had encountered. Seeing that no further tunnels branched from the room, the dwarf decided to explore further toward the middle. Skidding down, followed by loose pebbles, Durhit made his way to the center of the room. As we followed the dwarf, at our feet we found a plethora of animal bones from unknown species bothrge and small. Among them, more horrifyingly, was the asional cracked human skull. ¡°So this is where the lost miners ended up¡­¡± Durhit said, diverted in thought as he held up a humanoid skull for closer inspection. ¡°Some of us even thought that they had managed to find a way out. No matter, let us have a look to see if we can find anything useful.¡± We quickly followed his orders, searching through the rubbish pile for items. What surprised us were the sporadic remains of once colorful torn clothes which were scattered among the remains, very different to our own ve linens. Looking at a particrlyrge femur that drew my attention, I noticed the remnants of a crude doll next to it. Small horn buttons for its mouth and eyes, no doubt once an innocent child¡¯s toy. Elwin sifting through the rubbish was able to unearth a in rusty iron dagger, which he quickly pocketed up his sleeve. Kidu found a rotten bow that almost crumbled as he picked it up. Searching around for a while longer, Durhit came upon something which he threw my way as he said, ¡°Should be about your size, manling!¡± Such was my surprise, I was barely able to catch it, passing clumsily from hand to hand in an almostic fashion. Once I was in no danger of dropping it, I realized I was holding a conical, open-faced tarnished bronze helmet. There were no special markings or patterns, and it simply looked like an antiquated, if not functional, helm. The dwarf gestured for me to put it on, with which Iplied. No doubt I must have looked a little foolish, in ve linens with just a bronze helmet for protection, but my little knowledge of warfare told me that it was absolutely vital to protect the head. The first piece of armor that the ancient soldier would always be sure to invest in was, to my recollection, the helmet. The leather straps had long since rotted away, and the helm felt loose about my head, but it was certainly better than nothing. Rooting around in the rubble some more, I found an iron spear next to an almost intact skeleton. The spear had likely seen better days, its diamond-shaped spearhead pitted with rust and corrosion. Kidu, however, eyed the equipment longingly. I had wanted a more serious weapon than my pickaxe which, although powerful, was hard to control inbat. Nevertheless I relented at Kidu¡¯s clear fixation with the spear, and passed it to him. Besides, he was probably more proficient in its use than I was, and with his massive frame, his reach would be deadly. In knowing appreciation, he handed me a pair of leather gloves that were in surprisingly good condition. I donned the gloves, feeling a little loss of Dexterity, but decided that it would have little effect on mybat style. The pickaxe was not a subtle weapon. The Rogue found a purse filled with small copper coins. Although there was nowhere to spend the money, we decided to divide them among us, much to Elwin¡¯s reluctance, totaling ten copper pieces each. The dwarf dexterously made simple cloth money pouches from torn, once colorful, fabric that was scattered here and there on the floor. He handed the money-filled pouches to each of us, silencing Elwin¡¯s protestations. Deciding that any further time searching through the rubbish den would be a waste, we mbered out and cautiously made our way back to the main shaft. As stealthily as we could, we proceeded down the tunnel. Kidu was at the van, iron spear held with both hands as a ward against any potential dangers. Slipping further down, we came across the broken bodies of Drones. More disturbingly, among the corpses we saw arger, more deadly-looking version of the Echo-Stalkers. These mangled corpses had thicker, more heavily armored chitin carapaces, with extra vicious-looking scythe des for their weapon arms. Some of the bodies were almost torn in two, others had their craniumspletely pulped by what must have been extreme blunt-force trauma. ¡°What sort of creature could have done this?¡± Elwin uttered in the gloom as he visibly gulped. Chapter 28: Loss Chapter 28: Loss ¡°There is always sun above the darkest of storm clouds.¡± - Avian Guard motto ¡°Only one thing could be responsible for this whirlwind of destruction¡­an orc in a berserk heat,¡± the dwarf answered stoically in response, ¡°Combine that with the pain from the cor, and you have a recipe for a natural disaster.¡± Remembering the orc¡¯s hulking physique and brutish appearance from our team, it came as no surprise that he could wreak such destruction. I didn¡¯t know what I feared the most;ing into contact with more Echo-Stalkers, or reuniting with our fearsome former team member. Still, we were fortunate that the berserker had cleared the way for us. After walking down it a while, Durhit raised a hand for us to stop as we reached the entrance to another of the perfectly round tunnels. He sniffed the air, cing an ear to the wall. ¡°Running water, and close,¡± he stated matter-of-factly, looking down the new path. ¡°Let¡¯s go quietly, perhaps we will be able to sneak by now the hive is distracted.¡± Like the main shaft, the broken bodies of Echo-Stalkers lined this new path at almost uniform intervals. We passed by the shattered shaft and head of a pickaxe, both halves of the tool buried in two separate bodies that still oozed fresh ichor. The wake of the single orc¡¯s destruction was impressive. Following the trail of death, and Durhit''s unerring sense of direction, we navigated through thework of tunnels as quickly and as quietly as we could through the gloom. Sometimes the dwarf led us downwards, but more often now he would guide us in a slight ascent through abundant twists and turns. It passed without event until we heard the sound of free-flowing running water for ourselves. The Dwarf¡¯s prediction had proven true. We picked up our pace, abandoning thest vestiges of stealth as we powered down through the tunnels. Just as we turned the corner of a tunnel, we ran suddenly into two more Drones, and arger, more heavily armored, deadly-looking Echo-Stalker. This new enemy I quickly mentally dubbed the ¡®Soldier¡¯ variant, and it bristled with cold threat as it gazed at us with unfeeling, arachnid eyes. They raised their deadly weapon arms and threatened us with death with their rapidly clicking mandibles. The man-mountain Kidu needed no further prompting, thrusting his new spear into therger Soldier Echo-Stalker before it could mount a defense, stabbing deeply. Momentarily distracted by Kidu¡¯s martial prowess, I almost allowed one of the drones to stab me in the chest. I dodged at almost thest moment, the chains at my wrists and ankles jangling as I turned a potentially lethal strike into just a ncing one. Still, my Health was reduced by a full twenty-three points. Capitalizing on its missed strike, Durhit smashed it with his pickaxe, gouging a great wound down its trunk with a mighty blow. Recovering from my shock, I swung my pickaxe in a rough uppercut that brained the insect, the point of my tool firmly lodged in its cranium. You have in an Echo-Stalker 30 experience gained Mentally brushing aside the notification, I saw that Durhit had moved to help Kidu, who was dueling with the weakened yet still very dangerous Soldier, his spear striking out like a darting snake. I turned to see if Elwin needed any assistance, yet he already had the situation well in hand. His opponent was bleeding from a multitude of wounds across its limbs, with one weapon arm drooping weakly as Elwin danced around him. The Drone¡¯s antennae seemed to be following the Rogue¡¯s knife as he passed it from hand to hand. Seeing it distracted, and wanting a slice of the experience, I raised my Pickaxe. I smashed into it from behind with all my might with a Power Strike, which ended its life instantly as another notification crossed my vision. You have in an Echo-Stalker 30 experience gained You have gained 1 Dexterity Taking a quick breath, I turned to see what had be of Kidu and Durhit¡¯s fight, but was disappointed to see that they had already put down the savage beast. Feeling a little frustrated, I absently kicked a loose stone on the floor. I was just a few points away from my next level. Kidu bent down to rip out the beast¡¯s impressive scythe arms as another battle trophy, only to stop when the sound of further fighting drifted from down the path. A bestial roar of fury and frustrated rage could be heard. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that is our next destination?¡± Elwin began weakly, looking a little paler even in the gloom. ¡°Sound of running water ising down from there, so that is where we must be going manling. Let¡¯s just pray to the gods of the hearth that the orc can distract them for a little while longer,¡± the dwarf replied dourly to the inquiry. Faster we journeyed down our path until we could clearly hear running water, the sound of battle joining it. We continued past a corner to see that we came to a cliff path, a small dark river running swiftly below us in a vast cavern that reached up to unending darkness. To our left, I could feel a weak breeze and the taste of fresh air. But higher up along the path to our right we saw a most impressive sight. The lone orc juggernaut was frothing at the mouth as he battled an entire hive of Echo-Stalkers on the ledge, smashing them left and right, many of them plunging to their deaths in the swift current below. His great bestial warcries drowned out the sound of the flowing river. He held a pickaxe in his right that cut through rigid chitinous armor like it was paper. In his left he sped a ripped-off scythe arm from a Soldier, which he used to stab with lightning quickness at the never-ending horde of monsters. ¡°That way!¡± hissed Durhit where the tunnel met the cliff path, pointing emphatically to our left, ¡°Go! Go!!¡± Just as we passed Durhit, a dark shape dropped from the ceiling, its chameleonic skin making it almost invisible in the gloom. It nted two sharpened scythe des through Durhit¡¯s chest that burst out the other side. His eyes widened in shock and pain as he coughed up blood. Kidu with a great snarl thrust his spear with both hands at the new monster, striking it squarely where its neck should be, twisting savagely as dark viscera exploded from its new wound. ¡°No! No! No! No!¡± I screamed in rage and loss. Durhit was one of my first friends andpanions in this cruel, barbaric world. Memories of our sharedradeship shed across my mind as I raised my hand to strike out at the monster. I swung a wild horizontal attack that connected solidly with its trunk, the chains at my wrist also hitting it a momentter. A blow so powerful it smashed the creature aside, even as Durhit toppled to the ground. You have in an Echo-Stalker 30 experience gained You have learned ils (lvl.1) I barely registered the death notification as I rushed to hold Durhit in my arms, all thoughts of the battle lost with my friend dying. I tried to summon a Heal, but it would not heed my call, my Mana being so perilously low. Hollowly, I read the notifications looking for a way to save the Dwarf. I found nothing, save for the fact that this game had counted the chains of my very as ils. ¡°My sister Evenes¡­Bronzegate Hold¡­tell her¡­¡± the dwarf gasped hisst through bloodstained lips. Someone began shouting in my ear. Feeling devoid of all sensation I almost ignored it, but the voice was persistent. ¡°We¡¯ve got to go NOW!¡± Elwin yelled in my ear, attempting to drag me up, while Kidu stood guard over Durhit¡¯s corpse. Stumbling up as I released Durhit, I noticed that the Echo-Stalkers had redoubled their assault. Some of them had run up across the walls past the orc, only to be met in turn by Kidu¡¯s lightning spear, which skewered them against the cavern rock. Slowly we began our fighting retreat, with the wildman taking up the rearguard. Since we were at, what I presumed around forty meters from the orc, I cast Rust on him in a pique of rage and frustration. I barely heard the dark whispers, nor felt the unwholesome energies as I released the spell¡¯s ck lightning into the orc¡¯s ve cor. This only incensed the creature to further heights of rage, his bestial roars echoing throughout the cavern, stunning the Echo-Stalkers in front of him with its intensity. Whether it was the adrenaline, my high Constitution, my new skill Mana Regeneration, or simply just my inability at that moment to feel, I didn¡¯t notice the usual wave of fatigue that came with reaching zero Mana. All thoughts of fighting left us then. We beat our retreat, clutching our weapons tightly. I held my helmet to my head, my pickaxe in my other, as we sprinted at full speed through the cavern, following the ledge and the course of the river. The darkness of the cavern began to lighten before we eventually burst out into glorious sunlight, almost blinding us after what felt like an eternity of darkness and blue gloom. The river fell from the cliff into a cascading waterfall, that fed into argeke. We all skidded to a stop then to avoid falling off, before we noticed an animal trail that cut down across the cliffs and into the woods. As I stepped out of the cavern I was granted a notification that brought hot tears of joy and grief to my eyes. Quest Complete: Escape from the very Pits of Ansan Chapter 29: Divine Grace Chapter 29: Divine Grace Though a small nation, it was a nation of free thinkers where great strides had been made in the fields of magic. Even so, their mages, who were growing fewer, could not protect them all from the constant barrage from the skies. Desperate, the Republic sanctioned the use of a newly researched form of magic thatbined dark and life energies in an aberration of the natural order. Necromancy, the art of raising the dead and bringing them back in some corrupted form of unlife. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC 400 experience gained You have gained 1 Luck You have reached level 9 6 unassigned attribute points 2 unassigned skill points As we ran down the animal trail, I quickly put all of my unassigned attribute points into Constitution, which raised my maximum Health to a lofty two hundred and sixteen points. My two unassigned skill points would prove to be a trickier proposition. I tried to allocate both points to Heal, but was met instead with three choices from the UI. Purify Holy Aura Greater Heal I had no idea what Holy Aura would do, and with the timer ticking down I made a snap decision and chose to put a single point in both Purify and Greater Heal. As soon as I made my choice, time seemed to stop, flowing at almost a hundredth of normal speed to my perception. Voices of angels rose, singing righteous hymns of blessing and redemption in perfect harmony and counterpoint to one another. Visions of winged beings guiding those at death¡¯s door back to the world of the living filled my mind. Next, I was to be blessed with a new vision of a man in long white flowing robes, gilt in gold. He was crowned with what looked like a bishop''s miter, and was giving a benediction to the sick, soft golden light weaving among their number and cleansing them of their ailments. The same man again, this time d head to foot in heavy armor, with a heavy mace in one hand and a white heater shield in another, was wading through a sea of undead. The same golden light that cleansed the sick now unraveled the necromantic energies that bound them to this world. As time finally started to flow back to the real, I understood in my gut the purpose of these visions. It was this world¡¯s way of exining the use of the spells I was gaining. Finally, I was beginning to make some sense of the esoteric nature of this world. Lost in my thoughts, Kidu touched my shoulder, urging me forward along the trail down. I looked into his eyes and nodded, now fully returned to the present. ¡°Come ondies! Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± shouted Elwin, a note of panic in his voice. We ran as fast as we could, almost killing ourselves going down the narrow trail in our haste. Finally, we made our way down to theke into which the underground river was flowing. We took some time to regain our breath and drank deeply of the ice-cool waters. I then received a notice that both ted and filled me with dread. You have in an orc 437 experience gained ¡°Gather yourselves, we need to go soon. The orc is dead,¡± I said with as much seriousness as I could. Almost gulping at my slip, I noticed the eyes of mypanions looking at me questioningly. Luckily, I was saved from further inquiry as they simply shrugged, probably thinking I had simply made a grammatical mistake as more pressing concerns weighed upon them. You have reached level 10 3 unassigned attribute points 1 unassigned skill point Even as I told them of the death of the orc, I was already assigning the points. Rust all but saved my life in the ve pits, but I decided not to spare the skill point to improve it. My newly acquired spells were all still level one and should be easy to raise to at least level two naturally through practice. Durhit¡¯s death had taught me a valuable painful lesson in resource management, so I allocated the bonus point to Mana Regeneration in the hope that it would also allow me to cast more spells outside of resting. To add a little more punch to my ¡®build,¡¯ I ced all of my attribute points into Strength. My attention snapping back to mypanions, I noticed that, to their credit, they had not panicked. With almost military efficiency, Kidu quickly filled out our canteens with water while Elwin stopped to drink directly from the river. Soon enough we started running swiftly once more through the woods, following the course of the flowing water. Large silvery willows grew along the banks, swaying softly as we ran along the water''s edge, disturbing the wildlife to cause brightly colored waterbirds to burst from the rushes. Further along, we came across a family of otter-like creatures, perhaps half a meter in length, with six legs basking in the afternoon sun along the warm banks of the shore. They slipped quickly into the running water as we passed, chittering at us in annoyance. Onwards we kept running until a tributary joined the river we were following. Kidu advised that we should cross to hopefully shake off further pursuit. With no reason to question his advice, we forded at one of the shallow points, all of us floundering against the swift current. Exhausted, we were finally able to cross. In the distance, we could see thin columns of rising smoke. With no better options, we decided among ourselves that it would be as good a direction as any. Slowly, as we prated the deeper woods, the deciduous earth-like trees gave way to veritable giants that I could draw no realparison to. Huge sequoia-like trees rose like tall towers questing towards the sky, dwarfing their smaller cousins. Their branches created such a thick canopy that they darkened everything beneath, casting a cool pall on the forest floor. The underbrush grew less thick, allowing us to make greater speed. Up above us, birds fluttered among the great boughs in a riot of color, their musical songspeting with one another in a symphony of nature. Every now and then I saw creatures agilely running across the massive limbs of the trees and lithely jumping from branch to branch, some even sporting three sets of limbs. There seemed to be a whole world filled with life above us, but I was the only one of mypanions to be taken in by the wonder. Slowing to a fast jog, noticing my look of wonderment, Elwin asked me in more of a statement than a question, "First time seeing the Sainba?¡± He drew a deep breath before continuing, ¡°I was lost for words too when I came down here once with a caravan in my youth. Don¡¯t have trees like that back home, do you?¡± ¡°No, we don¡¯t,¡± I answeredmely, still gawking at the forest vista, ¡°...I mean I don¡¯t remember.¡± At that moment Kidu signaled to stop. We were standing just before strange-looking green growth that covered one of the thick roots of the giant trees. Wide striped leaves in differing shades of green spread out from the base of the nt. The most impressive feature, however, was its great open spiked flowers. Like giant maws colored a delicate pink, they rested on delicate stalks of viridian, resembling a ginormous venus flytrap. Cutting himself slightly with the de of his spear, he dripped a few drops of blood onto a twig that he picked from the forest floor. He then threw the bloodied twig casually at one of the open traps, whichunched itself energetically, before snapping shut with great force. He repeated this until all of the vicious traps were closed, before he walked up to the nt and cut off each of the flower heads. Gathering one of them, he opened it up before us, ripping it in two halves and removing the stuck twig. He offered Elwin and myself one of the halves each. ¡°Sweet and good eating on these. Snap-Honey,¡± he said simply, gesturing for us to take a bite, before turning back to gather the rest of the heads. Hesitantly I took a bite, fighting back the hunger pangs I didn¡¯t notice I had until now. An explosion of sharine sweetness filled my mouth, and greedily I took another taste. The vor was somewhere between wild honey and watermelon, and I ate it all with gusto, leaving only the inedible spikes. This was the first delicious food I had eaten sinceing into this world, and it was my first meal as a free man since my envement. It appeared that Elwin shared my enthusiasm, as he had thoroughly ravaged his portion and was making his way to help Kidu collect the other heads. Oddly, when I had finished eating and made to join them, I noticed that my Health had increased by a few points. ¡°I think it best that we make camp for the night,¡± the Hunter said as he scanned the forest with his icy blue eyes, ¡°if theye this far, best that we are rested. I¡¯ll take the first watch so you can both regain your strength,¡± he finished as he sat against one of the great roots, spear resting across his knees. The feral man looked positively in his element. ¡°Much appreciated, Kidu,¡± I said, a nod in thanks that was echoed by Elwin as we settled down on the soft moss-covered forest floor. Finding afortable position, I removed my bronze helm from my head, cing it on the ground next to me. I closed my eyes but for a moment before falling into a deep sleep, my fallen dwarven friend glowering at me in the dark through my subconscious. The stout dwarf seemed to be screaming usations at me, before he was consumed by a seething mass of tentacled shadows. His face broke free from the living darkness and I could hear only two words. ¡°Bronzegate¡­Evenes.¡± Chapter 30: The Power to Choose Chapter 30: The Power to Choose A lucky ballista bolt, shot from atop one of the border forts, was able to fell one of the lesser dragons from the sky, having pierced through its heart. Forged with all Arastia¡¯s arcane might, the bespelled adamantine tip was able to punch through inches of rock-hard scale and thick muscle. The mages of the Republic, ecstatic, having acquired a vessel of indomitable power, poured all of their magical might into the dragon¡¯s now still corpse. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC It began with the usual dark dreams, but soon I felt a shift in my dreamscape. The scenes of violence and promised pain changed with a jarring, shifting sensation. There was now a dusty attic or storage room, strewn with a variety of objects and artifacts. They ranged from the unremarkable, like a baker¡¯s pin or a sewing kit, to exotic-lookingmps and fabulous weapons. I knew then that this was not part of a dream, but some sort of vision sent by this world. Cobwebs clung to each side of the room, and a thinyer of gossamer gray dust coated everything. The dusty walls seemed to be made from an off-white wattle and daub, with wooden supports running through them. Mold and mildew could be seen in the corners. The room seemed a little drained of color, as if it had been bleached out. Yet the items strewn about drew the eye in disconcerting ways. Somehow I just knew the objects in this room were of great significance. My hand was drawn to an iron dagger with short upturned quillons, rusted and pitted with grime. I knelt before it, seeking to understand the question that it posed. Hovering just above it, I then saw a message. Assassin No, this was not for me. Though the thought of bing a shadowy individual, flitting across the rooftops, and silently eliminating his target, did hold a certain adolescent appeal, it was not the choice I would make. An assassin was a mere tool, a de directed by another¡¯s hand. My thoughts roamed, for no discernable reason, to myst faithful dog, Shadow, who had passed away the year beforest. My pet had been a wonderfulpanion who somehow always knew how to lift my spirits. My focus was shifted by the dream and I saw then, in the corner of my eye, arge worn leather cor studded with iron spikes. I went to see what choice this item would offer. Moving to grasp it, I stopped my hand just above it as a new message came to me in the same manner as the dagger. Beast Tamer Interesting, I thought to myself. The idea of taming great beasts seemed a tantalizing one. But with no idea how to go about doing so, or the dangers involved with the profession, I decided to reject the offer. Taming a wild creature was only half the battle. After all, there was the care and upkeep, which was a lifetimemitment. I simply did not have it in me to make the emotional investment, nor could I see how this choice would help me in my current circumstances. Though, idly, I did ponder whether it was possible to tame an Echo Stalker... I needed something more practical, with a bit more punch. As these very thoughts came to my mind, I found myself treading across cobwebs and dust in the dream. My whole attention was drawn to a pair of gloves. They were a pair of leather fighting gloves, stained and cracked with age with vicious hobbed metal tes at the knuckles. I moved my hand cautiously towards them to see what choice the item represented. Pugilist In many games the Pugilist or ¡®Monk¡¯ sses were popr and valid choices, but why on earth would anyone actually choose to fight monsters and other evil creatures with just their fists? Surely any weapon would be better than almost nothing at all? Supposedly they could improve their bodies to reach near superhuman heights, but I simply could not risk it. Yes, if this was all just a game I would be tempted, but this was not the time for idle experimentation. I wandered across the room, my hands questing here and there, and I almost grasped the scabbard of what looked like a longsword. The scabbard had intricate floral patterns of spiked vines and alien flowers running along its length, faded and dull from the passage of time. Warrior Far too pedestrian. I could admire the romance of following the path of the sword. However, in a world of swords and sorcery, choosing just to wave about a metal stick, no matter how skilfully, seemed rather banal. It was like choosing to eat at a familiar fast-food chain after flying to a faraway and exotic location. A waste. Why just use a knife when in this world magic seemed to be the equivalent of having a gun? Besides, I needed something that could leverage my magical abilities. Gun¡­ something about that word sparked something in my mind, before swiftly fading into the haze of the dream. As my feet took me to my next destination in the room, I wondered just how many choices were here before me. Was I allowed to return to a previous choice? These thoughts floated around my mind as I scanned the room, which I still couldn¡¯t quite ce the size of. Small yetrge. ncing down I saw a long wooden rod before me, tipped with a cracked and broken amber gem. Its luster was dull and muted. Around the tip, and just below the gem, bronze copper rings wound themselves loosely around the haft. What was this, I wondered as I knelt down in the dust to get closer to the item. Mage This was more like it. Being a specialized magic user certainly held great appeal. It would significantly boost my prowess, allowing me to deal damage through esoteric means. But my stats, as I remembered them, were geared more towards that of a ¡®tank¡¯ or ¡®warrior¡¯ build, with most of my focus on my Constitution and Strength. Also, the survivability of the Mage ss was a consideration I had to contend with. In this savage and brutal world, I needed to be able to protect myself as much as possible. Was it Elwin who once remarked that Mages could be killed with simple arrows if they were not careful? Or was that a memory from a previous life? Regretfully I had to reject this choice, as I needed a lot more durability and a boost to my healing spells if possible. Something began to pull at me, almost incessant in its force, persuading me to rise once more. Slowly, as if the flow of time itself had grown sluggish, I began to walk mechanically to my next goal. A lone chair sat in a forgotten corner of the strange room, a drab gray dust cover draped across its back. As I moved closer, I could see on the seat of the chair a tarnished silver medallion with delicate links for a chain. Small gems framed the noble profile of a veiled woman etched at the center of its surface. Like the coins of this world, the face was looking to the left. Even before the message yed across my thoughts, I had already begun to ce the medallion around my neck. Pdin Laughing a little, I couldn¡¯t help but realize that somehow this room was reacting to my thoughts. Perfect for me, I concluded to myself as the dull metal settled around me. Its luster immediately started to return as it became warm to the touch. A Pdin, a knightly champion and protector of the weak. In modern gaming representation, the Pdin was depicted as a warrior in heavy armor who was both capable in the press of the melee and had the capacity to cast healing spells and blessings. This was exactly what I needed. The room¡¯s grip on me began to fade, my environment bing increasingly blurry as thest whispers of the dream appeared to slip away. Just as I thought I would begin my journey back to wakefulness, my left hand reached out to a ck oily puddle, moving like a marite against its will. A thinyer of gray dust coated its dark surface and its forced invitation was the empty void. As my hand grew closer to the dark liquid night, a new message filled me with horror and existential dread. Reaver Sharp tentacles flew from the puddle, growing in length and piercing my hand with a cold fire that burned through me and eviscerated all resistance. I could see ck tendrils of darkness wriggle their way just under my skin, working a path of agony up toward the rest of me. Atst, one of the questing tendrils of solid shadow found my heart. I felt a great lurch, as if falling from a great height, as the oily dark continued to ravage my very being. The wracking assault on my body and the thorough vition of my soul was an exquisite lesson in pain. I began to scream, still trapped in the haze of the dream. Chapter 31: Blessings & Curses Chapter 31: Blessings & Curses Slowly, like a grave flower blossoming, the dark energies flowed into the great lizard¡¯s cadaver, sloughing rotting flesh from thick pristine white dragon bone. A new nightmare was born, arising with it the stench of a freshly turned grave and all the majesty of the winged tyrants of the sky. The first Bone-Dragon Vizzeks came into existence with a roar and the howl of a thousand lost tortured souls. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC Kidu was shaking me, worry and concern etched onto his features as Elwin hovered overhead. I was greeted by a plethora of messages and notifications which followed me from my dream. Somehow, I knew this was a crucial moment for me. The dream had been the stage for my first ss change in this game. You have selected Pdin as your calling You have learned Purify (lvl.2) You have learned Holy Aura (lvl.1) You have learned Maces (lvl.1) You have learned Shields (lvl.1) You have learned Medium Armour (lvl.1) You have learned Heavy Armour (lvl.1) You have gained Gift - Mark of the Pdin You have gained 2 Wisdom You have selected Reaver as your calling You have learned Rust (lvl.3) You have learned Decay (lvl.1) You have learned Drain (lvl.1) You have learned Entropic Aura (lvl.1) You have learned Axes (lvl.1) You have learned Pain Nullification (lvl.2) You have gained Gift - Touch of the Void You have lost 3 Strength You have lost 3 Constitution The flood of messages threatened to overwhelm my short-term memory. My thoughts were distracted by the sounds of the forest; unknown animals calling out to each other, hunting each other, mating with each other. With a hoarse voice, I responded to the awakening, ¡°Give me a moment, I need to gather myself.¡± I sat up and took a few seconds to sort through my thoughts and take in the notifications. Night had fallen and Kidu, by some miracle or dent of his wilderness survival skills, had started a fire from the fallen branches that had carpeted the forest floor. Elwin was scanning the forest, wary that my screams may have brought something down to our camp. Kidu, satisfied that I was alright, went back to tending the fire while munching on another of the carnivorous Snap-Honey heads. Taking a deep breath, I decided to review my situation. Mercifully, the first thing I noticed was that I was at full Health, Stamina, and Mana after my rest. Fresh and ready to tackle the threats this cruel world would undoubtedly throw at me. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 10 Pdin of Avaria/Reaver Strength22 Dexterity16 Constitution34 Intelligence18 Wisdom16 Charisma10 Luck15 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.2) Power Strike (lvl.2) 10 Endure (lvl.3) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.1) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.2) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) Hammers (lvl.2) ils (lvl.1) Maces (lvl.1) Shields (lvl.1) Medium Armour (lvl.1) Heavy Armour (lvl.1) Axes (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) 5 Rust (lvl.3) 2 Identify (lvl.2) 1 Silent Casting (lvl.1) Mana Regeneration (lvl.2) Purify (lvl.2) 3 Greater Heal (lvl.1) Holy Aura (lvl.1) 2 Decay (lvl.1) Drain (lvl.1) Entropic Aura (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy: -20% all starting attributes. Mark of the Pdin: 10% resistance to Dark/Holy magic, 5% resistance to Physical. Touch of the Void: 10% reduced resistance to Holy/Fire magic, 20% resistance to Mental Effects, 15% immunity to Mental Effects. Experience to next level 2107/2583 Health225/225 Stamina53/53 Mana13/13 With the sudden addition of my new skills and proficiencies, my character sheet had started to be cluttered. Also, in a strange, yet wholly wee change, spells and abilities that I had cast or used before now disyed their Mana or Stamina points cost on my character sheet. I noticed too that my Gifts had an exnation detailing their effects. I was puzzled as to why now, of all times, my UI had changed. Also, I questioned why I had not received any visions to give some exnation for my new spells¡¯ functions. Perhaps it was because they were part of my Calling or ss choice already? Very unhelpful, I mentallyined to myself. However, most disturbing of all was the fact I had lost the equivalent of two levels¡¯ worth of attribute points in Strength and Constitution. At a loss, I looked once more at my character sheet and saw that the Reaver ss had been forced upon me. This was, if the pain I suffered in the dream was any clue, the reason for the reduction in my attribute points. This had the knock-on effect of lowering my overall Health and Stamina. One silver lining was the two new points of Wisdom from Pdin, which provided an extra point in Mana. I would also have to pay more attention to the gains in my ¡®secondary¡¯ attributes such as Charisma and Luck. Somewhere along the way, I had stopped my mental tally of them. I had no way to measure their effect on my ¡®character,¡¯ and I had only so much mental resource to spare on worrying about tertiary attributes. How did Luck even work? Would the universe bend itself slightly to suit my needs at high levels? Or did it just do something boring, like only work on critical hits? The new skills were wee, but I could not deny that I felt a certain trepidation at the thought of trying them. The mentally unsettling effects of executing the Rust spell were still at the forefront of my mind. Too many thoughts and questions spun around in my mind. Faced with yet more conundrums, my mind began to wander down the rutted path of an unrted tangent. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to focus. Staring out into the distance, I ruminated on ways to test my new magic. I decided that it would be wisest to first inform mypanions about thetest developments. ¡°The gods have gifted me with new powers,¡± I stated suddenly without preamble. Kidu gave me a knowing nod and smile, before intoning solemnly, ¡°The gods often grant their favor after oveing great trials. I, too, have felt their touch after our escape.¡± Elwin, on the other hand, simply raised an eyebrow, intrigued no doubt, but willing to hold off his questions untilter. Truthfully, I had no idea what Kidu was talking about. Perhaps this was the Hunter¡¯s way of interpreting a level up and increase in power; he had, after all, cut a bloody swathe during our escape. ¡°I would like to test out one of the spells. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an offensive spell, but I don''t exactly know what it does...¡± I said in a tone that inspired little confidence in mypanions. ¡°Do what you must, we will help you observe,¡± said Kidu, in his gruff voice. ¡°I think I am going to move a bit further back...¡± Elwin said, as he inched away from the crackling fire. However, waving my hand in a set of arcane motions I had already begun casting Holy Aura before Elwin could finish his retreat. I had decided against using the Silent Cast in conjunction with the spell, to establish a baseline for the ¡®normal¡¯ way of casting the magic. My fingers traced strange patterns in the air and my voice started to chant anguage I had never heard before. As I incanted the words, I noticed that there was a slight echo, as if another being was talking alongside me. As my chant reached a crescendo, I uttered, ¡°Holy Aura,¡± as a single pulse of golden light expanded away from me at its epicenter. The immediate area around us was bathed in its light. It was around mypanions, however, where the light finally settled, as if it were warding them against the darkness. Kidu and Elwin both held up their hands to inspect the golden light that had surrounded, then wrapped itself, around them. They looked incredulously as it yed in intricate arcane patterns all about us. Then a small shock hit me as I looked closely at my Status bars. The spell had used two Mana, and my maximum Mana had also dropped by two. Quickly, I stopped the Aura spell, and the golden glow softly disappeared. Mypanions still spun around, as if trying to determine to where the golden light was retreating. With a sigh of relief, I saw that my maximum Mana had risen again to thirteen, but my current Mana remained at eleven. Intriguing, I thought to myself. What would happen if I tried to cast the spell again? Kidu and Elwin looked distracted by the disappearance of the miraculous light. Seeing this, and deciding that it was better to beg for forgiveness rather than to seek approval, I decided to cast the Aura spell once again. This time I invoked the spell using my Silent Cast skill. I could feel a sense of resistance now, simr to a recalcitrant child going against their parent¡¯s wishes. It took a long while, perhaps six to eight seconds, before I couldplete the spell and a golden ambiance bathed us once more. It certainly took a lot longer to cast without the somaticponent of the spell and, mentally, it was a lot more draining. Looking at my Status, I could see now that both current Mana had dropped a further two points to nine, and my maximum Mana had again dropped back down to eleven. I gave a silent prayer of thanks, to no god in particr, that I had not damaged my Mana reserves permanently. ¡°Do you feel any different? Anything at all?¡± I asked mypanions hesitantly. ¡°Apart from the pretty lights, nothing. Pretty impressive though. Probably could make a few copper pieces at the next mummer¡¯s faire,¡± piped Elwin, a little sarcastically. ¡°As the small one said. I am thinking that answers nevere easy in the understanding of the ways of the gods,¡± retorted Kidu, ¡°Perhaps this magic is a ward against evil and misfortune?¡± Realizing that his words contained surprising insight, I nodded to him in acknowledgment. ¡°We also need to do something about these,¡± I added, holding up the remains of my chains on both wrists. Casting Rust on metal that was in contact with my skin was a painful operation I honestly did not want to repeat anytime soon. Just as I was beginning to think about how to get out of this predicament, I noticed something about Elwin and Kidu. They were now free of the manacles that had bound their wrists and ankles! ¡°Yes, about that,¡± Elwin began with a smug smile on his face, ¡°We didn¡¯t want to disturb you while you were having your beauty sleep,¡± he said, producing a thin sliver of metal out of nowhere as he walked over to me. Kneeling before me, he began work on my bindings, popping them loose from my ankles, with dextrous ease. ¡°Strange skills for a Ranger,¡± I said, looking him firmly in the eye. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I had a troubled youth,¡± he replied in an even tone, dodging the subject as deftly as he had unlocked what remained of my bindings. ¡°Now for your wrists.¡± I held out my wrists, and with an artisan''s grace, he jigged and manipted his crude sliver of thin metal into the sockets of the manacles. He released me from the iron in a matter of seconds, tutting as he worked. Touching my now liberated wrists in confirmation, I reveled in the feeling of greater freedom now that the metal hindrances were finally gone. ¡°Thank you, Elwin, much appreciated. You are certainly a good man to know to get out of a bind,¡± I said gratefully, testing my range of motion now that the chains and manacles were no longer there. ¡°Now if only we could do something about these cors,¡± I continued, smiling wryly as I pointed to the metal at my neck. Kidu began to raise a pickaxe in his hand, his answer to my question clear, which drew a worried nce from our Rogue. Almost jumping in surprise, I waved a hand to stop him from his obvious n of action. Comically, this caused my loose helm to begin to slip and I had to hold onto it to stop it from falling off. ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to resort to that just yet, I think my magic could weaken it a little more first!¡± I almost shouted. It would also be a chance to test, albeit potentially painfully, the level of control I had with my spell. ¡°Your choice.¡± He shrugged as hey down to sleep on the green moss of the forest floor, throwing another loose branch into the crackling fire before closing his eyes. Elwin threw a worried nce at me, ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of starting off with me are you?¡± ¡°No, Elwin. Have no fear, at least for the moment. At the very worst, the spell will simply turn your cor into hot g. I am pretty confident I can heal you through that,¡± I said, sneaking him with a mischievous grin. ¡°Please keep an eye out in case anything goes wrong¡­ Maybe keep some water close, eh?¡± Even with a cloud of doubt staining my thoughts, I concentrated as best as I could and brought the magic to my center. I focused on trying to tamp down the dark energies, attempting to resist unleashing its full power. My tongue spoke eldritch words of dark things in anguage not meant for mortal tongues, and I could see Elwin looking visibly perturbed. With my mind fully engaged in staving off the stronger aspects of the spell, I had simplycked the focus to use my Silent Casting skill. My fingers, stilting in their movement, drew esoteric symbols in the air that left traces of ozone and oily dread ckness. Even as I went through the motions of casting the spell, a small portion of my mind had registered that Kidu had begun snoring already, the sounds of which would rival any great beast in a rut. Just as the spell was about to reach a crescendo of arcane power, I felt the powers begin to subside and dete. Sensing the time was right, I released the ck lightning into my cor, causing it to heat up, but not painfully so. I surmised that I had seeded in my experiment of taming the dark alien energies, as I had only lost a single point of Mana in casting the spell. Smiling a cracked grin at the Rogue, ¡°Well, it seems that wasn¡¯t too bad. I appear to have learned how to control myself a little.¡± Elwin simply looked back quizzically at me. Straining, and failing, to look down at the cor around my neck, I waited for the roiling energies to finally subside, before casting Identify on the cor to see how much damage I had inflicted on its durability. Iron ve Cor Durability 258/400 Thirty-six points of durability damage. Not bad, I thought to myself. Although the level two spell did more damage, it was extremely painful and required me to spend additional Mana on healing. This was the most efficient and safest way to go. I gave Elwin a thumbs-up, and I smiled from ear to ear. Elwin just looked like he had just sucked a sour plum before saying, ¡°After all this you want me to bugger myself? Can¡¯t say I can find the humor in it. There are ces to go for that sort of thing.¡± ¡°No, no Elwin, that¡¯s not what I meant at all! From where Ie from this is a sign of good luck...an indication of approval. You see right now I am rather pleased with myself,¡± I said, holding up both thumbs, catingly smiling as best I could. ¡°Thought you had no memories,¡± the thief said in a slow calcting voice, before grumbling once again, ¡°Bah, for that you¡¯ll be taking next watch. Guess I¡¯ll have to be keeping another one of my eyes on you,¡± he finished, continuing to gripe as he made a bed for himself from the leaves and moss the cold forest floor. With an annoyed audible huff, hey dawn. ¡°Of course...¡± I began, before I noticed that he had already turned away. A few minutester he was already fast asleep, his breathing shallow and even. Adjusting the loose helmet on my head, I stared up at the dark canopy, observing only one or two twinkling lights through the thick boughs. All around me, I could hear the sounds of the forest as its denizens continued their nocturnal activities. The air was fresh and invigorating, full of the green smells of a vibrant forest, free of the stifling pollutants of my old world. Alone with my thoughts, I began to reflect on my journey so far. Thinking back to my struggles with the amphibious Bibsis, I realized just how much I had grown in power sinceing to this strange new world. My time as a ve had forged my body and soul, and I was a very different man from when I first arrived. I realized the innocence I once possessed was forever lost. I had killed, and more than once, at that. This was a world that demanded it, even rewarded it. I knew in my heart that this was no simple parody of a game. The scents, the sounds, the suffering; it was all too real. Yet despite all this, it was still a world that was beautifully virgin and full of wonder. I thought, too, of Earth, and of the mediocre, yet somewhat tolerable, life I had lived. Every day had been a struggle, but of a different sort. There, I had to worry if I would be able to pay the bills on time; here I had to worry if I had enough Health, Stamina, and Mana to survive the next encounter with a monstrous creature. I chuckled to myself inwardly, thinking of the situations that I once considered stressful. Here I had grown tough, but I knew I had to grow even tougher still. So with these thoughts, a few hours were lost. I touched my cor, a reminder of the sights I had witnessed and the trials I had suffered. My first gift for ying another sentient human being. This stubborn cor was just another hurdle I had to ovee. Focusing on Identify, I cast the spell on my cor once more, needing to confirm my progress from before. Iron ve Cor Durability 254/400 Intriguingly, the durability had dropped another four points. Was this from general wear and tear, or was it the lingering effects of the spell? ¡®Curse¡¯ type spells in games usually took a long time to fully take effect... I had a feeling that it would do me no favors to wait, and with six points of Mana I continued to emit the weaker version of Rust onto my cor, ignoring the oily dark energies and weak whispers that followed each cast. After the fifth use of the spell, wishing to avoid reaching zero Mana, I tried to snap the tortured metal with my bare hands, grunting loudly in the effort. A familiar hand the size of ham grasped my shoulder and I turned to look at Kidu. His face was hard and unfamiliar in the dark mes, casting him as a monster, his blonde dreadlocks like a wild Medusan growth. ¡°A fine sentry you will make,¡± heughed in a not-too-unfriendly manner. ¡°Please, let me,¡± he said, hisrge hands reaching for my neck. For a split second, I feared that he wished to end my life, and my body involuntarily stiffened. Gently he ced his giant hands on the cor around my neck, before, with a great twist, he snapped the weakened and heavily corroded metal. It fell broken to the forest floor. ¡°Thank you, Kidu,¡± awe and appreciation echoing in equal measure in my voice at his impressive strength. ¡°Freedom is more than payment enough,¡± he said, even and stern, beforeughing and pping me on the back, ¡°But I would like to stay free for a little much longer so I will take the next watch!¡± With therge man gesturing for me to sleep once more, I removed my helm and gloves,ying them down next to me before curling up into a ball. I touched where the metal once met my neck, and looked down at my wrists, now free of chains. Soon enough, sleep imed me once again as the dark whispers followed me into her realm. Chapter 32: Priorities Chapter 32: Priorities With the birth of the Bone Dragon, the winged Dragons were horrified and unwilling to y any further part in the campaign. With the loss of one of their number, they felt the first pangs of fear from newfound mortality. The dragons left the mortal short-lived races to their fate and flew back across the ocean to their high mountain homes. With their departure, the war began to grow into a grinding stalemate. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC The sharp call of a morning bird rang through the forest, loud and shrill, piercing the veil of dreams and waking me from my slumber. Groggily, I shook myself awake, brushing aside the cobwebs in my mind. Aside from the forest noises, the first thing I noticed upon waking was the delicious smell of something roasting on the fire. Getting to my feet, I sat down beside mypanions, who were cooking a meal that looked suspiciously like gigantic insects on thin sticks. Sadly, I noticed that the pair had eaten all of the remaining sweet Snap-Honey heads. ¡°Good morning to you,¡± Elwin greeted cheerfully. I took one of the insect sticks he offered me. Not wishing to be rude, I nodded in feigned gratitude. ¡°Much obliged,¡± I remarked, waiting for the Rogue to eat a piece of his. Elwin and Kidu both began to dig in as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Closing my eyes firmly, I hesitantly took a bite. If I could eat freshly killed amphibious fish, the Bibsis, then this should be easy. The shell was crispy and the white flesh was soft and tender. The taste was simr to that of freshwater shellfish. Not bad, I realized, but it could do with a little seasoning. I finished the rest of my meal slower than mypanions did theirs. Seeing mypanions eat all of the insect things, I decided to follow suit. I pretended I was simply eating soft-shell crab as I crunched into the head of the oversized bug on a stick. Calories were calories. ¡°Do you like them?¡± Kidu inquired in a voice that couldn¡¯t help but rumble. ¡°Could do with a little more punch, perhaps a little salt?¡± I said with a ghost of a smile, ¡°But this is the first breakfast I have had as a free man, and it tastes better than any meal at a king¡¯s banquet!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drink to that,¡± added Elwin, lifting an imaginary cup in the air. ¡°Here, here!¡± I yed along. ¡°What was that I just ate?¡± I inquired curiously. ¡°A Rockcrab. A bit different from the ones in the North. North Rockcrab is better eating,¡± Kidu informed, in a matter-of-factly tone, ¡°These still not bad. Eating this reminds me of hunting with my n.¡± ¡°The same ones that came with you from the North?¡± I said carefully, afraid that this might be a sore spot for him. Kidu grew taciturn and withdrawn before he answered, ¡°Yes, those same who came with me, not long ago. If I can, I wish to find them and release them from their bondage. Work and pay their brand price if necessary. Or have their masters pay the blood price if I can not. Their families deserve to be told of their fates. But most all, my soul seeks vengeance!¡± saying thest, almost growling. New Quest: Discover the Fate of Kidu¡¯s Companions Both Elwin and I raised imaginary cups again as if to toast hisst vow, but I had no true intention of helping out an NPC in a quest that could potentially take years. How could I help others when I was struggling to just stay afloat? I had to be in a position to help myself first. Then there was the matter of who or what was giving out these ¡®Quests¡¯. Was it the fickle gods of this world? I had a feeling that this ¡®quest system¡¯ was a way for the divine forces of this world to control my actions. Also, without knowing the parameters for the quest, dismissing it was the only choice. It soundedplicated, a mission of this nature was simply too much of amitment. This was simply the stark reality of my situation. I swore to myself that I would only ept quests that were in line with my own goals. I would not be led around by the nose. This was my game and I would y as I liked. Truth be told, I just did not care enough about Kidu¡¯s grievances. The man was still loyal for the time being, and his strength and skill could be keys to my survival; I needed to keep him close. As this final thought crossed my mind, I swore I could see a darkness at the edge of my vision, quivering with delight. ¡°Oh, Gil, since we are on the topic of freeing friends and so forth, what are you going to do about these?¡± Elwin said, pointing to his cor, and bringing me back to the present. He had tried to say it as casually as possible, but he couldn¡¯t quite hide the eagerness in his voice. ¡°Right¡­ I¡¯ll get right on it,¡± I answered, giving the Rogue a mocking salute and raising a hand, as if to cast a spell in his direction. Casting Rust had now be a lot easier, though I still had to consciously rein in its power. I began to go through the motions of casting the spell, my tongue now more practiced in saying the eldritch words, and my gestures were more precise and fluid. I noticed, to my amusement, that Elwin still flinched at each utterance I made. ck lightning flowed from my hands to his cor. The whispers, these uninvitedpanions, echoed in my mind, as they always did, as the magic surged. The energies visibly ate into the metal, corroding it wherever the lightning touched. He squeezed his eyes shut, fearing the searing heat he thought was toe. Yet, unbeknownst to him, I had only cast the level one version of the spell. Looking closely at Elwin¡¯s cor, I was pleased with my handiwork. I did not need to use Identify to check the durability. I could see that the orange and red splotches, indicative of oxidization, had grown considerably and was its own testament to the effect of the spell. I turned to Kidu now and nodded at him, a gesture which he returned. He epted the spell much more stoically than Elwin, his trust in me absolute. ¡°How many times do you have to do that, before you know...?¡± Elwin inquired. ¡°Honestly, I do not know. Casting this spell without causing harm to you is not easy. I do know that this spell significantly weakens the durability of the cor. I will continue to cast it as often as I can, whenever I can, until all of us are truly free,¡± I said tly. The apathy in my tone was reminiscent to that of my father. The Rogue shrugged before adding with a smile, ¡°Can you do it again then...?¡± * In the end, I cast the weaker version of Rust two more times on both of them before we broke camp. I decided to keep more than half, the lion¡¯s share of Mana, for emergencies. I hoped that my Mana Regeneration skill would allow me to cast Rust a few more times as we moved. As we made ready to break camp, Kidu and Elwin left their chains behind. Kidu, with a mighty roar, threw the remains of his former bindings into the bushes while Elwin just let them lie next to the roots of a tree. I, on the other hand, decided to take a length with me as a reminder of the cruel and callous nature of this world. We proceeded carefully through the forest in the direction of the distant smoke. Our eyes were constantly scanning the forest and searching for new threats. An hour or two passed by, uneventfully, before the world would seek to test us again. I was talking with Elwin, fishing for more information about this world when, without warning, something hard, and moving fast, impacted against his head. It knocked him down, almostically, to the forest floor. In those fractious first few seconds, all I could think about was that it looked like a giant wooden seed. More thuds echoed around us and the wooden seed things continued to drop down as the branches swayed above us. Here and there, the heavy wooden balls fell from the canopy in stato waves as a wind wove its way through the high branches. Each one a missile of death and injury. Instinctually, I thought first to run, for my own safety, but rity intervened. I could not survive the ordeals ahead alone, and so far, Elwin had been a useful ally. With this as a priority, I quickly knelt down next to him. The Rogue¡¯s bodyy prone on the ground, his chest still. I thought, almost instinctively, to perform some form of first aid before I remembered that we were in Gesthe, and of magic. I began to invoke the magic of the Heal spell and stole a look at his bloody head. As I did so, something told me that a simple Heal spell would simply not be enough. A different spell whispered to me, causing threads of a new idea toce together to form a new tapestry. A vision of an angel saving someone from death¡¯s door came to the fore of my vision with crystal rity. Knowing what I had to do, I began to, instead, cast Greater Heal, before a giant seed impacted against my bronze helm. Shaking my head, I saw that the concussive force had caused almost twenty points of damage and probably would havepletely interrupted my cast were it not for my Pain Nullification skill. I was able to keep control of the divine energies andplete the spell. Today at least, I was determined to not give the Reaper his due. My voice rose in a steady cadence, sounding more like a hymn than a spell. I held my hands over Elwin¡¯s prone form and poured golden energies into the man. An echo chorused my chanting, filling my soul with solemnity, and each syble gave thanks to an unknown divine power. Slowly, oh so slowly, the golden light began to mend his bloody head wound. I witnessed the magic as it closed the wound, drawing back the clotting blood and bone fragments, and knitting skin together as his skull was restored to its original form. Atst, the spell ended, and Elwin started to breathe evenly. Clearly alive but still unconscious. The wind had stopped as suddenly as it had started. No more of the heavy seeds fell to the forest floor, but a pervading sense of danger remained. We had to get out of here, and fast. ¡°Kidu, we need to find somewhere safe!¡± I shouted out to the northern Hunter. He gawked at me then for a few moments, before bursting into a ze of action, running to search for sanctuary. With Kidu gone, I was alone with Elwin and constantly looking upward, praying that the wind would not return. Luckily, Kidu came back a minuteter, and between us, we dragged the unconscious Rogue to a de. There, sunlight bathed, a rarity indeed in the otherwise dark forest, the moss-covered forest floor where one of the mighty trees had fallen. Bushes and nts grew in a ring around the fallen titan, all reaching upward in a race toward the sun. We went into the hollow of the gigantic tree, searching its cavernous interior first for threats. Next, we ced Elwin down, disturbing some creatures who chittered as they ran away from us. The three of us rested then in our safe space that smelled of earth and the slow rot of wood. Kidu looked over our new amodation critically, as he searched for hidden danger. I was visibly shaken by the recent events in this hostile environment. The hollow must have passed some unspoken test as the Hunter grunted in satisfaction, however, all I saw was just another dank hole in a giant tree. The adrenalin rush now slowly fading, I plopped myself down next to Elwin¡¯satose form. In the heat of the moment, I had saved the Rogue because overall he added to my chances of survival. He was handy with a de, and heavens, his ss might be usefulter on, but risking myself to save his life was decidedly alien to my nature. No, a hero did not just save people because they were ¡®useful¡¯! It would lessen me to think of people by just their utility. After all, Elwin was more than just an ally; he was a friend. After a while, Elwin began to stir. I wondered what sort of effect having his brain smashed in would have on his personality. Possibly an improvement, I considered, in dark jest. Just like the visions, it seemed that the spell Greater Heal really could save a person that was on Death¡¯s door. Worryingly, Kidu began to shake the convalescing Rogue. I knew from some half-remembered first-aid course that his actions were not the most appropriate thing to do at this critical moment, but I didn¡¯t quite have the mental energy to stop him. ¡°Wha...?¡± Elwin mumbled, with a slurred voice and unfocused eyes. He searched around for something, or someone, familiar. ¡°Be at ease, little man, you are safe here, for the moment,¡± Kidu said brusquely, if not unkindly. ¡°The shallow river¡­ I heard her bells¡­ they were all calling for me¡­¡± the Rogue continued ¡°Even the damn nuts in this forest are dangerous...you were hit by...a seed...or a bloody nut! What were those things!?¡± I tried to say in a serious tone, but a ghost of a hysterical giggle entered my voice from the thought of the absurdity of the situation. Luckily, neither Kidu nor Elwin noticed my faux pas. In the old world, I had heard ofrge spiked fruit called durian killing a few people every year; I read online that, statistically, they were more dangerous than sharks. Ah, the inte. What I would give to have ess to that wealth of knowledge and entertainment. Out of the corner of my eye, I looked down at Elwin. He had torn the sleeve from his linen tunic, exposing his arm and I could see that his ve brand had disappeared. Looking closer, I saw nothing but healthy unscarred skin in the ce of the brand. ¡°Kidu,¡± I hissed loudly, ¡°His arm¡­ look!¡± ¡°By the ancestor spirits, so it is!¡± Kidu eximed, his voice going up almost an octave in pure surprise. Could it be that the Greater Heal spell had effects other than miraculous regeneration and healing? Was Elwin¡¯s hair a little thicker, the crow¡¯s feet around his eyes a little less pronounced? I brushed these thoughts aside as I realized I had a way to remove all the marks of our very. Removing our ve brands through magical means would take up a lot of Mana. However, if I exploited my Rest skill to squeeze out as much Mana as possible in the shortest amount of time then the process could be significantly sped up. ¡°Kidu, I will need to rest and to regain my Mana,¡± I began, a n of action already forming in my mind, ¡°If you can watch over us and find us something to eat, perhaps start a fire, it would be most appreciated. What was it that downed Elwin anyway?¡± I added. ¡°That is hard task. Safeness or forage, that is a decision for you to make. As for the little man¡¯s attacker, I know not. At least with no trees above us, we should be away from those warmnd nuts,¡± he then looked at me, waiting for my order. ¡°Scout out the area near us, ande back when you can. I am afraid to say I know nothing of making a fire, so be quick.¡± I would have to trust that I could sleep lightly, or that Elwin would be able toe to his senses. With Elwin out of action and Kidu soon to be out scouting I needed Mana more than anything. It was a risk, but with Kidu securing the area nearby it was a risk I was willing to take. As a bonus, it might help me with power leveling my Greater Heal spell. Kidu took a quick drink from a canteen at his hip, before rising to make his way out. Before he left the hollow he nodded in my direction, ¡°Be safe and may the ancestors watch over you.¡± With that, he leapt out into the forest with his spear leading his way. I positioned myself just outside the entrance to the hollow of the tree, sitting cross-legged and willing myself into a half-doze as I attempted to clear my mind. With the sounds of the forest and worry guing my mind, sleep did note easily. Chapter 33: Interuption Chapter 33: Interuption The gods of this world are wed, jealous, pitiful mewling creatures not worthy of our regard, let alone our worship. They toy with mortal dreams and desires to suit their whims and machinations. The Divines rage and war against each other in the ¡®Great Game¡¯, with us mortals as nothing more than their pieces, their pawns, to be moved about the board. The strongest among their servants they imbue with a portion of their divine power and enve them to their ¡®Holy¡¯ cause. They call such blessed beings their ¡®Champions¡¯. How do I know of this? The answer is simple, for I am one such Champion and I will break their game. - The Record of Ash & Ruin Something was applying a sharp pressure to my arm, moving it to the left and right, up and down in forceful motions. I opened my eyes quickly, thinking that it was Kidu trying to wake me, only to find to my horror that a beast was savaging my arm. Screaming in shock rather than in pain, I saw that it resembled a six-legged furred creature that looked like a cross between an angry wolverine and a warthog. Two forward-facing tusks continued to stab at my arm and sharp canines worried at my skin, as my Health steadily dropped. I punched the creature savagely between the eyes, striking reflexively with all of my might. This just caused the beast to bite down harder, so I quickly drew upon a Power Strike, increasing the force behind my blow dramatically. It was a clean hit, forcing the creature to let go of my arm. It backed it off a few meters, its beady eyes still hungrily eyeing me as it looked me up and down. My Health dropped below eighty percent and I was bleeding profusely. A world of agony filled my arm. Screaming again, I closed my eyes in pain, holding my bleeding arm with my other hand. It was all the opening that the creature needed; it charged me again like an enraged bull who saw the matador¡¯s cloak, almost leaping through the air with its animal speed. It mmed into me, reducing my Health even further. But its mouth, filled with jagged canines, was no longer seeking to bite me. It was then that I noticed a knife had sprouted from its neck causing blood to begin to pool around the new wound. Turning around to confirm who threw the de, I saw Elwin give a faint incorrigible smile from deeper within the hollow. Weakly, he raised his hand in a thumbs-up before blowing a raspberry in my direction. A notice filled my vision as the creature finally died. You have in ??? 35 experience gained You have gained 1 Dexterity You have gained 1 Strength ¡°Another bloody¡­ What was that thing!? And thank you, thank you,¡± I said in equal parts incredulity and appreciation. Still flush with the shock of the encounter, the needs of the present forced me to quickly shove the unneeded emotion to the back of my mind. This encounter with a new monster was just another horror on a steadily growing list. To keep myself distracted, and to dull the pain, I decided to cast Heal. As I cast the spell on myself, I checked over my Status and was pleased to see that the recent gains to my attributes had gone a little way to mitigate my recent losses from my Reaver ss. Silently, the golden energies slowly filled my arm. Pain became a distant thing as the magic soothed it away like a warm balm that banished the sharp sting and caused torn muscles, ligaments, and tendons to knit themselves back together. I marveled at the wonder ying out before me, healing on a level far beyond anything in my own world. ¡°That thing will probably make good eating,¡± the Rogue added, intruding upon my thoughts, ¡°But could you possibly be a dear and get me my knife back? I feel a little naked without it.¡± Hands still shaking a little, I gave a mocking salute and went to retrieve the weapon that may have just saved my life. Ripping the dagger out of the creature¡¯s neck, I took a moment to study the body. Beady eyes, now zed in death, were set in a long bestial porcine face. But unlike a hog, it had a small ck whiskered mustelid¡¯s nose, and its ears were short and triangr. From its feral mouth, two pairs of yellowed ivory tusks protruded. Its hide was a thick mottled brown, with bristly fur that was growing cooler to the touch. Three pairs of small, yet muscr, legs were tipped with ws that looked useful for both tearing at flesh and climbing trees. From its nose to its short stumpy tail, it was roughly the size of arge alligator. I doubt I could have fended off such a beast in my old world. Just as I had finished my observations, I asked Elwin, ¡°What is this creature? This is the first time I¡¯ve seen its like.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a Tree-Laur, a juvenile male by the looks of it. Probably just left its nest a few months back. I best be about dressing the kill. Did you know that you scream like a girl?¡± Elwin jibed with an annoying sigh. I fought back a sliver of annoyance, smiling weakly in return and giving a perfunctory chuckle, before growing serious, ¡°Elwin! Thank heaven you are alive! Should you be up and about? What¡¯s my name? What¡¯s your name? How many fingers am I holding up?¡± I asked. ¡°I can remember my own name, remember your name too. The taste of my first hunt. My firsty with the vige trollop too! Bah, she was a fine one. Safe¡¯s to say, I¡¯m further in your debt after getting brained by a Caru nut. Forgot that they grew around these parts. ¡®When the wind blows, look up¡¯ as the saying goes. Pah, my luck¡¯s turned since I met you!¡± heughed. His mirth was now infectious and I joined him in it. Just as we started tough, our recent trial by nature bonding us in deeper camaraderie, Kidu burst into the de, bestial and wild. He locked eyes with me and paused for a moment and, noticing the corpse with a casual nce, walked up to us. ¡°You are well I see, Elwin, Gilgamesh,¡± he said nodding to us both, kicking the corpse of the Tree-Laur absent-mindedly. ¡°It seems that things have been exciting since I was away and you saved me the trouble of hunting something down,¡± feigning annoyance in his deep voice. Kneeling down beside the corpse, he gestured for me to hand over the knife, which just drew a shrug from Elwin who was probably d to be free of an arduous chore. He dressed our kill cleanly and efficiently, like an experienced hand who had done the same job countless times before. He separated the cuts of meat, offal, and bone ontorge freshly cut green leaves. I left him to his industry as I felt a call of nature take me, and excused myself from mypanions. After I returned from the bush, wishing for nothing more than the luxury of toilet paper, I saw that Kidu and Elwin, between them, had created a construct of wood and sticks to dry and smoke the meat over a crackling fire. How they started the fire was a mystery to me. I was, after all, a man of modern times and I had never undertaken such tasks in my life. Kidu was busy scraping the fat from the Tree-Laur¡¯s pelt over a broad tree root with his spearhead, while Elwin was trying to hone the edge of his knife on a stone. If we were not all escaping from a system of very and blind, ded, insect-like monsters, it would have been the picture of a typical campfire scene from a cheap fantasy novel. ¡°Hey, big man! You took a long time in the bushes, was about to go track you, make sure the beasts from around these parts didn¡¯t get to you,¡± chirped Elwin, looking up from his ministrations. ¡°It¡¯s important that we keep this fire going at all times, lest wild beastse to investigate the scent of blood. Man has taught the wild to fear fire,¡± Kidu uttered in a low worried tone, ¡°Though I fear the smoke may draw attention of a different kind.¡± I settled next to the crackling fire, too tired to notice the delicious smells of cooking meat, but feeling safe in theirpanionship. Smiling wryly at them I added, ¡°Let me do what I can for you both, I was never one to see a job only half done.¡± And with that I began to cast Rust again, drawing worried looks from Elwin as he closed his eyes, in a Pavlovian response to the dark words and strange mystic hand gestures that tickled at the limits of mortalprehension. Kidu, on the other hand, continued with his work without a care, stretching out the pelt. The dark and alien energies filled me, and I resisted the urge to unleash the full power of the spell on mypanions, allowing only a trickle when it demanded a flood. I could see that the roiling ck lightning had eaten into their cors, no doubt weakening them, and I began to feel the effects of Mana Sickness as I bottomed out my reserves. This time, the effects were not nearly as debilitating as they were on the first try. They were now more a feeling of drowsiness with a need to rest. As my head began to fall, I murmured, ¡°I think I need to rest once more to gather my energies...so sleepy.¡± Mypanions both simply nodded to me. The rush of adrenaline from defending myself had long left my system and now Mana Sickness flooded in its ce. I didn¡¯t even take the time to remove my helm and gloves before I faded off to sleep. It was evening when I awoke, as a distant beast''s call woke me from a blessedly dreamless sleep. Almost instinctively, I checked my Status, feeling a little rmed at how easily I had epted the realities of this world. My situation was totally absurd with my physical condition having been reduced to measurable numbers. I waspletely full of all my physical and magical resources. Looking around, I saw that Kidu was on watch, facing outwards from the fire, looking and listening for threats. Elwin was tucked up in a ball, sleeping quietly by the fire. The big man noticed me and greeted me with a silent nod before speaking, ¡°Are you rested and well?¡± ¡°Yes, Kidu of the Three Bears. Thank you for taking this watch,¡± I said in almost mock formality. He didn¡¯t seem to notice, or simply chose to ignore my tone, before exining, ¡°Elwin and I will take the watch tonight. This will allow you to focus your energies on restoring us,¡± pointing at his neck and ve brand. ¡°We should not let spear plow the field. But first, you must be hungry,¡± he finished as he offered me a portion of meat wrapped in arge leaf. My stomach rumbled audibly, which drew a smallugh from the massive man. Though cold now, the meat from the Tree-Laur was delicious, if not a little tough and stringy. Several times I had to spit out small chunks of indigestible gristle. After finishing my portion I wiped my oily hands, slick with fat and grease, on my dirty tunic before focusing on my task. With half a mind bent on procrastination, I looked around the camp to notice that Kidu had strategically ced our Zajasite stones to help dismiss some of the deeper shadows. Yet, despite these precautions, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that something sinister was watching us. Focusing on the present, I understood the wisdom behind Kidu¡¯s words. You needed to use the right person for the right job, and I had to do what only I could for our little team. Drawing upon my reserves, I cast Rust, in session on the pair, waiting for the turbulent energies to subside between casts before repeating the spell. Eventually, Kidu sensing that his cor had weakened enough, tested his strength against the corroded metal. The cor made a great snapping sound as he twisted it off his neck, resulting in small fragments of iron flying into the night. Waking Elwin to start his shift, Kidu unceremoniously snapped off his cor, too, much to the Rogue¡¯s great surprise and jubnt appreciation. On zero Mana again, I tried to meditate to see if it could improve my Mana Regeneration skill. What surprised me was that now, even on zero Mana, I felt little of the effects of my earlier Mana Sickness. My efforts at meditation just led me to fall asleep in a seated position, The task of clearing my mind of all thoughts proved too arduous in these troubled times. Elwin awoke me a few hourster when the fire had grown low, and the forest a deeper dark. We added more fuel to the fire before he whispered in a low voice and asked me if I could repeat my magic on Kidu, freeing him from the mark of his hated bond. The man didn¡¯t need to ask twice; I was more than willing to erase all marks of our previously suffered bondage. Rolling up my frayed sleeves, I decided to experiment on my otherpanion. Holding my hands over a loudly snoring Kidu, I began to cast the Greater Heal spell, but this time without the singing and chanting. The magic resisted me greatly, and I had to create a mental image or construct of myself casting the spell before I could force the divine energies toe forth. In the depths of my mind, I could hear the song of angels sing in triumph, though it felt odd and distant casting it in this manner. The magic was slow and lethargic in emerging to do my bidding, but I was determined not to be denied. My will was iron. The golden energy flowed into the massive man, running across and all over him. I could see small scars across his face and arms that I had never noticed before fade, as the ve brand on his arm began to heal. The mark that was once an angry red grew to a healthy pink, beforepletely vanishing into his natural skin color. The spell had taken a long time toplete, far more lengthy than if I had cast it conventionally, but I still was able to finish it. At a rough guess, the whole process had taken over a minute or two. Would raising my Silent Casting improve the spell''s speed when cast in this way? Despite having to add another question to my growing list, I thought that, all in all, my recent experiment was a sess. In the glowing firelight, I swore I could see the hint of a bearded smile on Kidu¡¯s face as he slept. Wanting to regenerate my Mana before dawn broke, I asked Elwin to continue his watch, exining that I would need to gather myself if I was to be of more use in the morning. The Rogue nodded to me, although his attention was focusedpletely on sharpening the knife he acquired from the tunnels, treating it like a prized heirloom. Adding another piece of wood to the small fire, I settled down to sleep once more, waiting to face yet another day on the morrow. Chapter 34: Blind Faith Chapter 34: Blind Faith The Guild in the frontier regions is nothing more than a collection of opportunistic bandits, thieves, and failed mercenaries. They deem themselves monster hunters, heroes all, and the shield of themon peasantry. But tell me this, what hero is he that would not render assistance unlesspensated in coin? - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC Here, unlike the deep dark of the forest, the sun was able to filter down through the branches of the lesser trees of the de. The call of songbirds and the annoying chirping of insects filled the morning air as the creatures of the night made good their rest. Off towards what I presumed was the west, we could just see a plume of smoke rising just above the canopy of the trees. The Rogue and the Hunter were having a meal of Tree-Laur haunch and discussing what to do next. Their discussion, more of a debate, was animated, with even the usually even-tempered Kidu showing a little anger. ¡°Morning, sleepyhead. This great big lug thinks that we should spend the rest of our lives out here in the wilderness, living off thend. I, for one, have had enough of the great outdoors. I want to actually enjoy my freedom. With your magic, we are no longer ves! We should at least go and see whatever is causing that smoke. I¡¯ll go by myself if I have to!¡± the Rogue said emphatically. ¡°Elwin Tucker gives a n with great risks. We are safe here, rtively so. There is sustenance in the forest if you are strong. Just a few days ago we were ves in thisnd, I would not have it be so again...¡± replied the wildman, clearly looking to me for direction. I thought for a moment on both of their arguments, before adding my own opinion, ¡°Both of you make good points, though I, for one, find myself wary of further contact with the people of thesends. Still, one cannot live in the wilderness forever. We simplyck the tools and equipment to survive a winter here,¡± I paused for a moment, digesting mypanion¡¯s suggestions, ¡°I say that we take the middle course and at least investigate what that smoke is together. This forest is too dangerous to traverse alone. Perhaps where there will be people nearby. Perhaps they can help us. Perhaps they can not. If there are people there then it might be possible to trade for something, or if not¡­ we can take what we need,¡± I added, evenly looking them each in the eye. They both nodded in acquiescence before they began to clear up the camp. The pair stamped out the fire, collected the glowing Zajasite stones, and packed the recently smoked meat into our wicker baskets with an economy of movement that would have been impossible for me. Gripping our weapons in hand; Elwin with his knife, Kidu his spear, and I with my trusty pickaxe, we made our way through the forest toward the direction of the smoke. Leaving the rtive safety of the de, the deeper we moved into the forest, the darker it became. The sense of things leaping overhead and looking down at us never left our consciousness. We advanced quickly, though carefully, through the massive trees and slight undergrowth of the forest, making sure to also scan for any threats above and below. At some point in our little expedition, Kidu suddenly held up a hand and called for us to stop. We had to wait for a herd of massive deer-like creatures, perhaps twenty or so strong, to finish crossing our path. They wended their way through a trail between the giant trees like lords anddies of the forest. They were majestic animals, almost three meters to the shoulder, and heavily muscled and their bodies were covered with soft chocte brown fur. Atop a long graceful neck, was arge head from which four long spiked horns grew. Their eyes wererge, gentle, and brown. One of the animals stopped to look in our direction, before moving off once again with the herd, the gigantic pack leader calling out with an ulting cry. Pausing in wonder at what I had just witnessed, I turned to the Hunter and asked, ¡°What were those things?¡± ¡°Southern Cronir¡­ smaller than the ones up north, with an extra pair of horns. Cronir make for good eating,¡± he replied in a deep hushed voice. ¡°To you, friend, everything makes good eating, and I would not want to tussle with the big one unless I had to¡­ or was deep in the cups!¡± quipped the Rogue jovially in counterpoint, as he continued onwards. This little exchange, it seemed, was as clear a signal as any for us to continue our march through the forest. Finally, after what seemed like an excessively long amount of time, we could start to hear the voices of real, actual people. We all swiftly crouched down, as we moved closer to the source of the smoke and sound of industry. Finding some cover, we peered through the bushes of the undergrowth and saw a small group of people undertaking a myriad of jobs around arge clearing. My eye was immediately drawn to some small mounds which had bluish smoke billowing from them. If my memories were anything to go by then the mounds could only be charcoal piles. An old memory told me that this was a sign that the wood inside was undergoing the change into charcoal. On a tangent, I remembered a lecture from a world away and softly mouthed ¡°K?hlerube,¡± the word for blind faith in German which had originated from the charcoal-burner profession. In the old times, the ignorant peasants would blindly believe whatever the local priests dictated to them as they had to spend the greater part of their attention on overseeing their piles. However, unlike the medieval peasants, I had little faith in the gods, let alone their priests. Behind the piles stood several single-story log cabins. Around the smoking mounds, men were busy adding more wood to the mounds to make fresh charcoal. I remembered from a distant lecture or seminar about medieval societies that charcoal burning was seen as a lonely profession. The creation of charcoal was dirty work that needed constant supervision to ensure the wood burnt at the correct temperature. Also, they needed to make the charcoal as close as possible to where they fell the trees, which meant that the charcoal burners often lived far from the local centers of civilization. A few of the men carried axes and heavy staves and they chopped up branches from therge fallen trees at the edge of the clearing or poked holes into the charcoal piles to regte the heat. It was a relief to note that only a few of their number carried sidearms, such as shortswords or long fighting daggers. The men were clothed in brown, gray, or ck long-sleeved robes that were tied at the waist with wide colorful sashes. A figure clothed in blue, in stark contrast to the other workers, and who appeared to be the leader of this encampment barked orders at them before he, too, joined in the work. They all had the epicanthic folds of an Asiatic people, and the whole ensemble made me think of the old Mongolians of Earth. Focusing on one of the nearest workers, I silently began to cast Identify on them. Arban Bayarsaikhan - Charcoal Burner (Human lvl.7) Health 75/77 Stamina 18/28 Mana 10/10 I did this again five more times, making sure to include the leader in blue. These were all of the men who were in in sight. I drew a breath of relief as I confirmed that they were all rtively low-level; with the highest among them being only level eight, and the lowest being level six. A ghost of a n was beginning to form in my mind. Half wishing to confirm the strength of mypanions against the workers and half simply for practice, I cast Identify on Kidu and Elwin. Kidu Kreshin - Hunter (Human lvl.12) Health 252/252 Stamina 43/49 Mana 5/5 Elwin Tucker - Waverider (Human lvl.13) Health 152/152 Stamina 27/40 Mana 10/10 I knew it! The spell confirmed one of my sneaking suspicions that NPCs could also gain experience and level up. Kidu and Elwin had both gone up a level and their basic parameters had improved significantly. Furthermore, it confirmed to me why some of my previous kills had given me varying amounts of experience; it had been divided up among those who had credit for the kill. I also reckoned that my group, although smaller in number, had been significantly stronger in terms of raw attributes and levels than our vanquished enemies. It was also pleasing to note that my investments in Constitution and Strength had meant that I was getting closer to Kidu in terms of raw Health and Stamina. Yet, despite this, I noted that I had seen little change to my actual physique, which I found most strange. Nor did it seem there was any other change, like a growth of a beard or hair length. Shrugging these thoughts aside as extraneous, I simply attributed these quirks to part of the rules for me in this strange game-like world. Snapping out of my thoughts, I hissed to mypanions, gesturing for a retreat. We moved out of sight and well out of earshot of the camp. Once we were at a safe distance, I began to tell them my n, ¡°We observe them for the rest of the day just to make sure there are no surprises. Once we¡¯re sure of their numbers, we hit them at night, killing every single one of them,¡± I spoke in a cold voice. ¡°Not even going to talk to them? Just like that, kill a group of men just minding their own business?¡± the Rogue asked, surprisingly shocked. I hadn¡¯t expected this level of empathy from him, an NPC. ¡°Where are we, Elwin? Think! We are ves, on the run, wearing ve garments in and whose culture is propped up by the institution of very. What do you honestly think would happen if we opened a line of dialogue with these savages? That they would wee us with open arms and send us off on our way? Besides, we would lose the element of surprise,¡± I replied vehemently. ¡°Are you stupid, Elwin? These are the people who enved me, enved you. Enved us. They don¡¯t see us as people. Are you so eager to face the kiss of the whip again? And, you Kidu. I thought the Three Bears were an honorable n. Did you not promise vengeance on ALL of the Tides!?¡± I finished, my voice rising towards the end as I looked squarely at Kidu. Elwin held up two hands catingly as Kidu rose to my provocation and added almost too eagerly, ¡°I promised vengeance on the honor of my ancestors and my friends, and it is vengeance I will have. I will never again feel the crack of the ver''s whip against my back, nor the iron cor about my throat. If you wish to stand in the way of that...¡± growled the massive wildman at Elwin. ¡°But they outnumber us! And those weapons are real sharp-looking...¡± murmured the Rogue, uncertainty in his eyes. ¡°We have magic and we are all proven fighters, much stronger than just some forest workers,¡± I responded confidently. ¡°How do you know?¡± he hissed. I looked him carefully and evenly in the eye, ¡°I know. Trust me, I just know. The gods have told me thus.¡± Kidu seemed to ept the exnation categorically, but I could see the concern still etched in the Rogue¡¯s features. ¡°We¡¯re about to kill all of these people¡­ for what!?¡± sputtered Elwin. ¡°Because we have to! Because I say so! I will kill these savages and many more if that is what it takes to stay free. Again, Elwin, these are the people who enved us, Elwin!¡± I repeated, which drew a rumble of approval from the Hunter. ¡°As I said, we have little choice in the matter if we want to return to civilization. It''s either this small crime of survival now or a life forever on the run! Worst yet to be a meal for some monstrous creature in these gods-forsakennds. Better to be a bandit, thief, and criminal than a ve! Rest assured, Elwin, we will do this with or without you¡­¡± Something in myst words must have struck deep within Elwin, for he was silent then. It was a stab at his past, and all the crueler for it. As I continued exining the finer points of the n, there were no further arguments from Elwin Tucker the Rogue. I sent Elwin to scout out the rest of the encampment, and during that time, after a light snack with Kidu of stringy dry meat, I rested to regain my Mana. Kidu had made a pair of crude weapons from the scythe-de arms that he had ripped from the Soldier Echo-Stalker in the tunnels. The handles were made of Laur''s bone, and attached to it was strong sinew to keep the ever so slightly curved de in ce. A link from one of the chains formed a simple guard just above the hilt on both daggers to stop the hand from slipping when thrusting with the weapons. They were vicious and crude-looking tools of violence, measuring about forty or fifty centimeters from their handles to deadly tips. Kidu had also fashioned a simple hide sheath for each of them. I tested the edge of the natural de with a finger, drawing blood and causing a single point of damage to my Health. Overall, it was impressive craftsmanship for the time given, and I wondered how this world would categorize these paired weapons in terms of Skill proficiency. Just as I had finished examining my newly made weapons and recing my trusty pickaxe, I felt a tap on my left shoulder. Knowing this to be some sort of trick, I turned to my right and there was Elwin, freshly returned from his reconnoiter just as the sun was beginning to set. He gave us an unhappy grimace before delivering his report, ¡°Eight men in total, I think split between a day shift and a night shift. These are all free men, no ves for some reason. No ve brands from what I saw. Thoughe to think of it, it would be difficult to train ves for this kind of finicky work...¡± the Rogue began to meander before we both looked at him, ¡°...Overall though, they all seem to be lightly armed. Axes, daggers, and shortsword notwithstanding.¡± We waited then, settling in behind the cover of some thick bushes a good distance from the clearing as we waited for the night¡¯s darkness to deepen. Each of us tried to ease a measure of calm into nerves fraught with tension. I gripped my twin weapons tight in my hands, as my mind struggled with all sorts of variables and potential scenarios. This was to be different from all of my fights thus far, where I had simply reacted ording to circumstance. Up until now, it had always been fate that had forced my hand. This time would be premeditated and cold and I found the sensation both sickening and strangely thrilling. Chapter 35: All the Bases Chapter 35: All the Bases ''The gods give no gifts without exacting a toll,'' the ancient maxim rings true today even in this forsaken age. And for the practitioners of magic, the price demanded by the Divines for the loan of their power is steep indeed. As a mage''s Control over the arcane arts grows, so too does the Call - that insidious, seductive whisper that beckons them to embrace the very element they seek to master. Some would answer that Call with a pilgrimage to the water''s depths, drowning in the embrace of the element they cherished above all others. Consumed by their very passion, some would seek the ultimate heat of the me, offering themselves up to be consumed in a fiery dance of transcendence. Still others would entomb themselves alive in the very earth theymanded, seeking to be one with its secrets. However, it is the Anemancers, the Laughing Mad, who truly dare to walk the razor''s edge of magic. They leap from great heights, bodies hurtling through the air, finally unable to resist the siren song of the wind. Madness, some call it. But to those who understand the true nature of magic, it is a sacrifice made in pursuit of the ultimate power, for not all who make the leap of faith meet their untimely end. Yet, even those with the strongest wills can not hope to escape the demands of the cosmos forever. For the path of magic is a treacherous and thorny one, and only the most resolute can hope to walk it to its conclusion. - Master Bertrand of the University of Quas. Unluckily for us, the moon was high and bright among the veil of stars, and cast a silvery light. The charcoal piles continued to emit their smoke, ghostly now under the moon¡¯s pale ambience and the sleepy watch of their minders. Our group moved from the tree cover of the woods towards the edge of the clearing, and noticed that a solitary man hade towards us. I stiffened still to check for the position of mypanions, only to see that Elwin had somehow slipped off. Perhaps the Rogue suddenly caught a case of cold feet? The charcoal burner kept moving towards us, oblivious to our presence. As he came closer something dark, a ghost of a shadow, fell from the trees onto him, without a sound. A glint of metal shed in the moonlight. With Kidu, I rushed as quickly as possible the few yards toward the man to find Elwin standing over him. Blood emanated from a stab wound from the soon to be corpse¡¯s neck. Hoping that I was not toote, I also stabbed the fallen man with my makeshift weapons to ensure his demise. You have in a Human 25 experience gained Thankfully, I was able to get a hit in while his heart had still been pumping blood. I smirked in the darkness, realizing that this man had been worth even less experience than Gunne. Just as I was about to discuss our next steps with our group, there was an explosion of activity from the opposite treeline, as if the man¡¯s death was some sort of trigger. Familiar silhouettes bounded across from the giant trees in great leaping strides, calling to one another in their unnatural clickingnguage, weapon arms raised in deadly threat. The monsters bounded in. A man shouted a warning to his peers, and the men grouped up hurriedly. The sounds of rm were repeated across the camp as the rest of the men burst from the cabins, carrying a variety of arms and lethal implements. A wave of chittering Echo-Stalkers descended upon them from the trees. Soon enough there was a melee of steel against razor-sharp ws and piercing mandibles. The sound of battle and violence filled the previously tranquil night that was once almost surreal in its beauty. Slowly, the sounds turned more to shouts, then screams of panic as the humans fought against a much more numerous and deadly foe. I looked at the faces of mypanions, their worried expressions clear in the moon¡¯s subtle light. The initial n had gonepletely to tatters, fate¡¯s arrow once again striking against us. The Echo-stalkers were the main threat. Humans on the other hand could be reasoned with. Then there was the matter of Durhit. In a split second, a decision was made. It was amazing what humans did when faced with amon enemy¡­ ¡°We strike them from behind and kill these Echo-Stalkers once they have all been drawn out and are fully engaged, then we simply keep on fighting. Remember these men... these things were responsible for Durhit, no mercy! Be ready to follow my move!¡± I ordered as I girded my loins for battle once more. I rushed towards the fight with ack of hesitation and fear that would have surprised my past self. The air was cool and refreshing as it brushed against my face and in that moment of frozen time, everything seemed so full of rity, as if my ears could distill each and every individual sound that cried out into the night. The insect-like Echo-Stalkers had the numbers and savage ferocity, but the charcoal burners had a surprising amount of discipline and skill as they fought back against them. Against this onught, the charcoal burners started to regroup after their initial shock as they rallied around their leaders. The humans, even with their newfound discipline, were getting pushed back as the melee continued. Here, a w would sh against exposed skin. There, a hand holding an axe or impromptu weapon would be punctured by sharp mandibles. Still, the humans were able to inflict casualties against their multi-limbed foes. For every step taken in retreat, their weapons took a terrible toll on their enemies. Judging that the charcoal burner¡¯s line was weakened enough, I ordered my small group to charge. Our group crashed into the rear of the Echo-Stalkers, entering the chaotic melee with silent violence that belied our rage. Stabbing with both of my weapons into the hard chitinous back of one of the foul creatures, I found little resistance. Since antiquity, humans had used nature¡¯s own tools against her, and I found great joy in piercing their natural armor with their own weapons. Snarling now like a feral creature, I dodged a barely visible shing blow meant for my arm. The move was more of an instinctive motion than a conscious decision. A death notification of the creature floated across my vision and I dismissed it, as my full attention was required for dealing with the monster in front of me. Preparing to mete out some more punishment, I studied one of the creatures who darted this way and that. Its erratic motions were difficult enough to follow, let alone line up an attack. Noticing the antennae on its head were constantly pointed at me, I knew that I was the sole focus of its attention. Keeping myself out of the measure of its shing talons, I waited for an opening. I would not have to wait long, as the insect monster bunched low beforeunching itself to strike, the natural des on its arms blue in the soft moonlight. I lunged into the arc of its blow,ing beneath the creature and stabbing it with my dual des through its chest with a Power Strike before slicing horizontally with both daggers, the des still embedded in my opponent''s flesh, in opposite directions sides. Such was the force of the finishing blow that I almost bisected the creature. Somewhere in the grand melee, I could hear the charcoal burners shout out the various names of their weapon skills as they unleashed their skills against the midnight horde. Double Strike, Rolling Chop, and a few others were among the skills that were screamed out desperately against the monster. Suddenly, I felt a ng against my helm, almost knocking it off my head, before something sharp scraped across my shoulder des and drew blood. Turning around with one de outstretched to guard and the other held close ready to stab, I saw a blurry outline that seemed to meld with the night. From its alien chittering, I deduced it to be one of the chameleonic strains of the creatures. I fell back into a desperate strategy, a whirlwind of blows to overwhelm the monster. Still new to this world, my skill would be no match against such a lithe and lightning-fast creature. Where skill failed, raw savagery would have to prevail. I could barely make its outline in the moonlit night, and each and every one of my strikes felt like a literal stab in the dark. Swinging with wild abandon, I continually missed the creature as it dodged and weaved, like mist in the night. Just as I was gearing up to strike out at the creature again, I was saved from the results of my reckless strategy by Elwin, who appeared, as if by magic, behind the creature, backstabbing it with a precise blow to the base of its neck. Knowing better than to pause inbat, I swiftly turned on the balls of my feet, engaging a regr drone with my twin weapons against its natural armaments. I was faster, tougher, and stronger than the drone. I roared as I charged, my higher dexterity allowing me to parry both of its falling arm-des with my daggers. However, as I ducked under its vicious mandibles, I was met by its other pair of wed arms. These tore through cloth and left bloody lines across my chest, causing me to lose a chunk of my Health. At the back of my mind, even in the heat of battle, I realized that I was not feeling any pain from the blows I had received. It must be because my Health was still over eighty percent, I thought, remembering the Tree-Laur and the exact threshold when the bleeding damage began to cause me great pain. I did not have to wait long for my theory to be proven correct, because a sharp pain burst from my left leg as another of the Echo-Stalkers struck from my blind spot. This forced me to keep my left weapon in a hastily made guard position to help fend off further attacks from this new threat. However, I was still within my initial target¡¯s guard, and needing to end this quickly, I used a Power Strike to try and skewer the monster with my right de. My dagger hit true and the crudely made thing pierced through its armored chest with part of my fist burying itself in its body. I booted it off with a savage kick, uncaring to make sure it was dead, and turned to face my new opponent; the beast that had stabbed my leg. My Health points were falling precipitously due to bleed damage from the number of wounds I had received. I needed something to distract the enemies before me, to let me disengage and heal myself. Not seeing where Elwin had disappeared to, I shouted, ¡°Kidu! To me!¡± my voice cutting through the din ofbat. Kidu swiftly disengaged from his opponent by rapidly spinning his spear. The viper-swift de formed a temporary circle of safety that swept away his opponents and he found his way to my side. The Hunter covered me with his bulk, keeping our enemies at bay. I took this moment of respite to gather my magical energies and cast Heal vocally, prioritizing speed over anything else. The magic of the spell quickly filled my body with familiar soothing energies and raised my Health almostpletely. I studied Kidu for a moment and saw that he was not in any need of healing, having only suffered minor cuts along his arms and legs. Fully invigorated, Kidu and I rejoined the chaos of the fray. Kidu¡¯s spear was like lightning, thrusts mixed in with wide circr motions that kept multiple opponents at bay and relieved a lot of the pressure from the charcoal burners. Regarding the massive Hunter as the principal threat, most of the Echo-Stalkers focused their attacks on him. I took the opportunity to savage their now exposed nks, slicing and stabbing here and there while they were busy attacking him. Kidu was a storm of violence as he went from sweeping cuts to savage jabs, smoothly mixing offense and defense with his weapon forms. I glimpsed Elwin there at the edges of the chaos, dancing among the melee between the charcoal burners and the Echo-Stalkers. There he was, stabbing the joints of the Echo-Stalker¡¯s natural armor, at the moments when they were busy fighting a charcoal burner. There he was again, plunging a de into one of the insect monster¡¯s eyes, before fading back into the night in an impressive disy of shadowy stealth and martial skill. Alongside the surviving charcoal burners, we began whittling away at the monsters¡¯ numbers. Gradually we crushed them with ourbined might, our enemies reduced to so many still twitching corpses and, as such, they were converted into power-giving experience. My Stamina was just under half when we finished stabbing thest of the Echo-Stalkers, and I was a little displeased that I had not leveled up after the encounter. Over half of the charcoal burners had perished in the fight, and the remaining few looked tired but grateful to our party. The leader, who was d in blue, a deel or loose robes I noticed on closer inspection, came up to me offering his hand in gratitude. With no belt or scabbard on which to hang my de, I handed one of them to Elwin, who tested its bnce as I walked up to meet the man. Smiling oilily, the leader spoke to us in a voice that was both obsequious, yet condescending, ¡°Thank you, travelers, without your timely help this night I am sure that perhaps we would all have perished. We owe you our lives, and you have rekindled my faith that all men are brothers against the dark things. May I offer you the humble hospitality of our camp? Even as he was speaking, a whisper in my subconscious suggested to me that he only wished me to let my guard down, before trapping me once again into very. A twisted, logical part of my mind understood that this was the only possible way he could recover from the losses of this night. Before he could finish his traitorous thought, I stabbed him mercilessly in the neck. You have in Chagatai Nyamdor 85 experience gained ¡°You are no brother of mine,¡± I spat vehemently at his corpse. We had, after all, nned on killing them all anyway. I didn¡¯t have the energy to answer a slew of questions, I was tired enough as it was. The wildman, on my signal, fell on the exhausted Children of Tides with relish, releasing a battle cry that seemed to stun them. Elwin followed him two heartbeatster with his small shing de that stabbed and stabbed into yielding flesh. With utter shock on their faces, and with little resistance, we ughtered them all, to the man. I weed the experience as thest man fell. Still shaking from the thrill and shock of battle, I hadpletely ignored my notifications, so I decided to check up on the progress of my character, looking for any notable changes I had missed. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 10 Pdin of Avaria/Reaver Strength24 Dexterity18 Constitution34 Intelligence18 Wisdom16 Charisma10 Luck15 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.2) Power Strike (lvl.2) 10 Endure (lvl.3) Stealth (lvl.2) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.2) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.2) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) Hammers (lvl.2) ils (lvl.1) Maces (lvl.1) Shields (lvl.1) Medium Armour (lvl.1) Heavy Armour (lvl.1) Axes (lvl.1) Daggers (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) 5 Rust (lvl.3) 1-2 Identify (lvl.2) 1 Silent Casting (lvl.1) Mana Regeneration (lvl.2) Purify (lvl.2) 3 Greater Heal (lvl.1) 10 Holy Aura (lvl.1) 2 Decay (lvl.1) Drain (lvl.1) Entropic Aura (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy: -20% all starting attributes. Mark of the Pdin: 10% resistance to Dark/Holy magic, 5% resistance to Physical. Touch of the Void: 10% reduced resistance to Holy/Fire magic, 20% resistance to Mental Effects, 15% immunity to Mental Effects. Experience to next level 2417/2583 Health196/230 Stamina15/55 Mana8/13 Progress of my character? What a strange turn of thought, this was my progress and this was in no way a game. I focused more seriously now on my current situation. A single point to Dexterity and Strength was both wee and at the same time a little disappointing, since it appeared that the growth rate of my attributes was slowing down, despite the ever more fric battles I had been fighting. Even after suffering a multitude of wounds in the heat ofbat, my Constitution refused to budge. Going over my skills, I noticed that my Dual Wield proficiency had increased by a level, thanks to my wild swings with the new weapons. These weapons must have been categorized as daggers by whatever system ruled this world. I knew this to be fact as I had gained a new skill ¡®Daggers¡¯ through their use. This skill, like all of my other newly acquired skills from this world, was at level one. I still had some spells that required testing, which I would leave until we had reached a safe ce. My new gifts from my ss choices would also need to be examined some other time, as I had more pressing needs before me currently. ¡°Leave the corpses where they are. Take no trophies, but loot the men. Leave the weapons on them for now. If they have coin, take some of it but not all,¡± I said, looking hard at our Rogue who looked like he was about to protest. ¡°Please trust me...there is a method to my madness,¡± I assured him betweenbored breaths. Elwin shrugged his shoulders, before he began rifling through the bodies. A few momentster, he was joined by Kidu, who spat on one of the corpses before going about the grisly task. During thetter part of the fight, several times my notifications disyed the names of the men that I had killed instead of the usual question marks. I briefly wondered if they had any scripted family or friends to mourn them, before swiftly brushing the thought aside. I felt the smallest pinprick of guilt before I rationalized that their deaths, if they were truly alive in the first ce, had been nothing more than a necessity for the survival of our group. It was a cliched conviction, but we simply did what we had to do. I did not have the time, nor emotional energy, to cry over each and every defeated foe. ¡°Okay...I mean alright,¡± I said as I looked at the corpses that had been killed by spear and knife, ¡°Let¡¯s try and set the scene.¡± Moving to the corpses, I started the gruesome task of shing or stabbing at the wounds that Kidu and Elwin had inflicted, attempting to make them look like they were simply the victims of the Echo-Stalkers. Understanding my intent, Elwin moved to join me, and we quickly finished our macabre work. I nodded my permission to Elwin, who proceeded to pocket a fine steel dagger. The weapon was crafted beautifully, its de a beautiful damask pattern that drew the eye with wavy lines etched into the smoked steel. I hoped that it was of amon enough design in these parts to avoid drawing attention. Seeing that I could do with a better weapon, he removed the leader¡¯s shortsword from his belt and passed it to me for my perusal. Rooting around the corpses, he soon found a long dagger to rece it with. Drawing it from its in unpatterned leather sheath, I examined the shortsword under therge moon¡¯s argentine light. The lightly fullered de was a little longer than my crude scythe dagger. It was perhaps around forty-five centimeters in length and ended in a triangr tip. A in bronze cruciform guard protected the hands, and the handle of the weapon was made of dark-stained wood with a heavy iron or lead pommel. Testing its bnce, I concluded that it would make a simple, if not particrly aesthetically pleasing, weapon. Assessing its heft, I rolled it around my wrists as I had seen actors do before in film. Finding itfortable, I sheathed the de back in its scabbard. Seeing that I was having some difficulty fitting the cloth sword belt around my waist, the intricate knots alien to me, Elwin assisted with a wry grin. ¡°Right bunch of trouble you are, feel like mother helping out with her child¡¯s first mass-murder,¡± he said jokingly in a paternal tone, though his eyes spoke a different story. Kidu merely snorted at the attempted joke beforementing, ¡°Gil is no child, Elwin. He is wise enough to know that a wolf does mourn a death of the herd, only of the pack. Besides, we had saved their lives from the monsters. As they said, they owed to us their very lives. They belonged to us to spend as we pleased,¡± he stated simply with a satisfied sparkle in his eyes. I couldn¡¯t help but note that the calculus of the North was a cold one indeed. ¡°Search the cabins for valuables and supplies. Try not to disturb the ce too much, and remember to leave a few things. I want this to look like nothing more than just a monster attack,¡± I instructed the pair, looking at them each in turn. After seeing them nod their understanding, I led them into the cabins. We were greeted by the sight of a few overturned chairs and half-eaten food, now growing cold at their tables, the signs of hastily made exits. The insides of the dwellings were all sparsely furnished, with utilitarian furniture of simple wood or iron. The walls were uniformly unadorned, and a small fire burnt merrily in each of the cabins in simple stone hearths. We eagerly searched the dressers and tables, going through the knick-knacks and small things of the previous upants. The Rogue, by dint of hisrcenous skills or instincts, uncovered a coin purse hidden under a loose floorboard. In this manner, we passed through each of the buildings eagerly searching for items useful to us. During this time I was greeted by yet another mysterious notification. Do you wish to im Nyamdor''s Hold?: Yes/No I paused as I rifled through a dead man¡¯s nightstand, looking for hidden valuables, surprised once more by how gamified this world was. This smallholding must have been the property of the man in blue garments, Chagatai Nyamdor. Scoffing at the notification, I of course chose ¡®No¡¯ and the message disappeared out of sight. Thest thing I needed was something linking us to the massacre that we had perpetrated. I remembered the games I had yed in my past where you had to build up your settlement, pandering to an endless list of needs from helpless NPCs and micromanaging their pathetic daily lives for minor, pointless rewards. No thank you, I thought with finality as I continued my pige. Responsibility for a ce that would tie me down was most certainly not my cup of tea. The work was tedious but worthwhile. Our haul consisted of several bags filled mostly with copper and bronze coins and a purse filled with several silver pieces and four gold coins that Elwin had found under the loose floorboard. The Rogue reced his iron dagger with another simple steel dagger of slightly higher quality, which he discovered in one of the cupboards. We also attained a good supply of food and general supplies, taking what we could easily carry inrge leather bags that we also piged. Most importantly, we were able to find new clothes, even for Kidu¡¯s massive bulk, all cut in the local fashion with wide silken sashes. We were even lucky enough to find some leather boots that were roughly our size, a huge upgrade over our simple sandals. After changing, we burnt our ve linens in the fire of one of the hearths. The whole process was solemn, like a funeral, or a pagan rite of passage. We hade so far, and we were now closer to achieving true freedom as we watched our old garments being consumed by the hungry mes. My modern sensibilities now thoroughly put aside, I knew then that I would fight with everything I had to survive in this cruel and callous world. Chapter 36: The Benefits of Dairy Chapter 36: The Benefits of Dairy With casualties mounting on both sides, the Republic began to lose its appetite for war. Even with necromancy filling the holes in the army ranks, the constant attrition was beginning to wear away at the will of the people, with some even demanding that they at least consider the elves¡¯ earlier offers of amnesty. The Steward of the Republic, hearing the people''s cries and feeling the heavy weight of their expectations, searched for a solution that would expel the invaders from theirnd and bring an end to the war. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC We rested in one of the cabins, eating and recovering a little of our Stamina, but not quite able to sleep. Before long, taking measures to conceal any sign of our presence, we resumed our journey. We spotted a trail leading towards the west which we followed for several hours. As we progressed, the colossal trees of Sainba gradually gave way to smaller deciduous trees, adorned with a rich blend of deep green and golden hues. As the sun began to sink and twilight fell across the forest, the daytime calls of the birds were reced by the howls of prowling night creatures. Kidu advised that we push on through the dark, to ce as much distance between ourselves and any potential pursuers, but one look at Elwin¡¯s haggard face put an end to that notion. Much to the Rogue¡¯s relief, we moved off of the trail to shelter under the trees and made camp for the night. We would have to hope that our blue-glowing Zajasite chunks, would provide arge enough deterrent against attack from the local fauna. We ate a humble repast of trail bread and jerky, now lightly salted thanks to our pige of the charcoal burners¡¯ stores. Conversation was scant, if not absent altogether. The physical and emotional strain of taking human lives had taken its toll on our spirits, leaving us without the inclination for idle chatter. I volunteered to take the most unwanted duty, the middle watch. Normally, I would have been against this, but I viewed it now as the opportunity to practice casting my spells. Before making camp for the night, and with some Mana to spare, I cast Heal silently on Kidu. I felt the warm energies leave my body as the divine magic healed him of the many small wounds that he had acquired in thest engagement. It made me feel rather content. Feeling pleased with myself, I went just outside of the camp¡¯s Zajasite glow to continue exploring my powers. I needed to learn quickly as there was no way of knowing when the game would be throwing its next difficulty spike in my direction. To that end, I brought with me several pieces of loose metal, the few remains from our manacles, which I had kept for my next experiment. Throwing a small chunk of metal to the ground, I began to channel the full raging force of the Rust spell. Even using the Silent Casting skill, the spell still came to me easily, if not a little dyed. The alien whispers, once so unfamiliar to me, now tantalized me with their hidden meaning, just out of reach. The dark power, which previously had been so inimical, began to feel warm and wee as it coursed through my body. Like a river before bursting its bank, like the buildup to almost manicpletion, the spell reached a crescendo of power. Releasing the energies, a stream of ck lightning sted into the piece of metal which audibly sizzled and heated in response. Humming a soft tune, I patiently bided my time, allowing the Rust spell to dissipate and the metal to cool. Crouching down, I examined the metal closely, discovering it had be heavily corroded and remarkably brittle to the touch, as I brought it closer to the faint blue light emanating from my Zajasite stone. Manipting it between my fingers, I noticed the surface was now riddled with rust the color of desated blood. Despite waiting several protracted minutes for the heat to subside, I still discerned a lingering warmth through the old leather of my gloves. Wanting to test the effective distance of the spell, I threw another small chunk of metal on the ground and walked further away from it, counting the steps in my mind. At seventy paces, I tried casting the spell, but the magic failed totch onto the metal. I took another step toward the iron chunk, but still, the magic failed to catch. I took another step, then another, until at perhaps fifty or so paces, a torrent of energy flew from my hand into the metal. This piece of iron, just like thest, visibly hissed as the power of the spell, losing none of its potency at this range, forced it to undergo a rapid exothermic reaction. I repeated this experiment three more times, eager to level up the spell and to boost either my Intelligence or Wisdom attributes. But that evening luck was not on my side, and I made gains in none of them. However, at the very least, I knew now for certain the range of my Rust spell and that increases in the spell level did nothing for its maximum range, only its strength. With disappointment curdling in my stomach, and Mana Sickness making me feel a little more tired than I was, I returned to camp to get what rest I could. This drew neither a word nor a simple grunt of acknowledgment from Kidu, who was already awake to take thest watch. Wishing for a better tomorrow, I quickly spread out a looted bedroll with arms heavy from the night''s trials and slipped into a blessedly dreamless and exhausted sleep. * The next morning we continued on the wooded trail after a simple breakfast, with, again, only a few words shared between us. I surmised that Kidu and Elwin were likely thinking about our return to civilization. My thoughts, on the other hand, danced between how to test my new spells safely and the violent actions of the night beforest. With no sign of pursuit, we stopped for our midday meal, whichprised of hard cheese and harder tack rations, mercifully softened and washed down with stale-tasting water. Despite traveling for most of the morning, I felt much better than when I had traversed through the woods in my simple leather sandals. The difference that simple good footwear could have on one¡¯s outlook on life was startling. When our meal was finished, I turned to mypanions and spoke frankly, "I need your help once again with some new spells." "How is this even possible? Did you discover a spell after the battle? Has the powers that be granted you new magic already? It is said that it takes a mage years of learning and dedicated effort, or a pious cleric many seasons of devotion and prayer to gain new spells! And you say that you have acquired more already?" Elwin eximed, clearly taken rather aback by this news. "He is god-touched," the Hunter interjected, as if this was all the exnation that was necessary. "We will assist in whatever way we can..." Elwin almost interrupted, but a single nce from the Hunter silenced the Rogue. "We owe you, after all, a great debt that can never be repaid," Kidu dered with finality. "Thank you, thank you both," I replied, my voice slightly thick with repressed emotion. "I will require you both to remain at a safe distance, but close enough to observe." They both nodded, Elwin a little more hesitantly than Kidu, before following me a little way from our ce of rest. The sun shone bright and high, and not a cloud marred the sky as we walked to a small field of grass filled with white flowers poking up from between some of the des. Checking that mypanions were at a safe but observable distance away, I began to cast one of my new spells. A darkness and a fierce joy surged deep within me, coalescing into a force that demanded release. With a shudder, I gave in, letting the power course through my body and erupt outward. The void between heartbeats and atoms filled with a frigid emptiness, and my being radiated with a dark and terrible energy. Like ripples on a stagnant pool, the gray pulses of power expanded out from me, spreading wider and wider in a circle before abruptly ceasing its expansion at a distance of fifteen meters. As I took in the reactions of mypanions, it became clear that the effect had gone unnoticed by them. The energy, it seemed, was invisible to all but myself. This was my Entropic Aura spell, and despite the impressive visual effects that only I could perceive, I felt no difference in myself. Like Holy Aura, this spell consumed two Mana to cast and decreased my maximum Mana by two points while channeling. Summoning myrades, I verified that they had neither felt nor witnessed any alterations. Elwin looked at me with a quizzical expression as I took out a piece of cheese to observe the possible effects of my aura spell upon it and waited for perhaps a minute or two. The Rogue''s voice rang out nervously from a distance. "Are you alright, Gil? Thinking about getting into the dairy business by any chance?" Kidu shot a sharp nce in Elwin''s direction. "Hold your tongue, little man," he chided, his annoyance visible. "Gilgamesh is in the midst of some great magic." "Fear not," I replied, my attention fixed on the scene unfolding before me. "I am merely confirming something," half-shouting back. Expecting to see some sort of entropic effect on the small piece of hard cheese, I was disappointed to note that there was no change to its visible condition. Just as I was plucking up the courage to give the cheese a taste test, I caught sight of the grass around my feet. Here, I noticed that some of the leaves had begun to wilt slightly in ces, their once lustrous greens a little dull and faded and browning at the edges. Wishing to test further the conditions of the spell, I tore a small piece of cheese off. In my mind, I voiced that I wished to throw it away and that it was no longer my property. Perhaps the magic only affected things that were not mine? After all, if I was dealing with the entropic forces of the universe it would hardly do if my own weapons and equipment suffered. With all of this in mind, I dropped the small morsel at my feet. Observing the torn-off piece of cheese, I saw that it was slowly beginning to decay, discoloring and breaking up into smaller and smaller pieces as what I assumed was mold and bacteria assaulted it. It looked like the effects of time were being elerated, like a timepse video, with what should have been days worth of rot hastening over the course of just a few minutes. The piece of cheese that I still held in my hand was showing no change, and I bit down on it to make sure it was still edible. The cheese was, as I remembered, simr in taste to a low-quality cheddar. Nothing special and no change. I quickly took a swig from my water sk to clean out the taste. As I pondered over the curious results, inspiration struck me and I decided to test another one of my newly acquired spells-Decay. As I cast the dark magic, a surge of oily darkness flowed through me, pulsating with a frenzied madness that almost made me recoil. Yet, I grappled with the dark energy, and with a swift gesture, I released it onto the piece of cheese in my hand. To my amazement, ck liquid tentacles that seemed to absorb light, erupted from my hand and ensnared the small piece of food. The tentacles writhed and pulsed in tune with the waves from my Entropic Aura, causing the small morsel to dpose rapidly and released briefly a smell of ammonia. Soon, it was reduced to no more than crumbling dust, blown away by an errant breeze. In conclusion, unless actively targeted, my spells would not adversely affect me or my possessions. The spell had only cost me one point of Mana, but I was yet unsure about its ce in my arsenal. In conclusion, both of the spells seemed to be ¡®smart¡¯ and did not negatively affect my own items, possessions, or self. The question was, would the same nket rule apply to mypanions? I needed to find out. I shouted out to them, telling them that it was probably safe. Kidu came first, with Elwin trailing a few meters behind. Almost instinctively, Kidu stopped just before the rolling waves of entropy, like an animal that had just sniffed danger in the wind. I beckoned him toe closer and he did so, a fraction of hesitation in his stride. He was followed shortly by Elwin, who seemed totally oblivious to the energies. The pulses of entropy broke against them, like slow inexorable gentle waves on the shore and caused no harm. ¡°Something tells me of an emptiness here,¡± the big man said with an air of mysticism, as he looked around at me. The statement worried me, did NPCs have a way to detect magic? Was it some skill linked to Kidu¡¯s ss? Or was it simply the wild man¡¯s animalistic instincts? ¡°Don¡¯t feel anything different. Am I supposed to feel something, right?¡± chortled the Rogue, ying with the handle of his dagger. I invited them to sit next to me, and we spent perhaps twenty minutes under the sun inpanionable silence. Deciding that it was better to apologize than to seek permission, I tried to cast Decay silently on Kidu in this little interlude. However, the spell seemed to resist entering therge man, almost as if it was beyond its scope. Also, luckily for me, Kidu seemed to be none the wiser. The spell still needed a release, and though it was a waste I threw the rest of my cheese onto the ground. Willing the spell into that instead, the magic soon broke it down into a rotting mess causing mypanions to leap up in worry as the smell assaulted their senses. Luckily, I was able to assure them that all was well by telling them that I was just testing out the same spell. They both looked at me, a little miffed that I had not given them any forewarning The grass closest to me was visibly wilting now, and Kidu gazed at the vegetation before looking me in the eye. ¡°Do you know what it is that you do?¡± he asked, genuine concern edging his voice. ¡°In truth, Kidu, this is why I requested your help. I am sure that this is a spell that will help weaken my enemies,¡± I said as I tore up some browning grass and showed it to him, hopefully dodging the question, ¡°But I needed to know if it would affect my allies. Forgive me my small deception.¡± Elwin, visibly shaken, hurriedly got up and started to make away from me before Kidu stopped him, grasping him firmly by the arm. ¡°If we were being harmed, I would know it,¡± exined Kidu, ¡°And I have felt no ill effects from Gilgamesh¡¯s spell. Have you, Elwin Tucker? Remember, we are here to help him understand his magic. Our debt is huge, we must give what small assistance we can. Many times now, thanks to his magic have you not been saved?¡± he firmly told Elwin, looking at him steadily. With a shrug, the Rogue sat down, ¡°Well, if you put it that way. But all this magic is making me nervous. Can¡¯t see it after all. This esoteric arcane nonsense gives me a little of the shakes. How about it? Are we finished now, Gil?¡± the wiry man asked nervously. I nodded at Elwin, ¡°Yes, we are. I think this curse or spell, or whatever it is, does not affect my allies and only my enemies,¡± I answered, giving them both another look over to make sure they had not suffered from the spell. Not wishing to push mypanions''rgesse by insisting on more tests, I suggested that we resume our travels. We continued our journey through the rest of the day, the trail growing wider, before reaching a simple earthen road that cut through the woods. Eventually, the trees of the forest gave way to endless grasnd, stained golden and red in the dying light. A flicker of movement caught my eye in the middle distance, but as quickly as it appeared, it vanished without a trace. Kidu stopped in his tracks, his muscles tensed, and he paused for a moment as if assessing the situation. Faraway, we could see the sprawling city of Ansan, our destination, just as the sun dipped beneath the horizon and twilight imed thend. I felt on my cheek the smallest impression of disced air. Then a small group emerged as if from a thick mist, like phantoms, their presence jarring, yet barely registering, in my mind. Something about them made me want to avert my gaze, to ignore their existence, but I fought against thepulsion and focused on their appearance. They were a party of seven, cloaked and mysterious, the bulge of hidden weapons about their lithe forms served as an unspoken threat. Was it my imagination, or did I catch a glimpse of pointed ears poking out from beneath one of their hoods? With trepidation, I shook my head out of a fugue and made sure to avoid eye contact or pay them further attention and we gave them a wide berth. They passed us and for a few moments, I could hear them cursing at each other in an unknown musical tongue. Were they hunting for us? Paranoia began to nibble away at me, and faraway-sounding whispers encouraged me to turn around and make an end of that group. That would be foolish, I thought to myself, as I shook my head and waved aside the temptation. Perhaps another time. Looking at my Status, I noticed that my maximum Mana was still at eleven¡­ which meant that I was still subconsciously channeling my Entropic Aura! The magic had a mind of its own, not wishing to recede from whence it came. The dark slow waves were still there, pulsing, and almost invisible, even to me in the twilight. Fighting the temptation to turn around, and horrified at myck of control, I focused on trying to reign in both my panic and the entropic magic. Bringing the dark force to heel felt like trying to grasp at a slippery eel; the rogue magic wanted to stay on this ne of existence. Closing my eyes for a moment, I began to bind it inexorably to my will and I was finally able to stop the spell. I was not the same man that entered this world, and my will and determination had grown with me. Sighing deeply in relief, I began to walk before I suddenly felt a sharp pricking pressure at my throat, the pressure of a needle-pointed de, and a soft whisper in my ear. ¡°What are you, little day spawn?¡± hissed a surprisingly sultry feminine voice, causing me to involuntarily shudder in cold fear. Chapter 37: Rules of the Road Chapter 37: Rules of the Road Ansan, known as the Jewel of the Grieving Lands, is the seat of power of the Children of the Tides. The city has an insatiable hunger for ves, which is its very lifeblood, acquired through both trade and their mercenary campaigns where payment is more often demanded in flesh than in gold. The city''s greatest exports are the result of suffering and bloodshed. The high-quality iron from its mines and fine lumber harvested from the nearby Sainba forest are its greatest assets and are famous throughout the known world. Lying along the famous Dust merchant route, the city is a veritable hub of trade. It is said that anything can be purchased in Ansan, for a price. Beyond the Sainba forest lies the untamed frontier of the Wilnds, the hunting grounds of the Adventurer''s Guild. It is a ce of great danger, where only the bravest or the most foolhardy venture to collect rare and valuable materials. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC Defiantly, I held my tongue. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see that both of mypanions had been simrly osted by the hooded group. Slowly, we all raised our hands in the universal sign of surrender,pletely powerless before them. Two of their number came to face us, both lithe and predatory in their movements, talking to each other in a strangenguage that was unknown to me. Their words were soft and lilting, and it was difficult to recognize if they were singing or speaking to one another. Needing to know what they were saying, I went through the mental gymnastics required to cast Identify silently on their words. ¡°One of the Tide¡¯s Honored Ones,¡± said the one to the left, who was considerably shorter than all the others in the group. The figure turned in my direction, ¡°A middlingly gifted one at that. We should just leave them here, and quickly. We need no moreplications. Also, the death of an Honoured one will...¡± the words turned back into iprehensible, yet pleasantly lilting singsong as my spell faded. I noticed, even in my rising panic, that this one, was probably female. The slight curves of her female form drew my eye, and I cursed inwardly at the momentary distraction. Curled blonde ringlets fell around eyes that held all of the deadly yfulness of a cat toying with a doomed mouse. The knife pressed a little harder against my throat, almost drawing blood, and drew me back to the desperation of my current predicament. There seemed to be some disagreement between the two leaders about our fate. I had to know more about who had waid us. Stealing a nce at the one who had recognized me as a magic user, I cast an Identify in her direction. The spell appeared to be resisted to some degree, taking far too long before providing some rity. Arimea Lostariot - Spellsinger (Wood Elf lvl.19) Health 176/180 Stamina 31/32 Mana 13/17 I kept my expression neutral as I went over the information, while at the same time, my eyes scanned left and right in search of an opening. These were elves, but I had little idea how I could use that to my advantage to wriggle us out of this situation. My mind raced through every myth, legend, and modern portrayal of elves, but none offered any insight into how I might escape this situation. The only potential advantage I could recall was that elves were often physically weaker than humans, but that seemed of little use in our current predicament. Also, almost all of my second-hand knowledge agreed that elves were portrayed to be as deadly as they were mysterious. If the elf I had identified earlier was any indication, this group was not to be trifled with. Their strength was clear. But I had to keep searching for a way out, a glimmer of hope that might yet save us. A growing sense of powerlessness and frustration came over me; I needed more information, so I cast Identify silently on their conversation again. ¡°Bah, the day spawn¡¯s Honoured Ones kill each other all the time in their futile power struggles. Make it look like an assassination¡­¡± one of the elves, indistinguishable from others, added to the conversation. ¡°...We must keep up our efforts to find the Daughter of Chaos. She is close, our informants at the guild...and this will be a poor salve for your revenge. Remember our mandate,¡± said the one on the right tersely, in a clipped male voice, like a teacher reminding a child of a forgotten fact. I was taken aback by the masculinity of his voice, for his face was more beautiful than it was handsome. Even in the poor light, a jagged scar that was intertwined with creases of concern did little to detract from that beauty. Though I could not fully understand him, I judged by his manner and tone that he was suppressing a deeply-buried exasperation. Simr to hisrades, he possessed a lean and svelte frame, with a slightly broader breadth at the shoulders. I burned through another point of Mana on deciphering their words, as adrenaline surged through my veins, and beads of sweat formed on my brow as I struggled to focus on their conversation. ¡°...They have seen our faces. If we are to deal with them be quick about it, we must hurry on. Time is of the essence, and seconds count. We must make it within the city boundary soon for I can not keep this veil up forever...¡± said Arimea, the figure on the left, and I could hear a budding frustration growing in her musical voice. ¡°How did they even pierce your veil Lady Arimea, such magics should beyond the day spawn,¡± another of her attendants added. You have gained 1 Wisdom Panic was beginning to seize me even as the notification shed across my mind¡¯s view and my dder grew heavy in fear. Before I could cast another spell, the pair seemed to have reached a decision, made clear by the one on the right nodding to the elf behind me. A knife cut a shallow sh across my throat, and I could feel a numbing sensation followed by my limbs locking up, paralyzed. I crumbled to the ground. Out of the corner of my eye, mere momentster, I saw mypanions struck down in a simr fashion, falling to the elves¡¯ des. A whisperter, the hooded terrors faded into the twilight grey, leaving us for dead. Somewhere inside of me, a primal instinct, the simple desire to live at all costs,manded me to take action. Yet, like a mouse who had escaped the ws and teeth of a predator, fear still ruled my heart and threatened to reduce me to a gibbering mess. With a great effort of will, I stamped down on this mind-killing fear. Desperately, I searched my mind for a way out of this dire situation, a way to save mypanions and me. Surely this was not where my journey would end? My health was rapidly dropping, and I felt a constriction about my heart. Was it possible that their des were poisoned? The thought lingered even as my lifeblood continued to pour out from my throat with every weakening pulse. Certainly, with my current Mana, I could cast Heal and save myself, but I would not have enough energy to save Kidu and Elwin. It would be a repeat of Durhit all over again. Without a word, I took a chance and cast one of my new spells, hoping that my choice was the correct one. Golden energies ever so slowly began to pulse from me, an echo of angel¡¯s song ringing softly in my ear like a celestial luby. The glow spread over me, slowly closing the wound at my throat and repairing the damage done by the vile substances that had ravaged my body. The poisons remained within me, but their vicious bile had been blunted. My health fluctuated in small ticks as the damage they were doing was mitigated by the slow healing. The aura spell''s energy left me feeling both warm and chilled in equal measure before it flowed over to mypanions, soothing them as well. I could only pray that it would be enough. A notification appeared, telling me that I had gained a point in Luck, but I dismissed it rapidly from my mind. Staying on the ground, in fear of the group''s return, I waited for my shaking limbs to still themselves and hoped that the elves would not notice the glow and return to finish us off. I forced myself into a state of calm, to check my Status. The attempt on my life had reduced my Health to around half, and my back-to-back use of magic had put my Mana down to six points. On shaky legs, like a newborn foal, I slowly got up and hobbled to check on mypanions. Kidu stirred his enormous bulk, and I felt great relief that my magic had worked in saving his life. Elwin looked to be in worse shape, his breathing shallow and his face pale. Using most of my remaining Mana, I cast Heal on him, which slowly brought the color back to his face. Realizing that we had made it past the worst, I stopped channeling my aura spell and said, "Kidu, we must move. Those elves may return, and they have the advantage over us." Within me, adrenaline was fighting a losing war with exhaustion. Kidu took several deep breaths, like a bull preparing to charge, before he moved with great effort to help me with Elwin, who had just begun to stir. A mixture of disbelief, gratefulness, and awe dogged mypanions'' steps as we half-ran, half-shuffled towards a dip in the grasnd where we couldy low, and hoped that it was enough to cover from prying elven eyes or ears. Every now and then, Elwin would look at his hands and whisper thanks and a prayer to some sort of "Dark Lady." Kidu would mutter to tell him to stay quiet, while also secretly shooting me a look filled with wonder. We settled down on the soft grass. I felt haggard and demoralized from the clear difference in the strength we had witnessed from the elves. We were like children before them. Now in a rtive ce of safety, Kidu volunteered to take watch over Elwin to give him time to recover from his brush with death. I hunkered down next to them shivering more from fear than from the cooling twilight air. Hours passed, and I heard the hoot of a night owl somewhere in the distance. If we were going to survive, we needed the supplies in our bags. They represented all of our worldly wealth, the wealth we would need to travel to more gentle climes. I needed to get my things back, but the brush with death had unmanned me. Kidu was keeping watch, but even in the dying light, I could tell that he had lost some of his usual confidence and energy from the slump of his shoulders and the cast of his eyes. After putting him through so much, I almost felt guilty that I would be asking more of him. ¡°Kidu,¡± I whispered, ¡°we need to see if they have left anything behind. We need those things,¡± the Hunter looked at me for direction, ¡°Perhaps enough time has passed and you are by far a better¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I see. I will go to see if those old ones have left and recover our things. You must stay with Elwin of Tucker. He may be needing further healing. Also, you make more noise than a rutting boar when you move, hah!¡± he added, some of his usual verve and confidence returning as he stood to his full and impressive height. d that I was able to save face, I nodded to him in thanks. In my current state, I could barely keep myself together let alone venture out in the growing dark on a mission to recover our things. ¡°Be safe, Kidu,¡± I begged of him as he left. ¡°Fear not! They will not find me such easy prey this time!¡± he growled before leaving me alone with Elwin. My mind was filled with narcissistic fantasies of vengeance against the elves as I sat down on the dry grass next to theatose Elwin. Every minute alone left me feeling weak and vulnerable. I touched my neck and recoiled at the memory of the de shing my throat. The remembrance put paid to flight my remaining thoughts of vengeance. I did not know how much time had passed, but suddenly, there was a hand on my shoulder that made me almost jump out of my skin. ¡°Be well, Gilgamesh!¡± a familiar voice said from behind me. ¡°Kidu, thank the heavens you have returned,¡± I said, turning around. The Hunter returned with our belongings, his massive frame weighed down by the weight of our bags. His appearance brought a glimmer of joy to my countenance, and I exhaled all of my tension in sweet release. ¡°Yes, the old ones did not touch a thing. They are not worthy of respect, those who kill only for sport,¡± he hissed angrily, dropping our bags down by his feet. I assisted in unrolling the stolen bedrolls, it was the least I could do, and between us, we maneuvered the unconscious form of Elwin into his bedding. He mumbled something about dice in his sleep, which gave me some measure of reassurance. If he could still talk, then there was hope that no enduring harm had been inflicted upon him. Curling up into a ball, it took a long time for the dreams to find me. Book 1: Chapter 1: Strands of Fate Book 1: Chapter 1: Strands of Fate The war had started at the behest of the elves when they were still one people. The First Children spoke of the great devourer, the herald of the end that would consume all things and leave this world a shriveled, cold husk of rock. They predicted that Mana, the god-gift which flowed through all things, the giver of life and the hope of the future, would be ended by this grave new threat. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC The ce between dreams and reality is where the mind can wander freely, unencumbered by the constraints of this world. It is a ce of boundless imagination. There I had flown over vast endless ins of grass filled with giant majestic animals, walled cities filled with stout armored knights, and a great zing desert popted by monstrous worms that could swallow small suburbs whole. A cold breeze yed across from the open window, bringing with it the sounds of an awakening city. The radio blurted out the morning news, the announcers'' sonorous voice filling the emptiness of my small single room. Lately, the dreams have been growing more vivid, more real, I mused as I forced myself to get out of bed. I almost tripped over a pile of books in my rush to the sink to brush my teeth, only correcting myself by iling my hands to keep bnce like some demented cartoon character. Staring into the mirror, I turned once more to the dreams; how stimting would it be to live in a world like that? After my morning toilet and getting dressed, I had a quick search in the mini-fridge in my room. The investigation revealed a half-eaten chocte bar and a loaf with mold merrily growing on it. I quickly scarfed the bar down while hurriedly cing the moldy loaf in my bag along with some books that I would need for the day. Moving to the door to leave, I noticed a new letter from the managementpany of the building. I already knew it was going to be asking me to pay this month¡¯s rent which was two weekste. Myst job didn''t pay as well as it had promised, so I would have to beg or borrow money from friends this month; or, heaven forbid, from my parents. Always I wondered how the management could charge so much for such a terrible room. There was a leak in the roof and the room was permanently damp in winter. Making sure to lock the door, I decided to take the long way to school through the park. I passed a jogger going the opposite direction who was determined on destroying their eardrums with the loud music ring from her headphones. For a moment I could be sure that I heard the sound of an army marching to the beat of war...when the wild neigh of a warhorse was abruptly reced by the harsh honking of a car in reality as a stray cat crossed the road. Snapping out of my episode, I crossed into the park and was greeted by familiar birdsong. Few people used the park at this time in the morning, and for a few precious moments, it felt like this section of the park was truly mine. Lately, I had the recurring notion that my life had been spiraling out of control. My recent break-up had done more damage to my confidence than I cared to admit, and it had started to affect my studies and my part-time job. I reyed in my mind the phone conversation with her again, my curt "Okay," before putting the phone down. Should I have begged instead? Bought a present with my non-existent money? Round and round the scenarios swirled. Torturing myself with these thoughts, I continued walking through the park until I reached a small pond. Ducks swamzily across the brown surface, quacking and asionally diving down to feed, tufted bottoms in the air. I noticed a few indistinct shapes of fish lurking in the murky depths. Reaching into my bag for the moldy loaf, I began feeding the ducks and fish. A frenzy of activity whirled wherever I threw the bread, and I smiled as two birds squabbled over arger piece. I was just about to throw another piece when arge shadow appeared beneath the birds, a shape growing so suddenly I was forced to step back in surprise. Something flew towards me and I instinctively closed my eyes. I could have sworn I felt water graze my cheek, but when I opened my eyes there was nothing but the peaceful scene of ducks and fish. Shaken, I quickly threw the rest of the loaf into the pond and took off. Feeling disorientated I hurried to my lecture, making it with a little time to spare. I had few friends and none of them had chosen this particr course, so I found my customary corner near the back and sat down to prepare. My mind began wandering again to the dreams and my encounter in the park. Overactive imagination, I thought to myself. Too rich a diet of video games and fantasy books. The history lecturer¡¯s loud voice, as it had done so many times in the past, brought me back to reality. I loved the subject and had already looked over the section of the text we would be studying, but the lecturer on the podium¡¯s voice was just so monotonous. Ever since primary school, I had been gifted with great teachers who made it one of the more enjoyable subjects taught, but it seemed that I had lucked out in higher education. It required memorization of facts and dates, but the main difficulty was giving these things life through good prose that answered the limited number of questions that could be posed in a concise manner. Here again, my mind was wandering. An errant thought drew me to picture fields of the most brilliant emerald grass, a viridian sea swaying softly in the wind... Grass...? I could hear the whispering susurration of each individual de dancing to the cool spring breeze. The taste of the crisp clean air pervaded my imagination, a striking contrast to the acrid aftertaste of the city. I saw a small hill with what looked like arge acacia tree overlooking it, a vision that would make for the most perfect ofndscape pictures. I yearned to go there, and one stepter I was...back in the lecture hall as the lecturer continued listing the reasons for the fall of an empire. I listened with half an ear to the lecturer, asionally casting a nce at a girl a few seats away on my right. Hair like burnt gold cascaded around her shoulders and framed a heart-shaped face with eyes of cornflower blue. A cute button nose, a little upturned, was perfectly positioned above blossom soft pink lips. I knew her name as I had heard her friends greet her once before, but I never had the courage to introduce myself. Sighing, I entered an almost zen-like autopilot for the rest of the lecture, my subconscious taking in all the relevant data. After the lecture finished I checked my timetable on my phone. The next ss would be in thete afternoon, providing me a little time to carry out a few errands in town. With a smile, I was reminded that I had scheduled to y a game online with a friendter in the evening. It was so difficult recently to find time to do things together as we both lived in different time zones. But first I needed to go to the post office to pick up a package. Whistling an off-key tune I made my way to my next destination to find a long lunchtime queue had already formed. Patiently, I waited in line, part of the tune on endless repeat in my mind. Finally, my turn had arrived. The cashier was a bespectacled mousy woman of middle years, hair tied in a tight bun with small streaks of gray just beginning to appear. She pretended to carefully check over my details before handing me a small brown package and an invoice for import tax. I grudgingly counted out the necessary money. As an aside, I asked her the cost of sending a package back to its country of origin. With a sigh, clearly already irritated by my presence, she replied, ¡°Well, you will have to choose between...¡± ¡°Choose!¡± a voice thundered somewhere behind me. Eyes wild, I turned searching for the source of the voice. ¡°...will be more expensive but faster...¡± I half-heard the post clerk continue. ¡°Choose!¡± the voice thundered even louder, and this time there was a burning sensation in my heart and lungs. It felt as if chains were constricting them, squeezing ever tighter. I leaned against the counter for support as I tried to desperately breathe. ¡°I did take my medicine this morning, didn¡¯t I...?¡± I panicked before remembering my rush to leave early. Screaming a silent "No," as my eyes zed over and I began to fall to my knees. Some of the people in the queue behind me rushed to help. Thest thing I remember was the clerks'' change of expression from annoyance, to worry, then to perturbing awe. As the pain became too great, I felt something important give way inside. This is what death is, I thought to myself, as I felt a sensation of falling. I was traveling through a ce filled with a bright incandescent light before I was wrenched into a brand new reality. Suddenly next to me was...the girl from the lecture hall? Cornflower eyes once so warm and soft now seemed cold, and the lines of her mouth and lips had be hard and unyielding. A wave of disorientation passed over and I could hear a ringing in my head before her features fully shifted. In front of me now was the perfect ideal of ssical female beauty, like the ancient Greek statues of yore. It felt so strange, yet somehow absolutely right. As if this was fated, like the final piece of a puzzle finally slotting into ce. A perfect veiled symmetry of face and form. Piercing cobalt eyes both familiar yet utterly alien under sheer cloth were framed in a delicate, now oval face. Her loose gown, simr to a roman st, billowed slightly as if floating in the water around a more luscious figure. Beneath a lovely high nose, sensuous lips stained crimson hinted at the beginning of a yful smile. With a rising sense of panic in my throat, I began to question what this experience truly was. The encounter was so distant from anything I could have ever imagined in any vapid daydream. ¡°You have been chosen,¡± the figure intoned with the lightness of an angel, yet carrying an ominous echo of ages long passed. Through some intangible power, I sank to my knees, overwhelmed by a mixture of absolute reverence and adoration. I could not bring myself to raise my head. I am not a religious man, but a small corner of my heartmunicated that I was in the presence of absolute divinity. ¡°I am justice and you shall be my herald. All that you do will be in my name. You will be the avatar of my will,¡± the goddess proimed, for there could be no doubt that she was indeed a goddess. My heart missed a beat with every exmation, and I could do nothing but bow under that divine gaze. Still, where bravery failed, panic and fear rallied. ¡°Why?¡± I croaked under the weight of the holy countenance. ¡°You have been judged and have not been found wanting. A life lived without sin and in service to your fellow man. A soul that ispatible with our needs. Forged anew to be a tool of the righteous. This will be our covenant,¡± she stated in a voice filled with total control. I felt a burgeoning sense of excitement and forced adtion invading my inner being. But still, the fear remained in the leftover hollow ces of my soul, crying against the wrongness with every beat of my heart. A soft warmth spread throughout, every fiber of my being was filled with purpose, and every word struck my soul with the force of a hammer. A look of puzzlement crossed her face for a fraction of a fraction of a second, as if she was analyzing all that stood before her. A hesitant smile tinged with sorrow grew across her face and once again I felt my soul rise with joy as tears tracked their way across my face. Lifting my face she spoke unto me, ¡°But, let it not be said that there is no justice without mercy. Though it will cost me greatly, you will be given a day to face the trials toe. I am Avaria.¡± Thest utterance was said with suchment that I was filled with nothing but a deep shame; a feeling that a being such as myself was unworthy of such benevolence. Slowly I felt the warmth start to fade from my soul as my dream began to fade back to reality. The peace was followed by a sudden and jarring sensation of falling... The idyllic dream and sense ofplete fulfillment were then utterly shattered as tendrils of shadow ripped through what felt like infinite universes¡­stabbing into my very soul, and drawing me into a gaping void of utter darkness. iling my arms and legs around, I sought a way to escape whatever dire fate awaited me. The tendrils originated from a giant maw that grew ever closer as it drew me steadily in. I struggled more, howling animal noises as I devolved into an absolute panic. I sought the calm within the storm. A sh of understanding swept across my mind as the tendrils bored ever deeper into my being; I was Avaria¡¯s chosen. ''The goddess would surely not abandon me...'' I clutched to this fleeting hope before it was swiftly snuffed out as I was finally pulled with a sudden force within the maw. My being was stretched andpressed before finally being spat again into the void. Darkness was so absolute that it was more than just the absence of light. As primal fear finally overcame me I sensed a consuming presence. I could feel it breathing behind my neck, yet suffusing all around me; a paradox of being. Yet the embers of divine revtion still flickered, and somewhere I found it utter the word, ¡°Who...?¡± A voice rumbled withughter which betrayed an infinite slowness of eons and the volume of a meteor impact. ¡°What are you...Are you a god?¡± I squeaked as fear once again ruled my soul. Laughter sounded again that evoked images of barren deserts and the death throes of dying stars. ¡°I am not a God,¡± it intoned, followed by a pause which held the time of the rise and fall of empires. ¡°I am a higher Truth. The final Truth of all things.¡± It spoke as I felt my very sense of self shredded, rewritten and analyzed again and again. ¡°Avaria is a mere mortal and wed concept. She has Chosen and imed, but in her mercy broke the Rules. She thought to safeguard you from my brothers and I, to gift you enough sweet precious time to ready yourself for the great trials. What a foolish child, to think that we would not notice. No respite can be given in the rules of the great game. I im you now, child of Earth,¡±the voice eximed with all the dread of a dying world. Sibnt whispers skittered across my mind intruding upon my consciousness, shaping it so that I might better understand the being and prevent my mind from shattering against the cliffs of insanity I now stood upon. The whispers, echoes of the great being, spoke directly in my mind with voices like sharpened ss. Every word was a lesson in pain. ¡°We will gift you nothing but our curse. We care nothing for your sess or failure. We will simply try again as this moment will fold into itself once more. Know utterly the futility of your existence. However, we will curse you with that which so often shapes mortal existence. I give you pain, as a small reminder that here you exist for a blinking of an eye to the eternity of the cosmos. Take this and know a fleeting joy, mortal. The pain I give to you, you will give to others, as is the nature of your being. The pain will guide your growth in your new world, guide your understanding. An endless spiral of lost energy to chaos. As it once was, so shall it all be again,¡± intoned the being. Then an agony filled me across long moments, ying the fibers of my soul. All thoughts of the goddess burned away. A moment stretched across infinity. And all I could do was hear the hollowughter of a thousand uncaring gods. Book 1: Chapter 2: A Choice Book 1: Chapter 2: A Choice I sojourn now in blessednds of the Rawesan for a time, the birthce of Her church. Many are the prophets who venture into the deep deserts in search of guidance, but few return with the divine scripture. Those who do are often blessed with the gift-spark and write on parchment, paper, or vellum the instruction of the divine that others may know greatermunion with Her. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 A.C As suddenly as my soul torture began, it stopped. I sensed a shift and I was no longer there, but elsewhere. With a sudden sense of vertigo, I fell face forward into what felt like earth and grass. Curled in a fetal position, I whimpered as the aftershock of pain yed across my mortal body. Shadowy purple tendrils continued to whip across my consciousness, yet fainter now, slowly reced by a plethora of error messages. I kept on begging for the agony and torment to end before exhaustion finally imed me. I fell into a nightmare-fuelled sleep filled with visions of the deaths of everyone I had ever loved or known. I awoke naked, gibbering nonsense to an uncaring universe. Dull sunlight mercilessly pounded my senses as I tried unsessfully to raise myself on fever drunk feet, retreating instead to curl on a soft bed of grass. Rocking back and forth to a rhythm known only to the mad, I chanted ¡°Not real...not real,¡± to myself. Over and over, a litany to a world that did not care. Looking across the sea of green I saw that it was a grey and dark day, clouds pregnant with rain on the distant horizon. At the edges of my vision, the hint of shadowy things scuttled back into the recesses of my mind. Across from me in the semi-distance, I saw a picture from what felt like a lifetime long past; the imposing tree on the hill. I was vulnerable, naked, and alone in a ce known only to my madness. Memories from another ce smashed into my consciousness, a high trilling of sound flooding my senses. I wrapped my head in my hands and closed my eyes, willing the world to go away. As inexorable as time itself, a message yed across my inner eyes in a bold script; CHOOSE YOUR CALLING Flustered I could not help but be drawn to the message, and as my awareness brushed against understanding new text was shown to me; INITIATE and below another choice STUDENT Just as I was musing on the incongruity of ¡®Student,¡¯ the text shed static across my vision and there was a ringing in my ears. The ¡®Student¡¯ option had changed to disy ¡®Acolyte.¡¯ Could I get any crazier? I felt instinctively that I had to choose quickly or there would be dire consequences. I knew in my gut that the ¡®Acolyte¡¯ must be some sort of hidden ss. Those were usually harder to y but tended to have some real endgame advantages if you could master their skills. With nothing else to go on, no wikis, guides, or even friends to exin the choices in front of me, I mentally chose Acolyte. I heard a rumble from within as text zed and imprinted across my mind. A rushing sense of power filled me, a feeling ofpleteness. STATUS Calling$%^& Level 1 Acolyte ([emailprotected]% Strength8 Dexterity8 Constitution8 Intelligence8 Wisdom8 Charisma8 Luck8 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC - GIFTS - Experience to next level 0/100 It looked like the user interface, or UI, of one of the many games that I would often y. What was this? Pain Nullification!? Shock and indignation rose to the fore of my mind with this notification of a skill. Before I could fullyprehend this, new numerical markers blossomed in the lower-left corner of my vision; Health5/6 Stamina16/16 Mana2/6 Feeling vulnerable with my nakedness, I pinched myself to make sure this was no dream, then pinched again harder to draw a little blood. "This must be a game, this can not be real..." I felt my mind teetering once again on the brink of insanity, sibnt whispers reassuring me that it was real, followed by a far off scream of a distant divinity. At the edges of my vision, I could sense the impression of dark shadowy tendrils, ever-moving just out of sight. The pain proved this was genuine, I must be here. Was this really the ce of my dreams? An escape from the meaningless doldrum of a pedestrian life? The idea both disturbed and thrilled me. Looking at my hand, I curled my fingers into a fist before straightening them again. What power awaits me in such a world? Love? Immortality...? As I contemted the bewildering scale of my circumstance, the next message appeared; New Quest: First Steps My being was once again hammered by the importance of the message. Finally forcing myself to my feet, I drew with leaden steps to the tree on the hill. Barefoot, step by painful forced step I made my way to the ce of revtion. Arriving after what seemed an eternity, I drew a long breath and looked at the scene before me. A majestic tree that looked like some sort of acacia but with ded green leaves, with branches that rose from its great trunk like an usation against the heavens. A smell of strong pine mixed with lemon blossoms saturated the air around it. Beneath its generous boughs stood a crude stone altar. At its foot, fallen from its ce,y a stone carving of a female figure, a crude facsimile of the goddess. ¡°Avaria...¡± I croaked, somewhere between desperation and joy. There was no answer. Yet I thought I heard again the screaming of a distant female voice. Shaking my head I wondered what madness on top of madness was possessing me. There, an echo. A tinkling echo of joyfulughter. ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked in a quiet hopeful voice to no one. ¡°I am Power Strike.¡± Impressions of a female voice tickled my mind, a resonance close to my ear that left me shivering. Renderings of war and conflict, the press of the melee, an image of a peasant bringing down a cruel warlord, and an unsung hero alone atop the battlements unleashing savage blows against unspeakable horrors. A solemn note entered my mindscape. A soft choir of angels. A cry of anguish and salvation. The music built up to a crescendo until there was a new voice. ¡°I am Heal,¡± spoke a motherly voice, exuding gentle authority. New images were brought to my mind. A man bleeding by the road only to be saved by a blue light, a dying man coughing blood only to rise again. A hope to rectify a little of the pain and hurt of the world. I felt the budding feeling of real, true hope. Like a game I was being given my initial ss skills, I enthused to myself, my heart growing a little lighter. With these I could grow to be a mighty pdin, ying all who stood before me, advancing in strength and making the world a better ce. Then something very wrong invaded thest notes of tranquillity. A sense of uncaring, of change and hunger that knew no bounds. Shadowy tendrils once again yed against the edges of my mind, but this time demanding attention as they pressed firmly against my consciousness. ¡°I am Rust...¡± a voice uttered in a sibnt gravelly voice behind me. I turned around finding nothing, met only with dark hollowughter. Images assaulted my senses, viting my sense of self. A sword forlorn, rusting as a grave marker to a forgotten soldier. Its serrated de marked red with blood, corrosion failing to cut through the hide of a majestic beast. Then a pause, pregnant with all the future of a dead promise. Shaken but undaunted, I optimistically chose not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Another skill, this one a little more dark and edgy, probably a debuff that reduced enemy weapon damage I thought to myself as I applied my gamer logic. ¡°But first...you must look...must look!¡± thundered the voice, now sounding a thousand strong. I felt the shadowy tendrils force my attention to the ces at the edges of my vision. Curse of En^r*<> -20% all starting attributes. Gilt in ck was an error message, the name of my curse. ¡°What is my name?¡± demanded the voices, insistent and wheedling. I coughed blood as I was struck by a blow as sharp as any sabre. ¡°What is my name?¡± the legion cried again in savage demand. They had grown ever more unrelenting with a wrath that spoke of thest death throes of a supernova, the echoes of the silence of the grave. Visions of the dead, rotting flesh and the slow decay of alien civilisations filled my consciousness. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± I wailed to the uncaring voices, my voice harsh as I screamed with all my might. ¡°What is my name? What is my name? What is my name?¡± again and again, each utterance a hammer blow to my psyche. New visions now of the cosmos, explosions of light, the scattering of the stars, the cruel end of all things. The heat death of the universe. I saw that my Health was failing as it plummeted. A sh of inspiration struck me then, fuelled by utter desperation. ¡°...An endless spiral of lost energy to chaos¡±, a fragment of a half rememberedmunion with the ultimate end of all things. ¡°Entropy...you are Entropy!¡± I cried in ast gasp bid to live. Impressions of a smile, a tear in reality a gxy-wide, as the true name of my curse was revealed; Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. A myriad of new system messages then shed across my vision with the cessation of the pain. Finally I saw a simple line of text at the end that made me smile in satisfaction as darkness once again imed one of their own; Quest Complete Book 1: Chapter 3: Struggle Book 1: Chapter 3: Struggle Thediviners and the truth seers of the elves called for war against a small country far to the west, across the Untouched Sea, ruled by a mage-king they divined would bring about the end-times. The High King of the elves, acknowledging the words of the prophecy, sent his envoys to the realms of man and throughout the civilizednds. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC I awoke still naked, sodden, and shivering. Teeth rattled in my skull as I futilely fought against the cold. My earlier joy at being transported to a new world had now mostly evaporated. This world was full of pain and suffering greater than anything I had known in the old world. My difort demanded that I look with my inner gaze to the notifications; 100 Experience gained New Skill: Power Strike (Lvl. 1) New Spells: Heal (lvl.1), Rust (lvl.1) Level 2 attained - 3 unassigned attributes have been distributed automatically. STATUS Calling$%^& Level 2 Acolyte of Avaria Strength8 Dexterity8 Constitution9 Intelligence8 Wisdom8 Charisma8 Luck10 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.1) Rust (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 100/220 I scrambled closer to the tree, sitting against its hard trunk. Gathering myself, I closed my eyes and tried to draw a deep even breath. Gazing to the bottom left corner of my vision where my Health, Stamina and Mana were represented, I scanned my new status; Health5/13 Stamina14/16 Mana4/6 My thoughts scattered as I realized my Health was just over a third, really more when I thought about it...no, just under half. This must be responsible for the stabbing pain that throbbed all over my body. Iparable of course to the banquet of agony that I had gorged on previously. I noticed the irony that two of my randomly assigned points were allocated to Luck. This was my new reality it seemed. I was stuck in a cursed game that felt like a thousand other games I had yed across my life. I could not stifle a manicugh that possessed my body. Great shakes filled me with pain as the madness tore through my being. My hysteria ceased abruptly when I realized my Health had dropped by one point. I was going to die here. Ripped across time and space to die to exposure under a tree in this unknown and alien world. I needed to think rationally before insanity overtook me again. I needed to regain Health. My eyes darted, panic drove a manic scramble of my thoughts as I desperately sought something to save me from this predicament. ¡°Heal!¡± I desperately shouted, willing something, anything, to save me. A pulling sensation shifted energy through my body, followed by a hint of soft warmth, then nothing. Echoes of absolutely nothing. It would appear that my spell had failed. I cried tears of frustration at the futility of it all. Magic was tantalizingly out of reach. "What can I do?" I puzzled to myself as despair began to rise again. Unbidden returned memories of a mathematics lesson once long-forgotten. My mind reviewed the calctions involved with factoring, polynomials, and double-decked equations. I smiled brusquely; I was never good at mathematics but I was surprised about how much I was able toprehend in my new mental state. You have gained 1 Intelligence The message floated across my vision. Incredulously I looked at my status, noticing that despite no change to my maximum Mana, I had increased a point of my avable Mana to five. "What did this all mean?" I wondered to myself as another dull wave of pain hit me. Shivering I rose on shaky legs, leaning against the tree to survey my surroundings. Under the treey the familiar sight of the dpidated altar with the fallen statue of the goddess. Yet as he looked down at his feet he noticed something unfamiliar; a bundle of rough-spun cloth. "The third person, I must be losing it..." I gathered the bundle to myself and opened it. Inside was a coarse robe of a simr fabric to the cloth bundle. Hastily I scrambled to put the robes on my still shivering body, ignoring the itchy sensation that reminded me of sackcloth. Finally tying the robe closed, an immediate sense of security stirred me. A tear tracked down my face as the constant hum of vulnerability finally lessened, if only moderately. I grit my teeth and forced myself to focus. The world I was in resembled a game, and I had yed many games. There were rules and I needed to find and test every aspect out as soon as possible. I wanted to live, in defiance of all the suffering I had experienced. Hands still shaking, I whimpered in pain. My avable Mana had risen to five now from four. Perhaps I needed more Mana to cast the spell or was the earlier dull pain the result of a miscast? Some games I knew had a chance of spell failure, especially for novice magic users. Last time I had definitely felt something when I tried to cast Heal, and I refused to give up. ¡°Heal!" I shouted out to the world, willing myself to be made whole. Once again I felt a power shift slowly and flow sluggishly through me, yet this time an unpleasant ripping sensation coursed through my insides. This was followed by a pleasant sensation of healing warmth. My Mana had bottomed out to zero, but my Health had increased by two points. I now had just about half of my Health. Everything felt such a burden, my earlier enthusiasm was fleeing from me as I was assaulted by a painful attack on my mind. Stabbing needles beat against my brain as I wearily struggled back to the tree and sat. My breath began to slow. I fought against closing eyelids that weighed like a mountain, remembering a titude from a previous life before they shut. ¡°The serenity to ept the things that you can not change,¡± I whispered as a troubled sleep came over me. How apt... You have gained 1 Wisdom Book 1: Chapter 4: Growth Book 1: Chapter 4: Growth When facing a manticore it is prudent to note that the beast has little to no blind spots. The scaly hide is dense and thick and will repel most non-magical weapons, though across the belly one¡¯s weapon may find purchase. One must also observe that despite being a beast it has some capability with the arcane, with an ability to cast elemental magics from the fire and ice domains. I would rmend a party of a least five highly skilled adventurers to best one of these fearsome creatures. - Monsters of the Mortal Realms by K. D. Fidditch Groggily I woke to the night. Above, stars shone in the sky like a sparkling beautiful tapestry gilt with shining pearls. My eyes wandered to the heavens and I saw a single oversized blue moon through the boughs of the tree. Squinting, I fancied I could perceive great craters on therge moon¡¯s surface. Its light bathed the world with a soft ethereal glow in blues and silver, and the grass rustled to the chilly night breeze. I pulled my thoughts from the stunning beauty that surrounded me. Slowly I hugged my knees to my chest, trying to draw some warmth from the bitter cold. Shivering, I forced myself to look across my notifications, confirming the changes to my character. I noticed that despite gaining one Wisdom my maximum Mana had not changed yet. Still, I was standing now at the full six points of Mana. Perhaps the Wisdom attribute affected Mana regeneration? More importantly, I breathed a sigh of relief as I noticed my Health had climbed to an eight after my indeterminable rest and the painful healing spell. I had also gained a mystery skill ¡®Endure¡¯ in my sleep which was at level one. STATUS Calling$%^& Level 2 Acolyte of Avaria Strength8 Dexterity8 Constitution9 Intelligence9 Wisdom9 Charisma8 Luck10 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) Endure (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.1) Rust (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 100/220 Health8/13 Stamina14/16 Mana6/6 I was hesitant to try Heal once again. In some games, the system punished you if you ever reached zero in a statistic. Ack of Stamina would mean you lost the ability to move, depleted Mana stymied your ability to cast spells, and having zero Health meant, most obviously, that you died. I didn¡¯t want to die and I was willing to brave the pain again. I tried to think of it as having a very painful injection shot. I hoped the pain from the previous time was a side effect of bottoming out my Mana. Wincing at the expected suffering toe I gingerly said ¡°Heal,¡± and willed the spell to restore me. Once again I felt a shift of some sort of energy and an ufortable pulling sensation. Expecting daggers to assault my mind, I scrunched up my eyes and closed my fists tight. Aforting warmth filled me, but there was no pain. Looking down at my status I saw that my Health had risen a further two points to a much safer ten. I breathed deeply as tension fled my body. My Mana had fallen to one; I felt a little woozy but there was no hateful pain. Fighting a wave of mental fatigue I tightened my robe and rose to my feet. No doubt that if this was a game world, then this robe represented my pathetic starting gear. The mystery skill was to be investigatedter. A growling in my stomach and dryness in my throat reminded me of my immediate and more pressing needs. Searching around the stone shrine I was prompted with another Quest; Restore the Shrine of Avaria? Yes/No "No," I thought to myself, dismissing the notification from my inner eye. I owed nothing to the ¡®goddess¡¯ who tore me from myfortable life and thrust me into a world filled with pain and suffering. I needed to find food, water, and some form of protection. I shivered as I remembered my encounter with Avaria in another life. The cold realization that she had all but stripped me of my will with feelings of forced adtion; deigning to mould me as a mere instrument of her awful indomitable will. With the moon high in the sky, there was more than enough light to see. Searching around the altar I found a broken spear. It was split and broken about halfway up the haft. The spear point seemed to be made of sharp stone bound to the haft by sinew. I had one of man¡¯s oldest and trusted tools as a weapon. Buoyed by my discovery I searched more of the area, revealing a rolled up piece of leather parchment tied with what looked like rawhide string. Untying the cord I noticed that there were further knots on the string at varying points down its length. I slowly unravelled the cloth under the moonlit sky, wondering if there was enough light to see by. I was not to be disappointed. Written across animal hide, esoteric symbols glowed a dull red. Fractals and other mind-boggling geometric shapes writhed and changed across the surface. I traced my fingers across the shapes awed by what I saw, feeling an electric sensation ying across their tips. A smile unbidden rose to my face as a voice whispered and a notification shed across my inner eye; Learn the spell Identify? Yes/No ¡°Yes!¡± I shouted with joy, the inner child and gamer within me feeling a rush of aplishment. Another presence made itself felt with images of moldy tomes in a forgotten library, an explorer holding a torch searching the dark ruins of a long lost civilization, and a wise sage pouring over a mountain of scrolls. ¡°I am Identify. Call and the mysteries of this world you will know,¡± whispered an echo of a schrly voice fading into nothing in the recesses of my mind. The esoteric symbols stopped moving, their glow fading as the scroll began to crumble to dust. You have learned Identify (lvl.1) Finally a sess in this inscrutable new world. I dared not cast this new spell, memories of my previous agony still haunting me. I decided to wait until I reached full Mana once again. Giving myself a mental pat on the back, I began humming the victory tune from my favorite game. Though I knew my night was far from over. I needed to explore my surroundings more. Walking behind the altar I saw a sight that brought relief to my weary soul. At the foot of the hill, I saw a small pond glistening silver. "Water," I thought as I licked dry and parched lips, before noticing small shapes moving around the shore and moonlit waters. I clutched both halves of the broken spear to my chest as I cautiously moved down the hill at a half-crouch. My heart beating in my chest, I stopped perhaps forty paces before the pond. There I saw dark fish-like shapes about half a meter high and two meters long with high crested dorsal fins. On the far side, some were swimmingzily in the pond, while others basked in the moonlit glow making odd yet undeniably musical gurgling mating calls. The creatures reminded me of mudskippers that I once saw in a nature documentary. So alien was the scene in front of me that I took pause. As quietly and as silently as I could, I lowered myself to the ground. Crawling along the soft moist grass I edged ever closer to the pond. Thirst drove my actions as I finally reached its edge. From earth and grass, my hands quested forwards and found fine-grained sand before the water. Resisting the all-conquering thirst for a moment, I peered at my reflection in the water, hazy in the moonlight. Wild frazzled short hair framed a gaunt clean-shaven face. It was hard to see, yet everything felt even more real than my old world. It was as if everything was set to a higher resolution. Gingerly I touched my face before a small wave disturbed my crystalline reflection. Snapping out from my reverie, hands cupped I drank from the silvery water. Slurping quickly, uncaring to the world, sweet blessed relief as I ked my thirst. I continued to drink heavily as another small wavepped against the shore of the pond, this time one not of my own making. A few paces away from me two googly eyes on miniature stalks rose up from the water. Bubbles formed where its mouth would be before a ball of water shot with great speed towards me. I flinched and ducked down to the ground, making myself as small as possible as the solid ball of liquid passed over me. A momentter I heard its ssh as itnded somewhere behind me. Adrenaline flooded my system, my fingers gripping my scavenged weapons. This close to the creature I felt an equal mixture of sudden surprise, wonder, and fear, which was soon overridden by a another scathing hot emotion. Perhaps it was the constant agony that I had been suffering, or possibly the frustration against an uncaring universe, but in that moment I felt a rage I had never felt before. Hot anger boiled within me screaming for an outlet as I scrambled to my feet,unching myself at the oversized fish. My eyes rapidly scanned over the piscine form, the size ofrge hound, looking for ces to attack. I loudly sshed into the waters, breaking the serene tranquillity of the night as I struck, stabbing with the half-spear in my left and swinging the broken haft like a club with my right. As I engaged the strange creatures I noticed new bubbles had formed again just below the surface. A part of me registered the surprise drawn infinitesimally slowly on the fish¡¯s face as my twin blows hit it with a force filled with all of my desperation. The fish creature made a gurgling scream as it reactivelyunched another ball at my midsection. At this range, the creature could not miss and it felt like a cricket ball had impacted my chest. The pain only spurred my frenzy to greater heights as I repeatedly stabbed and clobbered the creature with both halves of my scavenged spear. A dark purplish film stained the roiling waters as the creature turned tail to flee as I gave ast savage twist with the spearhead. Panting heavily I noticed more of the foul creatures making their way towards me, entering the pond and swimming with considerable speed. I ran with desperation from the water, drawing rapid panicked breaths. My robes were cold, sodden and heavy. I heard sshes on the ground to my left and right, before one of the water balls clipped me on the left shoulder, almost making me drop the half-spear. I doubled my pace as I struggled up the hill, sparing a nce at my status within my inner eye. My Stamina was around half and my Health stood at just under two thirds. A final dash led me to hide behind the tree as I peered down at the ugly fish creatures below. I gave silent thanks that they moved slowly onnd. They seemed to have stopped near the bottom of the hill, a scant few meters from the shore. Panting I continued to look at them, willing them to withdraw. After what seemed like an eternity, but what could have been mere minutes, they turned back as one towards the pond, slipping once again into its silvery waters. I cried, breathing a long sigh of relief before new notifications shed before me, bringing a sly grimace to my lips; You have in ??? 10 experience gained You have gained 1 Dexterity You have gained 1 Strength You have learned Stealth (lvl.1) It seemed that today I did get the one that got away. Book 1: Chapter 5: Testing Theories Book 1: Chapter 5: Testing Theories Although humans were short-lived inparison to the elder race, they were as numerous as the trees in the forest and were almost as ferocious as the barbaric orcs of the Long Hills. The League and the Old Empire ceased their endemic wars, united with the promise of gifts of powerful elven artifacts and mithril bullion. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC Looking at the night sky I saw a veritable ocean of stars shimmering down like a bright tapestry, with a singlerge moon as an ephemeral counterpoint to their shining light. For all of its beauty, however, something was wrong. Though no student of astrology, I could not see a single familiar constetion or guiding star. This emphasized an unexpected feeling of homesickness and loneliness that onlypounded my misery. The n was to stay awake for the rest of the night to keep watch on the pond below. However this intent shattered when faced with the cruel reality of my tired body. Exhausted, my eyes felt like lead as the exertions of the battle rush left me cold and shivering. Slowly and inexorably, like the turning of seasons, I closed my eyes and faded into a troubled sleep. I slowly awoke as morning sunlight yed across my eyes between the boughs of the tree. Rushing then to panicked wakefulness, I looked around with wild eyes searching for threats. There was nothing but an endless sea of grass as far as the eye could see under a cloudless sky. Sometime in the night my robe had dried out, and I was at least no longer shivering. The warm sun shone down on me as I attempted to gather myself toward some semnce of calm. The rough lesson I had learned so far was that this was a world that taught in pain and suffering. Those that did not stand up to muster would die. Checking my notifications it seemed that I had gained another point of Constitution. I hypothesized I had gained this single point due to my current harsh conditions and that this was the reason both my maximum Health and my Stamina had increased. Perhaps there was a threshold where increasing my basic attributes improved my Health, Stamina, and Mana? Muttering to myself, I swore to increase my Constitution as often as I could. I simply did not want to feel the awful pain anymore. Checking the rest of my stats I noted I had gained a new skill ''Rest,'' which was at level one. It appeared I could gain skills from the most innocuous of things. I registered that my Health was just under the maximum and my Mana was now full. I needed to know more about the world I was in. I needed more data. It was time to experiment. STATUS Calling$%^& Level 2 Acolyte of Avaria Strength9 Dexterity9 Constitution10 Intelligence9 Wisdom9 Charisma8 Luck10 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) Endure (lvl.1) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Spells & Magic Heal (lvl.1) Rust (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 110/220 Health13/14 Stamina19/19 Mana6/6 I analyzed my current status. If this was a game, apart from the horrible start, I was in a satisfactory position. I had likelypleted one of the early stages of a grueling ¡®tutorial.¡¯ My cautious nature willed me to cast Heal to top off my Health, but the curious gamer inside of me wanted to experiment with my new spell Identify. With a slight spring to my step, I made my way around the tree to look down to where the mudskippers were. Finding a medium-sized specimen with my eyes on the far side of the pond, I uttered "Identify,¡± willing its secrets to be mine. Undergoing the now-familiar sensation of shifting and pulling as my Mana was channeled from within my body, coursing through it. But this time it abruptly funneled outwards towards my chosen creature. Bibsis (lvl.1) Health 8/8 "Bibsis," I muttered to myself. I fought the frustration of being unable to see all of its relevant stats, such as Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. Drawing a deep breath I attempted to calm myself. It was probably physically weaker than I was, but I had no idea if it had spells or any other special abilities. However at least I now knew the name, Health, and rtive level of the creatures I faced. This further reinforced my working hypothesis that this area was some sort of ''tutorial'' zone. My Mana had dropped a single point with the spell, and I decided to cast it four more times for confirmation. As I continued to apply the spell to different targets, I felt a growing pressure in my head. On the fourth cast, I was swamped with a dazed feeling, not unlike the second time I had used Heal. Blessedly this time it did not feature the knife stabbing-like pain. Nor did I sumb to weary exhaustion as when my Mana had bottomed out to zero. In my estimation, and to my great relief, all of the creatures that I was casting my spell upon were only level one Bibsis. If I had been stuck in a high-level area, my future would be well and truly bleak. I decided to take a small break from my experimentation. Leaving my scavenged weapons by the shrine, I relieved myself a little way down the hill on the opposite side of the pond. As I walked back up to the tree and altar, I determined that the next skill to test would be ''Power Strike.¡¯ Arriving, I drew a few deep breaths preparing myself. Once again picking up the half-spear in a loose grip, I practiced jabbing at the air in front of me. Finally, I shouted ¡°Power Strike!¡± while stabbing forward with all of my limited might. Nothing. Nonplussed, I continued to attack the air while shouting "Power Strike!" After a few minutes of wasted effort, with my stamina bar drained to around half, I threw down my half-spear. In half frustration, Inded a punch at the tree, screaming ¡°Power Strike!!¡± to the wind. My left fist flew at a great speed, drawing a portion of my body along with it. Chips of bark flew outwards at the point of impact as something in my poorly angled wrist snapped. Screaming once again as I cradled my wrist to my chest with my good hand, I curled up into a fetal ball on the ground. Blood was running down my knuckles, a vivid crimson contrast against my skin. The pain was a visceral reminder of the harsh reality of this world. I bled in this world, just like in the other. After what seemed like another eternity, I summoned the will to lean against the tree. I drew shallow breaths through gritted teeth as I half-screamed against the pain. Closing my eyes I recited the births and deaths of long-dead leaders, battles that changed my home country, theing and going of ages, rebellions, and revolutions; a mnemonic tool to help stave off the agony. Although the world was game-like in nature, certain things most definitely were not. Here instead of controlling a character with a mouse and keyboard, I was well and truly in the ¡®game.¡¯ I could now feel my character¡¯s pain through my every stupid mistake. Though this world presented itself like a game, the real ramifications of my choices meant that I could not throw all reason out of the window. You have gained 1 Intelligence Iughed wryly between the waves of pain. Closing my eyes I decided to take what rest I could to raise my Mana, whimpering forlornly all the while. I spent the rest of the morning and the better part of the afternoon casting Heal when I could, determined to bring myself back to full Health. My maximum Mana had risen by one point, I theorized likely due to the recent increase in my Intelligence. When my Health was around eleven or twelve I felt my wrist snap back into ce with a painful crunch, then to be soothed by the remaining aura of my healing spell. Finally, sometime in thete afternoon, I was back to full Health. A self-inflicted injury that would have taken at least a month and half to heal in my other life was fully rectified here in about half a day. "Magic...I wield magic..." Preposterous, I thought to myself, half denying my situation. The pain, if anything, reminded me that this was all too horribly real. Yet for all this, I could not help but wonder at the miracles I had performed. ¡°Magic...¡± I whispered in a hushed reverent tone. In a different life, I had once read that ¡°Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.¡± Were nano-bots or some other super technology responsible for the ¡®Magic¡¯ and this game-like world? Were my struggles entertainment for some interster audience? Perturbed by these questions, I brushed them quickly from my mind. Survival was my only imminent concern. I refused to die. The first pangs of hunger hit me as the sun dipped ever lower in the sky. I waited for my Mana to reach full again before picking up the two halves of the broken primitive spear. Absently I considered casting Identify on my weapons, but thought better of it as it was painfully obvious what I held in my hands. My ominous Rust spell was also perhaps worth experimenting with at ater time; I could not see anything in my local environs that would precipitate its use. I needed all my resources to do what I nned to do next. I needed to grow, and growing in this world meant killing. Book 1: Chapter 6: Hunt & Harvest Book 1: Chapter 6: Hunt & Harvest The berry of the Galebush is sweet and nutritious, drawing in fauna and adventurers alike. However, unless thoroughly cooked the seed will sprout within a few hours spontaneously from within, causing an almost certain and gruesome death. This is likely a mechanism to provide the new seedling with fertilizer for the next part of its life cycle. Should the being somehow survive the ¡®sprouting¡¯ then they will slowly turn into a vtile and strange chimera of nt and animal. One such creature was the infamous Sun Bear of the Duskdown Forest who terrorized the local territories for many years before a group of Knight Penitents put it down. - Monsters of the Mortal Realms by K. D. Fidditch My twin weapons in hand, I crept down the hill towards the pond with a furtiveness I never knew I possessed. Walking along the edges of my feet, heel to toe, I mused how the newly acquired Stealth skill was clearly bearing fruit. Crouching slightly forward with my weight evenly spread, I instinctively knew how to bend my knees just enough to absorb as much of the sound as possible. Edging ever closer, I slithered across close to the shore of the pond on my belly. Hiding behind some shallow rushes on the shore, I decided to stake out the scene I saw before me. Across on the opposite shore, the amphibious Bibsis rxed under thete afternoon sky, asionally making musical gurgling noises. I observed that the school of Bibsis consisted ofrger creatures the size of a monstrously big breed of dog, along with smaller juvenile specimens. I waited, forcing each drawn breath to be slow and even, thinking of a n. Some of the juveniles were currently ying in the shallows close to the shore. I needed to surprise one of them, kill it, then retreat back to the rtive safety of the shrine. I waited patiently in position, trusting my Stealth skill to hide me from the monsters. After an indeterminable length of time, I grew impatient, picking up a scattering of fine sand and throwing it a short distance from my ce of hiding at the surface of the water. Two adult Bibsis broke away from the main school, swimmingzily to investigate where I threw the sand. Gurgle-chirping to each other before diving below the surface and swimming to look for the source of the disturbance. After a minute or two, one of the creatures swam back to the main school with a babble. The remaining monster was the size of arge hound and it beached itself on the shore, rolling onto its side while closing its googly eyes in contented rxation. Perfect, I thought to myself, time to use one of my skills in abat situation. I rushed out of my position to assault the monster. Instead of casting Power Strike by shouting it loudly, I invoked it with my mental voice. Targeting the basking Bibsis, I struck out with the half spear in my left hand to ce it through its pping gills. There was a moment of resistance as I felt my Stamina drain by ten points, before a driving sensation, different to the spell reaction, traveled through my body and along my arm to guide my weapon to its fated target. The stone spearhead passed cleanly through the gills and into its brain matter, bypassing the cartge of its skull with a squelching noise. For good measure, I struck its stilling body along its length with the blunt other half of the spear from my right, scattering wet muddy brown scales across the shore. Hastily I ripped out my half-spear from its cranium, scanning my surroundings for iing Bibsis, but none approached. I was gratified with a notification of the monster¡¯s death granting me another ten experience points. A critical hit I assumed, which meant I could execute perhaps eight damage with my current attributes and equipment. A dark liquid was rapidly congealing on the shore underneath the fish¡¯s head. Blood thick like tar now stained the sands. Quickly I heaved and tried to drag the creature from the edge of the pond. Struggling, I soon realized the impossibility of such a task. Cutting near the tail end of the fish, I used the spear¡¯s de edge like a butchery tool. Piercing first then sawing across, avoiding bone and cartge, taking great pieces out of the beast. I grabbed a chunk each with both hands, spear halves tucked into my armpits, as I hurried at a fast pace back up the hill to the rtive safety of the altar, my Stamina drained. Once there I dropped my weapons and ravenously tore into the chunks of flesh like an animal. I barely registered the taste at first, such was my hunger, raw flesh chewy to my tongue. My stomach finally began to settle as I ate the second piece of monster flesh. It was then I noticed that it had a slightly slimy texture, yet one apanied by a distinctly rich vor. I imagined that this would be like eating a frog raw, which almost caused me to throw up the rest of my savage meal. Finishing off thest piece, blood congealing down the front of my robe, I crept down again to the rest of the carcass with more practiced ease. Crouching over the remains of the creature I began to clumsily butcher a few more chunks, then ran back up the hill to ce the fresh meat upon the altar. On my third run, I stopped to drink some of the cool water from the pond, washing as best as I could the slimy congealed blood from my hands. I repeated this ambush tactic repeatedly through the night, hoping to farm experience and gain new skills. Times beyond counting I had clumsily attracted too many of the creatures and was forced to rush back up the altar, dodging and weaving in a crazy zigzag pattern. Still, I was asionally hit by an errant solid water ball and I had to pause to heal myself to restore the damage of bruised flesh and broken bones. asionally I would cast Identify after inflicting a solid hit, trying to gauge how much damage I was mounting with my blows. It seemed I was doing between four to six damage with my half-spear, and a rather weak one to two with my impromptu club. Perhaps I was taking penalties for dual-wielding or not being proficient with my equipped weapons? Still pondering the mechanics of my new world, I finally submitted to sleep as rosy-fingered dawn broke through the sky. Upon waking I cleared my weary eyes and then scarfed down a few bites of Bibsis flesh. Cautiously I made my way down to the pond to drink from its waters. Checking to be sure I was at full Health and Stamina, I repeated the tactics of the previous day. During the warm early afternoon, I was struck by two water balls in quick session. Oddly with the first, I felt no pain, while the second hit me with all the agony of a fast-pitched ball. A pattern began to form in my mind as I tried to piece together some of the game¡¯s logic. Resting and healing myself to full Health, I purposefully endured two water ball attacks without attempting to dodge. It would almost be my downfall. The first shot hit me in the stomach, rapidly knocking out over half of my Health. Then the next struck, rattling my brain inside my skull. Concussed and disorientated, I somehow made it back up to the altar. Quickly I cast another Heal spell, helping to clear my head and hopefully a potential brain injury. My dangerous experiment did however prove one thing; I would feel no pain with the first hit IF I was at maximum Health. Finally, I had an exnation for my mysterious skill, ''Pain Nullification.'' I had to remind myself that this was not some form of invulnerability, as I could clearly still take damage from attacks. Nheless, anything that reduced the pain from this horrible world was sorely wee. Leaning against theforting security of the tree, I decided to take stock of the situation and reviewed my current gains. STATUS Calling$%^& Level 2 Acolyte of Avaria Strength9 Dexterity10 Constitution12 Intelligence10 Wisdom9 Charisma8 Luck11 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) Endure (lvl.1) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Backstab (lvl.1) Dodge (lvl.1) Polearms (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.1) Rust (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 170/220 Health16/16 Stamina21/21 Mana7/7 A day and a half of a consistent loop of receiving damage and healing myself had increased my constitution by another two points, increasing both my maximum Stamina and Health. My Dexterity had also climbed to ten somewhere along the line, and I noticed that my average damage with my half-spear was increasing by one point. I confirmed this by casting Identify after a good hit on one of the monsters. I had not gained any Wisdom or Intelligence, likely due to relying almost exclusively on physical attacks rather than magic. Interestingly I had also picked up three new skills. Two of the more mysterious, ''Dodge'' and ''Backstab,'' were at level one like all of my beginner skills. I deduced that I had gained Dodge by evading the innumerable water balls that had been spat my way. Backstab could be due to my sess in surprise attacks against the Bibsis. I assumed it was this skill that was responsible for the asional spikes of one or two damage points I achieved against the overgrown fish when I was able to catch them by surprise. Logically my third new skill, ''Polearms,'' was obtained from the extensive and exclusive use of my scavenged spear. Thank heavens I was an avid gamer in the old world. Without that skill set, I would have little frame of reference for this absurd experience. Shrugging internally, I spotted that I had also mysteriously gained an extra point of Luck. I only had hazy ideas about how that attribute would affect my situation. Circumstances were certainly not perfect, not by a long haul, but they were definitely improving. I felt a glimmer of constion that I was beginning to understand the world I was in. It was satisfying working out some of the rules that I had to y by. There was no inte or Wikis here with easy answers, yet for all this, I was enthusiastic about tomorrow. In this world, self-improvement was a more tangible notionpared to my old life. Experiences and skills were broken down into numbers and I was fed solid feedback showing when I had gained in my abilities. Huddling cold against the tree, I decided to rest despite being at full Health, Stamina, and Mana, as I was at the limit of my mental endurance. Tomorrow was another day and I had five more monsters to y to attain level three. Book 1: Chapter 7: Progress Book 1: Chapter 7: Progress The Under-Kingdoms were slower to answer the call, but dwarven greed eventually won over ancient enmity and they flocked to the banner under elven kind. The dragons of the mountains and the sky, understanding the threat the mage-king possessed grudgingly promised aid, though in their pride they would suffer none tomand them. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC I awoke to the pleasant aroma of pine and lemon blossoms as I slowly opened my eyes, fearfully optimistic about what was in store. All around me were featureless t ins of endless green that met the azure horizon somewhere in the far distance. This would be a problem when I eventually decided to leave my ce of rtivefort. However, these were concerns for another day. I had five fish to fry on my te! The Bibsis were a level below me, and I could kill them easily now; distracting some of their number, doing damage to one of them, then running away as fast as I could back up the hill. I had employed simr strategies for clearing areas filled with strong enemies back in my gaming days. The problem was that I had no baseline to work with to gauge my rtive strength in this brave new world. I needed to learn about its rules. It was essential to discover how to raise my skills, as this was directly rted to my survival in both the short and the long term. Would meaningful practice and repetition allow me to advance them? The Bibsis I had identified were all at level one, which suggested that there might be a level two or three monster or creature out there. Climbing the first branches of the tree a little above my own height, I carefully stood and dropped onerge and one small stone. I observed that they hit the ground at the same time. Taking one of the stones I threw it as far as I could, noticing that it fell in a smooth even arc. It appeared that gravity was applicable to this world. Next, I decided to hold my breath. Isted around fifty-two heartbeats, so it seemed I would need oxygen here too. Like in fiction, I tried shouting ¡°log out,¡± and ¡°disconnect,¡± once even yelling ¡°Alexa, log me out,¡± willing myself out of my newfound world with pure force of will. It looked like the world was not virtual, or at the very least I presently had no way of finding out. Already acquainted with this world¡¯s pain, I decided that aspect needed no further tests. It had convinced me that it would not be a good idea to reach zero Health in this world. With my experiments out of the way, I decided that the remaining goals of this day should consist of raising one of my skills or spells in any way I could. Walking casually to the stone altar, I noticed that the chunks of meat about it had grown rank and pungent. Disgusted, I threw them as far as I could down the hill away from the pond. It seemed that I would have to feed both my bodily hunger and my desire to increase in power. Creeping confidently along the edges of the pond with my newfound stealth, I vented my built-up rage against these low-level creatures that had dared to hurt me. Rage, like an animal that had been beaten too many times and had finally snapped, filled me as I lured the creatures in small groups toward me. I ambushed the slow and the weak as they retreated back to their side of the water. My spear felt more sure in my hand, my attacks more ruthless and precise, as I struck at them from my hiding ce among the rushes. I would violently stab, pierce, cut, and clobber the unsuspecting Bibsis until I got a notification of their death. Butchering only what I needed for the day, I ate my morning repast slimy and raw. Half forcing each piece down my gullet as quickly as I could, ever watchful against another attack. On my third ambush, I failed spectacrly. Hit in the face by one of their water balls, feeling nothing, before a second cannoned into me full on the chest, making me drop my half-spear in the shallow waters. I fumbled searching for it in the cool waters, gasping all the while in agonized breaths. Half-blind with pain, my questing hands found the familiar wooden haft and I beat a hasty retreat. As I fled I received another excruciating ball to my back, which took out another chunk of my Health. Healing myself and determined to reach level three, I ventured back again, albeit more carefully this time. After a few more hours filled with pain and death I was granted the much-anticipated notifications; You have reached level 3 3 unassigned attribute points 1 unassigned skill point In the bottom right corner of my vision, the writhing shadowy tendril returned, obscuring a little of the numbers before blossoming into a cascade of indecipherable digits. A short countdown appeared and the numbers began dropping rapidly with each beat of my heart. NINE¡­ EIGHT¡­ SEVEN¡­ Panicked, I willed all of my unassigned attributes into Constitution. SIX... FIVE... I felt a surge of energy rise from my stomach to all of my extremities, leaving a feeling of exhration. My breath came a little easier, and the chill of the cold waters through my sodden robes seemed more distant. I felt more able, whole, and robust. THREE... TWO... With scant seconds to think and choose, I quickly looked within myself; searching for the presence of Heal and focusing on it, willing the magic to be. The countdown ended, but in my haste, I had foolishly cast Heal despite already being at full Health. I did not fully know what would happen if I did not allocate my points before the countdown ended, but I felt the price for learning such knowledge would be too steep. ¡°A waste...¡± I cursed silently, as I checked my status confirming the changes to my character; STATUS Calling$%^& Level 3 Acolyte of Avaria Strength9 Dexterity10 Constitution15 Intelligence10 Wisdom9 Charisma8 Luck11 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) Endure (lvl.1) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Backstab (lvl.1) Dodge (lvl.1) Polearms (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.2) Rust (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 170/220 Health29/29 Stamina24/24 Mana5/7 My Health had risen to a staggering twenty-nine points and my Stamina by another few to twenty-four, with no change to my Mana. Also, I could now increase the power of my spells and abilities by leveling up. I whooped for joy, the sense of aplishment banishing my recent brushes with death and unbridled, unceasing violence. I posited that I would gain increased Health at each level, regardless of my Constitution score. Giddy at the prospect, I vowed to test this theory on my next level promotion. Without a second thought, I cast Identify on the great tree in front of me. Aeyory Tree ??? The result was less remarkable than I had anticipated. Apart from identifying the name of the tree, I could see that magic was no substitute for basic human observation. With four Mana left I decided to identify another of the objects close to me. ncing down I cast at the fallen statue lying at the feet of the stone altar. The now-familiar, yet still ufortable, sensation of Mana flowed first around then out of my body towards the object. Statuette of Avaria ??? Again, little I could not have deduced on my own. Growling in frustration, I cast the spell again in my mind, focusing now on the zing sun high in the sky. The name of a star roared across my vision like an exploding supernova¡­ Sahel (Star) #$d...Dur......Ma..1110011100 This was followed by an infinite string of numbers and raw data flooded through the hallows of my mind, threatening to tear it asunder with its scope. Clutching my head in agony, I screamed once more to the heavens in a primal, bestial shout of the purest pain. When atst it was over, I found myself rocking back and forth on the ground clutching my knees to my chest. Somewhere behind the pain and shock, the thought ¡°Why didn¡¯t Pain Nullification work?¡± repeated itself in rhythm to my rocking. In perhaps foolish investigation, I found myself morbidly casting the spell again at the stone half-spear to my left. What did a little more pain matter? Broken Half of an Ancestor Spear Durability 27/53 I smiled a crazy grin of the mad and the broken, as a notification briefly shed across my vision before the pain and exhaustion took me once again; You have gained 1 Intelligence You have learned Identify (lvl.2) I had seeded in increasing the level of a spell. Book 1: Chapter 8: Surprise & Respite Book 1: Chapter 8: Surprise & Respite The Fae of the deep woods and the ces of the In-Between honored ancient pacts and promises, presenting their best warriors and life mages. They also gave unto the First Children great stores of witchwood lumber, grown from the giant sentient trees that had roots in both worlds so that the elven craftsmen might make living ships to travel the deeps. The forces under themand of the Elven High King were named the Eastern Alliance, as an entire continent prepared for war. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC I awoke first to a kick in the stomach, where I felt nothing, which was followed by another more painful strike to the small of my back. Howling in pain, I forced my eyes open, reaching for a weapon that was no longer there. I dimly realized I was surrounded by four individuals d in heavy-looking fur-trimmed leathers and chainmail. Shock filled me, as it dawned on me this was my first encounter with people, and they did not seem at all friendly. Through the pain, I tried to exin that I meant no harm, that this must all be some sort of mistake. But all that came out of me were wheezing coughs. One of the men, the leader I presumed, was equipped with a plumed iron nasal helm. He spat out what I guessed was a mixture of invectives, curses, and orders in a coarse gutturalnguage that had far too many consonants. I nced at the other men, my eyes drawn to the mixture of cruel weapons hanging from their belts. An eclectic mixture of weapons, ranging from cavalry sabers to crude-looking clubs, heightened their menacing presence. One of their number held my broken half-spear reverently, which I subconsciously reached out for only to be met with a stinging backhand to the face. The men wereughing cruelly at me, no doubt viewing me as no threat. Grasping at straws, I mentally targeted the leader of the small group and invoked Identify to try and regain some control of the situation. Bogurchu Batbayar - Waverider (Human lvl.12) Health 142/144 Stamina 36/37 Mana 8/8 The men continued to taunt me, some with undisguised scorn in their eyes. One straddled my back, forcing my face to the ground, and muffling my cries of pain. Overpowered like a child, he grabbed my hair, forced my head up and shouted at me in a rage-filled voice, spitting droplets of hot saliva all the while. I imagined I could understand from their tone one in three of his insults, something to do with my mother, animal, or perhaps ve? Another of the men, squat and heavily muscled but bow-legged in the manner of experienced horsemen, kneeled down before my face. Looking closely at him I saw cruel ck Asiatic eyes and a jagged scar ran across his nose in a face that was pockmarked with the ravages of e. His hands were calloused and rough from a hard life. He ran them almost gently through my dirty hair, muttering soft tones of perverse appreciation. Then from behind, I felt the hands slip up the hem of my robe before another pair grabbed my buttocks firmly. Panicked, I tried to twist away, futilely iling and kicking with my limbs. The men jeered andughed at this, trading whoops and hollers with one another. With an angry grunt, Bogurchu pushed the man to my rear off me. Angered, the man issued a feral challenge to the leader, snarling with pent-up frustration. Bogurchu, in a firm voice that brooked no rebellion, barked at the man, until eyes downcast he grunted in frustration and stepped away from me. They then gagged me with some sort of dirty cloth, the horrible taste like ash and ruin in my mouth. A crude sackcloth cover was then forced over my head before my limbs were tied with a strong rough rope. Then I felt another strike hit me in the back of the head. Dropping arge chunk of my Health, I fell into merciful unconsciousness. Awaking to darkness, my first sensations were of the acrid stench of the sackcloth, like a mix of rotten vegetables and spoiled milk. I became aware of the rocking motion of some sort of creature. I could feel blood trickling down from the back of my head and a ringing sensation in my brain. The hood was ripped from my head and a rough canteen was brought to my lips. I drank fervently, the water tasting of leather and stale, before coughing a little to the crude jeers of the men. Two pairs of hands from behind set me down upon the ground, and I could see that the animal in front of me was just a horse. It reminded me of the steppe ponies I had seen in nature documentaries, but a few hands taller with stronger, more muscr nks which promised great strength and endurance. Tied behind the animal I was forced into a shuffling stumbling walk, half dragging against the rope that bound me. Looking wearily in front of me I saw the strangest of sights Before me was a sprawling city of tents surrounded by a high wooden palisade and a deep earthen ditch filled with sharpened stakes. Pairs of men armed with fine longnces patrolled upon the ramparts. There were four gates, at what I presumed were the cardinal points of thepass. Gasping, I saw that in the center was what could only be described as a great ark of a ship, like some enormous leviathan of the ocean that had been beached. Its neighbor was arge golden-domed white structure of some sort, reminiscent of the grand mosques I had seen back on Earth. Around the ark, four main streets of hard-packed earth, sporadically paved with bleach-white stone, could be seen flowing from the center of the city. Scattered across the tents there were a few rare stone and wooden buildings one and two stories tall. Towards the east just outside the walls was a primordial forest of trees golden and green in thete afternoon light. The smoke of many charcoal burners could be seen at the forest¡¯s edge risingzily into the air. Near the forest, I spied a quarry or a mining pit filled with workers toiling away at the baster rock. Taken together the nomadic tents, the rough stone buildings, and the presence of primitive industry defied direct categorization. But the academic in me ced the level of civilization at around the 11th or 12th century, and a really rough guess would establish the poption at perhaps twenty to thirty thousand. As I performed these rough calctions in my head, I was filled with a renewed sense of wonder as I realized that this single area was bigger in scale than the entirety of any of the adventure role-ying games I had yed back on Earth. Someone kicked me from behind as I had stopped in my tracks, snapping me from my reverie and forcing me to hurry and keep pace with the horse. Weary and exhausted, it was sundown when we finally approached the southern gate. Bogurchu exchanged words with the group of guards at the entrance before handing a length of knotted leather string and a single copper coin to a young boy who then quickly scampered into the city. The streets were dry hard-packed mud, with the asional deep ruts. People were closing down shutters as the city began to wind down for the day and make ready for the night. I could hear the daily sounds of city life when humanity is pressed together; the arguments, the minor violence, the crying of babies. A long line of miserable pale-skinned muscr men was being led down a street in chains, their eyes devoid of hope. They passed just as we walked by a great tent filled with music and the sounds ofughter and merriment, a stark contrast to the misery of the chained men. Their equivalent to a tavern I presumed. asionally a mounted patrol would pass us and Bogurchu would salute them, a closed fist over his chest. Finally, we arrived at our destination; a squat building of rough-cut stone around two stories high. Every window of the building had wooden shutters and cast iron bars. At the entrance, two guards stood. They looked bored and tired in the way of men who had performed the same duty many times over, every action and order now just rote and repetition. They saluted our leader beforezily making way for our party. Inside a stubby, bored-looking man was reading characters written on animal hide at a desk. He looked up to give us azy nod as we passed before I was roughly shoved into a stone cell. The hinges of the stout iron door squealed in protest as it closed with an ominous ng, heralding the finality of my imprisonment. I saw the guards turn to leave through the bars of the cell, a jaunt to their step of a job aplished. Further down from my cell, the sound of yfulughter could be heard; men giving each other a ribbing, only to be tersely cut short by an authoritative voice. My new environment consisted of a small cell, with a pile of straw in the corner. In the other corner were two buckets, one filled with water and the other empty. The walls were made from solid stone of uniform length and shape, the gaps filled with damp rotting mortar. A small window secured with iron bars just above my head let in a drizzle of twilight into my new dank dwelling. I moved to the straw in the corner, sitting almost catatonic. A nce at my Health reminded me that I had suffered great damage with my beating this morning. Silently I cast Heal. Normally in a game, I would always be eager to try out an improved spell or skill, but now I felt nothing but dejected exhaustion. Halfheartedly I noticed that my spell was healing me for five points of Health, a vast improvement. This helped soften the aches that were running through me. However magic could do little for bitter humiliation and hope cut savagely short. Huddling in the corner on the straw, I hugged myself in my cold damp cell. Feeling helpless, alone, weak, and under-leveled, I longed to return to theforts and security of my old life. Frustrated at the absolute powerlessness I had experienced, I wept myself to a troubled sleep, filled with grim dreams of cruel men. Book 1: Chapter 9: Introspection Book 1: Chapter 9: Introspection Prophecy is a rare gift granted to only a select few by the River God. The ability to see the future by ssical definition means that the temporal is a straight and defined path. Knowing the future if even for an instant would mean that all destiny is set and shackled. However the flow of time is not straight and predestined, instead, it is curved like a river around inds of primordial chaos and Entropy that stain the very fabric of our existence. The unique gift for those with oracr sight is that they are able to see most, but not all, possible threads of the future and through their own agency eliminate unwanted paths to serve the temple of the God of the Wend and Way. - On the Prophecy of the Gods by Gideon de Svia 376 A.C The next day I was jolted awake by shouting. A tray of food was slid into my cell by one of the guards. My stomach rumbled as I picked up my meal. On the tray was a crudely carved wooden bowl filled with some sort of thick gruel. I hesitantly tasted the liquid, uneasy at the meaty chunks within. The vor was nd with the texture of chewed salty cardboard, but I still hungrily slurped down this rough repast. My first ¡®civilized¡¯ meal in this new world, I thought miserably to myself. The meal did wonders for my mental condition. For better or worse, I had encountered civilization. ording to my Identify spell, the inhabitants were at least human. Being fed must surely mean that I wouldn¡¯t be killed, at least not so soon. Despite my recent dire ¡®cultural exchange¡¯ with the locals, I was for some bizarre reason cautiously optimistic. I felt, no hoped, that with that there was at least a little room to maneuver and improve my fate. This was a very different situation from killing murderous amphibious fish. Yet humans could be every bit as cruel as monsters. I remembered yesterday¡¯s savage beating and swore vengeance against the men who had found me. I now had a chance to review my situation and to take a little stock. The previous day was just an unskippable story event, I rationalized to myself. My rest had refilled my Health to just a little under my maximum, and my Mana and Stamina were full. I noticed that likely due to the beatings and forced march, I had gained a point of Constitution. Almost automatically I cast Heal, an ingrained habit from a lifetime of ying online roleying games, to keep my Health full. This time the familiar sensation of magic engaged me with a new twist; the shifting and pulling of my body came slower and stronger, like water in a dam building up with pressure. A pulse flowed through my core with a greater warmth that was iparable to any castings I had previously experienced, leaving me a little tired when the spell finally ended. You have learned Silent Casting (lvl.1) So instinctive was my casting, I had forgotten to say Heal; the somaticponent of the spellpletely forgotten. I had simply willed the spell to be. Wonder filled me as I considered the implications of this new ability. A potential ace in future encounters. They would be unaware of what spells, if any, I was going to unleash upon them. However, I did note that this method of casting took a little extra time, perhaps a scant few seconds. Still, time could be an eternity in the heat of battle. Carpe Diem, one of my father¡¯s quaint familiar quotes, rose unbidden to my mind. It meant to seize the day, and I intended to take full advantage of my situation, despite the dire straits I had found myself in. Surreptitiously, I moved to the bars of my cell, checking that no guards were watching my next actions. I decided to train my body while waiting for my Mana to recover. In my cell, I started a number of exercises; jumping jacks, press-ups, crunches, and even using the barred window frame for pull-ups. Every time I rose my chin above the shutter¡¯s barred bottom ledge, I caught a glimpse of the small square, now empty, and the main thoroughfare that ran alongside it. I continued to pull myself, arms screaming with effort until my Stamina reached zero. Still straining with all my will, I could begin to taste blood at the back of my throat as I finished myst pullup. Panting heavily, I saw that I had pushed myself so hard that I had caused some damage to my Health, dropping by a single point. Next, while waiting for my Stamina to recover, it was time to train my mind. Sitting cross-legged on the straw pile in the corner, I closed my eyes and reviewed my past actions froming into this world to this moment. What could I have done differently? What lessons have I learned? Taking a deep breath I pushed deeper into my past, attempting to review random nuggets of information from half-remembered lessons. I mulled over a myriad of topics, ranging from mathematics, science, economics, and history, to astronomy and religion. Focusing on science, I reviewed what I knew about atoms, particles, charge, and bonds; the very fabric of the material world that I once knew, trying hard to reinstate my previous knowledge and understanding. For my efforts, I was to be rewarded. You have gained 1 Intelligence The notification shed across my mind and Iughed with pure joy. The local culture that I had encountered was nowhere near as developed as my own world. As a student in the modern world, I stood upon thousands of years of umted knowledge and wisdom. What was taught so casually in a ssroom would take me far beyond the schrs of this small settlement, perhaps even of this world. I realized that I might have finally found my edge to survive in this cruel ce. Throughout the day I continued much in the same way. I trained both my mind and my body in the cell, thankful for the security of its walls. During my training, I gained a single point each in Constitution and Strength. Every time a small voice urged me to lie down and take a rest, I thought of Bogurchu and the scarred man. Remembering the touch of his fingers across my face brought a shiver of revulsion, and I redoubled my efforts. My body was bing stronger, my limbs felt more powerful, my movements more graceful, and my breathing a little more even when I pushed myself to the fullest. However, the most startling change of all was in my Intelligence. As the attribute grew, I found that I could recollect things more clearly, and concepts that I was taught but did not fully understand came easier to me. Slowly, as my burgeoning intellect grew, I was able to recall a greater depth of obscure facts I already knew but thought forgotten. This in turn allowed me to increase my Intelligence attribute again, which propelled even more rity of thought. Breathing deeply, I settled myself. If Intelligence was learning, knowledge, and retention, then Wisdom must surely be the correct application of Intelligence. With my new intellect, I drew up in my mind Aesop, to, Socrates, and the other great ssical thinkers. I thought deeply on the implications of morality and man¡¯s ce in the universe, situating the arguments of these great thinkers. As the day turned to dusk I was rewarded for my efforts with a notification that I had gained a point in Wisdom. Opening my eyes, I noticed that sometime during my meditations a new tray of food had been delivered. Checking the contents, I saw what looked like the sorry remains of a root vegetable ced in with my gruel. I had to take sustenance wherever I could find it, and I promptly devoured my meal, leaving the tray by the entrance to my cell. It would do me no favors to antagonize my jailers by making their job difficult. The idea of nning some sort of daring escape at this stage struck me as simrly foolhardy. My encounter with Borgurchu and his men had left an indelible mark of fear on me. I made excuses to myself, doubting that I wouldst long on my own in this high-level zone. I decided to y it safe and wait for the next story event on this quest arc. I needed to improve myself and get stronger. I continued my mental training well into the night, this world''s pale moon lighting my cell with an argentine blue. Before sleep took me, I remembered that today was probably my ex-girlfriend¡¯s birthday and I wished her the very best wherever she was. What if time flowed differently in this world to my old one? For all I knew, the days were longer here and it was getting steadily harder to keep track of the time. I was wise enough now to know that it was neither of our fault that things had ended the way they had. Life and circumstance could make monsters out of anybody. Book 1: Chapter 10: Halls & Corridors Book 1: Chapter 10: Halls & Corridors Thenguage of the knots was the Tide Children¡¯s answer to a life spent almost perpetually on the cold grey seas. Parchment and paper too quick to rot in the salt air. Surprisingly detailed, whole meaning can be conveyed by both distance and type of knot on a length of twine, silk, cordage, or anybination thus. I myself find it a slow and ponderous form of record, but perhaps that is just a failing of one who was not born to a life on the rolling waves. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 A.C The following morning was spent a little different from myst. My regimen consisted of a basic breakfast, followed by vigorous physical training consisting mostly of calisthenics. As Ipletely drained my Stamina, I healed the damaged Health with magic. At the end of this brutal session, I was awarded an increase to my Constitution. This was then followed by the mental training of my Intelligence and Wisdom, where I would slip back into the knowledge and lessons of my old world. I still had a few ideas on how to increase my Charisma and Luck. An attempt to alter the former through interaction with my jailers failed when they pointedly chose to ignore the strange man in the cell. Around midday, my cell was alive with the sounds of the bustling city outside. I watched the busy scene of people going about their daily lives from my window, and as Ipleted my set of pull-ups, a sh of inspiration came to me. A little way outside of my cell, in a small square, a market was forming. Sellers had ced many stalls with a wide variety of goods, ranging from the mundane to the exotic. From pots and pans, arms and armor, to tropical fruit and menacing alien-looking creatures caged in bars of cold steel. The merchants hawked their wares with guttural cries, no doubt espousing the quality of their goods and offering bargains. The smell of cooking meat and unknown vegetables wafted into my cell, and I felt a rumbling in my stomach which I chose to ignore. A little regret filled me as I held myself up to the bars, my gateway to the outside world. I spotted a middle-aged turbaned man in furs arguing jovially with a woman d in fancy colorful clothes of amber and gold. I steeled myself as I prepared to cast a spell. Focusing again on the man, I shifted my attention to the words that he was speaking; I blotted everything else out of my mind and cast Identify. A swathe of information poured into my understanding for the brief few seconds I connected with him, the man''s words tranting into my native English. Practicing the new words on my tongue, I had difficulty mimicking the coarse guttural tones and inflections. I was astonished to find that I could recall his words with almost crystal rity, a feat that I would have found impossible in my foreignnguage sses at home. A wave of homesickness threatened to drop me into despair, but I pushed my feelings down. I fired off Identify spells at random conversations, sating my curiosity and increasing my vocabry, but also thankfully distracting me from thoughts of home. Driven by a need to understand thenguage of the men I swore vengeance against, I vowed to learn their primitivenguage. After a second round of mental training and rest, I once again pulled myself up to the bars, draining a little of my Mana. The market was closing for the day, with people breaking down stalls and packing away their goods, but I was still able to catch some words. As I continued to listen, I began to understand more and more of thenguage, this time without the aid of magic. Whether it was the effect of the lingering repeated use of the spell, or due to my growing intellect, I had begun to grasp the structure of thenguage¡¯s patterns. Every word was a key to a door that opened new meaning, and every assembled pattern of grammar a corridor that revealed higher concepts ofnguage. A notification confirmed my progress with another increase in my Intelligence. Pleased with my schrly progress, I took a moment to apud myself for my creative use of magic to learn their hateful tongue, armoring myself with a false sense of superiority as a thin defense against the powerlessness of my situation. During a lull in prison life, I noticed that the local fauna had decided to pay a visit to my cell. Small insect-like creatures scuttled into view. They were about the size of arge coin and featured considerable mandibles, two joint thoraxes, and two pairs of legs attached to an upcurved abdomen. Inquisitively, two or three of them would skitter about my cell when I was perfectly still. I threw small loose stones that had fallen off the wall at them, making a game of it. With a lucky strike, I was able to injure and slow one of them. I finished the injured creature with a quick stomp. Blue viscera stained the stone floor, but I was not awarded any experience. The mini-games of this world were a bit of a letdown, I thought to myself. With this sessful act of violence against a helpless creature, fantasies of hot vengeance filled my mind. I undertook another hard round of physical training, earning an increase of one point in both Dexterity and Strength. Before resting for the night I decided to look at my character sheet. I was pleased with the gains across my attributes; thanks to my herculean regimen, my Constitution sat at eighteen points. Also, I noticed that I had considerably boosted my Intelligence and gained a smaller bump in Wisdom, no doubt due to my meditations. Casting magic and the active pursuit of understanding had also increased my maximum Mana. The hike in my physical attributes had bumped up my Health and Stamina, and I had gained a marginal increase of twenty points of experience for my efforts. It appeared that in this world there were three ways to gain experience; quests, the practice of skills, and cold-blooded killing. Thest reminded me of the party that found me, and I coldly swore to turn them into experience points. With my efforts, I had more or less countered the effects of my initial curse. Nodding in satisfaction with the growth of my mental faculties, I curled up on my pile of straw and faded off to an exhausted, dreamless sleep. STATUS Calling$%^& Level 3 Acolyte of Avaria Strength11 Dexterity11 Constitution18 Intelligence15 Wisdom11 Charisma8 Luck11 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) Endure (lvl.1) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Backstab (lvl.1) Dodge (lvl.1) Polearms (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.2) Rust (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.2) Silent Casting (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 240/364 Health29/33 Stamina2/28 Mana1/10 Book 1: Chapter 11: Arbitrary Justice Book 1: Chapter 11: Arbitrary Justice After many years the great horde started their journey across the vast Untouched seas, unmolested by the scaled leviathans of the deep. The dragons had negotiated their safe passage, securing it in the ancient way of their kind. The serpents of the sky and sea were to be bound together once more. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC I wasn¡¯t in any immediate danger, but the monotony of life stuck behind bars, unable to enjoy the wider world, was taking its toll. I wanted to be free, but for the time being, I had to content myself with a little experimentation and training. It seemed that magical healing, as testing with robust exercise indicated, relieved the body of muscle fatigue when cast at full Health. As long as I had the Stamina, the Mana, and the will, I could engage in a torturous loop of self-improvement. But it seemed that fate would have other designs in store for me. On the third day of my incarceration, instead of one of the guards, a boy just on the cusp of adulthood appeared to deliver my first meal. Exhausted after a strenuous bout of exercise, I was sitting cross-legged in the corner of my cell when the sound of the meal tray disturbed me. As I stirred from my meditations on the nature of the state¡¯s responsibility to the people, my eyes met his and he suddenly backed away from the bars of my cell. Short cropped hair between a dark brown and true ck, a button nose slightly set in a round face with a weak jaw, and panicked brown eyes that had opened in surprise like wide saucers. He wore a brown ill-fitting woolen tunic two sizes too big for him withrge buttons made of horn, and dark linen trousers of a coarse design. The overall impression was like a startled mouse that had been surprised by a cat. Feigning calm, I cast Identify on the boy. Jongshoi Aigiam - Trainee Warrior (Human lvl.12) Health 48/48 Stamina 22/22 Mana 6/6 My Identify spell failed to reveal his primary attributes. However, I could discern that he likely had little in the way of Constitution despite being at a higher level than me due to hisparatively low Stamina. Perhaps he was a ¡®ss cannon¡¯ with a ridiculous amount of Strength, but I doubted it. Furthermore, having such a low amount of Mana would indicate to me that he was possibly not the sharpest tool in the shed. In an attempt to appear approachable, I smiled to greet him, my voice unsteady and hesitant. ¡°Jongshoi,¡± I called out in a halting voice, likely butchering thenguage. His eyes only opened wider, changing from surprise to fear. He cried out words of rm, scrabbling to get as far away from me as possible. Two of the guards promptly marched to my cell. Armored in a mixture of half-te and sturdy leathers, with mean eyes and meaner weaponry, one of them rapped loudly on the bars with an unsheathed dagger. The meaning was clear with implied violence; I was to be silent and not cause trouble. I red at the guards as they turned their backs to leave, realizing why Jongshoi had panicked. Never had I asked him for his name, and I cursed my mistake. I did not know how this culture viewed magic; perhaps he thought I was a witch that had cursed him. My cell was no longer a safe haven from the world. Suddenly the idea of trying to make a daring escape became more appealing instead of waiting passively for circumstances to change. It seemed that my unlucky encounter with Jongshoi was an omen for further misfortune. Henceforth, despite almost bursting a blood vessel with my efforts in training, I gained no bonuses to my attributes. Perhaps this was due to the game bing exponentially difficult as you progressed? I berated myself, I couldn¡¯t think of this as a game. This was a world filled with all too real suffering and pain. Pulling myself up the barred window ledge, I resumed my quest to learn their aliennguage. By the end of my session, between my magical assistance and increasednguage, I could probably understand seven in ten words in spoken conversation. I was now demonstrating feats that would have wowed the most talented of linguists in my other life. The city¡¯s name was Ansan, a frontier mining town of sorts, famous for two things. One was for the mammoth ship at its city center; ording to legend, the ship had been ced there as the waters had receded after a cataclysmic event known as the ''breaking'' or ''scouring.'' How or when this event urred remained shrouded in mystery to me. The ship now served as the seat of local governance for the people who were known in theirnguage as the ¡®Children of the Tides,¡¯ originally a maritime people before the breaking. The second was for the city¡¯s burgeoning ve trade. Ansan¡¯s flesh markets, ve pits, and fighting dens were famous among the trade caravans that frequented the city. The Children of the Tides were a martial people whose economy revolved around a constant state of war and very. Outside the city, near the forest, were mines rich with ore, worked on by ves who were brought in by the Children¡¯s never-ending wars. Marketce rumors had hinted that there had recently been movement in the Sainba, the tree song forest which was to the east of the city. Strange chittering creatures had been sighted along its borders by charcoal burners who made their living at its borders, disrupting the supply of precious fuel for the mines. This led to a visible increase in military patrols in the area. There was strained tension in the air, taut as a tight bowstring ready to be released. Straining my ears, I had also heard hushed cryptic rumors that a local ce of some religious significance had been desecrated, leading to some consternation among the warrior sses. I found it odd that there was no mention of levels, attributes, experience, or magic. Were any of these subjects a local taboo? A few hourster I would have another visitor. I heard the nk of armored feet, and the scream of tortured hinges as my cell door opened. Without any ceremony, a new group entered my prison; a veritable hag of an old woman, nked by two burly guards who I didn¡¯t recognize. The crone was a small hunched thing, clothed in dark brown robes the color of fresh-turned earth. Animal nes and fetishes made of bones, teeth, and ws of unidentified beasts were hung around her neck. In her left hand was a walking stick made of gnarled wood, ck feathers ced along its tip. Her hair was ank light grey that dribbled down across her face and shoulders. A hawk-like nose, thin narrow lips, and ck piercing eyes gave the overall impression of a shriveled mystic raptor. Her burly guards, d in a mixture of workmanlike te, chainmail, and riding leathers, funneled past her. One of them was carrying a thick orange cloth rug of some sort which hey across the middle of my cell. She indicated her guards to position themselves behind her, standing to her left and right. The guard to her right, who had a porcine face with arge bulbous nose, idly explored the depths of one of his nasal cavities through his open-faced helm. Finding no treasure, he wiped his hand on his leather tassets before fixing me with a menacing re. As he was shooting daggers at me, the woman hitched up the hem of her robe and with a small cough sat cross-legged on the rug. I started to half-heartedly offer a word of greeting before she cut me off with a held hand and gestured for me to sit. Timidly, I sat down on the rug across from her. She smiled at me in the way of a snake eyeing up a rabbit. Looking me full in the eyes, she tried to greet me in anguage that resembled Latin but was heavily ented. The confusion must have shown on my face as she went back to her nativenguage. ¡°Ounder,¡± used the old crone in a clear lilting soprano voice that was surprisingly firm and strong, belying her advanced age. She noticed the dawn of understanding writ across my features. ¡°Do you know why you are here?¡± she continued, couched more as a statement than an actual question. I began to mouth a reply before she plowed on, ¡°I am Navigator i of the second fleet. You have caused quite a stir and no end of trouble. Jongshoi uses you of witchcraft, but from his tale, I deduced that you probably gleaned his name from one of his inane conversations with one of his father¡¯s friends here. They gossip like little unmarried girls! Did you know the foolish boy begged and skipped one of his duties to view the strange ounder? We must move up the schedule for his blooding, put a little bit of spine into thed.¡± As I was just ruminating about my failure at handling that situation, one of her scrawny arms shot like a snake and grabbed my face just under my chin with surprising strength. The guards moved their hands to the weapons at their hips as she tilted my head at a slight angle, examining me with cool calcting eyes. ¡°Too pale to be a Qisnian, and too short to be an Imperial,¡± looking now to my soft uncallused hands, ¡°perhaps a runaway house ve or some noble¡¯s get then? What in the fields of Hell possessed you to desecrate the shrine, break the Spear of the First Ancestor, and burn the words of the Covenant? And to provoke further, killing the sacred rain-bringers and partake of their flesh?¡± Her fingers tapped my chest with each usation. ¡°I didn¡¯t...¡± I started, but the hag didn¡¯t let me finish. ¡°You would deny this? Each of these crimes alone warrants death.¡± My face grew flushed and one of her thin eyebrows arched as she continued. ¡°You were the only intelligent being, and I use this term very loosely, in a day¡¯s ride of the shrine. The Sea Council hase to a conclusion, despite your mysterious origins, to dispose of you...¡± I cut her off as my annoyance came to a head and I interrupted her, ¡°I didn¡¯t desecrate your shrine, and I didn¡¯t break the spear. They were like that when I found them. Please, you have to understand!¡± I begged as I reached out to her. The guards began to draw their weapons, but she raised her hand stopping them in mid-motion. ¡°Your pronunciation ismentable. Like an Imperial dog farting out what it thinks is speech,¡± I directly tranted her harsh response in my mind. ¡°Even if this was true,¡± she said now in a softer voice, ¡°what of your other crimes?¡± My mind scrambled to make a usible excuse in those precious few moments and drew a solid nk at the trap she had made with her framing. ¡°I would have had you killed mercifully, by sharp de or poison. We are not savages after all. But the Commodore and her captains are loath to waste resources and they wish to make an example of you,¡± she sighed in tired resignation. ¡°What is your name, young man, that we may announce your sentence on the sands?¡± I felt pins and needles in my brain in response to her innocent question. I wracked my mind, trying to remember my name. No matter how I reached, it eluded my grasp, like trying to grasp motes of light. Panic was just beginning before I recalled that this must be the part where my character got to choose their name. I quickly settled on one from my other world. His legend was that of the first hero, to which all others were but pale copies. His name would be legend in this world too. ¡°Gilgamesh,¡± I spoke with a confidence that I hope hid the little quiver in my voice and the trembling of my hands. Out of one of the folds, she drew a many-knotted cord of crimson, like the color of freshly spilled blood on snow. Running her hand along its length, as if reading, a lump formed in my throat as she pronounced my sentence in a distant authoritative voice. ¡°Gilgamesh. You have been judged of crimes against the people. Their eyes have been turned from you. Still, you have been granted a chance to redeem yourself of these vile deeds. When Sahel is at her highest tomorrow you will be brought to the sands of the winnowing. Your death will blood our next generation of warriors. Should you find the favor of the gods, you will be allowed to live the life of a ve. May the gods watch over you.¡± I was still trying to parse her words as she rose swiftly on creaky joints, waving off her guards¡¯ offers to help her. As quickly as they came they left, leaving the carpet on the floor. I made to remind them, modern-day politeness ingrained in my being, before the bars of my cell closed with a sound like a judge¡¯s hammer. Book 1: Chapter 12: The Sword of Damocles Book 1: Chapter 12: The Sword of Damocles The Queen¡¯s first egg was to be presented in ten turns of the seasons as a new bride. Such was the desperation of the alliance with the fate of the world on their shoulders. The Dragons in their great pride would never forget what the ¡®lesser races¡¯ had forced upon them, and their resentment would only grow with the passage of time. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC Calm. I sought calm across the battlefield of my thoughts. A thousand times I had reyed my exchange with Jongshoi and Navigator i. Was there anything I could have done to steer the conversation in a different direction, a different path, a different strand of fate to cling to? Trapped in endless contemtion, I continued to pace about my cell in circles as rosy-fingered dawn came again to light up the sky. The hush of the night was broken by the voices of industry andmerce. My breakfast was a death row inmate¡¯sst meal without the vor. Despite all of my efforts, myst training session ended with only a single point increase in Strength. This yielded a small bump in Health, and from that, I was able to deduce that Strength¡¯s threshold for increasing Health was likely every four points. Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution all had a role in determining my endurance and Stamina, though to what degree I had not calcted yet. I smiled wryly, thinking that if this was back home I would have sifted through the message boards, forums, and Wikis to confirm my theory. Here I just had myself. I checked my character sheet as I prepared to meet the rest of the day. It looked like I had also gained another ten experience points, and my character sheet had been updated with my chosen name. I marveled once more at the game-like nature of this world, far removed from my old one. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 3 Acolyte of Avaria Strength12 Dexterity11 Constitution18 Intelligence15 Wisdom11 Charisma8 Luck11 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) Endure (lvl.1) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Backstab (lvl.1) Dodge (lvl.1) Polearms (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.2) Rust (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.2) Silent Casting (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 250/364 Health36/36 Stamina29/29 Mana10/10 There would be no point in training now, I needed to face my trial with a fresh mind and body. I had little doubt I would be pushed to the limit with the odds stacked against me. As my time approached, however, I refused to give in to fear. I overruled the thoughts which hung over me like the sword of Damocles. I tried to formte a strategy for my uingbat by analyzing my abilities. Between my Mana, and my level two Heal spell, I had forty-one points of effective Health provided I wasn¡¯t instantly killed by a single attack. A respectable forty-six points, actually, if I was willing to brave the pain and disorientation of bottoming out my Mana. Though I conceded that this might not be feasible in abat situation. Perhaps I could use it with my Pain Nullification skill to some sort of advantage? Power Strike I could use three times before I started taking potentially serious damage to my Health, but I worried whether I would be strong enough to inflict serious harm against my enemies. How tough exactly was the average human in this world? Bogurchu seemed the sort that was hard as nails, with his tremendous one hundred forty-four points of Health. Dread filled me at the thought of facing something like that. On the bright side, Navigator i did mention that the ¡®winnowing,¡¯ or whatever it was, was some sort of test for their younger members. This could mean that they would not be as tough as Bogurchu. However, my opponent or opponents would be almost certainly of a higher level than myself. For all intents and purposes, I was like a newborn in this world. Yet, should I manage to survive, I would no doubt be showered with experience. My hands began to shake as I realized that if I were to survive I would have to take another human life. Was it in me, I wondered. I resolved that if it was a choice between my life or that of another, I would not y the martyr''s role. After another hour or so, two armored men entered my cell wearing wolf-masked face helms and outfitted in ovepping tes that resembled the chitin of beetles. They each carried two very severe-looking pronged long mancatcher-like devices which exuded an aura of tightly-coiled menace. I weighed my options, judging that if I was to make a break for freedom, this was probably the prime moment. But indecision took me and I lost my chance, as one of them caught me by the neck and began dragging me out of the cell. I held up my hands in the universal sign of surrender, eximing in theirnguage that I would walk willingly, but they just grunted in the way of busy men before tugging a bit harder on my leash. Once I was out of the cell, the other guard attached his mancatcher around my neck and they began to push me with the length of their polearms, pointing down the corridor to the direction of the outside street. As we passed by my sullen-looking guards, there were no longer jeers or mockingughter. As I came to the main entrance I was greeted by the bright morning sun, making me squint and slow down a fraction against her light. Two guards standing post at the door stifled their chuckles as my bare feet touched the hard-packed earth of the street. My escort stopped suddenly behind me, pushing me slightly down and indicating a space on my left by my feet. ¡°Put them on,¡± one of them growled in a surly voice as I noticed a rough pair of well-worn leather sandals on the floor by the entrance, perhaps a size too big for me. I knelt down and slowly put them on, fingers unsure with the buckles and intricate straps. I was tempted to Identify the pair but thought better of it. I would need every scrap of Mana for my uing challenge. After I finished putting them on, my escort shouted for me to keep on walking. The voices clipped and harsh as they pushed me again with their long mancatchers. I could feel the hard stone floor through the thin soles of my sandals. The market outside my jail was in full swing. Colorful merchants werepeting with each other, shouting inrge voices or conspiratory whispers as they haggled with customers. A magician of some sort pulled a silken blue cloth from the ear of a young blushing woman, all to the apuse of a rapt audience. I mused briefly whether or not this was real magic or merely sleight of hand. Now on the streets proper, moving past the market on the main thoroughfare, a girl child of no more than four years turned a cherubic face to her mother and asked, ¡°Is that the ounder?¡± pointing at me, eyes wild with the curiosity of the young. Her mother quickly shushed her, and they both hurried quickly away, the little girl casting onest nce in my direction. The people we passed on our way down the main streets barely gave us a passing nce. This was quite obviously a sight that they had seen many times before. A small brown mongrel dog with a white spot over one eye started barking as a naked man stumbled out of a tent followed by screams and thrown objects, much to the merriment of his neighbors. Despite the alienness of my situation, it seemed that humanity was still humanity in this strange world. We continued to walk past arge number of round hide and oilcloth tents, reminiscent of Mongolian yurts. Some of them had intricate patterns, wavy threads of green and red that made the mind think of ocean waves. But for the most part, they were dull squat things. I would have liked to have had a better look at them, but my eye was drawn to a building made out of clean-cut white stone. Above an iron-banded entrance hung a sign with a symbol of a crossed sword over a wooden torch. The door suddenly burst open as a Goliath of a man half-stumbled out of the building, a greatsword strapped to his back almost as long as he was tall. He drew it half in mocking rage, hands the size of hams grasping its leather-bound hilt under a crossguard just over the width of the de, shouting unknown curses at the people in the building. As he waved the sword back at them, I could see that the weapon was double-edged with a rounded point, with a shallow fuller running about three-quarters up its length. He was followed by a man in loose dark blue robes hung around his thin frame, golden esoteric patterns sewn into the fabric around the sleeves and hem. The slight man in the robes was donning a wide-brimmed conical hat with the tip folded slightly, looking like a ssical wizard straight out of a fantasy game as heughed at the mountain of his friend. Next, a woman with tinum blonde hair tied in a high ponytail nked out of the building, angry and shaking with indignation with clenched fists at her sides. d from the neck down in te and mail, a white tabard with a golden chalice loosely followed the contours of her armored chest. A mean-looking nged mace hung from a belt made from thick iron rings. She punched the barbarian of a man on his bare shoulder, but unbnced from the force of her own blow she almost stumbled, which just made therge man guffaw withughter. Ah, I concluded, a typical adventuring party, before my escort shouted at me to pick up the pace. For a long while I could still hear the woman berating the man in anguage that I thought resembled a form of Latin, until we passed another market square, the sounds of their argument lost to the hubbub of the city. We turned left from the main avenue and continued through the sprawling maze of tents. I could now clearly distinguish our intended destination; a great circr building made out of enormous wooden logs in the style of a primitive Roman arena. A small markety along its outskirts and as we got closer, there was a sense of festivity in the air as the sounds ofmerce grew ever louder. The crowd parted about us as we sailed by myriad colorful stalls. In our wake, I could hear the chatter and gossip of the people debating my chances. Eventually, we arrived at the entrance to the arena, its great iron portcullis resembling the teeth of a monster that had gorged on considerable human flesh. Guards idly lounged by the entrance, leaning against great ives of banded wood and steel. Stepping past the threshold I could feel a gnawing sense of dread in the pit of my stomach that I had been marked as a sacrifice to this ce. I was roughly shoved into a wooden cell, and once again I was alone. Another cell, I grumbled. A small open t in the door allowed a glimmer of sunlight into the main fighting area. A series of cables, winches, and pulleys were attached to the top of the door, no doubt a mechanism to lift it when it was my turn to fight. I could hear the stirring of a crowd through the opening and quickly made my way over to see the cause of themotion. Through my limited vision, I could see that the arena¡¯s white sand floor was in a rough circle, and rising above this was a fenced wooden stand area made from rough-hewn logs. A mixture of unarmed citizens and armored martial types made up the rough shouting audience. From the other end of the arena, I could see an armored warrior enter with a swagger that spoke of assured confidence and skill. I yearned to use Identify, but I knew that I had to save my precious Mana. I was stirred by a sudden grinding noise, as the wooden reinforced t to the cell on my right was raised. Quickly looking back through my window to the arena, I observed a ceremony official with a colorful plumed helmet and bronze breastte throw a gray steel weapon into the center of the arena. A scrawny shape d in rags abruptly darted from the cell to the center of the sands, scooping up the weapon with thin weak arms as if it was the most precious thing in the world, before adopting his best impression of a fighting stance. The crowd roared their approval. The shape on closer inspection was a pitifully poor specimen of a man. His beard and hair were a long and unkempt brown, and his eyes were wild with panic, and fear. He was holding a short straight steel or iron short sword with both hands in front of him, arms inexpertly locked and stiff. Across from him the armored warrior closed his face helm and hefted a wide shield to his left arm. Holding a curved backsword in his right, he executed a few simple flourishes before walkingnguidly up to his opponent. For every step forward he took, the wild man took back a step as if forced by an invisible aura. The armored warrior reached the center of the arena and gave a wild ulting battle cry, which was met by a great roar from the crowd as he suddenly charged. The man d in rags broke and panicked, seeking to escape to the arena¡¯s edge. Throwing his sword down, he tried to mber up the stanchions. After his second failed attempt, he gave up and retrieved his short sword in shaking hands, eyes now filled with the panic of a cornered animal. d in heavy armor, the warrior came ever closer, fast but sure on his feet. Sprinting, he aimed a cool methodical cut at the poor soul in rags who threw up his sword to block the blow. His effort was in vain, as the man¡¯s long curved de cut a crescent through the air and left a red line across his chest. Screaming in pain and shock, the thin man crumpled to his knees, holding his pouring lifeblood through his hands. Methodically, like a gardener plucking weeds, the armored man ended his misery with a small simple flick of the wrist, cutting across his throat and the thread of his life. Turning to the crowd, he raised one hand in salute fist closed, and there was another roar of approval. One of the Children of the Tides had been blooded this day. Despite the violently surreal scene I had just witnessed, I could for a brief few moments only think of how much experience the armor-d soldier had obtained from this encounter. How much exactly was the life of a man worth in experience points? As soon as the man fell, the victor picked up the defeated man¡¯s shortsword in his other hand and turned back to his corner, walking through the gates at the far end to the riotous apuse of the crowd. On the sands, a group of young boys between the ages of ten and fifteen hurriedly dragged the corpse away in preparation for the next bout. This scene would repeat itself another ten times as the cells to my left and right were opened one by one. Blood was spilled on the sand and a bitter harvest was reaped. Some did not even put up a fight, instead cowering in their cells. They were butchered like livestock. Another man deigned to prolong his life by simply running around the edge of the arena to the boos and jeers of the crowd. He was hunted down like a dog. I seethed inwardly at the unfairness of it all. Even here in this fantasynd, those with power would always win. The only way I could stop devolving into an utter sense of panic was topartmentalize and view this next trial through the lens of a game. This was no doubt a part of the main questline, the ending perhaps of the tutorial where I could finally start exploring the wider world. The door to my cell began to rise with the slow grinding of gears. An official from up on high threw a weapon onto the sands. It traced a graceful arc. There was a glitter as it reached its zenith, before it fell signaling the start of the Blooding. It was kill or be killed, and it seemed the universe agreed as a new quest notification shed across my inner vision. New Quest: Kill Jongshoi and survive the Blooding Book 1: Chapter 13: A Test of Iron Book 1: Chapter 13: A Test of Iron Our enemies are the whetstone upon which we hone our bodies and minds. Ever striving to reach perfection, until all that is left is only that which is required. - The Living Sword by Fen Vaigorus Kaldari Swordmaster circa 520 AC Repeating the mantra that this was just a game, I was able to tamp down a blossoming panic that had found purchase on fertile soil. Unlike the others before me, by some stroke of luck or a devil¡¯s meddling, I knew whom I faced. And with my character sheet, I knew my own capabilities. I wouldn¡¯t need to waste Mana on an initial Identify. I rushed to the center of the arena, eager to grab the tool of death that awaited me. With every step I took, I grew more and more determined to fulfill my personal quest. I half-stumbled in my haste as I grabbed a short infantry stabbing spear. The polearm was a little over half a meter in length at the shaft, and it had a long and wide-ded leaf-shaped metal spearhead. Whether it was my proficiency in polearms, or just the need to feel the security of a weapon, the spear was a solidforting weight in my hands. Jongshoicked the grace and calm confidence of the other warriors who I witnessed bloodying themselves in the arena. He looked skittish, like an animal about to bolt. He made his way to the center cautiously, where I waited now trying to exude an aura of calm, like an animal approaching a dangerous watering hole for the first time. This was no lion, no roaring warrior thirsting to prove himself by wetting his de on the blood of the victims. The fear of violence could be seen in his eyes, and in another world, I would have held this man no ill will. But I was here, and here he was a stepping stone for me to reach greater heights of power. And with power came freedom. The unblooded warrior was heavily armored in a mixture of heavy scale and te. A hauberk, with heavy circr scales like from some monstrous fish, was buffed to a mirror shine and reflected in the high afternoon sun. Across his shoulders and arms were interlocking ted steel pieces, his gauntlets metal with round steel nubs at the knuckles, and across his legs were thick ted leggings and greaves. He carried arge spiked oval shield like a scutum on his left, and on his right, he held a small straight-stabbing sword reminiscent of a Roman dius. An intimidating plumed open-face helm with a roaring wolf design framed his face,pleting his equipment. On anyone else, the ensemble would have looked imposing. But on the young boy, it just looked out of ce, like a rabbit that had grown horns and fangs. Jongshoi was breathing heavily, each exhale a ragged spurt in the hot sun, no doubt in part because he was suffering from some equipment penalties due to wearing such heavy armor. I, on the other hand, being only equipped with my initial robes, could move more freely. A glimmer of a battle n began to form and I decided that I would need to wear him out before striking hard and fast. He came at me first, a tired hesitant probing thrust, that I was easily able to step away from. I returned with my own weak thrust to his center, aiming to preserve my Stamina. He blocked this easily with his shield, turning aside my blow, and returning with another thrust with his short sword which I was able to avoid thanks to my greater reach. Since I was unarmoured I had to be careful, but he on the other hand looked like he could certainly take a hit or two. Piercing the boy¡¯s defenses was proving almost impossible, but on the other hand, he simply could notnd a blow on me as I darted backward after one of my own failed attacks. Then something changed. After deflecting one of my rapid jabs, Jongshoi shouted desperately ¡°Shield Bash!¡± before rushing with his shield and breaching through my feeble guard. The spike of the ¡®scutum¡¯ scored a bloody gash across my left arm. To my surprise, I saw my Health drop by five points, but worst of all I felt stunned and disorientated, my world spinning as I tried to gather myself. My enemy moved into his follow-up, a little awkwardly but nheless still deadly. With a panicked fury, he struck at me, raising his sword arm and screaming ¡°Power Strike!¡± Barely could I shake off my fugue, and I was just able to raise the haft of my spear to meet his dowing de. Strong sharp steel met the haft of the wooden spear and there was a sharp crack as splinters flew from the impact point as his attack savagely bisected my weapon. His skill-enhanced blow continued its deadly arc, tracing a red line across my chest. Sharp pain blossomed in me then as my Health dropped another thirteen points and I stumbled backward. Jongshoi was breathing even more heavily now, barely able to stand on his feet, sword arm faltering and looking totally spent. Blood was running from his nose and mouth as he had pushed his body well beyond his physical limits. I knew that feeling well. Holding the remains of my weapon in a death grip, I grinned savagely knowing that his desperate gambit had failed. He had likely depleted the whole of his Stamina with his continuous use of skills, while I on the other hand had a healthy amount of Stamina remaining. And magic, I had magic. I needed to keep the pressure on, and through the red haze of pain, I continued to throw jabs and light shes with my half-spear and broken spear haft. My adversary was barely able to defend himself, the exhaustion starting to drain away at his Health. Drawing the spell to me silently, I cast my Heal spell, the energy spreading through my body like the warm touch of a lover over the course of long seconds. Surprisingly my Health increased by seven points, and I absently concluded somewhere in the back of my mind that my spell must heal a proportional amount of damage instead of just a set amount. My opponent''s eyes grew in surprise as he saw me stand a bit taller, the bleeding now stemmed by magic, my weapons sure in my hands. The crowd was growing bestial and wild as they shouted epithets against both my opponent and me. I charged him then in my own desperate bid for survival as the crowds above us gasped in surprise that I still yet lived. Raising my broken spear haft like a club I started raining blows on his weakly raised shield. I threw a jab with my left weapon, which he met with a weak parry of his sword before I began to initiate one of my skills silently. In my mind, I summoned my pent-up Power Strike, its barely suppressed energies released now like an arrow from a war bow. My blow continued skidding across his hauberk, ripping out a few scales, and going upwards as it savagely cut across his face. Youthful innocent features now made into a vision of horrible deformity, he screamed then a cry of utter animal pain, as he dropped his sword and reached for his face. My own breathing was starting toe heavy and ragged, and I knew I had to press my advantage and finish this quickly. Tossing aside the broken spear haft, I bull-rushed him clumsily to the ground. His face was a gory mess, he tried reaching for a sword that was no longer there, before blindly trying to punch me with his ted gauntlets. His blows scarcely registered across my trunk as we were simply too close and he was barely able to cause a single point of damage despite his superior strength. Nevertheless, his blows still caused me pain, which kept my blood hot and angry. Grappling him with my right, I raised my half-spear in my left like a knife over the remains of his face and willed another Power Strike. The spearhead hammered down, punching through teeth and bone in an explosion of crimson. Then suddenly my opponent was still, his blood staining the pearl sands like vermilion ink on fresh snow, and a great hush fell across the arena. I recovered my half-spear from Jongshoi¡¯s mangled face, and it came out with a gross sick sound, the spearhead covered in blood and pink viscera. Just as I did so, a long list of notifications shed across my inner mind. My reward formitting hot murder. You have in Jongshoi Aigiam 100 experience gained You have gained 1 Dexterity You have gained 1 Strength You have gained 1 Constitution You have gained 1 Wisdom You have gained 1 Intelligence You have gained 1 Luck You have learned Dual Wield (lvl.1) You have learned Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.1) You have learned Power Strike (lvl.2) You have learned Endure (lvl.2) You have learned Dodge (lvl.2) You have learned Polearms (lvl.2) Quest Complete: Kill Jongshoi and Survive the Blooding 200 experience gained You have reached level 5 6 unassigned attribute points 2 unassigned skill points As soon as the countdown began I assigned all of my points to Constitution. Unarmoured as I was, I needed to be able to take a hit, and an increased Constitution also granted me greater Stamina which in turn allowed me to train my other physical attributes. As for my skill points, I needed to focus on the spell that seemed to be my main advantage and put both points into Heal. Some people prefer to y their characters as a jack-of-all-trades, and the temptation was certainly there, but with pain and potential death my constantpanions, my focus was on survival. I quickly checked the changes to my character sheet, confirming them with an exhausted nod. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 5 Acolyte of Avaria Strength13 Dexterity12 Constitution25 Intelligence16 Wisdom12 Charisma8 Luck12 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.2) Endure (lvl.2) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Backstab (lvl.1) Dodge (lvl.2) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.1) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.4) Rust (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.2) Silent Casting (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 550/743 Health24/78 Stamina6/37 Mana5/11 Through all of this, an explosion of hushed silence filled the arena, as if a profane and sphemous word had been uttered in a sacred temple. Somewhere up on the stands, I turned to my left to hear the wailing of a woman, her grief smashing the fragile silence with its anguish. So piercing was herment that my eyes were drawn to her, a slender form with gold circlets woven throughout her hair, a counterpoint to the raven darkness. Even at this distance, I could see that her possibly attractive features were wracked with overwhelming sorrow. The official who presided over the event was still like a statue frozen in bronze, his face through his plumed open helm a picture of shock written in bold type. All around me I surveyed the crowd and found in my questing gaze a group of robed women, rattling bone effigies about them like a monarch¡¯s mantle. There amongst them stood Navigator i, who stared at me with her piercing gaze, a cold ck midnight ocean of daggers. The men came for me then. Sure in their stride, my fate was written now in the characters that spelled ve. Bare muscr chests glistened bronze in the afternoon light as they held long mancatcher poles and cruel barbeds. I offered no resistance as I had already yed my part. As it was in my old world, the powerless were, even in victory, never truly free. They led me away, but before I was swallowed up I noticed that one of Bogurchu¡¯s men, the pockmarked man who tried toy hands on me, was staring at me with hate-filled eyes and was trembling in powerless rage. Book 1: Chapter 14: The Characters of a Slave Book 1: Chapter 14: The Characters of a ve They were met on the beaches by envoys of the unknown mage-king under the banner of peace. Their decapitated heads were sent back wrapped in spider silk and sweet-scented with Aeyory blossoms, a traditional deration of total war in the east. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC It stank with the general effluence of the city and the newly enved and packed humanity. It was grief in all of its stages; some were choleric with rage, defiance a bright torch in their hearts, some catatonic with shock or grief, some wailing and crying a river of tears, and yet others had epted with serenity their new station in life. This was the beginning of my new life as a ve. Naked we were prodded, pulled, and looked over by rough men and women with licentious hands. Our dentures were closely examined for decay, our bodies for disease. Those of us still clinging to their previous lives were taught otherwise with the crack of a three-pronged leather whip. All of my life the topic of very was mostly academic. The institution had perished in its most overt forms long ago. Though still present in some areas of the globe, it had no real bearing on my sheltered andfortable Western life. Here, I was learning with my body a lesson that no history ss nor acimed documentary could ever hope to impart. Two days had passed since my victory in the arena when I was brought to this pit of human suffering. I was able to hear passing gossip about my fate. Some of my captors wagered that against all tradition I would be poisoned, or a subtle knife ced between my ribs. Others spected I was destined to be broken in the mines. Determined that I would not break, the fire of defiance was like a smoldering ember within, only to be almost snuffed out as another man screamed as burning hot orange metal met pliant skin, melting a red hot mark in the shape of a flowing wave. Still, I held onto a strange mixture of rage and hope as I was given a new quest. Like witnessing a divine revtion, I knew that the gods had yet to abandon me as I read the words. New Quest: Escape from the very Pits of Ansan I would not be a ve to mere NPCs. Non-yer characters, the designated name for the myriad of entities that gave flesh to the world of the games I had yed in the old world. A simple binary series of ones and zeroes. Here, I clung to this shallow defiance, using it to fuel my anger at the current injustice of my situation. Narcissistic fantasies crossed my mind as to what I would do when I escaped and wreaked vengeance on these vers, only for them to retreat whimpering to the back of my mind with each crack of the whip. Still, I managed to hold on to the notion. In the old world, I was free, and I would be so again. Theeliest of the men and women were lined up the right, ve brands to be reced with a tattooist''s art. They were fated to be the concubines or ythings for these cruel people. With fire or ink, we were however all still ves. I looked at the man who was going to brand me with neither the defiance that invited a whip nor the animal pain that had reduced so many before me to sobbing wrecks. Just with total apathy, as if this was a routine procedure that was a mild annoyance at best. My skill Pain Nullification allowed me this small mercy as I had made sure I was at full Health before he branded me, spending precious Mana before panic took me. They shouted at each other then, confirming if someone in their mercy had used drugs to dull my pain. I had shown no expression, which had visibly unnerved them. The man with a puzzled look on his face shouted at me to move on. Another individual applied a terrible-smelling green paste to my new open wound that made me feel like I was simultaneously being stung and salved at the same time. Next, we were moved to another open-air pen under the barking orders of the cruel vers. There we were made to strip and don new clothes consisting of simple coarse-weave linen tunics, short baggy trousers, and leather sandals with hobnailed soles. We were subdivided again with the more violent and defiant ves grouped to the left. Dark bearded guards ringed this wooden-fenced pen; silent, stern, and armored in dirty chainmail and leathers, armed with a mixture of blunt instruments from cudgels to wicked-looking maces and ils. One of the guards, a particrly brutish specimen, stood almost two meters tall, and he was equipped with a giant pole il that was studded with deadly iron. He would asionally joke with his peers about how long it would take to break the weaker-looking ones, or how he would enjoy breaking bones with his weapon that he lovingly called ¡°Wife-Beater.¡± After we were all gathered into the pen, hard earth packed from the passage of hundreds of feet, we were forced to line up in columns and rows, many of our number holding an arm to their brand still whimpering from the new pain. Not all of us were fullypliant, and the guards gleefully beat the troublemakers into some form of obedience, a few extra bloody licks of the whip thrown in for good measure. Suddenly the guards came to full attention as a corpulent fat man entered the holding area. He wore a light red fur-trimmed turban, a red ruby at its center, and clothes cut of the finest silk. At his round girth was a sash of vermillion red that strained to contain his prodigious bulk. In his face two sparkling jovial eyes were set, orbs of icy blue against a backdrop of olive-brown skin. His mouth lit up in a satisfied smile as he viewed the assembled, newly minted ves. He spoke to us then in a voice filled with genuine joy, satisfied like an old man who enjoyed a particrly wee bowel movement, so incongruous to our suffering and pain. ¡°Greetings, friends, one and all. My name is Hassan. Wee to the first days of joining the family of the Children. Life aboard will be harsh but fair. All must y their part on the great waves. There is no ce forzy deck children on this vessel. By low or high tide, work, and you will be fed. But understand thatziness will be met with the kiss of the whip. Know well then that either will give us great satisfaction!¡± the fat man guffawed as his jeweled fingers sparkled and danced in time to the heavy heaves of hisughter. The guards dutifullyughed along with him, for they had yed this part many times before. I was puzzled at their use of a mariner-like lexicon before remembering that their whole culture was based on a sea-faring people now trapped ind by world-shattering events. I brushed aside these erroneous thoughts and focused all of my attention back on the jovial fat man. ¡°¡­Work well and live content,¡± he ended, my attention having wandered for part of his speech. After Hassan¡¯s introduction, we were manacled and chained together, before being frogmarched out of the pen. I recognized where we were now that I had some time to gather my wits from the pain and mental exhaustion. Across from me, to what I presumed to be the east, a breathtaking vista of golds and reds painted an autumnal riot of color across huge gigantic trees. I stopped in my tracks to drink in some of the natural beauty, only to be pulled along once again by the cutting cruel chains around my ankles which cut through my reprieve. We began our descent then, a wide dirt track that winded ever downwards cutting through hard baster stone. Finally, we made our way past a guarded waypoint, guardszing about their posts, only to be shouted at and brought to attentionughingly by our escort. As ourrge group of ves made our way through, the sound of metalwork and industry could be heard growing ever louder. The ng of hammers striking metal, the roar of coal-fired furnaces, interspersed with the asional crack of the whip and a painful scream. The smell came next, an acrid thing that crept up on the nostrils before finally overwhelming them. They led us to a pile of tools, pickaxes, shovels, and other misceneous mining equipment. The guards then removed the manacles from our wrists before gesturing for us to quickly pick up a tool. As I bent to take up a crude mining pick, I heard a sudden war cry that rose above the sounds of the mine. A blonde bearded animal of a man, hair grown long in wild dreadlocks, screamed in fury as he brandished a pickaxe, attempting to strike down the closest guard. He was hampered by chains still attached to the other ves, dragging them along with him. A guard nonchntly, with an ease born of many years of practice, clubbed him across the back of the head with a ckjack. He fell to the ground like a great sack of meat. The mes of rebellion instantly smothered and cast a pall over the rest of the ves, stifling any thoughts of further defiance. The blonde man was unchained from his line and roughly carted off somewhere by the guards. Our group now was thoroughly cowed, some of us beaten, and all of us still suffering from our recent branding. An individual approached us then, reedy thin and stooped like a bird. Hecked the muscture and solidity of his peers, but exuded a strong bureaucratic aura. Carrying a tablet and stylus, he directed our group with a pointed and oddly shrill voice through his thin lips to the mine shaft, cut deep into the rock to our left. The noise from the industry around the mines was oppressively loud, and I could not hear his exact words, but our guards nodded to his authority. My Mana had since recovered from the winnowing, and I decided to silently cast an Identify spell on him. Degei Ganbataar - ve Overseer (Human lvl.8) Health 72/72 Stamina 27/27 Mana 12/12 Interesting, I thought to myself. The Overseer, despite being three levels higher than myself, seemed to be overall weaker except for a little bit more Mana. I deduced he must be a wily individual to have risen to his current authority. I muttered an inner curse to myself for not taking the opportunity to Identify Hassan as another point of reference. As we continued to pass by the Overseer on our way to the open mineshaft, my column was forced to a halt as Degei raised an arm, checking his tablet. The ve behind me was trembling, panicked vibrations traveling along the length of the chain that connected us like a cruel Morse code. The Overseer moved closer to me, ck eyes cruel and inquisitive, before checking something on his tablet and making some notes. ¡°No trouble from you ve, work and if the gods are kind you may live to see the end of the year,¡± he said coolly with no emotion, before turning abruptly and moving off. He waved the line to continue absent-mindedly, and I was jostled forward. A few of the ves in front of me threw me wary inquisitive nces before moving forward, pulled inexorably by the others in front. Book 1: Chapter 15: The Master Dwarf Book 1: Chapter 15: The Master Dwarf Of all the other races I find the dwarves closest to us the race of true men. Though slightly longer lived they are not as eternal as the elves, yet for all of that, they have always seemed to me to be more solid, more grounded in the now. What truly brings us close is our love for the fruit of the deep ground, the sparkle of gems, and the lure of gold. It is through mutual greed that we findmon pance. - Attributed to Duchess Jessalyn the Unifier of the Lost Duchy circa 240 AC I gripped my mining pick in my hands, its solid weightforting to me. Attacking the guards now would be foolish, I needed more information before I could make a move. Gripping the handle harder, I trudged on vowing that I would someday be free. Slowly we descended down the gaping maw of the mineshaft, the air cooler as we proceeded further. Wooden solid support beams held up the shaft at regr ten-meter intervals, and echoes of our footsteps and nking chains could be heard down the passage. A dull blue light shone from the ceiling of the shaft, an opal-colored gem emitting soft pulsing light. My curiosity got the better of me and I decided to cast Identify on it. Zajasite Lightstone Durability 187/240 Despite the drain to my Mana, I noticed that I didn¡¯t feel so debilitated and sluggish as thest time I had pushed myself magically. My curiosity sated for the moment, I noticed that none of the other ves even cast a nce upwards in its direction as we passed. This must be somethingmon in this world, I concluded with a mental shrug. After another ten minutes of our descent, I could hear the sound of mining picks striking stone, mixed with voices exhorting ves to greater effort. We found ourselves at a fork in the mine system, and the guards divided us again, my group funneling down into the right-hand passage. As we continued down the right fork I began to hear the clinking sound of metal hitting rock echoing up the shaft. Suddenly, there was a small tremor and fine rock dust fell from the ceiling. A light pattering of soft baster snow graced the ves in front of me as the whole line paused. After the tremors stopped we continued further down, urged on by a cracking whip. A feeling of sudden ustrophobia came over me before I forcefully pushed the feeling back down through raw mental will. The clinking sounds were stronger now and soon afterward we passed mining ves on either side of the shaft, chipping away at the soft white rock under the supervision of another group of guards. Their mining tools rising and falling, up and down in a steady cadence. Some of the older ves shoveled what looked like raw rough metal ore intorge wicker baskets, which when full were hoisted onto their backs with straps around their shoulders like primitive backpacks. A man spoke up to the ves, calling a stop to their shift, his features difficult to discern in the soft blue light. He was unshackled except for an iron cor gilt with gold trim around his neck. A preferred ve, or foreman, I thought to myself. Three-quarters of the ves then grabbed the wicker basketsden with precious ore and made their way back up where we came. The man with the gilded iron cor barked out orders for the remaining workers to instruct us in our duties, confirming that they understood with a stern questioning look. One of the ves was a little slow in his reply and the whip cracked out close to him, but not striking, more for intimidation than for inflicting pain. Those that remained came over then. A burly man who was shorter than I, squat and heavily muscled, slowly demonstrated how to use a pick to me. Grabbing it with hands wide apart, rolling it across his shoulders, then bringing his hands together as he struck the white rock. Looking closely at my mentor, I could see that he was indeed very wide, but there was not an inch of fat about his impressive physique. A long braided beard of indeterminate color fell down to near his waist, tied at the end with what looked like a small disc of metal that followed the movements of his body. ¡°Now do,¡± my mentor said slowly, as if instructing a child in the rough gutturalnguage of the Children, gesturing for me to follow his actions. I gripped my tool as he did, and brought it down against the rock, cutting deep. The wide man grunted in confirmation. We worked together then, striking almost in rhythm with one another. My stamina was gradually depleting as I toiled away, though I noticed I was not sweating as much as I used to when I had exerted myself to this degree in my previous life. After an hour or two I lost track of time in the soft blue darkness of the mines. I saw a boy going down the line passing adle of water for us to drink. Though the water was stale with a distinct coppery aftertaste, when it was finally my turn I greedily slurped on it like it was sweet ambrosia. When I had finished, the boy in a surprising turn of events whispered a thank you to me before hurrying down the line to give another worker his fill of the water. The foreman barked in a surprisingly shrill voice that echoed down through the darkness. ¡°Break now! For only two turns of the ss!¡± he eximed before drinking from a small hip sk at his waist that drew stares of envy from the other ves. I took this as an invitation to sit down on the cool rock floor,ying my tool by my side, my hands chafing from the strenuous activity. My stamina had recovered a little, and I looked at the dwarf who had now worked a double shift. I decided to speak to him. ¡°Would you¡­¡± I drew another shallow breath, ¡°mind telling me your name?¡± I asked nervously in the darkness. ¡°Manner¡¯s be to introduce yourself before asking for someone¡¯s name,¡± he replied brusquely, eyes pointedly avoiding me before he sighed through gritted teeth. ¡°Though I reckon manner¡¯s be different in thends of men. Name¡¯s Durhit Coal of the Beacon Mountains. Your own?¡± He spoke thest with a raised inflection, still refusing to make eye contact with me. ¡®Thends of men?¡¯ I wonder what he meant by that. I was caught a little off guard before forcing myself to think about his question. My subconscious mind was almost able to grasp my old name, but then hit a dead end when I focused on it. Grasping at straws, I remembered my moniker in this world. ¡°Gilgamesh of Uruk,¡± I said haltingly. The unfamiliarity of my new name was a strange taste to my tongue. ¡°Never heard of an Uruk,¡± he raised a bushy eyebrow in either feigned surprise or suspicion. ¡°Sounds too foreign for my liking, you''re from far away from here little manling? Across the seas perhaps?¡± ¡°Farther than you could ever imagine. Across a sea of stars,¡± I replied, trying my best to sound mysterious and poetic. His face contorted at this, attempting to make sense of my words before we were interrupted. ¡°Back to work, dogs!¡± The wordscked anger, more said out of rote. Lines repeated so many times they had lost most of their bite. The crack of the whip that soon followed however did not. We continued our work in silence. My stamina grew very low and my arms felt like lead weights when I was granted a notification for my forced efforts. I wasn¡¯t too thrilled by gaining the Mining skill, but an increase in Strength was always wee. You have learned Mining You have gained 1 Strength The foreman called for the end of our shift in an almost high soprano, and our group began to gather the ore in the wicker baskets before starting our march out of the mines. At the previous fork, we met the other group and formed a long line up the shaft, our footsteps echoing in the soft blue darkness. We continued upwards and finally reached the entrance, the cool night air a balm for our exhaustion. The sound of the forges and the smelters had grown somewhat dimmer than during the day but had not stilledpletely. A ve stumbled at the entrance, exhaustion finally taking him, but he was helped along by his fellows. A show of a blossoming camaraderie from the shared forcedbor. My first shift as a ve had beenpleted. Book 1: Chapter 16: New Lodgings Book 1: Chapter 16: New Lodgings The great Arks, living ships of near-indestructible magical witchwood, made excellent time across the water, their massive bulk now pushed and pulled by the gigantic leviathans that made the deep ces of the sea their home. Great cheers were raised when the ships madendfall on the western continent. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC Half a day of gruelingbor had been an exhausting, yet strangely rxing experience. There in the mine, it was just my pick and I, waging a never-ending war against the rock. It reminded me of the time when I washed dishes for a summer job; the dirty tes heaped with leftover delectables, more arriving at an increasing pace throughout the night until finally, it was closing time. Muscle memory took over, and the mind was free to think of other things. The pull of the chain from the line snapped me from my reverie of the past, my hobbled feet almost stumbling as we were led to our next destination. The heavy ore-filled wicker basket¡¯s straps cut painfully into my shoulders as we moved. Passing by a sorting area, we deposited the load as instructed, before filing off and continuing our weary march. We arrived at our final destination, apound surrounded by tall high walls of smooth quarried stone. A single gate led into the ce, and we were herded through like tired cattle after a long day of pasture. On our left, as we entered the walled ve pens, flowing open water ran across a rough cut line in the stone floor. It rushed fast like a mountain stream, before disappearing into a wide steel grate running into the ground. We passed elderly ves of both sexes stooped and hunched, washing clothes and other misceny, eyes held low as the guards passed. We were corralled into another area and gave up our various tools to some official-looking guards, who counted and wrote on tablets as we handed them in. Another group of cruel-eyed guards took us to another area with ves in various states of undress, washing in the cool open air with cupped hands along a shallow stream that flowed into a wide iron grate. ¡°Wash here. Relieve yourself down by the grate,¡± a guard with arge pole il instructed simply, voice bestial in its implied promise of danger. It appeared that my captors had some idea of the importance of hygiene in efficiently maintaining a ve poption. Disease could run rampant if at least basic levels of cleanliness were not observed. Here, even at the bottom rung of society, a pecking order was established. Those more belligerent or strong took a ce near the source of the flowing water, while others made do further downstream with the dirtier remnants. My dder almost painfully swollen, I made to go down to the grate to relieve myself. After fulfilling my bodily needs, I moved back further upstream to a ce with cleaner water, before a huge block of a man shoved me back with a grunt. I had to tilt my neck upwards to first see blonde hair hung in loose locks, dripping water, a chiseled jaw, and an aquiline nose set in a face that looked like it was carved from hard stone. Cold blue eyes like twin ciers dared me to try again. ¡°I am first to wash,¡± he drawled in a low voice, almost like a warning growl from a bear. He raised a fist at me before turning away and going down to the water to bathe, cocky, slow, and sure in his arrogant stride. The sudden threat of violence caused a spike of adrenaline, and my face flushed with anger. I checked my Status preparing to reply in turn with violence, when a familiar gravelly voice piped behind me, ¡°Don¡¯t mind himd. Just wait your turn, we¡¯ll all get there eventually. Guards will beat you twice as hard if they see you fighting here.¡± Turning around I recognized the wide frame of Durhit, his eyes dull with exhaustion. I was in no shape to enterbat anyway, and the threat of punishment kept me in check for all but a split second. I was about to thank him for his sage advice, but something gnawed at me. A seed of violence that was born in the arena. Having faced bullies before, I felt it necessary to show at least some form of resistance. It wasn¡¯t about who got to clean themselves first anymore. If I epted this treatment, I would be epting it for the rest of my time here. I had had enough of it in my old world, I wouldn¡¯t have it here. Absently, I also noticed that my recent gain in Strength made my Health and Stamina go up by a small increment, and that I had gained a modest amount of experience from toil in the mines. Health58/80 Stamina24/38 Mana1/11 I pushed through some of the waiting ves, finding my target washing himself. At first, I only intended to prove that I was not so easily cowed, but somehow his vulnerability as he lowered his face to the water to wash inspired something much darker in me. I am no expert of the martial arts, having only learned a little karate as a teenager at the local sports center for a few summers. I am not usually violent by nature. However, my sudden transportation, the constant smorgasbord of pain just to survive, the constant threat of death, and my recently awarded victory at the arena unlocked something I think that all of us possess deep inside. I threw a punch with all of my weight and cold-blooded anger as I sshed into the water, instinctually aiming for the space just above the nape of his neck. I connected with a meaty wallop with a closed fist full of rage. By some lucky star, the titan of a man fell into the water stunned. Falling on top of him, I grabbed his head and kept smashing it against the cold hard stone with my hands. The water began to blossom crimson and the ves parted away from me like Moses before the Red Sea, fear etched in their stupid bovine eyes. They looked at me like I was some sort of wild animal. I got up then quietly, walking a bit further from the spreading crimson to wash my face in cleaner waters. After sshing my face a few times, notifications shed across my inner vision and I couldn¡¯t help butugh. It seemed that my karate sses had paid off, and a green belt was about a level three in this world in terms of skill. You have in a Human 240 experience gained You have learned Backstab (lvl.2) You have learned unarmed Combat You have learned unarmed Combat (lvl.1) You have learned unarmed Combat (lvl.2) You have learned unarmed Combat (lvl.3) You have learned Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) You have gained 1 Strength You have gained 1 Dexterity You have gained 1 Luck You have reached level 6 3 unassigned attribute points 1 unassigned skill point Something inside of me probably broke then as I keptughing at the pure absurdity of my new reality. This was a world that rewarded violence and death. If this wasn¡¯t a game then what was? The notifications confirmed it; I had killed a no-name human NPC and was rewarded for it. The guards came for me then, a new cautious respect in their eyes, with long poled man catchers and their wicked whips. I was mentally exhausted. My pent-up anger and frustration were fully spent in my cathartic explosion of violence, so raising my hands in the universal sign of surrender I epted my fate. I made sure to hurriedly increase just my Strength and my Heal spell as they closed in. They beat me after they captured me, expressionless in their discipline. Like good workmen, they went about their task diligently, going over me with a professional¡¯s effortless rhythm from a task practiced so many times it had be rote. I was dragged to another cell, raised high up on chains attached to my manacled wrists. There, with my Health already quite low, I was forced to ept the touch of thesh. Many times I thought the pain was too great and I felt myself sinking to the blessed refuge of unconsciousness. However, they were experts of their craft and would not allow me to fall into insensibility, sshing me with water or targeting a particrly sensitive nerve with their cruel irons. Finally after what seemed like an eternity of suffering, my throat hoarse with long-running screams, they left me to welter in the dark. As some sort of constion prize I was given a new notification, which caused another round of whimpered sobbing. You have gained 1 Constitution Book 1: Chapter 17: Discipline & Punishment Book 1: Chapter 17: Discipline & Punishment When the ever-creeping ice drifts further to the south it is often called the ¡®Time of Trials¡¯ by the people of the North. The greater cold would force these fearsome tribes to be more bellicose, raiding their neighbors in a bid to maintain their power and prosperity. When a tribe seeds in a raid the barbarians would sell their broken enemies into bondage, if they fail their ¡®excess¡¯ children are sold in their stead. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 A.C A shockingly cold ssh hit across my bruised and battered body, waking me from exhausted slumber. My eyes were heavy and refused to open until a p stung across my left cheek. Arge iron cor was fitted around my neck, and through lidded eyes, I saw Degei the Overseer looking down his nose at me like I was some sort of irritant. Two tall guards carrying cudgels nked him, adding to his aura of authority. Sighing, the weedy man exined my new situation. ¡°You are the most troublesome bilge-rat of an ounder. That Nord you killed was a good worker, and it will reflect poorly on our quotas. Good ves are hard to rece!¡± Degei punctuated by pping me lightly like an owner disciplining a dog, ¡°Still he was a bit of a troublemaker, but I digress. A survivor of the winnowing, I knew you would give me a full of troubles, but on your first day!¡± he cried, exasperated. He took my silence for acknowledgment and continued in his educated voice, ¡°This is a witchbound ve cor. You cause trouble, you will feel pain. You bezy, you will feel greater pain. You escape, you will feel agony until our Waveriders collect you. You cause violence to a free man, you die.¡± With this, he tilted my head and forced a red liquid down my throat from a thin ss vial. The taste was somewhere between old socks and rotten cheese, with a surprisingly sweet undertone of cherry. I half gagged down the foul concoction. My Health, which had been hovering around fourteen, rose by twenty points as I felt a different, yet somehow familiar, warmth diffuse through my body. I realized I was being force-fed a healing potion. If this world was a game, then it really was the work of a truly sick creator. Degei raised the rest of the vial to my lips and I unconsciously moved my face away from it. He pped me again before exining slowly in a voice as cold and uncaring as a winter day, ¡°These are valuable. Spill a single drop and I will have you beaten to within an inch of your life.¡± He pronounced each syble with the finality of a prophet¡¯sst words. My eyes grew wide in fear and I forced myself to acquiesce, nodding now in understanding. The taste was of course horrible, and I almost coughed and gagged, but this time I weed the warmth that straightened my limbs and healed broken muscles and bones. But it did nothing for my splintered soul. ¡°Good little bilge-rat,¡± he remarked, patting me across the cheek in some form of twisted affection. A smile almost unconsciously formed across my face, such was my reaction to any show of positive emotion in this new world, however distorted. Something was definitely wrong with me, and I fought down the burgeoning feeling of gratitude. The rebellious part of myself, that part that had always hated the skewed system, refused to give in to the seeds of a pernicious, newly forming Stockholm Syndrome. While looking down to avoid meeting his eyes, wishing to hide the glimmer of rebellion they held, I quickly looked over my Status and character sheet. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 6 Acolyte of Avaria Strength18 Dexterity13 Constitution26 Intelligence16 Wisdom12 Charisma8 Luck13 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.2) Endure (lvl.2) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.2) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.1) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.1) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) Ruse (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.2) Silent Casting (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 810/991 Health54/105 Stamina12/41 Mana6/11 The healing potions had raised my Health to just over half, though my Stamina was still perilously low, and I could feel tiredness weighing my limbs. I had the Mana for a healing spell, but something in my gut told me that it would not be wise to cast a healing spell in front of Degei, Silent Casting skill or not. The Overseer checked over my naked form, nodding at the requisite level of violence my torturers used. His guard nked him, solid and silent like two stone sentinels. Patting my head like a good broken dog, he turned around and indicated to follow as his guards left the cell, both of them giving me looks that promised violence on a whim. I lifted a manacled hand to shield myself from the light of two almost smokeless torches. Degei gave me a satisfied smile, like an owner that had trained a pet to do a new trick, and pointed off down the ways to a group of ves huddled on the packed earth eating their evening repast. ¡°Go, ounder. Eat your meal. Tomorrow you will be working double shift, no triple shift!¡± his eyes lighting up with glee before continuing, ¡°Enjoy your new home and be a good boy!¡± Still shackled at the hands and hobbled, I slowly made my way to the gathering, my escort following me halfway. Eyes downcast, the ves would asionally steal hesitant nces in my direction, before surreptitiously continuing with their meals. A small youth, however, held my eyes for longer than the others. A conflict of warring emotions yed about his features as he surveyed me, before snorting and continuing to gobble down his meal. I made my way to a small trestle table stacked half full with crude chipped earthenware bowls and rough wooden spoons. A cauldron filled with a thick gruel-like paste, overseen by a world-weary old crone of a woman, gave the impression of a witch boiling up a new concoction. Nheless, my stomach rumbled and the cauldron¡¯s contents gave off a most inviting smell. Grabbing a bowl and spoon, I shuffled forward and gave the old woman a greeting. ¡°Good day to you madam,¡± I said in a neutral, polite voice. I was met with a cackle, which only solidified my original impression of her. ¡°Not a madam. Just little old Aditi,¡± she somehow managed to utter between cackles, ¡°you¡¯re thed they speak of who survived the winnowing and did that giant Harun in for looking at you funny, they say. Here give me your bowl if you be wanting feeding. Give you a little extra for cutting the thread of one of the little masters.¡± I handed her my bowl, a little hesitant, timidly asking, ¡°Why am I even still alive?¡± Grunting now, ¡°They can¡¯t kill you boy. Least, not directly anyways by their own hands. You sure ain¡¯t made any friends though, that young pup was probably someone¡¯s get. Still, you survived the trial on the sands. In their reckoning, you are now a blooded warrior and member of their tribe,¡± she cackled before continuing, ¡°A lifetime in the mine will break you. Seen it too many times before. The masters be a practical lot, you¡¯ll be paying the blood price one way or another,¡± she punctuated her exnation by dolloping twodles of slop into my bowl, before spitting a huge wad of phlegm into the fire. ¡°Thank you for the food,¡± I humbly replied, the words sticking a little in my throat at the simple disy ofmon human kindness. I went to sit alone in a quiet corner. Sitting cross-legged, I made sure to eat slowly. I had experienced extreme hunger once before already. This would give my digestion a chance to adjust to the new food. My mind wandered as I ate, considering the potential bacteria and other biological dangers just existing in this new world posed. But between my magic, the recent potion, and my rtively high Constitution, I had yet to feel any of the ill effects from this world¡¯s smaller denizens. Before I knew it, and despite trying to eat slowly, I had finished my crude yet filling meal. A dozen meters or so away, a thin streamlet flowed across a crack in the rock before running down into a grate, simr to what I had seen when I entered thepound. I bent down to wash my earthenware bowl and wooden spoon with my hands, before noticing a slightly familiar face, dark eyes looking intently at me. ¡°Did you really kill Harun?¡± the young boy said in a voice with quiet childish determination. Blinking a few times at the sudden question, I looked up at him quizzically, surprise etched into the lines of my face. ¡°Harun the Iron, they say you killed him because you''re a murderer. That they put the ve mark on you for killing one of your own, a kinyer. They say you killed him because you think that even here in pens you are still a master,¡± the boy went on like a judge reading out a sentence, already convinced of his own justice. So surprised was I by how irresponsible rumor had twisted the truth, I could offer no solid defense to his words. The boy noticed the dawning understanding in my eye and mistook it for eptance of his words. This made his chin quiver slightly with repressed emotion as he continued relentlessly. ¡°My name is Gunne son of Guug and I will have my vengeance,¡± he said looking me in the eyes, fists clenched in anger. An apology that was rising as an automatic reflex reaction was suddenly stymied by his pronouncement of revenge. This whole world had offered enough suffering and pain for three lifetimes, and the only kindness I had received so far was from some sort of cooking witch who hated our masters more than she hated me. What should have been guilt was reced by anger and scorn. ¡°He died like a sow in heat being plowed by horse,¡± I spat out, making sure to thread disdain through my words. Though somewhat random, the collection of insults felt right and inventive in this context. ¡°I am Gilgamesh and you¡¯ll die as he did, sniveling and crying for thefort of your mother. You are nothing but an N¡­P¡­C¡­¡± I made sure to stress thest deliberately and slowly,ced with what icy threat I could muster, though I doubted he understood the meaning. Slowly rising, I was d to notice that his eyes had widened a little in fear. Standing, I looked at him, seeing now nothing but a scared boy who had dared challenge a killer. He almost fell back then as he turned to run, some of the other ves casting a few nces in our direction and whispering among themselves. A seed of darkness had been nted within me then. It had felt satisfying to have sown fear and not been subjected to it. Empowering even, to hold power over someone weaker than myself. For a moment it had washed away the memories of the torment that I had suffered. Looking around at the other ves, I made sure to hold their eyes just long enough to show strength, but not long enough to provoke a challenge. I returned to finish my chore. Once done, I moved slowly back towards Adita and handed her my now clean utensils, to which she gave me a short nod of appreciation. The others sensing that there would be no simr entertainment this night followed suit before slowly drifting off towards a crude t-roofed building. It resembled the sort of stable for housing arge number of animals. A single wooden entrance and crude shutters were the only decoration on its front facade. Following a herd instinct, I made my way to the tail end and apanied them inside. It was dark inside with theck of lighting, but I could still perceive crude wooden pallets at certain intervals on a hard-packed earthen floor. Some of the ves had already imed their spots, but I hazarded a rough guess that there was at least one free space today. I settled down on a simple crude pallet a little ways from the corner. Remembering that I had enough Mana for healing, I took the time to cast Heal silently amid the tulence, snores, and myriad noises that humans make in a packed space in close proximity to one another. Grinning to myself, I noticed that the strength of my spell had increased significantly and was now healing me for just over a third of my total Health. Health90/105 Stamina22/41 Mana1/11 This reaffirmed my decision to focus my points instead of trying to be a jack-of-all-trades. While I began to n for my near future, exhaustion stole upon me and I fell into a deep and troubled sleep. At least tonight I would hopefully know some measure of peace. Book 1: Chapter 18: The Grind Book 1: Chapter 18: The Grind Spies from the alliance and divine scrying showed that the mage-king was actually no king at all. In fact, he was seen to be more of a Steward and Servant of the people and was in fact chosen by the majority of them which was a concept that was so alien and foreign to the members of the alliance. The system of government was seen as preposterous for who would ever in their right mind allow themon man to dictate the rules of power above their station? - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC Dark things had gued my dreams, stalking me throughout my imagination. Dark sharp things that pierced, stabbed, or bludgeoned as theyughed cruelly. Dark tentacled things whispered raspy sweet promises as they caressed my cheek, before wrapping around my neck and wringing the life out of me as they plunged down my throat. Several times I had awoken during the night, limbs iling against invisible assants before finally slipping into a deeper slumber. A worker inadvertently banging against my wooden pallet raised me from thest vestiges of my unsettled sleep. The ves moved in silence, like well-trained soldiers about to embark on a dawn raid. Looking out at the open wooden entrance, still dark before the first light of rosy dawn, I saw that they had begun to arrange themselves into passably neat columns and rows under the watchful eyes of our overseers. I hurriedly followed suit, not wishing to draw the ire of our masters, or the promised pain of my new cor. As I got up, I noticed a few of the insect-like creatures with double thoraxes andrge mandibles that I had seen before scuttle into safety from the stampede of humanity into various holes and corners. There was at least one positive; as I started to make my way outside I noticed that despite my disturbed sleep, I had fully regenerated all of my Status points. Health105/105 Stamina41/41 Mana11/11 Falling into line, our ve drivers exhorted the benefits of hard work and the promise of pain to thezy among us. However, theycked the oratory skill and finesse of Hassan. The corpulent fat man truly had a charismatic voice. Even though we had been quite literally part of his captive audience, I had found my attention drawn to him when he spoke. Listening to them with only half an ear, I decided to cast Identify on my new cor. Iron ve Cor of Obedience Durability 400/400 Something about the name of my ve cor niggled against my subconscious as we marched down into the mine shafts to repeat the drudgery. During the day, while others along my line were rotated out and allowed a reprieve, I was forced to keep on working. I met Durhit again during myst shift, but I was so exhausted that I could barely manage a simple grunt in greeting. Such was my determination to resist the promised pain from the cor, I veritably assaulted the white rock. Throughout the day I had carved great chunks from it with my growing Strength. I had made progress, gaining a single point in both Constitution and Strength. Fear had pushed me so hard, and so good was my conditioning, that I had lost a few points of Health as I had bottomed out my Stamina several times through mybors from dawn till dusk. Though I did not make gains in Mining, which I didn¡¯t care much for anyway, I still earned a nominal amount of experience for my level. Use of skills and killing, that¡¯s what got me experience, I thought to myself wryly. Taking my evening meal, Adita made sure to stack my bowl full. I sat quietly in a secluded corner. No one looked at me, and I took the time to review my character sheet. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 6 Acolyte of Avaria Strength19 Dexterity13 Constitution27 Intelligence16 Wisdom12 Charisma8 Luck13 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.2) Endure (lvl.2) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.2) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.1) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.1) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) Rust (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.2) Silent Casting (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 830/991 Health87/109 Stamina7/43 Mana10/11 Good, I thought to myself. The increases in Health and Stamina were always wee. Now that I was finally allowed a moment¡¯s respite, my limbs felt like they weighed of solid lead. As I watched the ves go about their evening meal and chat among themselves, I heard anguage that sounded simr to the one Navigator i first used when she was interviewing me. It was much more musical and lilting, like a sing-song version of a Latinnguage. I sat back and projected a few Identify spells at the words, increasing my knowledge with every cast. I stopped after the ninth spell, unwilling to push myself to undergo what I had begun to term as ¡®Mana Sickness.¡¯ Through my spells I gained a very crude understanding of thenguage, attaining some very basic knowledge of its grammar structure. In my musings, I briefly touched my Iron ve Cor of Obedience with a distracted finger, before I was met with a sharp stab of pain that ran along my spine and through my limbs like wild unbridled lightning. I almost wretched up my evening meal, but my instinct to survive forced me to keep it down through eyes filled with tears. I could see that my Health had fallen by two points, which I felt waspletely disproportionate to the agony I had been inflicted with. The message was clear; I was not to touch the Iron ve Cor of Obedience. Iron ve Cor¡­the name of the heavy yoke around my neck stirred something in the depths of my mind. However, like a falling leaf that escapes your grasp the harder you try to catch it, the connection still eluded me. Shaking my head in resignation, I washed my bowl and spoon in the running water. As I took a drink, I spied a familiar sight. The fierce-looking wildman with a cor like my own, looking like some sort of half-tamed animal was sitting down a ways from me. The man from our ve indoctrination. The man who had dared to resist. Blonde dreadlocks hung down across his neck like a lion¡¯s mane. His eyes were like smoldering blue coals filled with icy fire. They locked for a moment with mine before pointing at the heavy iron cor around his neck. I moved across, feeling somehow that we were kindred spirits. The wildman rose and pped me on the back as I came closer, a mischievous smile on his face. He guffawed as he greeted me, ¡°You are a troublemaker! The yoke does not sit so lightly about your neck, no? I am Kidu the Raider of the Three Bears n.¡± Pointing at his left breast, ¡°Like you here, I am not a ve,¡± he stated in a loud voice, almost as a challenge to the other gathered ves. Someone in the back jeered, ¡°You have a ve brand just like the rest of us your highness, just with a bit of extra heavy jewelry!¡± Kidu scoffed, ¡°Come let us ignore these sheep. Let us talk like men. How did youe to be in this thrice-cursed hell hole?¡± he inquired, his inflection growling a little towards the end. I told him my name and my meeting with Avaria, detailing my encounters with the dark things beyond the void. The need to spill the emotions that had bottled up inside me simply overwhelmed any and all of my inhibitions. In some part of my logical mind, I knew it was the wrong choice, but logic is merely emotion¡¯s vassal. For some reason, I chose not to disclose that I was from another worldpletely, instead stating that I hadpletely lost my memories before the shrine. He listened, nodding as if affirming some pre-held supposition. ¡°You are one of the god-touched. Some in my tribe go into the god madness, limbs shake and they drool like mad dogs, though different to the Berserk. They are honored among our people. Your gift must have been too great, your tribe offered you to Vari, chooser of the in, in some form of appeasement.¡± He spoke these words in thoughtful seriousness, incongruous to his wild appearance. He must have mistaken the look of confusion that crossed my face as sadness for he tried to brighten my mood. ¡°You missed your chance to fight the endless battle in the heavens my friend! But, I am fortunate to make your acquaintance Gilgamesh of Uruk. Perhaps with a little divine guidance, we may yet make our way out of our predicament, yes?¡± he said more as a statement than a question as he pped me on the back in encouragement. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s get out of this thrice-cursed hell hole. One way or another,¡± I replied, nodding in agreement. A few ves nearby shook their heads in pity and sympathy. No doubt we were not the first to make such a vow. ¡°Do you know anything about levels?¡± I asked him as nonchntly as possible. ¡°Levels?¡± his eyebrows furrowing in thought, ¡°like how high something is?¡± ¡°No no, to determine one¡¯s strength. Experience points and such? How do you get more skillful or stronger?¡± I quizzed him, determined to get some answers. ¡°Friend, truly you must be god-touched. I know no such thing of levels, but there are ranks in the armies of men and so forth. Points of experience, I guess as one practices at some things you will get better at it,¡± he replied earnestly, not truly understanding the line of my questioning. I continued to quiz him about his past in the stolen moments before we were herded off to sleep. The locals did not know the ¡®system¡¯ that was responsible for my growth, though I did glean that they were perhaps affected by it. He told me that some warriors of his n appeared to grow physically stronger as they continued to prove themselves on the battlefield or in sessful hunts. ording to my new friend, older beasts and creatures grew stronger too. Kidu spoke of monstrous ice drakes of the frozen north that became fiercer and more malevolent with each passing year, preying on their herds before a team of determined hunters or plucky adventurers culled them. I took note that perhaps the NPCs of this world had more organic growth in their strength and development, since our conversation highlighted they had no idea about the ¡®system¡¯ of the game. I, on the other hand, could to a degree guide my own progress as I leveled up. This would be of great advantage as I hopefully grew in power. Going through the doors to the ve stables, we chose pallets next to each other, some form of security against the other true ves. Exhausted, I slept. I awoke sometime in the night gued once again by dreams of dark things that stalked. Thinking of Kidu and his fantastical homnd, the frozen north, I was half tempted to see if he was also awake, only to be interrupted by the sound of two creatures trying to find what sce they could in the night. Finally, their rut finished and I was once again lulled into thend of dark dreams. The next day found us much as the previous day. The wildman and I, obvious troublemakers, were separated into different teams. Like the previous day after a rest, I had regained all of my Status points. Also, I was given a new notification that my concentrated efforts at trying to sleep had given me an increase in Rest, raising it to level two. Falling into line, I toiled in the light blue gloom of the mines. In my second shift Durhit also worked next to me. While I was hacking away at the white stone with my crude mining pickaxe with the single-mindedness of a machine, Durhit paused in hisbors for a moment and talked to me while our whip-carrying minders looked the other way. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a fellow dwarf, let alone a human like you, hack away at the stone like that. Have you made an enemy of Mother Earth?¡± he said behind his bushy beard, straining between each breath. Curious at his use of the word dwarf and with Mana to spare, I decided to cast an Identify spell his way, wishing to sate my idle curiosity. Durhit Coal - Sapper (Dwarf lvl.14) Health 273/280 Stamina 38/50 Mana 11/11 Striking the baster rock, I grunted before answering, raising the tool above my head, ¡°This is ¡®grinding¡¯ sir dwarf, I need to build up my Strength if I am to ever escape.¡± Durhit had a prodigious amount of Health, truly formidable, probably due to his dwarven Constitution. Dwarves always were famously hardy in modern fantasy depictions, and it was little surprise to me that this paradigm applied to this world too. I half-heartedly concluded that the Sapper ss alongside his name exined his economical strikes against the rock. I had already burned through more than half of my own Stamina as I pounded furiously at the stone. Durhit pretended to understand my response, no doubt thinking I was perhaps a little touched in the head. Come to think of it, an infection caused by the myriad of wounds I had suffered and my questionable diet may well have caused a riot within my body and addled my mind. I mentally shrugged to myself, as I rolled my shoulders. Perhaps this was all just a fever dream? This line of thinking would produce no real answers, so I focused back on my work, striking out against my enemy the baster stone. Mimicking the dwarf, I raised my pickaxe slower and used more of the tool¡¯s weight than my own muscle when striking. Subconsciously, an unspoken bond was formed between us as we toiled under a blue glow. Just as Durhit was relieved of his shift, I was rewarded with a notification. You have learned Hammers You have learned Mining (lvl.2) You have gained 1 Strength Humming a catchy tune from my own world between strokes to break up the monotony, I continued my assault on the rock. Some of the ves around me took up the tune before they were silenced by the crack of whips on pliant flesh. The dwarf noticed my smile, however, and just shook his head at my antics as he slung his pickaxe over his shoulder and left. I continued to hum the tune, albeit under my breath, in discreet defiance. Like Kidu, I was not a ve in my heart. Book 1: Chapter 19: Talk of the Past Book 1: Chapter 19: Talk of the Past Dragonroot harvested in the depths of the most primal forests is jealousy guarded by the great Jaderock bees. ording to the observations of the researchers of Quas, these giant bees need the poison produced by the flowers to raise one of their number to a new queen. Dragonroot, also known as the Widow¡¯s Mercy, is much sought after in many alchemical concoctions. ording to legend the dragon yers of old coated their weapons in a paste made from the root to y their scaly foes. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 A.C When finally my shifts were over, the exhaustion I felt could still not quite dampen my good spirits. I made sure to hide my smile from the guards who looked at me as if I was deranged, and I made sure to smile at each ve who met my eyes too. Some of the poor ves even hesitantly smiled back. ¡°You look to be in good spirits boy, did something good happen in those godforsaken mines? Maybe you poked about in a different shaft!¡± Adita jibed jovially,ughing at her own crude joke. ¡°No, no madam Adita. Nothing of that nature, but I see that this evening¡¯s meal looks as delicious as ever,¡± I replied adroitly, my good spirits lighting my eyes. ¡°Told you I¡¯m not a madam, not one of those high-nobility types, and ttery will get you nowhere!¡± she cackled as she dolloped an extra portion into my bowl. ¡°Old Monta caught himself a little delicious Rockcrab by the Latifundium, threw that in today.¡± You have gained 1 Charisma I smiled knowingly, taking my bowl filled to the brim with the questionable stew. The gain in Charisma was extraneous to my current dire circumstance. My mind was more focused on the fact that the game¡¯s internal logic had tranted Adita¡¯s words into the ancient Roman word for ve quarters. An oddity that I puzzled over as I began eating my evening meal. Soon a familiar hulking manacled shape hobbled over. I rose and sped his arm at the elbow, which he returned in greetings. ¡°Wee, Kidu the Raider,¡± I grinned up at him, my neck having to tilt upwards to meet his cold blue eyes. ¡°And you, Gilgamesh of Uruk,¡± he chortled, settling his bulk down cross-legged on the hard-packed earth. ¡°I have questions¡­¡± I began hesitantly. ¡°Of course you do, god-touched, as long as we do not debate Quassian philosophy I wee them. Perhaps through the answering, you will gain a little of your past,¡± he said with sympathy coloring his voice as we both sat. We talked for a while. I confirmed that he truly had no knowledge of the strange mental script which I dubbed the ¡®UI¡¯ or ¡®User Interface,¡¯ one that apparently only I could see. He viewed my interpretation of the UI¡¯s messages as some form ofmunication from the divine. I also learned from Kidu that thenguage of the Children of the Tides was simply called ¡®Trade¡¯ and that the gutturalnguage was almost the lingua franca for this region. He considered my pronunciation of Trade to be above average; my grasp of the spokennguage had clearly grown by leaps and bounds. The singsongnguage I had some experience with was called ¡®High Quassian,¡¯ and was also spoken by the desert people of the south. In time therge man told me his tale. I found out that Kidu was from the far frozen north. His tribe was a nomadic people that hunted a massive creature called the Cronir. The Cronir traveled across the tundra in vast herds, in the manner of caribou, and were sometimes preyed upon by vicious ice drakes. His tribe had lost several skirmishes, with the allocation of hunting rights to rival tribes further weakening them. The Windspeakers of his tribe, a group of the elderly and the wise who kept the oral traditions of the Three Bears, advised the chief to send a raiding party to the South. The chief sent Kidu, who even then had a reputation for being a belligerent troublemaker, along with a few other men to form a party and travel south as raiders. The leader had nned for them to bring exotic riches from the warm verdantnds back home so that they could trade for favors from other tribes. However, in a frontier town near the frozen wastes, they had been duped by shady characters in the local drinking den promising them the location of a rich caravan that was scheduled to pass through. Instead of a profitable raid, they were assaulted in the night in their drunken stupor, stripped of their weapons, and sold into very to the said caravan. Kidu had been sold and traded from master to master due to his fractious and violent nature. Eventually, he had changed so many hands that he had finally made it to Ansan, the jewel of the grass sea of the Grieving Lands and a gateway to the Wilds. Spying Durhit with a group of tired-looking men, I called him over. His face at a distance looked like he had just swallowed a sour plum as he made his way over. Suspicion warred with a need to make a connection across his bearded face. In the end, despite initial reluctance, the need to find some form of sce won. ¡°Be a little quieter manling, the guards here be sensitive to those with loud tongues,¡± grumbled the dwarf. I held my hands up in mock acquiescence, a grin still on my face. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a human, yes dwarves aplenty, but never a human so happy pounding away at rock. I swear he is a little queer in the head,¡± he grumbled again. ¡°Then you have probably never heard of the gold rush,¡± I replied. The dwarf¡¯s eyes almostically widened at my mention of gold. ¡°Men would cross oceans, ins, and deserts in their search of gold,¡± I tried to intone as wisely as possible. ¡°Aye that, it is well known that man¡¯s greed of gold can rival even a dwarven Deeptaker¡¯s,¡± Durhit nodded sagely into his bowl, his long beard almost brushing into the stew. ¡°I know you are god-touched, but at times you sound like my tribe¡¯s Windspeakers, Gilgamesh of Uruk. Are you a schr?¡± interjected the wildman, his voice surprisingly serious in its earnestness. A bittersweet smile formed on my face, shaking my head as the lie found its way to my lips, ¡°No, Kidu of the Three Bears, though I have heard a few things here and there.¡± Already treading on dangerous ground with my mention of the California gold rush, I was wary that continuing the line of thought would lead me to share more about my origins. ¡°Your tribe will enjoy many good years with their offering, to give not only a god-touched but also a man wiser than his years to the Chooser of the in,¡± he nodded, epting my lie totally. ¡°How about you, mysterious manling, what brought you here to the great Ansan?¡± the dwarf inquired, bushy eyebrows raising a fraction in interest. Thankfully Kidu interjected, eager to tell my story to the dwarf, with just a little bit of joy in the telling. He embellished little, except for my fight in the arena. ording to the savage-looking man, instead of killing a green and untested youth, I had in a scarred seasoned warrior, his de pitted with the sh of many battles. ¡°...And what brings a stone-eater so far from your mountain halls?¡± the wildman finished finally with a question. The dwarf¡¯s face scrunched in irritation before looking down troubled, as if trying to retrieve the memory from the ground itself. In time, he too told his tale, ¡°Bunch ofds and I signed as mercenaries for the manling Lord Hayles against one of his neighbors, the Lord Farilse. Something about an exorbitant port tax that one of Haylebury''s ships refused to pay for. This led to the City Lord Farilse seizing his vessel, the Pride of Iron, that was berthed.¡± Something ticked the back of my mind with the ship¡¯s name, but I quickly turned my attention back to the dwarf¡¯s tale. ¡°The port of Seaguard had strong high walls and even stronger coastal defenses, and little Lord Hayles decided he needed a bit of dwarven ingenuity to do something about the defenses. A messy affair if there ever was one.¡± He spat on the ground before continuing, ¡°Good rights to pige and steady coin are a siren song to any good dwarf worth his ore and we marched under Haylebury¡¯s banner with the baggage train. But, Farilse was a cunning one, and he hired mercenaries of his own. Hateful pointy-eared scum, Dark Elves, quiet like shadow fell upon the baggage train near, gutting the sentries and picket lines with not so much a sound. My own mate Kabruk was taken down right before my eyes, one of their cursed ck des across his throat as he tried to raise the rm. I gave as good a reckoning as any of the Stoneborn, and I perhaps got a few of them with my trusty hammer. Like hitting leaves and twigs those Dark Elves are. They faded away like morning mist just as the first light hit, and the damage they had done was great. They had hit our poor Girabis, poor blundering beasts, and just like that our whole venture was hamstrung. A curse of ash and ruin on the sharp ears!¡± Durhit continued, ¡°Farilse never faced us in open battle after that, he hit us again and again and finally forced Hayles¡¯ surrender.¡± The dwarf paused for a moment as if dredging up the memory caused him bittersweet pain. ¡°My sister Evenes could only afford the ransom of her man Nt, and I don¡¯t in half a mind me her in truth as it was more my idea to go about on that gheap of an adventure. She promised that once she and Nt started work on the new im they had, they¡¯d find a way to pay my bond price. But with no way to pay my immediate ransom, Farilse sold us to a passing ver caravan. Those vultures always be about the edges of war, like flies to a fresh corpse. Now here I am in Ansan mining ore for manlings to make weapons to wage war upon one another.¡± Something must have struck a chord with the wildman, as he silently patted the dwarf on the shoulder inpassion, only to be brushed off brusquely. I was silent for another reason. Something the dwarf said set off something in my mind, like suddenly remembering an important memory. Then I found it; the spell Rust. Like a slippery eel, it had always wriggled its way from my attention. Circumstances had meant I never had any leeway to experiment with its use. Determined now, I called out to it and was met by resistance. ck slithering things crossed the edges of my vision and cold sibnt whispers caressed my ears, making me shiver as electricity traveled down the nape of my neck. A sense of wrongness so profound and utterly inimical to all things filled me. Wanting to release this dark energy as soon as possible, I eyed a random ve engaged in evening conversation in the corner of my eye. Focusing my target, I surreptitiously cast the spell at his manacled feet. ck lines of power left me then, seemingly invisible to everyone else, wrapping around the chains like velvet lightning as he continued talking. The whispers slowly left me, the feeling of wrongness lessening, but I could still see the dark lightning working its way around his iron chains. Gradually now, the lightning danced around the iron, slowly and steadily like a funeral procession. Where it touched, a few dots of orange and red could be seen as the metal was slowly oxidized at an elerated rate. The spell had only cost me a single point in Mana. I made every effort to hide the grin on my face as I looked back at mypanions, questioning looks on their faces at my sudden rise. I had found the keys to my chains. Exining to them that I thought I saw a ghost of a familiar face, they nodded sympathetically at my false hope. Durhit shared that he had often done a simr thing when new dwarves were weed to the mines. We talked about small things of little importance, and I learned some more of themon knowledge of this world. The name of the world I found myself in was called many things by its innumerable people. But here in this area, known colloquially as the ¡®Grieving Lands¡¯ due to the sudden tumultuous storms that were endemic to the region in the winter months, the locals called the world ¡®Gesthe.¡¯ This meant ¡®Garden¡¯ in thenguage of the First People, as the Elves liked to call themselves. The Grieving Lands were but a small part of an enormous world that was broken up into massive continents, which ording to Durhit were the bones ofnd dragons. We talked also of strange and fanciful ces. ording to Durhit, his home, ¡®The Beacon Mountains,¡¯ were an active range of volcanoes, their fiery maws bursting up into me and ash. I wondered to myself what sort of people would choose to live in such a dangerous ce. Somewhere in the conversation, there was talk of a ce to the far west called the ¡®ss Fire Sea.¡¯ Here sailors feared to navigate its treacherous waters as great crystalline ss formations floated on its becalmed surface, burning any ship to ckened husk that got too close. Still, some savvy captains would venture forth on moonless nights to gather fragments of the precious ss to be sold to the great universities of Quas. The mes of adventure were lit once more in my heart, and I could feel a desperate need to be free taking a deeper root. However, once again before too long we were herded back into the ve stables. Before going to sleep I sat up, casting Rust silently, picturing iron manacles, and releasing the energy in random directions in the room. The ck lightning from my spell was invisible, even to me in the darkness. I knew the spell was being cast as I could see my Mana drop in steady increments, and on the ninth cast I was rewarded with a notification. You have gained 1 Intelligence Lying back down on my cot, I perused my character Status. Like the other day, I had gained some nominal experience from Mining. But more importantly, I now had the tools to make a bid for freedom. I needed the patience to see my growing ns through, and it felt to me that my chains chafed more than usual now that a path to freedom could be seen. To feel, to experience the best this fantasy world had to offer, and not be just a ve to destiny. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 6 Acolyte of Avaria Strength20 Dexterity13 Constitution27 Intelligence17 Wisdom12 Charisma9 Luck13 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.2) Endure (lvl.2) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.1) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.2) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.1) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.2) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) Hammers (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) Rust (lvl.1) Identify (lvl.2) Silent Casting (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 850/991 Health92/117 Stamina13/43 Mana1/12 Book 1: Chapter 20: A Time to Heal Book 1: Chapter 20: A Time to Heal But the spies and scouts of the unknown kingdom had not been idle, and they discovered horrifying facts that only hardened the resolve of the people to resist. Many of those who were brought across the ocean were in fact ves. Men and women who had pulled at the great oars, who had cleaned and scrubbed the decks, tended the fires, and cooked the meals that fed the armies and a thousand morebors were chattel with the hateful mark of very inscribed upon their bodies. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC I found myself being woken the next morning by Durhit, concern etched across his features as he shook me roughly. I cleared the sleepy cobwebs from my mind as I rose to my daily grind. All of my Status points had regenerated as expected. Looking around, I was pleased to note that the manacles on some ves were full of rust spots. Slow and steady wins the race, I thought to myself. Once I had gathered myself, I fell into line and received the daily speech from the Overseer, before we filed out to the mines. However, I was suddenly osted by Degei, and our whole line was forced to stop with me. ¡°How are you in such good spirits this morning, bilge-rat? Triple shifts across a few days would test even a stunty stone-eater dwarf! Yet I have talked to your watchers and they say you work like a demon-possessed. There is something about you and I don¡¯t like it. Know that I am watching you¡­and lower your eyes ve!¡± He shouted thest as he backhanded me across the face with a wooden cudgel, drawing blood. I was taken more by surprise than actual pain. Since I was at full Health, I felt nothing due to my skill Pain Nullification. The strike had only reduced my Health by eight points, but I lowered my eyes not wishing to antagonize the cruel man further, remembering to grit my teeth in feigned pain. The Overseer, assuaged now that I looked thoroughly cowed, shrilled with smug superiority, ¡°At least we will get some goodbor out of you. Do work your little heart out bilge-rat.¡± He motioned for the line to move off, and we continued back to our daily grind. I noticed that the guards were now keenly watching me, hands gripping weapons just a little tighter, as we passed on our way to the mines. Half in defiance and half in just pure curiosity, I pictured one of the guards we had just passed, now out of my direct line of sight. I cast Rust at him, remembering his pockmarked face andzy left eye. I felt the buildup of dark energy growing steadily more painful as dark things writhed at the periphery of my vision. Panicked now, I mentally targeted his metal breastte. My heart beating in my chest, I felt the familiar sense of wrongness leave me as I finished the cast. ck lightning rushed from hands behind me in the guard¡¯s direction, and my Mana dropped by a single point. Pausing in relief, I almost tripped over my own sandaled feet as I was suddenly pulled by the worker in front of me. I realized that no one could see the visual effects of my Rust spell. However, it looked to have no effect when cast directly against living creatures, as opposed to objects which contained or were made from iron. In a strange logical way, I supposed that it made sense. Girding my loins mentally, I determined to spend this day as I had the others by working on my Strength and grinding up some experience. My first shift passed without incident. As the workers along my line made their way out of the mine, I made sure to cast Rust a further four times; dying each cast to measure the maximum distance of the spell. At the fourth cast, as I targeted a ve with a game leg about sixty meters away, I was struck by a familiar painful buildup. The spell had failed to take hold. I quickly released the pent-up magic into the leg manacles of a miner closer to me, who was two ces down the line from those who had reced the first shift. I concluded that the spell, at level one at least, possessed a range between forty and fifty meters at a rough educated guess. I kept five points in reserve in case I suffered any ¡®idents¡¯ while working to cast Heal, with one point as a buffer against Mana Sickness. I encountered neither Durhit nor Kidu for the rest of the day. Perhaps the guards had singled them out too for extra monitoring? The day ended with my usual exhaustion, my Health in the low seventies. I had pushed my body to the extreme, even using Power Strike once against the rock when I felt that our minders were not looking, with somewhat impressive results. The wicked blow had carved a great gouge through the rock. Though it burned through my precious Stamina, I didn¡¯t regret the action as it allowed me to vent a little of my frustrations. I imagined smashing the pickaxe against Degei¡¯s smug face. At the evening meal, the other ves still looked at me with some fear in their eyes. No doubt the tales had grown about my encounter with the Nord man-mountain Harun the Iron and my sessful showing at the winnowing. Still, I was never the most popr person in a group in my old life, so it did not bother me too much. Better to be feared than live in fear, a rather Machiavellian line of thinking, I considered to myself. Despite all of this, however, I did have somepanions, if not friends; the dwarf and wildman. In the manner of those at the bottom rung of a society¡¯sdder, we had bonded. Clinging perhaps subconsciously to a false sense of superiority. The wildman with his unbroken spirit, the dwarf with his diligent pride, and myself knowing that I hade from a more civilized world. A certain glumness came over me then, as I had no gains in Strength from my time in the mines, though I had still gained a small amount of experience. Kidu and Durhit were not so talkative this evening. The reason for their reticence I ascribed to the general rigor of a ve¡¯s lot. After the evening meal, and just before it was time for sleep, I washed off the dirt and grime from a day¡¯s hard work as best I could. Before sleeping, I cast Heal on myself and knotted muscles rxed, small wounds I had never noticed healing across my body. A tiny stony fragment that had embedded into my flesh, perhaps from my overenthusiastic strikes against the rock, ttered to the earthen ground, pushed out by regenerating flesh. A warm balm washed over me, more soothing than any song, and lulled me to sleep as it took away the aches and pain of the day. Book 1: Chapter 21: A Change of Circumstance Book 1: Chapter 21: A Change of Circumstance The Eastern Alliance vastly underestimated the depths to which a free people would resist an oppressor, and troops of the kingdom now known to be called the Republic of Arastia fought with great zeal and fervor. They knew what fate awaited every single man, woman, and child should they be a conquered people. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC My magic healed my body but in my vanity, I noticed it did nothing for the marks and scars I was umting here and there. The days followed one another in a slow steady rhythm, with little change for a further three days. Work, eat, work, heal, and sleep was my monotonous daily routine. However, on the fourth day, I took my morning toilet a little earlier than usual, due to waking from a nightmare of being pursued by sharp-ded dark things. I could just make out a woman of middling years, with a face set with hard lines of grief, making her way to Degei before his regr motivational morning speech. Gold circles were threaded throughout her raven-ck hair and tinkled as she walked. I could not help but feel that her features were familiar, but in my morning state, my mind failed to make a connection. A small leather purse was exchanged and Degei nodded solemnly to the woman, raising the purse a little higher with both hands before stuffing it into the loose folds of his clothes. Subsequently, I was made to work even harder in the mines that day. I nowbored four shifts with only a few hours rest after my evening meal, before I joined another ve gang to toil away in the dark blue depths. I was being worked to death. My mind, in its own twisted humor, noted that this gave me little time to have words and socialize with my newfoundpanions. Despite my circumstance working against me, we were able to hurriedly exchange asional snippets at brief intervals in the day. I made sure to pace myself, but this new grueling menu of work meant that I had to dedicate five points of Mana every day just to keep my body in working condition. However, thanks to this new forced work n, I had started to gain rapidly in status points and skills. I had attained two points of Strength and another skill point in Hammers. My near-sleepless nights had earned me another point in Constitution, as well raising both my Endurance and Rest skills. I had earnestly tried to raise my Rust spell and was rewarded with an increase in Intelligence and Wisdom, as well as finally raising the spell to level two. More importantly, thanks to mybors I was gaining in experience. Putting aside my nightmarish conditions, the avid gamer inside of me actually looked forward to the next day and the opportunity to earn even more experience. One small moment of levity that lightened my spirits for a day was a guard being berated by Degei for the state of his equipment. Unbeknownst to him, I had been casting Rust on his gear. He looked genuinely shocked at the state of his armor and weapons as the Overseer gave him a dressing down. I had also secretly cast Rust on Kidu¡¯s cor with some trepidation one evening before my spell had leveled up and gained in power. He showed no ill effect as hey in his deep slumber, snoring wildly like a bear. I was satisfied to observe that there were a few splotches of rust about the edges of his cor the next day. Through these observations, I concluded that it would be safe to cast Rust on my own cor. Through gritted teeth, I cast it that same evening to no ill effects, save for the usual feeling of wrongness and a very slight warm feeling around my neck where the metal contacted my skin. I had learned to effectively block out the sibnt whispers that seemed to transpire from just behind me when I cast Rust. This proved, in my mind at least, that humans are remarkably adaptable and able topartmentalize the strangest of things. I wondered if those involved in the cruel ve trade business were able to return to their families at the end of a long day¡¯s work with smiles on their faces and love in their eyes. Did the hand that held the whip also pat the head of an innocent child? Though mentally exhausted, I was certainly growing stronger. What didn¡¯t kill me could only make me stronger, I muttered to myself, remembering the famous quote from Nietzche. I needed to make my way out of here and escape. I was reasonably certain that Degei was already trying to kill me indirectly, and at this rate, who knew how much longer I wouldst? It was only my magic, my prodigious Constitution, and Adita¡¯s sympathy that had allowed me to survive under my current horrendous conditions. Just as I was mulling these thoughts over, there was a rumble that quaked through the ground. The sounds of nging industry stopped as the reverberations shook the encampment, a sense of panic infecting the air. The earthquake, for it could be nothing else, rattled the building around me as a stampede of ves made for the single entrance. Rising quickly on unsteady feet, I hurried to join them in exiting the stables. Not before long, guards woken from their sleep stormed to the pens with a tired-looking Degei in tow. The guards violently ordered us to form orderly lines, the lick of a club or whip more threatening than the shaking of the earth as we waited for the rumblings to subside. I could hear the ignorant ves whisper to each other something aboutnd dragons stirring, or the Earth Mother being angry, and other such superstitious nonsense. The locals probably had no idea about the mechanics of tectonic activities and continental drift. However, a small part of me did wonder, that perhaps maybe, just maybe, it could actually be the work of actualnd dragons. ¡°Get back to sleep the lot of you! Work tomorrow! Back! Back I say dogs!'''' Degei ordered half shouting, his words enforced with the stinging crack of studded leather. I made my way back inside along with the other ves, ourmon fear of Degei overriding our dread of the angry earth, so well were some of us broken by fear of the whip. Lying on my pallet I tried to whisper to Kidu, but the snoring noises from his direction confirmed to me that he was already asleep. It would be churlish of me to steal him from it. Turning to my right, I whispered out to Durhit. I was barely able to make out his craggy face in the gloom, and was met with an annoyed grunt. ¡°Best be going asleep manling, tomorrow will be the hardest darkest day yet, mark my words,¡± he said in his attempt at a quiet voice, before turning on his side and facing away from me, closing off all further avenues of inquiry. Apprehensive and annoyed, I cast Rust impulsively at my cor. I felt the familiar ufortable and inimical sensation flow throughout my body, before I released it into the ve cor on my neck. The whispers had be stronger, and the crackle of the ck lightning¡¯s pulses felt more and more like the beat of a living creature now that the spell had increased in level. The cor on my neck grew unbearably hot, almost sizzling my skin and filling the air with a sickeningly appetizing smell. It skirted the borders of agony, taking a chunk off my Health before subsiding to just painfully hot. I grit my teeth at the unexpected sensation, the strength of the reaction taking mepletely by surprise. But there, alone in the darkness, I was unwilling to let out a sound and draw attention to myself. Just then, I thought I heard something crack or give in the cor, like the sound of an errant foot slowly stepping on an expensive and fragile toy. I could feel a coarse sandy sensation where the metal met my neck. Tentative shaking fingers reached to confirm the state of my cor, but I stopped myself just before they brushed against the slowly cooling hot surface, remembering the pain when I had previously touched it. My mind scrambled for a solution to my predicament before I remembered an old staple of mine: Identify. At least perhaps in this way I could check the durability of the cor. Guiding my magic to the cor, I made a wee discovery. Iron ve Cor Durability 294/400 Hands shaking now, hesitant and unsure, as if unwilling to test the truth of a mirage in a desert, I touched the cor. Nothing happened. Sweet blessed, nothing happened; no pain, no lightning shock. Touching the cor again several times to affirm my discovery, I began to cry silent tears of joy. Even in my heightened emotional state, my mind sought to exin what had happened. The ¡®Iron ve Cor of Obedience¡¯ had lost its suffix and was now just a simple ¡®Iron ve Cor¡¯. Though I was never particrly gifted with the sciences, my improved Intelligence had helped me attain this sudden realization. The rapid oxidation of my iron cor caused by my improved Rust spell had released a great deal of heat in an exothermic reaction, which of course then caused damage by inflicting me with perhaps first or second-degree burns. This could be a boon, in that the effects of the spell were more rapid and significant. On the other hand, it also meant it would now be difficult for me to apply the spell against enemies secretly and without their knowledge. I hoped the dark energies released when I cast the spell proved to still be invisible, and with some chagrin, I noticed that the spell had cost an additional point of Mana. The coarse sandy feeling I felt around the area below my neck was probably oxide or rust that had shaken loose. I hypothesized that the degradation of the cor likely messed with its delicate mechanics or magical circuitry, or whatever crazy system they used to keep a man in a state of very in this magical world. Fearing a potential tetanus infection, despite my rtively high Constitution, I quickly cast Heal on myself. I checked the status of my character as the feeling of my skin knitting over was most ufortable, but the soothing balm that spread throughout my body that apanied it assuaged my concerns. With only four points of Mana remaining, and an unknown amount of time before I would probably be called to an even more grueling day, I decided to rest. Though my talks with Durhit and Kidu had stoked once more the desire for adventure, my own actions this evening had lit a burning need within myself to be free. What I had taken for granted in my old world was the thing I craved most here. My wise choice to rest had also rewarded me with a notification, the universe appearing to agree with my actions. You have gained 1 Wisdom STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 6 Acolyte of Avaria Strength22 Dexterity13 Constitution28 Intelligence18 Wisdom14 Charisma9 Luck13 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.2) Endure (lvl.3) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.2) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.1) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.2) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) Hammers (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) Rust (lvl.2) Identify (lvl.2) Silent Casting (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 970/991 Health96/117 Stamina39/45 Mana4/12 Book 1: Chapter 22: Dangerous Conditions Book 1: Chapter 22: Dangerous Conditions The people of the New Empire say that the best ves are those who are born into very, they have known nothing else besides the discipline of the whip and the benevolence of a master. These chattels will often work much harder and are one of the pirs of a well-run house. For surely iron and steel may rust but the threat of punishment once learned is until death. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 A.C It seemed I had only just closed my eyes when a cruel steel-capped boot kicked me in the stomach, hitting for about six points of damage. It was one of my minders, a narrow-eyed and spiteful-looking man d in a motley collection of rust-speckled chain and leathers. He had evidently tried to wake me before, and this was his second kick. Perhaps there was a disadvantage to the Pain Nullification skill after all. To avoid further harassment, I got to my feet as quickly as my sleep-starved body allowed me. Like a child used to the cane, I followed the group as quickly as possible out of the building. The distant sound of industry that had pervaded the area around the mines had quietened significantly after the initial quake. The disappearance of the sound of nging metal and belching bellows lent a certain solemn atmosphere to our morning gathering. As our minders grouped us into passable rows, another small rumble of the earth threatened to shatter the serenity of the morning. A scared ve screamed in an octave higher than usual. After a crack of the whip had reduced the vocal ve to a curled gibbering wreck on the floor, a group of rough-looking individuals of various races and skin color, perhaps a dozen strong, entered the assembly grounds. Some were tall and muscr, like meaty bs that had discovered the fine art of walking on two legs. Others were whipcord thin, lean, agile-sure of step, and quick of movement. A few dwarves were scattered about their number, dour and stout, with bushy eyebrows and long beards of various colors. Most interesting of all was what I recognized as an orc, who hulked over the rest of the group. An olive green bestial being ofyered muscles and sharp jutting tusks that rose from an extended underbite. On his sloped scarred head, a single topknot of purple hairpleted the fierce appearance. Fists the size of small boulders clenched and rxed repeatedly at his side, a sign of barely restrained animalistic fury. Most of them had bodies scarred with the loving kiss of the whip, and eyes hard and unforgiving as cruel winter. Some had the demeanor of those who had been victims of great cruelty, and in suffering those cruelties wanted to pass them on tenfold to the weaker and more vulnerable. And all bore a thick iron ve cor almost identical to my own. Kidu and I were herded off to join this new group, long sticks from our watchers guiding our way with a few savage flicks, which led Kidu to snarl at them. This in turn caused the wildman to a sharp high pitched yelp, as the magic of his cor worked to send great waves of lightning agony to its host, neutralizing a perceived threat to its masters. As I miraculously supported the massive man who was still spasming with pain, we both somehow made it over to the new group. Upon joining them we were met with calcting stares that seemed to be judging if we were to be part of their pack or just new prey. Surprisingly an uncored Durhit also joined our party. Dwarven expertise with stone, a valuablemodity in our next venture, I figured. Now separated from the main group of ves, our wolf pack of troublemakers was addressed by the Overseer Degei himself, who was nked by his usual burly guards. Unlike the previous asion, the guards seemed tense, scanning our motley crew of individuals with practiced gazes, searching for any threats against their master. I lowered my eyes to not draw attention, which evoked a few snickers from the hardened crowd around me. ¡°The recent shakings of the earth have caused a copse in one of the portside shafts near a particrly valuable vein of ore,¡± Overseer Degei began suddenly in a voice that contradicted his small size. ¡°You will work under the guidance of this dwarf,¡± he nodded in Durhit¡¯s direction before continuing, ¡°Should the shaft be cleared of fallen debris and the way open once more for industry, in good time all here will be allowed a turn with a female of your choice from our breeding stock. And two days of rest. Should we fall behind, you will be left to the kind ministrations of our most experienced flesh-sculptors with no food for a week.¡± He finished thest with an aplomb only those granted the mantle of authority for many years could marshal. It was to be the carrot and the stick, then. My new group began to make their way to the mines, some with avid lust on their features. Most horrifying of all was the orc, who looked like a wild beast in heat as he greedily picked up a mining pick and shovel in each of his giant hands. As I made to grab a familiar pickaxe, Durhit ced a hand gently on my shoulder and shook his head. He gave me a shovel and arge sturdy-looking wicker basket to ce around my shoulders. ¡°Dangerous work this, you¡¯ll be wanting to stay back as far as possible. Might not be improving your chances by much, but they will be improved nheless,¡± he spoke in his sage gravelly voice. Grudgingly I took his advice and ced the basket about my shoulders, giving my thanks before catching up with the rest of the group. A group of four mean-looking guards, who carried an assortment of intimidating blunt and ded weapons, was our escort to the mines. As we got closer and entered the dank passage, Durhit made his way to the front of the group. Our escorts ced themselves at the entrance, exchanging worried nces at each other as they counted out our numbers on an abacus as we set foot in the mine¡¯s gaping maw. Near the entrance were scattered abandoned tools and various detritus from ves and their minders who had abandoned their posts when the earthquake hit. We ventured deeper into the mines and took the furthest left tunnel. As we continued further down we saw that some wooden beams supporting the ceiling were askew, and in some ces even broken or toppled with great bs of rock and earthen debris half blocking our way. This all served to cast a worrying pall over the group. No one wanted to be trapped under hundreds of tonnes of earth and rock. Durhit ordered supports to beid at various locations. Under his and some of the other dwarves'' directions, our team efficiently ced lumber to temporarily buttress the ceiling and help prevent a future cave-in. Another small tremor rattled the mines, causing a light dusting of rock powder to fall from the ceiling in the dim blue unnatural glow. Everyone¡¯s apprehension took to the forefront of their thoughts. Even the orc paused, sniffing the air for a moment as fear and lust warred across his porcine features. ¡°Just a little shake, nothing to worry about. The faster we get this done the faster we can get out of this cursed hole,¡± one of the dwarves said to encourage the rest of the group. ¡°That¡¯s what your sire said to your dam, you stunty bastard!¡± one of the gigantic human meat bs replied, which earned him a hard look from the other dwarves. It appeared that the dwarves were sensitive about their height. The others howeverughed at the jibe, breaking the sudden tension in the air as we went back to work. I tried to force out of my mind the fact that above my head were several metric tonnes of earth and rock. Never had I been particrlyfortable in confined spaces, but that sudden quake had tested my nerve, and a part of me felt close to breaking. Nothing in my skillset or arsenal of spells could aid in the sudden and random event of a cave-in. Book 1: Chapter 23: Lucky Strike Book 1: Chapter 23: Lucky Strike It wille from thend of tall metal spires and poisonous fog. Hunger never sated by the harvest of the sands. Come it will to the sea that is no more, chained and buried in halls of milk-stone. Grave risen, will im the consuming end. Scion of the ravenous people. False justice and father of chaos. Herald of the final cataclysm. - Attributed to the Wrack Witch before her execution circa 245 A.C Our group eventually advanced to a blocked part of the shaft. Arge amount of stone had fallen from the ceiling,pletely obstructing further passage to the deeper parts of the mine. Some of the other dwarves counseled that we dig around the shaft to create a small connecting tunnel. Durhit, however, made the decision that we ce beams to support the roof while we break up therger pieces of stone and clear the way. The work was backbreaking, but our group worked fast under the skill and guidance of the dwarves, even without the extra motivational support of the whip. I was shoveling gravel and other loose detritus into my wicker basket when I was approached by a man of average height, lean and feral looking, with scars running up and down his limbs. A receding hairline, thinning hair, and bald spot on the top of his head painted the picture of a tonsured monk. A rakish smile crossed his face as he began to talk with me. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen your type before around here. Name¡¯s Elwin, Elwin Tucker,¡± he said in a jovial tone so incongruous to the setting, before cing his shovel in his left hand and reaching out to shake my hand in his calloused grip. Pumping his hand half enthusiastically, I returned with, ¡°Never been to these parts, though I think the hospitality and amodations are a littlecking. I believe I would very much like to put an end to my sojourn in thesends.¡± The start of a small smile reached the corner of my mouth, his cordial attitude infectious, ¡°Name¡¯s Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh of Uruk.¡± ¡°Hah! I¡¯ll drink to that Gil, if only there was anything to drink. You don¡¯t mind if I call you Gil, like? No escaping now that they got you,¡± he pointed at his heavy iron cor, ¡°you can put one of these things on a giant and that thing isn¡¯t going to be going anywhere fast!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know about that.¡± I could feel my tongue being loosened by his easy-going charisma, and I had to make a concerted mental effort to stop myself from foolishly continuing. ¡°I mean I¡¯ve never had one of these bits of lovely jewelry on me before,¡± I finishedmely. The man looked at me quizzically before continuing his work, ¡°Not exactly forck of trying on my part. I tried many things with this thing here. Tried hitting it with something, tried getting my mates to hit it with something, and now that took some doing. Grinding against some hard rock, now let me tell you that is not exactly easy. Felt like I was sawing away at my neck! Everything ended in pain,¡± he shoveled another load of dirt and gravel, ¡°Once, was even able to get a good distance out of this here lovely holiday spot. I was caught by those cursed Children. Writhing on the ground in pain so great I¡¯m sure my bastard children¡¯s children will feel it. They had a goodugh at that.¡± The temptation to tell him that there was perhaps a way out grew along with my sympathy, but I knew I had to keep this particr ace close to my chest. I had only just met him, and I began to wonder if this was some sort of test. I had absolutely no reason to trust this man, affable though he may be. Venturing to change the topic, I gave him the abridged version of my origins, necessarily leaving out the detail abouting from Earth. Unlike Kidu and Durhit, he seemed a little skeptical about my story, but was nheless sympathetic toward my feigned memory loss. At some point in the telling, Kidu, who was busy smashing up rocks close by, began to interject on asion, correcting some of the details to suit his own version of events. The brutish orc was carving up the stones in front of him, a pickaxe in each hand, gouging through the stone with consummate ease and bestial fury. Kidu responded in turn, blonde dreadlocks swinging with each mighty flourish of his mining tool, and it appeared that a sort of rivalry had grown between the two. Elwin and I hurried to keep gathering the smaller stones and detritus out of the way. During a small lull in the work, even the formidable Kidu had to cede reluctant victory to the orc. Impressed by Kidu¡¯s performance, I decided to surreptitiously cast an Identify on him, as he sucked in air like the great bellows from a forge. I was a little surprised that I hadn¡¯t thought of doing it before. Kidu Kreshin - Hunter (Human lvl.11) Health 211/214 Stamina 02/47 Mana 5/5 Kidu''s statistics were impressive, and it was little wonder how he was able to keep up with the orc for as long as he had. His ss designation of Hunter made sense from his tales of the frozen north of his home, his skills no doubt honed by dealing with the great beasts that lived there. We asked Elwin about his own origins. The temptation to cast the spell on him as he began his little tale was strong, but I decided to refrain until we were at a safer locale. ¡°My tale is a simple one. I was a Forester for a lord. My whole family were Foresters since way back in the March Reaches,¡± he began in his naturally friendly timbre, ¡°Protecting the lord¡¯s game from hungry types and the asional goblin was our lot in life. One year, after perhaps the bitterest winter and poorest harvest of the ages, I found out that one of my neighbor¡¯s sons had been putting in a little extra in his game bag. Wilf, Silf, can¡¯t even remember his name now¡­that was another lifetime. But I do remember that it was hard to enforce Reach justice, which called for death for the crime of poaching. All of this was for a lord I had only met once, on a man who had a starving family and a wailing bairn. I let it go, perhaps even snuck him a bit of coin every now and again.¡± He paused for a moment as if gathering himself. ¡°It began with poaching, and it seemed that poaching was a stepping stone to banditry for young Wilf. Needless to say that someone deep in their cups told someone else, and then a different someone pointed a finger at me. The Arbitrator said I was responsible for the crimes of the man who I willingly turned a blind eye to, that I was a corrupt civil servant. I was sold to pay for someone else¡¯s crime and as a demonstration of the Lord¡¯s authority. And here I am, toiling under the earth, when I should be under the boughs of the trees breathing in the clean forest air.¡± Elwin tried to finish in resignation, but he couldn¡¯t quite help adding, ¡°Which sure beats the stench of youds, could kill a full-grown buck just standing downwind of you folks. I¡¯d probably be dead already if my nose already wasn¡¯t!¡± We replied with a weakugh, as a dour gray-bearded dwarf gestured for us to get back to work with a scowl and a wave of a shovel that scraped the ceiling, coating his beard with fine white rock dust that looked like blue snow in the gloom. ¡°I wish nothing more than to be free and wreak vengeance on the Children!¡± Kidu dered in his simplistic way, in a voice filled with strong determination as he resumed carving up the rock, no doubt imagining he was caving in the faces of the Children of the Tides. A few hourster, we had finally cleared enough of the shaft¡¯s obstructions for two abreast to walk through. Under the blue glow of the Zajasite lightstones, we allowed ourselves a small break to rest our tired and sore muscles. Durhit sent Elwin back up to the surface to call for much-needed supplies. A group of younger ves, with Elwin at the lead, returned to uster. Water-bearers brought with them bread in baskets, which we scarfed down almost as quickly as they handed them out. A familiar face passed, eyes hot with rage, but downturned in fear. ¡°Gunne,¡± I stated. The boy flinched that I had remembered him. ¡°Son of Gunug. Will you have your vengeance this day?¡± I continued slowly, my tone filled with petty spite. To his credit, he didn¡¯t rise to the provocation, and silently handed out my portion of bread just as Durhit arrived to check up on us. ¡°Don¡¯t be terrorizing thed too much. We are¡­¡± he began just before the earth suddenly rumbled, and the walls shook as if receiving blows from mighty fists. Losing bnce, I was tossed against the wall. My shovel identally struck a ve whose name I did not know to the ground, as powerful vibrations shook throughout the mines. Our hastily made supports quivered against the seismic forces, stone dust falling from the ceiling. Somewhere in the rumbling, I could hear wailing and panicked screaming as the earth continued convulsing like an angry and uncaring god. A splitting rip as one of the supports exploded under the strain like a tree in the coldest winter, a gunshot sound adding to the cacophony of chaos. This began a horrible chain reaction as rocks began to fall from the ceiling. First small loose stones and gravel hit with a rattling sound, followed by hulking jagged boulders which added further disorder and injury to the blue-stained pandemonium. I was met with a notification as the ve I had identally struck was smashed by arge rock, squashing him utterly under its great weight. You have in a Human 95 experience gained You have gained 1 Luck You have gained 1 Dexterity You have reached level 7 3 unassigned attribute points 1 unassigned skill point Even as the earth rumbled in its rage, rocks falling everywhere, the countdown to assign my skills began. In a split-second decision, I added a skill point to Dodge, and as was my wont, I put all of my attribute points into Constitution. Being a fraction more agile, I was able to avoid another falling rock and was even able to push Kidu out of the way of arge plummeting white stone just in time. That was thest thing I remembered, as something hard hit me on the back of the head, followed instantly by a sharp pain that rattled my skull. Then the world went ck and I knew no more. Book 1: Chapter 24: Small Mercies Book 1: Chapter 24: Small Mercies With the cost in blood ever-rising as the war raged on, the leader of the Alliance, the Elven High King even offered amnesty to the Republic on the condition that they surrender their leader in chains. This was met with derision by the senate and their envoy was sent back with a message that there would be no surrender to the savage barbarians from across the seas. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC ck things that stabbed, while whispering sweet promises of releases, gued me as I woke up with a feral scream. Disorientation filled me as I looked around the blue gloom. The insides of my skull felt like mashed jelly as I tried to desperately take stock of my situation. Gingerly I touched the back of my head to find it crusted with dried blood. I winced inwardly as I checked my Status and character, noticing that I had sustained significant damage in thest quake. Chuckling to myself quietly, which soon turned to a dry cough, I remembered that I had gained a level and a few attribute points when I had inadvertently killed a fellow ve. Looking over my character sheet, I confirmed my gains and Status. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 7 Acolyte of Avaria Strength22 Dexterity14 Constitution31 Intelligence18 Wisdom14 Charisma9 Luck14 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.2) Endure (lvl.3) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.1) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.2) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) Hammers (lvl.2) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) Rust (lvl.2) Identify (lvl.2) Silent Casting (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 1065/1289 Health93/147 Stamina45/49 Mana12/12 It appeared that my short sojourn into unconsciousness had counted as a rest. This had thankfully regenerated the lion¡¯s share of my Stamina, my Mana, and some of my Health. Even in my current weakened state, I would be more than a match for a few Bibsis, I wryly mused. Groggily I tried to rise, only to be stopped when I realized my right leg was trapped. A b of white stone had fallen across it, stained blue in the Zajasite glow. Straining, I tried to push off the rock and was met with a sharp pain thatpeted with my other previously experienced agonies. Gritting my teeth, I began to push. Straining ever harder against the cold stone b, I finally managed to move it off, which was apanied by a final grinding noise that I hoped was not the sound of breaking bone. Whimpering a little, I tried to gather myself, finding it difficult to cast Heal through the pain. Finally, after a few long agonizing seconds, I was able toplete the spell with a short mental shout as it filled me with familiar warmth. My leg wondrously healed before me, bringing me almost to full Health. I felt a wave of relief that I had put nearly all my level-up skill points into the Heal spell. Taking a brief moment to collect my wits after that arduous experience, I looked around at what was left of the tunnel. Great bs of stone had fallen randomly and crushed and killed most of the ves. The path to the surface waspletely blocked, there would be no rescue from that direction. My eyes cast through the gloom searching for familiar shapes and faces, before alighting on the great bulk that could only have been Kidu. Scrambling to his side I could see that he was covered in gashes and cuts across his great limbs and trunk, linen tunic bloodstained in many ces. By the grace of the gods, Kidu was still breathing, his massive chest rising and falling, albeit erratically. His breath was raspy and strained. Focusing my power I cast Heal. Now, instead of focusing the power inwards, I pushed it outside of myself and through my hands into the giant¡¯s body. I sighed mentally in relief, as I was unsure if the magic would even work on another being. I watched the healing power flow through Kidu¡¯s body, closing several of his wounds. As he began to breathe easier, I sat down cross-legged beside therge man, mentally exhausted. A sound halfway between a whimper and a wail distracted me from my reverie, and I turned in its direction. Leaving Kidu¡¯s side, I made my way to the pitiful sound. In the gloom, I spied Durhit¡¯s short solid shape hunched over a small form. As I came closer, I saw that the small shape was in fact a person. It was none other than Gunne son of Guug, the boy barely into his teens who had sworn vengeance against me for killing Harun. Looking back at my actions, I was somewhat perturbed at what I had done with the man Gunne had idolized. Did the crime of cutting in line merit such violent reaction? Had this world already changed me to such a frightening degree? Still, I realized, the experience from his death was probably instrumental in helping me survive this far. This world rewarded killers after all. Gunne was mewling something weakly, his lithe youthful body half crushed by rocks, a puddle of red forming around him. Durhit was holding his hand gently, offering soft meaningless words offort to him in his final moments. Durhit then looked up at me, and I imagined that his eyes were perhaps a little shiny with the start of tears in the gloom. ¡°The boy, he is in great pain, I have seen this like before¡­in the field¡± He paused for a moment, ¡°I can¡¯t do it again, and you are, well you know¡­¡° I raised a single eyebrow, which he may not have noticed. ¡°Take away his suffering, he might be a long time dying otherwise,¡± he begged of me softly, thest barely a whisper. Cowardice and weakness threaded into his plea. I looked down at the boy and his mangled body, and perhaps a little too eagerly I picked up a mining pick from a pile of loose rubble, its point wicked in the gloom. I wanted this pathetic NPC to suffer for a long time, to feel even a fraction of the pain and humiliation that I had felt when he dared to threaten me. However, mentally shrugging my shoulders, it was free experience and Durhit was practically begging me. Without any further ceremony, I looked into Gunne¡¯s eyes as they widened slowly in horror as I raised the pickaxe. His hands clenching, his mewling growing a fraction louder in desperation. Durhit began saying something like ¡°It is all going to be alright,¡± or some other pointless tripe, as I brought the pickaxe down in cathartic anger into his skull, smashing what remained of his youthful features. You have in Gunne 70 experience gained Book 1: Chapter 25: Give & Take Book 1: Chapter 25: Give & Take The Great Below, the Everdark, and the Realm of Shadowed Rock are just a few names given to the great expanse that lies beneath the surface. The Dwarven miners of old were said to have first made entry there even before the cataclysm. Great artifacts from bygone ages are said to lie there, guarded by monsters and natives who have only known the embrace of the night. Adventurers from the guild have been sent on countless expeditions to map out its depths, searching for a fabled treasure trove said to lie in a ce called the ¡°Inverse Mountain.¡± - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 A.C Something broke in Durhit then, as he began to cry silent tears. I was simply disappointed that Gunne¡¯s death was only worth seventy experience points, and did not bring about any improvements to my attributes or skills. Gunne, almost useless to the end. For a fleeting second, I also wondered how much experience I could get if I finished off Kidu in his weakened state¡­ ¡°Get yourself together Durhit,¡± I said as I moved to touch his shoulder in false sympathy, ¡°We need to get out of here before the rest of this tunnel caves in.¡± ¡°Gunne, he was a goodd. Always arrived on time, always willing to give a smile. You know he had a lovely singing voice? That¡¯s why that gheap Harun took him under his wing.¡± He rubbed his eyes, ¡°Goodd, shouldn¡¯t have ended like this.¡± ¡°Are you ok¡­I mean, alright Durhit?¡± He looked at me quizzically as I subconsciously used the unfamiliar English word. ¡°Kidu is in a bad way and we need to move him. I can¡¯t heave his great bulk alone,¡± I said, pointing to the wildman¡¯s prone form. Something in my words spoke to his sense of responsibility as a leader, and he rose up on his two short legs. Giving Gunne¡¯s remains ast forlorn look, filled with mncholy, he pped himself on the face with both palms. ¡°You speak the truth, Gilgamesh. Let us get Kidu to a ce of safety and search for other survivors. In the undermines a quake like this is usually followed by others, often more deadly than the first,¡± he intoned in his gravelly voice, before setting his shoulders and walking purposefully in Kidu¡¯s direction. We moved Kidu as far as we could down the tunnels before having to stop for rest. Quickly, we returned to look for any more survivors. I began to shout but was quickly stopped by Durhit, who sped a firm rough hand across my mouth. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be shouting after a cave-in. Quakes are bad enough, could bring down the whole thing on us!¡± he warned in a stern voice, looking at me intently. I nodded my understanding and we continued our search for survivors in low voices, listening carefully for any sign. Durhit picked up a fallen Zajasite stone, casting its light around the area, its blue glow throwing up strange shadows in the darkness. As the dwarf was searching, I decided to do something to improve my situation. Not wanting to hurt myself, I focused on a single link of the manacles around my legs. I slowly released the Rust spell, barely registering the scratchy alien whispers and the radiated heat. ck lightning flowed down into the metal, corroding and eating away at it in the gloom. After a time, the energy had subsided to a light thrumming and I called out to Durhit softly, making my way toward his moving light. Tripping on something in the gloom, a hand suddenly gripped my ankle. I gave a shrieked yelp which drew the dwarf¡¯s attention. Looking down in surprise, I could just about discern Elwin¡¯s features, covered as he was in rock dust. He looked like some sort of mud or earth elemental. ¡°Could you check where you¡¯re stepping?¡± Elwin said with a grimace before coughing, ¡°Also a little help if you would be so kind?¡± He chuckled, wincing in pain. Durhit quickly made his way over, helping me to raise Elwin up as we supported him on both sides. His arms draped loosely around our shoulders as we moved him further down the tunnel. ¡°Wait here and keep an eye on these two, I¡¯ll be going back to look for anything useful to keep us alive in this mess,¡± the dwarf spoke in amanding voice, and I nodded my assent. ¡°Well thanks a lot back there, now instead of dying quickly I get to die slow. Not like we can go anywhere too far with these,¡± Elwin said, darkly pointing at his cor, ¡°And not like our glorious masters will be sending a rescue party down a dangerous mine to get some trouble ves! d the big man made it through, at least we¡¯ll all be eating well before we die of thirst,¡± he finished with a dispirited sigh that echoed around in the gloom. The situation was dire; the threat of being buried alive was very real, and I needed all the help I could get. The time for keeping things close to my chest was over, and I needed to roll the dice. ¡°There might be a way to neutralize these cors,¡± I said slowly and hesitantly. Unease crept over me with my sudden confession. ¡°I told you befored, I¡¯ve tried just about everything, except for magic¡­¡± He paused, understanding slowly dawning in his eyes. ¡°The big man said something about you being god-touched,¡± he uttered solemnly. ¡°There is however a problem, it might be a little painful¡­and I need to rest before I make the attempt,¡± I replied, uncertainty obvious in my tone. ¡°Ha! I knew it all along. I knew you were hiding something big. Ad like you could have never taken out a Nord like Haran if you didn¡¯t have something special in you,¡± he said almost too quickly for me toprehend, his voice animated with childish excitement. ¡°But first I¡¯ll need something from you¡­¡± I raised a hand and he stopped yammering almost instantly. Give and take, the simplenguage of transactions was what a man like Elwin understood. ¡°Tell me quickly what you know about magic,¡± I breathed, attempting to contain my eagerness for this esoteric knowledge. ¡°Can¡¯t say I know much myself,¡± he started before noticing my expression, ¡°...And I don¡¯t know anything more than what ismonly known, also don¡¯t think this is the best of time to be wagging tongues. But that bit of magic you used just there, never heard of its like before and I don¡¯t really see how it¡¯s going to help us get out of this little predicament. That is unless you¡¯ve got a few other different tricks in the bag?¡± he asked, an edge of desperation to his usual good humor. He was right, now was perhaps not the best of times to be having this conversation. But I thirsted for any scrap of information. Was the man holding out and hiding something from me? I looked him in the eye, now not quite trusting the man. After casting Identify on him, my suspicions were confirmed. Elwin Tucker - Rogue (Human lvl.12) Health 74/132 Stamina 27/38 Mana 10/10 Most certainly not a Forester then, which meant I probably couldn¡¯t trust his spiel about his tragic past. For all I knew HE could have been the poacher turned bandit in his little story. Challenging him on this would be of little advantage to me at this moment, and I would have to reveal another of my abilities if I did so. I had no way of knowing if what he told me truly was justmon knowledge in this world. Something in my gut told me not to trust the charismatic Rogue fully just yet. I was able to take some assurance that from his Status I was probably a little stronger than him physically, despite his higher level if it came to blows. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± I replied weakly. ¡°I¡¯ll need rest to gather my strength, can you and Durhit watch over me and Kidu?¡± I began as I leaned against the rock. ¡°You do whatever it is you need to, now that I know you can help me get away from this cursed hole I¡¯ll be guarding you with my life, even if the Dark Lady pays a visit!¡± he answered enthusiastically, thumping a fist to his chest. The reference to the Dark Lady didn¡¯t ring any bells for me, but I figured it must be some grim entity held in terror in this world. Speaking to him had opened up more questions than answers, but at least I could be assured of his motives. Our only hope was to work through this together, we would all die together, here, underground. Durhit raised the Zajasite crystal, its dull blue glow illuminating the walls slightly and dering this length part of the tunnel structurally sound. Deciding to roll fate¡¯s dice, I finally rxed my shoulders and tried to rest. Soon enough I would fall into the clutches of a nightmare of drowning under a nket of dark choking earth. Book 1: Chapter 26: The Darkest Hours Book 1: Chapter 26: The Darkest Hours Most of the creatures found in the deep ces of the earth are best left undisturbed. Most of those underground denizens are pale and blind, living their lives in eternal darkness. Many of the creatures found there are of fearsome aspect; their other senses of smell, hearing, and touch enhanced to a murderous degree. The most fearsome of which is reputed to be the Great Crawler, though no adventurer or explorer has everid eyes on the beast. All that is known about the beast is that as it carves out great tunnels in the rock and earth, it causes great quakes on the surface. Perhaps these are the earth dragons that the uneducated country bumpkins speak of. - Monsters of the Mortal Realms by K. D. Fidditch I was awoken by a rough shaking of my shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s all rightd,¡± I heard a familiar gravelly voice say, as a solid hand shook my shoulders, bringing me from the depths of my bad dream. Groggily I rubbed my face awake to see Durhit¡¯s ash-gray eyes looking intently at me, cold in the Zajasite¡¯s blue light. Turning to my left and right, I could see Kidu now standing arms crossed, hulking and taciturn in the gloom. Elwin Tucker the Rogue positively jumped up when he saw that I was awake. ¡°Can you do it?¡± he asked almost childishly, like a young one before Christmas, desire glowing in his eyes and written in the dark lines of his face. I checked the bottom left of my vision, confirming that my Mana had risen, but not to full. Health147/147 Stamina49/49 Mana9/11 Answering Elwin¡¯s question with one of my own I croaked, voice dry, ¡°How long did I rest for?¡± ¡°About an hour I would say,¡± Durhit answered, ¡°Even for us it''s hard to keep track of the time when you''re in the earth¡¯s embrace.¡± ¡°Hrmm¡­nothing rted but I always wondered, why do they call you little dwarves stone-eaters?¡± Elwin asked offhandedly. Even in the gloom, Durhit¡¯s scowl could be clearly seen, ¡°Because you manlings believe that such is a dwarf¡¯s greed that he would rather eat stone than pay for food!¡± he harrumphed at the Rogue¡¯s derogatory question. ¡°Your cor, I can do something to it. Break its mechanisms I think,¡± I all but blurted to change the subject, unwilling to let the situation escte. All attention suddenly turned to me, and I felt the full onught of their gazes. Kidu uncrossed his arms and tried to speak quietly, but ended up booming and echoing in the darkness, ¡°It is true then, you have a way? You have the truth of it?¡± I nodded in response and replied catingly, ¡°Try touching your cor, please trust me. Not you Elwin!¡± I quickly snapped as Elwin made to touch his cor, stopping just before making contact. Gingerly Kidu touched the cor. I knew for a fact that I had cast Rust on his cor once before, albeit at level one. Hiding my panic as best I could, I realized that I should have cast Identify on his cor before urging him to touch it. I breathed a mental sigh of relief when he suffered no ill effects. ¡°Now, many of the Tide will die, thanks to you Gilgamesh the god-touched. For this gift of freedom, I swear from this day forth we are brothers. My life before yours, always,¡± he vowed solemnly, looking me steadily in the eyes. ¡°Alright, now how about me?¡± Elwin chimed in, raw eagernesscing his voice. ¡°This might hurt a little...well actually to be honest with you this may hurt a lot. You will want to be seated for this,¡± a cautioned worry echoing in my voice. Elwin acknowledged my instructions and sat down on the rocky floor. Anticipating the potential pain, he ripped some fabric from the short sleeve of his tunic, rolled it up, and bit on it before nodding to me. Looking to Kidu to restrain him, I looked the Rogue once more in the eyes. ¡°You sure of this?¡± I asked, knowing his answer before I had even finished. He nodded emphatically, eyes steady with resolve. Drawing my magic towards me, I heard the familiar dark whispers, as an oily feeling of wrongness pervaded my body. The energy felt almost gleeful now, as if wishing to be released. Holding my dominant left hand forward, I unleashed the pent-up energy into Elwin¡¯s ve cor. ck energy roiled across the metal, swirling ever faster in a crescendo of movement. At first, Elwin looked as if nothing was wrong, until his eyes opened in what must have been great pain. A muffled scream reached his lips as he bit down. He closed his mouth tight against the rising heat of the cor as energy was released by the oxidation. A slight tinge of ozoneced the air as esoteric energies devoured the metal, releasing great energies within. This continued for long moments. The energy released from weeks of oxidation,pressed into such a short time frame, was weakening Elwin. Eventually, the roiling energies subsided to a soft thrumming, and the Rogue¡¯s head lolled, his mental and physical endurance at its limits. The smell of lightly charred flesh filled the small space. Durhit, in his wisdom, sshed some precious water from a scavenged canteen across where metal met the skin of the man. It hissed as it hit the hot, now inert, metal and caused Elwin to wake up with a resounding scream that could be heard even through his gag. I moved quickly then to his side, cing both hands around his neck to cast Heal, which at first seemed reluctant to follow my will. Nheless, after tense few moments, I was ultimately able to channel the positive energies into the struggling man, the warm power ameliorating his pain and suffering. His cuts and bruises along his face visibly healed before our eyes, even in the dark gloom. Finally, as the spell ended, he spat out the wad of cloth and took great deep breaths, like a man who hade too close to dying on a distant shore. The hulking Kidu looked at me then, nodding in affirmation to his own wisdom. ¡°By the ancestor spirits, you truly are god-touched. Now I know that I was right to join my spear to yours,¡± the hulking wildman Kidu proimed proudly. Durhit looked confused, conflicting emotions warring across his features, before he said a single word with the impact of a gunshot. ¡°Gunne,¡± he said, almost in a whisper. ¡°Gunne, son of Guug, swore a blood feud against my brother, under what obligation was he to help that brat? Better to die free, than to die as a ve,¡± snarled Kidu, fierce in his protectiveness, like a mother bear. ¡°He was just a child, who had fallen in with a¡­¡± Durhit stammered, surprised at Kidu¡¯s sudden unequivocal defense. ¡°Healing...like this...expensive,¡± wheezed Elwin, slowly recovering from my ministrations. He touched his cor for confirmation, breathing a sigh of relief when no lightning pain paralyzed him. He continued, ¡°Gil here was under no responsibility to help the boy, you know that the good brothers at the temples charge a fortune for his kind of healing!¡± ¡°Just¡­we could have saved him,¡± the dwarf said sombrely, looking sad as his shoulders sagged in surrender. Seeking to clear up the situation, I decided to say my piece. ¡°Durhit, I truly believed the boy was beyond saving. The healing you think could have saved him, I simply could not do it.¡± I looked to Elwin for confirmation before continuing, ¡°I simply could not have done it with the energies I had at the time.¡± Oh, how so easily the lie came to my lips. ¡°I have known many a liar, and I would stake my life and immortal soul on it that Gil here speaks the truth,¡± Elwin was able to say before taking a breath, which seemed toe a little easier now, ¡°As Kidu says, better he died quick and clean than the slow tortured life of a ve. Besides, what else was he to do?¡± I looked at Durhit then, challenging him to disagree. But he said nothing. This must have been a test of some sort, as I received a notification that I had gained another point in Charisma. The old dwarf then just took a sip of water from a canteen before passing it around to the rest of us. We each greedily drank in turn, the stale water having a slightly leather taste as it cleared the palette. The dwarf reached into a wicker basket and produced a single loaf of bread which he divided into four equal pieces, handing out a single chunk to each of us. We ate this humble repast in silence, the recent events on our minds. ¡°Well, what do we do now?¡± Elwin broached tentatively in the silence, looking to Durhit for direction. With no answer forting, I gave a suggestion, subconsciously taking leadership of the group. ¡°First, we break these chains,¡± I said steadfastly, holding up my manacled hands and pointing down to the chains at my feet. Even Durhit perked up, my proposal giving us all clear purpose. cing my hands on a sharp boulder, I turned to Kidu and asked ¡°Will you do the honor of breaking my bondage?¡± Grinning with almost childish glee, Kidu picked up a heavy pickaxe. Lifting it overhead at its apex, he brought it down in a massive swing that crushed through the iron links. A mighty nk echoed down the shaft, and his pickaxe gouged a few inches into the hard rock. The others stared in wonder at his prodigious strength. Smiling down at me, Kidu gestured for me to ce the chains of my legs on the rock, as he struck down once again with his great strength. The chains had been weakened by my Rust spell, and they split apart like ripe fruit, freeing me. At longst, freedom. Even in the blue gloom, I could have sworn that the eyes of the others brightened a little. Next, Kidu solemnly ced his own chains on the rock, almost reverently gesturing for me to break his chains. I picked up another scavenged pickaxe, and unsure if my unaided Strength would be enough, I raised the mining tool above my head and silently released a Power Strike. The results were suitably impressive. Not only did I utterly obliterate the chains, but I also shattered the rock beneath them, almost splitting the small boulder in two with a single blow. Wiping my brow and feigning greater fatigue than I truly felt, I smiled at mypanions with my bravado. They, however, were more focused on the business of bing free. Kidu thanked me quickly. Knuckles facing outwards, he touched the ce between his eyes with an open hand, which I gathered to mean a sign of respect and gratitude. He then turned to help Durhit find another suitable piece of rock. Eventually, we were all able to break our chains. Elwin¡¯s bonds had proven to be particrly resistant, the dwarf and the wildman having to take turns to smash the links. We were all free atst. Though the remains of our manacles still ringed our wrists and ankles, our spirits were much lifted. As we rested in the blue gloom, Durhit made sure to gather up some fallen Zajasite stones, asking Kidu to smash one carefully from the ceiling. He handed us each a glowing blue stone, allowing us all a source of light. ¡°I hate to sound annoying, but what do we do now?¡± asked Elwin to the group, though he looked mostly in my direction. The dwarf suggested, ¡°We need to find water. The area around here is known for its underground streams and rivers. If we can find one, deeper down, we may be able to find a way out of here, but¡­¡± ¡°There is always a ¡®but¡¯ though isn¡¯t there?¡± said the Rogue saucily. ¡°By all means speak on sir dwarf. I am just delighting in my newfound liberty for a moment.¡± ¡°In the deep ces, a few workers had been said to go missing. Strange tunnels were formed that no Overseer was responsible for digging.¡± The dwarf paused. ¡°I believe the deep ces are dangerous and that we should proceed with caution, but it could be our only way out. Going back the way we came would take almost a lifetime digging through that mountain of rubble.¡± He finished, looking each of us in the eye wearily. ¡°I¡¯d rather try for it, than standing around here waiting to die of starvation. I say that we go for it!¡± chirped Elwin. Kidu simply grunted. I just nodded to the dwarf, giving him leadership of the group. ¡°Lead on, I bow to your expertise. I have no understanding of these deep ces as your people do.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Durhit answered back, ¡°Given this old dwarf a little bit of hope back,¡± some of his earlier confidence returning to his voice. Low on Mana, I thought to ask the group for another rest, but their eagerness to leave was infectious. And with that, we gathered up what equipment and scant supplies of water and food we could, and ventured deeper into the earth. Book 1: Chapter 27: A Bid for True Freedom Book 1: Chapter 27: A Bid for True Freedom So incensed by the refusal of what he thought was a reasonable offer of amnesty, the High King of the Elves begged once more with the Dragon Queen for aid, offering a dragon egg''s weight in precious silvery mithril. Greed sinking its ws into her reptilian heart, shemanded that flights of dragonsunch into the sky and rain death and destruction on the Republic. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC We trudged silently down the long tunnels for perhaps an hour or two, small Zajasite stones in our hands casting strange blue shadows in the gloom. Looking to the bottom left of my vision, my Mana had mysteriously risen to three points, and I also received a new notification. You have learned Mana Regeneration (lvl.1) I was grateful for the new skill, and its effects were self-exnatory. The mystery to me, however, was how it had been triggered. Was it due to my constant draining of Mana and then resting? Did it stack with my Rest skill? I pondered these questions futilely before I almost bumped into Durhit, who had raised a hand signaling a stop. Up ahead in the semi-darkness there was an offshoot tunnel. It was almost perfectly circr, and smaller in diameter than the tunnel we were currently in. The dwarf raised a finger to his mouth gesturing for silence, as he looked down into the gloom. Slowly now, we understood the need for caution as we strained our ears, catching the impression of an insectile clicking noise. As stealthily as possible, I ventured to the lip of the new tunnel and gazed down, holding my piece of glowing Zajasite close to my chest. What I saw could only be described as other. A pair of dark, four-armed creatures just over a meter high stood on two reverse-jointed legs. Their feet had sharp-looking ws. A bony cranium sat on a squat, almost non-existent neck. Large hairy antennae protruded from their cranium where eyes would normally be, which twitched as if tasting the air. Instead of a mouth, four deadly mandibles formed a cross shape, clicking together as theymunicated with one another. Two long double-jointed arms extruded from their shoulders, which ended in sharp-looking bone spurs that resembled scythe des. From their chests, smaller, yet more dexterous arms, ended with three wed fingers and an opposable digit for possible maniption. Over their bodies the creatures were armored with pale ridged chitinous scales. These were thicker along their backs and trunks, and finer along their joints. The whole ensemble resembled terrifying albino insectile alien creatures in the blue surreal light. The creatures chittered to each other in their unknowable aliennguage, moth-like heads and antennae moved around as if searching. I noticed a bead of sweat formed on Durhit¡¯s brow as he moved closer, and I could see that he was tensed like a drawn bow. Everyone gripped their worn mining tools, ready for a potential fight. My heart beat like a war drum. An unknown part of me almost weed this potentially cathartic conflict, an alien counterpoint to the fear that I felt in equal measure in that cold dark. ¡°Echo-Stalkers...¡± the Dwarf muttered under his breath, which caused Elwin the Rogue to visibly flinch and take back a step, inadvertently kicking a small pebble. Almost instantly the pair of insectile creatures turned in our direction, antennae swishing almost spasmodically. Their chittering grew in volume, loud in the silence of the tunnel as they stalked closer in our direction, their arm scythe des menacing the air. Adrenaline began pumping through my system as I cast Identify at the rightmost Echo-Stalker to try and gauge the scope of the iing threat. Echo-Stalker - Drone (lvl.6) Health 45/45 Stamina 23/24 Mana 4/4 Suddenly without warning, their antennae stiffened and the chittering stopped as they charged us, their leaping gait bounding through the distance between us. Almost mesmerized by their speed, I saw the right Echo-Stalker run across the wall of the tunnel as it sprung straight at me, dual scythe des raised to stab through my chest. It was met suddenly by a rock thrown with lightning speed by our Rogue,nding smack into the center of its mandibles, half stunning it as it missed its fatal strike. Snapping out of my fugue, I raised my own weapon in a deadly arc to smash into its cranium with a Power Strike. The force of the blow was so powerful that the chains at my wrists hit the creature before rebounding and striking me lightly across my own forearms. Feebly, as it tried to rise on unsteady limbs, I finished its suffering with a blow to its mangled head, ending its life. You have in an Echo-Stalker 30 experience gained Its death notification filled me with savage joy. Looking around for the remaining threat, I saw that Kidu and Durhit had surrounded the remaining Drone. Its own speed and overeagerness to reach us had been its downfall, as Kidu had been able to nk it as it leaped. A scythe-de arm hung limply, clearly broken, as dark ichor flowed from the wound. Like a bear at bay, it turned this way and that as the pair made their probing strikes. They were silent in their fight, no doubt unwilling to bring more of the monstrosities down upon us, with Kidu showing surprising restraint. Elwin held another stone in his hand, throwing it up and down a small distance repeatedly, testing its weight while he waited for an opening. Sensing my approach it chittered wildly, mandibles cking as it raised its head in threat. That was all the opening Elwin needed, promptly throwing his projectile and hitting antennae square on, causing it to nearly snap off. We all charged it then, even Elwin picked up a shovel to join the fray. My group struck it with everything we had, making it crash to the ground in a bundle of mangled, iling limbs. Our group didn¡¯t stop hitting it until it finally stilled. I was given another death notification. You have in an Echo-Stalker 15 experience gained You have gained 1 Dexterity The fight could not havested for more than a minute, but my hands were shaking from the adrenaline and the aftershock of spent battle lust. We were all breathing deeply, taking great gulps of air, our hands on our knees as we tried to recover. ¡°Well that was refreshing,¡± the Rogue said, trying to make light of his earlier fear. ¡°Those two were only a scout pair, there¡¯ll be more of them further down¡­a lot more,¡± the bearded dwarf spoke dourly. ¡°They will make for fine trophies then,¡± the wildman rumbled matter-of-factly, as he ripped off a Drones¡¯ scythe des in a gory disy of raw strength, before cing them in his wicker basket. He made a move to tear off their insect heads, but at thest moment thought better of it, shaking his head. Looking into the gloom, now that the immediate threat was neutralized, we saw that the tunnel connected to arge wide circr room. Within was a vast concave floor, almost like a pit. Without a word we silently filed into the room, scanning the darkness for any new threats. Casting our weak blue lights at the edges, we walked along the circumference to find the room filled with bones, loose rock, and a misceny of detritus. The whole area resembled a great garbage pit for the refuse of the creatures that we had encountered. Seeing that no further tunnels branched from the room, the dwarf decided to explore further toward the middle. Skidding down, followed by loose pebbles, Durhit made his way to the center of the room. As we followed the dwarf, at our feet we found a plethora of animal bones from unknown species bothrge and small. Among them, more horrifyingly, was the asional cracked human skull. ¡°So this is where the lost miners ended up¡­¡± Durhit said, diverted in thought as he held up a humanoid skull for closer inspection. ¡°Some of us even thought that they had managed to find a way out. No matter, let us have a look to see if we can find anything useful.¡± We quickly followed his orders, searching through the rubbish pile for items. What surprised us were the sporadic remains of once colorful torn clothes which were scattered among the remains, very different to our own ve linens. Looking at a particrlyrge femur that drew my attention, I noticed the remnants of a crude doll next to it. Small horn buttons for its mouth and eyes, no doubt once an innocent child¡¯s toy. Elwin sifting through the rubbish was able to unearth a in rusty iron dagger, which he quickly pocketed up his sleeve. Kidu found a rotten bow that almost crumbled as he picked it up. Searching around for a while longer, Durhit came upon something which he threw my way as he said, ¡°Should be about your size, manling!¡± Such was my surprise, I was barely able to catch it, passing clumsily from hand to hand in an almostic fashion. Once I was in no danger of dropping it, I realized I was holding a conical, open-faced tarnished bronze helmet. There were no special markings or patterns, and it simply looked like an antiquated, if not functional, helm. The dwarf gestured for me to put it on, with which Iplied. No doubt I must have looked a little foolish, in ve linens with just a bronze helmet for protection, but my little knowledge of warfare told me that it was absolutely vital to protect the head. The first piece of armor that the ancient soldier would always be sure to invest in was, to my recollection, the helmet. The leather straps had long since rotted away, and the helm felt loose about my head, but it was certainly better than nothing. Rooting around in the rubble some more, I found an iron spear next to an almost intact skeleton. The spear had likely seen better days, its diamond-shaped spearhead pitted with rust and corrosion. Kidu, however, eyed the equipment longingly. I had wanted a more serious weapon than my pickaxe which, although powerful, was hard to control inbat. Nevertheless I relented at Kidu¡¯s clear fixation with the spear, and passed it to him. Besides, he was probably more proficient in its use than I was, and with his massive frame, his reach would be deadly. In knowing appreciation, he handed me a pair of leather gloves that were in surprisingly good condition. I donned the gloves, feeling a little loss of Dexterity, but decided that it would have little effect on mybat style. The pickaxe was not a subtle weapon. The Rogue found a purse filled with small copper coins. Although there was nowhere to spend the money, we decided to divide them among us, much to Elwin¡¯s reluctance, totaling ten copper pieces each. The dwarf dexterously made simple cloth money pouches from torn, once colorful, fabric that was scattered here and there on the floor. He handed the money-filled pouches to each of us, silencing Elwin¡¯s protestations. Deciding that any further time searching through the rubbish den would be a waste, we mbered out and cautiously made our way back to the main shaft. As stealthily as we could, we proceeded down the tunnel. Kidu was at the van, iron spear held with both hands as a ward against any potential dangers. Slipping further down, we came across the broken bodies of Drones. More disturbingly, among the corpses we saw arger, more deadly-looking version of the Echo-Stalkers. These mangled corpses had thicker, more heavily armored chitin carapaces, with extra vicious-looking scythe des for their weapon arms. Some of the bodies were almost torn in two, others had their craniumspletely pulped by what must have been extreme blunt-force trauma. ¡°What sort of creature could have done this?¡± Elwin uttered in the gloom as he visibly gulped. Book 1: Chapter 28: Loss Book 1: Chapter 28: Loss ¡°There is always sun above the darkest of storm clouds.¡± - Avian Guard motto ¡°Only one thing could be responsible for this whirlwind of destruction¡­an orc in a berserk heat,¡± the dwarf answered stoically in response, ¡°Combine that with the pain from the cor, and you have a recipe for a natural disaster.¡± Remembering the orc¡¯s hulking physique and brutish appearance from our team, it came as no surprise that he could wreak such destruction. I didn¡¯t know what I feared the most;ing into contact with more Echo-Stalkers, or reuniting with our fearsome former team member. Still, we were fortunate that the berserker had cleared the way for us. After walking down it a while, Durhit raised a hand for us to stop as we reached the entrance to another of the perfectly round tunnels. He sniffed the air, cing an ear to the wall. ¡°Running water, and close,¡± he stated matter-of-factly, looking down the new path. ¡°Let¡¯s go quietly, perhaps we will be able to sneak by now the hive is distracted.¡± Like the main shaft, the broken bodies of Echo-Stalkers lined this new path at almost uniform intervals. We passed by the shattered shaft and head of a pickaxe, both halves of the tool buried in two separate bodies that still oozed fresh ichor. The wake of the single orc¡¯s destruction was impressive. Following the trail of death, and Durhit''s unerring sense of direction, we navigated through thework of tunnels as quickly and as quietly as we could through the gloom. Sometimes the dwarf led us downwards, but more often now he would guide us in a slight ascent through abundant twists and turns. It passed without event until we heard the sound of free-flowing running water for ourselves. The Dwarf¡¯s prediction had proven true. We picked up our pace, abandoning thest vestiges of stealth as we powered down through the tunnels. Just as we turned the corner of a tunnel, we ran suddenly into two more Drones, and arger, more heavily armored, deadly-looking Echo-Stalker. This new enemy I quickly mentally dubbed the ¡®Soldier¡¯ variant, and it bristled with cold threat as it gazed at us with unfeeling, arachnid eyes. They raised their deadly weapon arms and threatened us with death with their rapidly clicking mandibles. The man-mountain Kidu needed no further prompting, thrusting his new spear into therger Soldier Echo-Stalker before it could mount a defense, stabbing deeply. Momentarily distracted by Kidu¡¯s martial prowess, I almost allowed one of the drones to stab me in the chest. I dodged at almost thest moment, the chains at my wrists and ankles jangling as I turned a potentially lethal strike into just a ncing one. Still, my Health was reduced by a full twenty-three points. Capitalizing on its missed strike, Durhit smashed it with his mining tool, gouging a great wound down its trunk with a mighty blow. Recovering from my shock, I swung my own pickaxe in a rough uppercut that brained the insect, the point of my tool firmly lodged in its cranium. You have in an Echo-Stalker 30 experience gained Mentally brushing aside the notification, I saw that Durhit had moved to help Kidu, who was dueling with the weakened yet still very dangerous Soldier, his spear striking out like a darting snake. I turned to see if Elwin needed any assistance, yet he already had the situation well in hand. His opponent was bleeding from a multitude of wounds across its limbs, with one weapon arm drooping weakly as Elwin danced around him. The Drone¡¯s antennae seemed to be following the Rogue¡¯s knife as he passed it from hand to hand. Seeing it distracted, and wanting a slice of the experience, I raised my Pickaxe. I smashed into it from behind with all my might with a Power Strike, which ended its life instantly as another notification crossed my vision. You have in an Echo-Stalker 30 experience gained You have gained 1 Dexterity Taking a quick breath, I turned to see what had be of Kidu and Durhit¡¯s fight, but was disappointed to see that they had already put down the savage beast. Feeling a little frustrated, I absently kicked a loose stone on the floor. I was just a few points away from my next level. Kidu bent down to rip out the beast¡¯s impressive scythe arms as another battle trophy, only to stop when the sound of further fighting drifted from down the path. A bestial roar of fury and frustrated rage could be heard. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that is our next destination?¡± Elwin began weakly, looking a little paler even in the gloom. ¡°Sound of running water ising down from there, so that is where we must be going manling. Let¡¯s just pray to the gods of the hearth that the orc can distract them for a little while longer,¡± the dwarf replied dourly to the inquiry. Faster we journeyed down our path until we could clearly the swift-flowing water, the sound of battle joining it. We continued past a corner to see that we came to a cliff path, a small dark river running swiftly below us in a vast cavern that reached up to unending darkness. To our left, I could feel a weak breeze and the taste of fresh air. But higher up along the path to our right, we saw a most impressive sight. The lone orc juggernaut was frothing at the mouth as he battled an entire hive of Echo-Stalkers on the ledge, smashing them left and right, many of them plunging to their deaths in the swift current below. His great bestial warcries drowned out the sound of the flowing river. He held a pickaxe in his right that cut through rigid chitinous armor like it was paper. In his left he sped a ripped-off scythe arm from a Soldier, which he used to stab with lightning quickness at the never-ending horde of monsters. ¡°That way!¡± hissed Durhit where the tunnel met the cliff path, pointing emphatically to our left, ¡°Go! Go!!¡± Just as we passed Durhit, a dark shape dropped from the ceiling, its chameleonic skin making it almost invisible in the gloom. It nted two sharpened scythe des through Durhit¡¯s chest that burst out the other side. His eyes widened in shock and pain as he coughed up blood. Kidu with a great snarl thrust his spear with both hands at the new monster, striking it squarely where its neck should be, twisting savagely as dark viscera exploded from its new wound. ¡°No! No! No! No!¡± I screamed in rage and loss. Durhit was one of my first friends andpanions in this cruel, barbaric world. Memories of our sharedradeship shed across my mind as I raised my hand to strike out at the monster. I swung a wild horizontal attack that connected solidly with its trunk, the chains at my wrist also hitting it a momentter. A blow so powerful it smashed the creature aside, even as Durhit toppled to the ground. You have in an Echo-Stalker 30 experience gained You have learned ils (lvl.1) I barely registered the death notification as I rushed to hold Durhit in my arms, all thoughts of the battle lost with my friend dying. I tried to summon a Heal, but it would not heed my call, my Mana being so perilously low. Hollowly, I read the notifications looking for a way to save the Dwarf. I found nothing, save for the fact that this game had counted the chains of my very as ils. ¡°My sister Evenes¡­Bronzegate Hold¡­tell her¡­¡± the dwarf gasped hisst through bloodstained lips. Someone began shouting in my ear. Feeling devoid of all sensation I almost ignored it, but the voice was persistent. ¡°We¡¯ve got to go NOW!¡± Elwin yelled in my ear, attempting to drag me up, while Kidu stood guard over Durhit¡¯s corpse. Stumbling up as I released Durhit, I noticed that the Echo-Stalkers had redoubled their assault. Some of them had run up across the walls past the orc, only to be met in turn by Kidu¡¯s lightning spear, which skewered them against the cavern rock. Slowly we began our fighting retreat, with the wildman taking up the rearguard. Since we were at, what I presumed around forty meters from the orc, I cast Rust on him in a pique of rage and frustration. I barely heard the dark whispers, nor felt the unwholesome energies as I released the spell¡¯s ck lightning into the orc¡¯s ve cor. This only incensed the creature to further heights of rage, his bestial roars echoing throughout the cavern, stunning the Echo-Stalkers in front of him with its intensity. Whether it was the adrenaline, my high Constitution, my new skill Mana Regeneration, or simply just my inability at that moment to feel, I didn¡¯t notice the usual wave of fatigue that came with reaching zero Mana. All thoughts of fighting left us then. We beat our retreat, clutching our weapons tightly. I held my helmet to my head, my pickaxe in my other, as we sprinted at full speed through the cavern, following the ledge and the course of the river. The darkness of the cavern began to lighten before we eventually burst out into glorious sunlight, almost blinding us after what felt like an eternity of darkness and blue gloom. The river fell from the cliff into a cascading waterfall, that fed into argeke. We all skidded to a stop then to avoid falling off, before we noticed an animal trail that cut down across the cliffs and into the woods. As I stepped out of the cavern I was granted a notification that brought hot tears of joy and grief to my eyes. Quest Complete: Escape from the very Pits of Ansan Book 1: Chapter 29: Divine Grace Book 1: Chapter 29: Divine Grace Though a small nation, it was a country of free thinkers. A nation where great strides had been made in the fields of magic. Even so, their mages, who were growing fewer in number, could not protect them from the constant barrage from the skies. Desperate, the Republic sanctioned the use of a newly researched form of magic thatbined dark and life energies in an aberration of the natural order. Necromancy, the art of raising the dead and bringing them back in some corrupted form of unlife. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC 400 experience gained You have gained 1 Luck You have reached level 9 6 unassigned attribute points 2 unassigned skill points As we ran down the animal trail, I quickly put all of my unassigned attribute points into Constitution, which raised my maximum Health to a lofty two hundred and sixteen points. My two unassigned skill points would prove to be a trickier proposition. I tried to allocate both points to Heal, but was met instead with three choices from the UI. Purify Holy Aura Greater Heal I had no idea what Holy Aura would do, and with the timer ticking down I made a snap decision and chose to put a single point in both Purify and Greater Heal. As soon as I made my choice, time seemed to stop, flowing at almost a hundredth of normal speed, to my perception. Voices of angels rose, singing righteous hymns of blessing and redemption in perfect harmony and counterpoint to one another. My mind was filled with visions of winged beings guiding those at death¡¯s door back to the world of the living. Next, I was to be blessed with a new vision of a man in long white flowing robes, gilt in gold. He was crowned with what looked like a bishop''s miter, and was giving a benediction to the sick, soft golden light weaving among their number and cleansing them of their ailments. The same man again, this time d head to foot in heavy armor, with a heavy mace in one hand and a white heater shield in another, was wading through a sea of undead. The same golden light that cleansed the sick now unraveled the necromantic energies that bound them to this world. As time finally started to flow back to the real, I understood in my gut the purpose of these visions. It was this world¡¯s way of exining the use of the spells I was gaining. Finally, I was beginning to make some sense of the esoteric nature of this world. Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed when Kidu touched my shoulder, urging me forward along the trail down. I looked into his eyes and nodded, now fully returned to the present. ¡°Come ondies! Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± shouted Elwin, a note of panic in his voice. We ran as fast as we could, going down the narrow trail, almost killing ourselves in our haste. Finally, we made it down to theke into which the underground river was flowing. We took some time to regain our breath and drank deeply of the ice-cool waters. I then received a notice that both ted and filled me with dread. You have in an orc 437 experience gained ¡°Gather yourselves, we need to go soon. The orc is dead,¡± I said, with as much seriousness as I could. Almost gulping at my slip, I noticed the eyes of mypanions looking at me questioningly. Luckily, I was saved from further inquiry as they just shrugged, probably thinking I had simply made a grammatical mistake as more pressing concerns weighed upon them. You have reached level 10 3 unassigned attribute points 1 unassigned skill point Even as I was telling them of the death of the orc, I was already assigning the points. Rust had all but saved my life in the ve pits, but I decided not to spend the skill point on it. My newly acquired spells were all still level one and should be easy to raise to at least level two through practice. Durhit¡¯s death had taught me a valuable yet painful lesson in resource management, so I allocated the bonus point to Mana Regeneration in the hopes that it would also allow me to cast more spells outside of resting. To add a little more punch to my ¡®build¡¯, I ced all of my attribute points into Strength. Snapping back my attention to mypanions, I noticed that, to their credit, they had not panicked. With almost military efficiency, Kidu quickly filled up our canteens with water while Elwin stopped to drink directly from the river. Soon enough, we started running once more through the woods, parallel to the course of the flowing water. As we ran along the banks, we sawrge silvery willows growing along the banks, swaying softly at the water''s edge. Our passing disturbed the wildlife, causing brightly colored waterbirds to burst from the rushes. Further along, we came across a family of otter-like creatures. The animals were perhaps half a meter in length, each with six legs, basking in the afternoon sun along the warm banks of the river. They slipped quickly into the running water as we passed, chittering at us in annoyance. Onward, we kept running until a tributary joined the river we were following. Kidu advised that we should cross, in an effort to hopefully shake off further pursuit. With no reason to question his advice, we forded at a shallow area, all of us floundering against the swift current. Exhausted, we finally waded onto the opposite bank. In the distance, we could see thin columns of rising smoke. With no better options, we decided among ourselves that it would be as good a direction as any. Slowly, as we prated deeper into the woods, the deciduous earth-like trees gave way to veritable giants to which I could draw no realparison. Huge sequoia-like trees rose like towers questing towards the sky, dwarfing their smaller cousins. Their branches created such a thick canopy that they darkened everything beneath, casting a cool pall on the forest floor. The underbrush was less thick here, allowing us to make greater speed. Up above us, birds fluttered among the great boughs in a riot of color, their musical songspeting with one another in a symphony of nature. Looking up from beneath the branches, I saw creatures running across the massive limbs of the trees and lithely jumping from branch to branch, some even sporting three sets of limbs. There seemed to be a whole world filled with life above us, but I was the only one of mypanions to be taken in by the wonder. Slowing to a fast jog, noticing my look of wonderment, Elwin asked me, in more of a statement than a question, "First time seeing the Sainba?¡± He drew a deep breath before continuing, ¡°I was lost for words too when I came down here once with a caravan in my youth. Don¡¯t have trees like that back home, do you?¡± ¡°No, we don¡¯t,¡± I answeredmely, still gawking at the forest vista, ¡°...I mean I don¡¯t remember.¡± At that moment Kidu signaled to stop. We were standing just before strange-looking green growth that covered a thick root of one of the giant trees. Wide-ded leaves in differing shades of green spread out from the base of the nt. The most impressive feature, however, was its great spikey open flowers. Like giant maws colored in a delicate pink, they rested on thin stalks of viridian, resembling an enormous venus flytrap. Cutting himself slightly with the de of his spear, Kidu smeared a few drops of blood onto a twig that he picked from the forest floor. He then threw the bloodied twig casually at one of the open traps. The rapacious mawunched itself energetically, snapping shut with great force and swallowing the twig. He repeated this until all of the vicious traps were closed, after which he walked up to the nt and cut the flowers from the stalk. Picking up one of them, he opened it up before us, ripping it in two halves and removing the stuck twig. He offered Elwin and myself one of the halves each. ¡°Sweet and good eating on these. Snap-Honey,¡± he said simply, gesturing for us to take a bite, before turning back to gather the rest of the heads. With some trepidation, I took a bite, my hunger winning over hesitation. An explosion of sweetness filled my mouth, and greedily I took another taste. The vor was somewhere between wild honey and watermelon, and I ate it all with gusto, leaving only the inedible spikes. This was the first delicious food I had eaten sinceing into this world, and it was my first meal as a free man since I won my freedom. It appeared that Elwin shared my enthusiasm, as he had thoroughly ravaged his portion and was making his way to help Kidu collect the other heads. Oddly, when I had finished eating and made to join them, I noticed that my Health had increased by a few points. ¡°I think it best that we make camp for the night,¡± the Hunter said as he scanned the forest with his icy blue eyes, ¡°if theye this far, best we are rested. I¡¯ll take the first watch so you can both regain your wind,¡± he finished as he sat against one of the great roots, his spear resting across his knees. The feral man looked positively in his element. ¡°Much appreciated, Kidu,¡± I said, giving a nod in thanks that was mimicked by Elwin as we settled down into the softness of the moss-covered forest floor. Finding afortable position, I removed my bronze helm from my head, and ced it on the ground next to me. I closed my eyes but for a moment before falling into a deep sleep. From the darkness of my subconscious, I saw my fallen dwarven friend glowering at me with eyes filled with anger. The stout dwarf seemed to be screaming usations at me, his mouth moving in a storm of silence. Suddenly, he was consumed by a seething mass of tentacled shadows. Just before he waspletely devoured, his face broke free from the living darkness and I could hear only two words. ¡°Bronzegate¡­Evenes.¡± Book 1: Chapter 30: The Power to Choose Book 1: Chapter 30: The Power to Choose A lucky ballista bolt, shot from atop one of the border forts, was able to fell one of the lesser dragons from the sky, having pierced through its heart. Forged with all Arastia¡¯s arcane might, the bespelled adamantine tip was able to punch through inches of rock-hard scale and thick muscle. The mages of the Republic, ecstatic, having acquired a vessel of indomitable power, poured all of their magical might into the dragon¡¯s now still corpse. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC It began with the usual dark dreams, but soon I felt a shift in my dreamscape. The scenes of violence and promised pain changed with a jarring, shifting sensation. There was now a dusty attic or storage room, strewn with a variety of objects and artifacts. They ranged from the unremarkable, like a baker¡¯s pin or a sewing kit, to exotic-lookingmps and fabulous weapons. I knew then that this was not part of a dream, but some sort of vision sent by this world. Cobwebs clung to each side of the room, and a thinyer of gossamer gray dust coated everything. The dusty walls seemed to be made from an off-white wattle and daub, with wooden supports running through them. Mold and mildew could be seen in the corners. The room seemed a little drained of color, as if it had been bleached out. Yet the items strewn about drew the eye in disconcerting ways. Somehow I just knew the objects in this room were of great significance. My hand was drawn to an iron dagger with short upturned quillons, rusted and pitted with grime. I knelt before it, seeking to understand the question that it posed. Hovering just above it, I then saw a message. Assassin No, this was not for me. Though the thought of bing a shadowy individual, flitting across the rooftops, and silently eliminating his target, did hold a certain adolescent appeal, it was not the choice I would make. An assassin was a mere tool, a de directed by another¡¯s hand. My thoughts roamed, for no discernable reason, to myst faithful dog, Shadow, who had passed away the year beforest. My pet had been a wonderfulpanion who somehow always knew how to lift my spirits. My focus was shifted by the dream and I saw then, in the corner of my eye, arge worn leather cor studded with iron spikes. I went to see what choice this item would offer. Moving to grasp it, I stopped my hand just above it as a new message came to me in the same manner as the dagger. Beast Tamer Interesting, I thought to myself. The idea of taming great beasts seemed a tantalizing one. But with no idea how to go about doing so, or the dangers involved with the profession, I decided to reject the offer. Taming a wild creature was only half the battle. After all, there was the care and upkeep, which was a lifetimemitment. I simply did not have it in me to make the emotional investment, nor could I see how this choice would help me in my current circumstances. Though, idly, I did ponder whether it was possible to tame an Echo Stalker... I needed something more practical, with a bit more punch. As these very thoughts came to my mind, I found myself treading across cobwebs and dust in the dream. My whole attention was drawn to a pair of gloves. They were a pair of leather fighting gloves, stained and cracked with age with vicious hobbed metal tes at the knuckles. I moved my hand cautiously towards them to see what choice the item represented. Pugilist In many games the Pugilist or ¡®Monk¡¯ sses were popr and valid choices, but why on earth would anyone actually choose to fight monsters and other evil creatures with just their fists? Surely any weapon would be better than almost nothing at all? Supposedly they could improve their bodies to reach near superhuman heights, but I simply could not risk it. Yes, if this was all just a game I would be tempted, but this was not the time for idle experimentation. I wandered across the room, my hands questing here and there, and I almost grasped the scabbard of what looked like a longsword. The scabbard had intricate floral patterns of spiked vines and alien flowers running along its length, faded and dull from the passage of time. Warrior Far too pedestrian. I could admire the romance of following the path of the sword. However, in a world of swords and sorcery, choosing just to wave about a metal stick, no matter how skilfully, seemed rather banal. It was like choosing to eat at a familiar fast-food chain after flying to a faraway and exotic location. A waste. Why just use a knife when in this world magic seemed to be the equivalent of having a gun? Besides, I needed something that could leverage my magical abilities. Gun¡­ something about that word sparked something in my mind, before swiftly fading into the haze of the dream. As my feet took me to my next destination in the room, I wondered just how many choices were here before me. Was I allowed to return to a previous choice? These thoughts floated around my mind as I scanned the room, which I still couldn¡¯t quite ce the size of. Small yetrge. ncing down I saw a long wooden rod before me, tipped with a cracked and broken amber gem. Its luster was dull and muted. Around the tip, and just below the gem, bronze copper rings wound themselves loosely around the haft. What was this, I wondered as I knelt down in the dust to get closer to the item. Mage This was more like it. Being a specialized magic user certainly held great appeal. It would significantly boost my prowess, allowing me to deal damage through esoteric means. But my stats, as I remembered them, were geared more towards that of a ¡®tank¡¯ or ¡®warrior¡¯ build, with most of my focus on my Constitution and Strength. Also, the survivability of the Mage ss was a consideration I had to contend with. In this savage and brutal world, I needed to be able to protect myself as much as possible. Was it Elwin who once remarked that Mages could be killed with simple arrows if they were not careful? Or was that a memory from a previous life? Regretfully I had to reject this choice, as I needed a lot more durability and a boost to my healing spells if possible. Something began to pull at me, almost incessant in its force, persuading me to rise once more. Slowly, as if the flow of time itself had grown sluggish, I began to walk mechanically to my next goal. A lone chair sat in a forgotten corner of the strange room, a drab gray dust cover draped across its back. As I moved closer, I could see on the seat of the chair a tarnished silver medallion with delicate links for a chain. Small gems framed the noble profile of a veiled woman etched at the center of its surface. Like the coins of this world, the face was looking to the left. Even before the message yed across my thoughts, I had already begun to ce the medallion around my neck. Pdin Laughing a little, I couldn¡¯t help but realize that somehow this room was reacting to my thoughts. Perfect for me, I concluded to myself as the dull metal settled around me. Its luster immediately started to return as it became warm to the touch. A Pdin, a knightly champion and protector of the weak. In modern gaming representation, the Pdin was depicted as a warrior in heavy armor who was both capable in the press of the melee and had the capacity to cast healing spells and blessings. This was exactly what I needed. The room¡¯s grip on me began to fade, my environment bing increasingly blurry as thest whispers of the dream appeared to slip away. Just as I thought I would begin my journey back to wakefulness, my left hand reached out to a ck oily puddle, moving like a marite against its will. A thinyer of gray dust coated its dark surface and its forced invitation was the empty void. As my hand grew closer to the dark liquid night, a new message filled me with horror and existential dread. Reaver Sharp tentacles flew from the puddle, growing in length and piercing my hand with a cold fire that burned through me and eviscerated all resistance. I could see ck tendrils of darkness wriggle their way just under my skin, working a path of agony up toward the rest of me. Atst, one of the questing tendrils of solid shadow found my heart. I felt a great lurch, as if falling from a great height, as the oily dark continued to ravage my very being. The wracking assault on my body and the thorough vition of my soul was an exquisite lesson in pain. I began to scream, still trapped in the haze of the dream. Book 1: Chapter 31: Blessings & Curses Book 1: Chapter 31: Blessings & Curses Slowly, like a grave flower blossoming, the dark energies flowed into the great lizard¡¯s cadaver, sloughing rotting flesh from thick pristine white dragon bone. A new nightmare was born, arising with it the stench of a freshly turned grave and all the majesty of the winged tyrants of the sky. The first Bone-Dragon Vizzeks came into existence with a roar and the howl of a thousand lost tortured souls. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC Kidu was shaking me, worry and concern etched onto his features as Elwin hovered overhead. I was greeted by a plethora of messages and notifications which followed me from my dream. Somehow, I knew this was a crucial moment for me. The dream had been the stage for my first ss change in this game. You have selected Pdin as your calling You have learned Purify (lvl.2) You have learned Holy Aura (lvl.1) You have learned Maces (lvl.1) You have learned Shields (lvl.1) You have learned Medium Armour (lvl.1) You have learned Heavy Armour (lvl.1) You have gained Gift - Mark of the Pdin You have gained 2 Wisdom You have selected Reaver as your calling You have learned Rust (lvl.3) You have learned Decay (lvl.1) You have learned Drain (lvl.1) You have learned Entropic Aura (lvl.1) You have learned Axes (lvl.1) You have learned Pain Nullification (lvl.2) You have gained Gift - Touch of the Void You have lost 3 Strength You have lost 3 Constitution The flood of messages threatened to overwhelm my short-term memory. My thoughts were distracted by the sounds of the forest; unknown animals calling out to each other, hunting each other, mating with each other. With a hoarse voice, I responded to the awakening, ¡°Give me a moment, I need to gather myself.¡± I sat up and took a few seconds to sort through my thoughts and take in the notifications. Night had fallen and Kidu, by some miracle or dent of his wilderness survival skills, had started a fire from the fallen branches that had carpeted the forest floor. Elwin was scanning the forest, wary that my screams may have brought something down to our camp. Kidu, satisfied that I was alright, went back to tending the fire while munching on another of the carnivorous Snap-Honey heads. Taking a deep breath, I decided to review my situation. Mercifully, the first thing I noticed was that I was at full Health, Stamina, and Mana after my rest. Fresh and ready to tackle the threats this cruel world would undoubtedly throw at me. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 10 Pdin of Avaria/Reaver Strength22 Dexterity16 Constitution34 Intelligence18 Wisdom16 Charisma10 Luck15 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.2) Power Strike (lvl.2) 10 Endure (lvl.3) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.1) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.2) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) Hammers (lvl.2) ils (lvl.1) Maces (lvl.1) Shields (lvl.1) Medium Armour (lvl.1) Heavy Armour (lvl.1) Axes (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) 5 Rust (lvl.3) 2 Identify (lvl.2) 1 Silent Casting (lvl.1) Mana Regeneration (lvl.2) Purify (lvl.2) 3 Greater Heal (lvl.1) Holy Aura (lvl.1) 2 Decay (lvl.1) Drain (lvl.1) Entropic Aura (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy: -20% all starting attributes. Mark of the Pdin: 10% resistance to Dark/Holy magic, 5% resistance to Physical. Touch of the Void: 10% reduced resistance to Holy/Fire magic, 20% resistance to Mental Effects, 15% immunity to Mental Effects. Experience to next level 2107/2583 Health225/225 Stamina53/53 Mana13/13 With the sudden addition of my new skills and proficiencies, my character sheet had started to be cluttered. Also, in a strange, yet wholly wee change, spells and abilities that I had cast or used before now disyed their Mana or Stamina points cost on my character sheet. I noticed too that my Gifts had an exnation detailing their effects. I was puzzled as to why now, of all times, my UI had changed. Also, I questioned why I had not received any visions to give some exnation for my new spells¡¯ functions. Perhaps it was because they were part of my Calling or ss choice already? Very unhelpful, I mentallyined to myself. However, most disturbing of all was the fact I had lost the equivalent of two levels¡¯ worth of attribute points in Strength and Constitution. At a loss, I looked once more at my character sheet and saw that the Reaver ss had been forced upon me. This was, if the pain I suffered in the dream was any clue, the reason for the reduction in my attribute points. This had the knock-on effect of lowering my overall Health and Stamina. One silver lining was the two new points of Wisdom from Pdin, which provided an extra point in Mana. I would also have to pay more attention to the gains in my ¡®secondary¡¯ attributes such as Charisma and Luck. Somewhere along the way, I had stopped my mental tally of them. I had no way to measure their effect on my ¡®character,¡¯ and I had only so much mental resource to spare on worrying about tertiary attributes. How did Luck even work? Would the universe bend itself slightly to suit my needs at high levels? Or did it just do something boring, like only work on critical hits? The new skills were wee, but I could not deny that I felt a certain trepidation at the thought of trying them. The mentally unsettling effects of executing the Rust spell were still at the forefront of my mind. Too many thoughts and questions spun around in my mind. Faced with yet more conundrums, my mind began to wander down the rutted path of an unrted tangent. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to focus. Staring out into the distance, I ruminated on ways to test my new magic. I decided that it would be wisest to first inform mypanions about thetest developments. ¡°The gods have gifted me with new powers,¡± I stated suddenly without preamble. Kidu gave me a knowing nod and smile, before intoning solemnly, ¡°The gods often grant their favor after oveing great trials. I, too, have felt their touch after our escape.¡± Elwin, on the other hand, simply raised an eyebrow, intrigued no doubt, but willing to hold off his questions untilter. Truthfully, I had no idea what Kidu was talking about. Perhaps this was the Hunter¡¯s way of interpreting a level up and increase in power; he had, after all, cut a bloody swathe during our escape. ¡°I would like to test out one of the spells. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an offensive spell, but I don''t exactly know what it does...¡± I said in a tone that inspired little confidence in mypanions. ¡°Do what you must, we will help you observe,¡± said Kidu, in his gruff voice. ¡°I think I am going to move a bit further back...¡± Elwin said, as he inched away from the crackling fire. However, waving my hand in a set of arcane motions I had already begun casting Holy Aura before Elwin could finish his retreat. I had decided against using Silent Cast in conjunction with the spell, to establish a baseline for the ¡®normal¡¯ way of casting the magic. My fingers traced strange patterns in the air and my voice started to chant anguage I had never heard before. As I incanted the words, I noticed that there was a slight echo, as if another being was talking alongside me. As my chant reached a crescendo, I uttered, ¡°Holy Aura,¡± as a single pulse of golden light expanded away from me at its epicenter. The immediate area around us was bathed in its light. It was around mypanions, however, where the light finally settled, as if it were warding them against the darkness. Kidu and Elwin both held up their hands to inspect the golden light that had surrounded, then wrapped itself, around them. They looked incredulously as it yed in intricate arcane patterns all about us. Then a small shock hit me as I looked closely at my Status bars. The spell had used two Mana, and my maximum Mana had also dropped by two. Quickly, I stopped the Aura spell, and the golden glow softly disappeared. Mypanions still spun around, as if trying to determine to where the golden light was retreating. With a sigh of relief, I saw that my maximum Mana had risen again to thirteen, but my current Mana remained at eleven. Intriguing, I thought to myself. What would happen if I tried to cast the spell again? Kidu and Elwin looked distracted by the disappearance of the miraculous light. Seeing this, and deciding that it was better to beg for forgiveness rather than to seek approval, I decided to cast the Aura spell once again. This time I invoked the spell using my Silent Cast skill. I could feel a sense of resistance now, simr to a recalcitrant child going against their parent¡¯s wishes. It took a long while, perhaps six to eight seconds, before I couldplete the spell and a golden ambiance bathed us once more. It certainly took a lot longer to cast without the somaticponent of the spell and, mentally, it was a lot more draining. Looking at my Status, I could see now that both current Mana had dropped a further two points to nine, and my maximum Mana had again dropped back down to eleven. I gave a silent prayer of thanks, to no god in particr, that I had not damaged my Mana reserves permanently. ¡°Do you feel any different? Anything at all?¡± I asked mypanions hesitantly. ¡°Apart from the pretty lights, nothing. Pretty impressive though. Probably could make a few copper pieces at the next mummer¡¯s faire,¡± piped Elwin, a little sarcastically. ¡°As the small one said. I am thinking that answers nevere easy in the understanding of the ways of the gods,¡± retorted Kidu, ¡°Perhaps this magic is a ward against evil and misfortune?¡± Realizing that his words contained surprising insight, I nodded to him in acknowledgment. ¡°We also need to do something about these,¡± I added, holding up the remains of my chains on both wrists. Casting Rust on metal that was in contact with my skin was a painful operation I honestly did not want to repeat anytime soon. Just as I was beginning to think about how to get out of this predicament, I noticed something about Elwin and Kidu. They were now free of the manacles that had bound their wrists and ankles! ¡°Yes, about that,¡± Elwin began with a smug smile on his face, ¡°We didn¡¯t want to disturb you while you were having your beauty sleep,¡± he said, producing a thin sliver of metal out of nowhere as he walked over to me. Kneeling before me, he began work on my bindings, popping them loose from my ankles, with dextrous ease. ¡°Strange skills for a Ranger,¡± I said, looking him firmly in the eye. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I had a troubled youth,¡± he replied in an even tone, dodging the subject as deftly as he had unlocked what remained of my bindings. ¡°Now for your wrists.¡± I held out my wrists, and with an artisan''s grace, he jigged and manipted his crude sliver of thin metal into the sockets of the manacles. He released me from the iron in a matter of seconds, tutting as he worked. Touching my now liberated wrists in confirmation, I reveled in the feeling of greater freedom now that the metal hindrances were finally gone. ¡°Thank you, Elwin, much appreciated. You are certainly a good man to know to get out of a bind,¡± I said gratefully, testing my range of motion now that the chains and manacles were no longer there. ¡°Now if only we could do something about these cors,¡± I continued, smiling wryly as I pointed to the metal at my neck. Kidu began to raise a pickaxe in his hand, his answer to my question clear, which drew a worried nce from our Rogue. Almost jumping in surprise, I waved a hand to stop him from his obvious n of action. Comically, this caused my loose helm to begin to slip and I had to hold onto it to stop it from falling off. ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to resort to that just yet, I think my magic could weaken it a little more first!¡± I almost shouted. It would also be a chance to test, albeit potentially painfully, the level of control I had with my spell. ¡°Your choice.¡± He shrugged as hey down to sleep on the green moss of the forest floor, throwing another loose branch into the crackling fire before closing his eyes. Elwin threw a worried nce at me, ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of starting off with me are you?¡± ¡°No, Elwin. Have no fear, at least for the moment. At the very worst, the spell will simply turn your cor into hot g. I am pretty confident I can heal you through that,¡± I said, sneaking him with a mischievous grin. ¡°Please keep an eye out in case anything goes wrong¡­ Maybe keep some water close, eh?¡± Even with a cloud of doubt staining my thoughts, I concentrated as best as I could and brought the magic to my center. I focused on trying to tamp down the dark energies, attempting to resist unleashing its full power. My tongue spoke eldritch words of dark things in anguage not meant for mortal tongues, and I could see Elwin looking visibly perturbed. With my mind fully engaged in staving off the stronger aspects of the spell, I had simplycked the focus to use my Silent Casting skill. My fingers, stilting in their movement, drew esoteric symbols in the air that left traces of ozone and oily dread ckness. Even as I went through the motions of casting the spell, a small portion of my mind had registered that Kidu had begun snoring already, the sounds of which would rival any great beast in a rut. Just as the spell was about to reach a crescendo of arcane power, I felt the powers begin to subside and dete. Sensing the time was right, I released the ck lightning into my cor, causing it to heat up, but not painfully so. I surmised that I had seeded in my experiment of taming the dark alien energies, as I had only lost a single point of Mana in casting the spell. Smiling a cracked grin at the Rogue, ¡°Well, it seems that wasn¡¯t too bad. I appear to have learned how to control myself a little.¡± Elwin simply looked back quizzically at me. Straining, and failing, to look down at the cor around my neck, I waited for the roiling energies to finally subside, before casting Identify on the cor to see how much damage I had inflicted on its durability. Iron ve Cor Durability 258/400 Thirty-six points of durability damage. Not bad, I thought to myself. Although the level two spell did more damage, it was extremely painful and required me to spend additional Mana on healing. This was the most efficient and safest way to go. I gave Elwin a thumbs-up, and I smiled from ear to ear. Elwin just looked like he had just sucked a sour plum before saying, ¡°After all this you want me to bugger myself? Can¡¯t say I can find the humor in it. There are ces to go for that sort of thing.¡± ¡°No, no Elwin, that¡¯s not what I meant at all! From where Ie from this is a sign of good luck... an indication of approval. You see right now I am rather pleased with myself,¡± I said, holding up both thumbs, catingly smiling as best I could. ¡°Thought you had no memories,¡± the thief said in a slow calcting voice, before grumbling once again, ¡°Bah, for that you¡¯ll be taking next watch. Guess I¡¯ll have to be keeping another one of my eyes on you,¡± he finished, continuing to gripe as he made a bed for himself from the leaves and moss the cold forest floor. With an annoyed audible huff, hey dawn. ¡°Of course...¡± I began, before I noticed that he had already turned away. A few minutester he was already fast asleep, his breathing shallow and even. Adjusting the loose helmet on my head, I stared up at the dark canopy, observing only one or two twinkling lights through the thick boughs. All around me, I could hear the sounds of the forest as its denizens continued their nocturnal activities. The air was fresh and invigorating, full of the green smells of a vibrant forest, free of the stifling pollutants of my old world. Alone with my thoughts, I began to reflect on my journey so far. Thinking back to my struggles with the amphibious Bibsis, I realized just how much I had grown in power sinceing to this strange new world. My time as a ve had forged my body and soul, and I was a very different man from when I first arrived. I realized the innocence I once possessed was forever lost. I had killed, and more than once, at that. This was a world that demanded it, even rewarded it. I knew in my heart that this was no simple parody of a game. The scents, the sounds, the suffering; it was all too real. Yet despite all this, it was still a world that was beautifully virgin and full of wonder. I thought, too, of Earth, and of the mediocre, yet somewhat tolerable, life I had lived. Every day had been a struggle, but of a different sort. There, I had to worry if I would be able to pay the bills on time; here I had to worry if I had enough Health, Stamina, and Mana to survive the next encounter with a monstrous creature. I chuckled to myself inwardly, thinking of the situations that I once considered stressful. Here I had grown tough, but I knew I had to grow even tougher still. So with these thoughts, a few hours were lost. I touched my cor, a reminder of the sights I had witnessed and the trials I had suffered. My first gift for ying another sentient human being. This stubborn cor was just another hurdle I had to ovee. Focusing on Identify, I cast the spell on my cor once more, needing to confirm my progress from before. Iron ve Cor Durability 254/400 Intriguingly, the durability had dropped another four points. Was this from general wear and tear, or was it the lingering effects of the spell? ¡®Curse¡¯ type spells in games usually took a long time to fully take effect... I had a feeling that it would do me no favors to wait, and with six points of Mana I continued to emit the weaker version of Rust onto my cor, ignoring the oily dark energies and weak whispers that followed each cast. After the fifth use of the spell, wishing to avoid reaching zero Mana, I tried to snap the tortured metal with my bare hands, grunting loudly in the effort. A familiar hand the size of ham grasped my shoulder and I turned to look at Kidu. His face was hard and unfamiliar in the dark mes, casting him as a monster, his blonde dreadlocks like a wild Medusan growth. ¡°A fine sentry you will make,¡± heughed in a not-too-unfriendly manner. ¡°Please, let me,¡± he said, hisrge hands reaching for my neck. For a split second, I feared that he wished to end my life, and my body involuntarily stiffened. Gently he ced his giant hands on the cor around my neck, before, with a great twist, he snapped the weakened and heavily corroded metal. It fell broken to the forest floor. ¡°Thank you, Kidu,¡± awe and appreciation echoing in equal measure in my voice at his impressive strength. ¡°Freedom is more than payment enough,¡± he said, even and stern, beforeughing and pping me on the back, ¡°But I would like to stay free for a little much longer so I will take the next watch!¡± With therge man gesturing for me to sleep once more, I removed my helm and gloves,ying them down next to me before curling up into a ball. I touched where the metal once met my neck, and looked down at my wrists, now free of chains. Soon enough, sleep imed me once again as the dark whispers followed me into her realm. Book 1: Chapter 32: Priorities Book 1: Chapter 32: Priorities With the birth of the Bone Dragon, the winged Dragons were horrified and unwilling to y any further part in the campaign. With the loss of one of their number, they felt the first pangs of fear from newfound mortality. The dragons left the mortal short-lived races to their fate and flew back across the ocean to their high mountain homes. With their departure, the war began to grow into a grinding stalemate. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC The sharp call of a morning bird rang through the forest, loud and shrill, piercing the veil of dreams and waking me from my slumber. Groggily, I shook myself awake, brushing aside the cobwebs in my mind. Aside from the forest noises, the first thing I noticed upon waking was the delicious smell of something roasting on the fire. Getting to my feet, I sat down beside mypanions, who were cooking a meal that looked suspiciously like gigantic insects on thin sticks. Sadly, I noticed that the pair had eaten all of the remaining sweet Snap-Honey heads. ¡°Good morning to you,¡± Elwin greeted cheerfully. I took one of the insect sticks he offered me. Not wishing to be rude, I nodded in feigned gratitude. ¡°Much obliged,¡± I remarked, waiting for the Rogue to eat a piece of his. Elwin and Kidu both began to dig in as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Closing my eyes firmly, I hesitantly took a bite. If I could eat freshly killed amphibious fish, the Bibsis, then this should be easy. The shell was crispy and the white flesh was soft and tender. The taste was simr to that of freshwater shellfish. Not bad, I realized, but it could do with a little seasoning. I finished the rest of my meal slower than mypanions did theirs. Seeing mypanions eat all of the insect things, I decided to follow suit. I pretended I was simply eating soft-shell crab as I crunched into the head of the oversized bug on a stick. Calories were calories. ¡°Do you like them?¡± Kidu inquired in a voice that couldn¡¯t help but rumble. ¡°Could do with a little more punch, perhaps a little salt?¡± I said with a ghost of a smile, ¡°But this is the first breakfast I have had as a free man, and it tastes better than any meal at a king¡¯s banquet!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drink to that,¡± added Elwin, lifting an imaginary cup in the air. ¡°Here, here!¡± I yed along. ¡°What was that I just ate?¡± I inquired curiously. ¡°A Rockcrab. A bit different from the ones in the North. North Rockcrab is better eating,¡± Kidu informed, in a matter-of-factly tone, ¡°These still not bad. Eating this reminds me of hunting with my n.¡± ¡°The same ones that came with you from the North?¡± I said carefully, afraid that this might be a sore spot for him. Kidu grew taciturn and withdrawn before he answered, ¡°Yes, those same who came with me, not long ago. If I can, I wish to find them and release them from their bondage. Work and pay their brand price if necessary. Or have their masters pay the blood price if I can not. Their families deserve to be told of their fates. But most all, my soul seeks vengeance!¡± saying thest, almost growling. New Quest: Discover the Fate of Kidu''s Companions Both Elwin and I raised imaginary cups again as if to toast hisst vow, but I had no true intention of helping out an NPC in a quest that could potentially take years. How could I help others when I was struggling to just stay afloat? I had to be in a position to help myself first. Then there was the matter of who or what was giving out these ¡®Quests¡¯. Was it the fickle gods of this world? I had a feeling that this ¡®quest system¡¯ was a way for the divine forces of this world to control my actions. Also, without knowing the parameters for the quest, dismissing it was the only choice. It soundedplicated, a mission of this nature was simply too much of amitment. This was simply the stark reality of my situation. I swore to myself that I would only ept quests that were in line with my own goals. I would not be led around by the nose. This was my game and I would y as I liked. Truth be told, I just did not care enough about Kidu¡¯s grievances. The man was still loyal for the time being, and his strength and skill could be keys to my survival; I needed to keep him close. As this final thought crossed my mind, I swore I could see a darkness at the edge of my vision, quivering with delight. ¡°Oh, Gil, since we are on the topic of freeing friends and so forth, what are you going to do about these?¡± Elwin said, pointing to his cor, and bringing me back to the present. He had tried to say it as casually as possible, but he couldn¡¯t quite hide the eagerness in his voice. ¡°Right¡­ I¡¯ll get right on it,¡± I answered, giving the Rogue a mocking salute and raising a hand, as if to cast a spell in his direction. Casting Rust had now be a lot easier, though I still had to consciously rein in its power. I began to go through the motions of casting the spell, my tongue now more practiced in saying the eldritch words, and my gestures were more precise and fluid. I noticed, to my amusement, that Elwin still flinched at each utterance I made. ck lightning flowed from my hands to his cor. The whispers, these uninvitedpanions, echoed in my mind, as they always did, as the magic surged. The energies visibly ate into the metal, corroding it wherever the lightning touched. He squeezed his eyes shut, fearing the searing heat he thought was toe. Yet, unbeknownst to him, I had only cast the level one version of the spell. Looking closely at Elwin¡¯s cor, I was pleased with my handiwork. I did not need to use Identify to check the durability. I could see that the orange and red splotches, indicative of oxidization, had grown considerably and was its own testament to the effect of the spell. I turned to Kidu now and nodded at him, a gesture which he returned. He epted the spell much more stoically than Elwin, his trust in me absolute. ¡°How many times do you have to do that, before you know...?¡± Elwin inquired. ¡°Honestly, I do not know. Casting this spell without causing harm to you is not easy. I do know that this spell significantly weakens the durability of the cor. I will continue to cast it as often as I can, whenever I can, until all of us are truly free,¡± I said tly. The apathy in my tone was reminiscent to that of my father. The Rogue shrugged before adding with a smile, ¡°Can you do it again then...?¡± * In the end, I cast the weaker version of Rust two more times on both of them before we broke camp. I decided to keep more than half, the lion¡¯s share of Mana, for emergencies. I hoped that my Mana Regeneration skill would allow me to cast Rust a few more times as we moved. As we made ready to break camp, Kidu and Elwin left their chains behind. Kidu, with a mighty roar, threw the remains of his former bindings into the bushes while Elwin just let them lie next to the roots of a tree. I, on the other hand, decided to take a length with me as a reminder of the cruel and callous nature of this world. We proceeded carefully through the forest in the direction of the distant smoke. Our eyes were constantly scanning the forest and searching for new threats. An hour or two passed by, uneventfully, before the world would seek to test us again. I was talking with Elwin, fishing for more information about this world when, without warning, something hard, and moving fast, impacted against his head. It knocked him down, almostically, to the forest floor. In those fractious first few seconds, all I could think about was that it looked like a giant wooden seed. More thuds echoed around us and the wooden seed things continued to drop down as the branches swayed above us. Here and there, the heavy wooden balls fell from the canopy in stato waves as a wind wove its way through the high branches. Each one a missile of death and injury. Instinctually, I thought first to run, for my own safety, but rity intervened. I could not survive the ordeals ahead alone, and so far, Elwin had been a useful ally. With this as a priority, I quickly knelt down next to him. The Rogue¡¯s bodyy prone on the ground, his chest still. I thought, almost instinctively, to perform some form of first aid before I remembered that we were in Gesthe, and of magic. I began to invoke the magic of the Heal spell and stole a look at his bloody head. As I did so, something told me that a simple Heal spell would simply not be enough. A different spell whispered to me, causing threads of a new idea toce together to form a new tapestry. A vision of an angel saving someone from death¡¯s door came to the fore of my vision with crystal rity. Knowing what I had to do, I began to, instead, cast Greater Heal, before a giant seed impacted against my bronze helm. Shaking my head, I saw that the concussive force had caused almost twenty points of damage and probably would havepletely interrupted my cast were it not for my Pain Nullification skill. I was able to keep control of the divine energies andplete the spell. Today at least, I was determined to not give the Reaper his due. My voice rose in a steady cadence, sounding more like a hymn than a spell. I held my hands over Elwin¡¯s prone form and poured golden energies into the man. An echo chorused my chanting, filling my soul with solemnity, and each syble gave thanks to an unknown divine power. Slowly, oh so slowly, the golden light began to mend his bloody head wound. I witnessed the magic as it closed the wound, drawing back the clotting blood and bone fragments, and knitting skin together as his skull was restored to its original form. Atst, the spell ended, and Elwin started to breathe evenly. Clearly alive but still unconscious. The wind had stopped as suddenly as it had started. No more of the heavy seeds fell to the forest floor, but a pervading sense of danger remained. We had to get out of here, and fast. ¡°Kidu, we need to find somewhere safe!¡± I shouted out to the northern Hunter. He gawked at me then for a few moments, before bursting into a ze of action, running to search for sanctuary. With Kidu gone, I was alone with Elwin and constantly looking upward, praying that the wind would not return. Luckily, Kidu came back a minuteter, and between us, we dragged the unconscious Rogue to a de. There, sunlight bathed, a rarity indeed in the otherwise dark forest, the moss-covered forest floor where one of the mighty trees had fallen. Bushes and nts grew in a ring around the fallen titan, all reaching upward in a race toward the sun. We went into the hollow of the gigantic tree, searching its cavernous interior first for threats. Next, we ced Elwin down, disturbing some creatures who chittered as they ran away from us. The three of us rested then in our safe space that smelled of earth and the slow rot of wood. Kidu looked over our new amodation critically, as he searched for hidden danger. I was visibly shaken by the recent events in this hostile environment. The hollow must have passed some unspoken test as the Hunter grunted in satisfaction, however, all I saw was just another dank hole in a giant tree. The adrenaline rush now slowly fading, I plopped myself down next to Elwin¡¯satose form. In the heat of the moment, I had saved the Rogue because overall he added to my chances of survival. He was handy with a de, and heavens, his ss might be usefulter on, but risking myself to save his life was decidedly alien to my nature. No, a hero did not just save people because they were ¡®useful¡¯! It would lessen me to think of people by just their utility. After all, Elwin was more than just an ally; he was a friend. After a while, Elwin began to stir. I wondered what sort of effect having his brain smashed in would have on his personality. Possibly an improvement, I considered, in dark jest. Just like the visions, it seemed that the spell Greater Heal really could save a person that was on Death¡¯s door. Worryingly, Kidu began to shake the convalescing Rogue. I knew from some half-remembered first-aid course that his actions were not the most appropriate thing to do at this critical moment, but I didn¡¯t quite have the mental energy to stop him. ¡°Wha...?¡± Elwin mumbled, with a slurred voice and unfocused eyes. He searched around for something, or someone, familiar. ¡°Be at ease, little man, you are safe here, for the moment,¡± Kidu said brusquely, if not unkindly. ¡°The shallow river¡­ I heard her bells¡­ they were all calling for me¡­¡± the Rogue continued ¡°Even the damn nuts in this forest are dangerous...you were hit by...a seed...or a bloody nut! What were those things!?¡± I tried to say in a serious tone, but a ghost of a hysterical giggle entered my voice from the thought of the absurdity of the situation. Luckily, neither Kidu nor Elwin noticed my faux pas. In the old world, I had heard ofrge spiked fruit called durian killing a few people every year; I read online that, statistically, they were more dangerous than sharks. Ah, the inte. What I would give to have ess to that wealth of knowledge and entertainment. Out of the corner of my eye, I looked down at Elwin. He had torn the sleeve from his linen tunic, exposing his arm and I could see that his ve brand had disappeared. Looking closer, I saw nothing but healthy unscarred skin in the ce of the brand. ¡°Kidu,¡± I hissed loudly, ¡°His arm¡­ look!¡± ¡°By the ancestor spirits, so it is!¡± Kidu eximed, his voice going up almost an octave in pure surprise. Could it be that the Greater Heal spell had effects other than miraculous regeneration and healing? Was Elwin¡¯s hair a little thicker, the crow¡¯s feet around his eyes a little less pronounced? I brushed these thoughts aside as I realized I had a way to remove all the marks of our very. Removing our ve brands through magical means would take up a lot of Mana. However, if I exploited my Rest skill to squeeze out as much Mana as possible in the shortest amount of time then the process could be significantly sped up. ¡°Kidu, I will need to rest and to regain my Mana,¡± I began, a n of action already forming in my mind, ¡°If you can watch over us and find us something to eat, perhaps start a fire, it would be most appreciated. What was it that downed Elwin anyway?¡± I added. ¡°That is hard task. Safeness or forage, that is a decision for you to make. As for the little man¡¯s attacker, I know not. At least with no trees above us, we should be away from those warmnd nuts,¡± he then looked at me, waiting for my order. ¡°Scout out the area near us, ande back when you can. I am afraid to say I know nothing of making a fire, so be quick.¡± I would have to trust that I could sleep lightly, or that Elwin would be able toe to his senses. With Elwin out of action and Kidu soon to be out scouting I needed Mana more than anything. It was a risk, but with Kidu securing the area nearby it was a risk I was willing to take. As a bonus, it might help me with power leveling my Greater Heal spell. Kidu took a quick drink from a canteen at his hip, before rising to make his way out. Before he left the hollow he nodded in my direction, ¡°Be safe and may the ancestors watch over you.¡± With that, he leapt out into the forest with his spear leading his way. I positioned myself just outside the entrance to the hollow of the tree, sitting cross-legged and willing myself into a half-doze as I attempted to clear my mind. With the sounds of the forest and worry guing my mind, sleep did note easily. Book 1: Chapter 33: Interuption Book 1: Chapter 33: Interuption The gods of this world are wed, jealous, pitiful mewling creatures not worthy of our regard, let alone our worship. They toy with mortal dreams and desires to suit their whims and machinations. The Divines rage and war against each other in the ¡®Great Game¡¯, with us mortals as nothing more than their pieces, their pawns, to be moved about the board. The strongest among their servants they imbue with a portion of their divine power and enve them to their ¡®Holy¡¯ cause. They call such blessed beings their ¡®Champions¡¯. How do I know of this? The answer is simple, for I am one such Champion and I will break their game. - A Record of Ash & Ruin. Something was applying a sharp pressure to my arm, moving it to the left and right, up and down in forceful motions. I opened my eyes quickly, thinking that it was Kidu trying to wake me, only to find to my horror that a beast was savaging my arm. Screaming in shock rather than in pain, I saw that it resembled a six-legged furred creature that looked like a cross between an angry wolverine and a warthog. Two forward-facing tusks continued to stab at my arm and sharp canines worried at my skin, as my Health steadily dropped. I punched the creature savagely between the eyes, striking reflexively with all of my might. This just caused the beast to bite down harder, so I quickly drew upon a Power Strike, increasing the force behind my blow dramatically. It was a clean hit, forcing the creature to let go of my arm. It backed it off a few meters, its beady eyes still hungrily eyeing me as it looked me up and down. My Health dropped below eighty percent and I was bleeding profusely. A world of agony filled my arm. Screaming again, I closed my eyes in pain, holding my bleeding arm with my other hand. It was all the opening that the creature needed; it charged me again like an enraged bull who saw the matador¡¯s cloak, almost leaping through the air with its animal speed. It mmed into me, reducing my Health even further. But its mouth, filled with jagged canines, was no longer seeking to bite me. It was then that I noticed a knife had sprouted from its neck causing blood to begin to pool around the new wound. Turning around to confirm who threw the de, I saw Elwin give a faint incorrigible smile from deeper within the hollow. Weakly, he raised his hand in a thumbs-up before blowing a raspberry in my direction. A notice filled my vision as the creature finally died. You have in ??? 35 experience gained You have gained 1 Dexterity You have gained 1 Strength ¡°Another bloody¡­ What was that thing!? And thank you, thank you,¡± I said in equal parts incredulity and appreciation. Still flush with the shock of the encounter, the needs of the present forced me to quickly shove the unneeded emotion to the back of my mind. This encounter with a new monster was just another horror on a steadily growing list. To keep myself distracted, and to dull the pain, I decided to cast Heal. As I cast the spell on myself, I checked over my Status and was pleased to see that the recent gains to my attributes had gone a little way to mitigate my recent losses from my Reaver ss. Silently, the golden energies slowly filled my arm. Pain became a distant thing as the magic soothed it away like a warm balm that banished the sharp sting and caused torn muscles, ligaments, and tendons to knit themselves back together. I marveled at the wonder ying out before me, healing on a level far beyond anything in my own world. ¡°That thing will probably make good eating,¡± the Rogue added, intruding upon my thoughts, ¡°But could you possibly be a dear and get me my knife back? I feel a little naked without it.¡± Hands still shaking a little, I gave a mocking salute and went to retrieve the weapon that may have just saved my life. Ripping the dagger out of the creature¡¯s neck, I took a moment to study the body. Beady eyes, now zed in death, were set in a long bestial porcine face. But unlike a hog, it had a small ck whiskered mustelid¡¯s nose, and its ears were short and triangr. From its feral mouth, two pairs of yellowed ivory tusks protruded. Its hide was a thick mottled brown, with bristly fur that was growing cooler to the touch. Three pairs of small, yet muscr, legs were tipped with ws that looked useful for both tearing at flesh and climbing trees. From its nose to its short stumpy tail, it was roughly the size of arge alligator. I doubt I could have fended off such a beast in my old world. Just as I had finished my observations, I asked Elwin, ¡°What is this creature? This is the first time I¡¯ve seen its like.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a Tree-Laur, a juvenile male by the looks of it. Probably just left its nest a few months back. I best be about dressing the kill. Did you know that you scream like a girl?¡± Elwin jibed with an annoying sigh. I fought back a sliver of annoyance, smiling weakly in return and giving a perfunctory chuckle, before growing serious, ¡°Elwin! Thank heaven you are alive! Should you be up and about? What¡¯s my name? What¡¯s your name? How many fingers am I holding up?¡± I asked. ¡°I can remember my own name, remember your name too. The taste of my first hunt. My firsty with the vige trollop too! Bah, she was a fine one. Safe¡¯s to say, I¡¯m further in your debt after getting brained by a Caru nut. Forgot that they grew around these parts. ¡®When the wind blows, look up¡¯ as the saying goes. Pah, my luck¡¯s turned since I met you!¡± heughed. His mirth was now infectious and I joined him in it. Just as we started tough, our recent trial by nature bonding us in deeper camaraderie, Kidu burst into the de, bestial and wild. He locked eyes with me and paused for a moment and, noticing the corpse with a casual nce, walked up to us. ¡°You are well I see, Elwin, Gilgamesh,¡± he said nodding to us both, kicking the corpse of the Tree-Laur absent-mindedly. ¡°It seems that things have been exciting since I was away and you saved me the trouble of hunting something down,¡± feigning annoyance in his deep voice. Kneeling down beside the corpse, he gestured for me to hand over the knife, which just drew a shrug from Elwin who was probably d to be free of an arduous chore. He dressed our kill cleanly and efficiently, like an experienced hand who had done the same job countless times before. He separated the cuts of meat, offal, and bone ontorge freshly cut green leaves. I left him to his industry as I felt a call of nature take me, and excused myself from mypanions. After I returned from the bush, wishing for nothing more than the luxury of toilet paper, I saw that Kidu and Elwin, between them, had created a construct of wood and sticks to dry and smoke the meat over a crackling fire. How they started the fire was a mystery to me. I was, after all, a man of modern times and I had never undertaken such tasks in my life. Kidu was busy scraping the fat from the Tree-Laur¡¯s pelt over a broad tree root with his spearhead, while Elwin was trying to hone the edge of his knife on a stone. If we were not all escaping from a system of very and blind, ded, insect-like monsters, it would have been the picture of a typical campfire scene from a cheap fantasy novel. ¡°Hey, big man! You took a long time in the bushes, was about to go track you, make sure the beasts from around these parts didn¡¯t get to you,¡± chirped Elwin, looking up from his ministrations. ¡°It¡¯s important that we keep this fire going at all times, lest wild beastse to investigate the scent of blood. Man has taught the wild to fear fire,¡± Kidu uttered in a low worried tone, ¡°Though I fear the smoke may draw attention of a different kind.¡± I settled next to the crackling fire, too tired to notice the delicious smells of cooking meat, but feeling safe in theirpanionship. Smiling wryly at them I added, ¡°Let me do what I can for you both, I was never one to see a job only half done.¡± And with that I began to cast Rust again, drawing worried looks from Elwin as he closed his eyes, in a Pavlovian response to the dark words and strange mystic hand gestures that tickled at the limits of mortalprehension. Kidu, on the other hand, continued with his work without a care, stretching out the pelt. The dark and alien energies filled me, and I resisted the urge to unleash the full power of the spell on mypanions, allowing only a trickle when it demanded a flood. I could see that the roiling ck lightning had eaten into their cors, no doubt weakening them, and I began to feel the effects of Mana Sickness as I bottomed out my reserves. This time, the effects were not nearly as debilitating as they were on the first try. They were now more a feeling of drowsiness with a need to rest. As my head began to fall, I murmured, ¡°I think I need to rest once more to gather my energies...so sleepy.¡± Mypanions both simply nodded to me. The rush of adrenaline from defending myself had long left my system and now Mana Sickness flooded in its ce. I didn¡¯t even take the time to remove my helm and gloves before I faded off to sleep. It was evening when I awoke, as a distant beast''s call woke me from a blessedly dreamless sleep. Almost instinctively, I checked my Status, feeling a little rmed at how easily I had epted the realities of this world. My situation was totally absurd with my physical condition having been reduced to measurable numbers. I waspletely full of all my physical and magical resources. Looking around, I saw that Kidu was on watch, facing outwards from the fire, looking and listening for threats. Elwin was tucked up in a ball, sleeping quietly by the fire. The big man noticed me and greeted me with a silent nod before speaking, ¡°Are you rested and well?¡± ¡°Yes, Kidu of the Three Bears. Thank you for taking this watch,¡± I said in almost mock formality. He didn¡¯t seem to notice, or simply chose to ignore my tone, before exining, ¡°Elwin and I will take the watch tonight. This will allow you to focus your energies on restoring us,¡± pointing at his neck and ve brand. ¡°We should not let spear plow the field. But first, you must be hungry,¡± he finished as he offered me a portion of meat wrapped in arge leaf. My stomach rumbled audibly, which drew a smallugh from the massive man. Though cold now, the meat from the Tree-Laur was delicious, if not a little tough and stringy. Several times I had to spit out small chunks of indigestible gristle. After finishing my portion I wiped my oily hands, slick with fat and grease, on my dirty tunic before focusing on my task. With half a mind bent on procrastination, I looked around the camp to notice that Kidu had strategically ced our Zajasite stones to help dismiss some of the deeper shadows. Yet, despite these precautions, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that something sinister was watching us. Focusing on the present, I understood the wisdom behind Kidu¡¯s words. You needed to use the right person for the right job, and I had to do what only I could for our little team. Drawing upon my reserves, I cast Rust, in session on the pair, waiting for the turbulent energies to subside between casts before repeating the spell. Eventually, Kidu sensing that his cor had weakened enough, tested his strength against the corroded metal. The cor made a great snapping sound as he twisted it off his neck, resulting in small fragments of iron flying into the night. Waking Elwin to start his shift, Kidu unceremoniously snapped off his cor, too, much to the Rogue¡¯s great surprise and jubnt appreciation. On zero Mana again, I tried to meditate to see if it could improve my Mana Regeneration skill. What surprised me was that now, even on zero Mana, I felt little of the effects of my earlier Mana Sickness. My efforts at meditation just led me to fall asleep in a seated position, The task of clearing my mind of all thoughts proved too arduous in these troubled times. Elwin awoke me a few hourster when the fire had grown low, and the forest a deeper dark. We added more fuel to the fire before he whispered in a low voice and asked me if I could repeat my magic on Kidu, freeing him from the mark of his hated bond. The man didn¡¯t need to ask twice; I was more than willing to erase all marks of our previously suffered bondage. Rolling up my frayed sleeves, I decided to experiment on my otherpanion. Holding my hands over a loudly snoring Kidu, I began to cast the Greater Heal spell, but this time without the singing and chanting. The magic resisted me greatly, and I had to create a mental image or construct of myself casting the spell before I could force the divine energies toe forth. In the depths of my mind, I could hear the song of angels sing in triumph, though it felt odd and distant casting it in this manner. The magic was slow and lethargic in emerging to do my bidding, but I was determined not to be denied. My will was iron. The golden energy flowed into the massive man, running across and all over him. I could see small scars across his face and arms that I had never noticed before fade, as the ve brand on his arm began to heal. The mark that was once an angry red grew to a healthy pink, beforepletely vanishing into his natural skin color. The spell had taken a long time toplete, far more lengthy than if I had cast it conventionally, but I still was able to finish it. At a rough guess, the whole process had taken over a minute or two. Would raising my Silent Casting improve the spell''s speed when cast in this way? Despite having to add another question to my growing list, I thought that, all in all, my recent experiment was a sess. In the glowing firelight, I swore I could see the hint of a bearded smile on Kidu¡¯s face as he slept. Wanting to regenerate my Mana before dawn broke, I asked Elwin to continue his watch, exining that I would need to gather myself if I was to be of more use in the morning. The Rogue nodded to me, although his attention was focusedpletely on sharpening the knife he acquired from the tunnels, treating it like a prized heirloom. Adding another piece of wood to the small fire, I settled down to sleep once more, waiting to face yet another day on the morrow. Book 1: Chapter 34: Blind Faith Book 1: Chapter 34: Blind Faith The Guild in the frontier regions is nothing more than a collection of opportunistic bandits, thieves, and failed mercenaries. They deem themselves monster hunters, heroes all, and the shield of themon peasantry. But tell me this, what hero is he that would not render assistance unlesspensated in coin? - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC Here, unlike the deep dark of the forest, the sun was able to filter down through the branches of the lesser trees of the de. The call of songbirds and the annoying chirping of insects filled the morning air as the creatures of the night made good their rest. Off towards what I presumed was the west, we could just see a plume of smoke rising just above the canopy of the trees. The Rogue and the Hunter were having a meal of Tree-Laur haunch and discussing what to do next. Their discussion, more of a debate, was animated, with even the usually even-tempered Kidu showing a little anger. ¡°Morning, sleepyhead. This great big lug thinks that we should spend the rest of our lives out here in the wilderness, living off thend. I, for one, have had enough of the great outdoors. I want to actually enjoy my freedom. With your magic, we are no longer ves! We should at least go and see whatever is causing that smoke. I¡¯ll go by myself if I have to!¡± the Rogue said emphatically. ¡°Elwin Tucker gives a n with great risks. We are safe here, rtively so. There is sustenance in the forest if you are strong. Just a few days ago we were ves in thisnd, I would not have it be so again...¡± replied the wildman, clearly looking to me for direction. I thought for a moment on both of their arguments, before adding my own opinion, ¡°Both of you make good points, though I, for one, find myself wary of further contact with the people of thesends. Still, one cannot live in the wilderness forever. We simplyck the tools and equipment to survive a winter here,¡± I paused for a moment, digesting mypanion¡¯s suggestions, ¡°I say that we take the middle course and at least investigate what that smoke is together. This forest is too dangerous to traverse alone. Perhaps where there will be people nearby. Perhaps they can help us. Perhaps they can not. If there are people there then it might be possible to trade for something, or if not¡­ we can take what we need,¡± I added, evenly looking them each in the eye. They both nodded in acquiescence before they began to clear up the camp. The pair stamped out the fire, collected the glowing Zajasite stones, and packed the recently smoked meat into our wicker baskets with an economy of movement that would have been impossible for me. Gripping our weapons in hand; Elwin with his knife, Kidu his spear, and I with my trusty pickaxe, we made our way through the forest toward the direction of the smoke. Leaving the rtive safety of the de, the deeper we moved into the forest, the darker it became. The sense of things leaping overhead and looking down at us never left our consciousness. We advanced quickly, though carefully, through the massive trees and slight undergrowth of the forest, making sure to also scan for any threats above and below. At some point in our little expedition, Kidu suddenly held up a hand and called for us to stop. We had to wait for a herd of massive deer-like creatures, perhaps twenty or so strong, to finish crossing our path. They wended their way through a trail between the giant trees like lords anddies of the forest. They were majestic animals, almost three meters to the shoulder, and heavily muscled and their bodies were covered with soft chocte brown fur. Atop a long graceful neck, was arge head from which four long spiked horns grew. Their eyes wererge, gentle, and brown. One of the animals stopped to look in our direction, before moving off once again with the herd, the gigantic pack leader calling out with an ulting cry. Pausing in wonder at what I had just witnessed, I turned to the Hunter and asked, ¡°What were those things?¡± ¡°Southern Cronir¡­ smaller than the ones up north, with an extra pair of horns. Cronir make for good eating,¡± he replied in a deep hushed voice. ¡°To you, friend, everything makes good eating, and I would not want to tussle with the big one unless I had to¡­ or was deep in the cups!¡± quipped the Rogue jovially in counterpoint, as he continued onwards. This little exchange, it seemed, was as clear a signal as any for us to continue our march through the forest. Finally, after what seemed like an excessively long amount of time, we could start to hear the voices of real, actual people. We all swiftly crouched down, as we moved closer to the source of the smoke and sound of industry. Finding some cover, we peered through the bushes of the undergrowth and saw a small group of people undertaking a myriad of jobs around arge clearing. My eye was immediately drawn to some small mounds which had bluish smoke billowing from them. If my memories were anything to go by then the mounds could only be charcoal piles. An old memory told me that this was a sign that the wood inside was undergoing the change into charcoal. On a tangent, I remembered a lecture from a world away and softly mouthed ¡°K?hlerube,¡± the word for blind faith in German which had originated from the charcoal-burner profession. In the old times, the ignorant peasants would blindly believe whatever the local priests dictated to them as they had to spend the greater part of their attention on overseeing their piles. However, unlike the medieval peasants, I had little faith in the gods, let alone their priests. Behind the piles stood several single-story log cabins. Around the smoking mounds, men were busy adding more wood to the mounds to make fresh charcoal. I remembered from a distant lecture or seminar about medieval societies that charcoal burning was seen as a lonely profession. The creation of charcoal was dirty work that needed constant supervision to ensure the wood burnt at the correct temperature. Also, they needed to make the charcoal as close as possible to where they fell the trees, which meant that the charcoal burners often lived far from the local centers of civilization. A few of the men carried axes and heavy staves and they chopped up branches from therge fallen trees at the edge of the clearing or poked holes into the charcoal piles to regte the heat. It was a relief to note that only a few of their number carried sidearms, such as shortswords or long fighting daggers. The men were clothed in brown, gray, or ck long-sleeved robes that were tied at the waist with wide colorful sashes. A figure clothed in blue, in stark contrast to the other workers, and who appeared to be the leader of this encampment barked orders at them before he, too, joined in the work. They all had the epicanthic folds of an Asiatic people, and the whole ensemble made me think of the old Mongolians of Earth. Focusing on one of the nearest workers, I silently began to cast Identify on them. Arban Bayarsaikhan - Charcoal Burner (Human lvl.7) Health 75/77 Stamina 18/28 Mana 10/10 I did this again five more times, making sure to include the leader in blue. These were all of the men who were in in sight. I drew a breath of relief as I confirmed that they were all rtively low-level; with the highest among them being only level eight, and the lowest being level six. A ghost of a n was beginning to form in my mind. Half wishing to confirm the strength of mypanions against the workers and half simply for practice, I cast Identify on Kidu and Elwin. Kidu Kreshin - Hunter (Human lvl.12) Health 252/252 Stamina 43/49 Mana 5/5 Elwin Tucker - Rogue (Human lvl.13) Health 152/152 Stamina 27/40 Mana 10/10 I knew it! The spell confirmed one of my sneaking suspicions that NPCs could also gain experience and level up. Kidu and Elwin had both gone up a level and their basic parameters had improved significantly. Furthermore, it confirmed to me why some of my previous kills had given me varying amounts of experience; it had been divided up among those who had credit for the kill. I also reckoned that my group, although smaller in number, had been significantly stronger in terms of raw attributes and levels than our vanquished enemies. It was also pleasing to note that my investments in Constitution and Strength had meant that I was getting closer to Kidu in terms of raw Health and Stamina. Yet, despite this, I noted that I had seen little change to my actual physique, which I found most strange. Nor did it seem there was any other change, like a growth of a beard or hair length. Shrugging these thoughts aside as extraneous, I simply attributed these quirks to part of the rules for me in this strange game-like world. Snapping out of my thoughts, I hissed to mypanions, gesturing for a retreat. We moved out of sight and well out of earshot of the camp. Once we were at a safe distance, I began to tell them my n, ¡°We observe them for the rest of the day just to make sure there are no surprises. Once we¡¯re sure of their numbers, we hit them at night, killing every single one of them,¡± I spoke in a cold voice. ¡°Not even going to talk to them? Just like that, kill a group of men minding their own business?¡± the Rogue asked, surprisingly shocked. I hadn¡¯t expected this level of empathy from him, an NPC. ¡°Where are we, Elwin? Think! We are ves, on the run, wearing ve garments in and whose culture is propped up by the institution of very. What do you honestly think would happen if we opened a line of dialogue with these savages? That they would wee us with open arms and send us off on our way? Besides, we would lose the element of surprise,¡± I replied vehemently, before continuing with my tirade, ¡°Are you stupid, Elwin? These are the people who enved me, enved you. Enved us. They don¡¯t see us as people. Are you so eager to face the kiss of the whip again? And, you Kidu. I thought the Three Bears were an honorable n. Did you not promise vengeance on ALL of the Tides!?¡± I finished, my voice rising towards the end as I looked squarely at Kidu. Elwin held up two hands catingly as Kidu rose to my provocation and added almost too eagerly, ¡°I promised vengeance on the honor of my ancestors and my friends, and it is vengeance I will have. I will never again feel the crack of the ver''s whip against my back, nor the iron cor about my throat. If you wish to stand in the way of that...¡± growled the massive wildman at Elwin. ¡°But they outnumber us! And those weapons are real sharp-looking...¡± murmured the Rogue, uncertainty in his eyes. ¡°We have magic and we are all proven fighters, much stronger than just some forest workers,¡± I responded confidently. ¡°How do you know?¡± he hissed. I looked him carefully and evenly in the eye, ¡°I know. Trust me, I just know. The gods have told me thus.¡± Kidu seemed to ept the exnation categorically, but I could see the concern still etched in the Rogue¡¯s features. ¡°We¡¯re about to kill all of these people¡­ for what!?¡± sputtered Elwin. ¡°Because we have to! Because I say so! I will kill these savages and many more if that is what it takes to stay free. Again, Elwin, these are the people who enved us, Elwin!¡± I repeated, which drew a rumble of approval from the Hunter. ¡°As I said, we have little choice in the matter if we want to return to civilization. It''s either this small crime of survival now or a life forever on the run! Worst yet to be a meal for some monstrous creature in these gods-forsakennds. Better to be a bandit, thief, and criminal than a ve! Rest assured, Elwin, we will do this with or without you¡­¡± Something in myst words must have struck deep within Elwin, for he was silent then. It was a stab at his past, and all the crueler for it. As I continued exining the finer points of the n, there were no further arguments from Elwin Tucker the Rogue. I sent Elwin to scout out the rest of the encampment, and during that time, after a light snack with Kidu of stringy dry meat, I rested to regain my Mana. Kidu had made a pair of crude weapons from the scythe-de arms that he had ripped from the Soldier Echo-Stalker in the tunnels. The handles were made of Laur''s bone, and attached to it was strong sinew to keep the ever so slightly curved de in ce. A link from one of the chains formed a simple guard just above the hilt on both daggers to stop the hand from slipping when thrusting with the weapons. They were vicious and crude-looking tools of violence, measuring about forty or fifty centimeters from their handles to deadly tips. Kidu had also fashioned a simple hide sheath for each of them. I tested the edge of the natural de with a finger, drawing blood and causing a single point of damage to my Health. Overall, it was impressive craftsmanship for the time given, and I wondered how this world would categorize these paired weapons in terms of Skill proficiency. Just as I had finished examining my newly made weapons and recing my trusty pickaxe, I felt a tap on my left shoulder. Knowing this to be some sort of trick, I turned to my right and there was Elwin, freshly returned from his reconnoiter just as the sun was beginning to set. He gave us an unhappy grimace before delivering his report, ¡°Eight men in total, I think split between a day shift and a night shift. These are all free men, no ves for some reason. No ve brands from what I saw. Thoughe to think of it, it would be difficult to train ves for this kind of finicky work...¡± the Rogue began to meander before we both looked at him, ¡°...Overall though, they all seem to be lightly armed. Axes, daggers, and one shortsword notwithstanding.¡± We waited then, settling in behind the cover of some thick bushes a good distance from the clearing as we waited for the night¡¯s darkness to deepen. Each of us tried to ease a measure of calm into nerves fraught with tension. I gripped my twin weapons tight in my hands, as my mind struggled with all sorts of variables and potential scenarios. This was to be different from all of my fights thus far, where I had simply reacted ording to circumstance. Up until now, it had always been fate that had forced my hand. This time would be premeditated and cold and I found the sensation both sickening and strangely thrilling. Book 1: Chapter 35: All the Bases Book 1: Chapter 35: All the Bases ''The gods give no gifts without exacting a toll,'' the ancient maxim rings true today even in this forsaken age. And for the practitioners of magic, the price demanded by the Divines for the loan of their power is steep indeed. As a mage''s Control over the arcane arts grows, so too does the Call-that insidious, seductive whisper that beckons them to embrace the very element they seek to master. Some would answer that Call with a pilgrimage to the water''s depths, drowning in the embrace of the element they cherished above all others. Consumed by their very passion, some would seek the ultimate heat of the me, offering themselves up to be consumed in a fiery dance of transcendence. Still others would entomb themselves alive in the very earth theymanded, seeking to be one with its secrets. However, it is the Anemancers, the Laughing Mad, who truly dare to walk the razor''s edge of magic. They leap from great heights, bodies hurtling through the air, finally unable to resist the siren song of the wind. Madness, some call it. But to those who understand the true nature of magic, it is a sacrifice made in pursuit of the ultimate power, for not all who make the leap of faith meet their untimely end. Yet, even those with the strongest wills can not hope to escape the demands of the cosmos forever. For the path of magic is a treacherous and thorny one, and only the most resolute can hope to walk it to its conclusion. - Master Bertrand of the University of Quas. Unluckily for us, the moon was high and bright among the veil of stars, and cast a silvery light. The charcoal piles continued to emit their smoke, ghostly now under the moon¡¯s pale ambience and the sleepy watch of their minders. Our group moved from the tree cover of the woods towards the edge of the clearing, and noticed that a solitary man hade towards us. I stiffened, standingpletely still, before checking on the position of mypanions, only to see that Elwin had somehow slipped off. Perhaps the Rogue suddenly caught a case of cold feet? The charcoal burner kept moving towards us, oblivious to our presence. As he came closer something dark, a ghost of a shadow, fell from the trees onto him, without a sound. A glint of metal shed in the moonlight. With Kidu, I rushed as quickly as possible the few yards toward the man to find Elwin standing over him. Blood emanated from a stab wound from the soon to be corpse¡¯s neck. Hoping that I was not toote, I also stabbed the fallen man with my makeshift weapons to ensure his demise. You have in a Human 25 experience gained Thankfully, I was able to get a hit in while his heart had still been pumping blood. I smirked in the darkness, realizing that this man had been worth even less experience than Gunne. Just as I was about to discuss our next steps with our group, there was an explosion of activity from the opposite treeline, as if the man¡¯s death was some sort of trigger. Familiar silhouettes bounded across from the giant trees in great leaping strides, calling to one another in their unnatural clickingnguage, weapon arms raised in deadly threat. The monsters bounded in. A man shouted a warning to his peers, and the men grouped up hurriedly. The sounds of rm were repeated across the camp as the rest of the men burst from the cabins, carrying a variety of arms and lethal implements. A wave of chittering Echo-Stalkers descended upon them from the trees. Soon enough there was a melee of steel against razor-sharp ws and piercing mandibles. The sound of battle and violence filled the previously tranquil night that was once almost surreal in its beauty. Slowly, the sounds turned more to shouts, then screams of panic as the humans fought against a much more numerous and deadly foe. I looked at the faces of mypanions, their worried expressions clear in the moon¡¯s subtle light. The initial n had gonepletely to tatters, fate¡¯s arrow once again striking against us. The Echo-stalkers were the main threat. Humans on the other hand could be reasoned with. Then there was the matter of Durhit. In a split second, a decision was made. It was amazing what humans did when faced with amon enemy¡­ ¡°We strike them from behind and kill these Echo-Stalkers once they have all been drawn out and are fully engaged, then we simply keep on fighting. Remember these men... these things were responsible for Durhit, no mercy! Be ready to follow my move!¡± I ordered as I girded my loins for battle once more. I rushed towards the fight with ack of hesitation and fear that would have surprised my past self. The air was cool and refreshing as it brushed against my face and in that moment of frozen time, everything seemed so full of rity, as if my ears could distill each and every individual sound that cried out into the night. The insect-like Echo-Stalkers had the numbers and savage ferocity, but the charcoal burners had a surprising amount of discipline and skill as they fought back against them. Against this onught, the charcoal burners started to regroup after their initial shock as they rallied around their leaders. The humans, even with their newfound discipline, were getting pushed back as the melee continued. Here, a w would sh against exposed skin. There, a hand holding an axe or impromptu weapon would be punctured by sharp mandibles. Still, the humans were able to inflict casualties against their multi-limbed foes. For every step taken in retreat, their weapons took a terrible toll on their enemies. Judging that the charcoal burner¡¯s line was weakened enough, I ordered my small group to charge. Our group crashed into the rear of the Echo-Stalkers, entering the chaotic melee with silent violence that belied our rage. Stabbing with both of my weapons into the hard chitinous back of one of the foul creatures, I found little resistance. Since antiquity, humans had used nature¡¯s own tools against her, and I found great joy in piercing their natural armor with their own weapons. Snarling now like a feral creature, I dodged a barely visible shing blow meant for my arm. The move was more of an instinctive motion than a conscious decision. A death notification of the creature floated across my vision and I dismissed it, as my full attention was required for dealing with the monster in front of me. Preparing to mete out some more punishment, I studied one of the creatures who darted this way and that. Its erratic motions were difficult enough to follow, let alone line up an attack. Noticing the antennae on its head were constantly pointed at me, I knew that I was the sole focus of its attention. Keeping myself out of the measure of its shing talons, I waited for an opening. I would not have to wait long, as the insect monster bunched low beforeunching itself to strike, the natural des on its arms blue in the soft moonlight. I lunged into the arc of its blow,ing beneath the creature and stabbing it with my dual des through its chest with a Power Strike before slicing horizontally with both daggers, the des still embedded in my opponent''s flesh, in opposite directions. Such was the force of the finishing blow that I almost bisected the creature. Somewhere in the grand melee, I could hear the charcoal burners shout out the various names of their weapon skills as they unleashed their skills against the midnight horde. Double Strike, Rolling Chop, and a few others were among the skills that were screamed out desperately against the monsters. Suddenly, I felt a ng against my helm, almost knocking it off my head, before something sharp scraped across my shoulder des and drew blood. Turning around with one de outstretched to guard and the other held close ready to stab, I saw a blurry outline that seemed to meld with the night. From its alien chittering, I deduced it to be one of the chameleonic strains of the creatures. I fell back into a desperate strategy, a whirlwind of blows to overwhelm the monster. Still new to this world, my skill would be no match against such a lithe and lightning-fast creature. Where skill failed, raw savagery would have to prevail. I could barely make its outline in the moonlit night, and each and every one of my strikes felt like a literal stab in the dark. Swinging with wild abandon, I continually missed the creature as it dodged and weaved, like mist in the night. Just as I was gearing up to strike out at the creature again, I was saved from the results of my reckless strategy by Elwin, who appeared, as if by magic, behind the creature, backstabbing it with a precise blow to the base of its neck. Knowing better than to pause inbat, I swiftly turned on the balls of my feet, engaging a regr drone with my twin weapons against its natural armaments. I was faster, tougher, and stronger than the drone. I roared as I charged, my higher dexterity allowing me to parry both of its falling arm-des with my daggers. However, as I ducked under its vicious mandibles, I was met by its other pair of wed arms. These tore through cloth and left bloody lines across my chest, causing me to lose a chunk of my Health. At the back of my mind, even in the heat of battle, I realized that I was not feeling any pain from the blows I had received. It must be because my Health was still over eighty percent, I thought, remembering the Tree-Laur and the exact threshold when the bleeding damage began to cause me great pain. I did not have to wait long for my theory to be proven correct, because a sharp pain burst from my left leg as another of the Echo-Stalkers struck from my blind spot. This forced me to keep my left weapon in a hastily made guard position to help fend off further attacks from this new threat. However, I was still within my initial target¡¯s guard, and needing to end this quickly, I used a Power Strike to try and skewer the monster with my right de. My dagger hit true and the crudely made thing pierced through its armored chest with part of my fist burying itself in its body. I booted it off with a savage kick, uncaring to make sure it was dead, and turned to face my new opponent; the beast that had stabbed my leg. My Health points were falling precipitously due to bleed damage from the number of wounds I had received. I needed something to distract the enemies before me, to let me disengage and heal myself. Not seeing where Elwin had disappeared to, I shouted, ¡°Kidu! To me!¡± my voice cutting through the din ofbat. Kidu swiftly disengaged from his opponent by rapidly spinning his spear. The viper-swift de formed a temporary circle of safety that swept away his opponents and he found his way to my side. The Hunter covered me with his bulk, keeping our enemies at bay. I took this moment of respite to gather my magical energies and cast Heal vocally, prioritizing speed over anything else. The magic of the spell quickly filled my body with familiar soothing energies and raised my Health almostpletely. I studied Kidu for a moment and saw that he was not in any need of healing, having only suffered minor cuts along his arms and legs. Fully invigorated, Kidu and I rejoined the chaos of the fray. Kidu¡¯s spear was like lightning, thrusts mixed in with wide circr motions that kept multiple opponents at bay and relieved a lot of the pressure from the charcoal burners. Regarding the massive Hunter as the principal threat, most of the Echo-Stalkers focused their attacks on him. I took the opportunity to savage their now exposed nks, slicing and stabbing here and there while they were busy attacking him. Kidu was a storm of violence as he went from sweeping cuts to savage jabs, smoothly mixing offense and defense with his weapon forms. I glimpsed Elwin there at the edges of the chaos, dancing among the melee between the charcoal burners and the Echo-Stalkers. There he was, stabbing at the joints of an Echo-Stalker¡¯s natural armor, at the moments when they were busy fighting a charcoal burner. There he was again, plunging a de into one of the insect monster¡¯s eyes, before fading back into the night in an impressive disy of shadowy stealth and martial skill. Alongside the surviving charcoal burners, we began whittling away at the monsters¡¯ numbers. Gradually we crushed them with ourbined might, our enemies reduced to so many still twitching corpses and, as such, they were converted into power-giving experience. My Stamina was just under half when we finished stabbing thest of the Echo-Stalkers, and I was a little displeased that I had not leveled up after the encounter. Over half of the charcoal burners had perished in the fight, and the remaining few looked tired but grateful to our party. The leader, who was d in blue, a deel or loose robes I noticed on closer inspection, came up to me offering his hand in gratitude. With no belt or scabbard on which to hang my de, I handed one of them to Elwin, who tested its bnce as I walked up to meet the man. Smiling oilily, the leader spoke to us in a voice that was both obsequious, yet condescending, ¡°Thank you, travelers, without your timely help this night I am sure that perhaps we would all have perished. We owe you our lives, and you have rekindled my faith that all men are brothers against the dark things. May I offer you the humble hospitality of our camp? Even as he was speaking, a whisper in my subconscious suggested to me that he only wished me to let my guard down, before trapping me once again into very. A twisted, logical part of my mind understood that this was the only possible way he could recover from the losses of this night. Before he could finish his traitorous thought, I stabbed him mercilessly in the neck. You have in Chagatai Nyamdor 85 experience gained ¡°You are no brother of mine,¡± I spat vehemently at his corpse. We had, after all, nned on killing them all anyway. I didn¡¯t have the energy to answer a slew of questions, I was tired enough as it was. The wildman, on my signal, fell on the exhausted Children of Tides with relish, releasing a battle cry that seemed to stun them. Elwin followed him two heartbeatster with his small shing de that stabbed and stabbed into yielding flesh. With utter shock on their faces, and with little resistance, we ughtered them all, to the man. I weed the experience as thest one fell. Still shaking from the thrill and shock of battle, I hadpletely ignored my notifications, so I decided to check up on the progress of my character, looking for any notable changes I had missed. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 10 Pdin of Avaria/Reaver Strength24 Dexterity18 Constitution34 Intelligence18 Wisdom16 Charisma10 Luck15 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.2) Power Strike (lvl.2) 10 Endure (lvl.3) Stealth (lvl.2) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.2) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.2) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) Hammers (lvl.2) ils (lvl.1) Maces (lvl.1) Shields (lvl.1) Medium Armour (lvl.1) Heavy Armour (lvl.1) Axes (lvl.1) Daggers (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) 5 Rust (lvl.3) 1-2 Identify (lvl.2) 1 Silent Casting (lvl.1) Mana Regeneration (lvl.2) Purify (lvl.2) 3 Greater Heal (lvl.1) 10 Holy Aura (lvl.1) 2 Decay (lvl.1) Drain (lvl.1) Entropic Aura (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy: -20% all starting attributes. Mark of the Pdin: 10% resistance to Dark/Holy magic, 5% resistance to Physical. Touch of the Void: 10% reduced resistance to Holy/Fire magic, 20% resistance to Mental Effects, 15% immunity to Mental Effects. Experience to next level 2417/2583 Health196/230 Stamina15/55 Mana8/13 Progress of my character? What a strange turn of thought, this was my progress and this was in no way a game. I focused more seriously now on my current situation. A single point to Dexterity and Strength was both wee and at the same time a little disappointing, since it appeared that the growth rate of my attributes was slowing down, despite the ever more fric battles I had been fighting. Even after suffering a multitude of wounds in the heat ofbat, my Constitution refused to budge. Going over my skills, I noticed that my Dual Wield proficiency had increased by a level, thanks to my wild swings with the new weapons. These weapons must have been categorized as daggers by whatever system ruled this world. I knew this to be fact as I had gained a new skill ¡®Daggers¡¯ through their use. This skill, like all of my other newly acquired skills from this world, was at level one. I still had some spells that required testing, which I would leave until we had reached a safe ce. My new gifts from my ss choices would also need to be examined some other time, as I had more pressing needs before me currently. ¡°Leave the corpses where they are. Take no trophies, but loot the men. Leave the weapons on them for now. If they have coin, take some of it but not all,¡± I said, looking hard at our Rogue who looked like he was about to protest. ¡°Please trust me...there is a method to my madness,¡± I assured him betweenbored breaths. Elwin shrugged his shoulders, before he began rifling through the bodies. A few momentster, he was joined by Kidu, who spat on one of the corpses before going about the grisly task. During thetter part of the fight, several times my notifications disyed the names of the men that I had killed instead of the usual question marks. I briefly wondered if they had any scripted family or friends to mourn them, before swiftly brushing the thought aside. I felt the smallest pinprick of guilt before I rationalized that their deaths, if they were truly alive in the first ce, had been nothing more than a necessity for the survival of our group. It was a cliched conviction, but we simply did what we had to do. I did not have the time, nor emotional energy, to cry over each and every defeated foe. ¡°Okay...I mean alright,¡± I said as I looked at the corpses that had been killed by spear and knife, ¡°Let¡¯s try and set the scene.¡± Moving to the corpses, I started the gruesome task of shing or stabbing at the wounds that Kidu and Elwin had inflicted, attempting to make them look like they were simply the victims of the Echo-Stalkers. Understanding my intent, Elwin moved to join me, and we quickly finished our macabre work. I nodded my permission to Elwin, who proceeded to pocket a fine steel dagger. The weapon was crafted beautifully, its de a beautiful damask pattern that drew the eye with wavy lines etched into the smoked steel. I hoped that it was of amon enough design in these parts to avoid drawing attention. Seeing that I could do with a better weapon, he removed the leader¡¯s shortsword from his belt and passed it to me for my perusal. Rooting around the corpses, he soon found a long dagger to rece it with. Drawing it from its in unpatterned leather sheath, I examined the shortsword under therge moon¡¯s argentine light. The lightly fullered de was a little longer than my crude scythe dagger. It was perhaps around forty-five centimeters in length and ended in a triangr tip. A in bronze cruciform guard protected the hands, and the handle of the weapon was made of dark-stained wood with a heavy iron or lead pommel. Testing its bnce, I concluded that it would make a simple, if not particrly aesthetically pleasing, weapon. Assessing its heft, I rolled it around my wrists as I had seen actors do before in film. Finding itfortable, I sheathed the de back in its scabbard. Seeing that I was having some difficulty fitting the cloth sword belt around my waist, the intricate knots alien to me, Elwin assisted with a wry grin. ¡°Right bunch of trouble you are, feel like mother helping out with her child¡¯s first mass-murder,¡± he said jokingly in a paternal tone, though his eyes spoke a different story. Kidu merely snorted at the attempted joke beforementing, ¡°Gil is no child, Elwin. He is wise enough to know that a wolf does mourn a death of the herd, only of the pack. Besides, we had saved their lives from the monsters. As they said, they owed to us their very lives. They belonged to us to spend as we pleased,¡± he stated simply with a satisfied sparkle in his eyes. I couldn¡¯t help but note that the calculus of the North was a cold one indeed. ¡°Search the cabins for valuables and supplies. Try not to disturb the ce too much, and remember to leave a few things. I want this to look like nothing more than just a monster attack,¡± I instructed the pair, looking at them each in turn. After seeing them nod their understanding, I led them into the cabins. We were greeted by the sight of a few overturned chairs and half-eaten food, now growing cold at their tables, the signs of hastily made exits. The insides of the dwellings were all sparsely furnished, with utilitarian furniture of simple wood or iron. The walls were uniformly unadorned, and a small fire burnt merrily in each of the cabins in simple stone hearths. We eagerly searched the dressers and tables, going through the knick-knacks and small things of the previous upants. The Rogue, by dint of hisrcenous skills or instincts, uncovered a coin purse hidden under a loose floorboard. In this manner, we passed through each of the buildings eagerly searching for items useful to us. During this time I was greeted by yet another mysterious notification. Do you wish to im Nyamdor''s Hold?: Yes/No I paused as I rifled through a dead man¡¯s nightstand, looking for hidden valuables, surprised once more by how gamified this world was. This smallholding must have been the property of the man in blue garments, Chagatai Nyamdor. Scoffing at the notification, I of course chose ¡®No¡¯ and the message disappeared out of sight. Thest thing I needed was something linking us to the massacre that we had perpetrated. I remembered the games I had yed in my past where you had to build up your settlement, pandering to an endless list of needs from helpless NPCs and micromanaging their pathetic daily lives for minor, pointless rewards. No thank you, I thought with finality as I continued my pige. Responsibility for a ce that would tie me down was most certainly not my cup of tea. The work was tedious but worthwhile. Our haul consisted of several bags filled mostly with copper and bronze coins and a purse filled with several silver pieces and four gold coins that Elwin had found under the loose floorboard. The Rogue reced his iron dagger with another simple steel dagger of slightly higher quality, which he discovered in one of the cupboards. We also attained a good supply of food and general supplies, taking what we could easily carry inrge leather bags that we also piged. Most importantly, we were able to find new clothes, even for Kidu¡¯s massive bulk, all cut in the local fashion with wide silken sashes. We were even lucky enough to find some leather boots that were roughly our size, a huge upgrade over our simple sandals. After changing, we burnt our ve linens in the fire of one of the hearths. The whole process was solemn, like a funeral, or a pagan rite of passage. We hade so far, and we were now closer to achieving true freedom as we watched our old garments being consumed by the hungry mes. My modern sensibilities now thoroughly put aside, I knew then that I would fight with everything I had to survive in this cruel and callous world. Book 1: Chapter 36: The Benefits of Dairy Book 1: Chapter 36: The Benefits of Dairy With casualties mounting on both sides, the Republic began to lose its appetite for war. Even with necromancy filling the holes in the army ranks, the constant attrition was beginning to wear away at the will of the people, with some even demanding that they at least consider the elves¡¯ earlier offers of amnesty. The Steward of the Republic, hearing the people''s cries and feeling the heavy weight of their expectations, searched for a solution that would expel the invaders from theirnd and bring an end to the war. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC We rested in one of the cabins, eating and recovering a little of our Stamina, but not quite able to sleep. Before long, and taking measures to conceal any sign of our presence, we resumed our journey. We spotted a trail leading towards the west which we followed for several hours. As we progressed, the colossal trees of Sainba gradually gave way to smaller deciduous trees, adorned with a rich blend of deep green and golden hues. As the sun began to sink and twilight fell across the forest, the daytime calls of the birds were reced by the howls of prowling night creatures. Kidu advised that we push on through the dark, to ce as much distance between ourselves and any potential pursuers, but one look at Elwin¡¯s haggard face put an end to that notion. Much to the Rogue¡¯s relief, we moved off of the trail to shelter under the trees and made camp for the night. We would have to hope that our blue-glowing Zajasite chunks, would provide arge enough deterrent against attack from the local fauna. We ate a humble repast of trail bread and jerky, now lightly salted thanks to our pige of the charcoal burners¡¯ stores. Conversation was scant, if not absent altogether. The physical and emotional strain of taking human lives had taken its toll on our spirits, leaving us without the inclination for idle chatter. I volunteered to take the most unwanted duty, the middle watch. Normally, I would have been against this, but I viewed it now as the opportunity to practice casting my spells. Before making camp for the night, and with some Mana to spare, I cast Heal silently on Kidu. I felt the warm energies leave my body as the divine magic healed him of the many small wounds that he had acquired in thest engagement. It made me feel rather content. Feeling pleased with myself, I went just outside of the camp¡¯s Zajasite glow to continue exploring my powers. I needed to learn quickly as there was no way of knowing when the game would be throwing its next difficulty spike in my direction. To that end, I brought with me several pieces of loose metal, the few remains from our manacles, which I had kept for my next experiment. Throwing a small chunk of metal to the ground, I began to channel the full raging force of the Rust spell. Even using the Silent Casting skill, the spell still came to me easily, if not a little dyed. The alien whispers, once so unfamiliar to me, now tantalized me with their hidden meaning, just out of reach. The dark power, which previously had been so inimical, began to feel warm and wee as it coursed through my body. Like a river before bursting its bank, like the buildup to almost manicpletion, the spell reached a crescendo of power. Releasing the energies, a stream of ck lightning sted into the piece of metal which audibly sizzled and heated in response. Humming a soft tune, I patiently bided my time, allowing the Rust spell to dissipate and the metal to cool. Crouching down, I examined the metal closely, discovering it had be heavily corroded and remarkably brittle to the touch, as I brought it closer to the faint blue light emanating from my Zajasite stone. Manipting it between my fingers, I noticed the surface was now riddled with rust the color of desated blood. Despite waiting several protracted minutes for the heat to subside, I still discerned a lingering warmth through the old leather of my gloves. Wanting to test the effective distance of the spell, I threw another small chunk of metal on the ground and walked further away from it, counting the steps in my mind. At seventy paces, I tried casting the spell, but the magic failed totch onto the metal. I took another step toward the iron chunk, but still, the magic failed to catch. I took another step, then another, until at perhaps fifty or so paces, a torrent of energy flew from my hand into the metal. This piece of iron, just like thest, visibly hissed as the power of the spell, losing none of its potency at this range, forced it to undergo a rapid exothermic reaction. I repeated this experiment three more times, eager to level up the spell and to boost either my Intelligence or Wisdom attributes. But that evening luck was not on my side, and I made gains in none of them. However, at the very least, I knew now for certain the range of my Rust spell and that increases in the spell level did nothing for its maximum range, only its strength. With disappointment curdling in my stomach, and Mana Sickness making me feel a little more tired than I was, I returned to camp to get what rest I could. This drew neither a word nor a simple grunt of acknowledgment from Kidu, who was already awake to take thest watch. Wishing for a better tomorrow, I quickly spread out a looted bedroll with arms heavy from the night''s trials and slipped into a blessedly dreamless and exhausted sleep. * The next morning we continued on the wooded trail after a simple breakfast, with, again, only a few words shared between us. I surmised that Kidu and Elwin were likely thinking about our return to civilization. My thoughts, on the other hand, danced between how to test my new spells safely and the violent actions of the night beforest. With no sign of pursuit, we stopped for our midday meal, whichprised of hard cheese and harder tack rations, mercifully softened and washed down with stale-tasting water. Despite traveling for most of the morning, I felt much better than when I had traversed through the woods in my simple leather sandals. The difference that simple good footwear could have on one¡¯s outlook on life was startling. When our meal was finished, I turned to mypanions and spoke frankly, "I need your help once again with some new spells." "How is this even possible? Did you discover a spell after the battle? Has the powers that be granted you new magic already? It is said that it takes a mage years of learning and dedicated effort, or a pious cleric many seasons of devotion and prayer to gain new spells! And you say that you have acquired more already?" Elwin eximed, clearly taken rather aback by this news. "He is god-touched," the Hunter interjected, as if this was all the exnation that was necessary. "We will assist in whatever way we can..." Elwin almost interrupted, but a single nce from the Hunter silenced the Rogue. "We owe you, after all, a great debt that can never be repaid," Kidu dered with finality. "Thank you, thank you both," I replied, my voice slightly thick with repressed emotion. "I will require you both to remain at a safe distance, but close enough to observe." They both nodded, Elwin a little more hesitantly than Kidu, before following me a little way from our ce of rest. The sun shone bright and high, and not a cloud marred the sky as we walked to a small field of grass filled with white flowers poking up from between some of the des. Checking that mypanions were at a safe but observable distance away, I began to cast one of my new spells. A darkness and a fierce joy surged deep within me, coalescing into a force that demanded release. With a shudder, I gave in, letting the power course through my body and erupt outward. The void between heartbeats and atoms filled with a frigid emptiness, and my being radiated with a dark and terrible energy. Like ripples on a stagnant pool, the gray pulses of power expanded out from me, spreading wider and wider in a circle before abruptly ceasing its expansion at a distance of fifteen meters. As I took in the reactions of mypanions, it became clear that the effect had gone unnoticed by them. The energy, it seemed, was invisible to all but myself. This was my Entropic Aura spell, and despite the impressive visual effects that only I could perceive, I felt no difference in myself. Like Holy Aura, this spell consumed two Mana to cast and decreased my maximum Mana by two points while channeling. Summoning myrades, I verified that they had neither felt nor witnessed any alterations. Elwin looked at me with a quizzical expression as I took out a piece of cheese to observe the possible effects of my aura spell upon it and waited for perhaps a minute or two. The Rogue''s voice rang out nervously from a distance. "Are you alright, Gil? Thinking about getting into the dairy business by any chance?" Kidu shot a sharp nce in Elwin''s direction. "Hold your tongue, little man," he chided, his annoyance visible. "Gilgamesh is in the midst of some great magic." "Fear not," I replied, my attention fixed on the scene unfolding before me. "I am merely confirming something," half-shouting back. Expecting to see some sort of entropic effect on the small piece of hard cheese, I was disappointed to note that there was no change to its visible condition. Just as I was plucking up the courage to give the cheese a taste test, I caught sight of the grass around my feet. Here, I noticed that some of the leaves had begun to wilt slightly in ces, their once lustrous greens a little dull and faded and browning at the edges. Wishing to test further the conditions of the spell, I tore a small piece of cheese off. In my mind, I voiced that I wished to throw it away and that it was no longer my property. Perhaps the magic only affected things that were not mine? After all, if I was dealing with the entropic forces of the universe it would hardly do if my own weapons and equipment suffered. With all of this in mind, I dropped the small morsel at my feet. Observing the torn-off piece of cheese, I saw that it was slowly beginning to decay, discoloring and breaking up into smaller and smaller pieces as what I assumed was mold and bacteria assaulted it. It looked like the effects of time were being elerated, like a timepse video, with what should have been days worth of rot hastening over the course of just a few minutes. The piece of cheese that I still held in my hand was showing no change, and I bit down on it to make sure it was still edible. The cheese was, as I remembered, simr in vor to a low-quality cheddar. Nothing special and no change. I quickly took a swig from my water sk to clean out the taste. As I pondered over the curious results, inspiration struck me and I decided to test another one of my newly acquired spells-Decay. As I cast the dark magic, a surge of oily darkness flowed through me, pulsating with a frenzied madness that almost made me recoil. Yet, I grappled with the dark energy, and with a swift gesture, I released it onto the piece of cheese in my hand. To my amazement, ck liquid tentacles that seemed to absorb light, erupted from my hand and ensnared the small piece of food. The tentacles writhed and pulsed in tune with the waves from my Entropic Aura, causing the small morsel to dpose rapidly and released briefly a smell of ammonia. Soon, it was reduced to no more than crumbling dust, blown away by an errant breeze. In conclusion, unless actively targeted, my spells would not adversely affect me or my possessions. The spell had only cost me one point of Mana, but I was yet unsure about its ce in my arsenal. In conclusion, both of the spells seemed to be ¡®smart¡¯ and did not negatively affect my own items, possessions, or self. The question was, would the same nket rule apply to mypanions? I needed to find out. I shouted out to them, telling them that it was probably safe. Kidu came first, with Elwin trailing a few meters behind. Almost instinctively, Kidu stopped just before the rolling waves of entropy, like an animal that had just sniffed danger in the wind. I beckoned him toe closer and he did so, a fraction of hesitation in his stride. He was followed shortly by Elwin, who seemed totally oblivious to the energies. The pulses of entropy broke against them, like slow inexorable gentle waves on the shore and caused no harm. ¡°Something tells me of an emptiness here,¡± the big man said with an air of mysticism, as he looked around at me. The statement worried me, did NPCs have a way to detect magic? Was it some skill linked to Kidu¡¯s ss? Or was it simply the wild man¡¯s animalistic instincts? ¡°Don¡¯t feel anything different. I was supposed to feel something, right?¡± chortled the Rogue, ying with the handle of his dagger. I invited them to sit next to me, and we spent perhaps twenty minutes under the sun inpanionable silence. Deciding that it was better to apologize than to seek permission, I tried to cast Decay silently on Kidu in this little interlude. However, the spell seemed to resist entering therge man, almost as if it was beyond its scope. Also, luckily for me, Kidu seemed to be none the wiser. The spell still needed a release, and though it was a waste I threw the rest of my cheese onto the ground. Willing the spell into that instead, the magic soon broke it down into a rotting mess causing mypanions to leap up in worry as the smell assaulted their senses. Luckily, I was able to assure them that all was well by telling them that I was just testing out the same spell. They both looked at me, a little miffed that I had not given them any forewarning The grass closest to me was visibly wilting now, and Kidu gazed at the vegetation before looking me in the eye. ¡°Do you know what it is that you do?¡± he asked, genuine concern edging his voice. ¡°In truth, Kidu, this is why I requested your help. I am sure that this is a spell that will help weaken my enemies,¡± I said as I tore up some browning grass and showed it to him, hopefully dodging the question, ¡°But I needed to know if it would affect my allies. Forgive me my small deception.¡± Elwin, visibly shaken, hurriedly got up and started to make away from me before Kidu stopped him, grasping him firmly by the arm. ¡°If we were being harmed, I would know it,¡± exined Kidu, ¡°And I have felt no ill effects from Gilgamesh¡¯s spell. Have you, Elwin Tucker? Remember, we are here to help him understand his magic. Our debt is huge, we must give what small assistance we can. Many times now, thanks to his magic have you not been saved?¡± he firmly told Elwin, looking at him steadily. With a shrug, the Rogue sat down, ¡°Well, if you put it that way. But all this magic is making me nervous. Can¡¯t see it after all. This esoteric arcane nonsense gives me a little of the shakes. How about it? Are we finished now, Gil?¡± the wiry man asked nervously. I nodded at Elwin, ¡°Yes, we are. I think this curse or spell, or whatever it is, does not affect my allies and only my enemies,¡± I answered, giving them both another look over to make sure they had not suffered from the spell. Not wishing to push mypanions''rgesse by insisting on more tests, I suggested that we resume our travels. We continued our journey through the rest of the day, the trail growing wider, before reaching a simple earthen road that cut through the woods. Eventually, the trees of the forest gave way to endless grasnd, stained golden and red in the dying light. A flicker of movement caught my eye in the middle distance, but as quickly as it appeared, it vanished without a trace. Kidu stopped in his tracks, his muscles tensed, and he paused for a moment as if assessing the situation. Faraway, we could see the sprawling city of Ansan, our destination, just as the sun dipped beneath the horizon and twilight imed thend. I felt on my cheek the smallest impression of disced air. Then a small group emerged as if from a thick mist, like phantoms, their presence jarring, yet barely registering, in my mind. Something about them made me want to avert my gaze, to ignore their existence, but I fought against thepulsion and focused on their appearance. They were a party of seven, cloaked and mysterious, the bulge of hidden weapons about their lithe forms served as an unspoken threat. Was it my imagination, or did I catch a glimpse of pointed ears poking out from beneath one of their hoods? With trepidation, I shook my head out of a fugue and made sure to avoid eye contact or pay them further attention and we gave them a wide berth. They passed us and for a few moments, I could hear them cursing at each other in an unknown musical tongue. Were they hunting for us? Paranoia began to nibble away at me, and faraway-sounding whispers encouraged me to turn around and make an end of that group. That would be foolish, I thought to myself, as I shook my head and waved aside the temptation. Perhaps another time. Looking at my Status, I noticed that my maximum Mana was still at eleven¡­ which meant that I was still subconsciously channeling my Entropic Aura! The magic had a mind of its own, not wishing to recede whence it came. The dark slow waves were still there, pulsing, and almost invisible, even to me in the twilight. Fighting the temptation to turn around, and horrified at myck of control, I focused on trying to reign in both my panic and the entropic magic. Bringing the dark force to heel felt like trying to grasp at a slippery eel; the rogue magic wanted to stay on this ne of existence. Closing my eyes for a moment, I began to bind it inexorably to my will and I was finally able to stop the spell. I was not the same man that entered this world, and my will and determination had grown with me. Sighing deeply in relief, I began to walk before I suddenly felt a sharp pricking pressure at my throat, the pressure of a needle-pointed de, and a soft whisper in my ear. ¡°What are you, little day spawn?¡± hissed a surprisingly sultry feminine voice, causing me to involuntarily shudder in cold fear. Book 1: Chapter 37: Rules of the Road Book 1: Chapter 37: Rules of the Road Ansan, known as the Jewel of the Grieving Lands, is the seat of power of the Children of the Tides. The city has an insatiable hunger for ves, which is its very lifeblood, acquired through both trade and their mercenary campaigns where payment is more often demanded in flesh than in gold. The city''s greatest exports are the result of suffering and bloodshed. The high-quality iron from its mines and fine lumber harvested from the nearby Sainba forest are its greatest assets and are famous throughout the known world. Lying along the famous Dust merchant route, the city is a veritable hub of trade. It is said that anything can be purchased in Ansan, for a price. Beyond the Sainba forest lies the untamed frontier of the Wilnds, the hunting grounds of the Adventurer''s Guild. It is a ce of great danger, where only the bravest or the most foolhardy venture to collect rare and valuable materials. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC Defiantly, I held my tongue. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see that both of mypanions had been simrly osted by the hooded group. Slowly, we all raised our hands in the universal sign of surrender,pletely powerless before them. Two of their number came to face us, both lithe and predatory in their movements, talking to each other in a strangenguage that was unknown to me. Their words were soft and lilting, and it was difficult to recognize if they were singing or speaking to one another. Needing to know what they were saying, I went through the mental gymnastics required to cast Identify silently on their words. ¡°One of the Tide¡¯s Honored Ones,¡± said the one to the left, who was considerably shorter than all the others in the group. The figure turned in my direction, ¡°A middlingly gifted one at that. We should just leave them here, and quickly. We need no moreplications. Also, the death of an Honoured one will...¡± the words turned back into iprehensible, yet pleasantly lilting singsong as my spell faded. I noticed, even in my rising panic, that this one, was probably female. The slight curves of her female form drew my eye, and I cursed inwardly at the momentary distraction. Curled blonde ringlets fell around eyes that held all of the deadly yfulness of a cat toying with a doomed mouse. The knife pressed a little harder against my throat, almost drawing blood, and drew me back to the desperation of my current predicament. There seemed to be some disagreement between the two leaders about our fate. I had to know more about who had waid us. Stealing a nce at the one who had recognized me as a magic user, I cast an Identify in her direction. The spell appeared to be resisted to some degree, taking far too long before providing some rity. Arimea Lostariot - Spellsinger (Wood Elf lvl.19) Health 176/180 Stamina 31/32 Mana 13/17 I kept my expression neutral as I went over the information, while at the same time, my eyes scanned left and right in search of an opening. These were elves, but I had little idea how I could use that to my advantage to wriggle us out of this situation. My mind raced through every myth, legend, and modern portrayal of elves, but none offered any insight into how I might escape this situation. The only potential advantage I could recall was that elves were often physically weaker than humans, but that seemed of little use in our current predicament. Also, almost all of my second-hand knowledge agreed that elves were portrayed to be as deadly as they were mysterious. If the elf I had identified earlier was any indication, this group was not to be trifled with. Their strength was clear. But I had to keep searching for a way out, a glimmer of hope that might yet save us. A growing sense of powerlessness and frustration came over me; I needed more information, so I cast Identify silently on their conversation again. ¡°Bah, the day spawn¡¯s Honoured Ones kill each other all the time in their futile power struggles. Make it look like another of their mindless killings¡­¡± one of the elves, indistinguishable from others, added to the conversation. ¡°...We must keep up our efforts to find the Daughter of Chaos. She is close, our informants at the guild...and this will be a poor salve for your revenge. Remember our mandate,¡± said the one on the right tersely, in a clipped male voice, like a teacher reminding a child of a forgotten fact. I was taken aback by the masculinity of his voice, for his face was more beautiful than it was handsome. Even in the poor light, a jagged scar that was intertwined with creases of concern did little to detract from that beauty. Though I could not fully understand him, I judged by his manner and tone that he was suppressing a deeply-buried exasperation. Simr to hisrades, he possessed a lean and svelte frame, with a slightly broader breadth at the shoulders. I burned through another point of Mana on deciphering their words, as adrenaline surged through my veins, and beads of sweat formed on my brow as I struggled to focus on their conversation. ¡°...They have seen our faces. If we are to deal with them be quick about it, we must hurry on. Time is of the essence, and seconds count. We must make it within the city boundary soon for I can not keep this veil up forever...¡± said Arimea, the figure on the left, and I could hear a budding frustration growing in her musical voice. ¡°How did they even pierce your veil, Lady Lostariot? Such magics should beyond the day spawn,¡± another of her attendants ventured. You have gained 1 Wisdom Panic was beginning to seize me even as the notification shed across my mind¡¯s view and my dder grew heavy in fear. Before I could cast another spell, the pair seemed to have reached a decision, made clear by the one on the right nodding to the elf behind me. A knife cut a shallow sh across my throat, and I could feel a numbing sensation followed by my limbs locking up, paralyzed. I crumbled to the ground. Out of the corner of my eye, mere momentster, I saw mypanions struck down in a simr fashion, falling to the elves¡¯ des. A whisperter, the hooded terrors faded into the twilight grey, leaving us for dead. Somewhere inside of me, a primal instinct, the simple desire to live at all costs,manded me to take action. Yet, like a mouse who had escaped the ws and teeth of a predator, fear still ruled my heart and threatened to reduce me to a gibbering mess. With a great effort of will, I stamped down on this mind-killing fear. Desperately, I searched my mind for a way out of this dire situation, a way to save mypanions and me. Surely this was not where my journey would end? My health was rapidly dropping, and I felt a constriction about my heart. Was it possible that their des were poisoned? The thought lingered even as my lifeblood continued to pour out from my throat with every weakening pulse. Certainly, with my current Mana, I could cast Heal and save myself, but I would not have enough energy to save Kidu and Elwin. It would be a repeat of Durhit all over again. Without a word, I took a chance and cast one of my new spells, hoping that my choice was the correct one. Golden energies ever so slowly began to pulse from me, an echo of angel¡¯s song ringing softly in my ear like a celestial luby. The glow spread over me, slowly closing the wound at my throat and repairing the damage done by the vile substances that had ravaged my body. The poisons remained within me, but their vicious bile had been blunted. My health fluctuated in small ticks as the damage they were doing was mitigated by the slow healing. The aura spell''s energy left me feeling both warm and chilled in equal measure before it flowed over to mypanions, soothing them as well. I could only pray that it would be enough. A notification appeared, telling me that I had gained a point in Luck, but I dismissed it rapidly from my mind. Staying on the ground, in fear of the group''s return, I waited for my shaking limbs to still themselves and hoped that the elves would not notice the glow and return to finish us off. I forced myself into a state of calm, to check my Status. The attempt on my life had reduced my Health to around half, and my back-to-back use of magic had put my Mana down to six points. On shaky legs, like a newborn foal, I slowly got up and hobbled to check on mypanions. Kidu stirred his enormous bulk, and I felt great relief that my magic had worked in saving his life. Elwin looked to be in worse shape, his breathing shallow and his face pale. Using most of my remaining Mana, I cast Heal on him, which slowly brought the color back to his face. Realizing that we had made it past the worst, I stopped channeling my aura spell and said, "Kidu, we must move. Those elves may return, and they have the advantage over us." Within me, adrenaline was fighting a losing war with exhaustion. Kidu took several deep breaths, like a bull preparing to charge, before he moved with great effort to help me with Elwin, who had just begun to stir. A mixture of disbelief, gratefulness, and awe dogged mypanions'' steps as we half-ran, half-shuffled towards a dip in the grasnd where we couldy low, and hoped that it was enough to cover from prying elven eyes or ears. Every now and then, Elwin would look at his hands and whisper thanks and a prayer to some sort of "Dark Lady." Kidu would mutter to tell him to stay quiet, while also secretly shooting me a look filled with wonder. We settled down on the soft grass. I felt haggard and demoralized from the clear difference in the strength we had witnessed from the elves. We were like children before them. Now in a rtive ce of safety, Kidu volunteered to take watch over Elwin to give him time to recover from his brush with death. I hunkered down next to them shivering more from fear than from the cooling twilight air. Hours passed, and I heard the hoot of a night owl somewhere in the distance. If we were going to survive, we needed the supplies in our bags. They represented all of our worldly wealth, the wealth we would need to travel to more gentle climes. I needed to get my things back, but the brush with death had unmanned me. Kidu was keeping watch, but even in the dying light, I could tell that he had lost some of his usual confidence and energy from the slump of his shoulders and the cast of his eyes. After putting him through so much, I almost felt guilty that I would be asking more of him. ¡°Kidu,¡± I whispered, ¡°we need to see if they have left anything behind. We need those things,¡± the Hunter looked at me for direction, ¡°Perhaps enough time has passed and you are by far a better¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I see. I will go to see if those old ones have left and recover our things. You must stay with Elwin of Tucker. He may be needing further healing. Also, you make more noise than a rutting boar when you move, hah!¡± he added, some of his usual verve and confidence returning as he stood to his full and impressive height. d that I was able to save face, I nodded to him in thanks. In my current state, I could barely keep myself together let alone venture out in the growing dark on a mission to recover our things. ¡°Be safe, Kidu,¡± I begged of him as he left. ¡°Fear not! They will not find me such easy prey this time!¡± he growled before leaving me alone with Elwin. My mind was filled with narcissistic fantasies of vengeance against the elves as I sat down on the dry grass next to theatose Elwin. Every minute alone left me feeling weak and vulnerable. I touched my neck and recoiled at the memory of the de shing my throat. The remembrance put paid to flight my remaining thoughts of vengeance. I did not know how much time had passed, but suddenly, there was a hand on my shoulder that made me almost jump out of my skin. ¡°Be well, Gilgamesh!¡± a familiar voice said from behind me. ¡°Kidu, thank the heavens you have returned,¡± I said, turning around. The Hunter returned with our belongings, his massive frame weighed down by the weight of our bags. His appearance brought a glimmer of joy to my countenance, and I exhaled all of my tension in sweet release. ¡°Yes, the old ones did not touch a thing. They are not worthy of respect, those who kill only for sport,¡± he hissed angrily, dropping our bags down by his feet. I assisted in unrolling the stolen bedrolls, it was the least I could do, and between us, we maneuvered the unconscious form of Elwin into his bedding. He mumbled something about dice in his sleep, which gave me some measure of reassurance. If he could still talk, then there was hope that no enduring harm had been inflicted upon him. Curling up into a ball, it took a long time for the dreams to find me. Book 1: Chapter 38: Return to Ansan Book 1: Chapter 38: Return to Ansan The sword is a truly noble weapon for the traveler. A good de is perfectly bnced for both offense and defense and is the symbol of an honest man. A man is judged by the quality of the weapon on his hip. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC My dreams were of a different vor this time. The tentacled creatures of the void did not disturb me. Nor did the susurrations of the cruel whispers that promised an eternity of suffering intrude upon my sleep. Instead, I endured a frustrating dream of battling, swift-moving, hooded elves that moved like bottled lightning. I tried attacking them with my shortsword, but my limbs felt like they were moving through thick msses. Again and again, the wicked creatures would harry me, stabbing and shing with their evil shining des. My frustration was building up to a berserker rage until Kidu shook me awake, freeing me from my nightmare. Groggily, I took over the watch, looking over at Elwin¡¯s sleeping form. I was physically refreshed but mentally exhausted, thanks to my recent dream. Anger, more than fear, was my primary emotion, and a small part of me hoped to encounter those elves again, to rend yielding flesh from their delicate bones. However, in the deeper parts of my soul, I knew that this was just an idle fantasy. If we met them again in our current state we would not be nearly as lucky. It was a humbling and abject lesson in the difference of power. Staring out across the sea of grass, I whispered to myself, ¡°One day¡­¡± and began my watch. A cool night breeze made the shimmering des sway softly under an argent moon in agreement to my vow. * During the long hours of watch, I had busied myself by cycling Entropic Aura on and off during to prove that I and not it was truly in control. So engrossed I was with my magic, that I chose not to wake Elwin for his watch which left me a little more tired than usual. However, as a result of my focused esoteric practice, I had increased the level of my Entropic Aura and, more importantly, was now better able tomand its rebellious energies. The next morning found our party in low spirits. Fear stalked at the back of my mind, as I nervously looked over my shoulder for any signs of pursuit. The previous night¡¯s encounter brought to the fore feelings of impotence, akin to those felt when the cors were around our necks. The sun shone and the birds sang their sweet melodies in the crisp morning air, but none of this could lift the pall of our close brush with the end. After we had a simple breakfast of lightly-salted traveler¡¯s bread, with not even a single word of thanks from Elwin, I decided to broach the topic of our next move, ¡°Gentlemen, I believe it is time for us to discuss what to do next.¡± ¡°Well, we certainly need to get out of this forsaken wilderness. Simple travelers aren¡¯t nearly as friendly as they used to be,¡± replied Elwin sarcastically, hiding the worry in his voice. ¡°Just a few more enemies for the tribe,¡± rumbled the big Hunter threateningly, as he took a swig of water from a canteen. ¡°I say we stick with our own kind, better the devil you know. Best we make our way into the city and join up with a caravan. Or, get some supplies and gear, and find a group traveling somece else, once we get they of thend. Don¡¯t know about youds, but I could do with a roof over my head for a little bit. A quick drink would not go amiss either,¡± Elwin suggested strongly. ¡°Better to be free in the forest than in chains in the city¡­¡± grumbled the big man. ¡°Very well, you both make good points. However, if we are to go with Elwin¡¯s n, how are we to make good our entry into the city of Ansan? Our wealth is not without limits, and as Elwin wisely pointed out, it would be best for us to find friendlier climes as soon as¡­¡± I began to say, before being interrupted by Elwin. ¡°Leave that to me. City guards are always known for the grift, and we have a little coinage, more than enough to secure entry for three foreigners. Besides, people from all overe to Ansan, the jewel of the grass sea and gate to the wilds of the Grieving Lands! What I would do to for a real bed!¡± he interjected a little too enthusiastically, really trying to sell us on the idea of civilization. I made a point of pretending to truly consider this, before finally siding with the Rogue. I would have to pray that my face would just be one among many. My notoriety from the arena was surely faded now from word of my supposed ¡®death¡¯ in the mines. Still, I felt a little apprehensive to be going back to the city that had enved me. The irony was not lost on me that it was safer to be in the city in which I had been subjugated, rather than in the wilderness where I could fall prey to dark beasts and proficient, chilling enemies. At least I would be among my own species. ¡°We enter Ansan and find a ce to stay. Sell what we can for coin, then find transport out,¡± I spoke slowly in the best authoritative voice I could muster. ¡°All well and good, talking about getting in the city. That¡¯s the easy part. I would like to take a moment to just discuss what in the blue hell happened yesterday? For a moment I was in the shallow river, about to cross to the other side. Don¡¯t know about the big man here, but I was knee-deep in its dark water. What, or who, were those people or thingsst night? And what did you do to us, that could pull us from the grasp of the Dark Lady? By the gods, we almost died! What exactly are you and what are those powers that let you do this!?¡± asked an exasperated Elwin, looking pointedly at me as he took a deep breath, ¡°Let¡¯s start with something simple first, Gil here seems to have understood a little of what they were saying. Saw it, I did. Why did they attack us?¡± Debating on telling them the whole truth, I carefully began to answer his line of inquiry, ¡°They were elves, Wood Elves to be precise, and they...¡± Again, I was interrupted by Elwin, ¡°Legendary, even among their own sort, the royal line of the First People of Forest? The Warders of the Woods? They walk thends of men again? Hah, you would make a fine bard for the Royal Court if you could get me to believe that...¡± added the Rogue in a sharp tone which drew a snarl from the Hunter. ¡°Enough, little man. Gilgamesh of the Uruks speaks the truth. Who else could have moved as they did? I am perhaps one of the greatest Hunters of the Three Bears that has ever lived to walk on the ice, yet even I didn¡¯t sense a whisper before they were upon us. The old stories tell of sharp-eared people, great even among their own kind that can walk as they do. If Gilgamesh says they are of the First People, then that makes for a good enough exnation for me,¡± concluded the man-mountain with the finality of an avnche. ¡°But why did...¡± went on the Rogue. ¡°Because they could,¡± I said tersely, cutting him off. ¡°Because they¡¯re not human like us, their goals are alien and unknowable. But, ultimately I believe it was because they had the power to do so. Let¡¯s be grateful that they were in a hurry and didn¡¯t finish the job,¡± I said, looking at them both pointedly in the eye. ¡°It is best that we focus on our current predicament. The whys and wherefores matter not in our quest for a bed for the night, and a roof over our heads,¡± I said thest to humor Elwin, d that I had diverted the topic from my own magic. I could almost feel invisible dice rolling to see if I had passed a check of some sort. The pair nodded, with Elwin slightly narrowing his eyes, before they started to gather up our things. While they were busy, I took a moment to confirm that it was only us in the immediate vicinity, as the light of the spell was somewhat of a spectacle that could draw unwanted attention. Seeing that the coast was clear, I silently cast Greater Heal on myself, eager to rid myself of the ve marks on my arm. The divine energies wound about my form and erased the mark of my hated brand. The remaining light yed about mypanions, drawing a few gasps of surprise before softly disappearing. When the pair finished with our preparations, we headed in the direction of the city with renewed vigor in our stride, the vestiges of my released magic making me light on my feet. Necessity had forced our hand, but I would make the most of the hand that I was dealt. About an hour away from the gates of the city, a heavily armed mounted patrol of Children passed our group. Their backs were straight as they sped menacing-lookingnces, their dark eyes looking to the horizon, as if searching for something. We kept our eyes low. Even Kidu knew better than to cause trouble, and we continued our way toward the city. Mercifully, they left us alone. My group must have looked like just a small band of innocent travelers, or perhaps farmers, looking for a better life in the city. The hawks were searching for other prey. We joined a long line of farmers, merchants, and general travelers all waiting to enter Ansan, the jewel of the grass sea. The line moved with a plodding slowness that ate up the minutes and the hours, a testament to the efficiency of those manning the gates. A small ck-haired girl, in the awkward stage between girl and woman, was carried like an imperial icon on a pnquin by ves, from inside the city to the gate. She began to speak to the guards in an imperious tone in the localnguage of the Tides. I could not hear the conversation directly, but I saw her doll-like features crease in annoyance as one of the guards at the gate knelt before her pnquin and presented her with an intricately knotted silk string. Fuming in anger, she ordered her ves to carry her quickly back off into the city. Unable to stem my curiosity, and ignoring Elwin¡¯s warning re, I asked an old farmer wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat to exin what had just unfolded before me. The old man turned to give me a look over, no doubt questioning the discrepancy between my local clothes and my quite obvious ethnicity. One nce at Kidu, however, made him visibly gulp in fear and answer my question. ¡°That be an Honoured One, young man, those of the city who are strong in the Gift,¡± he answered, removing the straw hat from his head and sping it to his chest. ¡°Best not to draw the attention of the high folk, only trouble for those of our station,¡± he said, eyes downcast. I wanted to ask more, but Elwin was shaking his head, so I stilled my questioning tongue and the old man turned, now ignoring us. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be asking too many questions, looking like that. In fact, its best you don¡¯t ask any questions at all. Don¡¯t want to draw any more attention to us,¡± the Rogue said in a quiet voice, pointing to my clothes and the dull stains around my neck, ¡°If you got any questions, let''s ask them once we¡¯re safely inside.¡± Taking his advice, I kept quiet until it was finally our turn. As I prepared to enter the city where the yoke of very had been forced upon me, my thoughts became filled with trepidation. Would anyone recognize me? Or was I already considered dead, yet another victim of the system that fueled this city¡¯s wealth? Suddenly, Elwin walked with a confident swagger to one of the bored-looking guards at the gate. His target was d in an ill-fitting suit of piecemeal armor and armed with a crudely fashioned mace that showed signs of neglect. A terse exchange ensued between the two men, causing the guard''s features toe alive with a spark of interest. Then, with a furtive nce cast in our direction, the Rogue surreptitiously passed a few coins into the guardsman''s open palm. Moving up the gate, for a moment I thought our n had failed, or that Elwin had sold us out and we would have to fight our way free. I was soon disproved of this notion when the bored-looking guard offered, ¡°You lot stink too much of the road. My cousin Taper runs an inn with a good bathhouse, just down this way, the Twisted Boar. Tell him Dagesh sent you,¡± he said with a quick wink, obviously pleased by his take this afternoon. We passed the gates of the solid wood palisade, and I had to fight a sense of foreboding as my eyes caught the sight of the great monolithic Ark at the center of the city in the distance; It was the seat of power and governance of the Children of the Tides. My nerves yed merry hell with my heart and I was worried that I would be recognized by one of my former envers. The stench of the pressed humanity hit me and my eyes furtively scanned everywhere, searching with dread for any familiar faces. To me, the local people all seemed to resemble my initial captors near the shrine of Avaria with their shifty nted Asian eyes that promised deceit or violence. Still, luck or divine provenance was on our side and our party drew no real notice. Picking up our pace, we walked along the hard earthen packed street. It was the main eastern thoroughfare of Ansan and it felt odd walking here for the first time as a free man. I rationalized my good fortune with the fact that, in this barbaric and backward society, being a ve had made me all but invisible. To them, I must have been just one face in thousands, quickly forgotten. I had weighed the risks of returning to the city against the life of a brigand in the wilds. I convinced myself that this choice, though undoubtedly risky, allowed for potentially greater gain. Also, the lure of civilization was too great to ignore. The mistake I had made was that of a modern civilized man. I thought, in my error, that I was the center of the world and that its events and people revolved around me, the protagonist. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Even here in this brand-new world, I existed in a ce of astonishing indifference to almost everything I was. Everything that I thought. Everything that I did. Unbeknownst to me, a more sinister impulse had guided me back to the city. One aspect of it was a recklessness born of youth, a rebellious fire that eagerly courted danger. Yet the other facet was far more ominous, a pledge of vengeance made in what seemed so long ago, now grown cold and festering in the recesses of my mind with the passage of time. A means to etch my existence upon a cruel and callous world. Book 1: Chapter 39: The Twisted Boar Book 1: Chapter 39: The Twisted Boar In ages long forgotten, the Children of the Tides were the daring adventurers of the ancient oceans. They voyaged across the world, engaging in trade and pige along the coastlines of the manynds. But those days have passed, and their once-mighty fleets and ships now exist only in memory. Instead, they have be semi-nomadic, with few permanent settlements, relying on their fast mounts and skill at arms for their military might. Having taken a life before their fourteenth year, each and every one of their Waveriders is a blooded warrior. In this modern era, the Children of the Tides have reinvented themselves as mercenaries, offering their services to the highest bidder. To this day, they can field a significant number of water mages as their people still share a bond with the ocean. Their magisters, once skilled in the art of controlling the power of the depths, now employ their talents to aid their kin in their logistics. They provide the precious resource of potable water for their long and arduous campaigns. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. Worry gnawed at me as we made our progress through the streets. I had to constantly remind myself that a smart criminal walks and does not run. This conflicted with another truth that I had learned through modern media; the culprit almost always returns to the scene of the crime. The foot traffic was heavy, and a fineyer of dust seemed to coat everything as we walked by the many tents and yurts which lined the main boulevard. The smell of the city almost overwhelmed our noses which were too used, now, to clean country air. Every now and then we would pass a stone or wooden building, but for the most part, they were still rtively rare. After making our way through the sweaty press of traffic, hands always on our valuables, we saw the sign of The Twisted Boar. A painted picture of a green boar being twisted in the hands of a leering giant on a wooden board. A strange sign for a strangely named inn. The whole building looked rtively new, without the presence or signs of age of a structure that has long stood the test of the years. To the right of the building was a small one-story construction made of the local white stone with a t roof. Its chimney billowed out a small column of grey smoke; the baths of the establishment, no doubt. On the left of the building was an empty stable that had seen better days. We entered the main establishment through a sturdy door, well worn with use, to be greeted by the sight of a thin man behind a wooden counter, polishing a horn stein. The ceiling was low, and the smell of spilled ale and recently cleaned vomit hung stale in the air. In the corner, two bearded and turbaned men sat around a ss pipe, taking turns sharing puffs of bluish smoke that twirled up toward the ceiling. At a small wooden table, a group of shifty-looking, rat-eyed men sat, ying what looked like this world¡¯s version of cards. Dog-eared cards featuring unknown gods, monsters, and symbols were exchanged, ced, and exchanged again. The yer''s expressions changed from carefully controlled neutrality to barely concealed drunken consternation, depending on their fortunes. The willowy male behind the bar looked at us with eyes the color of warm chocte. He was somewhere in his middle years, his once ck hair now grownnk and thin. Narrow lips under a wide nose pursed as he nodded to us in the universal manner of all bartenders, somewhere between deference and amicability, before asking, ¡°What can I get you, folks?¡± In a certain light, you could say he had a vague resemnce to the guard at the gate, but the association was tenuous at best. I was just about to speak, but Elwin beat me to it, ¡°Innkeep, we are looking for room, a private room, if you please, for the three of us.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be twenty bronze pieces a night for the lot of you, twenty-three if folk be needing to use the baths, which I highly suggest you do. You have the look of the road long traveled about you. Oh, and another bronze if you be needing your clothes to beundered. Leave¡¯em with the boy, goodd he is. Three coppers for a meal when we¡¯re serving. Also, the name¡¯s Taper Athinad, at your service,¡± he said perfunctorily while cleaning an array of mugs and steins in front of him. As he detailed the prices, my mind was performing some rough calctions. My time in the local jail, eavesdropping on the conversations of the market, had given me a rough idea of the value of the coins. Also, as I spun the numbers in my mind, I made sure to study the innkeeper, searching his face for the signs of treachery, but found none. Luckily, this world¡¯s currency was easy to get a handle on as it followed a simple decimal system. Having observed a woman buying two apples for a copper at the marketce, in terms of buying power, I estimated that a single copper coin was worth approximately one pound. Ten coppers were then worth a bronze piece, and ten bronze coins were, in turn, worth a single silver piece, with ten silver pieces having the value of a rare gold coin. I ran a finger over one of the silver coins as I was making my decision. On one side was the stylized version of a flowing wave, and on the other was a bust profile of an ancient woman. Making a quick study of the profile, I noticed a terrifying simrity to the goddess Avaria. Like all of the coins, the edges of this one were smooth and uniform. Next to it, was a simr-sized silver coin with a hole punched through its center. This was a ¡®half-silver¡¯ piece. Like the silver coins, there were other denominations with a hole punched through their centers in both copper and bronze. I had yet to encounter a half-gold piece. Unlike the bronze and copper pieces, along the rim of both silver pieces was some script that I could not yet decipher, written in anguage I had not yet encountered. As my mind yed about with the numbers, so too did it y around with the idea of casting a spell of Identification on the unknown script. However, idle curiosity was not a good enough cause to spend precious Mana. Forcing myself to rx a little, I concluded that, overall, the inn¡¯s prices were reasonable, at least by my very rough estimations. It was not worth looking for other amodation. This ce would serve our needs fine. The innkeeper was probably not out to get us. We had never met before. These thoughts warred with my paranoia until I was finally able to get myself under control. What would be, would be; a mantra against the building pressure in my head. It was time to take a chance, the dice demanded to be rolled. With my decision made, I nodded to Elwin who then counted out a week''s worth of lodging for us, and put a little extra onto the counter. Just as the Rogue finished, he asked Athinad in a voice that would not carry far, ¡°Bit far from home Athinad, that¡¯s a southern name by the sound of it...¡± He was met with a grunt by the innkeeper. ¡°Travel bug took me and my feet found themselves here. Nothing really about it¡±, Taper responded a touch defensively, ¡°Now what can I be getting you,ds?.¡± ¡°Just saying, just saying, now what we could do with is a little information. Perhaps to the tune of theings and goings in the city? Perhaps a ce where some strapping young men can earn a bit of coin? Maybe even a ce to wind down¡­ if you get my drift?¡± Elwin responded in a conciliatory tone while giving Athinad a knowing wink. I couldn¡¯t help but think that this was rich talking from a man who had recently been enved, then I realized that it was part of his act; giving the impression of normality. The innkeeper¡¯s brow furrowed, as if in concentration, before he deigned to answer the Rogue, ¡°Been a bunch of thieves operating around these parts recently, so keep a hand on your purses, I say. Small reward, too, from us local businesses, if you''re able to catch¡¯em. Course, there¡¯s always work down by the caravanserai, they are always looking for strong backs,¡± he paused for a moment, looking us over, ¡°Of course, those of...a morebative nature may find the odd job or two at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild.¡± With such a delivery, I almost expected an intrusive quest prompt, but none were forting. ¡°And entertainment?¡± burst the Rogue, the hunger for the diversions of the night clear in his eyes. Coughing slightly, the innkeeper replied, ¡°Well, there¡¯s usually a few games of chance and skill going round here, and there¡¯s a gambling house run by old Roi up by the Ark. But if you¡¯re into more bloodthirsty entertainment, there¡¯s the arena with its daily games,¡± Elwin looked at him, willing him to continue, ¡°Or...in the North quarter is the pleasure district. Haven¡¯t had much in the way of time to actually get around to sampling its selections, business being business and all, so can¡¯t tell you much...¡± he added, as he cleaned a nonexistent stain from the counter. My nerves were on end and I found myself wanting this whole exchange to be over as soon as possible. Hurry up and get us our room already, I thought to myself. The voices within painted a picture of me smashing Athinad¡¯s face in with a mining pick and taking in some delicious experience. Then I could loot his corpse for keys to the room, and there could also be money and treasure behind the bar... ¡°Your friend there, is he alright?¡± Taper asked Elwin in a low voice. ¡°We will take our rooms and a bath, and if possible our clothes to beundered,¡± I interjected before Elwin could respond, pulling myself from murderous thoughts that were probably not my own. I sighed with relief, d that our n was working. The innkeeper gave me a relieved look, his shoulders visibly rxing, before handing me a set of copper keys. ¡°Up the stairs, second door on the left,¡± the innkeeper instructed. I nodded in thanks, and our party made our way up stairs that creaked ominously under our weight. At the top of the stairwaynding was a narrow corridor with doors on either side. We entered a surprisingly clean room. I was expecting three separate beds and was surprised to see instead arge single bed big enough for three in the corner. Simple wooden shutters, secured by a wooden bar, could be opened to let the light or fresh air in. A single wooden chair, a side table by the bed, and three chamber pots in the opposite corner were the only other pieces of furniture in the room. A part of me had expected the locals to sleep like barbarians on the floor, so I was d to have a proper, if shared bed, and a solid roof over my head that wasn¡¯t just ayer of rock and earth. The tension that had been keeping me as taut as a bowstring and on my feet threatened to leave me, as I thought of all of the risks we had taken to reach this moment. However, rather than feeling truly safe, I simply felt just a lessening of the present danger. We decided to take inventory. Our current scavenged and looted belongings included a few mining tools, our old weapons, a few assorted valuable objects and misceny from the cabins, basic camping supplies, and of course, the length of chain I had decided to keep. Four gold coins and thirteen silver pieces, with the rest of the coins in bronze and copper, were the sum total of our current wealth. The silver and gold we divvied up between us, agreeing that we should keep the copper and bronze for general expenses. At a rough calction, I estimated their value to be at around five or six thousand pounds. The money in front of me, coupled with something that the innkeeper said earlier about gambling, sparked the beginning of an idea in my mind. I certainly didn¡¯t have enough funds to start a trade or business, but for the moment I had enough to survive for some time and find my feet in this world. The group unanimously reaffirmed that we would treat our stay in the city of Ansan as if we were in enemy territory. We would tread carefully with all of our dealings here and try to keep a low profile, foregoing strong drink and other vices which could betray us. In that vein of thought, we decided it best that we went to the baths in pairs, with one of us staying in the room to watch over our gear. I would be naked and vulnerable, but my modern sensibilities demanded at least some level of hygiene as we assuredly stank of the road and the wilds. Our marks of bondage were no more, leaving us as free men. Fretting incessantly would only lead me down a dark path of suspicion and delusion. I had to remind myself that what would be, would simply have to be. Elwin volunteered to try to find a fence for our assorted looted valuablester, once we made ourselves more presentable. He also promised to trade for some new clothes, as having some spares would always be wee. I first went to the baths with Elwin, entrusting Kidu to watch over our scavenged loot. A boy stood at a small counter near the baths; an eager, dark-haired, scrawny thing. We passed him the requisite coin to see to our clothes once we had ced them in the baskets. Bowing once, he hung some dull gray robes on two wooden pegs for us, and left with our dirty garments. We entered the baths proper through sliding doors. An old man, remarkably muscled, with jagged scars from past battles running across his body, rinsed himself before entering one of threerge pools. Copying the old man¡¯s example, we cleaned ourselves as best we could with cheap coarse soap. As we scrubbed and scrubbed, the grime from our long travels slowly sloughed off of us and, once we felt we were suitably clean, we entered one of the tepid pools. The feeling of embarrassment from my nakedness had long been scoured from me, but a sense of vulnerability remained, so Elwin and I would have to make quick our little bathing session. For a moment I remembered Harun,paring him to the old man. They were of a simr build, but would he pose a simr challenge? I yed out the murderous scenario in my mind and was even tempted to use an Identify spell on him, but finally decided against it. I needed to leave here and return to the rtive safety of the room without incident. Although a hurried one, the bath did wonders for my morale, and Elwin looked supremely happy to be clean again. Scratching behind his back, he turned and said in a cheerful voice, ¡°I always do enjoy my weekly bath.¡± I did my best to hide my grimace. Hygiene standards in this world were obviously notparable to my own. Sighing, I simply smiled back at the Rogue, before slipping into the warm water. Slowly, ever so slowly, the warm water began to soothe the myriad of aches and pains of my recent travails in a way that magic could not replicate. Looking at my body, I noticed that, despite receiving a number of wounds, I did not have a single scar on my body. I touched the ce where my ve brand should have been, only to find smooth skin. Also, despite being at more than twice the strength I was initially, there were no significant changes to my physique. I had the same very average-looking body that I always had. A quick gander at Elwin¡¯s body showed a surprisingck of scars for a man of his trade, but an intricate tattoo of an unknown design ran down from the nape of his neck along the line of his back. A few momentster, I realized that my magic had probably gotten rid of any of his scars along with the ve brand. A little wary of not conforming with local customs and seduced by the rxing pace, we moved into a hot drying room, adjacent to the baths. We sat on a wooden bench in a room reminiscent of a sauna, waiting to dry. I didn¡¯t try to engage Elwin in any conversation, and simply replied to his attempts at conversation with nomittal grunts and half-thought-out replies. Once dry, we donned our loaned robes and went back to our room, where we relieved Kidu of his watch. Elwin, volunteering to take up the arduous duty of having another bath, quickly poured himself a ss of water from a pitcher by the bed, before returning to baths with the wildman. Sitting on the bed, I finally had a little time to get my ducks in a row. I had traveled so far, ironically, only to return to the ce of my imprisonment, albeit as a free man. I needed to get out of this city, sooner rather thanter, once we acquired sufficient resources. There still remained a chance, no matter how slim, that someone might recognize me. Perhaps that would nevere to pass; after all, I was probably presumed dead after the cave-in. Still, I wanted to leave this barbaric city and go somewhere rtively more civilized. But to do that I needed more cold hard cash. My short-term goals clear to me now, I spent an indeterminable amount of time running over a few things that I had learned. The names of the creatures I had encountered, the people I had met, my brush with death¡­ Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. ¡°Sir, yourundry is done,¡± piped a squeaky voice that had shifted from a lower octave, in the manner of adolescents just into their change. That was pretty fast service, suspiciously so, I thought to myself as I got to my feet. Opening the door, I stiffened at the sight in front of me. The owner of the voice was the boy from before, but for a moment I saw Jongshoi¡¯s face superimposed over his features. Reflexively, I began to reach for a weapon that was not there, before catching myself, and instead reached for the purse at my waist. Pressing him three copper coins, I collected our cleanedundry. He epted the money gratefully and took Kidu¡¯s dirty garments that the Hunter had left outside the door. The boy was constantly bowing through all of this, until, annoyed, I finally closed the door in his face. Just as I was about to return alone to my thoughts, I was again interrupted, as my pair ofpanions burst into the room. It seemed that I had forgotten to lock the door. ¡°I see all our belongings are still here, congrattions on being able to stay awake!¡± joked Elwin as he plopped down next to me on therge bed. Kidu seemed a little more rxed than usual, the bath having miraculously healed some of the shadows behind his eyes, a feat that even my divine magic could not. More significantly, he had hacked off his beard, and the difference was rather astonishing. His features remained untamed and rugged, but he looked less like a primal thing and more like a civilized man. ¡°Why did you decide to do away with your beard, Kidu?¡± I asked on a whim, hoping that I had notmitted a social faux pas. ¡°A man grown in the north cuts his beard after a time of great shame or loss. This is how it has always been. It was I who led the raiding party south, and so the fault is with me. This is a small thing to remind myself that I am an unbearded youth,¡± replied Kidu, his usually loud voice unnaturally quiet before he added, ¡°But I feel a little better now after that cleansing. We, too, have hot springs in the north where the tribe gathers in the coldest of winters. This was most wee,¡± he stated, simply to change the subject before he, too,y down, and within moments, began to snore. I touched my own face in sympathetic reaction, noting that despite the amount of time I had spent in this world, there was no evidence of even a hint of stubble. ¡°The inn¡¯s serving in an hour, wake us up a little before then,¡± requested Elwin, yawning almost exaggeratedly and cutting off any further conversation, ¡°So sleepy...¡± It would seem I was to take this watch, so I began to devise ns for future experimentation. I still needed to try out a spell or two in controlled conditions, and for that, I would need test subjects. Dark whispers intruded upon my ruminations and a jarring and irrational thought yed across my mind, was the boy from the bath spying on our group? I yed with an equally irrational idea of experimenting on the boy, but thought better of using somebody too close to my ce of lodging. Thankfully, I was in a city full of strangers I cared little for. Book 1: Chapter 40: Practice Makes Perfect Book 1: Chapter 40: Practice Makes Perfect Research into the necromantic arts, sped up by the twins Need and Necessity, had opened dark channels into another ne of existence. Here, the sibnt denizens of the void promised a quick end to the war with something that was tranted by the magical researchers as the ¡®Seed of Oblivion.¡¯ Grasping at a chance of total victory, the leader of the Republic epted the dark bargain and brought the Seed fully into the world. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC I opened the shutters, drinking in the sights of the city before me. A steady flow of people traveled along the streets; a mix of travelers, merchants, and the asional military patrol. These patrols were heavily armored and mounted on half-barded and intimidating horses. I gritted my teeth as I saw a chained line of miserable-looking ves, their eyes hollow and their postures stooped in suffering. I was d that Kidu was asleep, as I was unsure of how he would react upon seeing such a sight. I would need to have words with therge man to hopefully prevent him from potentially causing a scene in the future. I was lost in thought as I watched the people of the city go by, and my mind went back to thoughts of the old world. Years of constant study into the depths of the night had made caffeinated drinks my constantpanions. I realized that I could probably kill for a simple cup of caramel soytte, both figuratively and literally. After judging that about an hour had passed, more by instinct than calction, I shook mypanions awake. We changed back into our clothes, leaving the borrowed robes outside the room door. Kidu and I collected our meals on a tray from the innkeeper, paying him the required coins, which he took brusquely. The inn¡¯s repast was some sort of red stew, which had a rich inviting smell, served in a simple earthenware bowl. Globs of unknown meat and the asional shape of what must be some sort of vegetable was in it. On the left of the bowl was a simple side of what looked to be some sort of brown rye bread. The stew had a tangy taste, sharp and piquant, with an edge of hot spice. This was, without doubt, one of the better meals I had sampled in this world. The meal was filling, and mypanions and I ate it with such great gusto that we almost had to stop ourselves from licking the bowls clean. Politeness was so ingrained into my very being, that I offered to return the trays. Descending the stairs, I went to the counter where Athinad was still busy cleaning some mugs and left the empty trays of food there. He gave me a small nod in thanks. Turning back to return to my room I noticed that the denizens of the inn were all very deep in their cups. A shing glint of steel caught my eye, as it flew through the air like an arrow before it embedded itself in a target on the far wall. The de quivered from the force of the throw causing a few whoops of joy and cries of disappointment from a small crowd. It seemed that the locals were engaged in a knife-throwingpetition. My curiosity was piqued, and my earlier promise to treat this town as enemy territory was quickly forgotten as I made my way toward the crowd apuding the throw. ¡°Hey, hold up there mate,¡± slurred a rat-faced man, blocking my path, ¡°Can¡¯t you see this is our little corner of the Boar?¡± ¡°No problems, Devon,¡± Athinad called out from the bar at the other end of the room. ¡°Jus¡¯ being weing, Atty boy,¡± Devon shot back, annoyancecing his words like an annoyed fishwife, before ncing nervously at the shortsword at my hip. ¡°Not looking for trouble, Master Devon. Just interested in the game that you¡¯re ying. Looks rather fun. Perhaps I could have a try,¡± I said with feigned nonchnce. The man I was addressing, Devon, had a mop of unkempt dull brown hair that framed a face that perhaps only a mother could love. Narrow nted eyes and pronounced front teeth added to his impression of an avaricious rodent. ¡°Fun, eh? You hear that, boys? Looks fun it is. And a ¡®Master Devon¡¯ to boot!¡± thisd¡¯s got a good eye for persons of quality he does! Feels like I¡¯m at court, I do! So you fancy trying your hand against the best in Ansan, eh? Hope you got the coin and stones to back that up!¡± Devon guffawed along with his crew. ¡°Well, I never said anything of the sort,¡± I chuckled and held my hands up in agreement. ¡°Also, that would be difficult as I have never thrown a de in my life before. You could at least make it a fair game if you taught me the rules and how the basics of how to throw a de,¡± I dered, ying the role of the easy mark. Seeing the potentially easy target, the men lurking behind Devon grinned like sharks before a feast of chum andughed along with me. Devon rubbed his chin as he looked me over, ¡°Well that won¡¯t do at all, will it,ds? Can¡¯t be letting it get said that Devon the Dirk is a dishonorable sort to be taking coins from unwittingds like you, eh? Guess the ol¡¯ Dirk can teach you a thing or two on how to throw a de. In return you could I expect a few coins for my time, being a ¡®Master¡¯ an¡¯ all¡± he said, looking at his crew behind him, ¡°An¡¯ perhaps a drink for all theds so they don¡¯t start getting too restless.¡± Looking at Athinad behind the bar, I gave him a nod as I counted a few bronze coins out from my small purse. A few momentster, Athinad came round and served drinks of brown ale from utilitarian horn mugs, plonking them down gruffly before adding, ¡°Just to remind you, boys, no trouble you, hear?¡± ¡°We hear you all right,¡± Devon replied, his eyes rolling at the repeated nagging, ¡°Now this here is the game we¡¯ll be ying once you can hit the fat bum of a passing Laur. Hit the target over there, you take a swig. Miss the target and old biddy Taper over there goes up in a huff about us damaging the walls, and ye ¡®ave to drink two swigs. Like so,¡± Devon said, taking a quaff from his mug and burping loudly to the amusement of hispanions, ¡°Now you¡¯ll be wanting to hold yer de like this,¡± he indicated, holding up his de for inspection before passing me a small simple throwing knife. It was a very unassuming weapon, with a thin steel de that red a little in the middle, before tapering off to a sharp point. The handle was made from wood wrapped with rawhide, and it had a small bronze guard to stop the fingers from slipping identally onto the de. Attempting to follow my new instructor''s example, I ced the end of the handle into the center of the palm of my left hand, with my middle finger closing the grip and my thumb on the side. My index finger rested along the spine of the weapon at the bnce point of the knife. He grunted before taking another gulp from his mug, ¡°Not bad, not bad at all. You pick things up quick. Now the trick is...¡± he stood now, taking a loose stance and raising the de behind his head, ¡°Is all in the timing of the release!¡± he said as he threw his knife. Without spinning, the de flew unerringly towards the small wooden target on the wall, sinking a few centimeters into the wood. With a wide sweep of his hands, took a quick swig from his mug and gestured for me to have a try, as if he was a stage director introducing a new character to the stage. I nodded to him, taking a stance that approximately resembled his. My Dexterity was probably reasonably high now, considering that I had started with a mere eight points, so I felt that I would have a good chance at picking this up. Lifting the knife behind my head, I tried to copy my teacher¡¯s throw, but released perhaps scant moments too early, and missed the target by a small margin. Devon pped me on the back inmiseration, encouraging me to try a few times more, and exined in a slightly slurred voice that being drunk was the key to good knife-throwing. However, totally engrossed in my practice, I did not care to drink with the others or take part in any gambling. I did however continue to order a few more rounds of drinks in exchange for further friendly instruction. Devon would give me the asional tip, shifting my stance on asion, and giving me pointers on how to ¡®feel¡¯ for the timing of the de. In time, I was hitting the target more often than not, and I was granted a notification that I had long been waiting for. You have gained 1 Dexterity You have learned Daggers (lvl.2) You have learned Throwing Weapons (lvl.1) You have learned Throwing Weapons (lvl.2) It seemed that with proper instruction, I could gain skill levels much faster than just by messing about in the dark by myself. Daggers would be a useful proficiency to have in case I ever lost my main weapons, or if I had to engage in some up-close wetwork in the future. As a bonus, I had gained a point of Dexterity for my trouble. ¡°Thank you, Master Devon,¡± I replied with a small bow, which drewughs from Devon¡¯s crew, but I could see that Devon¡¯s face was a little flushed with more than just alcohol. With the simple word of ¡®Master¡¯ I had appealed to his pride and had won him over. ¡°Where can one get such weapons as these? They have a fine bnce and fly true.¡± His posture a little straighter, Devon smiled a little drunkenly and replied proudly, ¡°Go down along this road outside to yer left a little way, you¡¯ll see the sign of the Soot-Stained Pig Iron Forge. Basically, look for a ck pig if you don¡¯t know your letters. Tell ol¡¯ Cillis Aideh I sent ya. She¡¯ll give you a discount if you buy ten,¡± he slurred thest, clearly drunker, and I knew he would not be able to give much further useful instruction. Luckily, he had forgotten about ourpetition, for which I was grateful. For, inebriated as he was, he still had a much better aim than me which would almost certainly lead to my loss. I thanked Devon again, and the seedy-looking men behind him raised a drunken toast in my name. Though it had cost me a few coins, I was a little bit happy with my newfound poprity. I was even happier when I saw a new notification. You have gained 1 Charisma Not bad, I thought to myself, as I turned to the bar and cleared my tab with Taper, before I went back up the creaking stairs to my room. Entering, I saw Kidu and Elwin attending to the maintenance of our gear. The Hunter, rather considerately, had even fashioned a strap for my helm. I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him that I was thinking of trading it in for something else at the earliest opportunity. ¡°That¡¯s it. My turn now,¡± Elwin said, rising up from the floor like a hound that had just been let loose and dashed for the door. ¡°Try and find a ce to sell the...¡± I tried to remind him as he went past me. ¡°Yes, yes, mother. And I¡¯ll try not to sink too deep into my cups, nor will I be losing my chastity this night!¡± he shouted back at me as he bolted down the stairs, probably to engage in a round of drinking. Upon hearing this, Kidu just grunted as he continued to diligently polish his spear, grinding out traces of rust with a coarse stone. Sitting down by the shutter, I decided to practice my magic. Book 1: Chapter 41: A Slight Mishap Book 1: Chapter 41: A Slight Mishap The human drive for order is evident in our daily lives, from the schedules we keep to the way we organize our physical space. We create rules and regtions to govern our behavior and ensure a stable society. However, the predictability of order can leave us feeling unfulfilled and stagnant. We crave the unexpected, the chance urrence that brings excitement and novelty to our existence. Our attraction to coincidence and surprise is an essential aspect of the human experience. Therefore, while we may strive for order and structure, we must also embrace the beauty of randomness. It is in the unexpected where we find new perspectives and opportunities for growth. In the delicate bnce between order and chance, we discover the richness of life. - The Just Realm by Gideon de Svia 368 AC. The setting sun had cast its final rays, painting the sky with gentle hues of red and orange. The streets below were bustling with people eager to conclude their business and head home. Amidst the crowd, I spotted a merchant hurrying down the road, carrying severalrge packs. identally, he collided with a tall, sturdy woman, and both of them fell to the ground. The bags burst open, and the goods spilled out like a wave. Street urchins, ever the opportunists, swooped in to loot what they could before disappearing into the throng of people. As the vultures made their escape, the merchant raised his fist, hurling a stream of invectives at them while the woman tried to assist him in retrieving the remainder of his possessions. Perfect, I thought, focusing on the unlucky merchant. I started to cast a spell, carefully enunciating the first sybles of the incantation. The words tasted vile, oily, and spoke of unspeakable things of the void. My human tongue struggled to articte the otherworldly phrases clearly. As I finished the spell with a dark syble, a group of gossamer-thin threads, as ck as midnight, flew from me toward the merchant. I had cast the spell, Drain. The dark threads attached to the merchant, and I felt a trickle of sinister, yet essential, energy enriching my very being, satiating a hunger I never knew existed. At a primal level, I realized that I was sapping the poor man''s life force like a magical vampire. Did the spell restore Health? I had to find out. I quickly drew a shallow cut across my forearm and winced a little. My skin at first seemed to resist the edge of the de before I was able to inflict four points of self-harm. The man was still arguing with the woman and cursing the world in general at his poor fortune, almost frothing at the mouth, really. I continued to watch him and I felt a single point of Health restored. The cut on my arm began to close, and I continued to wait as the spell drained the man''s life force, gradually restoring my Health to its full level. The man looked slightly less animated now, his anger beginning to lose its rough edge as the woman kept apologizing. He shivered, perhaps from the evening chill, and looked around for the source of his difort, ignoring the woman''s constant apologies. I quickly ducked out of view, fearful that perhaps he had noticed my arcane meddling. Now shielded from view, I took a moment to take stock and noticed that my Mana had ticked back up a single point. Simple arithmetic and deduction dictated that this new spell cost two Mana points to cast, but could also restore Mana as well as Health. My heart was beating like a war drum, so I breathed in, slow and steady, to calm myself down. A secondter, I reined in the dark threads of magic, and ended the spell. Would Drain also be able to restore my Stamina too? Kidu, done with tending to his weapon, was now engrossed in carving a wooden figurine of a small animal. Though it was still in its nascent stage, I could see that once finished it was going to be a six-legged creature of some sort. So intense was his concentration, that he must have been oblivious to my breakthroughs in the magical arts. That was perhaps for the best, as I doubted he would agree to what I nned to do next. It was imperative that I test the full potential of the Drain spell, and to do so, I needed to deplete my Stamina. Rising from my seated position, I drew my shortsword from its scabbard. Pretending to practice an imaginary sword form, I cut a few times at some imaginary opponents in front of me, watching my Stamina gauge deplete with each strike. I even used a few Power Strikes. The increased speed the skill gave to my strikes made my de draw shes of steel in the air. Keeping an eye on the lower left of my vision, I noticed that if I used the skill in quick session, the amount of Stamina used per Power Strike would increase. Still, although I had a prodigious amount of stamina, it was something to keep in mind. Feeling a little self-conscious and embarrassed about my made-up and amateurish disy, I took a nce at the big man. He did not seem to have noticed anything, thankfully, and was busy chewing on a bit of jerky as he continued to release the creature from the wood. With my preparationsplete, I cast Drain on the unsuspecting passersby below. To my satisfaction, my Stamina began to replenish at an elerated pace. The spell indeed had the power to restore Stamina, in addition to Health and Mana. It was indeed a fantastic spell, and I thought to myself how useful it would be in the future But my tion was short-lived, as I was suddenly met with a notice that shocked me, utterly. style="border-copse: copse; width: 36.5067%; background-color: rgba(194, 224, 244, 1); border-color: rgba(194, 224, 244, 1); border-style: groove; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" border="1"> You have in a Human 20 experience gained What in zes, what madness was this? My mind was in confusion, for I was sure that no one had perished by my hand. The game¡¯s workings were strange, indeed, for twenty points of experience was a pittance for killing a human. However, experience points were still experience points, I rationalized to myself. As I pondered this sudden stroke of fortune, I fancied that I heard a faint, mockingughter from the shadows, a sinister chorus of sibnt whispers that seemed to taunt me with their enigmatic meaning. Kidu put down his knife and the figurine and turned to me. In a serious voice, he asked, ¡°Are you finished with your practice?¡± ¡°I perceived you observed all of that?¡± I stumbled, my embarrassment leading my syntax astray. ¡°You saw all of that?¡± ¡°Hard to miss you iling about,¡± he answered, repacking his belongings. ¡°No¡­ not that sword kata. Yes, I mean sword form. I mean, like, could you tell I was using magic?¡± I queried, still a little flustered ¡°Your face. It is a good tell when you are concentrating. Seen it before, too, only twice, when you are waging war on stone and when you are doing your magic¡­ thing,¡± he said with a simple shrug of his massive shoulders. With almost impable timing, Elwin burst into the room. His cheeks held the rosy hue of too much wine, and a sly grin yed upon his lips as he recounted the tale of his exploits. We listened as he wove a tale of charm and subterfuge. ording to the Rogue, it was his honeyed words that had won over the skeptical locals and led them to reveal the location of a fence who would buy our appropriated goods at a discounted price. As he finished his story, Elwin removed his leather boots and made his way toward the bed. But before he could climb beneath the covers, he spun around with a flourish and slipped a small, ragged bundle into my waiting arms. ¡°I remember...the promise I made to tell you what I knew about the arts. The Control,¡± he burped unceremoniously, and even at a distance, I could smell the reek of cheap alcohol. ¡°Got this on the cheap...damaged goods...but a...like za hat would be too much...¡± he finished, before falling into bed and snoring, almost instantly. Upon closer examination, the bundle revealed itself to be a damaged book, devoid of a cover and bound together haphazardly. Holding it gingerly, I could see that it was missing numerous pages, and the ink had bled, rendering parts of it illegible. A book, atst. True, it was wed, but it contained precious knowledge nheless. As I inspected it closer, the first page revealed itself to be inscribed in the local dialect. Fortunately, it was penned in ¡®simplified¡¯ Trade, meaning I would not need to expend significant amounts of energy toprehend its meaning. Delicately going over the old tome, I was extra careful with my fingers when touching the brittle sections of parchment. Hungrily, I poured over the text, using Identify to reveal the meaning of the parts that eluded or frustrated me. Through magical means, deduction, and inference, I began to establish an idea of the damaged tome¡¯s essence. It was a primer of sorts, for initiates in the study of magic and Mana. Eager for fresh knowledge, I locked the room¡¯s door and settled into my usual position. Holding the book in my hands as if it were a precious relic, I continued going over the text under the light of a dying candle. Eventually, the candle¡¯s light faded, and I was left in the darkness. Nonterns adorned the darkened street, and the moon was obscured behind a veil of clouds. The only illumination was that which slipped out from the shutters and doors of the homes and shops that stubbornly refused to call it a day. The city, even at this hour, was still filled with noise as people went about their business. If one listened closely, one could even hear the asional crack of the whip in the distance, followed by a scream of pain. I shuddered for a moment, in a sympathetic reaction. I shifted a little on my chair and looked out into the evening, trying to enjoy a moment to myself as night fell and my watch began. Book 1: Chapter 42: Honest City Life Book 1: Chapter 42: Honest City Life It is wiser to traverse the journey in solitude than to apany the fool. - Quassian Aphorism While keeping myself revitalized with the Drain spell, I had borne watch for most of the night. It was only in the early hours of the morning that Kidu relieved me of my duties. Throughout the night, the repeated use of the Drain spell allowed me to keep my Mana almost full. Moreover, my unwavering focus had elevated the spell''s level and augmented my Intelligence by a single point. Fortunately, no one broke into our room during the night to steal our belongings. I considered this to be a much-needed triumph. Much of the night was spent in contemtion of the book''s contents, particrly the enigmatic diagrams that tantalized my imagination with their intricate designs. I recalled that the Identify scroll I had absorbed containedparable patterns in certain areas. The pages were adorned with mathematical equations in a paradigm I struggled toprehend, and much of the text was marred by damage. Despite this, I was able to glean a rough overview of the workings of magic in this realm. It seemed that the maniption of Mana could influence the fabric of reality, though the level of difficulty was determined by the magnitude of change required. From the iplete manuscript, I deduced that the casting of powerful or intricate spells necessitated a greater expenditure of Mana to bridge the chasm between the caster''s "intent" and the present reality. Indeed, a fireball would indisputably have a more discernible impact on reality than a mere spark. Simrly, conjuring a de of water in a parched desert would prove far more arduous than in a damp, marshy environment. This incongruity led me to question why my own magical abilities always had the same cost in Mana, fluctuating solely in correspondence to the spell''s present level and potency. The previous night had left me with a multitude of unresolved inquiries regarding the enigmatic nature of this realm. Lost in the contemtion of these musings, I sat alone in the dark before I roused Elwin from his slumber a few hourster. The man slowly got up, still bleary-eyed from his rest. Despite his grumbling, I expressed my sincerest gratitude for his gift, the old primer on magic, an act he dismissively shrugged off as inconsequential. As it was still early, we opted to forgo the customary morning meal and instead dined on our travel provisions of tough, dried Laur meat. As I gnawed on the leathery jerky, memories flooded my mind of the time when the very same creature had attempted to devour me. Survival of the strong, I thought to myself, as I washed the meat down with some water that had long ago grown stale. Our mealplete, we decided upon a n for the rest of the day. Elwin would take care of selling the smaller ¡®higher end¡¯ bits and pieces we had acquired from the charcoal burners, while Kidu and I would sell the rest of therger less valuable equipment and search for work or other means of earning coin. It had also been decided that we would make a stop at a cksmith or armorer to purchase some new gear. Kidu had expressed the need for a decent bow, while I myself desired a better helmet. Although my current helmet had proven its worth time and time again, aesthetics were still important to me. After all, a helmet was one of the most vital pieces of protection, but that did not mean it could not look good. I now understood why the ancients paid so much attention to the decoration of their armor. It was also as good a time as any to check my character sheet. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 10 Pdin of Avaria/Reaver Strength24 Dexterity19 Constitution34 Intelligence19 Wisdom17 Charisma11 Luck16 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.2) Power Strike (lvl.2) 10 Endure (lvl.3) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.2) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.2) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) Hammers (lvl.2) ils (lvl.1) Maces (lvl.1) Shields (lvl.1) Medium Armour (lvl.1) Heavy Armour (lvl.1) Axes (lvl.1) Daggers (lvl.2) Throwing Weapons (lvl.2) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) 5 Rust (lvl.3) 1-2 Identify (lvl.2) 1 Silent Casting (lvl.1) Mana Regeneration (lvl.2) Purify (lvl.2) 3 Greater Heal (lvl.1) 10 Holy Aura (lvl.1) 2 Decay (lvl.1) Drain (lvl.2) 2 Entropic Aura (lvl.2) 2 GIFTS Curse of Entropy: -20% all starting attributes. Mark of the Pdin: 10% resistance to Dark/Holy magic, 5% resistance to Physical. Touch of the Void: 10% reduced resistance to Holy/Fire magic, 20% resistance to Mental Effects, 15% immunity to Mental Effects. Experience to next level 2447/2583 Health230/230 Stamina53/55 Mana12/13 As we departed the room, I couldn''t help but feel a sense of aplishment. Practicing my magical skills had boosted my mental faculties, as well as gaining me some nominal experience. Learning how to throw daggers, too, had added to my umted experience total. Climbing down the creaky stairs, I went to the bar and cleared our drinks tab from the previous evening with Athinad. It appeared that Elwin had been a bit too liberal with our expenses, but I deemed it necessary to view it as a business investment, for if we could find a buyer for our trinkets, the cost would prove worthwhile. Such was the price of civilization. Knowledge and information were paid for in coin or in favor, and for the moment I was not in the mood to be giving out favors. Emerging from the inn, we strode along the main thoroughfare for a spell. The flow of wagons and beasts was still sparse at this early hour of the morning. A curious creature, resembling arger and gentler incarnation of the Tree-Laur I had chanced upon in the woods, crossed our path. Its six squat limbs hauled a diminutive wooden cart, freighted with wares. I debated casting Identify on the creature, but decided it was simply better to ask mypanions first. ¡°Keep forgetting you don¡¯t know much about anything,¡± remarked Elwin unhelpfully, ¡°It¡¯s a...¡± ¡°ins-Laur,¡± Kidu finished for him, drawing a shrug from the Rogue as he continued on like a farmer plowing a field, ¡°They make for good eating.¡± Elwin rolled his eyes. ¡°ins-Laur, a bit more expensive than horses and definitely more temperamental. They got a lot more stamina, if not quite the speed of a good horse. Can¡¯t say I care much for them, except as myrge and learned friend has mentioned, they make for good eating,¡± he expounded, making sure to enunciate thest part carefully. Kidu just grunted at this, and dodged a middle-aged man carrying a wicker basket over his shoulders. I grinned at the pair¡¯s trifling banter, my thoughts fixated on the potential experience points the creature would yield, rather than its epicurean value or its merit as a mount. We reached a corner of the road dominated by arge yurt-like building, when Elwin suddenly dered with a cheerful smile, ¡°Well gentlemen, this is where we¡¯ll be needing to part ways a while. I¡¯ll see what I can do about selling these old bit¡¯s n¡¯ bobs with a local fence, and get a littley of thend. You two have fun selling our other junk for what you can and let¡¯s meet back before sundown at the Twisted Boar,¡± he said, eager to be off. ¡°Fortune favor you, Elwin Tucker,¡± rumbled Kidu, holding the Rogue¡¯s eyes for a moment, causing Elwin to run one of his hands through what remained of his hair nervously Looking sheepish, the wiry man walked off into the crowd, turning around onest time before throwing us a wave. There was no doubt that Elwin was still a bit of a mystery to me. He had proven dependable enough so far, a reliable de to be called upon when needed. Yet, I could not help but feel a nagging sense of doubt about his motivations. The man had clearly lied about his backstory before. Continuing down the road, which was now slowly filling up with more traffic, Kidu and I passed a stooped old man who looked to be some sort of tinkerer, setting up his simple iron goods on a tarp along the side of the thoroughfare. Kidu and I approached him. The looming presence of mypanion towered over him and cast arge shadow across his humble wares. ¡°Oh, hello there, sir!¡± said the startled trader, almost jumping at the sight of therge man as he finished setting up a disy, ¡°Wha...what can I do for you today?¡± I bent down before his disy, touching some pots and pans as if feigning interest in the quality of his wares, before getting down to business, ¡°Good sir, a fine set of products you have. And it so happens that we possess certain goods of simr quality that may be of interest to you," I spoke in a tone that conveyed both courtesy and purpose. Meanwhile, Kidu,prehending my unspoken instruction, began to unload our array of mining tools - including the trusty picks and shovels that had served us so well. It was time to see if could pass an extortion roll. ¡°We might have a few things you might be interested in. Of course, being an honest and healthy merchant, you will give us a fair price for these, won¡¯t you?¡± I said, smiling coldly in a manner I hoped was slightly threatening. I had little patience to dicker about the price. The Hunter¡¯s massive presence alone ensured that we would be treated fairly. Completely shrugging off my implied threat, the tinkerer proved to possess more backbone and mercantile savvy than I had initially assumed. His voice was unwavering as he offered his assessment. ¡°These tools appear to be of inferior quality,cking in any identifiable maker''s mark, with considerable wear and tear. That pick, in particr," he exined, pointing at the one I had most recently wielded in the mines, "has seen better days. I can only offer you five bronze for the entire lot," he dered, staring me down with steely eyes. It could have been myck of Charisma, or perhaps his shrewd instincts as a natural-born trader, but the man was well aware that Icked the fortitude to drive a hard bargain. In the end, it would be my loss. I really needed to work on my delivery. "Add another five copper to the sum, and we shall consider it a fair exchange," I relented with a tinge of resignation in my voice. The tinkerer''s face split into an avaricious grin. "Agreed," he stated calmly, though the unmistakable gleam of greed shone in his eyes. Only a fool would fail to recognize that the snake of a merchant hade out on top of this particr deal. Whilst engaged in the trade with the tinkerer, I couldn''t help but overhear a hushed conversation between two women as they walked by. "Did you hear about Marda? She lost her childst night, just walking down this very street. The midwife says she may never be able to bear children again!" one of the women whispered a little too loudly, as if sharing a delicious secret with the world. "I heard the same thing! Poor Marda believes it was a curse of witchcraft, cast upon her as she passed by that ursed inn, the Curled Boar or something. Some say they too felt something sinister, even old Gus was assailed by the demons of the night. It''s enough to warrant the attention of an Honored One. Who knows? It could be foul magic or the handiwork of foreign spies!" her friendmented with a nervous giggle at the delectable piece of gossip, as they gradually receded from earshot. A pang of guilt briefly assailed me for a microsecond, but I quickly redirected my attention to the tinkerer. He reached into a light blue knapsack that was slung over his shoulder, deftly counted out the coins, and deposited them into my awaiting palm. I bid the trader farewell, inclining my body slightly in the customary local bow, while Kidu offered him nothing more than a resentful look as we continued on our way. I handed Kidu his share, which consisted of one bronze and eight copper pieces. He tried to refuse, but I insisted, reminding him of his duty to bring wealth back to his n. Even if I had been ¡®cheated¡¯, I would not do so with my ownpanions. Book 1: Chapter 43: The Soot Stained Pig Book 1: Chapter 43: The Soot Stained Pig It is a fact that true malevolence weaves its way through the delicate bnce of intentions, both virtuous and vicious. Let us not deceive ourselves, for it is essential to acknowledge that such wrongdoing is unequivocally wrong. - The Just Realm, by Gideon de Svia 368 AC. Soon enough, we were able to find our way to the Soot Stained Pig. It was a medium building, two stories tall, and constructed fromrge blocks of locally quarried white baster stone. A cast-iron sign hung over the entrance, depicting arge ck pig with an anvil in the background and the unoiled hinges squeaked in the breeze. The sounds of the forge could be hearding from within, rising above the general hubbub of the city. We entered the shop, the nging of metal on metal filled our ears and drowned out the sound of the heavy wooden doors that closed behind us. The air was thick with the heat of the forge, and we could already feel the sweat beginning to bead on our foreheads. Our eyes were immediately drawn to the woman at the anvil, her full figuremanding our male attention as she rhythmically hammered away at a bar of red-hot steel. Her concentration was fierce, her brow furrowed in concentration and her hair was slick with sweat and pulled back into a simple ponytail. Tilted coal-ck eyes peered out from an oval face at the work in front of her. We stood there, unnoticed, as she deftly picked up the piece of steel with her tongs and quenched it in a liquid that glistened like oil. She did not notice or acknowledge us, as she waspletely focused on her craft. In the presence of a master at her craft, Kidu and I held our tongues in respectful silence. Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to observe our surroundings. Weapon racks lined the walls, filled with an array of vicious battlefield implements. In ss cases, delicate and ornate items encrusted with jewels and other precious stones were on disy. The establishment boasted a varied collection of arms and armor, from the simplest of bronze daggers to a masterfully crafted, fully articted set of te armor. The armor was a true marvel, a work of art that appeared as if it had been sculpted out of flowing steel. After finishing her task, she set down the tongs and ced her gloved hands on her generous hips. Looking Kidu up and down, she greeted us with a smile on her lips. A single delicate eyebrow arched in curiosity as she asked in an alto voice, whose timbre resonated with the heat of the forge, "Do you see something you like?" As I lifted off my helmet, I stumbled over my own tongue, struggling to find the words. "Devon vouched for this establishment and suggested we seek out a certain Cillis Aideh for a fair price. Our aim is to barter a few items, yet primarily to purchase," I managed to blurt out. The woman''s amusement was clear as she surveyed us,ughter sparkling in her eyes. "Cillis Aideh at your service. That wily old scoundrel still breathes, I see. I fear his fondness for liquor and games of chance will lead him across the Shallow River one day, but I can''t fault him for bringing me trade. So, what can I do for you?" she inquired, her tone bing all business. ¡°I was wondering if I could trade this in for perhaps a new one of iron or steel?¡± I asked her, holding out my helm. ¡°Open or closed?¡± she countered simply in return. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± I stuttered, little at loss for words, not understanding the context. ¡°Helm,¡± she responded, rolling her eyes and tapping at her head. A blush crept across my cheeks as I weakly answered, ¡°What would you rmend for mypanion and me?¡± I looked to Kidu, whose gaze was still roaming over the items on disy. ¡°Hmm,¡± she paused, crossing her arms in thought, ¡°Closed be a bit harder to breathe in, can¡¯t see as well either. But I¡¯d still rmend one if you''re going to be getting into lots of scraps. A visored helm would probably give you best of both worlds, but that¡¯ll cost you a pretty penny, and they can be a devil to maintain in the field.¡± ¡°To be honest, madam...¡± I began again, before being interrupted. ¡°No need for a madam, I¡¯m not that old yet,¡± she interjected brusquely, a slight edge to her voice. "Well, yes, Ms. Aideh, we have a budget of about four gold between us," I stated simply, hoping that Elwin could procure more money for us from the sale of our other loot. "We both need to be fully equipped, and we can trade these," I said, spreading out the Laur hide, two spare Zajasite stones, two pairs of Echo-Stalker weapon ws from the drones, and my Echo-Stalker scythe daggers. A little hesitantly, I also ced my simple length of iron chain on the counter of the shop. Cillis surveyed our wares, her delicate lips pursed in contemtion as she caressed the scythe daggers. "A rare find, these Echo-Stalker ws from the deep ces. Exotic. There must be a demand for them somewhere, but I''m not sure where to begin. I can offer four silver for the smaller ones and six for each of these daggers if you''re willing to take store credit. Three and five if you need the coin now," she mused, slipping off one of her gloves and tracing her fingers sensually over the animal hide. "This Laur hide is a beauty, a Tree-Laur, if I''m not mistaken. My husband, Khisam, could fashion something splendid with it. I''ll throw in another silver for it. As for the Zajasite stones, they''re of low quality, so I can offer five copper each, and three for the chain as scrap. Just because the big chunk of muscles here is easy on the eyes," she beamed, wiping her face with the back of her hand, which left another trail of lingering ck. I could not help but notice the yful way she looked at Kidu. "Khisam!" she bellowed, turning her back to us and hollering up the stairs. "I need your help with some fittings!" * Following the smith''s advice, I bought a second-hand visored steel sallet with a sturdy bevor, as well as the heaviest leather and steel brigandine they had that could be easily fitted. ck canvas was riveted onto the tes of the brigandine, and the armor also came with a cloth gambeson that had butted mail attached and sewn across the arms. For leg armor, I chose simple iron greaves with chainmail leggings. I would have to keep my leather gloves for the time being, as I simply did not have the budget for new gauntlets. Also, a further loss of dexterous motion might prove fatal in a future conflict. I attempted to persuade the smith to craft a il out of the chains I had ced on the table, but she found the whole notion absurd. Instead, still perplexed by my choice of weapon, she proffered me a reasonably priced spiked iron il that exuded a menacing aura, paired with a basic kite shield that I could easily sling over my shoulder. The pommel of the weapon bore a sharp spike, while at the juncture where the chain met the handle, heavy nges of iron construction were affixed, enabling the weapon to also function as a simple mace. The ball of the il was forged of heavy metal, had five small spikes on its rough surface, and was attached to the handle of the weapon by a short heavy chain. The smith promised toter teach me the basics of its use for another two bronze. I also decided to buy an old leather sword belt that sported a bronze buckle, as well as hooks for suspending weapons and gear. In addition, I procured a set of three well-bnced throwing knives. As a final touch, I exchanged my looted shortsword for a parrying dagger. The dagger was marked down due to it being one of her apprentice''s initial works, and its quality was uncertain. However, it was an eye-catching piece. The weapon bore a striking resemnce to a 15th-century de, with recurved bronze quillons that angled slightly upwards towards the de. A groove at the base of one side of the de permitted the thumb to obtain a firmer grip, while a shallow fuller ran across half of its short length. The de itself seemed to emte a lethal serpent in motion. Upon observing my inquisitive expression, Cillis divulged that the ripples in the de were designed to weaken the impact of a strike against the weapon and slow down an adversary''s de. A slender man descended the stairs, stumbling over his own feet as he struggled to carry various items. This could only be Khisam, I mused to myself. Khisam was a shrew of a man, and I found myself perplexed by his match with Cillis. Despite his rtive youth, he had begun to bald well before his time. His furtive nature, slightly hunched back, andrge bespectacled eyes only added to his shrew-like countenance. He followed his wife¡¯s orders almost without question and with almost mechanical efficiency, his hands a whirlwind of activity as he fitted my gear to me, asionally informing his wife of my measurements. The raven-haired woman took her time teaching me how to properly equip my arms and armor, as well as how to maintain them. Her hands provocatively lingered a little too long in ces, doing so in front of her husband, as if she enjoyed the thrill. She also, with much amusement at my expense, showed me how I could relieve myself when fully armored.I was relieved to discover that my gear, though weighty, was not as unwieldy as depictions in contemporary media had led me to believe. Adorned in thickyers of leather and sturdy metal, I felt considerably more secure. Kidu, after much consideration, settled on a scale mail cuirass and chainmail protection for his arms and legs. He was adamant about not wearing a closed helm, citing the importance of his senses inbat. However, after some persuasion, he agreed to don a chainmail coif. Instead of a shield, he opted for a thick steel gauntlet,plete with articted fingers and metal tes covering his arms. Cillis referred to it as a ¡®Shield-Gauntlet,'' and it brought to mind the fierce Murmillos of ancient Rome. For his weapon, with great reluctance, he exchanged his old one for a steel boar spear, with small iron lugs that sprouted underneath a long leaf-shaped de that ended in a sharp tip. It would take some time for Khisam to make the necessary adjustments for Kidu''srge size, so Cillis invited me to the back of her smithy where I found a small open area surrounded by a fence. Approaching a straw training dummy, she turned around to give me a dazzling smile and began her instruction, "Now, I would be a poor smith indeed if I didn''t understand how to use the tools that I make. Make no mistake, boy, these are tools and nothing more. The il is a difficult weapon to master andcks a little power, because you can''t put your full weight behind it. But it''s a tricky thing, the il, capable of wrapping around someone''s guard or letting you attack from a different angle. Now, remember when you hit a solid target, you''ll need to follow through..." * I didn¡¯t know whether it was my single point of proficiency in ils, my higher Dexterity, or thebined experience from all of my fights until now, but Cillis'' instruction came easily to me. She pointed out ws in my stance with a whisper close to my ear, warning me to always keep my shield up and not rely on my weapon for defense, as one would with a sword. After what felt like hours of training, the world finally informed me that I had gained in skill. You have learned ils (lvl.2) I was a little disappointed that I hadn¡¯t had an increase in attribute points, but still pleased that I had made some martial progress. Though nowhere near a hardened warrior of legend, I felt I had at least begun to take the first tentative steps on that path. Emboldened by my recent achievement, I turned to the attractive, raven-haired smith with a yful grin. ¡°So you and Khisam, howe you two...¡± I began, before she silenced me with a finger to my lips. ¡°I¡¯d prefer the big man, but you¡¯ll do. Don¡¯t worry, my husband likes to be jealous. It adds spice to our partnership,¡± she said in a bold sultry voice, filled with sensuous promise, as she led me by the hand to a tool shed in the corner of the yard. We rutted like animals, heavy and hard, shaking the timber frames of the shed. She bit down on a piece of rawhide leather to muffle the sounds of our coupling, as I spilled my pent-up seed deep inside her. When we were finished, short minutester, she washed where we had been briefly joined, drawing cold water from a cistern without a care in the world for modesty, as if nothing had happened between us. I couldn¡¯t help feeling that it was me that had been used. I felt a little emascted as we joined the others back in the shop. It seemed that in this world, I could feel the whole gamut of human sensations. and that thankfully included pleasure. Kidu looked odd, his neat and ordered gear now adjusted to his size, at odds with his rugged form. I paid Cillis for her time, training, and goods. In a weak voice tinged with guilt, I promised to return if we had any more purchases to make in the future, but could barely meet her eyes. Almost as a parting gift, Cillis even rmended a stall in the market to acquire archery gear for Kidu. We left the store a little hastily, my embarrassment and shame giving flight to my retreat from the store. Character Status; STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 10 Pdin of Avaria/Reaver Strength24 Dexterity19 Constitution34 Intelligence19 Wisdom17 Charisma11 Luck16 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.2) Power Strike (lvl.2) 10 Endure (lvl.3) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.2) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.2) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) Hammers (lvl.2) ils (lvl.2) Maces (lvl.1) Shields (lvl.1) Medium Armour (lvl.1) Heavy Armour (lvl.1) Axes (lvl.1) Daggers (lvl.2) Throwing Weapons (lvl.2) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) 5 Rust (lvl.3) 1-2 Identify (lvl.2) 1 Silent Casting (lvl.1) Mana Regeneration (lvl.2) Purify (lvl.2) 3 Greater Heal (lvl.1) 10 Holy Aura (lvl.1) 2 Decay (lvl.1) Drain (lvl.2) 2 Entropic Aura (lvl.2) 2 GIFTS Curse of Entropy: -20% all starting attributes. Mark of the Pdin: 10% resistance to Dark/Holy magic, 5% resistance to Physical. Touch of the Void: 10% reduced resistance to Holy/Fire magic, 20% resistance to Mental Effects, 15% immunity to Mental Effects. Experience to next level 2447/2583 Health230/230 Stamina32/55 Mana12/13 Book 1: Chapter 44: A Measure of Vengeance Book 1: Chapter 44: A Measure of Vengeance Elven mages felt the horror of the void for the first time as it touched their minds. Many of their number went mad and unleashed the sum total of their magical energies. Those who kept their sanity failed to shield the rest of their brothers and sisters, their own defenses overwhelmed with the outpouring of wild entropic magic that ate away everything it touched. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC. My heart continued to thump wildly in my chest, and my body felt ufortably warm. Gasping for air, I lifted my helm from my head and secured it to my belt, hastening my stride to match Kidu''s lengthy gait. Though my thoughts repeatedly strayed to the shapely contours of Cillis'' form, I forcefully banished her from my mind and calcted our remaining funds. Our acquisitions and trade dealings had left us with five and a half silver coins of varied denominations. This was a sum that, ording to the couple, more than sufficient to acquire a decently crafted bow and a modest amount of arrows from a rmended bowyer in the market. To help save some money, Kidu even told me he could make his own arrows, provided he had the tools and appropriate materials. It was around lunchtime by the time we made it to one of the markets near the central Ark, which loomed even more as we moved closer. The scale of the beached ship simply blew away the mind, its sleek lines and sheer size defied engineering for a culture at this level of technology. It was my belief that such a creation could only have been achieved through magical means. The market square was much as I remembered it, busy with the sound of trade conducted by scores of merchants from all across the Grieving Lands. All sorts of goods were being sold here, from mundane kitchenware to purported magical artifacts and relics of mysterious power. At the other end of the market and opposite our current location, there stood a structure that I surmised to be a temple, chiseled from the indigenous white baster rock. A golden dome, towering towards the heavens,peted with the Ark for supremacy in the city''s skyline. Four minarets, like sculpted stone sentinels, were situated at each of its corners. Positioned at its entrance were two guards adorned in shining suits of heavy te armor, wielding towering, ded polearms. Devotees of the faith walked between them into the inner sanctum, bowing as they crossed the threshold in veneration. The deity or deities worshiped inside would however remain a mystery to us, as we had more pressing concerns to attend to. Our stomachs rumbled, and Kidu and I were focused on one thing alone. The alluring scents of barbecued meat and exotic spices drifted through the air, tempting us with their delectable aroma. Scanning our surroundings, we eventually pinpointed the origin of these smells. On a sizzling hot griddle, a hunched-over man of indeterminate age was cooking thick pieces of meat on a stick, basting them on asion with a honey-colored ze. Kidu and I ordered one each in exchange for a few coppers, and we bit down on our meals in excitement. The hot and spicy taste was rounded out with a unique grassy finish. Kidu, unustomed to such vors, found himself in the midst of a gastronomic epiphany, his eyes almost zed over in bliss, much to the amusement of the seller. We quickly ced another order for several more skewers. As we indulged in our meals, two merchants across from us were caught up in a lively discussion regarding an uing event, ¡®The Festival of the Undrawn¡¯, which was to be held in a far-off city whose name escaped me. I listened as their words ebbed and flowed, the topic piquing my curiosity. Yet, for now, I remained content to bask in the vors of the moment. Once our considerable appetites were sated, we rinsed our hands in the lemon-scented bowls of water kindly provided by the cook. I adjusted the shield strapped to my back, feeling that I was finally being rewarded for all my suffering. This was the fantasy I had always yearned for! The sight and sounds from this exotic and alien world captured my senses, and I was d to be present in the moment without the distraction of a connected device. In my previous life, I would have feverishly recorded the meal on whatever gadget was currently in vogue, instead of living and savoring the memories and experiences. Such thoughts, however, were nothing but an elegiacment for a way of life now lost. No, that was merely a polite deception, I told myself. I did not harbor much sorrow for the world I had left behind for I had traded superficial and trivial pleasures for the opportunity to pursue power. This trial had given me a precious gift. A chance to forge a new identity and be someone of worth. Here, I could find purpose. My mind returned to the present, recalling our primary purpose for visiting the market. Following Cillis'' instructions, we soon found the bowyer disying his wares on a wooden stall. The bows on exhibit ranged in length and type; from one-piece longbows toposite recurve short bows made of exotic-looking horn material, wood, and metal. Each was securely fastened to the stall with a length of small steel chain. In one corner, an ornate crossbow drew my eye. Its sleek lines and steel wings emanated raw threat and deadly purpose. I knew from my studies that training an effective archer could take many years, but a crossbowman could be trained in just a few weeks. My mouth was almost salivating at the thought. I knew I simply must have one like it someday. Behind the wooden stall, sheaves of arrows and boltsy in wooden barrels arranged in a neat row, with their prices written in the local script. Noticing my interest, the man behind the stall rubbed his hands together and came closer. I greeted the bowyer, who looked no more than thirty, except for the lines around his eyes and the hollowness of his cheeks. He was a dark-haired man of above-average height, but he looked positively small standing next to the blue-eyed giant that was Kidu. His hooded, calcting brown eyes met mine as he returned my greeting. "Hello there, the name''s Ashan. I am a humble bowyer of Ansan City, selling the finest bows in all of the Grieving Lands," he said, his linesing off as rote despite his friendly tone. ¡°Looking for a bow,¡± Kidu rumbled in his deep voice, looking down at the man. ¡°Yes,¡± I added, ¡°Cillis the smith of the Soot-Stained Pig rmended you to us, Ashan. What can we get for three silver for my friend here? And, out of curiosity, how much is that crossbow going for?¡± I inquired. ¡°Ahh, you have a fine eye, good sirs! And a friend of Cillis is a friend of mine. That is a crossbow from the faraway ind of Quas, all the rage these days with the nobility, they say. A fine specimen like this one? For you, a special price, just a single gold piece!¡± the merchant eximed, smiling and rubbing his hands together. ¡°As for a more modest choice for thisrge gentleman, I would rmend this excellent weapon here,¡± he answered, gesturing with exaggerated motions to a single-piece unstrung longbow of almost two meters in length. ¡°This is what I require,¡± said the giant simply to the merchant, looking him steadily in the eye. ¡°We¡¯ll take it if you can throw in the string for the bow and a discount on some arrows,¡± I said quickly, not really wanting to bargain, and eager to conclude our business. ¡°Very good, sir,¡± Ashan said obsequiously, pathologically rubbing his hands in glee, ¡°That will be three silver for the bow, and half a silver for some hunting arrows and forest spider silk string from the Sainba. Consider the quiver a gift for a first-time customer.¡± I paid the merchant his money, impatient to be on my way. Kidu held his new bow, unstrung, like a staff as we walked. It was clear that our funds were dwindling rapidly, and as we strolled along the outskirts of the busy marketce, the realization weighed heavily on my mind. Putting all our trust in Elwin''s assurance of finding a fence would be unwise. I couldn''t help but wonder if there was a way to earn some much-needed coin quickly. The thought gnawed at me like a hungry animal. I stopped in my tracks for a moment, as the scene before me became suddenly familiar. This very street, I had witnessed it from a wholly different vantage point when I was imprisoned in the cold confines of a cell. A wave of anger threatened to overwhelm me, for we were near the jail where I had been incarcerated when I first came to the city of Ansan. The guards at the entrance werezily leaning on their spears, indifferent to the bustling traffic passing them by. Their faces were vaguely familiar but distinguishing one local from another proved challenging. We walked past them, and I pulled my hood further down, hoping to avoid recognition. However, a small part of me longed for them to recognize us, yearning for a quick and violent confrontation. Aspensation for their failure to recognize me, I made a point to etch their faces into my memory and vowed to return one day. The temptation to incinerate them in their metal armor almost overwhelmed me. I forced the impulse down until my anger grew cold. Calcting. The gods or fate, however, would soon deliver unto me a wee present. A lightly armored man was retching into the mud in an alley between two wooden buildings, just opposite the jail. I smiled at Kidu, a knowing grin tinged with a hint of madness. The wild man looked at me quizzically but followed me nheless as I stalked toward my prey. Softly whistling a forgotten tune, I cast an Identify spell at the poor man struggling with the contents of his stomach. My confidence grew with each stride as I closed the distance. Bataar Jargal - City Guard Recruit (Human lvl.7) Health 62/71 Stamina 18/25 Mana 7/7 My eyes quickly assessed the man''s weakness and vulnerability as I ced aforting hand on his shoulder, feigning friendliness. Murmuring his name in a concerned tone, I drew my newly acquired dagger with a swift and fluid motion, slicing his throat in a deadly strike. Blood and vomit mixed as he gurgled hisst breath, and I propped him up against a building, his mouth frozen in a silent scream with crimson liquid flowing down his front. My deception was seamless, and to any casual observer at a distance, I was simply a concerned friend. A few moments passed, and I received a notification of the man''s death, apanied by a paltry twenty experience points. I tsked to myself as I rifled through his purse, which contained only a handful of coppers. Truly pathetic, in every sense of the word. For a fleeting moment, I pondered whether the reward for experience points was proportional to the difficulty of the kill. My heart pounded in my chest for what felt like an eternity as we made our way down a few streets. Suddenly, Kidu''s eyes hardened, and his mouth formed a grim line. He spoke rare words to me, his hunger evident in his gaze. "That was a well-struck blow in the name of vengeance." A guffaw escaped me, grateful to be spared a sermon on the invibility of mortal existence. "The next one shall be yours, I vow," I offered, to which Kidu responded with a resonant, earthy chortle. It seemed as though a shadow had been lifted from him, a darkness I had not perceived until that moment when his smile broke through, sincere and unfeigned. At longst, he was unshackled from the chains of impotence that had bound him, a glimmer of the gloom in his eyes dissipating. Book 1: Chapter 45: The Sands Once more Book 1: Chapter 45: The Sands Once more Every strike must be filled with the deadly intent of damaging your opponent. Your attacks your defense, your defense your attack. You must be the discord in your opponent¡¯s sword song. - The Living Sword by Fen Vaigorus circa 520 AC. We flowed with the tide of the cloth city, distancing ourselves from the scene of the crime, my mind understanding what I had just done and my steps growing lighter. My senses soon picked up on another rumbling, as my eyesid upon arge gathering of people, the sounds and howls ofbat familiar to my ear. Kidu and I made our way toward the origin of the sound. A crowd of people surrounded arge primitive fighting pit dug into the ground with crude wooden walls around its perimeter. Its floor was lined with white coarse sand the color of bleached bone with rough benches and boxes to hold the spectators. The fervor of the crowd swelled like a living, breathing beast, its very pulse stirring the air with a palpable ferocity. The ce was bereft of the scale and thin veneer of civilization and pomp of the ce where I had made my first kill. This sordid arena was just a ce to satiate man¡¯s bestial base desires. Two men, d in archaic-looking armor and weapons resembling the Greek hoplites of antiquity, were fighting to the raucous cheers of the crowd. Money was constantly changing hands, as people looked to make their fortune on the next sh of steel. I asked Kidu to clear us a way to the edge of the pit so that we might observe the fight more closely. His bulk parted the crowd like a leviathan of the deep cutting through a school of lesser fish, and I followed closely in his wake until we reached a good vantage point. A man with a spear and shield was facing off against a man equipped with two straight swords of differing lengths. They seemed evenly matched in terms of speed and skill, but the sword wielder appeared to be tiring. The spearman was willing to ept the brunt of his attacks, keeping his distance and baiting the swordsman with his spear¡¯s longer reach. The two fighters disengaged from each other, and I took that moment to quickly cast Identify on both. The magic came to me easily, but for the first time more slowly, as if the energy was flowing through a resistor. I surmised that my slower casting may have something to do with my new thick armor. Arvan Azzarik - diator (Human lvl.13) Health 191/191 Stamina 24/39 Mana 9/9 Gaven Tris - diator (Human lvl.15) Health 187/187 Stamina 12/38 Mana 7/7 The two fighters were, unsurprisingly, diators. The casting confirmed what I had previously observed without the aid of my spell; they were closely matched in ability. However, the spearman Arvan, having more Mana than the swordsman Gaven, seemed to be the ¡®smarter¡¯ fighter. His wily tactic of baiting his opponent into making ineffectual attacks was slowly draining away the Stamina of his enemy. Suddenly, the swordsman engaged in onest desperate gamble. He seemed to split into two identical images, as he began his new assault against the spearman. Gaven¡¯s de became a whirlwind of steel, crashing against the spearman Arvan¡¯s guard in a lightning tempest of blows. In turn, Arvan¡¯s shield became a blur of motion, intercepting all of the savage blows. The disy appeared to be as if born from magic, well beyond the scope of normal martial prowess. Why isn¡¯t he shouting the skill?¡± I whispered to mypanion, remembering my own fight with Jongshoi. Looming over me, Kidu had to hunch, his armor restricting him slightly and forcing him to bend at the knees, as he half-shouted in my ear over the roar of the gathered crowd. ¡°Only those who have just started down the path martial do so as a way of learning the weapon forms. Once one bes adept, it is as instinctive as breathing,¡± he finished, nodding to me slightly. I realized now the distinct advantage I had gained by having progressed along both the magical and martial paths. The gamer inside me concluded that I had created a synergy of sorts; I could use Power Strike with Silent Cast to mimic the effect of a higher Skill proficiency. This also meant that the two fighters in front of me, as well as mypanions, were, at the very least, adept fighters in skill. The fight would be decided soon. The swordsman was exhausted after hisst roll of the dice, drawing great gasping breaths, his twin swords lowered in exhaustion. The spearman led with his shield first, bashing through his opponent¡¯s guard and finishing with a serpent¡¯s spear at Gaven¡¯s neck, forcing him to drop his weapons and yield. Half of the crowd went wild, and the others threw now worthless pieces of paper on the ground in disappointment. The two fighters exchangedradely handshakes, before leaving through iron portcullises at opposite ends of the fighting pit. Soon after, a woman just before her middle years, with auburn hair that seemed to glow in the afternoon sun, sashayed seductively across to the center of the pit. She was d in a clinging green dress that left little to the imagination as it entuated the graceful lines of her magnificent figure, exuding a subtle feminine power with each step. A silk sash of deep crimson encircled a delicate waist that widened into full hips and gold bracelets, iid with precious stones, jangled at her wrists. Between her generous bosom was arge, even more heavily jewel-encrusted, medallion, stylized in the design of the twin horns of an auroch. Skin, an ochre like the mellow-brown light that had bathed the forest, colored a stillely feminine face that spoke of a once unrivaled beauty in her youth. This beauty was juxtaposed by a jagged scar that ran across a now-blinded white orb of an eye. The woman¡¯s good eye was a deep jade green, and an elegant patrician¡¯s nosey above a set of sensuous red lips that were arched in a knowing, seductive smile. Raising both hands, she began to address the crowd with a ringing voice that echoed around the fighting pit, ¡°People of Ansan, the next event is the match that you have all been waiting for! Today¡¯s fight to the death! Wily human versus savage orc! Who will be victorious?¡± she paused as the crowd¡¯s roars drowned out all sound. She allowed time for the crowd to quiet down, the silence eventually pervading the prolonged gaps before she resumed her introduction, ¡°I give you the Bonegrinder of the Longfang tribe! Hees to Ansan, the jewel of the Grieving Lands, to win wealth and renowned for his people. Many have fallen before his mighty de, and he wishes to test his might against only the strong!¡± The crowd went wild again in excitement, as the much-anticipated spectacle of blood drowned out any semnce of human reason or reserve. A portcullis was raised and a huge olive-green orc, d in thick heavy hides, burst into the arena with a bestial roar that challenged the crowd. The orc had huge ivory tusks that jutted out from an extended underbite, his porcine eyes searching the crowd for any that would challenge his dominance, as he continued to beat his chest with one hand. His other hand held a massive fearsome war cleaver, almost a meter and a half in length from handle to tip, the edge of its dark iron de pitted and worn from a hundred battles. I quickly made sure to cast Identify on the orc, eager to know his strength, and once again it took longer toplete the spell than usual. Gnarlug Bonegrinder - Warrior (Orc lvl.14) Health 280/280 Stamina 47/47 Mana 4/4 Such was her control, the woman simply raised a single dainty hand, crusted with fine rings, to cast a silence over the crowd. Another portcullis was hoisted with a grinding of gears. ¡°I also give you Vidone Amantea of the ind of Quas! A philosopher soldier of the great university! Today, will intellectual might best ferocious savagery? Will this down-on-his-luck student be able to pay the fees of that most hallowed of institutions?¡± she announced in a loud clear voice to theughter of the boisterous crowd. The woman was ying the crowd well, teasing out their steadily rising excitement like an experienced conductor. A willowy, young, brown-haired man near danced into the arena with a winning smile that dazzled, and bowed deeply at the hip to the astonished crowd. How could this thin wisp of a man ever hope to defeat the dreadful-looking orc? My question was soon answered. As he executed a mboyant sword flourish to the ¡®oohs¡¯ and ¡®aahs¡¯ of the spectators, I cast Identify on him. Vidone Amantea - Duelist (Human lvl.22) Health 341/341 Stamina 47/47 Mana 12/12 As I finished the spell, the wiry man looked worried for a moment, his smile faltering slightly as he searched the crowd for a hidden threat. Had he felt the touch of my magic? My brow furrowed. This was most disconcerting... Vidone was elegantly d in a finely cut blue cloth jacket and trousers, with brass buttons and high leather boots. His hair was tied back in a simple ponytail and white ruffles adorned his jacket and shirt at the neck and cuffs. Warm amber-brown eyes were set in a gaunt hawkish olive-brown face with a strong aquiline nose. Adding to this, his jawline, ending in a sharp chin and predatory casual grace gave the overall impression of a bird of prey. In his left hand, he carried a long needle-like rapier with a basket hilt and a bejeweled ruby pommel, its shing de tracing a line of steel as he executed another sword form. Vidone was a clear nt. The human¡¯s physical attributes were clearly superior to the orc, despite appearances seeming otherwise. He was also eight levels higher, which clearly cemented his chances of winning. Thanks to my magic, this was clear to me; although apparently not to others in the crowd, who mored to ce their bets with a bookkeeper behind a long wooden counter. At a wooden counter behind iron bars, money was quickly exchanged for stamped betting slips. A man was writing down names under the watchful eye of two burly guards, who loomed menacingly. On the other end, at a different station, a bored-looking man was shuffling papers and taking a few bets from the braver members of the crowd, who ced their fortunes on Vidone¡¯s delicate de. Kidu and I moved over, and the bored man behind the counter looked over at us before greeting us in a dull monotone voice bereft of the spark of interest. ¡°How much...and your name, please? Odds are twelve to one on the Quassian,¡± he said in utter disinterest, barely looking up to meet my eyes. ¡°Two silver, the name is...¡± I paused for a fraction, suddenly realizing that it wouldn¡¯t be the best of ideas to give my real name. ¡°Elwin Tucker,¡± I finished confidently, causing Kidu to tense up for a moment before rxing again. cing the lion¡¯s share of our remaining funds on the counter, I gave the bored man an assured smile. He quickly wrote the amount, alongside the false name I had given on a small piece of parchment before marking it with a stamp that glowed a dull blue as it made contact with the paper. This was the third magical artifact I had encountered sinceing to this world, and for a few minutes, I gaped like a fish out of water. The betting clerk, noticing my reaction, exined matter-of-factly, ¡°A truth-seal, it guarantees that bets are honored at Ansarai¡¯s Fighting Pit,¡± before passing the slip of paper to me and then turning to take the bet of another man. I had to fight to suppress my excitement. I had never gambled before in the old world, preferring to always y things safely. For the first time in my life, I felt the seductive thrill of truly risking something, simr to how I had felt when I had been engaged in battle. It was even better, for I was almost one hundred percent certain that I would win, and at that moment, I understood why some fell on the addictive path of gambling. An unspokenmunication was made between the bookkeepers and the woman who was strutting on the sands, her mix oftent violence and sexuality still intoxicating to behold. The woman exited the fighting pit, a signal for the fight to begin. The crowd returned to the edges of the ring as the two fighters began to warily circle one another. The orc beat his chest in savage fury, challenging the diminutive man. In response, Vidone simply raised his rapier to his face, kissing the hilt, before adopting an en garde position. The bestial brute then charged directly at Vidone, waving his giant cleaver in front of him in wild arcs, seeking to overpower the Duelist with his raw strength and brutality. But wherever the orc swung, the small human simply wasn¡¯t there, the green monster¡¯s dark iron de missing him by inches as he swayed left and right, ducking and weaving through every blow. The crowd went wild, lusting for blood. Dodging a particrly clumsy thrust, Vidone took a moment to bow to the crowd. Like a lone matador baiting a bull in the tercio faena, he knew how to put on a show. He danced around his opponent with eminent skill. The orc was beginning to weaken as exhaustion took its toll. The duelist met Gnarlug de to de, needle-thin rapier against brutish war cleaver, parrying each and every one of his attacks with a delicate flick of the wrist, to the astonishment of all. This time, Vidone was beginning to draw blood with blindingly fast two-tempo counters. His elegant sword wrote the script of death in sweeping strokes and flourishes, leaving shallow red lines across the barbaric green warrior¡¯s skin. Seeing the vast difference between physical skill and ability, I knew then that the orc¡¯s loss was all but certain. Still, with the likelihood of him losing, I did not want his potential death to go to waste, so I readied a spell. His death would add to my power. Gathering my magic to me, I cast Drain silently, sending the thin threads of the darkest gossamer midnight to attach to the now rabid orc as he swept a mighty horizontal sh at the small man. Unlike my use of Identify, my Drain spell seemed to be unimpeded by my new heavy equipment. I surmised that perhaps this was because they were different types of spells. I would have to leave such musing forter, as I observed the results of my magice to fruition. Sensing something afoot, the skilled swordsman paused for a fraction of a moment, which threw his next parry off. Unable to divert the kic energy of an upwards sh, the lighter de failed to stop the cleaver from smashing into the Duelist¡¯s guard. Although the twobatants were probably simr in raw Strength, the same could not be said for mass, as the force of the blow lifted the willowy man several meters into the air only for him to crash down a secondter. Nonplussed by this turn of events I kept my spell going, still reeling from surprise as I held my breath, praying for the slight man to get up as the orc¡¯s life energies kept flowing into me. My greed for sweet experience and power was ruining my ns. The crowd was silent, until Gnarlug followed up with a smashing blow, seeking to end the life of the duelist. By some miracle, Vidone evaded it by a hair¡¯s breadth, desperately rolling to his left with none of his practiced elegance. This caused the crowd to go wild once more as the fight to the death resumed. The yfulness had left the smaller fighter¡¯s eyes. Gnarlug¡¯s lucky blow had served as a call for greater caution on the pearl sands, the duelist¡¯s confidence clearly shaken. Through a gash in his elegant blue jacket, I saw the silvery sh of delicate chainmail that had stopped the edge of the de, if not the full force. The blow that connected must have been so powerful that, even partially deflected, it had grazed his chest. The much smaller man¡¯s moves were now less mboyant and a lot more practical, as he lightly avoided his opponent''s attacks, his facial expression growing more serious as the exchange drew on. Then, almost without warning, it was suddenly over. The small man bent slightly at the knee and then moved so quickly that he simply seemed to appear behind therge primitive warrior, before plunging his thin silvery de through the back of the orc¡¯s heavy skull. You have in Gnarlug Bonegrinder 75 experience gained You have gained 1 Intelligence A great silence descended on the crowd. As the notification of the orc''s death filled my vision, the giant monster slumped to the white sand with a heavy thud. My eyes darted over the scene before me¡­those movements were too fast for someone of the mortal realm to aplish unaided. I shifted uneasily; the realization dawning that beyond doubt some form of the arcane arts had been employed to assure Vidone¡¯s victory. Book 1: Chapter 46: Fortunes Favor Book 1: Chapter 46: Fortune''s Favor The short-lived races too were ravaged by the horrors of the great beyond, their delicate psyches overwhelmed by the total fear of the end of all things. Those who had the gift of magic were consumed in a congration of magical energies which started a chain reaction throughout the rest of the world. Only those who had fully given themselves to the path of necromancy had any defense against the great psychic cry that consumed any of those who had a spark of magical aptitude. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC. I gasped in sweet blessed relief filled as my lungs remembered to breathe with the notification of the brute¡¯s death. cing my hands on my knees, my armor suddenly felt heavy as I grew a little weak. After the relief came euphoric joy. I punched a fist into the air, delighted that my gamble had paid off. Kidu, unsure at first, finally joined me in my joy, whooping and hollering like a drugged loon. After a while, once our joy returned to a manageable level, my sense of practicality took to the fore once more, propelling me to collect my winnings as soon as possible. Hurriedly, Kidu and I made our way to the betting counter. The bookkeeper looked at us over horn-rimmed spectacles as I handed him my betting slip, ¡°Got lucky, didn¡¯t we? Who would have thought that he could have won against the orc, eh?¡±. His tone of voice was a lot more animated now and he seemed a little nervous. ¡°Still, we always honor bets ced at Ansarai¡¯s,¡± he finished quickly, sneaking a look at the hulking guards behind him wielding long halberds that gleamed to a polish shine. The guards were d in heavy and well-worn coats of te, their hard eyes looking at us as if drinking in all the information they could forter recollection. ¡°Aha, thates to two gold and two silver pieces,¡± he said, almost sweating. ¡°¡­that was the biggest wager ced today on the Quassian, congrattions...ahh...err...Mr. Elwin Tucker.¡± A few momentster, he reached into a sturdy-looking metal money box and handed me my winnings. I noticed the money was a little short. ¡°I think...¡± I began before I was cut off. Used to thismon question and reading my expression, he answered sinctly, ¡°Gambling tax, a city ordinance here in the pits for winnings over two gold pieces.¡± Looking at the guards, I tried to read their expressions, but they all looked like marble statues looking into the distance. I would get no quick answers there, and I did not want to cause a scene. Pocketing my money, I was delighted by an unexpected notification. You have gained 1 Luck Smiling to myself, I realized there was still much I did not know about this gamified world. How on earth was it possible to train Luck? It seemed that, in this world, gambling was the answer. In what way did Luck even affect me here in this world? Such musings would have to wait for another day. The shadows had started to grow long, and it was high time we made it back to the inn to regroup with Elwin. I had to get used to living in a world where civilization had notpletely conquered the night. Before we started to make our way back, I made sure to split my winnings evenly with Kidu. Never having had a lot of material wealth, a loose attitude towards money was one of the things I could never stand in the old world and was the cause of some friction in my previous rtionships. Still, having a gold piece in my pocket put me in a more financially secure frame of mind. On our way back we had another celebratory meal of some spicy meats-on-sticks at a small food stall, savoring the sweet vor of victory. We learned that the stall owner¡¯s name was Elbeg, and we promised toe again. On a whim, I also bought a rough gray linen robe from a clothing seller who tried to convince me to buy some fancy-looking garments that were beyond my means. Inspired by Vidone¡¯s performance and the usefulness of hidden armor was what probably powered most of that decision. Also, my initial starting robe had been stolen from me when I was inducted into the life of very. A sentimental part of me wanted a symbol, if nothing else, of freedom. We didn¡¯t pass any more of the ins-Laur, which disappointed me a little, as I wanted to take the time to cast Identify on them. Instead, I spent my excess mana casting Identify on the script I could see written on shop signs, understanding now that, thankfully, the Tradenguage was phically written. I shuddered to think of the amount of Mana I would require, were it to have used ideograms. From a young age, I had always enjoyed reading, even taking the time to read the cereal boxes at breakfast. At the very least, now I could understand the shop signs and simple notices, but what I really wanted to sink my teeth into were books. Elwin¡¯s ¡®present¡¯, though extremely insightful, was growing limited in the knowledge I could glean from it. I wanted to know more, and not just about magical equations and arcane knowledge. I wanted to know more about this world outside my limited scope! Almost chomping at the bit to get my hands on a book, even a mundane one, I wanted some information that told me about the stories and histories of this new world in written form. While these idle thoughts and wishes were running through my head, we made good progress along the Eastern main road that eventually led us back to the inn. Of note was a purple-colored yurt that was belching ochre-colored smoke from a stone chimney set in its center, much to the disgruntlement of its neighbors. Two wizened old wives, hunched and stooped, were deep in conversation next to the yurt. They wore what seemed to be the traditional clothes of the Children, colorful deels with wide open sleeves tied with silk sashes, and gossiped andined about the noise and smell of their neighbor. I read the sign that was staked in front of the strange yurt which read ¡°Hamsa¡¯s Wondrous Apothecary.¡± Interesting, I thought to myself as we walked past, this was probably where I could acquire potions like the one that Degei force-fed me after my torturing. The memory alone brought to the fore of my mind emotions and feelings that induced, in equal part, both rage and a powerful urge to vomit. Turning the corner back to the main thoroughfare, I identally bumped into what I thought at the time was a wall of hulking metal. Catching myself before I truly lost my bnce, I looked up to see a man d in heavy steel scale armor. The edges of each ovepping section of armor were trimmed with bronze or copper and polished to a mirror shine, giving the impression that he was d in the hide of a mythic sea creature. His helm was in the form of a snarling reptilian beast. The face that looked out from within was a patchwork of fights won and lost, grizzled features scarred by battle with cruel Asiatic eyes that looked down at me with smug casual disdain. In his left hand, he held a long halberd, the fearsome curved de erupting from the mouth of the dragon at the end of the shaft. ¡°My pardon,¡± I began to mouth automatically, modern-day politeness still ingrained in me even as mypanion, who was nking me, began to grow tense. It seemed that the man I had inadvertently bumped into was but one of many, an escort for a well-to-do couple. The escort numbered four men, all d identically to the man before me. At the center of their formation was their master, a rich-looking man with a long thin mustache d in the local custom. He wore a rich sunset orange deel that was of an expensive cut. At his waist, a scarlet silk sash circled a portly frame grown to excessive fat. The master condescendingly epted my apology with a nod, no doubt to him a form magnanimous noblergesse, and waved away his formidable guard. The woman at his side looked at me in shock, however. Gasping, she covered her mouth as if she had seen a ghost. The woman was perhaps just on the cusp of middle age, beautiful golden rings decorated her crow ck hair. She must be shocked at my impertinence at dying her progress through the city, I thought to myself. Seeking to avoid further insult, I ground my teeth and hurriedly added a further apology. ¡°Apologies to you and your guard. We had best be on our way,¡± I said bowing low and as ingratiatingly as possible, drawing a haughty snort from one of the guards. I hurriedly indicated with a few hand gestures to Kidu that we should make our exit quickly. Kidu shot the armored entourage a brief, defiant re, ensuring he didn''t appear intimidated, yet avoiding provocation, before trailing behind. We finally arrived back at the inn sometime in thete afternoon to find Elwin drinking a stein of ale at the bar. He gave us an insouciant smile before finishing one of his tall tales with Devon. They were bothughing with each other, trying to outdo the other with their tall tales of derring-do. Finally, once he was done, he turned from his drinkingpanion and greeted us. ¡°Finally! You lot are back? I see you are going for a new look. Hrmm, yes, very menacing. We were just talking about you. Why don¡¯t you pull up a seat and let''s exchange stories? I had a right old fine time today, I tell you!¡± ¡°Thank you, Elwin, but no. I think we should allretire to our room for a moment to catch a breath. We would of course be delighted to hear your good news there,¡± I answered, none too sarcastically, making sure to emphasize exactly what I wished to ur. The earlier encounter with the local nobleman and his guards kept ying in the background of my mind. My thoughts kept reying the scene, my mind grasping for something that kept floating out of reach. There was something missing, but I was distracted from my ruminations as Elwin finally answered me. ¡°Ahh, I see, of course, pardon me,¡± he replied, draining his drink and patting the old rogue Devon on the shoulder like an old friend, ¡°was lovely talking to you, old pal.¡± Surprisingly steadily he got to his feet and followed us up the stairs to the room. Upon entering our humble lodging, I resisted the urge to flop down on the bed in full armor, instead settling for the chair by the shutters, which I opened. Kidu chose afortable corner, his bulkpletely filling it up, while Elwin sat on the bed, his hands steepled together as if deep in thought. ¡°Alright, let me start,¡± coughed Elwin as he began, ¡°I was able to meet up with several fences, or merchants that didn¡¯t ask too many questions. None of our pieces of loot was particrly special, but you never know, eh? Anyways, I was able to get together just a little over two gold pieces, how youds do?¡± Two gold pieces were a lot more than I had been expecting. I thought he would have gotten a few silver at most, so I couldn¡¯t help praising the Rogue for a job very well done. Perhaps he was worthy of trust after all. I told him about my adventures of the day, minus my moment of raw intimacy with Cillis, which impressed him to no end. We split the proceeds of the sale among us and he offered to ce a few silver on my bets in the future. However, gambling could not be our main source of ie. It would simply draw too many eyes, and if word got around that I was using magic to ease the odds in my favor, things would not end well for me. I decided to make my position on the matter clear. ¡°There is no harm in gambling for the asional bit of coin, but I would prefer it if we didn¡¯t draw too much untoward attention. We¡¯ll need a way to make some honest money. Now, I¡¯m not much into the gig economy.¡± They both looked at me a little puzzled before I continued, ¡°One-off odd jobs I mean. We¡¯ll need something a little more stable. Remember, Taper downstairs? Didn¡¯t he mention something about an adventurer¡¯s guild or something?¡± I tried to suggest. Kidu just shrugged, willing as always just to follow my lead, but Elwin, as always, had something to say. ¡°Probably means we¡¯ll have to head back there,¡± he pointed in the general direction of the forest, ¡°The Grieving Lands are a dangerous ce for adventurers. Hunting beasts to fill a rush order from a tanner, or to get ingredients for an entric alchemist is one thing, but monsters are well¡­ it''s in the name, isn¡¯t it? They¡¯re dangerous, I tell you!¡± ¡°What is the difference between an animal and a monster anyways?¡± I responded, a little confused. The pair looked at me dumbstruck before Elwin pped himself on the head after he remembered my background. ¡°Of course, we have a budding schr on our hands after all. An animal is a creature that is a natural product of nature, and more importantly, they all fear, or at least, interact with the races of man as nature intended. A monster is something that will purposefully go about to harm man, beyond the simple reasons of food and territory,¡± he said with great patience, as if talking to a child. ¡°You mean, just like mankind?¡± I flippantlymented, enjoying the reaction on his face. I thought that, even then, the definition was still far too vague. ¡°A philosopher too. We¡¯re actually the real monsters?¡± he snorted, waving both hands in the air in a mocking fashion. ¡°You truly know nothing,¡±. He almost spat before continuing. ¡°There are things out there that will give you nightmares for the rest of your life. But if you must know, they say that, somewhere in Quas, there is a book with all the known species in it, recorded before the first cataclysm. They say anything after that, anything that Iasis, in her twisted mind created is categorized as a monster.¡± He finished on a tired note, which put an end to my impromptu lesson, reminding me of just how little I knew of what was consideredmon sense in this world. ¡°Well, if it''s good money, I say that we at least have a look, maybe even register,¡± I persisted. ¡°At the very least, I would assume that being a member should provide some protection against possibly being enved after being lulled into a false sense of security by being plied with drinks in thete afternoon,¡± I said thest pointedly, but all too aware of my own little hypocrisy. Besides, something in my gut told me it was an avenue worth pursuing. I made sure, however, to add something I knew would be dear to the Rogue¡¯s heart. ¡°There is bound to be treasure somewhere along the way!¡± Elwin grinned up at me, and even the taciturn Kidu seemed to spruce up at the mention of treasure. ¡°Well, I guess a few nights in the rough can¡¯t be too bad,¡± the Rogue considered, testing the waters. ¡°Where you go, I will follow. I am sure there will be worthy opponents to wet my spear,¡± intoned the giant man in a voice that rumbled like a big cat, loyal as always. And so, it was decided. We would be adventurers. Book 1: Chapter 47: Symphony Book 1: Chapter 47: Symphony The High Elves in their hubris think themselves at the pinnacle of all things cultural, yet when was thest time their bardsposed a new song? Their poets'' new verse? Their tailors a new cut of fashion? Theirs is a legacy of stagnation that permeates all aspects of a society that has not seen change in millennia. What I have done in ten their best could not do in a hundred years. They call us the ¡®children of the day¡¯, but I view them as nothing more than a collection of youthful-looking old men set in their ways and bitter cronesmenting a world that once was. It is not the length of one¡¯s life that is the measure of one¡¯s legacy but one¡¯s aplishments. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. Still excited by the day''s events, we all mutually decided that our trip to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild could wait until morning. There were, after all, just so many hours of daylight. Kidu wanted to familiarize himself with his new equipment, and he held his new spear almost as if it were a lover. Elwin, on the other hand, wanted to go shopping and to see more of the city. I wanted to voice my disagreement but realized he was a man fully grown and could take care of himself. What else helped sway my opinion was that he was able to purchase some new casual linen clothes, including simple gray tunics and loose trousers for Kidu and myself. Before the evening meal, I chose to practice some of my skills and ventured downstairs to request a few favors from the inn''s proprietor. nking down the creaking stairs, I saw that themon room was half-full, the locals already beginning to fill the ce as they finished their shifts. I spied the innkeeper Taper mopping up a recent spill on the floor with an irritated look on his face. Waiting for him to finish his chore, I sat down next to the bar. Eventually, he finished, and served another customer arge measure of ale in a horn stein before finally turning to me. ¡°What can I get you for? Evening¡¯s meal not for about another two hours or so. I¡¯ll take your order now then if it pleases quick, gots to check on the stew in a bit. if it''s nice and tender. Oh, I can see you¡¯ve got some new gear, hardly recognized you,¡± he said perfunctorily, barely looking me in the eye. ¡°Actually, I was wondering if you had something that I could measure time with. I¡¯d be willing to make it worth your while if you had perhaps a sand clock or something?¡± I said as casually as I could, rxing on my stool. He looked at me a little curiously before answering earnestly, ¡°Most folks here just look up to the sun,d. But, if you¡¯re wanting to be a little more precise, I can sell you an old cooking timer, measures about one hour. Let¡¯s say for about three bronze pieces. Don¡¯t have much need for it now these days.¡± ¡°That would be much appreciated, Taper,¡± I expressed, genuinely pleased, and slid three bronze coins across the bar. ¡°Two more ales, good innkeeper,¡± one of the locals shouted from somewhere near the back. ¡°Be with you in a moment Jefra, just getting something,¡± the innkeeper replied tersely, pocketing my coin before heading to the back room. I waited for perhaps a minute or two before Athinad returned with a small bronze hourss filled with fine ck sand, perhaps fifteen centimeters in height, at a rough guess. It wasn¡¯t particrly beautiful, but it certainly looked practical, with small indents on the ss that demarcated ten-minute intervals up to an hour. cing it on the counter he looked to me and inquired, ¡°Have no idea what you¡¯re wanting with this, and for three bronze I really don¡¯t care either way. But can I do you for anything else?¡± ¡°No, thank you kindly. This will do just nicely,¡± I said as I got up off the stool, feeling a little stiff around the waist due to my armor. I stretched for a moment before cradling the hourss in one of my hands. I nodded once more to the innkeeper, who was already taking another drink order, and made my way back to our room. Athinad¡¯s shrill voice followed me up the stairs, ¡°Don¡¯t forget! The evening meal¡¯s in two turns of that ss!¡± he shouted. I couldn¡¯t help but smile to myself, as I finally had a way to measure time. This meant I could more precisely measure the scope of my abilities, instead of relying on blind guesswork. The game world seemed to agree as I was gifted with another notification as I nked my way back up the stairs. You have gained 1 Wisdom Opening the door, I was greeted by the sight of Kidu inspecting his new weapon. I greeted the wildman and was given a small grunt in return, as he was so engrossed in his work. Checking my status, I made note that my Mana was at two points after having cast Identify at multiple shop signs throughout the day. I settled into the chair, took off my gloves and cast Identify on a random passerby to bring my Mana to exactly one point before turning over my new hourss. Hallise Randefor - Baker (Human lvl.8) Health 88/88 Stamina 28/29 Mana 9/9 I quickly dismissed the unimportant information and, with a little time on my hands, I decided to join Kidu in the maintenance of our gear. I stood up from the chair and took off my robes and armor, feeling a small sense of relief as I removed my heavy brigandine. Next toe off were the gambeson, bevor, and my visored helm, followed slowly by my iron greaves and chainmail leggings. Looking at my equipment I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little impressed with myyers of protection. Remembering Cillis¡¯ instructions concerning the maintenance of my armor, I checked over my new equipment. I did this more out of a need to form a habit than actual necessity. This did notst long, as often my thoughts would wander back to my time with the smith in the tool shed. Shrugging off those distracting thoughts from my mind, I focused back on the task at hand and finished my inspection. I could see now why the warriors of antiquity had a very personal rtionship with their armor, as my hands roved across the hard surfaces. Each piece was designed to soften a blow or turn a de to protect the wearer¡¯s life and was deserving of respect and care. Once I had finished the ceremony of the maintenance of my arms and armor, I gazed fixedly at the hourss. The sands continued to trickle down until, finally, the top half-emptied, marking the end of an hour. Soon afterward my Mana ticked up by a single point, signaling the sess of my experiment and establishing a baseline for my Mana regeneration. I did not require ¡®rest¡¯ in the traditional sense of most games to restore my magical energies. With another hour to go before the expected evening meal, I flipped the hourss over and informed Kidu that I would be going downstairs to take a bath. He just grunted and nodded knowingly as he continued sorting out and familiarizing himself with his own gear. Going down the stairs again, I tried to pay Athinad for the use of the baths. However, the innkeeper waived away my payment with a quick smile saying that it was included with the clock I¡¯d bought. Soon after, he called the boy to see to myundry. Again, just the mere mention of that boy drew feelings of irrational suspicion to the fore of my mind. Entering the baths, I was able to ease some of the tensions of the day as the hot water began working its magic on my knotted muscles. I would have to ask the innkeeperter how he heated the water. The Children of the Tides, for all their barbarity, definitely did have a good understanding of water and plumbing. It would be interesting to see how magic had affected this society¡¯s technological development, orck thereof. After a good soak and a stay in the dry room, I returned to our rooms and left my borrowed bathrobe at the door for the boy to collect. I felt another stab of irrational fear; was the boy spying on us again? I quickly dismissed that thought and conversed with Kidu, asking him about his life in the north of the continent whilst he helped me don my armor once more. Kidu spoke of his people, who inhabited a massive area of frozen tundra known, in hisnguage, as the Kar-Kaphon, which directly tranted meant the ¡®Trial of Man.¡¯ The group of people who lived their life there was called ¡®The People of Trial,¡¯ or ¡®They Who Are Tested.¡¯ The people of the North were then broken down into many independent tribes, each named after their totem animal. Kidu¡¯s own tribe was named after the great bears, which they venerated as totem animals. Like the Eskimo of Earth, with their vocabry for snow, the northern tribes had many different words for the myriad of tests that their savagend brought. The elements tested their fortitude, the beasts and ever-hungry semi-sentient Ice Drakes tested their cunning, and the harshest of winters, requiring great sacrifice from the older members of the Tribes, tested their resolve as a people. There was even a word for leaving the arms of a passionate lover to enter a cold blizzard for the good of the tribe. Life in the furthest reaches of the North was difficult and short, with every day a raw struggle to survive in the icy wastes. So harsh were the conditions there that the mothers of the tribe would hold a funeral ceremony for each babe on the day of their birth, and would give them a name only once they reached their tenth birthday. They only celebrated each decade of life and a man or woman who had seen five such celebrations was seen as a venerable elder of the tribe and earned the title of ¡®Icewalker.¡¯ These highly esteemed people were well respected and their voices were heard and given due weight at tribal gatherings. Their women, more resistant to the rigors of the cold, were highly regarded and often held positions of great esteem within the tribe. When the survival of the tribe depended on level-headed rationing and easing tensions in crowded tents in the bitterest of winters, it was the women to whom the tribes looked. Some were even trained as ¡®Windspeakers¡¯ to guide their tribes through the frozen storms and to keep theirws, oral histories, and ancient traditions. So in tune were they to frozen wastes that a rare few were even able to call upon the raw elemental power of the ice and storm to protect the interests of their tribe. Thus the culture of the north was, for the most part, a matriarchal society. Their whole culture was based around two eternal constants - the freezing cold and the massive Cronir. These heavy, six-horned, muscr, deer-like animals were, ording to Kidu, almost forty hands high and moved across the frozen north like the caribou of Earth would. The Cronir provided them with their meat, their clothing, their primitive weapons, and even their fermented blood provided them with a form of strong alcohol they called ¡®Kazass.¡¯ Permanent settlements were few and far between, all of them centered around rare hot springs that gushed from the ground and provided warmth for the tribes. These settlements were exclusively neutral grounds and were used as trading centers for the people of the north and were not owned by any single tribe. The people of the north were cousins to another group called the Nords. While Kidu and his tribes followed the migratory herds of Cronir across the tundra and forests of the North, the Nords followed the currents of the seas and were eminent sailors. The would-be bully, Harun, Gunne¡¯s protector, was one fine example of a bellicose Nord. I still asionally savored the taste of his death and the cathartic power it brought me. Both peoples were also skilled raiders and would send parties to what they called the ¡®Hot Lands¡¯ or ¡®Warm Lands¡¯ to bring wealth and honor to their tribes. On asion, they would venture down as mercenaries or swords for hire, their skills forged in the frozen north and then forged anew in the heat of battle of the internecine wars of the south. Not all would make it back, either fallen in battle or seduced by the easy life of the southernnds. With the hourss finally emptying and the evening now upon us, I judged it to be a good time to head downstairs for the evening meal. I thanked him for telling me about his people and apologized for not being able to say much about my own. I promised him and myself that one day I would tell him everything, but for the sake of simplicity, that day was not today. Hauntingly beautiful music echoed up to my ears as I opened the thick door to our room. I followed the trail of musical notes down the stairs to themon room and was greeted by a strange and mysterious sight. An armored man, of average height and build, d in chainmail and boiled leather scale armor, sat cross-legged in the corner. His raven dark hair syed across his shoulders like a dark waterfall and his brown eyes glowed warmly, reflecting the fire¡¯s light. He sang in a resonant tenor, filling the room with the enchanting beauty of his melody, as his fingers danced across the strings of his delicate, lute-like instrument. I did not understand a single word of his song but understood fully the beauty of his message. The song was about life, death, loss, and the siren¡¯s call of finality. The room fell into a respectful silence as the final notes of his song died in the air. Momentster, the solemn atmosphere was burst apart by thunderous apuse. ¡°First time I have seen a true Bard,¡± a familiar voice whispered in my ear, causing me to jump, almost embarrassingly, in my heavy armor. ¡°Elwin!¡± I said, thoroughly surprised at what I saw before me. Elwin had bought what looked like a set of dark-colored armor made from boiled leather scales. The whole ensemble came with a cloth-padded hooded jacket. Around his waist was a new belt with an array of deadly-looking knives in small sheathes. Now, after his shopping spree, the man really did look like a Rogue. ¡°Thought I¡¯d get back to join you all for the evening meal,¡± he replied, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. ¡°Was pleasantly surprised to listen to music from a Bard. Seems that there is light at the end of the tunnel.¡± ¡°Yes, the music was rather lovely. I can see that you decided to enrich some of the local merchants,¡± I said as something whimsical took me. ¡°Hah!¡± he said, tapping the side of his nose knowingly. Curiosity possessed me and I walked up to the bard as he was drinking ale from arge mug in great lugs. My sallet held under the crook of my arm, I greeted him. ¡°Hello there and good evening, good sir. My name is Gilgamesh of Uruk,¡± I said formally, feeling that a little ceremony was required, before continuing, ¡°I have a favor and request to ask of you.¡± He arched a single eyebrow before looking at me directly as he put his wooden mug of ale down. ¡°The name is Darren Kragain of Haylend, a pleasure to meet you. Your manners serve you well, so please do go on,¡± he replied in a cultured tenor voice that was as smooth as spun silk. ¡°Your song was most beautiful, the best I have ever heard in thesends, and has given me a yearning for the sounds of my own home. I would like you to y a song from my homnd, if it is not too much trouble?¡± I asked, a little awe in my voice, as I ced half a silver beside his instrument. Being this close to it, I could see that it was almost a magical thing. Intricate whorls and patterns flowed across the body of the lute-like instrument and entwined nt and animal designs gathered around the rose and ran up to the neck. ¡°Tell me the name of the song,¡± he asked, looking a little bored. I was sure that the bard would often get requests like this. ¡°You will have never heard of this song...¡± I continued, and the bard perked up a little, his interest now piqued. ¡°¡­it is a song from a farawaynd, and it goes a little like this...¡± Humming as best I could the parts of the song from the intro to the outro, I was lost for a moment in the memories of better times. Having no ear for music myself, I wondered if I was properly able to convey the song. Even with myck of musical talent, the Bard looked absolutely enraptured by the catchy melody. ¡°Yes, yes¡­ I believe it would be easy to do. This is a whole new style of music!¡± he said eyes alight as he re-tuned his instrument before sitting down cross-legged once more. His fingers yed across the strings as a melody, both different yet hauntingly familiar, echoed around themon room and people grew silent once more to listen. The Bard had added his own flourishes to the tune and it was not an exact copy. For one, the lyrics of the song were now markedly better inparison to the trite childish nonsense of the original and the notes flowed together like an ocean wave. However, the soul of the music was there and it brought back memories of a world now lost to me. A wave of homesickness flew through me and I felt that it was almost worth the half silver I paid to inflict this world with pop music. Once the music ended to another thunderous apuse, I thanked the Bard once more for his gift and ordered him another drink. I was surprised when he, in turn, thanked me and ced my coins back in my hand saying that it was, in fact, I that had given him a great gift. ording to his tale, he was on a journey to find new inspiration that he mightplete his quest to be a master Bard and, thanks to me, he had found it. My good use of manners rewarded me with a notification. You have gained 1 Charisma Extricating myself from the Bard¡¯s pleasantpany, I rejoined mypanions for the evening meal and ced my heavy helm on the table. Taper served us a delicious-looking stew in wooden bowls. The stew was spicy and was filled with a wide array of tender meat and fresh boiled vegetables with a peppery aftertaste. It was very filling, but we all still ordered seconds as it was a true gastronomic delight. Finally, we excused ourselves and settled in for the night. I volunteered to take watch, taking my customary position by the shutters to stare out into the night streets. Practicing my magic, I cast Drain a few times during the long hours of my watch, when my Mana allowed for it, at some passersby who were making their way back home. I hardly noticed the dark voices anymore, their promises and threats falling on deaf ears, but I did notice that, with my spell having increased in power, there were now more threads of darkness made with each cast. Progress in the dark arts, I grinned ruefully, who would have thought? My body was thrumming and jittery with stolen life energies before I was snapped from the training by a heavy hand on my shoulder. Kidu relieved me from my watch, and I, toozy to care, simply fell into therge bed. Despite feeling mysteriously tired, I also felt strangely stimted. With my Rest skill, however, I was able to quickly fallfortably asleep to the embrace of familiar nightmares that stalked me in the night. Book 1: Chapter 48: The Name Behind the Man Book 1: Chapter 48: The Name Behind the Man Seas rose, and continents cracked under the energies that ravaged the world. The sky itself burned in ces that scoured the very ground beneath of all life. Great volcanos spewed mountains of dark ash into the air, covering the world in primordial darkness. In the deep ces of the ocean, there was to be no refuge. The water boiled, killing all but the hardiest of creatures and the people of the Mer suffered greatly. Thus was how the first cataclysm started, and the game board set anew for the unending game of the thirsting gods. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Schr circa 103 AC. Dawn had yet to cast her rosy fingers across the sky before I was woken, without ceremony. The Rogue, his breath still scented with strong drink, shook me awake from my dreams where something unwholesome stalked me through the corridors of my own mind. Shaking off thest vestiges of sleep, I made my way to do my morning toilet before washing my hands again and having a quick drink from a sk. ¡°Good morning to you, muse of music! Since I didn¡¯t want to be eating jerky all the time on the road, I bought us a few other trail snacks. Think of it as a thank you present!¡± chirped Elwin, his morning energy a little grating on my nerves. He ran a hand through what remained of his hair and handed over a simple leather satchel filled with traveling provisions. ¡°And to you too,¡± I unenthusiastically replied. ¡°We¡¯ll make our way to the Adventurer¡¯s guild and see what¡¯s about, I suppose. We will have to find some sort of work to pay for a caravan or transport out of this town to head for more civilized climes,¡± I said, still struggling to find some motivation. As mypanions gathered the rest of our provisions and supplies, I mentally looked over my character sheet. Sleeping in my armor during the night had given me a level in the Heavy Armor skill. The effect of the improved skill was already apparent, as I felt a little less cumbersome in my equipment as we went down the stairs. The innkeeper of the establishment was waging war with the remnants ofst night¡¯s revels. He was mopping spilled ale and vomit and hitting his still-sleeping customers to wakefulness with the business end of his mop. The Bard fromst night was nowhere in sight, as was to be expected from a man of his caliber. The regr customers were just making their way out when we noticed that there seemed to be a smell of something cooking wafting up through the air. ¡°Good morning, Taper,¡± I said, trying to muster up some goodwill and energy. ¡°I see that business was goodst night.¡± ¡°Business is always good when there¡¯s a Bard about. This sorry lot is always looking for an excuse to celebrate and drink,¡± he replied to my greeting as he put his mop away. ¡°I¡¯ll be serving breakfast soon, the usual three coppers, if it pleases you.¡± I sat down with mypanions at the counter, cing nine dull copper coins on its impably clean surface. I asked the innkeeper for directions to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, even though I was pretty sure the building I had passed on my way to my fight with Jongshoi was the same one. The innkeeper gave me some rough directions from the inn, which confirmed my suspicions. In the old world, I was never much gifted in the art of map reading, let alone directions, but thanks to my increased Intelligence I had a much clearer picture in my mind of where the Guild should be. Soon enough, Taper served us some form of gruel with a dollop of honey in the center. It was a simple and filling fare and Kidu even asked for seconds, counting out three coppers from his purse. We waited for Kidu, who finished his meal with a resounding burp that amused Elwin to no end and then we exited the inn. The morning light had fully taken the sky now, and with the risen sun, came the sounds of a city waking up. There had been a light rain during the night and the streets were muddy as we started off in the direction of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. The mud did little to hamper the number of people who were making their way about their daily business. We plowed on through to the market square as I retraced my steps from the jail to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Turning a few corners and passing many yurt-like buildings, we finally arrived at our nned destination. I identally stepped into a puddle and sunk down to my ankles, much to the amusement of mypanions. The building was as I remembered it and where Taper had described. The guild hall was carved fromrge blocks of simple white stone. Over itsrge heavy wooden iron-banded entrance, hung a sign bearing the symbol of a crossed sword over a wooden burning torch. We entered the building to find themon room surprisingly well-lit with arge firece bathing the room with its warmth. The floor was made of worn wood and there were several brushes by the door, which I saw people using to wipe the road from their boots. The people inside seemed toe from all sorts of backgrounds and walks of life. Some were armored to various degrees - from full-te to ratty-looking worn leathers, and all of them were armed with an eclectic mix of ranged and melee weapons of varying quality and origins. What drew my eye were the few that were dressed in mystical garments of various hues and wielded magical-looking staves and wands. A man, in a red robe and wide-brimmed ¡®wizard¡¯s hat¡¯, patterned with yellow stars, gripped a staff tipped with a scarlet crystalline point and was smoking from a delicate wooden pipe. The smoke from which was so dense that it looked like an extension of his bushy gray beard that reached to his chest. Serving girls wended their way throughrge wooden tables, delivering stacked trays full of delicious-looking food and ale. It seemed that the Adventurer¡¯s Guild also doubled as a tavern in this city. A smart move, I thought to myself. Several groups of people were sitting at tables, discussing amongst themselves, and exchanging information. Not everyone was in a group, and not everyone was human. Alone at a table, a dark-skinned humanoid with the characteristically pointed ears of the elves and tinum-silver hair sat, nursing a drink. My hackles rose at seeing the elf and I had to pointedly refrain from reaching for the il at my side. I did not have a good first impression of elves. At the other side of therge hall was a wooden counter where several people were queueing up. Behind the counter, smartly dressed employees in elegantly cut clothes were busy with clerical work as they tallied, counted, and calcted. Next to the counter was arge board with various pieces of paper pinned onto its surface. ¡°Nice setup they got here,¡± Elwin chimed in as he whistled in awe. ¡°It certainly looks like an Adventurer¡¯s Guild, not that I have seen one before mind you,¡± Imented, making sure to correct myself. Kidu, taciturn as always, just grunted knowingly. Not knowing what to do, I decided that it would be best to ask. Still unsure of the social niceties required and not wanting to cause a stir with a potential faux pas, I sent Elwin to find some information. Meanwhile, Kidu and I finished cleaning our shoes and waited at an empty table. In due course, one of the serving girls came to us. The girl was perhaps in her twenties, young and fair-skinned with a sprinkling of light freckles around her nose. She had me-red hair tied in a bun but had the Asiatic eyes and a small nose, somon to the locals here. Our server was pretty in a homely sort of way, offering us a pleasant smile while she asked for our order. ¡°Hello there! Nice to see some new faces,¡± she began cheerfully in a high singsong voice as she eyed the massive Kidu up and down, stifling a giggle. ¡°What can I get for you?¡± ¡°Do you have anything that is non-alcoholic, juice or milk perhaps? And a light snack, as we have just eaten?¡± I asked, not wanting to start drinking so early in the day. Her bright smile grew a little in amusement. ¡°We got a little Lanelo juice and some Rockcrab legs,¡± she said as if rummaging through the back of her mind. ¡°That would be lovely,¡± I said gratefully. Wistfully, I couldn''t help but recall my struggles withplicated menus in the past. ¡°That will be twelve coppers then, for three of you, I¡¯m assuming you¡¯ll be wanting to order for the man that came with you too?¡± As she smiled, I realized she was the type that grew prettier as they smiled. Now that Elwin was elsewhere, scouring for information, I was able to summon up a little courage. ¡°What¡¯s your name, if I may be so bold?¡± I blurted out, a little too formally, as I ced twelve copper coins on the table. Red stained my cheeks as I removed my helm and ced it on the table, and I grew conscious of my appearance. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a dear! My name¡¯s Halena Aster. Nice to meet you, adventurers.¡± She smiled, eyes lighting as she yed with a loose strand of hair. ¡°Kidu Kreshin,¡± the big man rumbled as he introduced himself. For the first time, Kidu had introduced himself with a second name. I had known about this additional part of his name for a long time now, having cast Identify on the wildman during our days of envement. Perhaps it held some significance? I would have to ask him about itter. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you both the strapping sort! I¡¯ll be right back with your order,¡± she finished, giving us a wink and dexterously scooping up the coins in one smooth motion before turning around and walking toward the kitchens. I noticed that she never asked for my name and that Kidu was looking at her retreating form for a few long moments before I coughed. ¡°Kreshin?¡± I asked, curiosity apparent in my tone. ¡°On the ice, we receive the name of the first kill as our second name, that we may never forget the struggle and the test. The Kreshin brought me great honor among my tribe,¡± he said solemnly, sessfully tearing his eyes away from our server. ¡°So, no family name?¡± ¡°All in the tribe are one, my family is the Three Bears,¡± he said stiffly, unused to this line of questioning. He probably thought that this must bemon knowledge and was currently distracted by our waitress. I was soon saved by Elwin after he navigated through the groups of people back toward our table, a roguish grin stered to his face. He plopped himself down and looked us both in the eye before he began. ¡°So right, the thing is, first of all, before we start doing jobs for the Adventurer¡¯s Guild is that we got to register and pay the membership fee,¡± he stated, pointing a thumb at the wooden counter where the people were lined up. ¡°That¡¯s three silver each, but from what I heard only one of us needs to be a member to take on jobs so that saves us six silver. Though if we¡¯ll be doing work a little bit on the regr side, they advised that we all register.¡± He shrugged nomittally. ¡°Course, the pays all the same split three ways but some jobs require a minimum number of members. Once we register we¡¯ll have to meet the Guildmaster and be given a badge designating our rank, it¡¯s the same system like the Guilds where Ie from. We can take any jobs from the board as long as they are within one rank of our badges, the guild gives out a death payment only on jobs of the same rank. I don¡¯t n on dying anytime soon, so this doesn¡¯t really matter I guess¡­¡± He finished just as Halena returned with our food and drinks. ¡°What rose blooms in this here sad garden?¡± Elwin askedsciviously, looking the girl up and down as he made to touch her shapely rear. Halena, with a stony, fixed smile on her face and a veteran of a hundred such advances, adroitly dodged his questing hands while cing our items on the table. ¡°Anything else?¡± she asked, a little annoyance clouding her voice. ¡°No, thank you,¡± I quickly added. She had already begun to turn away to take another adventurer¡¯s order before I had even finished. ¡°I can tell that one likes me!¡± Elwin guffawed, which drew a simple grunt from Kidu. We drank our purple Lanelo juice, which was sweet and tart, and ate our deliciously spiced salty Rockcrabs, which made us order even more juice. Elwin, uncharacteristically, didn¡¯t evenin that the drinks weren¡¯t alcoholic. Once we had finished our light meal and drinks we made our way to join the queue at the counter. In front of us was a line of about ten people. As we waited, the dark-skinned elf, who was at the front of the queue, briskly handed over a bundle of herbs and nts to a busy-looking clerk who then stamped a few official-looking papers. Momentster, and with great clerical efficiency, a few silver and bronze coins were presented on a tray which the elf quickly picked up with dexterous fingers, cing them quickly into a small purse. Even hooded and cloaked I could see now more clearly that the lines of the elf¡¯s body under the tough-scaled leather armor were of a more feminine persuasion. She walked with an unconscious, yet confident, sway in her hips that challenged every man in the room as she exudedpetence and deadliness in equal measure. The elf shot onest nce around the Guild and our eyes met for the merest fraction of a second as she exited the building through the thick iron-banded doors. With time to burn and curiosity to be sated, I asked the man in front of me about the sight I had just seen. He was a distinctly average specimen of Asiatic persuasion, of medium height and girth, with a round homely face. Brown hair fell from a wide-brimmed kettle helm, and he was d in a mixture of old scaled leather, coarse homespun linen, and patchwork chainmail. At his waist, though, was a deadly-looking unadorned bearded axe of dark wood and darker ck iron of exceptional quality. ¡°Oh, her. She caught your eye too? She¡¯s a famous one, that¡¯s Lanarisa. We all just call her Lana which she hates,¡± grinned the boyish man. ¡°Name¡¯s Gan Garamgai. You can call me Gan if you like, that''s what everyone else does anyways. Say, haven¡¯t seen you around before, what''s your name if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± He stuck out his gauntleted hand in greeting. I regretted my decision to ask the overly familiar man almost immediately and I looked at his gauntleted hand for a moment as if it was a snake. Something about him simply grated upon me. My goals depended upon me not standing out and causing a scene, so I swallowed my regret and remembered my manners. I held a special ce in my heart for all the Children of the Tides, and Gan Garamgai, with his stupid name, was no exception. Gilgamesh of Uruk would have to y the friendly individual for a while, then perhaps sometime in the future, I could convert Gan into experience points. Somewhere in a hidden corner of my mind, a dark thing silently voiced its agreement as I reached to shake his armored hand and introduced myself. Something must have reminded the dolt of his ownck of manners, and he stopped himself before finally removing his own gauntlets. ¡°Name¡¯s Gil, pleasure to meet you Gan,¡± I said with a smile that probably didn¡¯t quite reach my eyes. ¡°Are you a regr member of this guild?¡± I asked casually as I sped the now unarmored hand. ¡°Oh, that I am, just a bronze, though,¡± he said, pointing to a small bronze badge on his chest depicting a crossed sword over a burning wooden torch. ¡°Still, started way back when I was Copper. Dad couldn¡¯t work the farm, so I had to step up.¡± His chest puffed up a little in pride. I had to bite back a scathing reply suggesting he could have worked the farm instead but chose to be tactful and inquire, ¡°And how, exactly, does one gain in rank?¡± ¡°Well, continue to do jobs and help out the guild and the Guildmaster will promote you, when he, like, sees you do real well. Remember Lana? She¡¯s the only silver adventurer here, always takes on jobs by herself too, and almost alwayspletes them. Doesn¡¯t do much on speaking though,¡± he continued inanely. The conversation continued to meander this way and that. Gan told us in annoyingly exquisite detail about the members of his extended family, going to great lengths to extoll the virtues of one of his younger sisters. ording to his description, she was basically the goddess given flesh once more. I was able to glean another useful nugget of information out of the country bumpkin, it seemed that the Guildmaster, a man called Darcen Tsend, had a means of telling if someone spoke the truth. It was probably one of the reasons he had ascended to his lofty position. Elwin tried to insert himself into the conversation, asking if Gan¡¯s sister was in his words ¡°A looker,¡± which just caused Gan to m up, thankfully, until it was finally his turn at the counter. Gan, finishing his business, offered to group up to do a few board jobs with us someday and then waved goodbye. Perhaps I would take him up on his offer, I mused. Book 1: Chapter 49: Bureaucracy Book 1: Chapter 49: Bureaucracy Bibsis, Rainspeakers, or Callers are only found in one sacred pond that grows into a greatke with theing of the rains in the Grieving Lands. To gaze upon them is said to be akin to receiving a blessing from the Goddess herself. -The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. At longst, it was now our turn. Behind the counter stood a thin dark-haired bookish man clothed in an elegantly cut shirt with a silver bolo tie with a dark emerald at its center. Gray calcting eyes behind small horn-rimmed spectacles looked up from his papers and gazed over us. The clerk coughed, a white-gloved dainty hand rising to his mouth, before asking in a smooth baritone, ¡°How can the Adventurer¡¯s Guild be of service to you, gentlemen?¡± ¡°We wish to register as new members of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild,¡± I replied simply, mentally pping myself for forgetting the earlier idea to just register as one member. ¡°Names please?¡± he asked in a no-nonsense voice, all professional now as he filed through a different set of papers for registration. ¡°Gilgamesh of Uruk, Elwin Tucker, and Kidu Kreshin,¡± I said slowly, careful to enunciate the names correctly as mypanions simply nodded behind me. ¡°I see. Gilgamesh andpany, that will be nine silvers in total for all of you. You are lucky. The Guildmaster has nothing scheduled today and will be able to see you soon for the induction process. My name is Taciano, and, since you will be bing Adventurers, I believe we will be seeing each other more often.¡± He cracked a smile incongruous with his earlier attitude. ¡°Please pay the requisite fee and wait a while to the side while I inform the Guildmaster,¡± he gestured to the side of the counter. My party and I paid the requisite three silver coins each, and we followed Taciano¡¯s instructions to the letter, waiting quietly to the side. With nervous energy that belied his usual confidence, Elwin spent the time throwing and catching a sharp knife that rose and fell, glinting with a deadly metallic light. It was after a few long minutes when Taciano called us over in a quiet formal voice. ¡°Guildmaster Darcen Tsend will see you, please follow me.¡± I nodded in assent and he guided us up a sturdy flight of stairs before knocking respectfully on a wooden door. After waiting for a few moments, he opened the door and ushered us in. We were greeted by a formidable sight. A lean silver-haired rugged man d in the local style, a deel fashioned in colors of golds and reds, positively filled the room with his presence. On anyone else, it would have looked like a colorful peacock¡¯s disy, but it hugged his formidable frame and seemed like another form of armor. He stood behind a finely carved wooden desk with his hands behind his back. Atop his desk was a purplish crystal ball, mystical mist moving eerily in its depths. The desk itself was delicately patterned with mystical creatures, and various trophies from past adventures decorated the walls. A massive one-eyed monster¡¯s head directly behind Darcen drew the eye, itsrge fang-filled mouth frozen in a roar. Tentacles circled around its single eye like a medusan mane. The lines of his face were hard and scars ran down one sun-browned cheek, crossing lines carved by age and old victories. The Guildmaster exuded a restrained sense of danger and authority, like the head of the pack that had seen many hard winters but was content for now. His other quality was that he was also wolfishly handsome, and he greeted us all with a wide canine smile. ¡°Good afternoon, prospective Adventurers. I wee you all formally to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. My name is Darcen Tsend, and I am the Guildmaster of the Ansan Branch,¡± he paused for a moment and I could feel a sort of energy work its way through me, as if searching for something. ¡°Ah, you noticed the Watcher. One of my earlier victories. Terrible things. They say they are creatures of the void. My party and I were contracted to clear out a nest of them. I lost many friends to those creatures,¡± he said somberly. Switching gears, almost jarringly, he continued. ¡°You all look like capable sorts so I will induct you immediately. Speak to the fellow Taciano for an exnation of the rules. But the biggest rule of all, this isn¡¯t really part of the rules of the Guild, but still¡­ do not think to deceive me, for I can smell a lie,¡± he stated, his wolfish appearance giving credence to his im, and it seemed for a moment that small room filled with his presence. Elwin smiled nervously and almost visibly gulped as he said with a courage I did not possess at the time, ¡°The sky was purple this morning.¡± Darcen just guffawed at the Rogue¡¯s temerity. ¡°I like your style,¡± he eximed as he pped him on the shoulder which almost brought Elwin down to his knees. The bigger man chuckled throatily all the while. ¡°Now ce your hands on the Bonding Crystal and I¡¯ll hand over your first badges,¡± he said as he gestured to the purple crystal ball on his beautifully crafted desk. ¡°What does that¡­ thing do?¡± I asked quickly, apprehensive at the thought of touching some clearly magical. ¡°It merely registers you as a member of the Guild. Trust me, it is for your own protection. Wouldn¡¯t want you being carted off to somewhere like the flesh pits or the mines, right? The crystal is also imbued with minor magics to inform the Guild of an adventurer¡¯s death, and in such a case we will pay the death price to their next of kin,¡± the Guildmaster said in a serious tone. I couldn¡¯t help but feel that he had given this speech many times before. Against my better judgment, I felt a need to win this man¡¯s approval and moved to be the first to touch the stone. Taking off my gloves, I touched the purplish ball with the bare skin of my fingers and felt almost a jolt, like static electricity. I looked to the Guildmaster to see if this was normal, but he simply nodded. A few secondster, the wolfish man tapped a copper badge, simr to the one Gan possessed, to the crystal¡¯s now opaque milky surface. Darcen gestured that it was alright to let go, so I removed my hand and golden script etched itself onto the copper badge as if an invisible pen was writing on it. Soon enough, I could read my name clearly in the Tradenguage and was taken aback by the casual disy of magic as the ball grew clear once more. ¡°First encounter with magic?¡± asked Darcen, moving to hand over my newly minted Adventurer''s Guild badge. I smiled, feigning awe and rather avoiding directly answering his question. Being wary of his ability to sense the truth from a lie, I was unwilling to show my hand just yet. ¡°Now, there is the quick thing about the Adventurer¡¯s Guild oath, and it is very simple. You just need to swear that you will do your very best to always uphold the reputation of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Do you so swear, Gilgamesh of Uruk?¡± asked Darcen as he looked me squarely in the eyes, just a few moments shy of handing it over to me. ¡°I swear to uphold the reputation of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild to the best of my current abilities,¡± I said as firmly as possible, trying not to let reluctance enter my voice. I must have really meant it, or the Guildmaster¡¯s truth-sensing ability was imperfect, because he simply looked me up and down and handed the badge to me with aradely smile. Still, he decided to p my shoulder, as he did with Elwin, in an unconscious show of dominance. I was ready and expecting it, however, and with a thin and annoyed smile, I absorbed the shock of the blow through my knees and a shifting of my own weight. As a student in my old world, I had dealt with his type many times before. Kidu, following my example, was next to step up to the desk. Taking off his gauntlet, he grasped the crystal with his giant hand almost as if to crush it, and drew a chuckle from the Guildmaster. As he did with me, he tapped a copper badge to the crystal before asking Kidu to repeat the oath about not tarnishing the reputation of the Guild. Kidu¡¯s name magically appeared on his badge in the same manner as it had on mine. Darcen looked at Kidu¡¯s badge and read out aloud Kidu¡¯s name. ¡°Kidu Kreshin. Kreshin, now that is an impressively fierce creature for one¡¯s first kill. Gilgamesh here must be something special to be in thepany of a Hunter so gifted,¡± the Guildmaster said thoughtfully, a new respect in his eyes. I barely registered the Guildmaster¡¯sment, my own mind already analyzing the oath that I had taken. Was it a simple honor system or was it magically enforced? At first, the oath seemed pretty vague, but after analyzing it a bit further, I realized it actually epassed a rather wide range of things from my interactions with other NPCs¡­ people. I had to remind myself that I was probably dealing with real people, to the manner in which Ipleted requests. On the other hand, as long as I was never found out, I could do, for the most part, whatever I wanted. This was probably why the Guildmaster had some sort of truth-sensing ability. My enhanced Intelligence helped me to realize that it could be a loophole that could be potentially exploited in the future. It was Elwin Tucker the Rogue¡¯s turn next. If anyone had secrets to hide, next to me, it would be mypanion Elwin. With great hesitancy, he made to touch the crystal, stopping just a hairsbreadth before touching it. ¡°This doesn¡¯t hurt, right? Had enough pain tost three lifetimes. Not enough drink in all the Grieving Lands to numb what I¡¯ve been through,¡± he mumbled with a slight quiver. The Guildmaster simply smiled and grabbed his hand and forced it to the crystal with such speed I was barely able to track it with my eyes. Elwin¡¯s mouth opened in stunned silence, forming a big ¡®O¡¯ in surprise. Again, Darcen made Elwin repeat the Guild¡¯s oath before finally handing over his copper badge. ¡°I wee you all to the brotherhood that is the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. May you always find that which you seek,¡± Darcen intoned formally in a voice that weighed heavy with the authority of the Guild. Not knowing how to respond, we all just quickly looked at each other and nodded. ¡°Alright then, that¡¯s out of the way! You best make your way back down to Taciano, goodd but a little weedy. Also, could do with a bit of toughening up. Spends far too much time indoors. Nheless, he¡¯s a reliable sort and you could have done a lot worse. One of theds from thest batch we hired was a right sod. Now be off with you!¡± hemanded, the smile on his face making a lie of his stern tone. Hurriedly, like schoolboys being dismissed, we exited Darcen¡¯s office. The whole encounter gnawed a little at me, but I was grateful for the protection that the Guild offered. Mypanions and I all took a deep breath before going down the stairs to find Taciano, who had, as of now, been assigned to us. The clerk had been dutifully waiting for us, holding a thin sheet of rectangr wood to serve as a board for him to write on. On the bottom of the board was a small pot of ink in which he dipped his fine feathered quill. ¡°Interesting,¡± I said, pointing at his board. ¡°But what would truly add to its usefulness would be, perhaps, a clip at the top to stop the parchment from moving.¡± His brow furrowed in thought as he considered my suggestion before his eyes lit up. ¡°Yes! What a brilliant idea! How could I have not thought about it before? Why, thank you, Gilgamesh¡­ now to ask the smith if he could fashion a spring of some sort¡­¡± he said as he shook my hand vigorously, his actual duties temporarily forgotten as he pondered on my idea. It seemed that my words must have been of some significance, as I received a notification. You have gained 1 Intelligence. Checking over my character sheet while the clerk was still distracted, trying to keep at least half a mind in the present, I noticed that my maximum Mana had risen to a respectable fifteen points. I didn¡¯t have enough time to look over the full extent of my current status but I was pleased to learn that, thanks to my general activities, I had gained a lot of experience points and was very close to level eleven. I hadn¡¯t quite locked down how the system worked, but outside gaining levels, gaining attribute points was definitely linked to activities, skill use, and meaningful practice. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 10 Pdin of Avaria/Reaver Strength24 Dexterity19 Constitution34 Intelligence21 Wisdom18 Charisma12 Luck17 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.2) Power Strike (lvl.2) 10 Endure (lvl.3) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.2) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.2) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) Hammers (lvl.2) ils (lvl.2) Maces (lvl.1) Shields (lvl.1) Medium Armour (lvl.1) Heavy Armour (lvl.2) Axes (lvl.1) Daggers (lvl.2) Throwing Weapons (lvl.2) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) 5 Rust (lvl.3) 1-2 Identify (lvl.2) 1 Silent Casting (lvl.1) Mana Regeneration (lvl.2) Purify (lvl.2) 3 Greater Heal (lvl.1) 10 Holy Aura (lvl.1) 2 Decay (lvl.1) Drain (lvl.2) 2 Entropic Aura (lvl.2) 2 GIFTS Curse of Entropy: -20% all starting attributes. Mark of the Pdin: 10% resistance to Dark/Holy magic, 5% resistance to Physical. Touch of the Void: 10% reduced resistance to Holy/Fire magic, 20% resistance to Mental Effects, 15% immunity to Mental Effects. Experience to next level 2572/2583 My mind was quickly drawn back to the present as Taciano finally remembered his primary duties. ¡°... Can find jobs and on the board over there,¡± he said, pointing to therge board pinned with many job requests. ¡°You can take jobs at your rank and one rank above and all ranks below. However, should you perish whilst attempting to do a job or request one rank higher than your own then the death payment will not be given to your next of kin or chosen recipient,¡± Taciano continued to instruct in a slightly clipped voice. I selected my mother and father as my next of kin, sure in the knowledge that the potential windfall of my death would never reach them anyways, and I would, of course, do my utmost to keep myself alive. Elwin wrote another Tucker¡¯s name down and gave the city name of Brownwood. Kidu surprisingly wrote the Three Bears n and ¡®The North¡¯ for the address. I was genuinely surprised, as I had thought therge man to be illiterate. It seemed that I had kept a few of the prejudices of my old world with me. With this part out of the way, Taciano went on with his exnation, ¡°If certain proof needs to be provided for thepletion of a job you will need to hand them in at the counter, to me or another Adventurer¡¯s Clerk that is on duty. Please wait for us to sign, stamp, and verify that you havepleted the request and you will be paid, minus any city taxes and ordinances.¡± ¡°One of the advantages of membership is that we enjoy friendly rtions with many of the traders and merchants of the city who will be more than willing to offer you a discount. This will, however, be in rtion to your current rank and, of course, having a good standing with the Guild. As your group does not have a healer I would suggest that you also make it a point to buy healing supplies from a skilled Alchemist. Here, let me write down directions for a few reliable sorts.¡± The clerk wrote down the directions, which he handed over to us on a scrap piece of parchment. ¡°I am also here to advise you on future ventures and so forth, so if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to ask. On that note, I would advise that you first take a copper ss job that you feel a three-man group like yourself can easily aplish. Any questions?¡± the clerk finally finished. We all uniformly shook our heads and Taciano gave us one final formal smile before he turned back to the counter to continue his normal duties. My own group, as advised, walked up to the jobs board and one particr small notice in the center drew my attention. I could not read it clearly but the part that I could was definitely of interest. My knowledge of the Trade script was still patchy, so I cast Identify on the words. ¡®(Bronze) Information on what is targeting the charcoal burners of Ansan. Reward one gold coin,¡¯ read the job¡¯s notice. Suddenly without warning the golden script of a new quest shed before my eyes. Warn the Adventurer''s Guild of the Echo-Stalker''s Nest? YES/NO Finally, I thought, a quest that aligned with my own goals. I quickly epted. This was, basically, the world being slightly helpful for a change. I took the notice from the board and went back to the counter. A few momentster, a slightly annoyed-looking Taciano came back and asked tersely, ¡°Yes, did you forget anything?¡± ¡°Not exactly, but I believe we havepleted our first job for the Guild,¡± I said as seriously as possible, handing over the slip of paper with the request. He looked at me as if I had suddenly grown new arms before actually reading the slip that I passed over, his eyes now narrowing before asking, ¡°So you have information in regards to the recent attacks?¡± Gambling with the die of fate, I told Taciano about the Echo-Stalkers that we had seen in the Sainba, leaving out the obvious parts that would incriminate us. Our reason for being there was a little weak, something about Kidu wishing to test himself, but the clerk brushed this off as he was more interested in the possible location of the Echo-Stalker¡¯s nest. He asked if we had any physical proof and we referred him to the Soot-Stained Pig and the Echo-Stalker parts we had sold to Cillis and her husband. Kidu also gave him a rough ount of where to find the nest, a task impossible even for me with my enhanced intellect, which Taciano dutifully wrote down. Taciano also informed us that we would have to leave a deposit of a silver piece while members of the guild checked the veracity of our story, due to both our junior rank and the fact we were brand new members. I simply shrugged and handed him over a silver coin from my own purse. Such were the responsibilities of a leader. ¡°Are we allowed to take another job while we wait?¡± Elwin asked greedily, posing the question we were all thinking. ¡°It is usually frowned upon to do two jobs at once, but I am sure you don¡¯t want to wait and in the light of the circumstances, I don¡¯t see why not. Please go ahead and choose a different job, I am sure you are ready to get stuck in! Remember to please keep it to the copper requests though, I¡¯d rather not attend another funeral this week,¡± said the clerk in a now t voice. We nodded our assent as we went to check up on the board again for different jobs. The whole thing reminded me of the minutiae of dealing with forms and papers in my old world. Pretending to bepletely literate, to save face, I tried to make out the words, but I could only recognize one letter in four making me, effectively, illiterate. Elwin would, however, save the day once more. ¡°How about this one? Says collect some Moon Moss from the Sainba forest. No monster ying for a start, and I can find us some Moon Moss no problem, I¡¯m sure. A two-day job at the most and it pays three silver!¡± said the Rogue enthusiastically. With no other options, I had no choice but to pretend to think it over before agreeing with the Rogue, ¡°It definitely fits our initial objectives. We should set out immediately,¡± I said, wanting to retake the initiative as the leader of our little group. Something, however, was niggling at the back of my thoughts and I couldn¡¯t yet ce it. ¡°There are three of us, why not three jobs?¡± rumbled Kidu, surprisingly insightfully, and my mind snapped back to the task at hand. ¡°That¡¯s an excellent point,¡± Imented, nervousness stealing into my voice as I desperately looked at the board searching for another notice that I could understand. Leafy fronds grew from a thick bulbous base on the picture of the nt and I guessed it must have been a notice for a gathering job. With nothing for it, I decided to frantically cast Identify on a notice that had a drawing of a nt on it, the searching tendrils of magical energies taking longer than usual toplete their quest. The notice read ¡®(Copper) Gather three heads of River Root. Reward two silver.¡¯ I looked at mypanions and noticed that they had all grown slightly reticent. ¡°Why all the long faces?¡± I asked, confused by their reaction. ¡°Well, it¡®s not so much the River Root that¡¯s the problem. Just that Lurkers can sometimes be found near River Root. Right fearsome beasts they are. Not always, mind you, just sometimes. But it¡¯s always the sometimes that gets you,¡± said Elwin, his usual smile growing a little strained. The wildman, on the other hand, seemed to take this as some sort of challenge and with one of his giant hands took down another notice with a picture of arge fearsome lizard on it. I gave the picture on the notice a look over and almost gulped. It was certainly a terrifying sight to behold, even on paper. The great lizard resembled a crocodile or alligator with six muscr stubby legs that each ended in four sharp-looking ws. Along its back, from the neck down to its tail were spiked ridges and bony armored tes. The artist had captured the beast¡¯s mouth open mid-roar, and serrated dagger-like teeth lined its huge gaping maw. I took a moment to look at the notice and pretended to read it in detail. While I did this, I silently cast Identify on it, growing frustrated at my slower casting speed. The notice simply read ¡®(Bronze) Three River Lurker hides. Reward six silver.¡¯ We would be well rewarded for the task. Hopefully, we couldplete all three jobs at the same time. ¡°Two birds with one stone,¡± I said with a slight grimace, waiting for the quest messages that never came, then sighing in relief. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that before, but it certainly sounds apt. I guess if you got a sling and swung really hard¡­¡± quipped Elwin, regaining a little of his usual verve. ¡°They will make for worthy prey,¡± said the Hunter stoically, nodding as he gripped his unstrung bow in his ham-sized hands. Book 1: Chapter 50: A New Companion Book 1: Chapter 50: A New Companion ¡°She blesses the poor by letting them lose their favored beast, only to then aid them in finding it again.¡± - Attributed to Cardinal Mauros. All in agreement, we exited the building. Following Taciano¡¯s advice, we headed towards the directions we were given to a local alchemist that could provide us with some healing potions. I remembered the taste of the potion that I was force-fed by Degei, the ve overseer, a memory which almost caused me to dry-heave at the mere thought of drinking another. In good time, we made our way to the purple-colored yurt that I had seen before. Strange-colored smoke was flowing up from a stone chimney at its crown. Girding my courage, I pushed back a heavy cloth to enter the colorful yurt, and my nostrils were hit by a foul smell that assaulted my senses. Almost gagging, I had a look around the dimly lit yurt, patches of the morning sun streaming weakly in, through openings in the side of the yurt. Across the beams of giant horn, several wooden polesy stretched across the room. Dangling from which, like shriveled mystical grapes, were a plethora of drying ingredients ranging from herbs to unknown animal parts. At the far end of the yurt, an old hunched bald man was mixing glowing liquids with the aid of various alchemic apparatus at a sturdy-looking white stone table. The man muttered to himself, the deep lines of his face creasing in frustration as he drained an alembic filled with a yellow pus-colored liquid into a ss vial filled with a viscous red substance. There was a sh of light and puff of smoke followed by the alchemist¡¯s cry of sess. ¡°Fantastic! A mid-grade healing potion made from onlymon ingredients. I daresay I have simply outdone myself!¡± said a cultured voice, raspy from the various fumes. ¡°Excuse me...¡± I began. The Alchemist jumped, almost dropping his newly made concoction in surprise, from his gloved hands. Peering at us from across the smoky room with squinted bespectacled eyes, he finally realized that he had customers. He stopped for a long moment, looking me up and down and I felt a small chill and sensed an echo of a feather¡¯s touch upon my soul. ¡°Wee, honored customer, to Hamsa¡¯s Wondrous Apothecary,¡± he managed to finish before he was wracked with a round of coughing,pletely destroying the air of esoteric mystery that had previously surrounded him. ¡°The finest potions in Ansan at an affordable price,¡± he wheezed, waving a hand to disperse the foul-smelling smoke. Somewhere toward the back of the dark tent, I could have sworn, I saw something small scurrying away, but I dismissed it from my mind and focused on the Alchemist. The Alchemist¡¯s skin looked sickly pale in the poor light and his pate waspletely bald like a freshly peeled egg. He didn¡¯t have a single strand of hair upon him, not even eyebrows or a hint of facial hair. Hamsa¡¯s smoke-gray eyes looked at us through the cracked lenses of gold-rimmed spectacles, which he wiped absentmindedly with a dirty cloth from his pocket. The hunched man was wearing a tough-looking leather butcher¡¯s apron, worn with age, and bearing chemical stains from a thousand experiments. He wore thick cloth vestments of coarse linen to protect his exposed skin and thick leather gloves protected his skilled hands. Nodding to a queasy-looking Elwin, I urged him to take the initiative and begin negotiations. The Rogue understood my intent and approached the alchemist in a rxed fashion, hands behind his back. ¡°Good day to you, master alchemist,¡± he said with a smile stered to his face. ¡°My name is Elwin Tucker, and mypanions and I are nning a little trip into the Sainba forest to gather a few herbs and materials. We were wondering if we might peruse your stock of Health potions before we begin our new venture,¡± continued Elwin. The shop owner visibly preened at this and stood a little straighter. ¡°I Hamsa, do so swear that you havee to the right ce. Only the finest potions here, I even have a small sample of Troll¡¯s blood that could perk up the dead,¡±. He nced at our new copper badges and his earlier enthusiasm wilted a little, ¡°but for hasty people still new to the trade, I guess something a little more affordable would be in order, at a small discount for the Guild,¡± Hamsa the alchemist sighed. My mind tried to understand the chemical properties of the potion that I had been force-fed by Degei. Through the lens of modern science and understanding, I simply could not understand the mechanics of such a phenomenon. To be able to heal internal and external injuries in such a fashion was nothing short of miraculous. However, I did not have to understand the workings behind the potions to understand their efficacity. ¡°Forgive me, Hamsa, but are there any side effects to taking such potions?¡± I blurted. Out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I saw a shadow move behind some shelves at the rear of the shop. However, it must have been my eyes ying tricks on me, for mypanions registered nothing. ¡°Not for one such as you, though perhaps in the future if you decide to grow a cleft instead of a dangle it might affect your pregnancy,¡± chuckled the alchemist before he patiently continued, blocking my view of the rear shelves, ¡°but I would still stick to only one potion a day, least until your body grows a tolerance for their effects.¡± ¡°If it is no offense, may I know the name of the one I am addressing?¡± he said obsequiously as he rubbed his hands together, a merchant shark smelling blood in the water. ¡°Oh yes, most importantly, the body can only tolerate taking a certain number of concoctions, depending on one¡¯s vitality, of course. That brute of apanion you have,¡± hemented, nodding towards Kidu, who simply adjusted his quiver, and this little action seemed to affect an air of menace. ¡°Could perhaps take three potions without ill-effects, but master Tucker here, perhaps one or two at the most. You will, of course, forgive my impertinence, master Tucker.¡± Hamsa bowed in a half-apology. Now I felt a spike of worry at the prospect of imbibing a single concoction, let alone multiple potions. What did they do exactly to the body? What was the price that one paid for their miraculous effects? What exactly happened when you went over your limit? The alchemist had sidestepped the potential issue of side effects, but for the moment I didn¡¯t feel like pressing the issue. ¡°The name is Gilgamesh of Uruk,¡± I offered candidly. Exchanging a quick look with Elwin, I simply nodded to him, and he began the next round of negotiations. ¡°How much for three lesser healing potions, and a single Mana potion?¡± the Rogue asked, finally getting into the swing of bargaining. ¡°I see the need for three potions of healing but, forgive my haste, I do not see an Honored One among you for the Mana...¡±mented Hamsa uncertainly. ¡°Of course, it is for another member of the guild. Something of a favor to a friend of a friend and a minor errand,¡± Elwin said offhandedly, brushing off some non-existent dirt from his tunic. ¡°Of course, forgive me for prying. Just idle chatter from an old man. Three minor potions of healing shoulde to six silvers, and a mana potion for another three silver,¡± offered the old alchemist. The Rogue now fully in his stride continued to bargain, ¡°But this is the first time we have visited your magnificent shop, perhaps if we promise to do business only here, and put in a good word with our fellow adventurers, you could help us in the matter of a getting a good price,¡± countered Elwin nonchntly. ¡°Bah! You would buy colored water from those peddlers at the market square? Nonsense! Chatans and thieves, the lot of ¡®em,¡± replied Hamsa, real vehemence in his voice before he continued, almost lecturing, ¡°I would have you know that I graduated from the University of Quas in my youth. Hah, but I see what you are trying to do. If you could get me a few Broomshead mushrooms from the forest, I could bring it down to five silvers. What say you?¡± ¡°Are you sure we won¡¯t get in trouble with the Guild?¡± I interjected swiftly. ¡°A straight arrow, eh? I will have a word with them myself. The Guild will always get their cut somehow,¡± he said, brushing me off. I simply nodded to this, and we divided up the price of potions, my enhanced Intelligence allowing me to swiftly do the arithmetic, as I took one silver, one bronze, and one copper coin from mypanions each. I paid the rest of the sum myself, sure in my swift calctions, and not wanting to quibble any further. I could not help but feel that I was missing something - like my mind was searching for a connection. My eyes were drawn to a knotted herb that was hanging in the corner. The roots looked like a clump of ghost-white snakes and the leaves were broad des of a deep poisonous purple. The entric alchemist noticed my interest and stated a simple price in a no-nonsense voice, ¡°Three gold for the Dragonsbane, and another five silver if you want me to process it into a concoction for you.¡± He must have noticed the look of stupefaction that crossed my face as he decided to exin, a little annoyance entering his voice at my obvious ignorance. ¡°Dragonsbane, one of the, if not ¡®the¡¯ strongest poison in the world. They say it was one of the only things that the flying lizards feared as it, ording to the stories, at least, robbed the beasts of their flight. The Hero, himself, is said to have discovered its many and varied uses. It disrupted the flow of Mana in their wings, messed with their Mana pathways or some such nonsense, ording to the sages of old. Dragons have not been seen since the Cataclysm, and I doubt if they had ever existed. Diluted, it can cause paralysis in all but the strongest of constitutions and a single drop of this distilled in its processed and purest form can kill a man in a few heartbeats. In other lower circles, it is called the Final Gift¡­ ¡± he finished rubbing his hands avariciously. I simply shook my head regretfully and made a weak promise to hopefully buy some of the herb if I was ever able to scrounge up the money at ater date. Carefully, I counted out the money on the counter in front of Hamsa. The alchemist pocketed the money with a snort and carefully handed over to us three thick red vials and one blue vial. The red ones were presumably healing potions and the smoky blue potion was most likely the Mana potion, at a guess. We thanked Hamsa, and after confirming where we could find the Broomhead mushrooms, we left the foul-smelling yurt. I shielded my eyes from the strongte morning sun as we exited Hamsa¡¯s establishment and adjusted my tear-shaped shield across my armored shoulder. Then I divided the potions with my group, keeping the single blue Mana potion for myself, ¡°How big are Lurkers supposed to be anyways? Anything I should know about them?¡± I asked of Elwin as I took care of a recent crick in my neck. ¡°Not too big, they can grow about six paces from snout to tail. Their mouths are mostly filled with daggers for teeth and can shred just about anything. The trick is to get them out of the water where they are ever so slightly slower,¡± answered the Rogue, his eyes scanning the streets. ¡°Then I guess it¡¯s going to be a bit beyond us to carry their hides by ourselves. We will need to invest in a beast of burden,¡± I said with a smile. Perhaps we could even get an exotic creature like a domesticated Laur, I thought to myself. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m with you on that,¡± replied the Rogue, eager to make his life easier by any means necessary. ¡°Let¡¯s head off to the market and see what we shall see.¡± We continued, in rtively good spirits, and made good progress through the streets to the market. Once there, we entered the section where arge selection of creatures was being sold. Some were predators that hissed at us from behind the thick metal bars of their cages, disying fangs, talons, and ws that could easily rip flesh and tear bone. Others were more cid and docile, like the sleepyrge rodent-like creatures called Catyids, ording to Elwin at least. These beasts looked like an evenrger version of a Terran capybara but with a long sinuous scaled tail. What drew my eye, however, was a wretched creature that was being led to a butcher¡¯s block. It was a donkey, and one of its legs wasme, or broken, and the owner, a turbaned man with an impressive handlebar mustache, probably wanted to cut their losses on future feed and grain. Sensing a potential bargain, I called out to the man, which surprised both of mypanions. ¡°Hey! How much for that donkey?¡± I shouted in the owner¡¯s direction. The man turned around, surprised that someone had interrupted him, and looked at me perplexed before finally answering, ¡°This beast¡¯s no good. Lame leg, only good for glue or stew now,¡± he sighed, as the donkey brayed in a panic, almost as if it understood its fate. ¡°How much for the donkey? And some feed and grain?¡± I continued, undeterred, the seed of a cunning n forming in my mind. ¡°Stubborn one, ain¡¯t ya? Well, guess I could get half a silver from the knackers, so I¡¯ll do you for that? Throw in some feed for another two bronze? Throw in a carrot or two if you like,¡± answered the man, almost licking his lips with glee. Mypanions looked at me as if I had gone soft in the head as I handed the man seven bronze coins, not even bothering to dicker about the price. I smiled at the man as wepleted our transaction and he kept looking at me as if at any moment I would seek to renege upon our bargain. I quickly had a look at my purse and counted out my coins. After all the various fees and expenditures I calcted that I had just a bit over one gold in various shrapnel. My own father often referred to coins as shrapnel, strange that I could remember his words, but still, his name and face now eluded me. I was no expert on equines, but even I could see that our newest party member was rather on therge side for a donkey. A frail-looking thing, mostly skin and bones, she stood sixteen hands high and was bigger than some of the horses I had seen. She was a dull ck, except for white fetlocks that looked like socks, and white again around her mouth and forelock. Her entire coat was unhealthy looking and there were several bald patches, probably due to malnutrition or stress. The donkey looked at me with sad-looking eyes as I fed her a slightly wilted carrot, which she half-heartedly chomped down on. ¡°I think I¡¯ll call you Patches. A bit of a boring name, but I think it suits you,¡± I told my new donkey as she looked at me with soulful eyes. * It was slow going on the way back to the inn, as our donkey wasme, and we had to stop off to buy a harness and tack for half a silver, which Kidu was forced to carry, much to Elwin¡¯s amusement. The pair of them looked at me as if I had gone crazy. After all, what was the point of buying a beast of burden that couldn¡¯t carry anything? Still, I assured them that there was a method to my madness, and even Elwin stopped with his frequent protestations and suggestions about making donkey stew. We entered the empty stables and I told Elwin to watch the street to make sure no one entered. Kidu saw to the donkey while I filled a trough with grain and another with water from a dark wooden barrel. The donkey had started to eat now with gusto and was looking decidedly better. Once Patches was happily fed and watered, I decided to put the n I had been brewing since the marketce in motion. First I drew my power inwards, focusing on the warm luster and, pushing from my center, the golden energies that constituted my strongest healing spell. Silently I cast Greater Heal, going through the ceremony of its long cast entirely in my mind. The spellplete, I released the invigorating light slowly into Patches¡¯ broken body. First, herme leg straightened with an audible ¡®pop¡¯, as the limb was forced to take on a healthy shape. The golden light continued to flow around the donkey, repairing the damage of the cruel and long years under an uncaring master. Both within and without the magic restored the animal to its best possible form. Her dark coat regained its luster and there was a new sparkle to her intelligent eyes as she brayed with joy. The spell had taken a full two-thirds of my Mana, but I was overjoyed that my little experiment had worked. Patches nuzzled my hand, recognizing that I was her source of good fortune. Kidu just nodded in understanding, his faith in me reinforced. ¡°That was well done,¡± therge man praised, as he ran a hand across the donkey¡¯s back as he began to load Patches¡¯ tack. A warm feeling began to suffuse me and I nodded to Kidu in appreciation. I simply couldn¡¯t help myself as I cast Identify on my new pet. Patches - (Donkey lvl.12) Health 264/264 Stamina 51/51 Mana 4/4 Well, that was just great. Even the donkey was stronger than me, or at least was at a higher level. In a way, it sort of made sense. Animals were generally physically superior to humans. I still snorted a little in frustration and the donkey brayed in affection, disyingrge perfectly white pearly teeth. Once Kidu had finished mounting the tack on my donkey, we left the stables, and Elwin almost shouted in surprise at Patches¡¯ new and improved form before Kidu hissed him to silence. ¡°What happened?¡± Elwin asked curiously, bemusement all over his face. ¡°The blessing of the gods,¡± said Kidu almost reverently, which caused Elwin to bluster a little before he finally caught on. Now that Patches was no longerme, we were able to unload our camping supplies onto the donkey''s packs. In good spirits, we made our way at a rapid clip along the eastern road and passed the gate guards. With a wave and a smile, I greeted the corrupt Dagesh, the same guard who had introduced us to the Twisted Boar with a wave and a smile. I turned back to look at the city, still stained with the light of morning, a mix of emotions filling the pit of my stomach. Again, we would be entering the domain of the great Sainba forest, where mypanions and I would be put to the test once more. But as I gazed upon the verdant forest in the distance, I remembered the woman, her shocked expression and the arena, as my mind finally made a connection. I remembered a mother¡¯s grief, which had shattered the Tide¡¯s ancient rite of passage, with its greatment. Book 1: Epilogue Book 1: Epilogue Exquisite could not begin to describe what he saw before him. The strokes and subtle application of line and shadow, each ent and touch a study in technique-both effortless in their execution, yet perfect in style. The colors drew the eye here and there, a new shape for the imagination to take in before drawing them back to the overall piece and its true magnificence. Each time he looked upon his work he saw new aspects that he, himself, had never seen before. Perfection, and thus would go unappreciated by those who saw it only with their eyes, and not through the lens of their soul. The true aspect of the divine transcended brush, paint, and canvas. The artist began to add imperfections to his work, his heart breaking with every adjustment, with every distortion that he was made to render. When he could finally take no more, he forced himself, exhausted, to a lemon-scented bowl of water ced near his desk by one of his aides, where he sshed himself with icy water. Then the horror came back. The horror that had haunted him through childhood, that propelled his art to levels that debased, created, and molded him. He saw his own face distorted across the water¡¯s surface, the colored oils twisting his visage into a monster as he saw the stigmata of the goddess. It would seem that no matter what heights he reached, to whatever new levels of artistic or spiritual nirvana, the mark would always hold him back, even as it propelled him up the ranks of the lesiarch. Jealousy, once hot, but had since grown cold with the passing of the years, red before he was interrupted from his thoughts by a knock at his door. ¡°A hundred pardons, your eminence, but you asked to be informed if there was any news of the location of Her Champion,¡± said a tonsured bookish man, bowing low as he entered the room. ¡°Then spit it out, Fedius. You have interrupted my meditations on the nature of the goddess, yet again,¡± said the artist, in annoyance, stealing a nce at histest work before donning the robes of his office. ¡°Yes, Cardinal Mauros. One of our assets in the Grieving Lands, in the heathen city of Ansan, has detected the God-spark of Her champion,¡± said the nervous aide, looking with awe at the cardinal''stest piece of art. The oil painting showed the veiled Goddess of Justice with an expression of righteous anger. However, the lines of her body disyed the weing warmth ofpassion, like a mother¡¯s invitation. In her right hand, she held the long heavy sword of Judgment, and in her left she gripped the short knife of Mercy. The whole painting was truly sublime, showing movement and motion shackled in a single moment, frozen forever in the stillness of eternity. Mauros, one of the highest-ranking members of Her church, stopped for a moment. New emotions added to his seething mixture of annoyance and threatened to spill over into violent rage. With a supreme effort of will, he stopped himself from throwing something at the bearer of the news. ¡°You have, of course, verified this?¡± said Mauros, his anger turning into the cold professional calction that had allowed him to reach his high rank. ¡°Yes, of course, your eminence. They are one of our most trustworthy agents. However, there was an irregrity...¡± he said as he bowed even lower, fearing the ire of his master. ¡°You do say¡­?¡± the cardinal replied, a cultured eyebrow raised in a mix of annoyance and curiosity. ¡°The God-spark was detected, yet disappeared after a few hours, ording to our source. It is posited that perhaps the Champion has found a way to shield his or her divine grace,¡± continued Fedius, bowing even lower, in brazen defiance of physics. ¡°No matter, we must pursue all leads in regard to God-spark. We will send a team of our best inquisitors and knights to the region but do be sure that they go under no banner and that the rites of secrecy are observed. By our very best, you will also see to it that the Light of the Faith leads them. Also, be sure to send that overly zealous hothead, the one they priests call the ¡®the little goddess¡¯ as well. I believe that she should be used to dealing with the locals there. You will cor the bearer of the God-spark with blessed metals and bring him into the loving arms of the church, the Goddess will have it no other way,¡± proimed Cardinal Mauros, the authority of his office echoing with each word like the judgment of the hammer. ¡°It shall be as youmand, your eminence. As the Goddess wills,¡± intoned the aide reverently, with no little relief. ¡°Yes, as the Goddess wills my child,¡± replied the cardinal automatically, sure in his conviction and interpretation of the divine will. Inwardly, he still seethed. Because, for all his efforts, and despite a righteous life lived, he could never be her chosen. How dare they go against Her great will, he thought. He would chain Her rebellious champion to Her divine intent. Even if they chose to cross to the other side through the veil of death, he swore that he would bring them back, a thousand times if necessary. Book 1: Glossary & Dramatis Personae Book 1: Glossary & Dramatis Personae Aditi - The old female cook in the ve pits. It is thanks to her that Gilgamesh is able to survive. [the] Adventurer¡¯s Guild - An organization specializing in ying monsters, gathering rare and precious materials, conquering dungeons, and protecting the weak. They are rivals of the Mercenary Guild. Aeyory - The sacred tree of Avaria. Except for the tree blessed by the goddess herself, the Aeyory usually blossoms when the first snows of winter thaw. Since military campaigns usually start in spring, the blossoms of the tree havee to symbolize war. Ancestor Spear - An object of reverence for the Children of the Tides. It was Gilgamesh¡¯s first weapon. Ansan - Seat of power for the Children of the Tides. The city of tents is built around an ancient Ark made of mystical living Witchwood. It is a nexus of trade. Ansarai¡¯s Fighting Pit - A seedy fighting pit in Ansan. Gilgamesh wins a lot of money here by cing a bid on Vidone Amantea, a nt from the organizers. Aranthia - A kingdom far to the west of Ansan. Arbitrator - A man responsible for dispensing justice in the bordends of Aranthia. Arimea Lostariot - An elven Spellsinger. Gilgamesh and hispanions barely survive a hostile encounter with her and her entourage just outside of Ansan. Arvan Azzarik - A diator in Ansarai¡¯s Fighting Pit. Avaria - Goddess of Justice. Known in the North as ¡®Vari, Chooser of the in¡¯. She is often symbolized as wielding the sword of ¡®Judgment¡¯ and the knife of ¡®Mercy¡¯. [the] Beacon Mountains - An active volcano range and the home of Durhit Coal, apanion of Gilgamesh. Beron de Laney - Author of ¡®The Fanciful Travels¡¯, an ount of his travels and adventures across the world of Gesthe. Bibsis - An amphibious monster sacred to the Children of the Tides for their control over the element of water. Also known as Rain-Bringers and Callers. [the] Blooding - Part of the Winnowing. Bogurchu Batbayar - A Waverider of the Children of the Tides. He is one of the first people that Gilgamesh encounters. Bone-Dragon - A necromantic creation made from the flesh of a newly dead dragon. [the] Breaking - Another term for the Cataclysm. Bronzegate Hold - The ce Durhit mentions as he dies. Broomshead - A type of mushroom that the Alchemist Hamsa requests that Gilgamesh find for him. Calling - The calling to which one¡¯s soul is naturally inclined. It is a path of fate. Caru nut - The seed from the Caru tree. When falling from a great, theserge heavy nuts can kill. The remains of those killed then act as fertilizer for the new sapling. Cataclysm - An apocalyptic event. Thest Cataclysm was caused by the Seed of Oblivion being brought into the world of Gesthe. Catyid - Arge docile rodent that resembles a capybara but with a scaly sinuous tail. Charisma - The attribute that governs how one can interact effectively with others. It includes confidence and eloquence, and it can represent a charming ormanding personality. Cillis Aideh - Smith of the Soot-Stained Pig. Supplies Gilgamesh and hispanions with a new set of armor and equipment. Rmends that he purchase a Tsengelt-tum andtrains Gilgamesh in its use. [the] Concord - An agreement between all of the higher beings. Constitution - This attribute epasses a character''s physique, toughness, general health, and resistance to disease and poisons. It also determines the number of potions one can consume without ill effect. The Constitution attribute greatly affects both Stamina and Health. Cronir - Arge animal found in the North. They are hunted by the people of the Kar-Kaphon and the Ice Drakes. Dagesh - A corrupt guard in Ansan. He rmends that Gilgamesh stay at his cousin¡¯s inn, the Twisted Boar. Darcen Tsend - Guildmaster of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild branch in Ansan. Reputedly has the ability to detect lies. Darren Kragain - A Bard whom Gilgamesh encounters in the Twisted Boar. Gilgamesh inspires Darren to create a new type of music by introducing him to melodies from his own world. Deeptakers - An elite group of dwarven warrior miners who explore the Everdark in search of treasure and long-lost artifacts. Degei Ganbataar - ve Overseer of the ve Pits of Ansan. Disciplines and tortures Gilgamesh after he kills Harun. Devon the Dirk - A drunken regr of the Twisted Boar. He taught Gilgamesh how to throw knives. Dexterity - This attribute is a reflection of a number of physical abilities including hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, fine motor skills, bnce, and speed of movement. Dexterity also moderately affects maximum Stamina. Durhit Coal - A dwarf from the Beacon Mountains. He became a ve in Ansan as his sister Evenes was unable to pay for his war ransom. He is in by a chameleonic variant of Echo-Stalker. Dragonroot - A highly valuable alchemical ingredient. It can be used to craft a poison that was said to be able to kill even a Dragon. The nts are guarded by the monstrous Jaderock bees. Dragons - Capricious sentient winged lizards that possess great physical and magical might. They are some of the most powerful beings on Gesthe and their strength is said to rival the gods themselves. Earth-Mother - A dwarven term applied to the element of Earth, the soil, the rocks, and the mountains. Dwarves believe that all creatures are of the Earth since all must return to it one day. Echo-Stalker - A monstrous multi-limbed insectile creature found in the deep parts of the world. Elves - A long-lived humanoid species whose origin is shrouded in mystery species. The elves refer to themselves as the ¡®The First Children¡¯. They are allies of the Fae. There are several varieties of elves. Elwin Tucker - Gilgamesh meets Elwin in the ve pits of Ansan. He professed to be a Forester, but is in fact a Rogue. Entropy - One of the first primordials. Entropy as a higher truth is present in almost all things in the universe and is not reliant on mortal worship or belief. Evenes - Durhit¡¯s sister. She could not pay Durhit¡¯s ransom when he was taken as a prisoner of war. This led to the dwarf bing a ve in Ansan. [the] Everdark - A vast subterranean realm beneath the surface of the world. Fae - The inhabitants of the In-Between. Fen Vaigorus - Author of the ¡®The Living Sword¡¯. [the] Festival of the Undrawn - A martial tournament in an unknown city. Gaven Tris - A diator in Ansarai¡¯s Fighting Pit. Gesthe - The name of the world our protagonist finds himself in. The word means ¡®Garden¡¯ in thenguage of the elves. Gideon de Svia - an academic and schr who authored numerous books exploring topics such as justice, morality, and humanity''s ce in the world. Gilgamesh of Uruk - The first hero and protagonist of our story. In certain trantions, Gilgamesh is also known as the Watcher of the Deep ces. Girabis - Arge gentle creature used as a pack animal. [the] ss Fire Sea - An area of ocean protected by sentinel crystals that burn iing ships to a crisp. Gnarlug Bonegrinder - An orc in Ansarai¡¯s Fighting Pit. He is in by Vidone. Goblin - A small green feral humanoid. Thought to be cousins to the orcs. God-touched - The name of those who suffer from epileptic fits. [the] Grass Sea - The domain of the Children of the Tides. Travel across this vast expanse is difficult as a Water Mage is required to conjure drinking water. [the] Grieving Lands - The name of the region where Gilgamesh is initially transported to. Gunne - A boy who had sworn vengeance against Gilgamesh for killing Harun the Iron. On Durhit¡¯s request, Gilgamesh kills Gunne out of mercy. Great Crawler - Arge underground creature. It is believed that they are the cause of some earthquakes. Also known as Earth Dragons. Hamsa - An Alchemist in Ansan. Harun the Iron - The first human our protagonist kills. Gilgamesh kills therge man after he cuts in front of him to wash. Hassan - Gilgamesh encounters this man when he bes a ve. Hassan is charismatic and sanguine, but tremendously obese. Healing Potion - An item that when imbibed restores Health. Health - The measure of one¡¯s current physical status. Ice Drake - Lesser cousins of the dragons. They prey upon the Cronir. They grow more vicious and powerful as they age. Icewalker - The title for those who have lived for fifty years or more in the North. Intelligence - The attribute that measures mental acuity, the uracy of recall, and the ability to reason. It significantly affects maximum Mana capacity. [the] Inverse Mountain - A legendary ce in the Everdark. Iron ve-cor of Obedience - A magical cor that can cause great pain to the wearer. Jongshoi Aigiam - A boy that Gilgamesh is forced to kill in the Winnowing. K.D Fidditch - Author of the book Monsters of Mortal Realm. Staple reading for Adventurers. Kar-Kaphon - How the people of the North refer to their home of endless tundra and ice. Kazass - Strong drink made from the fermented blood of Cronir. Khisam - Husband of Cillis Aideh. Kidu Kreshin - A peerless warrior and Hunter of the Three Bears n from the far North. He is a loyalpanion of our protagonist. Gilgamesh encounters Kidu in the ve pits of Ansan. Lanelo - A purple fruit that ismonly used to make refreshing fruit juice. [the] Language of Knots - In ancient times the Children of the Tides traveled the seas. Since paper could get wet and rot easily at sea, they used knots instead to record things andmunicate. In the modern era, many people across the Grieving Lands still use knotted pieces of string with knots to represent words and ideas. Laur - A genus of six-limbed warm-blooded creatures. They look like a cross between a wolverine and a warthog. Some Laur species have been domesticated. [the] Living Sword - A treatise on how a warrior should train in the use of a sword and amentary on martial arts in general. Written by Fen Vaigorus. Luck - How this attribute works remains a mystery to Gilgamesh. Mana - The source of magic for the world of Gesthe. It is called the god-gift by the many races of Gesthe and is associated with life itself. Mana Potion - An item that when imbibed restores Mana. [the] March Reaches - A bordend region of the Kingdom of Aranthia. [the] Mercenary Guild - The rivals to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Monsters of the Mortal Realm - A encyclopedic book detailing the monsters of the world of Gesthe. Navigator - In ancient times they relied on the skills of the Navigators to cross the great seas of Gesthe. However, in the modern age, Navigators are relied upon to chart the best course of action for their people. Necromancy - The art of raising the dead and bringing them back into a state of unlife. This school of magic was discovered by the ancient Republic of Arastia before thest Cataclysm. Nord - Cousins to the people of Kar-Kaphon. Nords are the seagoing people of the North. [the] North - An vast expanse of ice and tundra. Also known as the Kar-Kaphon. i - A Navigator for the Children of the Tides. Condemns Gilgamesh to fight in the winnowing. Orc - A powerful green-skinned race of humanoids. They grow stronger and more powerful if they are injured or go into a bestial heat. Patches - Therge donkey that Gilgamesh saves from the butcher¡¯s block. Quas - Name of both the ind and the city on it. It is famous for being a center of learning. Quassian - The name of the people and thenguage of Quas. Rawesan - The blessednd of scripture. [the] Republic of Arastia - The nation that fought against the Alliance in ages long past. [the] River God - The god of time and prophecy. Also known as the god of the ¡®Wend and Way¡¯. River-Lurker - A six-legged crocodilian. They can often be found near where River Root grows. River Root - An alchemical ingredient. It is part of a job request that Gilgamesh and hispanions ept as one of their jobs as adventurers. Rockcrab - An ediblend crustacean. They aremonly found scavenging through the waste and detritus of cities and urban areas. Sahel - The name of the Sun that the world of Gesthe orbits. Sainba - Arge ancient forest filled with gigantic trees. Seaguard - A coastal town with high walls ruled over by Lord Farilse. [the] Seed of Oblivion - An artifact that was brought into the world of Gesthe from another ne of existence. [the] Shallow River - The river that represents death. [the] Soot-Stained Pig - A smithery and armory in Ansan city. Stamina - The capacity to engage in physically demanding activities. When certain conditions are met, Health can be used in the ce of Stamina. Stone-eater - A derogatory term for a dwarf. Strength - The Strength attribute is a measure of muscle strength, endurance, and staminabined. Strength moderately affects Stamina and to a much lesser degree maximum Health. Taciano - Clerk at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in Ansan. He is assigned to Gilgamesh¡¯s party. Taper Athinad - Proprietar of the Twisted Boar, an inn and tavern in the city of Ansan. Three Bears - A Tribe of the North. Time of Trials - A period when the North is especially cold and unforgiving. Trade - Themonnguage and lingua franca for the Grieving Lands. Truth-seal - An piece of paper that is used to confirm bets in Ansan. Tsengelt-tum - A hybrid weapon that is capable of acting as both a simple mace and a deadly il. The chain is short enough not to hit the wielder¡¯s hand. [the] Under-Kingdoms - The ancient realms of the dwarves before the Cataclysm. Vidone Amantea - A Duelist from Quas. He ys the orc Bonegrinder in Ansarai¡¯s Fighting Pit. Vizzeks - The first Bone-Dragon. Waverider - An officer in the standing army of the Children of the Tides. Wilnds - The untamed area beyond the Sainba forest. Windspeaker - Keepers of the oral traditions and lore of the Kar-Kaphon. A few of them can harness the elemental power of Mana. Winnowing - The sacred act where the young men of the Tides must prove themselves capable of taking the life of another man. Wisdom - The attribute that governs willpower,mon sense, perception, and intuition. It moderately affects maximum Mana and Mana regeneration. Witchbound - A term describing a magical tool or item. Witchwood - A near-legendary substance grown from the groves of giant sentient trees that have their roots in both the world of Gesthe and the In Between. Sacred to the Elves and the Fae. Zajasite - Glowing crystals that are mined from the earth. Book 2: Chapter 1: A Jaunt Through the Woods. Book 2: Chapter 1: A Jaunt Through the Woods. Within the Sain forest, a myriad of flora and fauna flourishes, captivating the attention of those who delve into the alchemic arts. But to journey beneath the darkened canopy of the forest is to be tested and toe to a deeper understanding of one''s ce within the natural world. It is an experience of profound humility. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. Elwin died, then Kidu soon after, in by my own hand. The wavy form of my dagger was bloody with their life essence, as a testament to my sin. Faltering for a moment, I snapped out of a vision that seemed far too real to be an idle thought or daydream. It was nearing noon, with the glorious sun high in the sky. A stark contrast to the earlier darkness I had experienced. Like pilgrims, mypanions and I walked our first steps along the path of legend. And, like the heroes of old, I felt that we were answering the call to adventure. As we journeyed further away from Ansan, the Jewel of the Grieving Lands, the road eventually turned into a simple track of dirt, then finally into an animal trail as we came closer to the great Sainba forest proper. Under the newfound leaves of my optimism lurked thoughts of my encounter with the wailing woman in Ansan. I focused my mind and made a mental list. Essentially, we had four objectives, three of which were to find River Root and Moon Moss for the Guild and to gather some Broomhead mushrooms for the entric alchemist Hamsa. Finally, we had to y some fearsome River Lurkers to harvest their hides. A romantic part of me that followed me from adolescence forgot about the rather pedestrian request to gather herbs and envisaged us aplishing awesome deeds and vanquishing terrible foes. I wasn¡¯t particrly looking forward to engaging the terrifying lizards in close quarters so I would probably rely on my magic and Kidu¡¯s longbow to do most of the damage. The throwing knives at my waist probably wouldn¡¯t even irritate the beasts and I resolved to buy myself a more powerful ranged weapon. Sighing, I wish I could have afforded the exotic crossbow from the market. Just before we entered the Sainba proper we paused for Kidu to string his massive longbow. Even for the giant, it proved a difficult task and he was red in the face when he finished. The poundage on the bow must have been phenomenal and the string tougher than wired steel. The merchant did, after all, describe the string as spider silk from this very forest and I prayed in my heart that they were not of the giant variety. Once more under the dense boughs of the giant trees, I could feel some sort of energy, or electricity, in the air, like the portentous pressure before a wild storm. Kidu led us now, the wild calls of the animals and birds banishing thest echoes of civilization, as we ventured deep into the dark forest. Elwin was constantly scanning the greenery, his keen eyes looking for the moss that apparently grew on the bark of the giant trees as he took a position at our rear. I led our new donkey, Patches, gently at the center of our small formation. So affectionate was the intelligent donkey that I doubted I truly needed the new leather harness. In all honesty, I felt a little useless as I had almost no knowledge of any applicable bushcraft skills. Tapping therge man on the shoulder and raising my hand for Elwin, I called for a pause as I checked my status. I knew well from experience that the great Sainba forest was as wild and as dangerous as it was both beautiful and mysterious. Health230/230 Stamina49/55 Mana6/15 Even as heavily armored as I was, my Stamina was in a good ce and I didn¡¯t feel overly encumbered in my gear. I surmised that this was probably due to my higher Constitution, Strength, and Heavy Armor skill. However, with my Mana at just over a third, I was sorely tempted to drink my expensive Mana potion when a sh of inspiration hit me. If my Drain spell worked on living things, then it stood to reason that it would work also on the giant trees that surrounded us. Elwin, as always, was d for the short rest and gratefully flopped down onto the forest floor. Kidu continued to look around, remembering to search upwards as well for threats among the viridian vegetation. I locked eyes with Kidu and a silentmunication passed between us. Nodding to me, he unslung his bow and drew an arrow fletched in ck feathers from the quiver at his side. Focusing on the dark energy that had grown in the depths of my soul, I silently drew upon the power of the vampiric spell Drain and targeted the nearest giant of a tree. Dark tendrils and threads of midnighttched hungrily across its mighty trunk, passing through the bark and searching for life energies. Instantly I felt invigorated as the ck threads began to pump vital energy into me, and I delighted in the sensation. My Mana steadily rose and, wishing to elerate the process, I began to cast another Drain spell on a different tree, whose mighty branches reached up into the heavens. I exulted in the heady feeling of power that was flowing through me. My Mana rose steadily, then elerated as the spell siphoned even more vital energy to me. Like a conductor orchestrating a symphony, I waved the thin threads of darkness this way and that,tching them onto new trees before I cast Entropic Aura as an experiment. A pulse of entropic darkness all but exploded from me, causing the vegetation to wilt and droop slightly as the dark waves pulsed. Out of the corner of one eye, I could see that the dark energies passed harmlessly through mypanions and their possessions and I reveled in my mastery. Sure enough, the threads that were attached to the trees within the Aura pulsed thicker. Within the bounds of the spell, the rate of energy pumping into me was increased and the sibnt dark whispers grew more jubnt. Kidu remained at a guard position to protect me, keeping watch for anything that could disturb my arcane ritual. Within minutes, instead of hours, my Mana had risen to thirteen points, so I reined in my magic as if it were an unruly hound. I gave Kidu a nod, and we rmenced our journey. I was surrounded by living batteries of delectable power. I was rewarded for this new discovery with a new level in my Drain spell and ten points of experience that put me tantalizingly close to level eleven. I itched to kill something, just to get thatst bit of experience. I joined mypanions in scanning the forest, although for a much different reason - looking for something to kill. * We plowed on through the forest for another hour or so, the animals and the birds growing a little quieter around us. I could feel Patches growing more tense, though this didn¡¯t stop her from asionally nibbling on some of the nts we passed. Suddenly, at the edge of the clearing, Kidu called for a halt with a raise of his hand. ¡°Kari,¡± said the big man in a hushed voice, pointing to a great lizard basking in the sun on a mound of rotting vegetation. The animal, at first nce, resembled a Dimetrodon, a creature from Earth¡¯s ancient past, with fern-green scales that matched the viridian hue of the forest but had the six legs, like a lot of the fauna of this world. The fearsome creature was about five meters from the curled tip of its tail to its brutish head. Refracting scintiting halos of light across the clearing, arge multi-colored sail ran across its spine. From its stubby head, tworge fangs grew from a slight overbite and a single long horn, perhaps half a meter, erupted from between its closed eyes. The creature¡¯s six short legs were powerfully built, and each limb had sharp ws that looked like they could easily rend and tear flesh. At its throat,y a bulgingrge red sac that pulsed with every breath. Perhaps, if I wasn¡¯t so close to gaining a level, I would have chosen to simply avoid the creature, but I could barely control my lust to get some more experience. Something drove me towards conflict. ¡°If the creature is still basking then it must be sluggish and vulnerable right now,¡± I whispered to mypanions, looking them each in the eye. In my mind, I was already gambling that the biology of cold-blooded creatures in this world functioned the same as in my old one. ¡°Also, I don¡¯t want to waste precious daylight circling around its territory. How dangerous are these creatures?¡± I nervously inquired, losing a little of my confidence with every passing second. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Elwin stuttered, almost coughing in surprise at my audacity. Kidu and I both looked at the Rogue, then back at the Kari. ¡°Acid can be a problem. I suggest that we take it from afar. I can hit its acid sac, which will do grave damage, and it is said that honder alchemists pay a fine price for it,¡± mused Kidu, who was now seriously thinking about taking down the monstrous reptile and adding another notch to his belt. The man had a dangerous obsession with finding, and hunting down, worthy prey. ¡°You are all crazy, just look at that thing! I thought we were all here just to pick a few nts?¡± eximed the Rogue shrilly. ¡°Stay back, Kidu and I will handle this. Help out if things get a little hairy,¡± Imanded, a certain edge of annoyance entering my voice. ¡°Kidu, shoot for the throat if the beast stirs,¡± I ordered, the voice ofmanding surprisingly naturally to me. As I put the visor of my helm down, my world reduced to a narrow slit of vision, and I began casting. The magic of Entropic Aura pulsed with a wave of ckced and gray-flecked energy with me at its epicenter. Experimentally, I silently cast Decay on the fearsome creature. An oily sensation filled the pit of my stomach as Ipleted the spell, but only a few of the dark tendrils were able to attach themselves to its sleeping form, almost as if the creature was resisting. With plenty of Mana left, I cast Drain on the creature, to hopefully weaken it further. Sure enough, the gossamer-thin strands of midnight energy eagerly sought the beast¡¯s life force and began transferring it to me. For good measure, I also cast Drain on two of the gigantic trees near me. The confluence of iing power was a narcotic rush that I had to push down with an effort of will. As my Stamina and Mana began to climb higher and higher, the voices within me exalted. The lizard was still asleep, its thick scales along its belly rising and falling with every breath. The creature began to stir a little and started whisking its tail slightly in irritation. Then it opened its mouth in a mighty yawn, disying a row of jagged teeth. The sail on its back shifted and rainbow hues of light filled the clearing as it settled back down to rest. Kidu had his bow at the ready, his shield glove holding the strong supple wood, a deadly arrow nocked on the string, ready to be shot at a moment''s notice. Therge man looked at me for further instruction but I held up a hand, willing him to wait as my magic continued to take its toll. Turning around, I looked at Elwin, who looked increasingly nervous under his hood as he gripped Patches¡¯ harness tighter. With my Mana going up, I decided to sate my curiosity by casting Identify on the creature to measure its potential threat. Kari - (Great Lizard lvl.12) Health 287/336 Stamina 48/65 Mana 0/2 Good, my magic was steadily weakening the creature, I thought to myself, as my Mana continued to refill. The creature did not even seem to be stirring to wakefulness, just continually basking in the sun. I posited to myself that the low Mana of the creature must be representative of its general intelligence. I realized now that fighting a creature such as this head-on would have almost been tantamount to suicide. Its higher level and impressive physical attributes coupled with its thick armor and sharp natural weapons would have been a grave threat to my party. Luckily, however, we had magic on our side and, also it seemed, time as well. The longer it took for the creature to realize what was causing it harm, the greater advantage we would enjoy. For several minutes my dark magic continued to leech the vital force out of the huge basking lizard and soon enough my Mana reached a healthy ten points. Suddenly, a colorful bird atop a branch above and behind Elwin made a raucous call that caused Elwin to jump in quick surprise. This sudden motion then caused Patches to release a loud panicked bray that resounded through the clearing and scattered a flock of pink-colored birds from their afternoon perch. Gradually, like the inevitable tides, the Kari opened one heavily lidded eye. The reptile¡¯s eye was a menacing yellow orb that revealed a pupil that was a thin ck slit running down its center. Although weakened, it got up to its feet and cried a bestial roar that caused the rest of the wildlife in the near vicinity to flee in a panicked explosion of fauna. Patches was visibly disturbed now and, ears ttened, she began braying loudly, forcing Elwin to lead her back away from the clearing. Suddenly, without warning, there was a whistling sound, and an arrow sprouted from the Kari¡¯s throat sac. The scarlet bulge exploded, spraying green acid across the forest floor, the corrosive liquid hissing violently as it ate away at the ground. nting his feet firmly, Kidu drew his longbow andunched a second missile at the giant lizard¡¯s eye, but it was deflected by a horned ridge as the creature finally turned in our direction. Realizing that our group was the threat, the ferocious creature lowered its head and aimed its long brutal-looking horn at us before starting to charge at us with surprising speed, green acid still leaking from its injured throat. In a valiant show of martial skill, Kidu shot another arrow that scored a light furrow along its snout, bloodying its nose and the animal shook its head in pain and confusion. Showing bravery I never knew I had, I charged the creature andunched a Power Strike at the lizard¡¯s scaly head. That I was flying into danger was forgotten in the heat of the moment, as the dark whispers urged me on to greater heights of violence. Half-stunned by the impact, the Kari was unable to dodge the next attack. The blow drew a dark arc before the ¡°mace¡± part of my il squarely hit the side of its skull in an explosion of loose scales and blood. The striking head of the il wrapped under its snout and struck its lower jaw with the deadly spiked head. The terrifying beast was tough, however, and simply refused to die as it reflexively turned around to swish its long supple tail in my direction, sweeping me clean off my feet as it impacted my kite shield. I felt no pain but I still took minor damage to my health. The psychological impact was, however, immense, and I suddenly grew fearful. Thest vestiges of my earlier confidence left me as I desperately scrambled up to my feet, forced to pit myself against the raw strength of the scaled monster. The creature, however, in its stupidity, did not press the advantage and, instead, charged after Kidu, who shouldered his bow, drew his boar spear and braced himself to receive its charge. Surely enough, the creature impaled itself upon Kidu¡¯s spear, the winged lugs of the weapon preventing the Kari from running up the shaft and reaching the massive Hunter. Its struggles to rend and tear therge man only served to widen its own wounds. In a whirl of motion, from a significant distance away, Elwin let loose a volley of four knives that fanned out and impacted all along the Kari¡¯s nks and sides, but they did not prate deeply. Inspired by this, I hooked my il back to my belt and drew two throwing knives with my gauntleted left hand. I held both knives in the same hand, the handles of both weapons touching each other, the des at the opposite ends of my hand. I then threw the knives in quick session, first with an overhand throw and the next with a flick of the wrist, underhand, at the center mass of therge creature. After initiating the skill in my mind my Stamina was drained suddenly by five points. Although my des embedded themselves into the natural armor across its back, I doubted they did any noticeable damage. The Kari was beginning to weaken now with the umtion of all the minor wounds and the damage it was inflicting on itself by trying to reach the wildman as he slowly retreated. My magic, too, was taking its toll. Bolstered by my Entropic Aura, the tendrils of my Decay spell grew thicker as they attacked the areas around its open wounds, causing the faint smell of rot to cloud the air. All the while, my Drain spell continued to energize me as it leached away at its life and restored my Health Despite this, Kidu was getting pushed back by the raw strength and weight of the animal. His face was a picture of desperate exhaustion as he grudgingly gave ground, ying for time and forcing the creature to expend even more of its Strength in the contest. It was all too much for the monster. After a few more seconds, Kidu, with impressive innate skill, sensed that the monster had been weakened enough, ripped out his spear with a splurt of arterial blood, and stabbed it cleanly through one of its eyes. The maw of the great lizard gave out a muffled sigh as the rest of its body finally realized that it was dead, though its tail still twitched in denial. I quickly dispelled all of my magic, not wanting to damage the remains of the creature, as I was met with more notifications from my UI. You have in a Kari 30 experience gained. You have gained 1 Strength You have learned Medium Armor (lvl.2) You have learned Heavy Armor (lvl.3) You have learned Maces (lvl.2) You have learned Silent Casting (lvl.2) You have learned Double Throw (lvl.1) You have reached level 11. 3 unassigned attribute points. 1 unassigned skill point. Book 2: Chapter 2: A Nice Meal Book 2: Chapter 2: A Nice Meal May the eyes of the hallowed godsy lightly - The traditional wee of the city of Al-Lazar. Raising the visor of my helmet, I drew in a deep lungful of air. Slight notes of rot and metallic copper wafting up into the air made me wince at the stains that adorned my cheap robe. Almost instantly, the countdown to assign my points began and I put all of my attribute points into Constitution and my new skill point into Drain. The spell was a good choice, I decided, as it both healed me and could also be used offensively. Also, if I was beingpletely honest with myself, it was pleasant to use, save for the rasping sibnt voices that always apanied its cast, promising unspeakable things. The spell would have to do as a substitute for a good coffee. As the adrenaline left my system, I slumped heavily onto the forest floor as Kidu began butchering the Kari. Patches began to nuzzle my face as I brought myself back to some semnce of mental order. Interesting, I thought betweenbored breaths, my little twist on throwing knives was recognized by this world as a sort of specialbat skill and cost Stamina to use. Perhaps I could learn other skills by experimenting in a simr fashion? Not caring to look at the bloody work in progress, I took the moment to relieve myself behind a tree, making sure to wash my hands with a little water from my drinking sk. Leaning against a tree, I took a moment just for myself as a fragment of mental respite. Regaining some semnce of forced calm, I checked over my gear, noting that the boss of my shield was dented a little from my encounter, before rejoining mypanions. The donkey looked forlornly at me as Kidu continued with his messy work while Elwin was searching the clearing for something. I patted Patches¡¯ head affectionately and fed her a carrot from the bag. She disyed her great appreciation by braying loudly. ¡°Got some!¡± Elwin shouted, which caused Kidu to pause for a moment from his butchery. Wending my way over to Elwin, I looked to where the Rogue was enthusiastically pointing. Near where the Kari had been basking were several clumps of silvery-blue moss. ¡°Moon Moss, and a lot of it! We¡¯ve got Hell¡¯s own luck, we do!¡± Elwin shouted, his voice going up by an octave, as he began scraping it off the bark of a fallen tree. I joined him in hisbor and together we stripped off as much of the visible moss as possible. Even though my hands were covered with the thick leather of my gloves, I could feel a tingle every time I gathered up the strange nt. It was a strange sensation, though not particrly unpleasant, and I guessed that this was probably due to the moss being magical in nature. Perhaps the moss was the very reason that the Kari had chosen this clearing for part of its territory? Butchering the creature and gathering up all the moss from the clearing took the better part of an hour and a half. I contributed by patrolling the clearing and encountered a trio of jackal-like creatures who were drawn to the scent of freshly spilled blood. Their fur was a dull brown with soft gray spots that broke up their outline. Close to our recent kill, their tongues lolled in anticipation and hunger and they barked a warning at me. Leaving my visor raised, I did not break eye contact and cast Entropic Aura. The invisible dark waves of the spell flowed over and through the beasts. Sensing that something was amiss, the trio quickly whined and yelped. They soon turned tail and fled towards the depths of the forest. Sighing in mild disappointment, I brought the dark energies back inwards and ended the spell. Returning to mypanions, I saw that they had reduced the Kari to bloody chunks of meat, bone, ws, teeth, and hide, all of which were neatly stacked into piles. Despite having eaten earlier in the day, the smell of cooking meat on an open fire caused my stomach to rumble with hunger. Elwin was cooking threerge chunks of meat on the open me and asionally adding salt and spices. I sat down next to mypanions and waited for the meat to finish cooking while Kidu finished off hisst few chores. In good time, the meat was cooked to perfection and tasted like a mix of beef and chicken. It was grilled beautifully on the outside and seasoned well with hot spices, adding a delightful kick to the meal. Mypanions all tore into the delicious meat, not caring much for table manners out here in the wilderness. ¡°Kari makes for good eating,¡± Kidu stated bluntly which drew augh from Elwin and me. ¡°I must say, however, well-fought everyone! To more victories toe,¡± I said as I raised my canteen in cheer, washing out thest taste of Kari from my palette. The toast was taken as a signal to move and mypanions started to break camp. Leaving behind the offal to rot in the clearing, they loaded up a worried-looking Patches with the spoils of ourtest encounter. Kidu once again led the van of our formation, and in my estimation, he was leading us in the direction of the river that we had crossed in our hurried escape from the mines. Sneaking back a look at the clearing, I saw the earlier trio of jackal-like creatures barking with glee and tearing into the offal, bones, and other parts of the Kari that we had no use for. On a whim, I silently cast Identify on one of the scavengers. I believed that the spellpleted a little faster despite my heavy armor. Spotted Uakari - (Lesser Canid lvl.7) Health 73/80 Stamina 30/35 Mana 4/4 I viewed the canids as little threat to my party despite Patches¡¯ braying in anger at the small creatures. Pulling the donkey by the harness, I finally convinced the stubborn creature to continue by feeding her another carrot, which she chomped on angrily, narrowly missing one of my fingers. We were following a beast trail now, the forest growing steadily darker as less and less sunlight filtered down through the higher branches of the canopy. Strange gliding lizards flitted from branch to branch above us, gulping down colorful buzzing insects. As we marched along the forest floor, Elwin donned a small iron pot helm from one of Patches¡¯ bags. He tightened the leather straps around his chin as he looked cautiously above, almost tripping on a tree root as he did so. After an indeterminable amount of time in the eternal gloom of the Sainba, we came across a recently fallen giant of a tree blocking the trail. The leaves of its branches were still green and only half of its roots had been uprooted, creating a split down its otherwise solid trunk. Kidu ushered for us to check its upturned roots, remembering the alchemist¡¯s instructions, and sure enough, exposed to the air were growths of hairy mushrooms that resembled a broom¡¯s head. Holding pieces of cloth to their mouths, Elwin and Kidu began harvesting the fungi. They quickly stuffed all the mushrooms within arm¡¯s length into their bags, while Kidu was yfully mocking Elwin for beingzy. I told them that we would need to leave some space in our collective packs for River Root and Lurker hide so they hurriedly finished their gathering. Once more, we made our way around a fallen behemoth of a tree and off in the direction, ording to Kidu, of the river. Our party continued to make good progress through the depths of the Sainba, but eventually, Elwin began to g and called out to us. ¡°Enough! We shouldn¡¯t go on anymore. By my reckoning, it will be nightfall soon and we should find a ce to make camp,¡± the Rogue eximed, hands on his knees in exhaustion. Kidu snapped from his reverie, as going through the forest had an almost meditative effect on him, acknowledged Tucker¡¯s suggestion and led us off the trail. I had more than enough energy to go on, but not enough mental energy to argue. Shrugging internally, I followed the Hunter. One foot forward, then the next, brushing away any vegetation, scanning for threats, all done almost without a thought. My behavior was now an ingrained subconscious repetition. Eventually, the Hunter led us to yet another giant, this time the venerable colossus of a tree was surrounded by growths of one of my favorite nts. Snap-Honey nts ringed the tree, growing along its trunk and sprawling over its exposed roots like Venusian jade sentinels. This variant of the carnivorous nt had pink maws that were lined with sharp spiky yellow ¡®teeth¡¯. A dark maw opened at the base of the tree¡¯s trunk, hollow and promising shelter for the night. Kidu didn¡¯t even bother with his earlier trick of triggering the biting heads by throwing a small stone at them. He merely waded in among them, his spear hewing away at the nts and leaving behind a clear path for us to follow. asionally a Snap-Honey would weave its way through his guard of shing steel only to bite ineffectively against his armor. As soon as a nt headtched onto him, he swiftly tore it off, hardly missing a beat. We followed in his impressive wake of destruction until we made it to the tree¡¯s hollow. It took a little persuasion to make our donkey enter the hollow of the tree, but once I soothed her with some sweet reassurances she willingly went inside. Once inside, having torn off the spiky ¡®teeth¡¯, I fed my faithful beast a whole Snap-Honey head. Immediately mypanions began to make camp, with Elwin collecting the fallen Snap-Honey heads and Kidu gathering up fallen dry branches. Somewhere along the way, the Rogue must have acquired some flint. He struck one of his knives against a dark gray stone to start a fire. Once the merry ze had been started, Elwin and I took off Patches¡¯ saddlebags and brushed her down, which she thoroughly enjoyed. Kidu was sprinkling salt on some Kari flesh, wrapping the meat in the heads of the Snap-Honey before cing them on the open mes. The mes caused the nt heads to shrivel and cling closely to the meat, and a pungent, heady aromatic smoke filled the air. My mouth began to water in anticipation of the evening¡¯s meal. Soon enough, the darkness grew as we sat around the solitary fire, which was causing dancing orange and red mes to throw strange shadows into the forest. Patches, in a moment of impressive intelligence that surprised us all, went out of the tree''s hollow, and away from our campfire, to relieve herself. To all of our amusement, she gave us a ¡®look¡¯ before returning to the safety of the hollow of the giant tree. ¡°You know what? That¡¯s one impressive donkey,¡± jibed Elwin, clearly amused. ¡°The trained beasts of my n do simr,¡± said Kidu trying to not look impressed, fondness nheless entering his voice. ¡°She is great! I wonder if my magic did more than just heal her?¡± I asked of my group, which just drew a few nomittal ignorant shrugs. ¡°Ahh, anyways, I think our meal is ready! Aha, dinner is served!¡± eximed Elwin as he pulled a delicious parcel delicately out of the fire and began blowing on it to cool it down. Kidu used a stick to stab through a parcel of salted Kari meat wrapped in Snap-Honey head and waited for it to cool naturally. I followed suit and, after a short while, judging that my meal was cool enough, I bit into it. An orchestrated explosion of vor filled my mouth. The lizard meat was salted to perfection and the added sweetness of the Snap-Honey enhanced all of the vors. Taking off my gloves, I gobbled up the rest of my portion and greedily began on seconds, savoring the honey aftertaste. Once I had finished, I washed my hands with some water. Kidu had promised that we would make the river tomorrow, so saving water was of little concern to us. Mypanions went about their tasks for the night, checking their equipment and gathering firewood and a dozen other chores that camping required. Sure that I would be of little assistance, I did not offer them help. Instead, I volunteered for the first and second watch. Once they had finished, we talked of matters of little import. Soon enough, Kidu and Elwin, exhausted after the day''s exertions, retired for the evening. At the start of my watch, I cast the dark spell Drain on a giant of a tree at the edge of my magic¡¯s range. I did this to keep my senses keen, the strengthened spell siphoning energy quicker than before. Alone with my thoughts and the pleasant sensation of my magic, I focused on filtering out the voices that promised unspeakable things. Not the sign of madness, not quite, were the voices. Or maybe they were, but I had grown so used to them that I no longer recognized the stain of insanity. Still, if madness was the price of survival, and with it greater power, then it was a price that I would dly pay. Arraying my thoughts like soldiers before a march, I had a chance to truly think about my next move as darkness stole over the Sainba forest. As I grew in power, so too did I grow in the agency of my choices. The quest messages still puzzled and worried me. Was it a measure of some divine will that drove them, that provided structure to my experience? Or were the messages like the part of a game where the wagers were paid in blood and pain? Or, was it my own will and actions that influenced the quests? My mind continued to ponder these thoughts long into the night, going around and around in convoluted abstract circles. My mind settled on the memory of the woman who was connected to Jongshoi, my first human kill in thisnd. I concluded from her age that she was probably his now bereaved mother. What possible vengeance was the harpy nning? A touch on my shoulder broke me out of these thoughts, Elwin¡¯s mischievous smile snapping me back to the here and now. Gratefully. I unrolled my bedroll and, still in the protection of my armor, rested for the night. Book 2: Chapter 3: Preparation Book 2: Chapter 3: Preparation In the realm of the sword, where life and death dance upon the edge of a de, hesitation is the birthce of failure. The path of the sword demands swift action, for in the heat of battle, a single moment''s pause can be the difference between victory and demise. Just as water flows unhindered, so must the warrior''s mind be unshackled from the chains of doubt. As the sword moves effortlessly through the air, the spirit must mirror this fluidity. In this way, sess can be attained through harmony between body and spirit, for when these two elements be one, the warrior has attained the Living Sword. - The Living Sword by Fen Vaigorus circa 520 AC. I awoke well before the darkness of the night gave way to the simply dark grays of the cool forest morning. What little light that filtered through the branches was a poor facsimile for true daylight. Kidu and Elwin had already started to break camp as I awoke from my bedroll. My body, as I got up, was initially stiff due to sleeping in an ufortable position in full battle dress. ¡°Morning there, sleepyhead,¡± chirped Elwin. His morning energy grated a little against my nerves. It was far too early in the day for me to fake the usual pleasantries. Looking at him through sleepy eyes and unkempt hair, I grunted before mumbling a semnce of good morning to both members of my party. Kidu was already seeing to Patches, checking various straps and feeding her from a bag full of grain and oats supplemented with slightly shriveled heads of Snap-Honey. ¡°We will make quick progress today I think. Ah, what a boon you are! This creature is most useful,¡± Kidu eximed, ruffling Patches¡¯ mane causing her to bray in affection. ¡°Yes, I was fortunate to find her when I did. With her to carry our things we should be able to travel a little faster. And, the quicker we travel, the quicker we collect the River Root and Lurker hide the faster we can return and collect our due coin,¡± I replied, slowly getting up to my feet. Elwin then resignedly saw to my bedroll. ¡°Right noisyd you are, mumbling all the time you were asleep, you know,¡± stated Elwin as he finished packing my bedroll. Once done, he loaded it up onto Patches, alongside the rolled-up heavy hide of the Kari. I took a swill of some water and began to eat some Laur-jerky, feeling inexplicably manlier as I chewed on the tough, dry meat. It was easy going as we moved from the campsite along the path carved out the previous night by Kidu¡¯s shing spear. I was fully refreshed, so I found the going easier, with my armor feeling morefortable about my frame. Also, just as Kidu predicted, we made good time through the trees. Eventually, the giants gave way to normal-sized trees and, as daylight filtered down ever stronger, the sound of running water could be heard in the distance. Unconsciously, mypanions and I picked up our pace, eager to finish off our mission in the great forest. In due course, we sighted the rapidly flowing river and we began to be more cautious now in our approach as we neared the possible location of the River Root and Lurkers. The Hunter tested the wind and then crouched low while he made his way through the undergrowth, after signaling for us to stop. A slight breeze was blowing in my face and, squinting my eyes, I could just make out what looked like a collection of wide, almost unmoving, leafy green tes on the surface of the swift water. My interest was piqued and I hissed to mypanions in a quiet voice, ¡°That the River Root we seek?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± they both said at almost the same time, giving each other a look before Elwin allowed Kidu to exin, ¡°That is the River Root, but we must harvest the roots at the bottom of the river. The river runs quickly but, luckily, it is shallow here, I am sure. Also, look there,¡± said the Hunter, pointing at what looked like logs in the water along the shore, before continuing, ¡°A bask of young male River Lurkers have made this their gathering. We are lucky that a grandfather of the water is not with them.¡± Just then, one of the ¡°logs¡± opened its mouth in a great yawn, disying a shocking array of yellowed sharp teeth. Elwin visibly paled at the sight and he nervously adjusted the strap to his cheap pot helm. Intrigued, I decided to cast an Identify at the logs, hoping to gauge a measure of our uing challenge. River Lurker - (Lizard lvl.8) Health 146/148 Stamina 42/44 Mana 3/3 I surmised that the creatures before me were reasonably tough and strong, from their corresponding Health and Stamina. Predictably, being reptilian, their abysmally low Mana was a good indication that they were of a lesser intellect. Idly, I wondered if and when my Identify spell would improve. ¡°How should we go about this business?¡± I asked them as I searched their faces for their reactions, trying to hide a smile as confidence filled me. ¡°We need to fight the gathering one at a time, or at least in smaller groups. It would be a quick death if we fight them in the water. We must lure them out and fight them deeper onnd. My bow should lead the way¡±, offered Kidu. I looked to Elwin in case he had anything to add. The Rogue just flippantly shrugged his shoulders andmented, ¡°We¡¯vee this far, the loons that we are, sure why not? Let¡¯s go stir up a gathering of River Lurkers, run around and have the big man shoot at them.¡± Looking at mypanions in turn, I tapped into a little of my newfound bravery. Our victory against the Kari buoyed my confidence and lent authority to my voice as I outlined our objectives, ¡°To gather the River Root we will need to kill all of the River Lurkers within the vicinity. We will lure them one or two at a time, with Kidu¡¯s bow,¡± this drew a grunt of approval from the wildman before I continued, ¡°into the range of my magic. Then I will do my best to weaken them as much as possible before we finish them up close. Once engaged in the melee, l will try to keep their attention, and while they are focused on me, the pair of you will attack their nks.¡± Elwin looked nervous before he questioned my n, ¡°And what happens if we draw more than one of their numbers? Like the whole bloody gathering of hungry monsters!?¡±, he said, with a certain shrill tone entering his voice. ¡°Then we run into the forest. The undergrowth will slow them down, and if the white windse then we climb the trees,¡± answered the big man, with notes of amusement winding their way through his delivery. I ced a hand on Elwin¡¯s shoulder, seeking to add a measure offort and stiffen the Rogue¡¯s backbone a little. ¡°We will decide upon a rallying point in case we are forced to retreat. Have no fear, Mr. Tucker. We havee so far, and just think of the rewards when we finish this simple job.¡±, I added, and the worry lines on his face faded a little. His concerns were temporarily assuaged. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. Came this far already. Just a few big lizards between me and a delicious warm meal, a warm bed, and perhaps a warm woman¡±, he said, trying to convince himself, as he bowed to our peer pressure before concluding, ¡°I am still a little beat from all of this marching about the woods, I would suggest a little rest before we take on these monsters.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more.¡± I nodded to him as I removed my hand from his shoulder but not before giving it a quick squeeze of reassurance. Elwin¡¯s consistent cowardice was slowly growing irksome. In good time, we cut ourselves another path to a small clearing and then prepared the ground for tomorrow, scaring and intimidating the local wildlife. Kidu dug simple pitfalls in ces, lining the bottom with sharpened stakes. I was constantly scanning the undergrowth for potential enemies, as my nerves were strung tight. Elwin was drafted to assist Kidu, constantlyining that he would prefer to be on watch. With almost military precision, mypanions set up camp for the night, almost silent in their preparation, only exchanging words when absolutely necessary. Feeling a little useless, I patrolled a good distance around our chosen campsite with my hand on the haft of my weapon as twilight stole over the forest. I returned once they had set up a good-sized fire, its ze providing true warmth and light as night proper imed the forest. In time, the daytime calls and song were reced by the evening sounds of the forest. We gathered around the fire to confirm and discuss our ns for the next day. Our rallying point was to be arge tree, perhaps two hundred yards from the bank of the river, with easily climbable branches. It would be easy to notice, as we had made a great many shes about its trunk. The trees and undergrowth leading up to it, too, were shed with our weapons, to be our guideposts in case of an ignominious retreat. Once again, I volunteered for the first two watches, as I wanted to be alone with my thoughts, and to be honest I wanted the chance to experiment. My mind turned to the ridiculous situation that I found myself in. I had returned to the city where I had been enved, only to join a guild of Adventurers to get a measure of protection. Now I sought to earn a living bypleting difficult and dangerous requests. A powerful noblewoman of the city was also somewhere out there, nning my demise, as was the way of the rich and the powerful. Looking at my predicament somewhat objectively, I had to fight fromughing in hysteria. The old me would have simplycked the imagination toe up with such a ridiculous scenario, which was a far cry from myfortable and safe old life. What surprised me were my own reserves of mental strength that came from oveing adversity. The me of yesterday would have been wallowing in self-pity and ineffectually railing against the injustices of the world. In this rough and visceral world, I had to y the hand which I had been dealt. Perhaps it was this element of true struggle that had been missing from modern life - the razor path at the edge of the abyss that made everything more precious. I found that my life here, despite all the dangers and pain, was growing more real to me than the world I had left behind. These thoughts of the past spurred me to try and enter the meditative state that I had gained during my initial incarceration in Ansan. I was shocked as I found that memories of my past life, my past world, had grown distant. Details that were once so clear were still present, somewhere, but for the moment out of reach of my questing mind. Something smothered the shock of the discovery, a state of forgetfulness akin to eptance. That world was a faraway ce across the infinite reach of space and time. I would find no further gains in power from the memories of my previous life. My mind was brought jarringly to the present and I noticed that our campfire had dimmed a little. I quickly added some more fuel to the fire before settling down again to my watch. I experimented with the Drain spell against what I thought of as a ¡®normal¡¯ tree, but the mana gained from the unsuspecting flora was a mere pittance against the cost of the spell so I quickly ended it. Like a faithful and eager hound, Entropic Aura came to the fore of my mind, begging to be used and unleashed, but I fought against the temptation. With nothing to do, and unsure of the passage of time, I patrolled around the clearing, making sure to stay in the range of the fire¡¯s light. I nearly panicked when a moth-like creaturended on my face, its ghost-white wings vanishing into the night as I swiped at my helm, hands nking against the visor. The creature settled on a nearby tree, its milky form contrasting with the darkness. In a sh of pettiness and annouyance, I threw two knives using the Double Throw skill, much more deftly than anticipated. One silvery de missed, thudding into the tree, while the other sliced the creature across its thorax before embedding in the wood. You have in ??? 1 experience gained. Barely worth the effort, I thought to myself, in greater annoyance, as I retrieved my knives and checked the des before cing them once more into their sheathes. Only a few more of those blighters to go before I reached my next level, I thought grimly, before Ipleted my circuit and returned to the camp proper. I sat at the fire before our donkey wandered over to my chosen spot and nuzzled my face, her equine eyes filled with affection. She settled down next to me, her body a barrier against the forest. Going through our general supplies, I found a sharpening stone and began the slow process of sharpening my knives. I found the uniform steady motions rxing as the built-up stress of my many adventures were dealt with, one stroke at a time, to reach a razor finish. In due course, the looming figure of Kidu gruffly relieved me of my watch, sending me off, back to my bedroll. Eager to restore my lost Mana, Health, and Stamina, I fell into a troubled sleep filled with dark skittering things and a world that was once mine. Book 2: Chapter 4: Culling Book 2: Chapter 4: Culling Trust is the benefit of the doubt, and not just mere reassurance born from unwavering repetition. - A Quassian Aphorism. Rosy-fingered dawn was just starting to climb the morning sky when I awoke once more to another day. As was my habit, I checked my Status or ¡®character sheet¡¯, pleased that after my rest I was in peak condition. A minor annoyance was the list of skills and spells that seemed to be growing ever longer. Was there a way to filter out any of the extraneous information that cluttered my mind¡¯s eye? I imagined that a sibnt raspy voice almost mouthed a reluctant ¡®yes¡¯ in assent in the far corners of my mind. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 6 Acolyte of Avaria Strength25 Dexterity20 Constitution37 Intelligence21 Wisdom18 Charisma12 Luck17 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.2) Power Strike (lvl.2) 10 Endure (lvl.3) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.2) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.2) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) Hammers (lvl.2) ils (lvl.2) Maces (lvl.2) Shields (lvl.1) Medium Armor (lvl.2) Heavy Armor (lvl.3) Axes (lvl.1) Daggers (lvl.2) Throwing Weapons (lvl.2) Double Throw (lvl.1) 5 SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) 5 Rust (lvl.3) 2 Identify (lvl.2) 1 Silent Casting (lvl.2) Mana Regeneration (lvl.2) Purify (lvl.2) 3 Greater Heal (lvl.1) 10 Holy Aura (lvl.1) 2 Decay (lvl.1) 1 Drain (lvl.4) 2 Entropic Aura (lvl.2) 2 GIFTS Curse of Entropy: -20% all starting attributes. Mark of the Pdin: 10% resistance to Dark/Holy magic, 5% resistance to Physical. Touch of the Void: 10% reduced resistance to Holy/Fire magic, 20% resistance to Mental Effects, 15% immunity to Mental Effects. Experience to next level 2613/3202 Health264/272 Stamina32/59 Mana10/15 I quickly dismissed this inner monologue, fearful that these thoughts may lead to even greater insanity. I looked across at mypanions, finding them industriously going about their business and readying themselves for theing conflict. Elwin was sharpening his knives, favoring the damask-etched de that we gained from the wholesale ughter of the charcoal burners. My other boonpanion Kidu was checking his arrows, looking for warps or wed fletching that would affect their flight. We cooked up a simple breakfast, a lightly salted meat stew that I consumed with gusto. Ever since my time as a ve, food now held new importance in my life. Poor as I had been, worrying about starving was an alien concept. The significance of food and what it represented had changed on an intrinsic level. How truly sheltered my old life was, I mused absent-mindedly. After breakfast, we continued with our preparations, seeing to the minutiae of maintenance of our arms and armor. I felt a growing pressure in the pit of my gut that demanded release and, recognizing it for what it was, I let it flow over and through me. It was anticipation mixed with trepidation, but they seemed like old friends now, their edges losing their sharpness when ground against raw experience. Our preparations nowplete, we headed off in the direction of the river bank, eager to aplish our mission. Every step through the forest to the river was apanied by a heightened tension that brought our senses into sharp focus. Eventually, we could hear once more the sound of vigorously running water, but threaded through the sounds were new notes. The wind softly whispered a sensation of danger, the hissing of ferocious reptile creatures driven to the heights of frenzy. Kidu signaled to us that we should move slower as we crept up to the edge of the trees and observed the scene before us. What bloomed before my eyes could truly be called a festival of bestial violence. Deep hisses of challenge ringed in the air as River Lurkers squabbled with each other over an animal they had recently brought down, which was now an unidentifiablerge mound of meat, bone, and offal. The familiar smell of copper and iron tinged the air - the scent of freshly spilled blood. Some of the creatures had wounded each other over the promise of warm meat, and great rents were torn into their thick scaly hides. Out of the water, the creatures themselves reminded me of alligators orrge crocodiles from Earth. Only, these specimens were more heavily armored with bony protrusions and small spikes running along their scaled hides. They had three pairs of stumpy muscr legs that had a surprisingly fast cadence, allowing them a good amount of speed onnd. Their snouts, too, were shorter than an alligator¡¯s, and filled with sharp serrated teeth that promised death. Their wed feet were webbed in the manner of aquatic creatures. The academic in me admired such a clear example of convergent evolution. Theorizing about killing these monsters was one thing, but witnessing them up close as they tore into bloody flesh made the whole thing seem an altogether different prospect. However, the Lurkers, preupied with what appeared to be a fresh kill, could prove advantageous. With these thoughts swirling in my mind, I turned to Kidu, my eyes seeking guidance. ¡°The feeding frenzy is upon them, thankfully we are downwind of the gathering. We should wait till they are sated, with fortune¡¯s favor they will be in a stupor,¡± advised the man from the North, his steady rumbling voice lending a wee assurance. ¡°Nothing has changed, except that we need to wait a little while. Let us retreat a little and pray that the wind does not change,¡± I concluded, looking at each of mypanions in turn, and silenced the Rogue¡¯s protestations with stern a look. Elwin rolled his eyes before falling in line, muttering something under his breath, as my group retreated a bit further into the trees. I noticed that Patches was trembling, but she wasn¡¯t giving in to her fear. Most donkeys at this point would have likely fled in such proximity to the monstrouslyrge crocodilian analogs. A truly noble beast, I thought to myself as we staked her down deep within the tree line. We waited until the sun dipped a little lower into the sky, and until the river monsters calmed down from their fric activities. Slowly, we crept up on them from our hiding ce in the trees, as stealthily as our armor allowed. I looked to Elwin, then nodded to Kidu to begin. Gripping three arrows between the fingers of his bow hand, the massive man drew and let loose, in rapid session, at the gathering of River Lurkers. The arrows flew steady and true, finding their way through the scaled throats and soft eyes of the lizards. Such was the force of the arrows that the smaller specimens were flipped over, their six legs iling for a few seconds before death finally imed them. The other creatures raised their heads, mouths opened and hissing threats, unsure from where death hade. I knew that the Commanche of old Earth could achieve simr feats, but Kidu aplished all of this using a longbow, at full draw, making the disy all the more heroic. Kidu let loose another arrow, then another, and another. Six beasts had been in or mortally wounded by the master Hunter in short order before, finally, their cold lizard brains determined the source of the attack. They started to charge us then, the smaller juveniles, putting out a burst of unexpected speed. Therger River Lurkers stirred themselves from the banks of the river and joined in the assault. Still, my group had nned for this. We slowly retreated back towards the treeline, Kidu shooting all the while and losing none of his precision despite the pressure of the approaching scaled menaces. I unleashed my Entropic Aura now, holding nothing back. This forced them to almost stop in their tracks, and they started to circle us in the manner of wolves. The beasts seemed afraid to enter the radius of my dark energy as if instinctively sensing the horror within. Another shaft buried itself through the neck of a River Lurker, which was like a signal to push them to breach the circle of my entropic defenses. Knowing full well now the range of my spells, I hurriedly cast Drain, my mind doing the necessary mental acrobatics as I channeled the dark energies. The voices sang with glee and satisfaction as the tendrils of the deepest shadow attached themselves to several of the creatures. Raw life energy filled me with ecstasy, singing an empowering duet with the adrenaline that roared through my system. My mind narrowed in focus, wanting to unleash violence against the creatures and I was more than willing to oblige. Filled with a feeling of invincibility, I mmed my visor down and charged the remaining animals, half a dozen or so, trusting in mypanions to cover my blind spots. One of the creatures jumped to meet my charge. I met its leap with my kite shield, angling it slightly and bracing myself. Instead of being tackled to the ground I was, instead, able to redirect the Lurker¡¯s trajectory, and the crocodilian rolled off of my shield. Another creature, seeing an opening, bit into my shin and calf. I could feel the metal of my armor straining against the steadily increasing force of the bite, but still it held. Irritated, I looked down and smashed the end of my weapon¡¯s haft against its cranium, braining the creature with the nges. The ball of the il mmed harmlessly against the ground, causing clods of the soft earth to explode. How I had grown, I thought to myself, in the eye of the storm, smiling wryly in my heavy helm. I had grown powerful. I kicked another River Lurker, trusting in my armor to provide protection against tooth and w. My strike momentarily stunned the beast, but another Lurker took the opportunity tounch itself at me. The heavy impact made me crash down to the floor as the reptilian beast snapped at my face, with its ws raking at my armor. Panic started to fill me as I manically tried to brain the creature with the butt of my mace, but Icked the leverage to inflict significant damage. A sh of adrenalin-fuelled inspiration hit me, guiding me to let go of my primary weapon, and I quickly drew the dagger at my waist. The River Lurker bit into the edge of my shield and I stabbed out with my de, infusing my attack with the skill Power Strike. The wavy de struck into the reptile¡¯s eye in an explosion of viscera, putting the animal out of its misery. With a great effort, I shrugged the still-twitching corpse off me and rose to my feet. Sheathing my parrying dagger and picking up my il, I realized that I was relying too much on brute physical force. I was more than just a simple fighter. Entropic energies continued to pulse from me and cold rage filled my heart. I felt detached now from the fight and I took a moment to steal a nce at my surroundings, searching for mypanions. Of Elwin, there was no sign, but Kidu was fighting a half circle of Lurkers, keeping them at bay with long spinning circr strikes from his shing spear. I pushed the dark threads of the Drain spell outward to my enemies, the voices rising in delight. The dark lines of power were thicker now and hungrilytched onto the monsters, flowing from one raving Lurker to another. My spell had grown in dread power and apparently it had gained the ability to attach to several life sources in close proximity at once. Pleasure filled me, headier than any drug, and the desire to keep on killing guided my steps as I rushed to help mypanion. I could feel my Health, Stamina, and Mana refilling as the creatures in front of me grew weaker. The rush of pleasure was tempered somewhat by my newfound and cold detachment, and a shard of worry filled me as I still could not find Elwin. An errant thought stained with paranoia entered my mind, was the wiry Rogue nning betrayal after all? I quickly shrugged off this thought, feeling that it was caused by an external dark influence - a product of the voices that I harbored in the depths of my mind. A few momentster the Rogue plunged down from a tree, stabbing downwards with his twin daggers. Like a falling shadow, he stabbed into the eyes of a reptile that had snuck up behind Kidu. The man was a fleeting wisp as he weaved among the cold-blooded animals, striking at their unprotected nks and vital points when he could. I sighed internally with relief, there would be no dagger in the back today. I began toy into the River Lurkers, my il spinning in deadly arcs as it impacted again and again into flesh and bone in an explosion of hard scales. Between the three of us, we quickly made short work of the remaining creatures of the group we had drawn out. I lifted my visor, drew a deep breath, and looked across at my party. They had not suffered any serious wounds, though Elwin was sporting a bright red cut across his left cheek. Kidu had barely broken a sweat, such was his prowess against the simple creatures. However, at a very rough guess, this was but one-third of their total number. Truly, this looked like it was going to be a bit of a grind. ¡°A good warming exercise,¡± snorted Kidu, as he checked over his spear and bow, his eyes roving for any recent battle damage. Elwin simply rolled his eyes at Kidu¡¯s bravado, before adding in a snide voice, ¡°Well at least I¡¯m not dead, though I don¡¯t fancy doing this many times on the regr.¡± He sniggered a little, as he retrieved one of his throwing daggers from a still corpse. I could not help but smile as the notification messages filled my inner vision. Our little battle with the local wildlife had been rather rewarding. You have in six River Lurkers 65 experience gained You have gained 1 Strength You have learned Daggers (lvl.3) You have learned Stealth (lvl.2) Experience to next level 2678/3202 Health254/272 Stamina28/60 Mana12/13 The gain in experience was obviously limited due to mypanions stealing precious experience from me in battle. I crushed that selfish thought as quickly as it came, as no doubt the task would have been exponentially more difficult without my fellows. The gain in Strength had boosted my Health and Stamina by only a mere fraction, but it was still a wee gain. I almost panicked again when I saw that my maximum Mana had fallen by two points before I realized that it was due to my Entropic Aura still being up. Our little skirmish now finished, I quickly reined in the magic. I left mypanions to butcher the corpses, leaving the lion¡¯s share of the meat to the scavengers. The Lurker hides we loaded up onto our donkey, before we all settled down to catch our breath and rest for a while. My gear had suffered a little damage with a few weakened links in my chain mail, but I felt my equipment was still battle-worthy. Employing the same tactics, in smaller groups this time, we drew out more of the creatures, whittling away at their numbers until there were none left. Now, all that remained was for us to harvest the River Root andplete our task for the Adventurer¡¯s guild. Book 2: Chapter 5: Experiments Book 2: Chapter 5: Experiments The Contest of Saints is held every ten years in the exotic city of Al-Lazar. It is a great martial tournament where warriors from all over thend vie with each other to prove that they stand among the strongest in the world, to fight for the title of the Saint. No weapons are allowed in this most holy ofpetitions. The contestants, or pilgrims, fight to the death. Or until they yield. To walk on the sacred red marble of the temple¡¯s arena is a holy offering to the gods. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. Overall, I judged that we had made a good showing. However, there was one hairy moment when one of the River Lurkers made a beeline for Patches and wounded our beast before we were able to hurriedly put it down. I was forced to use a Heal to stem the flow of blood from the Donkey¡¯s haunches. Thankfully, apart from this, the culling of the river creatures passed mostly uneventfully. It was more a test of mental and physical endurance, as opposed to a trial that sorely tested us, and we didn¡¯t even need to make use of our hastily prepared traps. We had be so efficient that we even ended thest few groups well before the tree line, with Kidu¡¯s bow inflicting a bloody toll on their numbers. Thanks to our efforts in reducing the local Lurker poption, I was able to gain another two hundred and fifteen additional Experience points, which pushed me ever closer to my next level. I had even gained a single point in both Constitution and Dexterity, though none of my skills had gained a point naturally, which was a little disappointing. We butchered the River Lurkers as quickly as we could. I even helped a little, as we were pressed for time. Surely, soon, the smell of blood would attractrger and more dangerous predators. We had far exceeded our quota of three hides and we were forced to discard the lion¡¯s share of the meat and the more damaged hides in a hastily dug pit. I could only hope that we would be able to sell the extra hides somewhere in the city. However, Elwin seemed to be more excited at the prospect of having some new shoes made from the hides, no doubt to be used as a conversational point to impress. Not wanting to get my equipment wet, or for that matter, drown, I unequipped my heavy arms and armor which had grown slick with blood and gore. Elwin and I waded into the cool, fast-flowing water, keeping an eye out for other threats. Kidu stood as a sentinel along the bank, with a serpent-swift arrow nocked to his yew longbow. The remaining juvenile River Lurkers had long fled, as even their reptilian brains could understand the threat that my group presented. As instructed by Kidu, we felt our way down along the long stems of the River Root that anchored the nts to the bottom of the river. Then, with a sharp tug, as close to the base of the stem as possible, we harvested the herb, swiftly and methodically. My efforts even rewarded me with a new useless skill, a nominal amount of experience, and a much-weed attribute point. 5 experience gained You have gained 1 Wisdom You have learned Herbalism (lvl.1) I didn''t much see myself as a picker of herbs and flowers, but the gain in Wisdom was definitely useful, as I knew that the attribute affected my overall Mana. How it affected my actual thought process, however, was still a mystery to me. I definitely didn¡¯t feel much wiser. Besides, how exactly was Wisdom measured? I shut down these thoughts as we hurriedly moved from the river. Such was our rush that we did not even take the time to wring out our clothes, let alone see to our armor. Elwin and I simply piled our gear onto Patches, which drew an annoyed bray from the beast. I fed the donkey a carrot, which seemed to mollify her somewhat, but she still looked at me in what I construed as equine indignation. Once Kidu had judged that we were a suitable distance from the ughter, we began to make camp as the sun began to set. I staked out Patches and helped ce some Zajasite stones around the perimeter, extending the light of the campfire. We threw all pretense of stealth out of the window, deciding that it would serve us better to see our enemies if an attack came. The painted colors of a soft pastel sunset gave way to the grays of twilight as the sun sank beneath the horizon. In time, the deeper darkness of true night imed the sky. Therge silvery moon shone from the heavens with a myriad of stars aspanions, and my party saw to the minutiae of our outdoor camp. Most pressing for us was stretching out the lizard hides before they curled and warped. I had no skill in these matters so I donned my armor once more and offered to patrol around the camp. Alone, I wandered around the camp, visor up, to take in as much as I could. Guard duty allowed me to have a little time with my thoughts. asionally I would toss a knife into a tree trunk. With every practice throw, I would picture an enemy¡¯s face, as some sort of punctuation to my patrol. What were my goals? For the time being, I needed to get stronger in all senses of the word and needed to move out of Ansan to explore the greater world. I needed to know more of the powers that moved this world, especially of the goddess and the great primal force of Entropy. Comparing my current health points to what they were when I had arrived here, It was clear to see how significantly stronger I had grown. This led me to think of all of my fights thus far, which in turn brought me back to my encounter with the elves. I shivered as the horrible memories rose to the fore of my mind. Perhaps I had not grown so powerful after all. Shuddering, I swiftly shifted my attention to something closer to the present. If possible, I would see about hiring our group out to one of the many caravans that braved the trade routes. But in what direction? Choices, upon choices upon choices. Decisions that were not true decisions at all. I felt that something, or somethings, were pulling at me to go in a different direction, to do a different thing. And of my choices, the most extreme were those when I had been forced to kill. I had killed, many times now, and not only monsters. To be absolutely honest with myself, I would probably kill them all over again without a second thought. After all, their deaths gifted me with experience points. Killing hade to me easily, and bearing the cost, it seems, was not to be too great a burden. Also, I had lost one of the first few friends I had made in this new world during our bid for freedom. I had expected a wave of guilt and sadness to hit me at the regurgitated memory, but strangely I felt almost nothing - a strange sort of emptiness, now that every day was no longer simply a struggle to survive. For better or worse, whatever changes were taking in ce in me - Stout Durhit the dwarf would not be forgotten. I truly began to understand that things such as guilt, remorse, and other modern sensibilities would only be yet another handicap for me here. Only the privileged and those with advantages could afford to enjoy such luxuries. It was probably at this junction in my adventures that, in my deepest heart, the first seeds of my burgeoning desire for power took root. For with greater power came greater freedom to do whatever I wished in this brand-new world. But with freedom came something else. These days, I felt more that I was without direction, but this also meant I was, for the first time in my life, truly free. It was ironic that it actually took a fantasy world to move me from my otherwise mediocre and railroaded life. The mes of rebellion stirred, my destiny would not be shackled by the divine. Neither the terrible goddess Avaria nor the void beast Entropy would reduce me to being a ve again. A wafting smell caught my attention and interrupted my thoughts. There was a delicious aroma that brought to mind the scent of cedar wood spit-roasted chicken. The inviting notes yed about in the evening air, drawing me back, a willing captive, to the campfire to investigate. We sat down to enjoy our simple meal and passed the time inpanionable silence. The silence was asionally broken by a great belch from Kidu who offered not a word of apology for hisck of table manners. The meal was vorful, and each chew brought a burst of vor that melted across my pte. The meat was reminiscent of something a little between chicken and beef, with some kick from the herbs and spices that Elwin had added. The onlyint I had was that our meal consisted only of lizard meat and tough traveler¡¯s bread. Some vegetables to round out the evening spread would have been most wee. Once we were finished, we discussed and reviewed our recent actions and the surprisingly ¡®easy¡¯ challenge of dealing with the quasi-alligators. We concluded that solid preparation and nning were still the keys to our sess. Even though in the end we didn¡¯t need to use them, we had no regrets that we had prepared a simple line of traps. After collecting our rewards from the Guild, we would find a caravan out of the city as soon as we could. There were also the Broomshead mushrooms that we had collected for the entric alchemist. Since we had collected a rather considerable number of them we could perhaps bargain for a little extra. Fighting the Kari and the River Lurkers hadpletely pushed the matter out of my mind. When it was time for me to continue my voluntary watch, I excused myself from mypanions. I patrolled the environs around our camp, just a little outside the blue Zajasite light at the perimeter. Alone with my thoughts, a memory rose, unbidden. A picture of a woman with golden trinkets in her hair filled the pit of my stomach with the beginnings of a new dread. We could not rely on our rtive anonymity to shield us for long. Wanting to keep myself upied to stop myself from going down these dark avenues of thought and to whittle away the time, I practiced my knife-throwing skills. In a stroke of luck or skill, I was even able to pin a small six-legged lizard to a tree with my daggers. One of the des had cut one of its rear limbs off cleanly and then embedded itself into the trunk of a tree. The other had pinned the reptile to the tree through its long meaty tail. The lizard had a long beautiful feathered crest, though I was unsure of its color due to the poor light. It was scrabbling furiously to get away, sensing that the source of its dread was approaching. I was about to put the poor thing out of its misery with another throw when a cruel sh of inspiration hit me. I smiled a dark smile as I closed in on the little creature, causing it to further its futile escape efforts. Reaching up, I firmly plucked the small wriggling thing from the tree. It hadpletely stopped moving now, deciding that ying dead was the best course of action. Unfooled by such a basic ploy, I twisted at the area where my knife had pinned the beast, almost snapping off its tail but making sure that it was still attached by a few threads of flesh and skin. The animal positively scrambled to get away, furiously trying to escape from my grasp, but I just squeezed harder, stifling its pathetic attempts. Warm energies flew through me, starting at my core, then flowing through my arms toward the struggling creature. My Heal spell went into the beast, and the warmth of the magic infused the small thing with curative energy. With the struggling reptile in hand, I walked back to one of the perimeter stones. I held up the animal to the Zajasite¡¯s light. Before my very eyes, under the blue magical light, the damage I had inflicted with my knife and indifferent cruelty had healed. The long tail had reattached itself and aligned correctly with the rest of the vertebrae. The blood flowing from what was left of its left rear limb was now staunched. Deciding to remove the tailpletely, I snapped the tail clean off with a sudden twist and threw the wriggling appendage into the bushes. The limits of my magic would require further testing, and the key to experimentation was repetition. The damn animal was bleeding on my gloves, a slow drip from its severed tail, and chirping in extreme panic and stress. It would have been kinder of me if I just snapped its neck there and then and ended its poor life. But I hardened my heart and prepared to continue my torturous experiments, casting another Heal. Using the divine energies to improve my knowledge of the world at the cost of extending another being¡¯s suffering felt wrong, and the spell rebelled against my will at first. Nheless, I focused my intent, and once again, the warm healing magic flowed into the creature, its pathetic chirps stilling a little as the arcane energies flowed through its body. Its new wound scabbed over, forming a scar, and new scales and skin grew over the severed nub of its tail. The whole thing fascinated me as I finally found a limit to my basic Heal spell. Though capable of restoring flesh, the spell could not regrow lost limbs. Curiosity warred with self-disgust and, after a few long moments, curiosity finally won out. I stuffed the struggling reptilian into a small leather bag, sealing it tightly with the raw-hide strips. The more powerful version of the spell, Greater Heal would require testing to see if it had simr limitations. I decided to wait until my Mana reached eleven or so points to avoid potential ¡®Mana sickness¡¯. Despite the effects of Mana sickness being far less debilitating, I thought it best not to push myself. There was the option to cast a Drain, but the trees here were mere shadows of the behemoths of the true Sainba forest and, most likely, had but a pittance of Mana in them. By my rough estimations, it would be a few more hours away, toward the end of my second watch, before I could cast Greater Heal. I did a few moreps around the camp as the soft moonlight painted the world in silvers and grays. There was no stealth to my step, and the sounds of my passing through the undergrowth were quite audible over the night sounds of the forest. The whole environment was alive, a stark contrast to my own life, which seemed such a long time ago. Was it months? Weeks? I had simply lost track, that world and its memories were growing distant and fading out of recollection. Trodding back, I woke up aining Elwin, who grumbled for grumbling¡¯s sake before taking up watch. Like a monkey, the lithe man climbed one of the trees, surveying the night scene as I made to rest - too uncaring to remove my armor. Perhaps it was the skill, or just my own adaptable mind, but I had long since lost the initial feeling of weight and clumsiness that my suit of steel and iron had imposed. Not quite a second skin, but unless I consciously thought about it, I hardly noticed the difference. This brought my mind to question the nature of Skills. Were they just a measure of skill? Or were they, in fact, a direct bonus that was added artificially? I would hazard a guess that it was thetter, but I was unwilling to spend one of my precious skill points on one of my more martial skills as an experiment. Also, what were the interactions between them? Like my Endure and Pain Nullification skill? My own, for instance, Silent Casting skill had a great unexpected synergy with Power Strike, allowing me to mimic the prowess of an experienced warrior. As I prepared for rest, these thoughts and more weighed heavily on me, even as I tried to ignore the struggling bundle at my side. Book 2: Chapter 6: Inspiration Book 2: Chapter 6: Inspiration The Gryphon, an esteemed creature native to the wilderness near Misery''s Reach''s mountainous terrain, has long been associated with the mountain tribes. These tribes, across generations, first tamed and ultimately domesticated these formidable beasts. Through the passage ofmerce, their presence has extended throughout the mortal realms, often taking residence in the menageries and stables of affluent nobles who possess the means to satiate their ravenous appetites. Though domesticated breeds are mere echoes of their untamed counterparts, they remain formidable, albeit temperamental, aerial steeds. - Monsters of the Mortal Realms by K. D. Fidditch. I woke up under the thick branches of the trees, rested and ready for a new day. Once again I had slept in full armor, which was beginning to be a habit. A part of me despaired at my slovenly behavior. Back on Earth, sleeping in the clothes I had worn during the day had gone against my modern sensibilities. Every day there would be a change of underclothes and clean socks, all at the press of a button. However, thatfortable and civilized life was, to all intents and purposes, a gxy away. This caused me to marvel at how well my mind had adapted to my strange circumstance. Compartmentalization was probably what had enabled me to retain my sanity. I would need to unpack all of these emotions and thoughts at ater date when we returned to some form of civilization. The familiar smell of meat cooking on the fire was in the cool morning air, causing my stomach to rumble in anticipation. The aroma was piquant. Elwin had probably used some of the sundry spices we had bought in Ansan. Slowly rising to my feet, I removed my gloves and hooked them to my belt. Patting my hands around my waist, I panicked a little as I noticed the leather pouch with the Kari hatchling I had captured the previous night was no longer on my person. For a few moments, I thought that mypanions had started to cook the poor thing for breakfast. Elwin cocked an eye at me at my predicament, a wry smile on his face as he cooked a few pieces of meat over our campfire. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kidu diligently maintaining his equipment. ¡°You was tossing and turning a bit in your sleep. Mumbling about some real odd stuff. Kidu thought you were having a religious visitation. I noticed the pouch moving at your side. You would have crushed it, too, with all your iling and moving about,¡± exined the Rogue, almost as if he was merelymenting about the weather. My night terrors and general iling must have been caused by my dark dreams. Bing so inured to their visitations, I barely noticed them anymore, and simply forgot their imparted messages upon waking. A part of me had simply epted them as an annoyance to be suffered, like the buzzing and bites of a bloodsucking mosquito. The Rogue''s exnation drew a grunt from Kidu as he sharpened his spear, but the taciturn man, choosing to not join in the one-sided exchange, never even looked up. Elwin, seeing that I was still at a loss, gestured to the tree I had slept against. ¡°Behind you, mate. You¡¯ll find your little pet still in the bag,¡± exined the Rogue, answering my unspoken inquiry and going back to his cooking. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± I murmured, half-groggily as I turned around, sleep still soaked into my bones. Slowly gathering myself, I muttered as I began checking my things. Looking into my bag, I checked to see if the healing potions I had bought from the entric alchemist were still alright. As my hands tested their seals, I was reminded of the Broomshead mushrooms I had collected for their maker. Hopefully, the collected fungi would help in some way to perhaps earning me a permanent discount at his store. Now that focus had finally won over thest dregs of sleep, I found myself standing fully upright and my thoughts grew steadily clearer. Looking to where the Rogue had indicated, I saw that my tied leather pouch was hanging from a low-lying tree branch. My experiment was still safe for the moment. Edging closer, I opened the bag and was greeted by a foul smell. The creature was alive, but it had defecated in the night. The smell of fecal matter and the pervading scent of animal fear overpowered the pleasant aroma of the meat cooking on the fire. Grimacing, I prepared to do what I had to do. All in the name of science. Focusing on the contents of the bag, I cast an Identify on the small lizard before reaching inside. Kari Hatchling - (Great Lizard lvl.2) Health 3/3 Stamina 3/4 Mana 1/1 Seeing the name of the creature, I had to restrain myself from crushing it there and then, unwilling to let such a creature grow into another dangerous monster. The adult Kari had been a most fearsome opponent. However, I needed to continue my experiment, so it would have a stay of execution, for now at least. Focusing on summoning the divine magic of Greater Heal, I began to harness power from within. Golden motes of light seemed to gather around me, drawn first to me before transferring in a slow trickle to the poor creature. A soft song of angels seemed to stir in the back of my mind but I refused to give it voice, focusing on performing the spell silently. Without the vocalponent, the spell seemed to take longer than usual toplete. The magic built up like water in a dam, before rushing out in a sudden deluge to infuse the lizard with raw healing. Before me, the scars on the small lizard¡¯s hide faded, and new scales formed in their ce. Miraculously, the nub of what was left of its severed leg grew out into a new limb as more and more energy was channeled into the baby monster. I knew that some reptiles could regenerate their limbs but what I was witnessing before me was on another level. It seemed that, in mere seconds, the feeble creature had been fully restored and was now positively glowing with vitality. In my wonder, I had let my guard down and loosened my grip on the reptile. The now vibrantly healthy creature, seeing an opening for an escape, suddenly shot out of my hand. Before I could even react, it had scuttled into the undergrowth. ¡°Well, can¡¯t say you¡¯re¡­ much loved by your pets,¡±mented Elwin in amusement, his mouth half-full of lizard meat. I sighed at this and sat down next to him. It was not like I needed the creature any longer, I justified to myself. Honestly, it was more the surprise than anything else that irritated me. ¡°Doesn¡¯t stop me from liking them,¡± I huffed in a weak retort, making an uncontested move to skewer a piece of meat with my knife. No longer fresh, the meat had grown a little tougher, but it was still vorful under Elwin¡¯s culinary ministrations. Not being a great chef, I could appreciate someone who can cook. Kidu, finished with the maintenance of his gear, came to join us and added some more chunks of meat. The pieces sizzled on the fire and added to the delicious aroma. ¡°So Kidu, old boy, whatcha you nning to do with the payout from this job?¡± Elwin asked of therge man. ¡°This skin of metal makes too much noise. Can¡¯t move as one with the wild,¡± reported Kidu, his voice gruff with his constant annoyance at the world in general. Far from his own home and in a strangend, I could not really me the big man. ¡°Perhaps we can ask Cillis to make some adjustments, some soft cloth here and there to soften the noise on movement?¡± I added, remembering my brief time at her shop. ¡°First name terms with thedy smith? You work fast. Married too,¡± insinuated Elwin, chuckling a little when he saw I had all but frozen in embarrassment. The human mind is a wonderful thing that constantly parses all sorts of mundane and esoteric data. A supeputer capable of changing and evolving. A true marvel of nature. My mind now was hit by what Elwin said. ¡®Work¡¯ and ¡®fast¡¯. Speed and experience. The connection between them had been an idea that my mind had been trying to analyze subconsciously for a long time. Triggered by Elwin¡¯s words, my thoughts went off on an unexpected tangent. Why did I gain Status, Skill, and experience points quickly initially before the rate rapidly started to drop off? Experience. I theorized that I needed to experience new and challenging things to benefit from maximum rates of growth. Sure, repetition could work in a fashion but there would be limits, a teau of sorts. This was a ssic mechanic of rapidly diminishing returns. When trying to gain more experience or improve Skills through the same, actions, the amount of experience gained and the chance of improving a Skill would be dramatically reduced. That was probably why I stopped gaining points when I was stuck behind bars. A shudder passed through me as I briefly relived the memory of that time. But then why did I gain a simr amount of experience when I killed something? A cold echo answered me. The logical conclusion was a silent judgment on my soul. Murder. Every life that I took was different. But were their lives even real in the first ce. More importantly, did I care? Then there was my rate of growth inparison to the denizens of this world who lived almost all their lives here¡­ My bleak thoughts on the nature of the world were, however, rewarded, and it confirmed to me that I was perhaps on the right track. You have gained 1 Wisdom I lost focus of the world around me. Guilt, and the ramifications of what this world was trying to make me do, were shaking me to the core. ¡°Hello, Gil! You there? Did you eat something funny? Or are you just remembering all of the fun times you had with the smith? I heard from Devon that she had quite the nice rack! By the Dark Lady, you can be a bit of a loon staring off into space all of the time!¡±ughed Elwin at my stunned silence which drew an annoyed look from the man mountain, Kidu. Realizing that I had been staring out into space for a long while, Iughed in awkward good humor. I replied to the wiry man, ¡°No my good man. I¡¯ve just been hit with a sh of inspiration!¡± ¡°That sounds a wee bit dangerous,ing from you. Will it involve us having to kill a few more local monsters that can chop us in half?¡± Elwin said in return, a hint of suspicionced in his voice. ¡°No, not at all,¡± I said, a new idea coalescing in my mind, ¡°Got a moment Kidu? I wish to test my Strength against you,¡± I finished with these magic words, perfectly designed to get the massive man¡¯s attention. Pausing in his current chore, he waited a long moment before answering my challenge. ¡°It would be an honor,¡± he rumbled like an avnche from the cold frozen north. Book 2: Chapter 7: The Test Book 2: Chapter 7: The Test For the schrs of Quas, the origins of Gryphons represent a challenge to one of their oft-touted and supposedly enlightened paradigms. What made the gods, or nature itself, create a creature with the body of a lion, and the head, wings, and beak of a great eagle? The very existence of Gryphonspletely overturns their theory that animals, not monsters, change across the millennia through a process called ¡®Nature¡¯s Crucible¡¯. It is an absurd theory where they posit that it is, in fact, a creature¡¯s environment that shapes them, changing them across the generations. Any learned man, or heaven forbid, even a woman, would know, of course, that the Gryphon is, in fact, not an animal at all, but a monster spawned from the twisted womb of Iasis. - Monsters of the Mortal Realms by K. D. Fidditch. ¡°I hope this proves entertaining,¡± Kidu said in his deep, heavy voice, eager for conflict. ¡°How about a friendly wrestling match? It would do neither of us any good if we were to injure each other here, were we to use weapons. Wrestling would be a purer test of strength,¡± I responded, hoping that he would agree to my suggestion. ¡°This is good and eptable. Good, too, that you chose the morning. Don¡¯t want to hearining that you lost because you were tired from a little walk in the forest,¡± he answered, a glint of savage eagerness in his eyes. His response was filled with the fire and impetuousness of youth. I came to understand then, that for all of his martial might, the man mountain was actually still rather young. His beard, which was now gone, had given him the aura of age that he had not truly possessed when we were still out in the wilds. Now clean-shaven, I could see that no lines marred his face or creased his brow, which served to only reinforce his image of unrefined youth. He was young in both mind and body, which meant that the boy could easily be led. The elders of his tribe probably wanted to wash their hands of their rambunctious youth, pointing him to the softer ¡®warmnds¡¯. The tall man began to take off his armor, but I raised a hand to stop him. ¡°We had best practice in the ¡®metal-skin¡¯. Consider this training for the both of us, as well as a test,¡± I offered, seeking to test out if I could improve mybat skills with the novelty of the situation. Would I be able to gain a level in the Heavy Armor skill by ¡®fighting¡¯ the strong man? Also, a small part of me wanted to win, my own youth and eagerness spurring me on. The other reason why I chose to have our friendlypetition in full armor was that I needed to, no matter how marginally, even the ying field a little. Kidu had, until very recently, been unfamiliar with wearing metal armor and was still unused to moving about in it. I would be gambling that my own Armor skill would be higher than his, giving me an advantage. Grunting and rolling his shoulders, he put down his spear and stood to his impressive full height. Truth be told, he was an intimidating sight. The man positively towered over me. Strangely, I felt no fear, for there was a warm smile on his face that promised only a friendly challenge. I knew next to nothing about wrestling. The only nugget of information I knew was that it was beneficial to keep your center of gravity low. Against his superior Strength, I would do well by just keeping my footing. Still, from what I saw from his status, I would be able to at least put up a challenge. The gap between our abilities, thoughrge, was not insurmountable. Adopting a grappler¡¯s stance, he sunk low to the ground and I assumed a simr pose. Without warning, the man rushed me, seeking to end thepetition there and then. It was a move more reminiscent of an experienced pit fighter. I could barely meet his charge. ording to my Identify spell, despite us possessing a simr level of Strength, physics still ruled, in part, in this world as I was soon to find out. His solid mass hit me and it felt like getting struck by an enraged bull. Luckily, my armor absorbed most of the charge and, looking at my status bars, I saw only minimal damage to my Health. The raw force and sudden surprise of the attack had taken mepletely off guard, but he had failed to take me down to the ground. Elwin shouted words of encouragement from the sidelines, giving up all pretense of actually doing any of the morning chores. ¡°Get in there my boy! Wahoo! Go fer it, the pair of you!¡± he hooted and hollered, genuine excitement on his face as he continued egging us on. Having survived Kidu¡¯s initial rush, I could feel him try to sweep me off my feet - and we danced, locked against one another, as I avoided his thick legs. For long moments we remained locked before he tried to overpower me to the ground, giving up on technique, seeking to win there and then through sheer force. However, I sunk lower and I was able to roll him across my hip and actually used his own mass against him. Perhaps it was my own limited exposure to the refined martial arts of my world or the memory of one of the many videos I had seen in my formative years, or it simply could have been all the stars aligning correctly with my ns. Whatever it was, I had seeded in pulling off a maneuver that would have been impossible in my old world. Did the system of this world factor in my heavy armor skill and attribute points before rolling a die and deciding in my favor? However, Kidu, with his lightning-fast reflexes, was able to hook his leg against mine and we tumbled to the soft loamy forest floor. There we grunted and heaved, desperately seeking leverage to pin the other down. All thoughts of technique were forgotten as we rolled about. After a long while, our Stamina gging, we bothy on the carpet of leaves and grass, exhausted. Elwin was breaking down in tears inughter, the pent-up stress of the past few days or months having been released by witnessing our harmless fun. ¡°A good¡­ match¡­¡± I was able to say betweenbored breaths, seeing nothing but the green of the arboreal forest. ¡°Not¡­ bad¡­ for a hotnder,¡± answered the big man, his breaths akin to the heaving of mighty bellows. ¡°Quite a beautiful show of the beast with two backs!¡± quipped Elwin, chuckling merrily at the pair of us. I felt a shot of annoyance re up before I decided tough with him instead. It simply felt good and, soon enough, Kidu joined us as my group finally found some small measure of catharsis. So focused was I on winning that I had forgotten my initial reasons for challenging the big man. I quickly checked over my notifications, and sure enough, everything seemed to have followed my prediction. You have learned Unarmed Combat (lvl.4) You have learned Heavy Armor (lvl.4) You have gained 1 Strength You have gained 1 Dexterity With the increases to my base attributes, my maximum Health and Stamina had improved marginally and I had also gained a nominal amount of experience from the encounter. Wanting to see if Kidu had attained anything by the encounter, I cast Identify on him. Kidu - Hunter (Human lvl.13) Health 297/315 Stamina 13/58 Mana 7/7 Apart from Kidu¡¯s own gains in his physical attributes, I noted with surprise that somewhere along our journey, Kidu had gained a point of Mana. It seemed that therge man was learning a little Wisdom somewhere. More surprising to me was the fact that I seemed to be, at least in raw attributes, catching up with the taciturn man. The natives of this world had no idea about the ¡®system¡¯ and it would be impossible to ask Kidu about an increase in his skills. He would probably think I was raving mad or having another one of my ¡®god touched¡¯ moments. ¡°Well enough with all these fun and games, you two best get off your backsides. We¡¯ve got to get back and I need to be spending some well-earned gold on strong drink and loose women!¡± exhorted the Rogue, eager to be back in the weing arms of civilization. Taking a moment to gather ourselves, we slowly rose up on unsteady feet. Despite our exhaustion and aggressive sh, we found ourselves smiling at each other. I realized that I was noticing the weight and restriction of my armor less and less as time went on. Was it just human adaptability, my increased attributes, or simply just the very nature of Heavy Armor skill? Possibly it could be a factor of all three, I surmised as I slowly got my breath back. Once I had suitably recovered, I decided that it would be best if I helped here and there about the camp. Between chores, I scoffed down a few bites of lizard meat, which helped restore some of my Stamina and a tiny amount of Health. I chose to dilly-dally a little, as I wanted my Mana to reach at least five points before we ventured forth on the return leg of our journey. Finally, when we were ready, I let mypanions lead the way while I held our donkey¡¯s reins and followed along behind them. The sounds of the forest followed us wherever we went, and I could see various woond creatures skittering about the upper boughs of the trees. I also saw a massive creature that looked like a gigantic millipede from Earth¡¯s prehistoric past raise its antennae at us as we passed. My hand had reached for the weapon at my hip, inbat readiness, before Elwin shouted at me to stand down. ¡°Just a Happyfeet, no need to get your underclothes in a twist. They eat mulch and leaves,¡± exined Elwin as he turned around to look at me, his eyes rolling in exasperation. ¡°Sometimes I really just can¡¯t get the measure of you, you can do some of the most incredible things yet at other times you''re like a babe just newly born,¡± he chortled, eyes alight with mirth. Suddenly without any preamble, Kidu called for us to stop, holding up a hand. The wild man stooped low over a fallen log, inspecting it for something. ¡°Boomhead,¡± he stated simply as he took out a knife to gather the mushrooms. ¡°Broomshead,¡± corrected Elwin, which drew a small grunt of annoyance from Kidu and simply caused Elwin to shrug. ¡°May I try?¡± I inquired, interrupting their little exchange as I knelt down beside the log, hiding the shade of eagerness in my voice as best I could. ¡°Yes, I will show you how,¡± said Kidu tly, pausing for a moment to look at Elwin, before continuing, ¡°Cut as deep as you can to take the soft wood too. Roots of the mushroome with us and it will help it keep for longer.¡± Kidu then began to cut around the mushroom slowly, exining in his usual curt manner, how to best extract the fungus. I could see from the corner of my eye that Elwin was probably fighting a war to restrain himself from correcting Kidu¡¯s use of themonnguage. Even with my own limited understanding, I could see that he had mangled the sentence structure in ces. However, it was not important to me in the slightest as I had a hypothesis to test out. The Broomshead mushroom only had a passing simrity to its namesake. It had a short stem, with dark gills under arge brown cap covered with ck small hairlike fibers. Mimicking the Hunter, I cut as far as I could with my knife around the base and harvested as well as I could. Using the knife in such a manner would no doubt dull the edge and the flowing snake-like de was already a devil to sharpen. As we continued collecting nature¡¯s bounty, I was finally given a new notification informing me of mytest achievement. You have learned Herbalism (lvl.2) It was annoying that I did not earn an extra point in Wisdom along with the skill. However, I felt that I was making real progress in understanding some of the rules and the nature of this world. The small amount of experience gained was also wee, and perhaps the Hamsa would reward me with a little extra for bringing him more of the mushrooms. Puzzling on the ins and outs was, in a way, just another test, another challenge that I would have to ovee if I was to thrive in this magicalnd. Book 2: Chapter 8: A Chance Encounter Book 2: Chapter 8: A Chance Encounter The words on their tongues are not always the thoughts behind their eyes. - Attributed to the ywright n di Panoli. Golds and browns were in full riot across the boughs of the trees in this part of the forest, coloring the leaves with thest warmth of summer. The weather had grown cool and crisp with the changing of the season, the loamy scent of the woond filling the air. Here and there, either Elwin or Kidu would point out a fruit, nut, or edible herb and, as a party, we would stop to gather some. One of the fruits, which I was told was called a Sasan, tasted sweet and tart at the same time. I swore I tasted an end note of aniseed as I gobbled one down. Sasan was not as delectable as Snap-Honey, but it came in at a very close second. Elwin informed me that people near woonds on this continent would gather the berries and make an aromatic pie at the turning of the season. The animals of the forest, too, were busy with gathering food. Here and there, small creatures of feather, fur, and scalepeted with one another to stock theirrders or put on enough fat for theing winter. Therger denizens of the forest were also out and about. More than once or twice, Kidu had us skirt around the spoor of what he considered to be a wild creature that was best left undisturbed. Checking over my Status in the corner of my vision, I was pleased to note that I was in good condition. I could have done with a bit more Mana, but thanks to my Mana Regeneration skill I had gained a few points passively without having to rest. Health283/283 Stamina57/62 Mana7/15 I considered using the Drain spell but concluded that the Mana gained would be far less than the Mana expended when used on lesser organisms. What would happen if I used the spell on mypanions? Could I Drain them of their Mana and Health? Would using a Heal spell on themter to repair the damage result in a gain? After all, it was not like they had any use for their Mana. It was certainly a line of thought worth pursuing at ater date, albeit with mypanions¡¯ permission of course. The forest was beginning to thin now, the undergrowth bing more sparse as we pushed on. The beast trail that we were following was slowly evolving into a muddy path. In the far distance, I could see the city of tents, Ansan, growing ever closer. Then, suddenly, it happened. The sounds of the forest stilled for a moment before a bush arose in front of me to form the shape of a man. The cool rasp of drawn steel rang in the air, as des were removed from their scabbards. ¡°Hold up there, friends,¡± the man said, his voice cultured and at odds with his rough appearance. He removed the hood that hid his features with his left hand, revealing a weaselly face. His other hand held a war cleaver with a wicked serrated single-edged de. He was clothed in what I could only describe as a proto-ghillie suit, with odd bits of the local vegetation attached to dark brown gambesons that made him resemble nothing more than innocent nt life. Around us, simrly d men popped up like new and unwee growths. ncing at mypanions, I saw that Kidu and Elwin lookedpletely stupefied, having beenpletely taken unawares. Quickly trying to assess the threat we were facing, I looked around. My eyes darted this way and that as I hurriedly equipped my shield from my back. We were surrounded by five men in total, that I could see, perhaps more in hiding. This was the second time my group had been ambushed and I could feel a swelling frustration that was swiftly growing into a rumbling adrenalin fuelled anger. This would not be a repeat of my encounter with the elves. Unlike the elves, this group did not exude an air of tangible menace. By their dress and demeanor, I surmised this group to be themon garden variety of bandits. Just out of the forced and scripted very stage, and with the open world of the game now avable to me, I was a little disappointed to already be facing such a cliche ¡®fantasy¡¯ enemy. The enemy began to encircle us and one of the men, equipped with a staff and disying obscenely obese girth, whispered into the leader¡¯s ear. Seeking a measure of my foes, I hastily cast an Identify at their exchanged words. I was fully prepared to do whatever it took to live. Thesemon garden variety bandits would not find my group easy prey. ¡°...take alive¡­¡± was all the meaning I could glean with my spell before the portly man waved his fingers in my direction causing me to lose control of magical energy. ¡°None of that,¡± the fat man wheezed, turning his beady eyes towards me as he smiled. The bastard had interrupted my cast with a ruddy counterspell or simr skill. Still, the spell was not at a total loss, as the words ¡®take alive¡¯ were revealed to me¡­ Meaning that this group had to fight within certain constraints. We, on the other hand, were under no such restrictions. ¡°Now, now there is no need for this to be any more difficult than it needs to be. It is just like the dream! Providence, after all,¡± the obese man eximed betweenbored breaths, ¡°As expected from her Champion, you have some gift with the Control¡­ untrained though. Ahh, forgive my manners. My name is Amon Vanes, Priest of the Church.¡± My mind was confused by Amon¡¯s rambling words. Champion? Divine will? As these thoughts ran rampant in my mind, Amon continued, ¡°I will, of course, have you all put your weapons down ande with us peacefully. Peacefully¡­¡± ¡°Wait!¡± I half shouted, my stomach turning to lead as a sinking feeling overcame me, ¡°Youe on behalf of the goddess Avaria?¡± I questioned, tamping down long-suppressed memories. Amon visibly nched as I used the goddess¡¯s name, and his left eye ticked in annoyance, ¡°Yes, yes of course. She chose me to deliver you unto her loving and caring bosom. Be not afeared, for you are her chosen, and all of us here will be but your humble escorts,¡± he delivered, the lie obvious in his oily tone. I pretended to be at ease, lowering my weapons a fraction, even as cold rage boiled inside me. Sneaking a nce at Kidu and Elwin, I feignedpliance and surreptitiously took a step forward. Hurriedly, I tried to take stock of the situation. On the face of things, these people were technically on my side. Perhaps there was a way to talk myself out of this situation, even recruit these people to my cause. On the other hand, I had a pitiable Charisma, so I doubted that going down that road would be the wisest move. Also, did I even want to go through the hassle of negotiating with such obviously low-level scum? If I could do something about Amon¡®s magic, the rest should fall like dominos. Sometimes the simplest solutions were always the best, and in this case, probably more rewarding in terms of experience. I hoped that mypanions would follow my initiative. ¡°Where are you nning on taking us?¡± I asked, doing my best to keep my voice calm, and even. ¡°Why, to the holy city of¡­¡± replied Vanes cordially, seeing that I was receptive. As he was finishing his sentence, I moved another half-step forward, lowering my weapons close to the ground as if relinquishing them. I was just a few steps out of measure now. There was only one way to deal with the threat of violence. Real violence. Taking the initiative, I rushed at the bandit leader with a snarl. Kidu, drawn in my wake, started to engage the bandits to the side with his serpent-swift spear. Even through the rush of my charge, I saw that all of the ambushers, except the leader, had various blunt instruments ands, confirming the leader¡¯s words that they were here to capture us. This meant that they would have to take care in how they engaged us. For some reason, these men wanted us alive. The thought that they wanted to possibly make us ves once more gave strength to my resolve as I closed the distance. Channeling the internal energy of my own body, I swung out at their leader with the edge of my shield. The sensation was much akin to using a Power Strike, but subtly different. You have learned Shield Bash (lvl.1) The notification crossed the bottom of my vision and I dismissed it. Snarling guttural invectives at me, he dodged my blow and drew his weapon in a single motion before swinging the war cleaver in a swift counterattack. I raised my kite shield in defense, angling my shield, more to deflect the leader''s weapon than to absorb the blow outright. I was still a novice at the art of war and made a fool¡¯s mistake. My own shield blocked my vision as I raised it high to intercept the oing de. Had I known better, I would haveunched an attack of my own to make up for my temporary blindness, instead of taking turns at defense and attack. The heavy de crashed against my shield and caused a shock to go down my arm from the impact. Upon deducing that he was fighting a beginner, the bandit leader charged in and ced his forward leg behind my rear leg, and pushed me to the ground. The world changed angles as I crashed onto the soft forest floor. Looking up, I saw him reversing his grip and the blunt back of his weapon began its descent. Luckily, the weapon was deflected by the haft of Kidu¡¯s lightning-quick spear. There was a grace and speed to his movement that spoke to more than just raw talent. It was a water-fluid dance, borne of a thousand repetitions and driven by a spirit that was determined to remain free from the shackles of very. The hunter formed a shing circle with his weapon that drove off the attackers on my right, creating a null zone around its length as he fended off the bandit leader and his men. I looked around for Elwin, but of the Rogue, there was no sign. Where could he have gotten to? Soon enough, however, I heard a scream that was not his. I could only assume that his knives had imed another life. Awkwardly, I scrambled to my feet as quickly as possible, adrenalin running flush through my system. Amon had retreated a small distance and had begun to chant, his face furrowed with concentration as he gripped his staff with both hands. The fat man looked triumphantly in my direction as he finished chanting, and a pall of exhaustion fell over me. My eyelids grew heavy, my limbs leaden, and my weapon and shield felt like sinking heavy weights in my hands. The voices, the echoes of the void that had always been in the back ces of my mind, mored in rebellion against this arcane intrusion. Still, it was not enough to stop the insidious effects of the magic until I felt an impact in the flesh of my upper right arm. This was quickly followed by a sharp stab of pain in my leg and I looked to see that an arrow had dug into my thigh. The arrowhead had lodged itself a few centimeters deep, having punched through the mail, and had dropped my Health by around thirty points. The blossoming pain filled me, sharp and insistent, but it stopped the progress of my magically induced stupor. It was time to fight magic with greater magic. Entropic Aura begged to be released, promising a swift answer to my current predicament. Who was I to deny so faithful a friend? ck waves pulsed from me, and the dark energies began to eat away at Amon¡¯s debilitating curse. He narrowed his porcine eyes and spoke a few arcane words and wiggled his fingers in my direction again, and I could feel something trying to cut the connection to my Aura. The man looked absolutely stupefied when his attempt to counter my spell failed. Just as the realization of this failure truly began to settle, from behind him a dark shape arose and stabbed him in his corpulent gut. He screamed in a girlishly high pitch as he fell to the floor in agony, holding his sides with his bby hands. The spellcaster must have been an intrinsic part of their group because, in no short order, the Leader disengaged from Kidu, pulling one of his men with him before shouting, ¡°Retreat!¡± Roaring in rage and frustration, Kidu made to give chase but grunted in pain as an arrow hit him, piercing through the mail that covered his dominant arm. Like the wildman, I wanted to run them down and so I began to hobble after them. I made little progress, however, thanks to the lingering effects of the fat man¡¯s magic and, equally debilitating, the arrow sticking out of my thigh. I felt a hand on my shoulder and spun around to deal with the new threat, only to see that it was Elwin. ¡°Hey! Hey! Calm! Calm! We¡¯re in no shape to go for a chasing through the woods,ds. Best we start running in a different direction¡­ They could have friends, after all, somewhere nearby,¡± he said to me in a cool voice that cut through the haze of my battle rage. I drew in a deep breath to reign in my anger, but Kidu, having caught up to us, yelled at the retreating brigands. A seething frustration at having been ambushed again demanded satisfaction. I kicked at the forest floor, sending up clods of humus and fallen leaves in anger as I turned back. I needed to vent, and as luck would have it, Iid eyes upon Amon who was struggling and whimpering as he tried to hold in his life fluids. I needed to control the flood of emotion that threatened to overwhelm me. As a symbol of control, I reined in my Entropic Aura. ¡°Hold him down,¡± I barked, ordering my group. My twopanions looked at each before they moved to restrain the fat man by his corpulent limbs. He screamed and struggled, but in his current state was no match for the two. His jowls quivered in fear as he looked up at me, his piggy eyes wide with powerless fear. Looking deep into his eyes, I searched them for answers. How had the goddess found me? I would get to the bottom of this. These were no simple bandits led by a Friar Tuck. ¡°Who sent you?¡± I asked in a t tone, mimicking the Overseer Degei¡¯s neutral and uncaring inflection from the ve pits. The man just stilled his whimpers and grew suddenly silent. It was not like I was looking for an answer at this point anyway. This was simply the beginning of the dance. Seeking answers, I cast Identify on the reticent man. This time there was no counterspell, but there seemed to be resistance, the magic having difficulty in finding purchase on the subject. To my dismay, the spell¡¯s energy simply dissipated, which proved to just vex me further. ¡°Use us,¡± the voice of the deep magic within insisted. I felt no urge to resist Entropic Aura¡¯s call and power that bloomed from within, the pulse of the raw decay of the universe. The sibnt voice assured me that the dark energies would make short work of the mage¡¯s magical resistance. In hindsight, I should have just kept channeling the spell. It would have saved me two Mana from not having to recast it again. Oh well, I guess that was the price of learning. ¡°Now, let¡¯s try that again¡­¡± I said, a wolfish grin growing ever wider as I showed the fat man my teeth, my eyes filled with cold promise. Mypanions looked at each other for a moment, before their faces settled in grim determination. It was time to have a few questions answered. Book 2: Chapter 9: Questions & Answers Book 2: Chapter 9: Questions & Answers True love is a whisper, and deep hate is a shout. Often the two are intertwined. - Attributed to the ywright n di Panoli. It was ironic that the agony I had endured at the hands of my captors in the ve pits gave me the tools to make the fat man, quite literally, spill his guts. With the aid of my healing magic and the judicious use of one of the potions, we had quite a margin of error to work with. Even when one of mypanions got a little too enthusiastic in their cathartic questioning, we were able to bring Mr. Vanes back for another round. ording to my magic and confirmed by the man himself, his name was Amon Vanes. The man had confessed to being a priest and mage of the Church of her Divine Radiance, Avaria Goddess of Justice. Amon Vanes - Mage (Human lvl.18) Health 26/166 Stamina 2/17 Mana 4/18 The lump ofrd had impressive magical capabilities, though I doubted he could run a full marathon with his physical attributes. Still, he was of aparatively higher level than the local mobs. Of interest to me was the fact that he had been able to resist, at least initially, some of my magic. If he had not been so fixated on his own personal glory and hade with the full force of his Church behind him, things might have turned out a little differently. What was pleasing was that, ¡®unlearned¡¯ as I was in the Control, the use of the arcane in the local nomenture, my maximum Mana was only a little behind a full on Mage¡¯s. At this stage of y, I reckoned that Control was probably something to do with my overall level of my spells. What worried me was his ability to nullify magic. If there were others like him, who could perform simr arcane feats, then I would have to prepare ordingly. Though truth be told, I did not know where to begin. Another concern was that the man had known where to look for me. The organization he was part of, the Church, had been able to divine my general location and had sent many of their agents to thisnd to find me. In between his screams of pain and dull pleading for mercy, we were able to learn that the lesiarchy of the Church wanted him to bring me in at all costs, on the orders of a certain Cardinal Mauros. Amon imed that he had been visited by the goddess Avaria herself and given the mission of finding her lost champion and bringing him back into the fold. Believing himself to be one of her chosen, a prophet, he employed a local guide and some hired des and set out to search for me, the "Herald of Avaria," in the Sainba. Fortunately, for me at least, in his desire to im all the glory of finding me in the goddess''s name, he neglected to inform his superiors of his divine visitation. That meant the other teams still had no exact idea of where I was. Providence works in mysterious ways. Had he seeded, he would have climbed several rungs up thedder of the Church hierarchy. It was no different here than in my old world, where greed, power, pride, and the desire for social status were also prevalent. These were emotions and ambitions that I was familiar with. From Amon, I concluded that there were others like him, searching for me in various parts of this continent. I would have liked to have spent more time questioning the man, probably extending our little session for a few more hours, but mypanions, once sated, convinced me that it would have been a foolish choice. We needed to leave the immediate area as soon as possible in case the others, those which had escaped, return with reinforcements. Amon¡¯s words were confirmation that the Goddess Avaria had truly betrayed me. Was this how the deities of this world treated their chosen? You have been judged and have not been found wanting. These had been Avaria¡¯s own words. I understood those now to be lies and nothing more than tools of maniption. A way to stroke my pride and make me more amenable to her terrifying will. When we deemed it necessary to depart, I shed the fat man''s throat, leaving him to choke on his own blood, naked and helpless, like a stranded whale. This gruesome act earned me some valuable experience points and momentarily eased my disappointment. However, as I assisted mypanions in dividing the various items from the recently in, I could not help but feel a little sense of unease at how my perspective on the value of human life had drastically shifted in this world. The once unthinkable act of murder had be just another necessary chore. But was it really murder? another part of my mind countered. During the quick skirmish, the Hunter and the Rogue had managed to y a ¡®bandit¡¯ each, but I did not receive any experience from this. This was probably due to me not having ¡®tagged¡¯ or damaged any of the enemies with any of my abilities. Shame, I would have to remember the conditions for experience gain in future conflicts. We searched through the corpses of our would-be abductors and found an assortment of low-quality knick-knacks and misceneous equipment which we bundled onto Patches. The Donkey brayed in protest, but soon forgot herint when fed a carrot. The items we had loaded up were mostly vendor trash, I thought to myself. Still, waste not want not, I muttered under my breath as mypanions and I pocketed odds and ends and a few coins a few coins for ourselves. Amon¡¯s staff had been a disappointment. ording to my Identify spell it was nothing more than a wooden stick and not magical in the slightest. I loaded it up on Patches anyway. It might make for good firewood one day. A few other items of interest that we had plundered were a few pages of nk parchment and a small basic writing kit, replete with blotting sand, quill, and ink, that we had found in one of the fat man¡¯s bags. These I decided to keep for myself. Alongside the writing kit was a gold-ted medallion on a silver chain, depicting a likeness of the goddess Avaria holding a sword and knife in each hand. I surreptitiously stuffed the medallion into my pouch when the others were not looking. We looted the various articles of clothing from our attackers and left them only their small clothes. Around the necks of the ¡®bandit¡¯ corpses were ck tattoos, styled in the image of the twin horns of some sort of auroch-like creature. They were the local muscle, members of a dubious criminal gang that thete Amon Vanes had hired. Ultimately, they too had been a victim of his hubris. On one topic, however, Amon had been particrly tight-lipped. He refused to give me what I wanted when I had asked him about what magics he and others of the Church were capable of. Through magical means, simple mundane willpower, or in vindictiveness, he had refused to give me even a tiny sliver of arcane knowledge as he walked the final steps to oblivion or paradise. Once we had finished our business, I cast Decay on the corpses and was almost immediately assaulted by a sweet putrescent smell. The entropic energies had found fertile ground in the now rapidly rotting dead flesh. With Patches braying at the assault on her sense of smell, we moved quickly away from the macabre scene. Luckily, a far-from-fresh carrot was all it took to distract the poor creature from the recent violence and blood. The Decay spell I had unleashed could notpletely mask what had happened, but at the very least it would hopefully make identifying the corpses a little more difficult, should anyonee back to this site. The forest had grown quiet, I realized, as the animals were probably subdued by Amon¡¯s shrill screams and the raw stench of death. ¡°The fat one was of Qisnian old imperial stock,¡±mented Elwin offhandedly, as he tightened one of the loose straps on Patches¡¯ bags. ¡°Livestock,¡± grunted Kidu, from the front of our small formation. It took a few moments for the Rogue to mentally adjust to Kidu¡¯s attempt at a joke before he finally chuckled, which was soon echoed by Patches¡¯ braying. Then, I saw Elwin¡¯s face concentrate for half a second, mulling over a smart rejoinder before he just gave up and simplyughed along. Our group trudged on. Kidu, despite being armored andrger than I, seemed to manage this almost preternaturally and with far less noise than me. Gradually, the sounds of the wilderness returned. Up above, creatures moving agilely through the branches of trees and beautiful multi-winged songbirds crooned their ardent melodies. Lost in my own anxious thoughts, I couldn''t shake off my constant state of worry. It was clear that I was being hunted by some powerful organization, and I couldn''t help but wonder why the goddess had only revealed my location to Amon. Was it a deliberate choice, or did the gods of this world have their own limitations? Perhaps it was my overactive mind but, moving through the undergrowth, I could not help but imagine another set of eyes upon me. ¡°I think I feel something or someone following us,¡± I hissed to Kidu, and I almost tripped over a tree root as I voiced my concern. The wild man simply nodded to me, before falling back to cover our rear. We had chosen speed over stealth, and we had made no move to hide our trail. Even a blind man could have followed us. My mind was spinning as I pondered various tactics and strategies to help evade potential trackers. However, my thoughts were interrupted by uninvited musings that crept in like unwee guests as I caught another sight of this world¡¯s nature in action. Looking up, I saw a six-legged squirrel analog jump across one of the boughs. A fraction of a secondter, a jagged spike shot out and impaled the poor animal. It all happened rather fast. Too fast, really, to see what kind of predator was responsible for the kill. The animals of this world were truly perplexing; while some animals were familiar, such as horses and donkeys, others werepletely alien to me. I couldn''t help but wonder how that was even possible. And for that matter, why were humans present in this strange world? Shaking my head, I realized that I would have to set aside such rambling thoughts for another time. Elwin, ever the practical one, posed a question that had been lingering in the back of my mind. In truth, it was more another worry than a direct question. "So, it looks like we got the Church on us. What in the Dark Lady''s name are we going to do now?" he asked us, his usual nonchnt grin absent from his features. Book 2: Chapter 10: Decisions Book 2: Chapter 10: Decisions To earn the right to wear a Mantis Mark de is a great honor given unto a very select few who have dedicated their lives to the path of carnage that is the way of the sword. Beware a man, or woman, who bears such a de, for all of them possess a strength of skill that nears the realms of divinity. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. ¡°So what are we going to do now,ds?¡± the Rogue repeated himself, looking each of us in the eyes. The silence was only broken by the flitting sound of a bird alighting on a branch above us. Elwin sensed that we had no answers and decided to put forth his own answer. ¡°Now, the way I see it is that we need to book it out of here as soon as possible. No good cane of it if one of those inquisitor types gets a sniff of your trail, gods in heavens, I would know,¡± he said, hissing through his teeth and taking a moment to pause. ¡°We can lie low, do a bit of camping out here with the beasts and birdies, and hope this all blows over, but even that porker was able to find us. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done to rile up the goddess, and I am not sure I even want to know,¡± he continued in a matter-of-fact tone. I began to mount a defense of my actions, sensing an usation, but he simply held up a hand cutting me off, and plowed on, ¡°It don¡¯t matter now though. That¡¯s not the option I¡¯d be going for anyways, living in the woods like amon bandit is not the life for me. There¡¯s no way across the sea of grass unless you¡¯re with a caravan with one of their Water Mages, so that is the best and only realistic option we¡¯ve got. Going through the deep wilds is just another form of suicide, and besides, no one knows even what¡¯s on the other side. Legions ¡®ave been lost going through the wilds to chart out a shorter path for the Beacons. So like I said, joining up with the next caravan in Ansan that¡¯s heading down west or south or wherever they¡¯re going is still our best course. As guards if we can, or just pay whatever fee they ask,¡± he finally finished, an edge of panic in his voice that he was doing well to hide. ¡°We¡¯ll need money then,¡± I added simply, feeling I had been manipted. ¡°Yes, and a fair bit too. I¡¯ll head into the city with the old donkey, sell all of the gear and stuff, and negotiate a decent fee with a caravaneer. Then I¡¯ll meet you outside the gates and we can join up with the caravan from there. Saves us a bit of time and the quicker we get these chores done and dusted, the faster we are getting out of here, whatcha think?¡± he said, a forced smile on his face. Maybe it was the effect of modern media on my psyche, or just in paranoia or stubbornness which led me to begin to voice a denial, but Kidu beat me to the punch. ¡°No, little man. We go together. I have seen too much of warmnder treachery. No, we go together. For your safety if nothing else,¡± therge man rumbled. I found this reassuring. Before Kidu had espoused the safety of staying in the wilds, but maybe a little of civilization had rubbed off on him. Either way, I saw only disadvantages to splitting up our little team at this juncture. ¡°I am with Kidu on this, we can only get through this if we all work together as one,¡± I added, a littlemely. ¡°Bah, it was a good n. But don¡¯t you all be ming me if things go downhill real quick. Was thinking since those Church people are looking for a group, it might be best if we split up. I do my best work alone,¡± muttered the lithe man, under his breath. Soon enough, we broke through the trees and into the endless rolling ins, the vista that was once beautiful and majestic now seemed ominous and foreboding. My eyes were drawn to the city of tents, where I saw smoke from hundreds of fires wafting up into the air as thete afternoon sun and wind made waves of the grass. ¡°Whatever happens, we will face it together. Our destinies are joined,¡± I said a little more firmly now, trying to regain my leader¡¯s role. Worry was still worming its way through my mind, making me try to second-guess everything. How far did I even trust Elwin, anyway? We made for the city, a little fear and necessity lending our legs speed and helping us with our fatigue. Elwin looked the worse for wear, no doubt by having a lower Constitution than Kidu and I, but he continued gamely on, matching his pace to ours. In time, we arrived on the poorly maintained ¡®road¡¯ that led back into the city, inserting ourselves between the cartsden with lumber and other goods from the Sainba forest. Under Elwin¡¯s skillful direction we nonchntly positioned ourselves just behind a group of rugged-looking hunters, their cartden with pelts and arge carcass of some sort of exotic beast. They looked quizzically at us, before pointedly ignoring us. To a casual observer, we might have looked like we were part of the same group. Our eclectic mix of arms and armor, and Kidu¡¯srge bow, would give credit to that facade. The group in front of us, in due time, reached the guards checking the iing traffic. With a motion born of rote, one of the hunters with azy eye shed a gruff guard a bronze badge that glinted for a moment as it caught the light of the afternoon sun. An Adventurer¡¯s Guild badge, I noticed, and I thought things might be finally going our way. It was good to see that the badge had some weight behind it. ¡°Alright,ds. The recent pickle we were just in may make things a little harder. Just act all calm as if nothing has happened. Don¡¯t need to draw any attention on us. An¡¯ let me do all the talking,¡± Elwin huffed as we made our way to the post. In the manner of the group before us, Elwin simply shed his badge and waved for us to move on. However, my optimism soon faded when a guard gave me a menacing look and barred my way with the haft of a polearm. I could hear Kidu¡¯s menacing growl behind me to my left and, before he could react in his predictably violent manner, I fished my badge from my pouch, mentally urging Kidu to do the same. Doing my best impression of a cating smile, I was met with a sullen re as the guards waved us both through. ¡°What was that!? I told you not to draw attention to us,¡± Elwin hissed as we moved out of earshot and made our way down the main thoroughfare. So surprised was I at his outburst that I barely dodged an iing cart, the owner of which was cursing me for a fool as he continued on his way. Not wanting to create a scene, I simply held up my hands in surrender as I looked around warily to see if anyone was looking at us. ¡°Keep on walking. Not now,¡± I hissed back, frustration and fearcing my voice. The Rogue promptly fell silent and muttered a small curse under his breath as we veered off the main street. I followed my instincts, but they led me astray, and I soon found myselfpletely lost in thebyrinthine city of tents. Determined not to appear foolish, I tried to salvage something from the situation. ¡°With luck, we should be free of any tails by now,¡± I stated with false confidence. ¡°Tail?¡± asked Kidu of me, his eyes furrowed almostically. ¡°Yes, people who would have been following us after you lot¡¯s little performance at the gate,¡± muttered Elwin. A spike of frustration red up within me, but I quickly pushed it down. This was not the time to let our group fracture over a small slight at such a delicate juncture. "Elwin, could you take us to the Alchemist''s shop?" I asked the Rogue in my most neutral voice. "Sure, just follow me. We sure wasted one of our potions on that lump ofrd, didn''t we?" he said with a grin, his jibecking the sharpness of his earlier words. I smiled in a reconciliatory manner, epting the olive branch for what it was. The Rogue led our small group, no doubt using the great ark in the distance as andmark of sorts, through the busy city. We wove our way through the massive throngs that made up the daytime traffic, and even as worried as I was, I had to stop myself from gawking at some of the fantastical and exotic scenes that I saw. The most fascinating of which was a man who walked along the streets, d in robes of almost pure white, without a speck of dirt, despite the mud and general effluvia in abundance all around us. Around his neck, and draping down his back, a slender winged serpent, painted in the colors of the rainbow, was curled around him like a living piece of art. The man, noticing our gazes, nodded to us pleasantly before feeding his pet a small fruit from his pouch. Eventually, the smell of the city was pushed aside by something much stronger and more acrid. A familiar purple-colored yurt was before us, a plume of greenish smoke billowing up from the smoke hole at its top. We had returned to Hamsa''s Wondrous Apothecary. Of What Has Gone Before... Of What Has Gone Before... A university student on the brink of death is transported from his world to the magicalnd of Gesthe by the powerful Goddess of Justice, Avaria, as her Champion. However, a darker power, the primal force of Entropy, takes interest in him and ces its mark upon him to better suit its purposes. Disorientated, naked, and alone, he finds himself in a sea of grass, a hill with a solitary tree atop it, serving as the onlyndmark. This strange scene is as alien as it is familiar, for he has seen this before in his dream. He begins to see strange messages, reminiscent of the information boxes of the games that he used to y, giving him a quest and urging him to go forth. He is inexorably drawn towards the tree. Arriving at the tree, hepletes his first quest and gains his first level, granting him a new skill, Power Strike, and the magic spells Heal and Rust. At the foot of the tree, he finds some old robes, a magical scroll, a broken half-spear, and a small shrine dedicated to Avaria. He is given another quest to repair the altar, but, angered at the Goddess who had brought him here against his will, he ignores it. Here, he also learns a spell from the scroll, Identify. Hungry and thirsty, he almost dies on his first night, from exposure, but is able to save himself by using his Heal spell. Below the hill is a pool of water inhabited by Bibsis, amphibious monsters that spit solid balls of water. Needing to sate his hunger and thirst, he drinks from the pool, attacks the Bibsis and consumes them raw. This teaches him a variety of new skills and earns him a few levels, which further reinforces his view that this world is nothing more than a game or a hallucination. The next day, he is violently osted by a small mounted patrol of the locals, the Children of Tides. To our protagonist, from their dress and ethnic features, these people resemble the old Mongols of Earth. He is thrown in jail to await his fate. There, he uses this time to train his body, improving his physical attributes. The old knowledge of Earth serves him well, garnering him boosts to his Intelligence and Wisdom. Using the Identify spell, and his improved intellect, he also rapidly learns the localnguage and the name of the ce he is in. The great city of Ansan. He tries tomunicate with a boy called Jongshoi, but fails miserably and is only able to spook him. Finally, Navigator i, a wizened crone, and one of the leaders of Ansan, meets with him to pass judgement. When asked of his name, the protagonist realizes that he can not recall it at all. Pressed, he instead takes up the moniker of Gilgamesh, the first and greatest of all heroes. i pronounces, unjustly, that for his crimes of desecrating the shrine of Avaria, he is to be sent to participate in an event called the Winnowing, and fight in the arena for his right to live. This bloody event is a rite of passage for the Children of the Tides, marking the point where a boy bes a man. In the arena, he is paired against Jongshoi. Jongshoi is much better armed and armored than him, but ultimately Gilgamesh prevails. Although victorious, his fate is still a grim one, as he is taken away, branded and cored as a ve. The iron ve cor is a magical cor, causing great pain onmand, or when tampered with. Alongside a new intake of ves, he is escorted to his new home, the ve pits of Ansan. There, he makes friends with another ve, a Dwarf named Durhit. Being told to wash, Gilgamesh moves to a small artificial stream to wash and relieve himself. However, the water is dirty and he searches for cleaner water upstream. Arge man, a Nord called Harun the Iron, blocks his way. In an explosion of raw, unrestrained violence, Gilgamesh overpowers him and kills him. This earns him experience and improvements in his abilities, as well as giving him new skills, and teaches Gilgamesh that murder in this world is rewarded. Shortly thereafter, he is beaten and healed repeatedly by the ve Overseer Degei, who thinks he has broken Gilgamesh. But the fires of rebellion grow bright within Gilgamesh, and it is this that draws the giant troublemaker Kidu, another ve, to his side. A boy named Gunne, who adored Harun, threatens vengeance upon Gilgamesh one evening. Gilgamesh mocks and threatens him in turn. Gilgamesh is worked nearly to death in the mines, the only thing keeping him alive was the restorative nature of his Heal spell. He begins to seriously think of escaping. Finally, he remembers that he had been gifted another spell when he first entered this world, Rust. For some mysterious reason, more than just mere forgetfulness, he had never thought to use this spell. Using the elusive Rust, he experiments on the manacles of the other ves, and even Kidu¡¯s cor, slowly eroding their bindings. Eventually, he is able to undo the magic of his own ve cor, but just as a path to freedom is opened to him, an earthquake urs. This earthquake causes damage to the mines, and Gilgamesh, Durhit, Kidu, and a few others ves are sent to clear out the mines. Among their number is a fearsome Orc, and a rascal who introduces himself as Elwin Tucker, a Forester. They begin to clear out the mines, but there is another earthquake. The roof of the tunnel copses on them, trapping them underground. The boy Gunne is grievously injured, and Durhit asks Gilgamesh to put him out of his misery. Wanting more experience points, Gilgamesh has no qualms in ending Gunne¡¯s life. They reunite with Elwin and an unconscious Kidu. Elwin begins to despair, and Gilgamesh lets them know that he may be able to free them from the pernicious effect of the ve cors. Gilgamesh Heals Kidu and casts Rust on their ve cors. The Rust spell sessfully erodes the iron of the cors to negate their magic. Durhitins that Gilgamesh could have healed Gunne. Kidu defends Gilgamesh, stating that Gilgamesh was under no obligation to aid Gunne, who had sworn vengeance against him. With the matter of the cors taken care of, Gilgamesh, Kidu the Hunter, Elwin the Rogue, and Durhit the dwarf Sapper decide to venture deeper into the mines. Of the Orc, there is currently no sign. Exploring further, they find themselves in a nest of Echo-Stalkers, a monstrous insect-like group of monsters. Trusting in Durhits dwarven instincts, they go deeper into the nest and find some basic weapons and equipment in the garbage pit of the nest. Searching for a way out, they fight more of the creatures, only to find some Echo-Stalkers that have been killed by a third party. Durhit posits that it was the Orc that had killed them. The Dwarf alsoments that it is possible that the pain from the cor has driven the Orc into a bestial frenzy. Following the path of destruction left behind by the Orc, they hear the sound of running water. Excited, for running water would mean a potential way out, they hurry to the source of the sound. They encounter more Echo-Stalkers and fight their way through to find a massive cavern and an underground river. The Orc is fighting here, alone, against a teeming horde of Echo-Stalkers. Without warning, Durhit is killed by a near invisible chameleonic strain of Echo-Stalker. With his dying breath, Durhit croaks out his sister¡¯s name and ¡°Bronzegate¡±. Gilgamesh takes a moment to cast Rust on the Orc¡¯s cor, wounding the Orc, and they flee. Now, should the Orc fall, Gilgamesh would be informed of its death via a death notification. They make their way out of the cavern, escaping into the Great Sainba. Gilgamesh receives the Orc¡¯s death notification and, fearing pursuit, they keep running until exhaustion threatens to undo them. They decide to rest, and Gilgamesh dreams of a dusty room filled with many objects. Each of these objects represents a ss Choice. Gilgamesh chooses the Pdin ss, but at the same time is forced by Entropy to also take up the Reaver ss. Both these grant Gilgamesh new skills and magical abilities. While resting at their meager camp, with the aid of Elwin¡¯s lockpicking skills and Gilgamesh¡¯s magic, they are able to fully remove their remaining bindings. Using his magic, Gilgamesh is also able to heal the scars of their ve brands, removing thest traces of their bondage. The next day, they see some smoke in the distance and decide to go in that direction. While wandering under the trees of the Sainba they are pelted by a rain of heavy Caru nuts. Elwin is knocked unconscious by one of the nuts, but Gilgamesh drags him to safety. Healing the knocked out Rogue, the group finds shelter in the hollow of a giant tree. Gilgamesh awakens to find his arm being gnawed on by a Tree-Laur, a six legged arboreal species that looks like a cross between a Terran warthog and wolverine. Gilgamesh struggles against the creature and is saved by Elwin, who threw a dagger into its eye, killing it instantly. They turn the Tree-Laur into jerky and continue on their way, to the source of the smoke. Finally arriving at their destination, they find a camp of Children of the Tides Charcoal Burners. They scout the camp. Desperate, Gilgamesh decides tounch an attack against them with the intent on killing them, to the man. Just as they are about to begin their assault, a group of Echo-Stalkers begin their own attack against the Charcoal Burners. However, hoping that the two sides would weaken one another, Gilgamesh continues with his n and begins to attack. Between the two groups of humans, they are able to fend off the Echo-Stalkers. The leader of the Charcoal Burners offers them the hospitality of their camp, but Gilgamesh, fearing that they wanted nothing more than to take him back in very, stabs him through the neck, killing him. Gilgamesh¡¯s party then proceeds to swiftly kill the rest of them. They loot the camp, finding supplies, a few valuables, and weapons. More importantly, they are able to find new clothes to disguise themselves as something other than ves. Gilgamesh is offered a im to the Charcoal Burner¡¯s camp, Nyamdor¡¯s Hold, by the System of this world. Not wanting to be bogged down by managing a settlement, he rejects it. Better equipped and supplied, the party decides that their best course of action would be to return to Ansan to find a caravan travelling away from the Grieving Lands. On their way to the city, they are osted by a cruel group of mysterious Elves. The Elves leave them for dead, and it is only thanks to Gilgamesh¡¯s healing spells that they are able to survive. With heavy hearts at their near brush with death, they seed in bribing their way past the guards at the city gates. One of the guards advises them to stay at an inn called the Twisted Boar. Advice that they decide to take. Gilgamesh, looking for a way to make some money, speaks to Athinad, the owner of the Twisted boar. The innkeeper suggests that they might join the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in the city. During the night, whilst practicing his magic spell Drain on random passersby from the inn¡¯s window, Gilgamesh identally kills an unborn baby. After fencing their stolen goods, a drunken Elwin gifts Gilgamesh with a heavily damaged book that exins some aspects of magic, as thanks for saving him, before falling asleep. Wanting some new equipment, they are advised to visit the Soot-Stained Pig by one of the Twisted Boar¡¯s patrons. Gilgamesh and Kidu decide to go there, while Elwin sells some of their more valuable items at a fence. At the Soot-Stained Pig they find a beautiful cksmith, Cillis. After some bargaining, Gilgamesh and Kidu are outfitted with better armor and weapons. Gilgamesh chooses to buy a Tsengelt-tum, a hybrid weapon that can be used as both a mace and a il. As part of the deal, Cillis agrees to teach him in its use. Although married, Cillis is a rather free-spirited woman and invites Gilgamesh to lie with her. Having no reason to refuse, Gilgamesh takes her up on her offer. Gilgamesh and Kidu leave the Soot-Stained Pig to purchase a bow for Kidu. After buying Kidu a new longbow at the market square, Gilgamesh sees the jail where he had been incarcerated by the Children of the Tides before. Spying a guard retching in a nearby alleyway, he walks up to him and casually murders him. Kidu, who has sworn vengeance against all of the Children of the Tides, praises him for this deed. Walking away from the scene of the crime, they lose themselves in the flow of the crowd and find themselves at Ansarai¡¯s fighting pit. Here, Gilgamesh discovers that he can use the Identify spell to gauge the rtive strengths of the fighters. The next fight is between a human and the favorite, an orc. He realizes the fight is a setup, and ces a bet on the human, Vidone, against the orc. He wins the bet and is rewarded with a considerable amount of money. On the way back to the inn, they identally bump into a nobleman and his escort. The nobleman¡¯s wife looks at Gilgamesh in shock, a shock Gilgamesh attributes at first to his impertinence at dying her progress. They reunite with Elwin at the inn. They decide that they need a more reliable and steady source of ie to get enough money, so they decide to join the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. The next day, they go to the Adventurer¡¯s guild to register. They meet Darcen Tsend, the Guildmaster, who inducts them into the Guild and makes them touch the Bonding crystal and swear the Adventurer¡¯s Guild oath. ¡°To do your very best to always uphold the reputation of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild,¡± are the simple words of the oath. After registration, Gilgamesh reads the job board at the Guild. This triggers a quest to warn the Guild of the Echo-Stalker¡¯s nest. Feeling that the quest aligned with his current goals, he epts the quest and informs Taciano, one of the Guild clerks. Taciano also suggests that they buy some potions and gives them directions to a local Alchemist¡¯s. While they wait for the Guild to confirm the legitimacy of their information, Gilgamesh andpany decide to take up three other requests, to collect some Moon Moss, some River Root, and to acquire three River Lurker hides in the Sainba forest. Their business concluded, the three of them leave the Guild and head off to the Alchemist¡¯s. Here they meet Hamsa, owner of Hamsa¡¯s Wondrous Apothecary. After some negotiation, Gilgamesh is able to get a discount from Hamsa in exchange for promising to get the Alchemist some Broomshead mushrooms. On the way back to the Twisted Boar, Gilgamesh sees a veryrge donkey with ame leg being led to the butcher¡¯s block. Seemingly against all reason, Gilgamesh purchases the donkey at a very steep discount. After returning to the inn, he uses Greater Heal on the donkey, healing its leg. Gilgamesh names the donkey Patches. Gilgamesh and hispanions are now journeying to the Sainba forest to fulfill their three requests from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡­ Book 2: Of What Has Gone Before... Book 2: Of What Has Gone Before... A university student on the brink of death is transported from his world to the magicalnd of Gesthe by the powerful Goddess of Justice, Avaria, as her Champion. However, a darker power, the primal force of Entropy, takes interest in him and ces its mark upon him to better suit its purposes. Disorientated, naked, and alone, he finds himself in a sea of grass, a hill with a solitary tree atop it, serving as the onlyndmark. This strange scene is as alien as it is familiar, for he has seen this before in his dream. He begins to see strange messages, reminiscent of the information boxes of the games that he used to y, giving him a quest and urging him to go forth. He is inexorably drawn towards the tree. Arriving at the tree, hepletes his first quest and gains his first level, granting him a new skill, Power Strike, and the magic spells Heal and Rust. At the foot of the tree, he finds some old robes, a magical scroll, a broken half-spear, and a small shrine dedicated to Avaria. He is given another quest to repair the altar, but, angered at the Goddess who had brought him here against his will, he ignores it. Here, he also learns a spell from the scroll, Identify. Hungry and thirsty, he almost dies on his first night, from exposure, but is able to save himself by using his Heal spell. Below the hill is a pool of water inhabited by Bibsis, amphibious monsters that spit solid balls of water. Needing to sate his hunger and thirst, he drinks from the pool, attacks the Bibsis and consumes them raw. This teaches him a variety of new skills and earns him a few levels, which further reinforces his view that this world is nothing more than a game or a hallucination. The next day, he is violently osted by a small mounted patrol of the locals, the Children of Tides. To our protagonist, from their dress and ethnic features, these people resemble the old Mongols of Earth. He is thrown in jail to await his fate. There, he uses this time to train his body, improving his physical attributes. The old knowledge of Earth serves him well, garnering him boosts to his Intelligence and Wisdom. Using the Identify spell, and his improved intellect, he also rapidly learns the localnguage and the name of the ce he is in. The great city of Ansan. He tries tomunicate with a boy called Jongshoi, but fails miserably and is only able to spook him. Finally, Navigator i, a wizened crone, and one of the leaders of Ansan, meets with him to pass judgement. When asked of his name, the protagonist realizes that he can not recall it at all. Pressed, he instead takes up the moniker of Gilgamesh, the first and greatest of all heroes. i pronounces, unjustly, that for his crimes of desecrating the shrine of Avaria, he is to be sent to participate in an event called the Winnowing, and fight in the arena for his right to live. This bloody event is a rite of passage for the Children of the Tides, marking the point where a boy bes a man. In the arena, he is paired against Jongshoi. Jongshoi is much better armed and armored than him, but ultimately Gilgamesh prevails. Although victorious, his fate is still a grim one, as he is taken away, branded and cored as a ve. The iron ve cor is a magical cor, causing great pain onmand, or when tampered with. Alongside a new intake of ves, he is escorted to his new home, the ve pits of Ansan. There, he makes friends with another ve, a Dwarf named Durhit. Being told to wash, Gilgamesh moves to a small artificial stream to wash and relieve himself. However, the water is dirty and he searches for cleaner water upstream. Arge man, a Nord called Harun the Iron, blocks his way. In an explosion of raw, unrestrained violence, Gilgamesh overpowers him and kills him. This earns him experience and improvements in his abilities, as well as giving him new skills, and teaches Gilgamesh that murder in this world is rewarded. Shortly thereafter, he is beaten and healed repeatedly by the ve Overseer Degei, who thinks he has broken Gilgamesh. But the fires of rebellion grow bright within Gilgamesh, and it is this that draws the giant troublemaker Kidu, another ve, to his side. A boy named Gunne, who adored Harun, threatens vengeance upon Gilgamesh one evening. Gilgamesh mocks and threatens him in turn. Gilgamesh is worked nearly to death in the mines, the only thing keeping him alive was the restorative nature of his Heal spell. He begins to seriously think of escaping. Finally, he remembers that he had been gifted another spell when he first entered this world, Rust. For some mysterious reason, more than just mere forgetfulness, he had never thought to use this spell. Using the elusive Rust, he experiments on the manacles of the other ves, and even Kidu¡¯s cor, slowly eroding their bindings. Eventually, he is able to undo the magic of his own ve cor, but just as a path to freedom is opened to him, an earthquake urs. This earthquake causes damage to the mines, and Gilgamesh, Durhit, Kidu, and a few others ves are sent to clear out the mines. Among their number is a fearsome Orc, and a rascal who introduces himself as Elwin Tucker, a Forester. They begin to clear out the mines, but there is another earthquake. The roof of the tunnel copses on them, trapping them underground. The boy Gunne is grievously injured, and Durhit asks Gilgamesh to put him out of his misery. Wanting more experience points, Gilgamesh has no qualms in ending Gunne¡¯s life. They reunite with Elwin and an unconscious Kidu. Elwin begins to despair, and Gilgamesh lets them know that he may be able to free them from the pernicious effect of the ve cors. Gilgamesh Heals Kidu and casts Rust on their ve cors. The Rust spell sessfully erodes the iron of the cors to negate their magic. Durhitins that Gilgamesh could have healed Gunne. Kidu defends Gilgamesh, stating that Gilgamesh was under no obligation to aid Gunne, who had sworn vengeance against him. With the matter of the cors taken care of, Gilgamesh, Kidu the Hunter, Elwin the Rogue, and Durhit the dwarf Sapper decide to venture deeper into the mines. Of the Orc, there is currently no sign. Exploring further, they find themselves in a nest of Echo-Stalkers, a monstrous insect-like group of monsters. Trusting in Durhits dwarven instincts, they go deeper into the nest and find some basic weapons and equipment in the garbage pit of the nest. Searching for a way out, they fight more of the creatures, only to find some Echo-Stalkers that have been killed by a third party. Durhit posits that it was the Orc that had killed them. The Dwarf alsoments that it is possible that the pain from the cor has driven the Orc into a bestial frenzy. Following the path of destruction left behind by the Orc, they hear the sound of running water. Excited, for running water would mean a potential way out, they hurry to the source of the sound. They encounter more Echo-Stalkers and fight their way through to find a massive cavern and an underground river. The Orc is fighting here, alone, against a teeming horde of Echo-Stalkers. Without warning, Durhit is killed by a near invisible chameleonic strain of Echo-Stalker. With his dying breath, Durhit croaks out his sister¡¯s name and ¡°Bronzegate¡±. Gilgamesh takes a moment to cast Rust on the Orc¡¯s cor, wounding the Orc, and they flee. Now, should the Orc fall, Gilgamesh would be informed of its death via a death notification. They make their way out of the cavern, escaping into the Great Sainba. Gilgamesh receives the Orc¡¯s death notification and, fearing pursuit, they keep running until exhaustion threatens to undo them. They decide to rest, and Gilgamesh dreams of a dusty room filled with many objects. Each of these objects represents a ss Choice. Gilgamesh chooses the Pdin ss, but at the same time is forced by Entropy to also take up the Reaver ss. Both these grant Gilgamesh new skills and magical abilities. While resting at their meager camp, with the aid of Elwin¡¯s lockpicking skills and Gilgamesh¡¯s magic, they are able to fully remove their remaining bindings. Using his magic, Gilgamesh is also able to heal the scars of their ve brands, removing thest traces of their bondage. The next day, they see some smoke in the distance and decide to go in that direction. While wandering under the trees of the Sainba they are pelted by a rain of heavy Caru nuts. Elwin is knocked unconscious by one of the nuts, but Gilgamesh drags him to safety. Healing the knocked out Rogue, the group finds shelter in the hollow of a giant tree. Gilgamesh awakens to find his arm being gnawed on by a Tree-Laur, a six legged arboreal species that looks like a cross between a Terran warthog and wolverine. Gilgamesh struggles against the creature and is saved by Elwin, who threw a dagger into its eye, killing it instantly. They turn the Tree-Laur into jerky and continue on their way, to the source of the smoke. Finally arriving at their destination, they find a camp of Children of the Tides Charcoal Burners. They scout the camp. Desperate, Gilgamesh decides tounch an attack against them with the intent on killing them, to the man. Just as they are about to begin their assault, a group of Echo-Stalkers begin their own attack against the Charcoal Burners. However, hoping that the two sides would weaken one another, Gilgamesh continues with his n and begins to attack. Between the two groups of humans, they are able to fend off the Echo-Stalkers. The leader of the Charcoal Burners offers them the hospitality of their camp, but Gilgamesh, fearing that they wanted nothing more than to take him back in very, stabs him through the neck, killing him. Gilgamesh¡¯s party then proceeds to swiftly kill the rest of them. They loot the camp, finding supplies, a few valuables, and weapons. More importantly, they are able to find new clothes to disguise themselves as something other than ves. Gilgamesh is offered a im to the Charcoal Burner¡¯s camp, Nyamdor¡¯s Hold, by the System of this world. Not wanting to be bogged down by managing a settlement, he rejects it. Better equipped and supplied, the party decides that their best course of action would be to return to Ansan to find a caravan travelling away from the Grieving Lands. On their way to the city, they are osted by a cruel group of mysterious Elves. The Elves leave them for dead, and it is only thanks to Gilgamesh¡¯s healing spells that they are able to survive. With heavy hearts at their near brush with death, they seed in bribing their way past the guards at the city gates. One of the guards advises them to stay at an inn called the Twisted Boar. Advice that they decide to take. Gilgamesh, looking for a way to make some money, speaks to Athinad, the owner of the Twisted boar. The innkeeper suggests that they might join the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in the city. During the night, whilst practicing his magic spell Drain on random passersby from the inn¡¯s window, Gilgamesh identally kills an unborn baby. After fencing their stolen goods, a drunken Elwin gifts Gilgamesh with a heavily damaged book that exins some aspects of magic, as thanks for saving him, before falling asleep. Wanting some new equipment, they are advised to visit the Soot-Stained Pig by one of the Twisted Boar¡¯s patrons. Gilgamesh and Kidu decide to go there, while Elwin sells some of their more valuable items at a fence. At the Soot-Stained Pig they find a beautiful cksmith, Cillis. After some bargaining, Gilgamesh and Kidu are outfitted with better armor and weapons. Gilgamesh chooses to buy a Tsengelt-tum, a hybrid weapon that can be used as both a mace and a il. As part of the deal, Cillis agrees to teach him in its use. Although married, Cillis is a rather free-spirited woman and invites Gilgamesh to lie with her. Having no reason to refuse, Gilgamesh takes her up on her offer. Gilgamesh and Kidu leave the Soot-Stained Pig to purchase a bow for Kidu. After buying Kidu a new longbow at the market square, Gilgamesh sees the jail where he had been incarcerated by the Children of the Tides before. Spying a guard retching in a nearby alleyway, he walks up to him and casually murders him. Kidu, who has sworn vengeance against all of the Children of the Tides, praises him for this deed. Walking away from the scene of the crime, they lose themselves in the flow of the crowd and find themselves at Ansarai¡¯s fighting pit. Here, Gilgamesh discovers that he can use the Identify spell to gauge the rtive strengths of the fighters. The next fight is between a human and the favorite, an orc. He realizes the fight is a setup, and ces a bet on the human, Vidone, against the orc. He wins the bet and is rewarded with a considerable amount of money. On the way back to the inn, they identally bump into a nobleman and his escort. The nobleman¡¯s wife looks at Gilgamesh in shock, a shock Gilgamesh attributes at first to his impertinence at dying her progress. They reunite with Elwin at the inn. They decide that they need a more reliable and steady source of ie to get enough money, so they decide to join the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. The next day, they go to the Adventurer¡¯s guild to register. They meet Darcen Tsend, the Guildmaster, who inducts them into the Guild and makes them touch the Bonding crystal and swear the Adventurer¡¯s Guild oath. ¡°To do your very best to always uphold the reputation of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild,¡± are the simple words of the oath. After registration, Gilgamesh reads the job board at the Guild. This triggers a quest to warn the Guild of the Echo-Stalker¡¯s nest. Feeling that the quest aligned with his current goals, he epts the quest and informs Taciano, one of the Guild clerks. Taciano also suggests that they buy some potions and gives them directions to a local Alchemist¡¯s. While they wait for the Guild to confirm the legitimacy of their information, Gilgamesh andpany decide to take up three other requests, to collect some Moon Moss, some River Root, and to acquire three River Lurker hides in the Sainba forest. Their business concluded, the three of them leave the Guild and head off to the Alchemist¡¯s. Here they meet Hamsa, owner of Hamsa¡¯s Wondrous Apothecary. After some negotiation, Gilgamesh is able to get a discount from Hamsa in exchange for promising to get the Alchemist some Broomshead mushrooms. On the way back to the Twisted Boar, Gilgamesh sees a veryrge donkey with ame leg being led to the butcher¡¯s block. Seemingly against all reason, Gilgamesh purchases the donkey at a very steep discount. After returning to the inn, he uses Greater Heal on the donkey, healing its leg. Gilgamesh names the donkey Patches. Gilgamesh and hispanions are now journeying to the Sainba forest to fulfill their three requests from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡­ Book 2: Chapter 11: A Forced Bargain Book 2: Chapter 11: A Forced Bargain Good men nt seeds of trees whose fruit they shall never taste. - A Quassian Aphorism I realized now that it was only on a whim that I had chosen to visit the Alchemist''s first. After a long day''s weary march, making my way back to a familiar ce brought a rare and wee calmness, as this day had been just another incredibly long one. I took off my gloves and hung them on my belt before removing my helm and tucking it in the crook of my arm. Instead of feeling disgusted by the rank smell wafting from the tent that served as his abode and ce of business, I felt a slight sense of relief. A grin found its way to my face, despite the stench hitting me like a brick as I entered. Mypanions had, perhaps rather wisely, chosen to stay outside to watch over Patches and our belongings. "Hamsa!" I half-shouted in the smoky gloom, my eyes searching for the alchemist as my nose crinkled in response to the caustic smell. Soon enough, a wheezing cough signaled his approach, and a figure coalesced, seemingly from out of nowhere. In the dim light, I could see him squint behind his dirty spectacles as he came closer. "No need to shout! I swear, young people are getting so hasty these days. Always rushing off this way and that! And LOUD!" reproached the hunched man, his gray eyes roaming over me before recognition lit across his pale, sickly features. "Ah, it is you! The wee and most honored customer has returned! The young master Gilgamesh of Uruk himself!¡± he eximed. The man took a moment to dust himself off from histest experiment before wiping his hands with a dirty rag. Putting the ratty piece of cloth into a pocket of his leather apron, he smiled somberly at me. ¡°You have it, don''t you, ounder?" the Alchemist said tersely in his cultured voice and held out his handmandingly, like a noble awaiting his tithe. "Yes, we were able to find some," I answered as politely as I could, though something in his choice of words struck a small part of me. Shrugging off the feeling, I reached into the pouch and handed the man the strange-looking mushrooms he had requested. Idly, I wondered about what use the man would have for them, what mysterious concoction he would be able to make. "Good, my breakfast has beencking without them. Did you know they are wonderful on toasted bread in the morning? It is good to see that young people still stand by their words with deeds," he said, nodding in appreciation. Absolutely gobsmacked, I could only look at the man, feeling that fate had once again somehow cheated me. This was no noble quest to gather ingredients for a fabled magical elixir. It was nothing more than a simple chore for this pathetic NPC. I had to rein myself in, however, as we had been ''paid'', already with the steep discount on ourst purchases. Besides, it had been a simple little side quest that took almost no effort at all on my part. "Men have been looking for you, ounder. A fortune they promise for any information regarding you," he said, his voice taking on a subtle but menacing tone as he took off his grimy spectacles. His tone and words seemed no less than an open threat to me and I slowly reached for the weapon at my waist. If his intent was perfidious ckmail, then he would be paid with steel through a smashed skull. My armored body almost quivered in anticipation of violence, and the voices within grew excited at the prospect. "No, no, none of that," the Alchemist said, holding up both of his hands to show that he meant no harm. His choice of words left much to be desired, though. "You are a man in need of help, no? And since you have helped me with my breakfast, I am very much indebted to you," he continued, a serpent''s smile on his hairless face. "Speak on, and be quick about it," I said, irritation threaded into my stance and voice. I was but a few steps from striking the man. "To truly know a man, you must first know what..." the Alchemist began again. "Enough already," I snapped sharply, loudly enough for mypanions to hear. Hamsa did not know it, but it was at that point that he hade closest to a swift death. I had been hounded and hunted, fought dangerous creatures, and had defeated a powerful mage. A mere Alchemist and purveyor of potions would be no match for me. My anger was reaching a boiling point, and only the thin shreds of civility were holding me in check. "Again, so hasty is our youth. I know, probably, what it is you want. You want a way out of this city, yes?" he asked yfully, steepling his fingers, a merchant about to sink his ws into an unsuspecting customer. I found myself surprised at his brazen gall. Despite the threat of physicality, he acted as if he still held a clear advantage in this situation. Sensing he was awaiting a civil response, I reined in my emotions and decided that silence would serve me best. However, the man simply took this for assent. Drawing a deep breath, which broke down undramatically into a wheezing cough, he continued with his proposal. "I have friends among the merchant folk; they will give you safe passage far away from here. A ce where those looking for you can never reach. Their route will take them across the grass sea and the great sands of the Whispering Wastes to the city of Al-Lazal. A ce where a man can truly be free. There, even a hasty man such as yourself can find what he seeks," he said knowingly, in an almostically annoying sage voice, filled with enunciated portent. The man had piqued my interest, a fact that was clearly disyed on my countenance and etched into my posture. Like a man lost and thirsty in the desert, I craved deliverance, and he proffered a draft of water. He had his hooks in me now, and he knew it. I was growing tired of his song and dance, but it was a tune that I could not afford to ignore. "All that I ask," he paused for an almost dramatic effect, "First, is that you do not go back to the Adventurer''s Guild. I can afford no dys in this. I will pay you now whatever they have promised you and deliver whatever it is they sought from you. So fear not for your reputation with the Guild. I believe this will be to your advantage, considering your current circumstances. And of course, if you are in need of coin right away, I would be willing to buy anything you have of value at a good price," he continued, his tone even and leveled, with none of its earlier yfulness. "Second, you will take something with you. Something I hold very dear; this part is non-negotiable. Larynda!" he barked the name in a forceful voice. There was a scurrying from somewhere in the back. A creature of some sort made its way toward the Alchemist¡¯s, summoned by his voice. As it came into the light, the grubby and small shape revealed itself to actually be a scruffy child, d in locally roughspun clothes of poor weave. Green eyes peeked curiously from behind a mop of dirty yellow hair. However, what caught my eye were its ears, longer than any human''s had a right to be. I almost hissed once I recognized them for what they were. "Nah, I ain''t going," a small childish voice answered. The small thing, having seen my reaction, quivered behind Hamsa¡¯s leg. Small hands made small fists, clenched tightly at the child¡¯s sides. "For thest time, Lynda, dear. Yes, girl, you are. We talked about this before. Please, do not make this more difficult than it has to be," Hamsa replied with a certain parental authority. Like a loosed arrow, the child made to run back to thefortable safety of the back of the shop, but the Alchemist''s hand shot out like a viper, catching the waif by the cor. Gently, yet firmly, the bald man drew her slight, sobbing form into his embrace. He whispered something into her ear that seemed tofort her. Releasing her, he stood to his full height, and now that he was no longer stooped and hunched, he cut a more impressive form. He turned and looked me squarely in the eyes. "You will take my good-for-nothing apprentice with you. She wouldn''t know the difference between Stain-root or a Bitterburn, but still, you will take her with you. This is my price, the only real price for my help," said Hamsa hoarsely, his eyes dampening from more than just the sordid vapors in the air. New Quest: Escort Larynda to Al-Lazal It had been such a long time. The new quest notification filled my vision, and I could only mentally ept it before giving voice to my decision. "Very well, I agree to those terms," I epted resignedly, a new feeling of tiredness seeping into my weary bones. Despite everything seeming to be to my benefit. Something rankled me, and my words were filled with bitterness and frustration. Inwardly, I railed against the maniption of the fates. Everything seemed too convenient, the stars in perfect alignment. What were the chances that something I needed would fall into myp like this? It stank of a higher intervention. It all felt that something had led me to this choice, which was truly no choice at all. I felt as if I had been yed once again by the gods and the simple machinations of man. Thank you for reading! The Adventure continues from September 19th 2023! Thank you for reading! The Adventure continues from September 19th 2023! Published Royal Guard (2023) ----------------- Link: A Record of Ash & Ruin: The Grieving Lands (Book 1) Book 2: Chapter 12: The Alchemists Daughter Book 2: Chapter 12: The Alchemist''s Daughter Too much of one thing can lead any of us down the path of the many-coloured myriad loss. - Well-known Qisnian aphorism. ¡°Why?¡±, I rasped, ¡°I must know. Why me? You say you would entrust your dearest possession to a stranger, do you not?¡± ¡°All friends start as strangers. You bear the mark of the Guild, do you not? A strapping man like yourself, and with formidable allies, no less? You have the air about you of a man who has found great strength. Something about you tells me that the Goddess of the Two des has touched you with her blessing. Also, you are an ounder with no real ties to this city, and I do believe, from the cut of your enemies in the arena, that you harbor a disliking for the iron cor,¡± he put forth. ¡°Only a person such as yourself, a man not born to the Tides, can I trust to see my Lynda safely to the city of Dust.¡± I made a move to refute his ims, but the man simply barrelled on, keeping me off bnce. How on earth was this man so well informed? Was this man there on that fateful day when I made an end of Jongshoi, the boy who had failed to prove himself a man? ¡°Let me give you a little something. A token to show that I mean no ill will. Most of the people here believe you¡¯re dead, you know? All except a mother of a dead young brat. That one thinks you have turned into a ghost. A vengeful specter who preys on innocent blood in the dead of night on your quest for vengeance, or so the rumors go. Though she is only one voice among the many, I would not remain in this ce with an enemy like that. Best you make yourself scarce. He paused for a moment, giving me time to form a response. ¡°Why not have her just join the Guild here? I saw an elf, just a few days ago, wandering around free, without a care in the world,¡± I asked insistently, not understanding the Alchemist¡¯s motives. ¡°On the surface at least, the Guild offers a level of protection for their members. But that silver-haired menace, Lanarisa, the elf you speak of, is protected by more than just her affiliation with the Guild,¡± Hamsa said, his refined voice growing irritable. ¡°Surely, it is¡­¡± I began. ¡°Better than nothing, maybe, but is far too thin and fickle of a shield. Have you met that Darcen Tsend fellow? Of course you have. Tell me true, do you think that snake of a man is worthy of trust? He did note to his position by merit alone, I can tell you,¡± the old man snorted. ¡°The Guild, under his leadership, has grown to be very flexible in its morals. Respecting local customs and culture would be how Tsend would phrase it. No doubt he will weigh the worth of new members against the demands and desires of the local lords. It would take just one upstart to think that an innocent young half-elven child would be a wee addition to his hareem. Also, even an ignorant fool knows the price that Elven bloodmands on the ve blocks. Even a half-blood like Lynda,¡± stated the Alchemist bitterly, letting the words settle for a moment. ¡°You too, would do well to not be overly reliant on the protection of the Guild.¡± ¡°I want her to have a better future than she could here in Ansan. Though she is the very embodiment of the word idle, she is also graced by some degree of mental aptitude, and the city of Dust would be a good ce for her to spread her wings and find her own path. It simply is not safe for her here. Bah, the amount she eats alone is cause enough for worry. There is no end to the trouble she has caused for me already, I will be relieved once she is out of my hair!¡± he snorted, the lie obvious for all to hear and see. He squinted at me. ¡°I am old, Gilgamesh, or Bzzz¡­¡± What did he say!? For a moment, I thought I heard the whisper of my old name before it was drowned by static. A distant thing, that was gossamer thin, and floating out of reach. I tried to im it for myself, but the voices whispered in turn that it was but a name. That I should let go. That I should forget. A softmand that was, nheless, as strong as banded steel. With that, they focused my mind back to the present. ¡°¡­as you were known, older than you know. Again, my next turn upon the wheel grows close. I want to give her a chance. More of a chance than she would have here.¡± It felt like I was missing something, but I had to keep my attention to the conversation at hand. It was indeed a convincing case that he presented. His motives wedded logic with emotion, but a gnawing feeling in my gut told me something was being hidden from me or that I had overlooked something significant - some detail that was yet veiled. It was almost always the smallest things that caused the biggest amount of trouble. But maybe I was just worrying too much over nothing. Perhaps everything was in alignment. Having already acquiesced to his bargain, I could only nod again in agreement and prayed that the burden ced upon me would not be too troublesome. Looking long and hard at the small girl, I saw that her face was now set into an expression that passably resembled grim determination. ¡°You had best call yourpanions in, and I will close Hamsa¡¯s Wondrous Apothecary for the rest of the day. There will be gossip among the old wives, but this can not be helped. Be sure to tell your associates to bring in my goods,¡± he said, his friendly tone returning, now that our bargain had been struck, as he went outside. Opening the tent p, I told mypanions of the situation in a hushed voice. Soon after, we began to offload the bounty from the forest into the gloomy shop. Elwin seemed furtive, looking this way and that and, like my earlier self, he probably saw enemies in every shadow. The only issue arose was when I forgot to reward Patches, for her patience, with another carrot, which resulted in her braying in irritation. Hamsa, seeing the array of bloody loot that we had unloaded, simply raised an eyebrow as I pocketed a simple single-edged knife for my own personal use. ¡°Do you really need any more weapons? Suit yourself I suppose. Hmm, truth be told, I don''t have any interest in these goods, and I have even less interest in where you got them. Still, a promise is a promise, and I will take them off your hands. I¡¯ll have to speak to Yusufter¡­¡± the old man nodded to himself, and I could only grit my teeth as a small part of me felt that I was making a mistake in trusting him. After all, I had no idea the true value of our loot. Still, another part of me was d that forensics had not been developed yet in this world. As we were finishing with ourbors, I observed that Elwin appeared unusually troubled by the recent developments. It seemed as though something was gnawing at him, and I could have sworn I heard him murmuring softly to himself. Once we had finished stacking the goods near the entrance, Hamsa lit a small candle on the wooden counter of the shop. Its faint light helped to cut through the gloom, and shadows danced with the flickering light on the cloth walls. More importantly, its fragrant scent helped to ward off the noxious smells that pervaded the inside of the shop. With the help of the half-elven girl child Larynda, the Alchemist ced a small floor table down on the carpet. Hamsa produced a pot of what I assumed to be tea, which the girl poured into small thimble-sized porcin cups. The alchemist bade us sit on the floor with him, and his apprentice sat to his side, cross-legged. I noticed that the girl had begun to fidget. It felt strange sitting under the alien and exotic alchemical ingredients hanging across the high roof of the tent as I sipped at the brew. My gaze drifted upwards to the purple-colored dried grass, and I could not help but wonder which nt or mystical ingredient had been used to create this tea. My own lips only touched the small vessel once I saw the Alchemist drink from his own cup and, like a ritual, we drank our tea in silence. The liquid was bitter and astringent, tingling the tongue with its crude vor, but it took some of the edge off the tiredness that haunted my body. ¡°So, what¡¯s this all about?¡± said Elwin, breaking the solemn atmosphere and seeking some confirmation. ¡°As I have exined to your leader, I have a way that you might find easier passage to different climes,¡± Hamsa replied, affecting an air of mystery that grated on my nerves, ¡°And in return, all you have to do is take my apprentice with you. A simple thing, is it not?¡± I could hear Elwin grumbling to my left and Kidu merely snorted. As he did with me, Hamsa told mypanions of the mutually agreeable solution that he offered. He painted a scenario of an easy way across the grass sea, away from the Tides. Crossing the Wastes would be difficult, but with an experienced caravanserai who had made the trip many times, not an overly dangerous one. He also drew the destination of the caravan in a positive light, creating for us an image of a great coastal city steeped in culture and opportunity. Such were his oratory skills that he even managed to get the taciturn Kidu to grunt and mumble something in his ownnguage, in agreement. However, for all of this, Tucker still looked doubtfully at the proposal, as cynicism was ingrained into his very being. ¡°Now, for the money! I see that all of this is for the Lurker hides, the Moon Moss, River Root, and a bit of a wee extra for Kari horn. Only problem is, we collected all of this on behalf of the Guild¡­¡± the Rogue began, but Hamsa silenced him with a friendly smile, ¡°You need not worry, as it was I who ced the original orders at the Guild. And of course, some payment for the equipment that you happened to recover¡­¡± the Alchemist replied catingly, jingling a purse. The tinkling of coin yed a wee tune across the table and caused Elwin¡¯s face to light up in almostical delight. Hamsa passed me the heavy purse and I counted out the coins, there and then, into three separate equal piles amounting to eight silver pieces each and handed the money to mypanions. It was a fair sum, even when deducting the one silver coin we had left as a deposit with Taciano. Hamsa just nodded to himself at my actions. Mysteriously, it felt like I had just passed some sort of test. And just like that, one of my side-quests hade to its conclusion. Almost two gold pieces in silver and bronze helped ease some of my financial worries. Also, with this new quest foisted upon me, I doubt that I could sessfullyplete my quest to warn the Guild of the Echo-Stalkers, and reim my deposit. That was one silver lost to the ether. As I spoke with Hamsa, I noticed Larynda sitting silently at the corner of the table, her future decided for her. From the corner of my eye, I saw her shoot the asional odd look in my direction. I responded with a weak smile, but she looked away and busied herself with adjusting her clothing. Probably not the best of starts. The Rogue let out a yawn and stood up, announcing, "Well, nature is calling, and I''ve got some business to take care of." He pocketed his silver and made his way out of the tent. This prompted the rest of us to get up as well. Kidu''s massive size caused him to almost knock over the small cups on the table, and I could have sworn his granite expression turned red for a moment from embarrassment. Sighing, Hamsa patted therge man on the shoulder and gave him a smile before whispering something in his ear, causing Kidu to look puzzled. Moment¡¯ster, Hamsa produced a red length of knotted string and offered it to me. "Show this to the caravan master named Laes Harevor, who can be found at the caravanserai by the eastern gates. He''s known for clothing his men and beasts in purple, a symbol of his presumptuous status," the Alchemist snorted in contempt before continuing, "This string is the mark of the favor he owes me. Tell him that you need immediate passage out of the city and will tolerate no dys. If he proves difficult, say these words: ''The teacher instructs.'' He''ll know what it means. Remember, speed is your ally against those who are pursuing you," he said, speaking softly as he ced the knotted silken red string into my hand. Despite feeling that I was being manipted, ckmailed really, I gritted my teeth and decided to trust his motives, rather than the man before me, and ced his token into my pouch. In my mind, though I found it irksome, I rationalized that I was killing two birds with one stone. I looked around his shop, searching for anything that might be of use for my long journey ahead. "You might be interested in these," he offered, presenting a wooden case lined with straw like a sommelier. With a showman''s flourish, he opened the case, revealing three delicately shaped silver vials nestled inside. A part of me found it amusing, despite the circumstances. Noticing my incredulity, the Alchemist began to exin, "These are mid-grade Mana restoration and Health. Thest one is a little special and is often in great demand, a Stamina potion for all sorts of adventures. I¡¯ll have to admit that the vor is something of an acquired taste, but the locals swear by it," he said with a lewd wink,mon to many old men. He pointed at each potion in turn, and informed me that the number of nobs near the lips of the sks denoted the type of potion it contained. In my opinion, it was a truly ingenious invention, born from necessity. Much better than using fragile ss vials I thought. Grudgingly, I reached into my pouch and handed him a few pieces of shrapnel in bronze and a single silver piece. I was never petty enough to bargain when faced with quality. The man looked annoyed at my chosen denominations, but nheless slipped the coins into the folds of his clothes. ¡°Get your things as we discussed. It is time,¡± the old man said to his apprentice after he passed me the case, emotional strain heavy in his voice. The young girl sniffled for a bit before shouldering arge, unassuming brown backpack that was by the counter, and walked slowly towards the old man, who seemed to have grown smaller. Fussing over her like a mother hen, he took out a long brown headscarf and wrapped it around her unruly blonde hair, with great love. He made sure to cover her ears and face with the cloth, wrapping it around her head like a shemagh from the desert tribes, which left only her jade eyes visible. They were brimming with tears as they looked back at him. Again, the Alchemist whispered something to her, and this time, the dam finally burst. She broke down, and her small shoulders shook with a surging flood of emotion. The old man simply held her for a few long moments before releasing her. . ¡°No time like the present, for a hasty man such as yourself. No need for any more dilly or dallying. I leave Larynda in your care. Remember there must be no dys,¡± he stated firmly, a little of his former self returning. The girl dried her tears on the sleeve of her clothes and pushed past me out of the shop. I followed her, sparing ast nce and nod to the entric old man before leaving the tent. Despite feeling that my life had taken yet another strange turn, I found the whole thing decidedly mawkish. As I stepped out of the shop onto the busy street and into the slightly cleaner city air, Kidu greeted me. A greeting I returned with a nod, and I rubbed Patches across her muzzle. She decided to nip yfully at my gloves in return. But Elwin was nowhere in sight. Looking this way and that, I searched for the fool. Kidu, realizing the source of my distress, scanned the vicinity as well. I felt a tug at my arm and almost snapped in irritation. However, I held back when I saw that it was our little guest. ¡°Should go,¡± she all but squeaked, pointing towards what I assumed was the east. "We''re not leaving here without Elwin," I said firmly, locking eyes with her for a moment before resuming my scan of the crowd. I wondered if using Identify would be helpful in this situation. As I was about to cast the spell, I felt someone tap my armored shoulder. I spun around, only to find empty air. "Well, that''s damn bloody reassuring!" said a familiar voice near my ear. I turned once more, slightly irritated by the childish prank, and found our missing Rogue smiling at me with his cheeky grin. "Elwin, damn you! This is no time for these kinds of japes!" I said, taking a deep breath to restrain my growing anger, and to avoid causing a scene. "I know," Tucker replied, his voice losing its usual yfulness. "This is serious. But first, let me say thank you, Gilgamesh of Uruk. You have my deepest gratitude, truly. If I hadn''t met you, I''d still be wasting away in the ve pits." "What is it, Elwin?" I asked exasperatedly, disliking the direction his formal words were taking. ¡°Across, the Whispering Wastes to the east? I¡¯m sorry, but that is a path that I can not travel. I need to get back to my family, I need to know¡­¡± he replied, looking me firmly in the eye. "You have no honor, warmnder. Our life debt has not yet been paid," growled Kidu dangerously, his words carrying the threat of violence like a brewing thunderstorm. I ced a hand catingly on Kidu¡¯s shoulder that seemed to calm him a little. "Elwin, I know family is important, but is there anything I can do to persuade you to stay? We, I, still need you. There¡¯s still so much that I don¡¯t know about thesends. Can¡¯t you see? We''re stronger together," I pleaded, as panic started to take root. "The caravan to Al-Lazar will take me too far from my home. I''ve been away from my family for far too long. True, I owe a debt to you, young Gil, but the debt I owe from lost time to my home is stronger. You two wouldn''t understand the weight of being a father. Still, it will be a hard road without the both of you. If fate is kind, I promise to repay all debts I owe. Remember, Gil and Kidu, you''ll always have a friend in me," he said guiltily, his eyes downcast. "Bah, the words of warmnders are worth less than wind. Take your hollow words and friendship with you. For I have no need of them," Kidu dered, almost growling. Taking a deep breath to control my growing irritation, I decided to handle this like a mature adult. "Go in peace, Elwin Tucker. Let there be no debt between us," I responded formally as the sober truth finally settled in. However, my words were nothing more than a polite lie, for the man could have at least seen me to some form of safety. Surely he owed me that much. Still, thinking to ept this with some grace, I shook his hand and he mustered the courage to face me. Looking him firmly in the eyes, I could see a whirl of conflicting emotions in their depths. I released his hand and turned my back on him. For a fleeting moment, I expected a knife between my shoulder des - such was the feeling of sudden betrayal. Mastering myself, I tamped down on my emotions. Was this just part of the game? Perhaps Elwin was just following his prewritten script. Perhaps this was nothing more than a forced story event. Cursing inwardly, I realized that I should have stripped him of his gear before reaching this point, only to see that this option had vanished. The man had disappeared like a shadow under the sun at noon. I decided to take stock and assess my situation. Crying over spilled milk would do me little good, and I had no time to wallow in my misfortune. We needed to get out of Ansan, and now I had a new burden to worry about. An annoying escort mission. It was time to get moving. Things were not a total loss, however. I nced at the child to my right, thinking that I might have gained a temporarypanion to offset Elwin¡¯s sudden disappearance - though her usefulness remained to be seen. "Child, do you know the way to Harevor''s caravan?" I asked our new burden, the girl, firmly. She looked at me through misty jade-green eyes for only a moment, as she was unable to hold my gaze. I thought I heard a muffled ''Yes,'' but in this situation, I needed a clearer answer. "Speak up, child! I can''t hear you!" I insisted a little sharply, my irritation coloring my voice. "S''not child! My name''s Larynda!" she retorted, suddenly finding her courage, before finally answering my question, "Of course, I know how to get there! Not like some ounder!" I looked around worriedly, hoping that no one had noticed our little exchange. This one, it seemed, had a backbone. Kidu''s expression was almost unreadable, but I could have sworn I saw a hint of a smile. The girl huffed in irritation and led the way, her little legs setting a surprisingly fast pace through the muddy streets. A few minutester, my anger had finally subsided, and rity allowed me to think for a moment. I felt a pang of sympathy for her as I realized that perhaps we had both been abandoned this day. Book 2: Chapter 13: Poison Book 2: Chapter 13: Poison Mithril, God-metal, or Saint¡¯s Silver in the easternnds, is as precious as a firstborn royal heir and as rare as a dragon¡¯s smile. As strong as adamantium and as light as freshly spun silk, a master-forged mithril weapon is a thing of both peerless grace and deadly beauty. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. Leading Patches by the reins and navigating through the afternoon traffic, it took a good stressful forty minutes until we finally made it near the east gate. Towards thetter half of our trek across the city, Larynda, carrying her heavy bag, had begun to g. In an interesting show of kindness, Kidu reached down and shouldered her pack along with his own, much to her relief. I found the whole exchange grating for some reason, but it meant that we had no need to slow down. Elwin¡¯s sudden and off-the-cuff decision, understandable as it was, still stuck in my craw. It would take me a while yet to process the event, for I had other things on my mind. I tried to ignore most of the exotic sights of the city of tents and focused on my singr goal. However, a few momentster, I grew distracted by everything around me, and just for the sake of doing it, I paused to read the sign of a stall on my right, for practice. Thank heavens the local script was a phic one. Due to this, I was slowly but surely beginning to grasp even the written forms of thenguage. Literacy was, afterall, one of the differences between the savages and the civilized men. ¡°Haberdashery,¡± was disyed on a crude wooden sign in front of a stall that was manned by gaunt women. In a shrill voice, an old harpy was hawking her bone and horn buttons, as well as some crude iron tools. Satisfied that I understood the sign and was uninterested in her wares, I continued on, putting one foot in front of another, avoiding the dirtier patches of the thoroughfare as I followed our little urchin. With Elwin¡¯s recent betrayal still fresh in my mind, I needed a distraction. To that end, I decided to use Identify on the small girl, wanting to know exactly how much of a burden the old man had ced upon me. I cast the spell out like a, and the lines of energy found purchase across the child¡¯s form, to feed my mind¡¯s curiosity. Larynda - Chaos Mage (Human/Elf lvl.5) Health 32/32 Stamina 9/21 Mana 19/19 Looking over the information, I saw that she would fall over to a stiff breeze. However, she had even more Mana than myte friend, Amon Vanes. Was that because of her unique heritage as the spawn of an unnatural coupling? Was I dealing with a precocious little genius? More to the point, what exactly was a Chaos Mage? It sounded suspiciously like a unique and powerful ss. As I looked over the information, I bumped into a man who fell into the mud. He looked up at me and cursed as he got to his feet. Angry and dirtied, he began to reach for arge belt knife at his waist. But something in my expression, or Kidu¡¯s looming presence, stilled him and he simply gathered himself and moved off, muttering. Was Elwin a loose end? Again, what on earth was a Chaos Mage anyway? These worries and questions followed me as the little one led us to an area filled with baying beasts and people from many different races going about their business. Quite a few were different from the locals, the hue of their skin and the cast of their eyes telling of their different origins. Here I could see a muscr man loading up what looked to be a gigantic snub-nosed alligator with heavy leather bags. These he tied to the spines that flowed along its back on each side withplicated knots. Across from me, I saw a woman berating a child who had strayed too close to the cage of some sort of shadowy creature. The mysterious being trapped behind the bars bristled and gave off an aura of raw menace that seemed to absorb the very light surrounding it. Larynda navigated her way through the organized chaos, pulling us in her wake. Sensing that the Hunter was only a few words from violence, the busy people gave him a wide berth and thus it was easy to follow the girl, even through the press of the crowd. These sights and many more captivated my senses before we arrived in a section of the caravanserai that was positively bursting with royal color. Purple could be seen everywhere, from the tents to the garments that the members of the caravan wore. Even the guards that were lounging beside a small fire sat on purple cushions. Near them was a six-legged lizard beast, whose closest analog, in my mind, would be the ankylosaur from Earth¡¯s ancient past. It had a purple gold caparison, trimmed with gold, and purple tassels adorned the sharp spikes that ran along its armored hide. The beast lowed mournfully, shaking slightly as it smashed its heavy mace of a tail onto the hard-packed earth in a show of irritation at its handlers. A bearded man soothed the beast with gentle words as he rubbed under its chin and fed therge animal a red fruit. All around me was a veritable show of purple and it was clear that we had arrived at our objective. Larynda asked a few people the whereabouts of the master of the caravan, Laes Harevor. We followed their terse directions to find the turbaned man sitting on a stool, reading a hefty tome. Upon seeing us, he closed his heavy leatherbound book and ced it into a thick metal-bound chest. He smiled first at Larynda before looking at the rest of our group with a quizzical expression. He was a medium-built man just past the cusp of his middle years and gone to seed. Laughter marked the corners of his eyes, which sparked with mirth, born from a jest known only to him. His clothes were like those of the Bedouin tribes of the great Sahara, flowing in their elegant cut and stained with a faded purple. Hair, once probably thick and dark, was dulled by countless years of traveling under the harsh sun and was beginning to recede. This seemed to add to the length of his face and,bined with his square chin, gave an equine cast to his features. ¡°Ah, honored sirs. What business have you with the Ravens?¡± he asked in a surprisingly high tenor. ¡°You¡¯re Laes Harevor, right!? You look just as fancy like the old Ham said you would!¡± squeaked our little package, her voice muffled by the scarf that covered her mouth. ¡°So, child, I ask again of you, what business do you have with me?¡± he asked once more, straightening his back and preening a little over thepliment as he scratched the side of his nose. Larynda, losing some of her earlier verve, now that she had been asked a direct question, nudged my elbow. ¡°We seek passage to the city of Al-Lazar. I have been told that your goodpany often makes the trip. We wish to join you,¡± I said in my most polite and neutral tone, doing my best to curb my annoyance at the child¡¯s earlier outburst. ¡°You are wee to join us, the fee is four silvers a head, and since this young one has impable taste I¡¯ll throw in two meals a day. Travel rations mind you. We leave two days hence,¡± he offered with a practiced professional smile. ¡°No, we must leave immediately. It is of the utmost importance. There can be no dy,¡± I said tly, my voice tight and forceful. ¡°Young man, we have business to attend, here in Ansan. The caravan does not simply move at the whims¡­¡± the master of the caravan began to bluster. As instructed by Hamsa, and not wanting to waste any more time, I silenced him by pulling out the knotted silken string and showing it to him. The man¡¯s eyes grew wide for a moment in apprehension and surprise, but he quickly gathered himself and settled back into a rxed mien. ¡°That is a Timekeeper Knot. I acknowledge this,¡± he finally delivered, voice monotone as if repeating lines by rote. His hands ran reverently along the length of silk, whispering to himself as if reading some imparted message. The whole exchange had the feeling of a religious ritual. One I waspletely ignorant of, no less. He went to his chest, opened its heavy lid, and felt around inside. In a few moments, he found two small delicate crystal vials, about the size and length of my ring finger, and ced one of them into my right hand. The other, the man simply quaffed down before throwing the silk into a nearby brazier that suddenly gave off a sick acrid-smelling yellow smoke. ¡°The zes¡­ What is this?¡± I asked incredulously, thinking that I just received some sort of reward from a hidden quest. ¡°We thank you for the message. It is heard. This is the deliverance,¡± he answered me, directing my attention to the vial with his eyes. ¡°What is ¡®the deliverance¡¯ that you speak of? You wish for me to drink this potion?¡± I said, utterly perplexed. Things had moved on from the hallowed air of religious ritual. Now, it felt as If I was part of some theater. Unfortunately, the script was unknown to me, which served to only heighten my growing irritation. ¡°Ahh¡­ a gull,¡± Laes concluded with a tight smile, ¡°Hamsa, ever was his knotwork wless. Let me exin, all messengers entrusted with such a task are given the slow kiss of the vow-poison upon their skin. Tailored to specification, the poison itself is harmless for a few days or hours. In the old days, if the message reached its intended destination, an antidote would have been given. This is simply the antidote to that poison. Pardon me, but if you are truly ignorant of its significance, then¡­ all I can say is that proud old fool was prepared to make you pay the ultimate price if you reneged on whatever promise you had made with him,¡± he answered, his expression resembling a buck-toothed shark. ¡°The token you have delivered unto me, it was a token the most solemn of vow of duty - that imperial messengers of old would do or die to get a message to its destination¡± In shock, I looked to Larynda who was loitering to my left. Her eyes met mine for a moment, before she looked away in childish shame. She had known of the poison and said nothing. Kidu grasped the haft of his spear tighter. I knew from the lines of his body and the narrowing of his eyes that he was preparing for violence. Laes¡¯ confession was all the confirmation I needed to know that I had been yed by Hamsa. I was getting tired of this world¡¯s childish games, and I felt a sudden surge of the festering frustration that had been growing inside of me. Sometimes if you did not understand the rules of a game, it was often the best choice to flip the board. I had grown sinceing to these cursednds. I had options. I kept a forced smile on my face. The smug look of superiority on Harevor¡¯s face, I saw as nothing less than a direct insult that would be remedied one day. Nothing that came out of his perfidious mouth could be trusted, so I searched inside of myself for an answer. My Constitution and Rest? Would that be the answer, could I simply take the hit? Regenerate damage to my Health by literally sleeping off the poison? Too risky. If the poison was something like a time-dyed cyanide then I would be finished in mere moments. The risk was too great? Cyanide? What was that again¡­ Should I take the proffered vial? But, that could simply be another trick. Could I simply Heal or Greater Heal myself out of the condition? No, that did not feel right. Then, there it was, the Purify spell. A staple for Pdins for cleansing certain conditions. However, would a level two spell be enough to counteract the dyed poison that was probably running through my veins? In my fear, I imagined a small twinge in the hand that had held the string. Sweat must have been running down my brow as I kept a fixed expression on my face, and Laes and Larynda looked at me with worried expressions on their faces. Perhaps it was the effect of the poison, or the sudden shock making my brain go this way and that to reach a solution, but time seemed to slow down. Not wanting to show a single card in my hand, I forced magic toe silently, a slow song of a bright light that rushed to my core before spreading to my extremities. Then I felt the burn. My Pain Nullification skill kept the pain at bay, while Purify¡¯s fire coursed through my veins, burning the impurities that dared to intrude into the sanctity of my temple. I acknowledged the pain¡¯s existence, without truly feeling it. I suffered a single point of damage and I hissed sharply from the surprise rather than any suffered hurt, which Laes might have taken for a threat. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Kidu¡¯s hand had moved closer to the knife at his belt, a better weapon for dealing out brutality in these close quarters. Something about the spell, the initial imparted knowledge that came with it, told me that magic was sessful. Would I have to live the rest of my life here casting the Purify spell? I shook my head, no, that way led only to paranoia and a slow descent into madness. Time suddenly resumed its inexorable slide to normality, and I simply smiled a smug grin at the caravan master as I handed him back the vial. ¡°Please, you must take it. It is far too early for you to fight the war in heaven,¡± he almost shouted as he tried to refuse it, misunderstanding my actions. ¡°An antidote will not be necessary. But, we will be moving now,¡± my expression and tone, I hope, filled with whatever menace I could contrive. I must have done something impressive, for the world itself rewarded me with a most wee notification. You have gained 1 Strength. You have gained 1 Charisma. A few more points of Health and Stamina were always wee. The increase in Charisma, however, was harder to pin down. A puzzling thing to be sure, for I had no idea how, exactly, it aided my situation and ¡®build¡¯. If, somehow, Charisma affected how much I could influence the people of the world, then they perhaps, in turn, could influence me. Was it some form of passive mind control that stole my agency? A most worrying thought indeed. I looked at the ugly caravan master, the wheels in my mind turning at an infuriated pace. Had the attribute aided in bargaining for a faster departure? Or was this simply a result of showing him the poisoned item I had received from Hamsa? I hated variables that I could not categorically measure. Laes simply nodded, absolutely dumbstruck at this new turn of events, muttering something that sounded like ¡®Vanda Venny¡¯ or some such nonsense, before he began shouting instructions at his workers. I took a second to nce in his direction, assuring him with a nod that all was well. This part of the caravanserai turned into an upturned beehive of activity, as men, women, and beasts jostled with each other as they made their preparations for a sudden departure. The caravan¡¯s master had to assure several people that all was well, to encourage them to get back to work to get ready to depart. Getting out of the way of their industry, my small group moved to the side next to some wooden crates. My heart, now emptied of poison, was filled with thoughts of yet another betrayal. One day Hamsa, there will be a reckoning, I promised myself. Among the whirlwind of activity, I watched Laes as he apologized to a group of men d in fine orange silk deels and yellow sashes, all of them filled with their own self-importance. Head bowed and both palms pressed against the back of his head, he said something to them in anguage I had yet to learn. Soon after he had apologized, and one of them pocketed a small purse from Laes. Was that a form of apology in this culture? One of my hands subconsciously moved to the back of my head in sympathetic mimicry before I noticed Larynda looking at me. I lowered my hand, feeling a little embarrassed. ¡°You knew,¡± I said to the air. ¡°Errr¡­ yes¡­ but the old Ham said it would all be fine. His words exact as I remember ¡®em ¡®If you don¡¯t dilly dally with that Gilgamesh fellow, then there¡¯s nothing to be afear¡¯ of s¡¯like¡¯,¡± she piped and sputtered, before looking down at the ground dejectedly, ¡°an¡¯ thank you I guess.¡± I nced over my status, blocking everything out except the information that I sought. Experience to next level 2978/3202 Health282/288 Stamina56/63 Mana12/15 Well, at least the whole ordeal had given me some nominal experience at the cost of three Mana, a fair trade if there had not been the risk of death. Something about the small girl''s demeanor and words tugged a little at the strings of the heart, and I suddenly felt a small bud of sympathy grow. Was this a normal emotion to be feeling toward a person that could have caused my death through the lies of omission? A small voice said, in the back of my mind, sharp and oily in its insistence. Abandon the girl, or not? For surely she was to be the albatross around my neck. However, Kidu made the decision for us, as one of hisrge hands gently patted the little girl¡¯s head, and the unexpected act almost caused her to cry. She looked up at him, and Patches gave her face a slobbering lick, causing her to give out a weak moroseugh. It was this simple animal¡¯s trust that had convinced me to trust her, too. The creatures that men tame had instincts that could see through base human deception. She would have the benefit of the doubt, for the time being at least. We would have a deep discussionter, once we had put some distance between us and this forsaken city. My quest was not yet over. Book 2: Chapter 14: The Albatross Book 2: Chapter 14: The Albatross ¡°A true master of the sword need never use his sword at all.¡± - The Living Sword by Fen Vaigorus circa 520 AC. Thepany of the Ravens was an orderly picture of controlled chaos. Haranguing and cajoling his people, Laes was able to get his caravan on the move. There was an air of tension, and not a little fear, at the sudden change of ns that seemed to be spurring the workers to greater haste, if not efficiency. I saw some people struggling with loading some barrels onto a cart. I could have helped, but I decided it was not my ce. I was slightly amused when my inaction caused a pair of workers to scowl at me. Rumors of our departure had spread through the caravanserai, and the mysterious nature of it all had prompted other caravan masters to also make preparations to depart. Snatching up pieces of quickly exchanged conversation here and there, I heard the rumor grow into an almost living thing, whose growth was further fuelled by Laes refusing to give a reason for the early departure. Laes had heard of a lucrative opportunity to the east, the master had heard of a new bandit threat to the trade routes, or the Tides would soon be raising a new levy on exiting caravans. All these and more only served to me the ever-growing spection to new heights. Laes¡¯ train consisted ofrge wagons pulled by the great Ankylosaur-like beasts that Iter identified as ¡®Xaruar¡¯, which were affectionately called ¡®Ruar¡¯ by their minders. Despite their somewhat fearsome appearance, they were actually rather docile and even-tempered beasts, and used to their duties. The wagons they pulled were of wooden construction, withcquered ck tiles for roofs. The purple that was painted on their tted sides, rather than making the caravan look gaudy, actually gave the wagons an easily recognizable sense of uniformity. So entranced was I by all of this happening before me, that all I could do was watch the people doing the hundred and one things that were necessary for the long journey ahead. I had even forgotten to grill Larynda for more answers, or to consult Kidu on his opinion. ¡°Please, this way,¡± said a harried voice, cutting across the general mor. I shook my head, shedding my stupor, before taking in the owner of the voice - still a little wary of the whole setup. The caravan¡¯s master seemed extremely stressed, the lines of his face pinched and taut beneath the veneer of calm that he tried to exude. He gestured for us to follow, and so mypanions and I followed. We worked our way through the controlled chaos, and it was only thanks to my Dexterity that I narrowly avoided dropping my new helm when I bumped into arge, thick set man. Collecting his heavy bup sacks he had dropped, he gave me a scowl, an expression I returned in kind. After half a moment, he realized that we were in thepany of the caravan master and went about his way, muttering under his breath. Eventually, we reached our destination, one of the caravan¡¯s wagons in the middle of the train. Laes searched for a moment in his fine clothes for a key, chuckling a bit at some private joke, before he climbed up the small wooden steps of the gate. There, he struggled with a simple lock that refused to turn at first. Finally, opening the door, he turned to us and politely announced, ¡°Your amodations for the Green Road, I hope that they will be to your liking.¡± I sensed that there was a subtle difference in the way that he addressed me, a change in the tone of his voice. Was it due to the recent increase in Charisma, I wondered? Was the knotted silken red string that I had borne really of such importance? I had assumed it to be nothing more than a sort of bargaining chip or ticket in this world, and not some sort of tool to make sure a courier was suitably motivated to reach their destination. Also, by ident, or by design, Laes had yet to charge us his fee. Of course, I had no intention of reminding him. Behind us, a in, olive-skinned woman going to fat and d in a dull brown cotton dress offered a greeting and bowed to us. A purple scarf was a sh of vivid color around her pudgy neck, and looking at her face as she rose from her bow, I noticed there was arge ugly ck mole with hair growing out of it on the tip of her chin. Was the scarf merely another sign of bondage, or was it more in line with apany uniform? She smiled at Larynda and blushed a little under Kidu¡¯s intense re before offering to take Patches¡¯ reins. I held up a handmanding her to pause, and Kidu and I began to hurriedly remove the beast¡¯s saddlebags. Laes and the woman waited patiently in the quiet manner of servants everywhere. Politely, she coughed once we were finished to get our attention. This time round, I handed her the donkey¡¯s reins and offered her my best smile. I was only slightly annoyed when I did not receive another notification for my efforts to improve my Charisma. ¡°We will take care of your donkey, good sir. If I may ask - what is her name? That our master of beasts may be able to call upon her,¡± the ve, drudge, or indentured servant asked of me. ¡°Patches. Be sure that she is well seen to, and thank you for your service,¡± I answered, adding the thanks as an afterthought. She simply bowed once more to this and took Patches gently away. I saw her whisper a few words to the Donkey, feeding my animalpanion a small orange-colored fruit, which caused her to bray in bestial delight. It would seem that the equine was in good hands. Eager to see my new amodations, I looked into the interior of the wagon. From what I could see, the insides were inly adorned, save for the thick rugs on the hardwood floor. It was surprisingly well-lit, with heavy open wooden shutters on both sides that let in autumn¡¯s afternoon light. In one of the corners were tworge pails for our use. They were both filled with water andbeled in the local script. One for our daily toilet and one for drinking. It would do me well that I not confuse the two. The clean water reminded me that I had not bathed in many days, my forgetfulness stemming from the fact that my nose had probably grown inured to my own stench. Larynda, I assumed, did not mind in the slightest, thanks to her previous environment. It was not the finest of amodations, but it was clean and it would have to do. I nodded to Laes and gave him my thanks, which he curtly epted before he hurriedly headed off to the head of the caravan. I sat down at the bottom of the wooden steps, took off my boots and shook them free of dirt and mud as best as I could before entering the wagon. My party followed suit, with Kidu having to squeeze his bulk through the small door. The half-elf made her way to one of the corners, ced her heavy backpack down in the corner, and breathed a sigh of relief as she flopped down onto the carpeted floor. Thest to have entered was Kidu, who followed her in and ced our things on the carpeted floor before he sat down in the opposite corner. He ced the butt of the spear on the floor with the shaft resting against one of his wide shoulders, before shifting and adjusting his body to find a morefortable sitting position. In turn, I found my own corner to sit in. There I sat, luxuriating for a moment in the yielding softness of the carpet that I could sense even through my armor. A few momentster I heard a loudmand being ryed down the line of wagons, and sure enough, after a lurch of motion, we were finally on our way. Larynda began to hum a little as she took off her headscarf and I gritted my teeth in irritation as I caught sight of her ears. They would ever be a bitter reminder of my own weakness, myck of power when I had faced her people. Noticing my re, the girl stopped humming almost immediately and just fiddled with her fingers while she looked awkwardly through the open window¡­ This only served to add to my already tense mood. My hand moved to one of the straps of my armor, to shuck myself from my iron shell. However, momentster I decided that it was far too early to let our guard down, so I tightened the strap instead. We would probably be facing trouble before the end of the day, so I decided to voice my concerns to Kidu. ¡°Things may take a turn for the worse before this day is over, so we had best stay on guard until we leave this city of ves and vers,¡± I said to myrgepanion in the corner. He shook his blonde hair like a lion preparing for an attack before replying, ¡°It may well be as you say, Gilgamesh. You will not find my spear sleeping in my hand.¡± This was more than enough assurance for me, but there was still one unknown factor in the wagon. ¡°This day may end in blood, little one. Can you defend yourself? This I must know,¡± opened Kidu, almost as if reading my thoughts. I fancied I could see that the anger that was always in his eyes was subsumed for a while by a different, more gentle, emotion. The waif merely mutely shook her head which just served to add more fuel to my steadily growing irritation with her reticence. ¡°Even now, you would spout your lies,¡± I said, one step shy of growling, ¡°If we are to protect you, we will need to know the truth about you. Mage,¡± I finished thest with a sneer. ¡°Can¡¯t¡­ can¡¯t do it,¡± a look of shock ran across her face before she held up her hands to her head and shook in trepidation, ¡°The wild magic, Hamsa said never to use it¡­ too dangerous,¡± she pleaded, looking at me with eyes of misty cut jade. ¡°We all must do what we have to,¡± I said firmly, like a parent addressing a child, ¡°Take this,¡± I finished, and threw her a simple single-edged knife that I had appropriated from one of our would-be kidnappers. She drew the de from its simple leather scabbard with a familiarity I found surprising as she nodded to herself and to me. ¡°Thank you, not bad! I got my own though,¡± she beamed weakly, a ghost of a smile ying about on her face. Kidu chortled at this before his face grew serious, ¡°If the worsees to it, best that you take Freedom¡¯s Cut. Better than to be a ve, should Gilgamesh and I fall. Child¡­¡± It took me for a moment to realize what he was talking about, that Larynda should take her own life should the most dire of circumstancese to pass. The girl, too, came to a simr understanding as she clenched her fists and faced the big man with a determined fire in her eyes. ¡°Child, child, child! Don¡¯t call me child. Sure, I got no fancy name like you lot, but I got a name all the same, Larynda!¡± she retorted sharply. Kidu¡¯s expression changed not one whit, forcing her to answer his question, ¡°I can take care of myself! Stab ¡®em with the sharp bits right? Also, bein¡¯ that one my parents was an elf, I got a whole lot of life yet to live, so I¡¯d rather use one of my stickers for me rather than on me, thank you very much!¡± With no quick rejoinder of his own, he could only snort in annoyance. I simply found the whole exchange grating. Was the little brat going to be cooperative? Or had I, or Kidu, failed some sort of hidden Charisma check? ¡°Magic,¡± I said simply, ¡°can you do it?¡± ¡°Old ham¡­¡± she began in answer before I cut her off, seeking to get to the meat of the matter. ¡°I care not one whit for what that doddering old fool says, or thinks. Can you, or can you not do any sort of magic that could be of help to us if trouble finds us,¡± I said as matter-of-factly as I could, wanting to cut through any further childish protests that she may have left to offer. By her expression, I could see that she was concocting another pathetic excuse, so I decided a change of tack was in order. No matter how gifted the child in front of me was, I had to remember that she was still just a child. I would give her one of the drugs that all children craved. ¡°Hamsa is not here. Do you not wish to know the limits of your own potential? Here, and now, you are free to explore your own powers. Indeed, I am asking you, for our sake as much as yours, to do so!¡± I entreated, hoping that this line of attack would be sessful. I could see indecision warring on her face and I was about to reinforce my argument before Kidu delivered the final blow to her caution. ¡°Gilgamesh speaks truth. He too is walking down the path of wise. You would do well to follow his example. Fear of unknown things is not a treasure to be held close to your heart,¡± he said gruffly. A part of me despaired at his roughmand of the local tongue. For all of his rough delivery, however, it worked. The young girl stilled for a moment in thought beforeing to the decision that Kidu and I had guided her to. She reached into herrge pack and took out a few pieces of rectangr paper about twenty centimeters long and about a quarter of that wide, a brush and ck ink, and a writing board. Curiously, I watched her, afraid to break the spell as she furiously wrote down some mysterious arcane symbols on the parchment. ¡°These are seals. I once overheard the old man talking with one of the customers about using ¡®em to help guide novices safely down the path of magic. Hamsa told me, and made me promise, that I would never use my Mana directly or something like that. So, I like, maybe borrowed a book, and like practiced a bit here and there. These will act as some sort of, sort of, way to shape my Control or something like that,¡± she half-mumbled, her face a mask of concentration as she began to write new intricate symbols onto yet another piece. ¡°So, I presume you know what you are doing and not just scribbling down some random nonsense?¡± ¡°Guess so, only done it once before though. Comes to me easy enough. ¡®Haps I¡¯m just talented like that,¡± she said offhandedly, as she continued with her work. I moved nearer and observed her more closely. She drew, or wrote, the symbols with consummate skill that made believe her earlier im. Intriguing, I thought to myself. The symbols did not move about in shifting patterns as they did with the Identify scroll I had found when I first came to this world, but they were every bit as esoteric and mysterious. It was a pleasure to watch her brush glide delicately across the paper, a true craftsman at work. There was a passing mention in the book that Elwin had gifted me about seals, the things that the girl was making now. They were a way to help new practitioners of the arcane arts manifest their chosen element. It was a form of writing their intent for a spell, a sort of magical memo instead of a transference of knowledge, like a magical scroll. They had been alluded to as some form of shortcut for the fast execution of simple and basic spells, to allow a magician a feel for the element that theymanded. Unfortunately, the rest of the description of what they were exactly had been illegible. Still, it was truly fascinating to witness someone making a Seal before my very eyes. As she was finishing inscribing thest Seal with her magical signature, I could see that her features had grown wan and a little sallow, the activity seeming to have drained her. I decided to spend another Mana point to check on her condition. Larynda - Chaos Mage (Human/Elf lvl.5) Health 32/32 Stamina 3/21 Mana 0/19 It seemed that the activity had worn the girl out, something I could sympathize with. With shaky hands, she tidily put her things to one side and, with a small triumphant smile, presented to us herpleted Seals. ¡°If you can truly use these, then perhaps you may well be of some use, instead of an albatross about my neck, like Elwin,¡± I praised her. Mention of Elwin¡¯s name drew a warning growl from Kidu who was busy being menacing in the corner. Knowing full well that the carrot was often as important as the stick, I offered the girl some encouragement with a smile, ¡°Good job, now rest for a while and gather your energies. We may have need of themter.¡± The wagon continued moving, and I looked out into the city of tents. My eyes were drawn to the great Ark at its center that rose above all of the dwellings and small buildings. Good riddance to this cursed city, and if I should catch any of you unawares, I will happily sacrifice you all onto the altar of my advancement, I said under my breath, bitterly. Herbors finished, I saw her fall into an exhausted slumber, a small ball of childish innocence, next to Kidu. The child¡¯s delicate hands were stained with ck ink, and I could tell by her even breathing that the rigors of the day had finally taken their due. Kidu, too, in the manner of a veteran soldier, had also chosen to rest, and had soon dozed off. With only the sounds and sights of the city forpany, I was alone with my thoughts. Book 2: Chapter 15: The Gauntlet Book 2: Chapter 15: The Gauntlet Surety forces the mind down into ever narrower channels. Learn to challenge and question everything you have learned. - A Quassian Aphorism. The human mind can grow used to the strangest of things. What was once exotic and interesting can grow dull and mundane. Ignoring the oundish sights - the alien culture and alien creatures through my little window to the world, and having seen enough of the city for a lifetime, I shut both the shutters. Suddenly, our wagon stopped, which woke up myrgepanion who sprung into a wary half crouch. We moved near the entrance of the wagon and put our boots on, being careful not to dirty any of the thick carpets. My heart beat rose as I gripped my weapon tightly. I guessed that we had made it to the city gates. Had the guards discovered that it was I who had murdered one of their number? Part of me weed the thought of being discovered - the part of me that looked forward to another release of savagery. Urging myself to be calm, I ced my helm on my head and, picking up my teardrop shield, I girded myself for a possible battle. However, the violence did note to pass. I strained my ears and heard a terse exchange before the wagons began slowly moving again. Laes andpany must be, of course, well-known to the guards of the city, I concluded to myself. Breathing a sigh of relief, I removed my helm and settled down. ¡°It was a poor thing that Elwin did. Very sudden,¡± I said, seeing an opportunity to cover for my poor handling of the Elwin situation, now that our new charge was asleep. In truth, however, I had probably just wanted to gripe about something. ¡°Warnders are an ungrateful and dishonorable lot. How they survive the first touch of winter in each other''spany, I know not. I would trust them with nothing. Only promises of gold and silver have weight with them. Honor and bond-debt has little meaning to thends that have known no test. Elwin Tucker¡¯s path is not the way of honor for men. Though you said for him to go in peace, I wish for him to know none,¡±mented the wildman. Elwin¡¯s departure must have shaken him a little, as he was positively loquacious. It was a naive way of thinking, that his own culture was pure and full of honor. Having thought about his tale, I could only conclude that he had been a victim of his own elder¡¯s vicious maniptions. Oh, Kidu, dishonor, maniption, and betrayal could take many forms. First Durhit had betrayed me somewhere in the mines, and now Elwin had abandoned me. Abandonment and betrayal, these were my lot. ¡°What do you think of our new bundle?¡± I asked, pointing to the resting girl and steering the conversation down a new path. Talk of Elwin had done nothing but raise the levels of my anxiety. ¡°First time I have met eyes with one of the First, in a friendly setting, of course. Brings me memories of my sister Aruru. They had a simr way with the weaving of words. She too, was a Windspeaker. Not strong in the Way¡­¡± ¡°The Way?¡± I interrupted, thirsty for any knowledge of the arcane. ¡°You warmnders would call it magic, or witchery. To us it is simply the Way,¡± he answered sinctly, in his curt manner, before continuing, ¡°But skilled, little Aru could read the path of air and tell us of storms long before their passing. She had the weight of great honor, and many of the Tribe, with the guidance of her gift, have seen many winter¡¯s ends and new springs,¡± he finished proudly, a spark of something other than the anger that forever haunted him. We were headed to new climes, and a bud of optimism grew, despite the poor soil of our situation. Whatever dangers I would face, I would face with Kidu¡¯s spear by my side. A dark moment came when I remembered Elwin leaving us and I swiftly forced myself towards a more positive line of thought. ¡°Tell me more of life in the North¡­¡± I asked, a childish curiosity from a different time entering my voice. * Wrestling with Kidu¡¯s grasp of ourmonnguage, I gleaned little new information about the harsh life in the north, except for some details about Kidu''s immediate family. His parents had departed this life when they were still quite young, and Kidu confessed to only have a few vague memories of them. The tribe had taken both children under its wing, and every member of themunity acted as a parent to the pair. This was the way of life in the north, where death could strike unannounced from any number of directions. During our lengthy conversation, which required constant coaxing of details from him, I sensed his deep longing for his family. I noticed his particr kindness towards Larynda, and realized it could pose a threat if he projected such misced feelings onto the newest member of my group. It simply would not do, for him to have mixed loyalties. Hours psed, the monotonous rhythm of the wagon traversing the t, open grasnd, rendering my senses dull. As time passed, the light dimmed into a beautiful palette of amber and honeyed reds, signaling the sun''s descent. A call for a halt echoed down the line of wagons, and our vehicle gradually rolled to a stop. Minutester, we heard a soft knock on our door. "Good sirs!" a rustic male voice called out rather loudly. I opened the wagon door to find an elderly man, his beard a snowy white and a broad-brimmed leather hat sped in his hands. I gave him a once-over, then waited for him to continue. ¡°Sirs, Mr. Gilgamesh sir. I am¡¯s your driver, Ables be my name. We¡¯s be stopping for the day. I was told to tell yer all, that after we get things a settled they¡¯ll be a dinner for yous and all,¡± he finished, bobbing his head in punctuation. ¡°Thank you, Ables. I am much obliged to you. Thank you for driving us,¡± I said as pleasantly as possible, trying to grind out a Charisma gain. However, my efforts proved futile, as the gods or systems of this world didn''t seem to find it in their interest to grant the reward of an attribute gain. "Such a fickle thing," I thought, bitterness creeping into my mind as I hopped off the wagon, the metallic tter of my steps echoing outside. Ables gave me a curt nod before heading to the front to unhitch the wagon¡¯s six-legged beast of burden. Following my exit, a hulking giant of a man squeezed through the doorway, soon followed by a bleary-eyed half-elven girl. It was genuinely refreshing to stretch my legs on the green grass, now imbued with a reddish-gold hue - a parting gift from the setting sun. Although our journey had been through rtively t terrain, the wagon ride was anything but smooth. I was still unustomed to the rolling motion of the vehicle. In the world I came from, I''d never suffered much from motion sickness, and although I didn''t feel truly ill here, the entire experience was far from pleasant. As I stretched, feeling the restrictive influence of my armor on my range of motion, I observed the bustling caravaneers attending to their tasks. They had arranged their twenty wagons into a defensive circle and had begun dismantling them for the night. To my eyes, it was as if a mobile vige had spontaneously sprung up on the ins. The beasts of burden were being secured, and tasks rted to feeding and settling them were being efficiently handled. The members of Harevor''s caravan were experienced, evidently, swiftly establishing the camp with the early stages of arge campfire at its center. Clearly, Laes Harevor the caravaneer ran a very tight ship. Stern-looking guards were positioned around the perimeter, and torches were set up in anticipation of the approaching night. Twilight soon turned to night and the moon was but a slender crescent in the sky, stingy with its illumination. In several instances, instead of ordinary torches, men used fist-sized chunks of Zajasite. Their familiar blue light dulled the growing darkness, yet beyond the azure circley a deep purple that my eyes couldn''t prate. I found myself wondering about the potential dangers lurking on these starlit ins that necessitated such stringent security measures. ncing to my left, I saw Larynda, her eyes wide with fascination at the caravaneers going about their duties. A look of childlike wonder was etched on her face as she watched the scene alongside mypanion, Kidu. I observed that, despite the brisk pace and asional mishaps, not a word of genuine anger was spoken among the industrious people of the caravan. Every man, woman, and child had a duty and purpose, and they carried out their tasks with the efficiency of bustling ants. Truly, it was a lesson in unity and efficiency. Smiling, I attempted to twirl one of my daggers around in my hand, and seeded - a feat I would have found nearly impossible before. Even through the leather of my gloves, I was acutely aware of the de, its bnce, its motion. I could almost sense my improved Dexteritypensating for the shorings of my underdeveloped muscle memory. I wanted to gauge my progress in this bold new world. Juggling a single de, I was unconcerned by the risk of identally hurting myself. After all, between my Healing Magic and Pain Nullification skill, there was little to fear. Was this what it meant to step onto a path where ordinary human concerns ceased to matter? Next, I introduced another de, barely missing a beat. To make things interesting, I added another. Three shimmering des formed a rotating steel circle as they spun from my hands. I started to sense, rather than see, the daggers in the dim light. Yet, the system still did not grant me an increase in Dexterity or Throwing. Was I beginning to teau? "That''s not half bad!" the half-elven child chirped. Despite myself, I felt a little warmth at the simple praise and stole a moment to look at the child. Her eyes glowed with interest, as though I''d just performed some grand magical feat. I instantly dreaded the question I was certain would follow. "Can I try?" the little girl squeaked, "that looked well ace!" Part of me wanted to correct hernguage, but therger part simply didn''t care. However, in response to her request, I knew I should let her down gently. After all, since she was capable of magic, it would serve me well to see that she viewed me favorably. "Reaching this level of skill requires practice," I said, a trace of smug pride coloring my voice as I smiled down at her, "As a beginner, you could hurt yourself practicing with real des. It''s better for you to start with something else... like rocks, for instance." "I don''t see any rocks around here..." she stated tly. "I''m sure we can find something suitable. Let''s take a stroll around the camp and see what we can find," I suggested cheerfully, then turned to Kidu, "Kidu, would you mind guarding our wagon? I''ll apany the little one to scout out the camp!" "Take care, Gilgamesh of Uruk. Don''t trust too readily. Rest assured, though, my spear will remain here, unsleeping. But it is best you not take too long," he responded, a rare smile gracing his face as he looked at the half-elf. I walked off with the girl amidst the bustling activity, taking care to match my pace with hers. asionally, I''d nod in apology when either Larynda or I inadvertently obstructed a worker. In our search, we roamed around the camp over the course of about half an hour. Near one of the wagons, bathed in a circle of blue light, a group of children, free from their chores, blended y with martial training. Two boys, likely between the ages of ten and twelve, wereughing as they swung wooden staves at each other, exhibiting minimal skill but much enthusiasm. Their sporadic shouts of pain andughter punctuated the scene. We both watched their duel, waiting to see who would ultimately triumph. However, after a minute or two, my patience wore thin. They possessed something I wanted, and so I decided to intervene in their practice. "Hello there," I began, gracing them with a small smile and focused my attention on therger boy, his hair cropped short and his skin rendered a spectral blue by the crystal¡¯s light. The pair of boys scrutinized us warily, and noticing my warlike appearance, they instinctively took a step back. Perfect, I thought to myself. A good starting point, rooted in strength. "Bravo! That was an impressive duel,¡± I eximed, giving them my most winning smile. ¡°Who are you sir¡­¡± one of them began before I cut him off, his voice quavering with incredulity. ¡°I''ll get straight to the point - I''d like to purchase those staves from you," I said, adopting my friendliest tone. "Sorry, sir, but we need these for our practice," replied the smaller boy, a slight, inconspicuous figure of little significance. "Name your price, and I''ll pay it. And you would do well to remember that I am a friend of Laes," I said firmly. The two boys began to confer among themselves. "A bronze each would be fair. These practice staves are made of fine wood from¡­" began therger boy. I thought I could see his excitement growing at the potential profit to be made at my expense. I silenced him by raising my hand, removed one of my gloves, and counted out two bronze coins. I handed a coin to each of the boys, who in turn handed me their practice weapons, their faces etched with disbelief. While I was essentially paying for sticks, I found that I didn''t mind too much if I could get this interaction over and done with swiftly. Talking to a few minor characters was testing the limits of my patience for this little side quest. Also, much to my chagrin and despite my focused effort, this exchange did nothing to improve my Charisma. ¡°Come Larynda, we had best return to our wagon,¡± I suggested to the girl, hiding my annoyance at the rigamarole of doing side activities to build up some favor with a new character. She perked up a little at the mention of her name before her shoulders settled down. I could not help but notice her look back at the boys, who were now chasing each other around the wagon, a sh of envy in her eyes as we made our way back to Kidu. Book 2: Chapter 16: A Heros Burden Book 2: Chapter 16: A Hero''s Burden ¡°On the road to perfection, a warrior travels not bypromise.¡± - The Living Sword by Fen Vaigorus circa 520 AC. The aged man pondered the peculiar turn of events, wondering what had possessed him to act in such a manner. Was it some lingering trace of the prophetic visions that had haunted him in a past life, or had he sumbed to the wiles of a capricious strand of fate? A myriad of memories flooded his mind, threatening to overwhelm the present with the weight of the past. With a heavy heart, he retrieved a stool and settled by the counter, exhaling a long sigh filled with the burden of his umted years. But the breath soon devolved into a deep, guttural cough, ominous and foreboding. The taste of iron flooded his mouth, a sure sign of his impending doom. The old man was well aware that his time was drawing to a close, a long-anticipated death that no potion or remedy under hismand could forestall. Perhaps there existed a priest of sufficient power at one of the Great Temples, if the ancient ways still held sway in this age. But such a pathy beyond his means, and he dismissed the thought as an idle fancy. Death had long since lost its veil of terror and mystery, for he had died and been reborn countless times. It was the reawakening of his oldest and most formidable foe that had triggered the unsealing of his memories. The mere presence of his enemy had activated the mental triggers that encircled his soul, lifting the pall of confusion that had shrouded his recollections of the past millennia. He greeted his adversary as one might greet an old friend, with a familiarity born of a long history of conflict and struggle across the ages. So very tired was he, weary beyond measure. For even the mightiest of human souls were not fashioned for the curse of eternity, nor the burden of safeguarding an entire race. The old manughed to himself. Hero, they had bestowed upon him the title that carried the weight of the world, the burden of all their hopes and dreams. But in truth, it was nothing more than a mantle of responsibility that they had thrust upon his shoulders to absolve themselves of their own guilt. Still, he loved them. All of them. For he had been all things, from the humblest of peasants to the most powerful of emperors. Humanity had needed a god, and he had walked among them and answered the prayers of a thousand voices with fire and newly discovered cold iron. At the height of his power, he challenged even the dark shadow cast by the wings of the ancient dragons. Tired, so tired. He wished his time upon the wheel to end. It was a selfish thing, but this time he would no longer ce the weight of one life against the needs of the many. For the first time in centuries, the old consciousness felt a glimmer of an old emotion - hope. Scant few days ago, he had tasted some of the memories of his old enemy, the Great Hunger. Like himself, his enemy had paid the price of the long years, grownx and weak, his mental defenses nothing more than paper against the old Alchemist¡¯s storm. However, what he saw filled him with a budding hope for a final victory - his adversary, the man that had walked into his shop looking for his humble potions, was a human. His enemy for the first time had chosen a human incarnation. Humanity did not need borrowed magic to thrive. He saw it in the memories of his foe, of a people that could conquer the stars themselves. All that humanity needed was to be tested, to stand on its own two feet without the meddling of false gods. The people of the North had been correct all along. His enemy¡¯s victory would spell the death of this world. Eventually. But it would mean the death of all magic in this world first, and more importantly the end of the other races who were fatally attuned to the song of Mana. It was an ending that would be measured in eons, a good bargain if there ever was one. It would end his endless cycle of death and rebirth and give him the sweet silence of the void. Furthermore, it would permit a free and unfettered humanity to reign supreme without any contest. The ancient covenants that bound his soul could not be directly denied, but they could be bent to serve his purpose. He could not help an avatar of the Great Hunger, but there was nothing binding him not to ept his enemy¡¯s help. Providence had provided the most convincing of coincidences. Instincts and memory honed through countless ages spiked in warning as he sensed a new unwee presence. Sending tendrils of thought out into the night, he could taste single-minded murder in the air. Murder of the child of their prophecy. His adopted daughter in all but name. This he would not stand, he had burned whole kingdoms in ages past for a simr slight. He took a simple unmarked de from under the counter. It was an unremarkable thing of passing quality. Almost the length of a grown man¡¯s stride, it had a worn leather grip for both single and two-handed use and was topped with a simple straight guard that protected the hands. The dull heavy gray single-edged de had no fuller and ended in a sharp tip that could be adequately used for a thrust. Its thick spine gave the de some heft, and a in leaden pommel gave a reasonable bnce. It was a workman¡¯s weapon. Nothing more, nothing less. He lit a candle in his shop, the many lives he had lived superimposing themselves for a moment against his current reality with this simple action, and sighed once more at what could not be. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the tent into the dull glow of the city, old eyes straining against the gloom. The man cursed himself slightly as his eyes adjusted. The moon was a thin crescent in the sky, a de moon in the old tongue. From the purple darkness at the edges of the glow of light that ringed his shop, seven shapes appeared confident and sure, all pretense of stealth put aside in the presence of just an old man clutching amon sword. From the way they carried themselves, as the grass was green, they were of the First Children. They were of the elves. ¡°Where is the girl, day spawn? We know that she is your ward.¡± said a feminine voice, musical and lilting in themon tongue. Her tone was at odds with the threat implied. Even in the poor light, her golden beauty almost shone like a beacon. It took a master¡¯s skill to suppress the tic of annoyance that suddenly red within him. The old man simply smiled in mock stupidity, causing the voice¡¯s owner to quiver in suppressed frustration. So hasty were the young, he observed. So easily provoked. He would have to draw this out for as long as he could. ¡°It would be well for you to tell us what we need to know,¡± said a sure voice, a touch deeper. Steady, from a veteran of a hundred battles. And, like the old man, the voice sounded tired. The elderly man adjusted his dirty spectacles and looked over the man, for it was a man, the wider shoulders and thicker muscles spoke of this truth. In the beggar¡¯s light of the moon, he cut a fine figure, his features only marred by a jagged scar that ran across his face. A traveler''s cloak of fine quality hid most of his form, but the man could draw from the well of deep experience, and he could see that this group was finely equipped and armored. However, what caught his attention, in truth, was not the scarred man, but the weapon that he fingered at his side. The grip was delicate and well-made with a heavy metal pommel. Running along the top half of the scabbard was inscribed the ancient design of the mantis. ¡°Please¡­ I am just a humble Alchemist. I know naught of what you speak!¡± said the old man, adding a rasping cough to help give the lie to his weakness. ¡°I grow tired of this¡­ we are wasting our time here. End this thing and we will follow her spoor with another¡­¡± said the golden one, frustrationcing her tone. ¡°I would know what it takes to earn a mantis-marked de in this age,¡± said the old man in perfect Elven, mocking the threat he faced with a stupid smile still stered on his face. On the inside, he seethed. His forbearance was at its limit. Suddenly, there was a rasping of metal as swords left scabbards and glinted silver in the night. The man could not help but smile that it took so little to provoke the young in their haste. The scarred manmandingly held up a hand, his sword still resting in its marked scabbard, stopping the group. ¡°I find it hard to believe that one among the day spawn could learn our words so well in a single lifetime,¡± he said to the old alchemist in elvish, testing, his voice filled with uncertainty. ¡°I find it hard to believe that standards have fallen low¡­ for a boy to bear the sword of a master,¡± the old man countered, seeking to stir an ember of anger. ¡°Hahaha! The jest of the day spawn is ever the source of amusement. Too long have I had to hold my tongue. Lorsan, let this animal have the honor of wetting your sword with his lesser blood,¡± responded the blonde elf, voice aristocratic and full of imperiousmand, in her native tongue. Her ethereal beauty was wasted as it twisted in harsh spite. ¡°Mydy Arimea¡­¡± the scarred elf Lorsan began in rebuttal. ¡°Ever have I heeded your counsel. You will not ignore the insult to your school and you WILL not ignore thismand,¡± her voice rising as she fumed. ¡°As you wish, mydy,¡± sighed Lorsan as he acquiesced. He looked at the old man before him with regret before addressing him, ¡°You probably will notprehend, but I will make this as quick as can be. Your short lives are already filled with so much pain.¡± ¡°The wolf does not grieve the hare¡¯s death,¡± said the Alchemist, quoting himself from a bygone age. The scarred elf¡¯s reaction was instantaneous and ferocious. With the speed of thrown lightning, he closed the distance and drew his sword with a master¡¯s smoothness. The delicately curved de drew a silvery arc in the night that aimed to part the old man¡¯s head from his shoulders. The elf looked incredulous, his de had met nothing but air and now a sharp crude thing filled with the pathetic human¡¯s murderous intent descended upon him in a swift counterstroke. Human mortal-forged steel met god-metal in a sh of sparks that sang into the night. What master smiths would say would be a poor contest of des was instead an even match. For even the simplest of weapons, when wielded by a true master, is the deadliest of truths. For the first time in centuries, the old swordmaster felt the niggling essence of doubt grow fresh in the pit of his gut as he was suddenly on the back foot. It was not a wee feeling, and he focusedpletely on his defense, attempting to weave a pattern of silvered metal to keep his opponent at bay. Suddenly his eyes lit in recognition, a tale told in the blood of elven shame, and he spat out a curse in desperation, ¡°It is the Hwanda Heveni, the sum of all men! Help me you fools!¡± Unused to beingmanded, the leader red, before she started to chant, her voice growing serious as she sang to the spirits, threading their Mana into the shape of a spell. The old man merely smiled and raised a hand and spoke the words of power that gave shape to his rejection of her Control. Her spell died on her lips and she could only look on with shock at the contest continuing to unfold. The others had added their own weapons to the contest of steel, though not of the precious god-metal, their arms were finely crafted, and their de song almost as deadly. Still, they were lesser weapons wielded by those who thought themselves more than men. It did not seem to make a difference as the old man simply weaved among them with a confidence born of the mastery of the years. His forgotten skills blossomed into a flurry of strikes, light as a petal but with the weight of the centuries behind each blow. The old man seemed to know what they would do, almost before they did it, as if reading their minds. His control of the circle of his weapon was peerless, his form withoutpare. The old man had tapped into the Berserk, a violent thing that fed off mankind¡¯s most primal nature, drawing everyst ounce of strength from his failing body. All who walked the path of the Berserk were taught to hold back the seethingva of their hot rage to retain some vestige of control of their actions. They were wrong of course, he thought to himself, you had to stoke the me so high that it turned white-blue, cold, and calcting. But this incarnation was not young, and his body, already near death, was gging. He did not care one whit, he just needed to make sure that he slowed or weakened them down as much as possible to give his ward a chance. His soul sang in joy at finally being able to fight for its own selfish reasons. He surprised one of the elves by hitting them with Lotus Palm, one of the open-handed techniques of a style long lost to the mists of time. The force of the blow was transmitted through armor and ruptured the internal organs of his target. The hapless elf died coughing on his blood, the shock of his failure distorting the features of his handsome face. Another the old man surprised with a prepared spell, causing the earth at the elf¡¯s feet to grow slick, and she all but fell on the alchemist¡¯s de. Yet another he simply brained with the back of his sword, the heavy spine of his de smashing against a hidden helm. With thest of his strength, he aimed a dolorous blow at the elven swordmaster, bursting through his guard and sheathing his weapon in the elf¡¯s gut. Then, suddenly he felt a sharp stab of pain from behind as thest of his strength left him. He had forgotten to pay attention to the Spellsinger. A weak smile crossed his face as he looked down to note the spike of ice that had erupted out of his chest. Hamsa the Alchemist¡¯sst thoughts, in this turn of the wheel, were filled with regret and grim satisfaction as the me he had started finally caught and his shop went up in a burst of alchemical mes, a beacon for the rest of the city. Book 2: Chapter 17: Shaping Book 2: Chapter 17: Shaping In the days of yore, when our forefathers roamed the untamednds, they were beset by trials and tribtions at every turn. Theirs was a state of perpetual loss and unremitting suffering, and yet it was in those primordial epochs that our greatest triumphs were wrought, for they were forged in the crucible of the world, and honed to a razor''s edge by the very forces that sought to break us. To walk the path of the sword is to subject oneself to the most grueling of trials, to cast off all that is superfluous and toy bare one''s very essence. It is to embrace the void, and to be more by bing less, shedding all worldly trappings and vanities in pursuit of the ultimate truth. - The Living Sword by Fen Vaigorus circa 520 AC. We traipsed back and found Kidu looking pensive as he sat on his heels. He met us with a simple grunt. Bathed in the glow of the torchlight, he resembled an armored bear. "Hail, Kidu the Raider!" I greeted, in a jesting tone, a friendly smile gracing my lips. "I see you''ve returned with the spoils of war. Who did you spar with this time? Tested your deadly il?" he retorted, his voice deep and gravelly. "With coins, and I can only report that they had me at a disadvantage," I replied, "But I hope to gain something from my mary loss, a most dire situation. Our young friend Larynda needs something to upy her restless mind and body. Maybe learning a little of the path of the spear would serve her well," I chuckled, tossing him one of the staves. Turning to Larynda, I noticed a hint of annoyance on her face, which coaxed a quiet chuckle out of me. It''s about time you earned your supper, I mused, lobbing the other stave toward her. Amon Vanes had significantly shaped my belief of not depending solely on magic. Focusing only on her magical prowess would not serve her well, as a degree of martial skill was necessary on the challenging road that we tread. Furthermore, with our team one man short, neither Kidu nor I could protect her all the time. She fumbled for a moment, almost missing the catch, as if the shaft of wood was a live snake. However, she was finally able to tame the beast and shot me a petnt look, which I chose to pointedly ignore. "I leave Larynda in your capable hands, Kidu. I need to discuss ns with the caravan master, both for the immediate future and for tonight," I informed the north man. Without warning, he struck at the girl, but with none of his usual liquid speed. Larynda, to her credit, dodged the blow. I could see an intense look of concentration as she counter-attacked with her own practice staff. Kidu simply let her attack him, quick in his defense but slow in his attack, and soon the sound of wood striking wood began to pick up in its rhythm. Seeing that my work here was underway, I turned away to see to my own business. I would have to remember to cast an Identify spell on Laryndater to see if one training session had been effective. Walking away from our wagon, I sought for the woman drudge, who had taken away my donkey, for information on where I could find Laes. I found Patches a few minutester, happily munching on what I assumed to be oats alongside some cid ankylosaurids. Fascinating creatures, I mused, truly marvelous. Save for the three pairs of limbs, the resemnce to the creatures from the ancient past of my world was uncanny. I simply couldn''t resist casting an Identify spell on one of these six-legged beasts. Xaraur - (Great Lizard lvl.10) Health 462/465 Stamina 65/103 Mana 2/2 The categorization of these creatures was shocking. Naturally. Of course this fantasy world would have dragons, I chuckled, a little bitterly, to myself. This new discovery only added to my general stress. If these were the ''lesser'' and ''proto'' versions, then I had no desire to face ''true'' dragons anytime soon. Yet another peril to add to the growing list of things that could potentially end my life. Still, the people in this world somehow managed to survive, and I would do the same. On the bright side, they seemed to use these creatures as everyday beasts of burden, so there was somefort in that. I gently rubbed my donkey''s forelock and took the time to look her over, just enjoying being in the animal¡¯s simplepany. Engrossed in her meal of oats, she barely registered my presence. After a few minutes spent affectionately petting mypanion, the drudge, the woman who had taken Patches before, approached me. "She is a good creature. Quite intelligent and very well-behaved. Oh yes, Master Harevor told me to inform you that the evening meal will soon be ready. I will see to the rest of your donkey¡¯s care," she said, bowing low in a clear gesture of polite dismissal. I took the hint, returning her bow and voicing my thanks. Then I remembered I still had business with Laes. The old ttern had almost tricked me. "Speaking of Master Harevor, could you tell me where to find him?" I inquired. "Sir, you can likely find Master Harevor in his tally wagon, yonder," the drudge answered, gesturing towards a distinct wagon embellished with gold paint on its edges. I offered another bow and repeated my thanks before heading toward the wagon. Although I was making good progress, I became distracted. Involuntarily pivoting towards the scent of cooking, I found myself losing a few moments. People flowed around me, and realizing I was in the way, I hurried toward Laes¡¯ wagon. Eventually, I reached my destination and rapped my gloved knuckles on the door. Once, twice, and then on the third knock, a familiar tenor voice echoed from within. I opened the door, climbed the steps, and went inside. ¡°A good evening to you, master Gilgamesh of Uruk. To what do I owe the pleasure?¡± said a busy-looking Laes, ncing up only to confirm my presence, from a small desk bolted onto the floor of the vehicle. The interior was filled with all sorts of things, foreign and exotic. Arge chunk of Zajasite hung from a chain attached to the ceiling of the cabin, its luminescence a step above the stones that had been handed out to the guards and sentries outside. In a corner were the horns of some sort of creature. Hanging over them were a pair of delicately curved swords in scabbards made from shimmering scales. Noticing my interest, Laes decided toment as he continued to work, ¡°Shearwater des from the old Land of Streams. I doubt their like can be found anymore.¡± ¡°Ah, that is interesting. May I?¡± I inquired as I moved closer to the weapons. Laes simply nodded, giving me permission, and I drew one of the swords halfway from its scabbard. Near the guard, at the base of the de, was a highly stylized emblem of a strange, yet familiar, insect. The metal itself was not the silver of sharp steel I had been expecting, but a dull stately bronze. Only a ceremonial antique, I concluded to myself as I put the weapon back in its ce. Not a potential upgrade. ¡°Magnificent. Wonderful pieces. However, to appreciate such fine weaponry is not the purpose of my visit. I wish to ask you about the n for the road ahead. I have not traveled this way before and I would know of it,¡± I asked simply, wanting to cut into the meat of the matter. ¡°Yes, of course. We will be traveling along the green road through the Whispering Wastes. I would have liked to have stayed in the city of tents for the first rains, but as you can see, a measure of haste was forced upon us¡­¡± he exined, looking at me straight on. When no answer was forting, he simply continued with his exnation, ¡°we will make for the Rump, the hills across the horizon. There, we will wait out the rains of the Weeping. Only after the rains, can we travel across the Wastes. Our Ankhset feels the call of her element too strongly to make an earlier crossing, so now we must wait for the rains to pass. I fear she is on thest steps of her path and the finding of her bliss. We must shelter her from it, as much as possible in any case. I owe her that much at least.¡± The master of the caravan spoke to me as if I was an experienced hand, and knew what he was talking about. Had he grown soft in the head or was throwing random things at me to gauge my reaction? Could it be that he believed I knew something that he did not? Something that could shed some light on this dilemma that he now faced? He paused for a moment, looking as if he was considering a different possibility. I kept my face as devoid of emotion as possible as he continued with hisint, ¡°Her children are still far too inexperienced to be of much use. Bah! Crossing the Wastes before the Weeping finishes, even with the most powerful mages from the college, would still be suicide. Of course, any who cross without proper preparation would be but fodder for the great worms,¡± he griped, the stress and weight of decision evident in his voice. ¡°I see,¡± I said, ruminating on his words and feigning an understanding I did not possess. All of these terms were confusing and they would require further exnation, at some point. But for some reason, I did not want to show my ignorance to Laes. Was this foolish male pride, of all things? Still, more information was required, so I decided to ask a pertinent question, ¡°Tell me of the Wastes? I have never heard nor seen their like first hand.¡± ¡°Ah, the Wastes,¡± sighed the middle-aged man, his brow furrowing in thought before putting down his long feathered quill, ¡°I have traveled across the bone sands more times than I had a wish to. The Dust trade is a profitable one, but the route one must travel to acquire it is oftentimes fraught with danger. Still, many brave the great desert, for the Dust of Al-Lazar is in great demand across all thends and canmand a high price. A warning to you, partaking of the Dust is a joy unlike any other, but leaves the soul empty, save for a yearning that can never be fulfilled. The world will seem to be duller, a little more hollow, unless you take in more and more of the Dust. Ah, In my youth, I did many questionable things in the pursuit of wealth before I found¡­ no matter. Just know, I barely trade in that substance now. Forgive me this digression. Enough of the Dust, we were speaking of the crossing the Wastes¡± he said, steepling his fingers, a tension filling him and adding itself to the air of the wagon. "The perils of the Wastes are manifold, but travelers fear none as much as the dreaded sand worms. In southernnds bordering the Wastes, they''re known as earth dragons. Long ago, the elves termed them Sand Fathers, or Hul Abba. Such are the trifles one gathers on the road. Only the presence of running water deters the worms, and only on the verdant path, the green road, can a caravan pass with some semnce of security. Yet, even then, when roused, the worms have been known to attack," he paused momentarily, studying my face to ensure I grasped the gravity of his words. I merely nodded inprehension, awaiting his continuation. "Every crossing is a risky venture, and all pray for heavy rains for the season. We''ll hold up on the Rump, a moon''s journey from here, gauging the rainfall. Anhkset will indicate whether we can safely cross or if we''re destined for a perilous passage. There, we''ll bide our time for the emergence of the river, the water that will guide us across the Wastes to Al-Lazar. If fortune is on our side, heavy rains will persist here in the Grieving Lands. With the Goddess'' tears abundant the river will flow deep and strong. I will have to pray for that. Damn that Hamsa! The obligation he has foisted upon me gives me no other choice but to do so," he concluded, his speech seemingly having sapped him of his vitality as the worries of the future intruded upon his thoughts. Opting not to burden him with further inquiries, I expressed my gratitude, executed a slight bow, and took my leave from the wagon. The smell of cooking was now strong in the air, and there was a rumbling in my stomach that wished to be sated. It was time to return to mypanions and to see what we could do about an evening meal. I was sure the victuals would be simple travelers'' fare, but my time in the Grieving Lands had taught me an appreciation of food that I simply did not have in my own world. It had a different meaning here. A different weight. Eating was no longer a matter of opening a fridge door or a quick walk down to the local supermarket. I decided to travel around the circle of wagons, not wanting to bump into anyone, and to have a little time alone with my thoughts. I had been given so many things to think about today, so many things to muse and puzzle over. A long journey was ahead of us and I was as prepared as I could be. One thing was for sure though, I had to add yet another dangerous creature to this world¡¯s growing bestiary - Sand Worms. Beasts... this world abounded with them, strange mirages of familiarity nestled amidst the exotic unknown. Creatures bearing an uncanny resemnce to the animals of my old world, yet touched with an alien veneer. The horses and donkeys of this ce echoed this eerie parallelism. Had they, like me, been abducted by time and space from our rightful home? Come to think of it, were the people of these wild and barbards now the descendants of humans transported from Earth? Were these, this world''s ''native'' entities, these creatures with an extra pair of limbs, merely manifestations of an analogous evolutionary tale? Or was their existence just a testament to the relentless churning of cosmic randomness and just an example of, however unlikely, convergent evolution? Going over Laes exnation, I posited that the green road was probably some sort of river that cut across the desert called the Whispering Wastes and would act as some sort of deterrent to the worms. Hopefully, these caravaneers knew their business and could make the journey safely enough and Laes seemed like apetent sort, I thought to myself. A memory stirred of a half-remembered fragment of a dream entered my mind from a time before I came to this strange and fantasticalnd. Of giant desert-dwelling worms and their awesome power. Before I knew it, my feet led me back to the sounds of wood striking wood. The cadence of strikes had lessened and I saw Larynda huffing and puffing, her shoulders low with strain and exhaustion. However, this did not stop her from striking clumsily again at Kidu who deftly deflected each of her strikes, almost indifferently. Moving slowly, so that they would not yet notice my presence, I cast Identify on Larynda to see if there had been any improvement. Larynda - Chaos Mage (Human/Elf lvl.5) Health 31/32 Stamina 2/22 Mana 4/19 It seemed that the training was working. Her current Status showed a small improvement of one point in her Stamina. How far could she be pushed, I wondered, with a little sadistic glee. We¡¯ll make a little soldier out of you yet, I whispered to myself. I must admit, I was also a little interested in just exactly what her magic was. Still, it was time to eat and I had to put an end to their training. ¡°Little one. Kidu,¡± I called out, which drew both of their attentions and earned Larynda a little rap on her arm, from the wild man. ¡°Ouch!¡± screeched the girl child, more in surprise than in pain. To this Kidu simply added in his simple and terse manner, ¡°Focus. No distractions,¡± finishing with his customary grunt. I detected, though, a hint - something had softened his gruff manner. ¡°I believe that is enough training for one evening. It is time to see what we can do for an evening meal. Let that be our next quest,¡± I said with a forced smile on my face, hoping against hope that perhaps I would receive a notification from the system. To no surprise, nothing was forting and I could only sigh internally. Larynda removed her headscarf and fastidiously wiped away most of her built-up sweat with a small towel. Kidu, on the other hand, still looked fresh. Despite the inherent dangers on the horizon, I could not help but feel a sense of progress. I was growing, and mypanions were growing. Of course, there had been Elwin¡¯s betrayal, but in exchange, I had been all but gifted a young mage that could be shaped to my liking. It was always important to see the bright side in all things. Locking our borrowed wagon, we let our noses guide us to a cooking fire burning brightly near the center of the camp. Already, the cooks had begun dolling out the evening meal in in but solid wooden bowls. Spiced ground meat and fat over what was some kind of porridge was the main meal for the evening. A slice of purple-fleshed fruit was added as a dessert. We joined the line of caravaneers, and after ten minutes or so we were served piping-hot portions. In fact, it was a little too hot for my taste, and I almost spat out my first bite once we sat down on the grass. Once cooled, I appreciated how the vors melted in my mouth. Simple and filling, I thought to myself as I scarfed down my meal. Mypanions and I ate infortable silence, yet listened to the sounds of mixed conversation from other groups, threading their way across the air. Larynda had lowered her scarf but kept it wrapped around her ears, sensibly concealing her heritage. I had seen other women d in a simr fashion, so at the very least it would not draw undue attention to us. A group of caravaneers hushed down when they realized they were in close proximity to us. They were talking in anguage unknown to me, the clicking sounds and meter foreign and annoying to my ears. My Identify spell would be working hard across this journey. Book 2: Chapter 18: Value Book 2: Chapter 18: Value The Wood Elves, or the Musenvane in their own tongue, are known by many different names. The Warders of the Woods, the First Children, and the beloved of the gods, to name but a few. Theirs is an existence shrouded in mystery and what little is known of them is found only in the most ancient and archaic of texts. Once upon a time in ages past, or so it is written, they were guardians of an ancient prophecy and the instruments of a divine will. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. Kidu''s belch echoed loudly, turning heads from the surrounding groups. The unexpected disy prompted our charge to release a few gentle peals ofughter. However, she hastily stifled the sound when met with his re. Once the momentary disruption has passed, I thought it was a good time to find out more about the Half-Elf. ¡°So, Larynda,¡± I opened, taking great care not to call her child or any other diminutive, ¡°I am a man of honor, and rest assured, no matter your answer, I ensure that you will safely reach your destination. Still, I believe Kidu and I have the right to understand exactly why Hamsa sent you off with us on a journey to the city of Al-Lazar, wouldn''t you agree?" She blinked a few times, stunned for a few moments at her current reality before she finally replied, ¡°Old Ham said it was better I am not in a city where they catch children and foundlings to sell off as ves. One of the free cities is a better ce ¡®e said. Al-Lazar is famous around here parts for being the birth spot of Alchemy, they says. Said I could learn some fancy new stuff there. That or he just wanted to get rid of me...¡± ¡°But what are you supposed to do once you get there?¡± I asked, a little perplexed and confused about her situation. Out of the corner of one eye, I saw a few lines of concern appear on Kidu¡¯s otherwise impassive granite face. ¡°Ol¡¯ Ham, he was right different ever since you plodded into the shop¡­¡± her voice began to break, but she gathered herself, and continued, ¡°I should probably join the Alchemy guild down there, he said. Find me a new master to pester and that sort o¡¯ thing. But me, I¡¯s thinking instead I¡¯m gonna be an Adventurer! You get to do all sort of wonderful things! You get a nice badge too!¡± she piped. I shared a look with therge man who, with a small shrug of his shoulders, was able to convey what a hundred words could not. Choosing a career based on an essory was impulsive and foolish, but truth be told there was a little weight behind the badge. The impression I had gotten from Darcen Tsend, the Guild Master from Ansan, was that the Guild looked after its own. There was also the fact that there had been an elf in the Guild, which led some credence to the organization being able to provide a measure of protection. On the surface at least. ording to the entric alchemist, she had other mysterious backers. Still, her joining the guild certainly would not be detrimental. In this world, wielders of magic were rtively rare, and having someone on hand to cast a few spells for me would be rather convenient. With this in my mind, I decided it would be best to support her dream. ¡°That is a wonderful aspiration. To that end, I think it best that you focus on your training with Kidu. Being an adventurer is filled with great danger, and the ability to protect oneself is paramount,¡± I pronounced, as solemnly as possible, trying to sound wise. ¡°Gilgamesh speaks truth, little one. But have no fear, for I see that you have a little of the Way about you. And, you learn quickly for one so young,¡± therge man added, giving credence to what I had just said. I gave her some time to let my suggestion seep in, and looked over the child as she absorbed the words that helped validate her childish dream. Hamsa had the right of it, steering her away from the dangerous profession. It was, of course, doubly dangerous for one so young, but I would use what I could to wring any advantage I could. After a moment, I could see that the idea had wormed its way sessfully into her easily influenced mind. ¡°Yes, it''s a great idea isn¡¯t it!? I¡¯ll just have to be a lil¡¯ bit stronger. Oh, and don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯ll show you what I can do with my magic, just wait you see!¡± she beamed, enthusiasm radiating from almost every pore. She stopped, lost in thought, then looked askance at me, ¡°But I¡¯ll probably need to find a group and no one will¡­¡± she left thest hanging likeundry waiting to be picked off the line. ¡°You could of course always join up with us,¡± I coughed, feeling for a microsecond that things were slotting into ce a little too easily. Shrugging away this foreboding, I saw that, upon hearing my offer, her face broke out into a wide sunny smile. Kidu simply snorted before adding, in his usual manner, ¡°You would be a vast improvement over ourst member.¡± Larynda looked down at the remains of her food at this, as if lost in thought. My own thoughts had grown dark over the mention of Elwin, the suddenness of his departure still casting a long shadow over my mind. Out of the corner of one eye, I saw a small shape work its way toward us. It was a small girl d in the way of the caravan. She wore flowing clothes, cinched with a purple sash and a white headscarf that framed an Asiatic face,plete with a button nose. She was of an age with Larynda and I could not help butpare the two of them. She was the picture of seriousness as she formally bowed to us before asking if she could gather our used dishes. She was quiet and reserved, seemingly a direct reflection of her upbringing. In contrast, Larynda''s silence felt different - it was born out of some form of reticence. I got the sense she was hiding something significant from us. With the meal over, I decided to ask the half-elven child another question, ¡°So tell us a little of your life back in Ansan.¡± The girl child''s face grew pensive and she looked lost in thought for a few breaths. With a sigh that had no ceing from a child, she told us her tale. It was a clich¨¦d and simple tale, though no less tragic for it,mon to many of the young and vulnerable. An unknown father, and an even more mysterious mother, both of which abandoned her into the care of one of the local shrine, was the start in life that she had been given. Even then, the girl had been content for a while, at least until her ears began to give clues to her origins. As is the nature of bored children, she had taken to exploring and hiding in every nook and cranny of the shrine. First it was out of y, a game to pass the time with her friends, who almost could never find her. Then it became an escape, a way to find reprieve from the switch that the adults of the shrine were always too free to employ. In a forgotten alcove above the portly priors office, she once overheard a most disturbing conversation. She was to be sold into very, the heritage of her blood a rare and valuablemodity. The exchange was to happen soon. A determined Larynda made her escape, deciding that a life on the streets was better than a life in chains. During those formative years, she would run with various child gangs and urchins, stealing from the markets or from traveling merchants. Every day was one of calcted risk, as they tested themselves against thew in Ansan. The penalty of theft was harsh. As time passed, the older and luckier members of her group would find themselves employed in low positions to the rich and powerful of the city. She would sometimes call out to them when she saw them about the city, but they would shroud themselves with indifference, as her calls were a painful reminder of the lives they once led. The truly ill-fated ones, children that the gods and this primitive society had forgotten, merely disappeared without a word. Gone like morning mist, without utterance and without a trace, leaving behind a growing hole that ate away at her heart. It was then, just as she began to know true despair, that she would have a fateful encounter. Dezra, her friend, had developed a hacking, persistent cough that refused to go away. As the days passed, this cough morphed into a deathly rattle, leading to Dezra''s pitiful end, drowned in her own blood. As she held Dezra''s rapidly cooling hand in her own, she looked around their den and acknowledged that this existence was no life at all. Living this way amounted to nothing more than a slow death. Driven by desperation, she knew she needed to find a way to better her circumstances. It felt much like escaping the shrine - a dire situation that demanded drastic measures. She had to evolve beyond petty pickpocketing and shoplifting. She needed to make a significant score, a life-altering one that would change her current course. Fortune smiled upon her when one of the street urchins discovered that there was an alchemist in Ansan who stocked the rarest of herbs and alchemical supplies. These materials were highly valuable and in great demand. ording to Sepfan, a boy who had eavesdropped on a conversation between two dubious adventurers, the shop was deceptively rundown from the outside. Inside, however, it housed a treasure trove of rare and marvelous potions, which the oblivious alchemist was selling for a mere fraction of their worth. The unsuspecting old man didn¡¯t realize he was sitting on so much gold. The two adventurers had been plotting to raise money to purchase his entire inventory and resell it for profit. Her group needed to act swiftly if they were to seize this golden opportunity. Quickly staking out the Alchemy shop, the group decided that it was an easy hit, the exotic treasures within easy to fence. However, things were not to be, for the Alchemist had been a far cry from an easy mark. Using a clothced with a swift acting soporific, the surprisingly fast and dexterous old man caught the child as she was searching through his things. After forcefully administering a strong and bitter antidote, Hamsa gave her a long lecture about stealing, once she had suitably recovered her wits. Tied to a chair, she feigned rapt attention, for she thought that her life was in peril. Larynda had heard the stories. Whether she lived or died depended entirely on the whims of this old man. Much to her surprise, after he finished his tirade and lecture, he retreated to the back of the store and vanished for some time. She desperately tried to escape, but the knots binding her were expertly tied, leaving her no chance of loosening them. The old man returned carrying a small te of food and Larynda''s stomach churned at first, with unease. Then came a rumbling of a different kind. Thinking it possibly poisoned, she tried to resist the temptation of the proferred food. However, it was the first solid and warm meal that she had seen in a long time and the smell was irresistible. In the end, she relented. This single act of kindness and forgiveness, not to mention the interesting things within the rundown store, drew her to visit Hamsa¡¯s shop time and time again. Helping about the store, the Alchemist noticed that she had a sharp and inquisitive mind. Soon enough, the old man began instructing her in the basics of alchemy. It also helped that he would always give her food served on chipped and worn crockery, filling and wholesome nheless. They grew closer together as time passed, and she spent a few happy and loving years under Hamsa¡¯s care as his ¡®apprentice¡¯. That was until, of course, the Alchemist had caught word that there was a group looking for a young half-elven girl of her description. Hard as my heart had grown, I could not deny that I felt a little sympathy for her situation. However, there was now the shadow of a group that was actively hunting for our new charge. Did I really need yet another bunch of people chasing after me? I had to weigh the utility of a magic user on the team against the increased level of threat. It was certainly food for thought. I ruminated over her little tale as I let my stomach settle. Rising, I gave the girl some clich¨¦d words of encouragement, and as a group we walked back to our wagon. We gave the girl some privacy and the time to see to her bedtime preparations. We made our own preparations for the night as well. Kidu, predictably, was soon asleep, his snores quickly filling up the space of the wagon. Annoyed, I took the first watch, waiting for Larynda to go to sleep. In between the animal snores, I thought I could hear the asional sad sniffle before, finally exhausted, the girl found sleep. Kidu''s rasping snores began to grate, forcing me to leave the wagon, back into the cool of the night. The stars hade in their full regalia but the miserly moon shone only with a fraction of her light. Looking across the camp, I could see the torches of sentries as they moved around the perimeter, stopping here and there as they guarded against whatever was out there on the ins. With nothing to do and time on my hands, I stepped out into the night. I walked around, taking care to stay within the ring of the guarding light. A sentry passed me by, and even in the poor light, I could see he was well-equipped. He had a fine chain mail coat and stout kettle hat with a flowing aventail running down the sides of his neck. A mean-looking curved de, probably a scimitar, was at his hip. He nodded deferentially to me as he passed, the sounds of his armor a mild nk in the night - a picture of professionalism. It was time to meditate and practice, to explore the inner halls of my potential. Sitting cross-legged on the grass, I began to review what knowledge I had been able to gather from the damaged book the traitorous Elwin had bestowed upon me. My mind pondered on the meaning of the arcane symbols, trying to find some of their meaning. I felt that they represented some sort of higher form of mathematics, but their true meaning eluded me. Larynda¡¯s seals had been interesting, but again, without a teacher or frame of reference, I could not even begin to decipher them. Suffering from theck of the basic fundamental principles of magical theory, I could only grind my teeth in annoyance. Without any further recourse, until at least I got my hands on more instructional material, I had to make do with more practical application and practice. I let go of the energy that was waiting for mymand, letting it loose in a torrent of ck joy. Entropic Aura burst from me, and the sibnt voices that apanied it exulted in joy as the waves of malignant raw energy pulsed from me. With Mana to spare, I wondered what other spells I could unleash. There I found it, bounding to the forefront of my mind, the dark spell of Decay. Pointing a finger at a patch of ground, I drove the spell towards it. I could feel that there was resistance from the living grass at first. It was but a trifling thing, weak, like it was holding up an umbre against my storm. Soon enough, Decay¡¯s energy intertwined with the pulses of Entropic Aura, the ck tentacles of rotbining with the waves of raw entropic energy caused the grass to wither and die. I knew then, on an instinctual level, that my Entropic Aura empowered my other spells. This sudden understanding caused the sibnt voices in my mind to jump with glee in affirmation. I needed to test another spell from my dark repertoire. No, I needed to stop thinking of my gifts in such a way. There were tools to be used, not good nor evil. Not light and not dark. They were simply a source of my power. However, my Mana had dropped considerably between the two spells and I felt that it was time to replenish my reserves. With this mind, I returned to our wagon, opened the door and stepped in as quietly as I could. Metal armor is not conducive to stealth, but thankfully the pair within did not notice me. Scanning the darkness, I heard, more than saw, the presence of Kidu, who had fallen into a deep sleep. The sounds of his slumber were like a blunt saw cutting at a stubborn tree. Once my eyes had adjusted to the gloom, I could see that the half-elf¡¯s small chest was gently rising and falling, and she was sniffling miserably, even in her sleep. I cast Identify on the girl to determine if she had recovered from the rigors of the day. Larynda - Chaos Mage (Human/Elf lvl.5) Health 31/32 Stamina 14/22 Mana 7/19 I theorized that the girl must have some sort of Mana Regeneration skill and Rest skill simr to my own, which would exin the fast recovery of her Mana. I would wait a little longer before my next experiment, as a way to gauge just how fast her Mana recuperated. I waited for perhaps two hours or so, relieving myself in a bucket, halfway through my watch. Feeling that the time was ripe, I cast Identify again on the girl. Thankfully, the spell did not stir her from her slumber. Looking over her Status again, I saw that she had recovered another two points of mana and three points of Stamina. She had stopped sniffling, and her breathing sounded shallow and even. Sure that she was in the tightest embrace of sleep, I cast Drain on the unsuspecting girl. The threads of the spell, like Decay, intertwined with my Entropic Aura in a concert of sinister energy. The magic of the spell enthralled me for a few long moments. Too alluring and seductive it was, its call a siren¡¯s song demanding more than I was willing to give. A fragment of my mind rang rm bells, crying out a reminder that I needed the girl child alive to fulfill the quest. Shocked at myself, I began to reel in my powers, cutting off Drain and the sweet energy it brought to me. Next, I brought Entropic Aura to heel, the spell whining in my head with its displeasure Panting, with almost feral lust, I could feel the life energies flowing within me. Remembering my purpose, I quickly scanned Larynda with an Identify. Larynda - Chaos Mage (Human/Elf lvl.5) Health 26/32 Stamina 11/22 Mana 5/19 My mana was now just one point shy of full, and I could see that, as expected, hers had dropped by a few points. My spell, however, did perfectly transfer the stolen energy to me. Despite me being at full Health, the girl had lost some of hers. I guessed that the energy was just wasted, lost to the ether. To Entropy. A scared part of me wondered at how long I had been seduced by my own spell¡¯s influence? It could have been minutes or seconds. The use of the magic had warped my sense of time. More importantly, I had missed the opportunity to measure the rate at which I could drain Mana and Health. What happened if I continued to use Drain when my Mana was at full? I could only assume that the energy would be lost. There was only one way to find out. As I was thinking these very thoughts, I could have sworn I heard the sibnt voices chittering with glee. I was ying with these thoughts until guilt gnawed at me, for I realized that I had probably crossed a line. Fearful that someone might have witnessed my act, I looked around and noticed that one of the shutters was open. I edged closer to it, taking care to not wake mypanions. Looking outside, I saw nothing, and convinced myself that no one had seen what I had done. Gratefully, Kidu was still asleep, and Larynda''s chest was continuing to rise and fall in a regr pattern. Softly, I closed the heavy shutters of the wagon, thankful that the hinges were well oiled and did not produce a screech. Wishing to repair the possible harm I caused and to assuage my guilty feelings, I readied myself to use one of my most expensive spells, in an apology. An angelic choir started to sing, wanting to trumpet out their voices. I denied them, merely allowing their refrain to echo in the halls of my mind as I forced the divine energies to take shape with my Silent Casting skill. Though the musical symphony of Greater Heal could be denied, its holy light could not, and a golden light filled the wagon. It was this bright light that finally woke our bleary-eyed Hunter, who clutched his spear in surprise. The lights yed around us, filling the wagon with a surge of healing. Finally, when the spell was over, I felt mentally exhausted. Drained of Mana, but washed clean of my sins. I looked at Kidu, who looked positively alert in the dimming golden light, the shadow of tiredness and constant stress having fled from his body, thanks to the power of the spell. ¡°It is a good thing that you have done. This journey will be tough for us who have seen more winters, but tougher for the girl. This will keep us in the best of conditions, of this I am sure. Do not strain yourself too much¡­ I will take up the watch now,¡± he insisted, gruff voicemanding. ¡°I will have to take you up on your offer,¡± I returned gratefully. I took off my helm and crumpled into a soft corner of carpet. At least someone appreciates me, I thought to myself. You have gained 1 Wisdom Smiling weakly at the Hunter, I saw him nodding to me as I began to close my eyes, trusting in his vignce and thankful that he hadpletely misunderstood my motives. Sleep came easily to me that night as, finally, I had made some progress. Book 2: Chapter 19: Calm Book 2: Chapter 19: Calm Faerie Powder, Star Dust, the Call of Oblivion - verily, the Dust of the free city of Al-Lazar, is known by many names throughout the wide expanse of the known world. In measured quantities, the substance is known to confer great benefit, improving the health and sharpening the faculties of those who partake of it. But beware, for inrger doses, it grows to be a most potent addiction. It is said that in the throes of its influence, one may reach the very heights of euphoria, and even catch a glimpse of the veil that separates our world from the beyond. The Dust grows only along the shoreline of Al-Lazar, where the briny sea meets the burning shore. It is the pollen of the Asixum nt, infused with the power of Mana, and is known in the local tongue as the Nabat sum, the Indulgence of the Gods. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. The sound of hammers pounding away at steel and the cry of a foreman exuding men to greater efforts stole me away from thest of my sleep. For a few short moments, I thought I was back in the ve pens of Ansan and hurriedly got to my feet. A little disoriented, I looked around and my mind finally caught up to the present. In one of the corners, Larynda was rubbing her eyes, and I felt the weight of arge meaty hand on my shoulder. Turning around, I saw the ice-blue eyes of the man-mountain looking at me, with concern welling in their depths, and I was finally able to still myself. ¡°Peace, Gilgamesh of Uruk, and good morning,¡± he intoned in his rumbling voice. Using more than one word was a good sign that the man was in a good mood. Therge man rationed his words as if he had a limited supply. I felt the panic leave me as I got myself together, my mind piecing together all of the events that had brought me to this point. I praised the lucky stars that we were finally leaving thends of the Tides. ¡°Thank you, friend. For a moment I was trapped in a fragment of the past,¡± I uttered hoarsely, still slightly surprised by the sudden swell of my own emotion. ¡°All is well for now,¡± Kidu said simply, as Larynda stretched out her arms and yawned loudly. I nodded to Kidu, who was fully equipped with his panoply of war, and the wisp of a few days'' growth of stubble about his face gave him a hard and rough look. He ran a hand across his chin, and in a sympathetic reaction, I touched my own face but my fingers only met with smooth skin. Save for the umted scars that disappeared every time I cast Greater Heal, my avatar did not change. Opening the door to the wagon, I was greeted with the dull gray dawn light and the sights of the caravan preparing to be on the move. Towards the center of the wagons, the cooks from the night before were already serving the day¡¯s breakfast. t unleavened bread was cooking on sizzling hot iron griddles, the appetizing smell floating on the fresh morning air. We left the wagon so the girl child could finish changing into her clothes. Moving into the camp proper, our group received our portions from the industrious cooks. The bread was in, but with just a hint of honey. It was heavy and filling and I could see how even small portions could fuel a day¡¯sbor. We ate quickly as the cooks told us that the caravan would be leaving within the hour, once the beasts had been fed and watered. As we were returning our used bowls and cutlery, I saw something that caught my attention. An old woman was walking toward where therge draft animals were corralled. She was rake-thin and moved with a willowy grace that belied her advanced age. One of the Xaruars, familiar with her presence, lowed in greeting, nudging her waist as she passed. The woman¡¯s face crowded in irritation as she looked at the draconian creature. Rubbing therge animal''s head, she shooed it away, all her attention focused on what she had to do. She raised her hands, her face in a rictus of concentration, and she began to chant in a clear voice that cut through the noise of the camp. Wisps of blue energy yed about her, drawn from the ground and the very air itself. After what felt like long moments, the spell ended and the workers around her paused their work and bowed their heads in thanks. The woman was breathing heavily, the magic having taken its toll on her. The woman looked distracted and I thought it would be a good time to cast Identify on the magic user. For a moment, a puzzled look crossed her face. Ankhset Ulgen - Water Mage (Human lvl.16) Health 152/152 Stamina 16/23 Mana 4/16 Once she had finished with her duty, I saw her enter arge purple wagon gilt with gold paint, aided across the stairs by two burly guards. The guards themselves were not a match for Kidu in height, but they were very wide of shoulder, and stout. Her ss was a typical clich¨¦d fantasy water mage. Predictably nd for this world, I thought to myself. I recalled my earlier conversation with Laes, what did he mean exactly by the ¡®call¡¯ of her element? I would have to ask himter. Or perhaps I could even ask the woman herself. I looked at mypanion for their reactions and saw that they had barely reacted at all to the disy of the magic. I needed more information. Was magic such a casual and mundane thing for the people of this world that it barely raised an eyebrow? I needed to confirm if this was merely a mundane thing for people of this world. Questions upon questions. My mind thirsted for knowledge. From her ss name, I had a vague idea of what she did, but I needed confirmation on what a ¡®Water Mage¡¯ actually was. What they could do¡­ ¡°Larynda, what just happened now? What exactly did that woman over there just do?¡± I asked the little girl, pointing at Ankhset¡¯s gaudy wagon. ¡°Oh, that? That was just a bit of magic,¡± the girl shrugged as if it was the most normal thing in the world. I had to grit my teeth to stop the annoyance seeping into my voice. I was dealing with a child, so patience would be necessary. I took a small breath. ¡°I deduced as much, but what kind of magic exactly?¡± I replied, trying to keep a smile on my face. ¡°Don¡¯t they have Water Callings where youe from?¡± she answered finally, looking surprised. ¡°... and what is a Water Calling, pray tell?¡± I asked insistently, ignoring her question. ¡°Just the Water Seeker asking the local spirits to fill up the water barrels. Mornings ¡®r usually the best times for that,¡± the little girl replied offhandedly. ¡°So you never seen a Water Mage, and you never seen a Water Calling, right? Where exactly are you from anyways?¡± she said quizzically, looking at me as if I was an alien creature. Seeing my puzzled look, she finally decided to exin, "Well, like, umm... they call water and fill up the barrels and stuff that caravans need to cross the dry sea¡­ you know, for drinking like. Mornings are apparently some of the best times to be doing that stuff. Something about being easier with all the morning dew about. But that''s really all I know," she finished with a shrug of her shoulders. I stopped for a moment as I let the casual way she talked about magic run through my mind. This really was a different world, I reminded myself for the umpteenth time. It seemed that here there really was no stigma to the act of using magic, and it was openly used for people¡¯s convenience. In my own world witches had been burned at the stake for less. The more I learned about this ce and its strange peoples, the more I realized how little I truly knew. Nodding to Kidu, who returned the gesture, I gave an offhanded thanks to Larynda as I walked towards the Mage¡¯s wagon only to find the girl trailing behind me, like a lost puppy. Like all the wagons of the caravan, the Mage¡¯s yed with the theme of purple and was of a heavy, durable construction - basically a house on wide wheels. Unlike the other wagons, gaudy filigreed gold script ran along the sides of the vehicle, of arcane-looking symbols that reminded me of ancient Sanskrit. The guards, one of them a woman, I realized upon closer inspection, eyed me as I came closer. They began to bark out what could only be amand to stop but I could barely understand a word of the rest. Eventually, they shouted at me in themon Trade tongue. ¡°Stop, there. What business do you have with the Water Seeker?¡± the male asked in a gruff and unfriendly voice, while the twin on his left sneered. I say twin, for they could only have been thus, each an almost mirror reflection of the other. They were imposing figures, twin towers built fromyered bs of muscle. The pair''s thick, tree-like arms made my own look like twigs inparison. Wearing the flowing clothes of the steppe, they sported mean-looking wooden cudgels at each of their hips. Despite their fearsome size and their surly expression, their faces, by contrast, were actually quite pleasant to look at. Both of them had delicate features entuated by their tilted eyes. Above said eyes were delicate tattoos, inked in the pattern of flowing water. A part of me thought that gods were fickle with their gifts, forely faces were obviously wasted on creatures such as these. Holding up my hands, as a sign of non-violence, I stated, ¡°I was wondering if I could exchange a few words with the Water Seeker to further my study. Where Ie from, such magic is not needed, and I was wondering¡­¡± ¡°Mother is busy, deep in her meditations, and will not want to be disturbed. Away with you now,¡± said the overlyrge female, an edge now to her otherwise pleasant voice. I felt a movement behind me as Larynda peeked out and squeezed herself into the conversation. ¡°Please don¡¯t be minding my friend here, he¡¯s just a bit strange, that¡¯s all!¡± she smiled at them half-chuckling which infected them with the beginnings of an outbreak of smiles at the corner of their mouths. The pair resisted for a moment before they gave out augh andmented on her outburst, ¡°Oh, aren¡¯t you a pretty thing! It¡¯s strangepany that you keep, little one. To not have a Seeker on a journey such as this would be to court the slow death. Ha!¡± guffawed the male incredulously. I had to bite back my growing irritation, asing to blows without Kidu to back me up would be the height of foolishness. ¡°Yes! Don¡¯t I know it,¡± Larynda responded trying to sound childishly worldly, ¡°Jus¡¯ the thing is, I am also a bit curious. How she do such a great thing like that anyways? Name¡¯s Larynda by the way¡± she replied in her musical voice, thick with charm, and she reached out, as if to shake their hands. Instead of shaking hands, however, the two guards, with a grace that belied their thick heavy-set build, touched her elbows. The girl child could only reach around three-quarters up their arms. ¡°What a lovely little thing you are! I am Aizere and this blockhead is my brother Erasyl,¡± therge woman said as she ruffled the half-elf¡¯s hair and smiled down at her. The brother frowned and paused for a moment, ¡°... I have seen them in thepany of Master Harevor, if they are the caravan master¡¯s guests, perhaps mother will want to speak to them once she recovers¡­¡± He was quickly silenced by a deadly look from his sister. Realizing they were in the presence of strangers, they both quickly changed expressions, reining in their loose tongues. ¡°Allow me to make my introduction, I am Gilgamesh of Uruk,¡± I stated simply, smiling a thin cold smile, without offering out an arm, but instead sampling the brother with an Identify spell. Erasyl Ulgen - Water Mage Apprentice (Human lvl.13) Health 162/162 Stamina 34/34 Mana 11/11 ¡°Please tell the Seeker that we wish to speak to her at her leisure,¡± I informed them as civilly as I could, ¡°Come now, Larynda. We have some business with the caravan master.¡± ¡°We do? Can¡¯t we stay a bit longer and have a chat¡­¡± piped the girl, in the annoying manner of children everywhere. I almost hit her. Patience, I reminded myself. Patience. Book 2: Chapter 20: Explanations Book 2: Chapter 20: Exnations Floating on high, a heart blossoming on the breeze, my tears too far to fall. - From the diary of Lady Ayah of House Shaem. Despite their fearsome appearance, in terms of raw statistics, the twins were a joke inparable power. The brother had only ten more points of Health than his mother and a small bump in his Stamina. It was either they were weak, or I had started to grow into a monster. Truly, my decision to spend all my ¡®free¡¯ points on Constitution was beginning to return dividends. Not only had it probably saved my life in the mines, but it had allowed me to train longer and fight harder, which, in turn, had boosted my secondary attributes. This was certainly something to keep in mind in my further dealings with them. It really came back down to the good old adage of never judging a book by its cover. With Larynda trailing once more behind me, we found our way to our wagon. Once there, I informed Kidu about our encounter and that we were going with Larynda to have a quick talk with Laes. Since I could not see people¡¯s attributes directly, I assumed that she must have a rtively-high Charisma to have opened up the recalcitrant twins. Her tagging along would probably be useful. Locking up our wagon, we found our driver, Ables, hitching up a pair of Ruar to the vehicle. The beasts, despite their rather fearsome appearance, were docile and epted his calm yet firm instruction as they cidly allowed him to attach their harnesses. Noticing our presence, he greeted us with a small bow of the head before continuing with his work. I sidled up to him to engage him in a quick conversation. ¡°A good morning to you, Ables,¡± I began with a smile. ¡°An¡¯ a good one to you sir,¡± he replied, barely meeting my eyes, as he was busy with his work. ¡°Just a quick question, my good man, and we¡¯ll leave you to your work,¡± I started, politely waiting for him to finish tying a stubborn knot. ¡°Where can I find Master Harevor at this hour?¡± It was a question I probably knew the answer to, but it behooved me to be polite to the help. If I kept at this for long enough, I might even be able to get a point in my Charisma. ¡°The master be at and about his business, I am guessing. Best bet though, be in his tally wagon at this hour,¡± he said nomittally, his entire focus on his morning task. Mumbling thanks, we made our way to find Harevor. On the way, we passed what could only be an old tinker or a smith mending an even older iron pot that had seen better days. Should we need to, my little group could probably get some simple repairs done from him. Perhaps they could even acquire some new equipment. It reminded me that I would probably have to do something about getting new pouches or bags at some point in the future. We made a small detour to check on Patches. As always, shes was the very picture of equine gentleness. She gave Larynda a slobbering lick after she fed the donkey a small biscuit from one of her pockets. Twenty or so minutester, we arrived at the tally wagon. We soon heard the sound of Laes¡¯manding voice cutting through the din of the camp, and alerting us to his presence. He was shouting orders to his crew, praising and haranguing them when necessary, all in an effort to squeeze some more efficiency from them. ¡°Master Harevor!¡± I called out and grabbed his attention. ¡°What is it, Gilgamesh?¡± he replied quickly, before giving a few quick instructions to another worker. ¡°I have a few questions¡­¡± I began, almost feeling a little guilty for getting in the way and taking up some of his precious time. ¡°I will answer them once we are on the move. Wait in my wagon, I must see to the day¡¯s preparations,¡± he replied firmly, already moving on to his next task. When he saw that I was making no move to leave, he quickly added, ¡°Which should be in about half a turn of the ss. If these shiftlessyabouts get moving!¡± he shouted thest without any true venom, getting a few knowing grins from his workers. I felt that I had been summarily dismissed, like a child from the principal¡¯s office. Turning to mypanions, I searched their faces for their reaction. ¡°Best we make our way inside, I¡¯m guessing,¡± Larynda offered, shrugging her shoulders. This drew a simple grunt from Kidu who had nothing meaningful to add. With no other options before us, my small group made our way to the wagon, finding the door open, climbed in, took our shoes off near the entrance, and sat down on the opulent and thick carpets. There we waited for perhaps another twenty minutes before therge caravan began to move, just as Laes¡¯ head popped in through the door. Moving with one of his hands at the small of his back and groaning a little with old pain, he sat down opposite from me, cross-legged. ¡°Apologies for being a little short earlier, but one is always a little busy getting these lugger louts to be off and about moving. Now, I am sure you have questions aplenty for me,¡± he started genially, a hint of amusement dancing at the edges of his mouth. ¡°For a start, mypanions and I would like to know the details of your rtionship with Hamsa, and about that vow-knot thing or whatever. Also, I have a few more general questions about the road ahead,¡± I responded, looking him in the eye with every word. A small sigh escaped the man, giving him time to give a measured response in turn, ¡°Ahh, old Hamsa. We were both students at Quas before our paths diverged. Long, long before I established the traveling Ravens. Let¡¯s just say I owe him a favor from a time long ago,¡± he paused momentarily, his eyes growing misty before he continued, ¡°The making of such a knot would be child¡¯s y for someone of his caliber. By taking you and his apprentice to Al-Lazar, I hope to clear even a little of that old debt away. Though of course, there will never be a clean ounting of that now. You must have the Constitution of a troll to still be alive now, to have been afflicted with such a poison and still be able to breathe without having taken the antidote¡­ Even the old tales never mentioned such a thing. But, if you could survive, then perhaps the messengers of old were not so¡­ no, that digression is for another time. As you no doubt know, that Timekeeper Knot you brought to me charges me with seeing the girl safely to Al-Lazar. Something I could not easily refuse. Not that I had a reason to,¡± he sighed, stretching his back for a moment. ¡°Yes, indeed, I know all of this. The man poisoned me as a guarantee to deliver you that string thing in a timely fashion. I would be dead if the gods did not favor me so¡­¡± I replied in turn, bitterness finding its way into my voice. ¡°Yes, and no, there is more meaning behind such a message. In a way, it was a contract of sorts. The most sacred of things. I would put aside such thoughts for the moment. In my eyes at least, you have passed this test of character,¡± he said pointedly, looking at the half-elven child. ¡°Old Ham would never poison nobody!¡± protested Larynda, looking deeply flustered. ¡°Oh, little one, that is most naive of you. That man was capable of anything if¡­ Bah! I do not mean to lecture the Alchemist¡¯s apprentice, but surely, you must have learned that many substances are filled with more than one potential. In one form, and mixed just so, a deadly poison. In another, a sleeping draught. Such a simple thing, merely a matter of precise blending and dosage, but therein lies the true art of the craft. It would have been easy for a man of his skill to¡­ but again, I digress,¡± he sighed. Standing up, he moved to kneel down by a heavy chest near his desk. He ran his hands over the fine wood and muttered something intelligible only to himself. Then he inserted a bronze key into the lock, unlocking the chest with an audible click. Rummaging around for a moment, he finally found what he was looking for¡­ It was a vial, the same vial that I had refused, filled with a milky opaque liquid. He pressed it into my hands before sitting down and exined, ¡°Consider this an apology of sorts, on behalf of my old friend. No, strike that. Truly it is yours, by rights. Made primarily from aged Moonblossoms, it is a powerful antidote, able to cure most venoms and poisons in these parts, both magical and mundane. Though I doubt you will have a use for it, perhaps one day yourpanions may benefit. It is also of some mary value.¡± Kidu narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but Larynda¡¯s bloomed in rapt innocent wonder. ¡°A Cure-all remedy!? I have only read about these. Only, like, really rich people have these. Cor¡¯ this stuff is like really rare!¡± she almost squealed like a stuck pig. ¡°As Larynda said, these are a little rare. There is a little matter of your fee, but I am willing to waive that if you agree to enter my employ as guards in protecting the caravan, at least until we reach our destination. This is fair, yes?¡± he said, looking at each of us for agreement. ¡°Those sound like fair terms,¡± I stated neutrally, for further exnation. Four silver pieces for the ¡®fee¡¯ was not an inconsiderable sum. He must have taken my response for a yes, as his equine features turned into an approximation of a human smile, ¡°Well, with you lending us your strength the long journey ahead should not be overly-onerous. Once we have waited out the rains on the Rump, the journey should take about three passings of the moon. Save for a few wild beasts, there should be little trouble for arge group such as ours. You would do well to talk with my Guard Master Khm. Oh, and as well as waiving the fee, I will pay you from the second moon a small stipend for your services. Two silvers¡­¡± he offered, rubbing his hands together unconsciously before Larynda, of all people, stopped him. ¡°Three, each, cos¡¯ he can use magic and so can I,¡± she blurted, causing my heart rate to skyrocket and Harevor¡¯s eyes to narrow in shrewd calction. I itched to smack her around the head for her little blunder. ¡°Just so, those are the rates for ones who are gifted by Mana,¡± he said bowing his head, his horsey features growing unreadable for a moment. Having the pace of the negotiation forced by a child stuck in my craw a little, but it was sweetened a little by the promise of extra silver. In truth, a part of me was craving to make a new kill, gain more experience, and add to my strength. Being an escort for the train would perhaps allow for this. While these thoughts yed out in my mind, the paranoia within me whispered that there was truth expertly woven into his lies, that there was more to this story than what he had let on. Still, he would be a font of information. With that in mind, Kidu and I continued to question him about the journey, and it was enlightening, to say the least. The wild man was more interested in the beasts that popted the Whispering Wastes. How the desperate things could sense the presence of moisture or how they hunted by the feel of vibrations through the shifting sands. Laes, eager to educate, named many animals that made the deep Wastes their home, beasts great and small preying upon each other, and the desperate caravans that made to cross out of season. Laes once again talked of the great worms, the ¡®Guardians¡¯ of the desert Wastes that limited travel to the city of Al-Lazar. Though many did try to brave the Wastes throughout the year, lured by the promise of easy gold, every crossing was a gamble. The worms, although rare in the vast expanse, fear only one thing - running water, an almost non-existentmodity in the desert, except for one time of the year after the Weeping. ¡°¡­with the birth of the river, worm attacks are rare but they still do happen. To date, no one has divined the rhyme or reason as to why they attack, only that the water of the Green Road acts as a sort of deterrent. Some of the rare few who survive such attacks im that they were asrge as ships, and other more fanciful ounts say that they dwarf whole cities. What wasmon, by all ounts, was they were spined and spiked along their humongous, segmented bodies. The Guardians of the deep ces of the Wastes canunch their very spines, like ballista bolts, a great distance at the trespassers of their realm. Very few who encounter the worms survive. I will say again, a journey such as this is nothing more than a gamble. A good gamble, with better odds than any other time of the year, but still a gamble nheless,¡± he confessed to us. Unlike Kidu, who asked almost exclusively about the wildlife we might encounter, I focused my questions on Al-Lazar, on itsnguage, customs, and history. Thankfully, I would not have to learn yet anothernguage, as the locals there spoke themon Lingua Franca, alongside the localnguage of High Quassian. The caravan master¡¯s exnation was brief, more in the line of general knowledge and experience rather than a schrly understanding of the city. Still, Laes, being a well-traveled and educated man, was a treasure trove of information. The city of Al-Lazar was the home of a great Alchemical industry, centered around the harvest of Dust, the pollen harvested from the fleshy blooms of therge indigenous nts that grew only along the shoreline near the city. The nt itself was, ording to Laes, a sort of terrestrial seaweed, having roots in the saltwater, but its leaves and flowers on the desert shore. Attempts had been made in the past, at great cost by rival cities and envious merchants, to transnt the nts, but all had met with failure. Dust itself, when taken in its purest and most refined form, was a soporific drug that gave the user lucid long dreams that they could fully control. Immediately, I could see the allure of such a potent narcotic. For a narcotic it was, and I imagined it to be a form of virtual reality, far removed from the technical limitations of my own world. ording to the caravan master, in time one would grow both a crippling physical and psychological dependency on the substance. Users of the drug would soon find the appeal of the real world altogether dull inparison to the given dreams, in which one could live out their ultimate fantasies. Some of the richest in the city had lived their whole lives only in their own minds, their sleeping bodies attended to by mages and alchemists. It is said one of the richest patriarchs of one of the mercantile houses, upon waking from a Dust dream, had cried tears of loss. So desperate was he to enter once more into the realm of dreams, that he screamed at his attendants, threatening to have them all hanged if they did not bring him more of the substance, even as his once-proud house was ground into dust by his feckless heirs. The workers of the Dust fields, sickly things responsible for the harvest, were paid next to nothing. They were willing to work long hours for just a chance to catch a fleeting dream when they turned in to rest. A parting gift from a whiff of unrefined pollen. The governance of the city itself was ruled over by a council made from the heads of the eight mercantile houses that had founded the city. These eight houses had grown Al-Lazar from its humble beginnings as a small port into one the greatest trading destinations in the world. There was a legend that the founding members of the merchant houses had originally been a group of ves, fleeing from their masters across the Wastes. It was said, for this reason, that very was banned and their new home was dered a ¡®Free City.¡¯ The crime of bringing a ve within the walls was punishable by death. In the past, great armies had tried to cross the Whispering Wastes, to conquer the city of the fabled Dust. They left great water caches in the desert, building upon them with each passing year, prating a little further into the Wastes, at exorbitant cost to the colleges of magic. They had all been met by the great worms. Negotiating for rights of passage with the Tides, small armies had even tried to make their way along the green road, a river that cut through the desert to the city Al-Lazar, which appears only once a year. They, too, had fallen prey to the great worms, their presence an affront to the monsters who usually feared running water. The powers outside of the Whispering Wastes had to resort to simple infiltration, corruption, and bribery, as they sought to influence the decisions and governance of the eight houses. This was no easy thing, as the city spent an exorbitant amount of money on its own security, embroiled as they were in a different sort of war. The war against the sea. It was said in the ancient texts that Al-Lazar once enjoyed peace with the sea, for indeed that was how it had initially grown into a port city. However, for reasons unknown, the armies of the eight houses of Al-Lazar have fought a perennial war against the Mer, the people of the deep ces, for many generations. With the Mer blocking the ess to the port, no ships have sailed to Al-Lazar now for nearly a decade. Yet this has only slowed, not stopped, trade to Al-Lazar. Lured by the promise of the Dust, small parties still cross the dangerous wastes, gambling that they will not draw the notice of the colossal desert worms. After the Weeping and the appearance of the green road, a stream of caravans flows every year into the city, eager to make a profit. Despite the people of the sands and the sea being in a state of perpetual war with each other, the city still maintains all the trappings and luxuries of arge poption center. Various guilds have based themselves in Al-Lazar, and it is a flourishing center of culture for the continent. Many of the greatest musicians, artists, authors, poets, and philosophers have made Al-Lazar their home, for all of them draw upon the inspiration that only Dust can give. For Dust also grants gifts of insight to the magically-inclined, and many of the new spells and ways of harnessing Mana havee from the city of Dust. The coastal city has high walls to protect its citizens from the amphibious raids of the Mer. Stationed upon these walls are some of the best mercenaries and seasoned guards that the promise of gold can buy. To add to these formidable defenses, both the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and the Mercenaries Guild have a rival presence within the city, and regrly take contracts and requests to deal with the Mer. However, it is when the tides ebb at their lowest that the aggression of the Mer reaches a frenzied crescendo. The shallow waters of the sea recede to reveal the remains of an ancient underwater city, which is their spawning ground. It is then that the eight houses are finally able to strike back, but always they are met with the berserker rage of the sea folk, for this is when they are at their most dangerous. It was a lot of information to digest, and I had to pause many times to confirm a point or to ask for extra detail. Thankfully, Laes was all too amodating, though he could not answer all of my questions. Kidu, too, was unnaturally vocal, his eyes lighting up whenever Laes described a new animal, and his questions usually focused on how to hunt such a creature. Larynda, on the other hand, was subdued, the mention of her former master Hamsa casting a pall over her spirits. Suddenly the wagon stopped, and Laes cried out, asking what had happened. Once he received his answer, he shouted back to the driver through the open window, before looking at me and smiling. ¡°It seems that fortune has favored our journey. Perhaps one of you has brought a little luck with them! We are about to witness an auspicious and lucky sign,¡± he cried out, his face creating a rough facsimile of childish glee. Despite his obvious joy, I found my hand reaching for the heavy il at my hip. Book 2: Chapter 21: Portents Book 2: Chapter 21: Portents Not much is known of the Fae, for all ounts of which are mostly hearsay, and dubious in nature. Among the elves, it is said that theye from the ce between worlds, the In-between or the Betwixt ce. Still from what evidence I have collected, they seem to be the source of the fabled and much sought-after Witchwood. The material is a devil to shape but it is as hard as the finest dwarven steel, and much lighter. Some say it is living wood and is able to slowly repair the damage done to it. I would very much like to see it for myself someday. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. A low rumble, reminiscent of the quake that nearly entombed myrades and I within the mines, echoed through the earth, steadily advancing with each passing heartbeat. We hastened outside, eager to behold another wondrous spectacle of this realm. A rolling wave of mane and hoof thundered in the distance, growing ever closer. A vast herd of horses stretched across the horizon, a flowing line that moved majestically across the grassy in in a multitude of natural colors, flowing in unison towards the southeast. Larynda¡¯s mouth was open in wonder, and even the stoic Kidu could not help but stare agog at the sight before us. All around the caravan, there was a great whooping and hollering as raw joy filled the air with its song. The great herd hade. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a beautiful sight?¡±mented Laes, breaking me from my stupefied wonder. I could only nod mutely as the herd slowly began to fill up more of my vision, growing everrger and louder, the thunder of hooves moring ever closer. ¡°Are we safe here?¡± I asked the caravan master, feeling nervous at witnessing such a huge number of animals. ¡°Hah! Of course. The horses of the herd are a gift from Kaes-Loka, the god of hearth and herd. It brings only good fortune to those who witness its passing. An excellent sign for our journey. Only the most experienced and respected Waveriders take from the herd, on asion, after offering a great tribute to His name at the temples. A true prize in horseflesh! Perhaps we canmit some heresy for gold today! Khm! Khm!¡± His voice was an enthusiastic whip-crack over the din of celebration, catching the attention of a thick-set and heavily-armored rider before whispering conspiratorially to me, ¡°You can¡¯t ride by any chance, can you? Any experience wrangling horses?¡± ¡°No, I have never had the time to learn,¡± I replied to him, somehow naturally in a whisper, and shook my head. ¡°More''s the pity. Perhaps I will have you learnter! It is good to broaden one¡¯s horizons, hah!¡± he finally finished, winking at me before he began to discuss horse theft with his Guard Master. Soon enough, a flurry of activity stole over the guards and workers as new ns were made. Great lengths of tough-looking rope were produced and knowing looks were exchanged among the people of the caravan. They nned theft against the Tides, to steal from them what the Children viewed as sacrosanct. I wholeheartedly supported their endeavor and wished them good fortune. "I will leave Jasper, Khm''s second, here with the train. Since you are in my employ, I would ask that you follow his orders," Laesmanded in passing, as he mounted an impressive-looking steed. It was suspiciously of a simr breed to the horses that the men rode in my first contact with humans in this world. A silky dun brown, it was a little heavier-looking and thicker about the chest, the animal''s lines promising more power than endurance. Clicking his tongue loudly, Laes left with his entourage to intercept and plunder the equine sea. An armored man, d in a pristine coat of tes with a bronze-plumed helmet, who I assumed to be Jasper, saluted the group as they left... Soon enough, Jasper began to bark out orders, quieting the infectious air of festivity. In no time at all, the caravan began to resume its journey. Back in our own wagon, Kidu and I spent our time in the maintenance of our equipment. A part of me regretted purchasing the wavy parrying dagger, as it was a devil to sharpen. Still, the de had a special ce in my heart, as I remembered using it against yielding flesh and taking a small measure of vengeance. While we were busy, Larynda chose to spend her time creating more of her Seals. asionally she would squawk in irritation when she made a mistake or when a small bump disrupted her script, causing her efforts to be wasted. I tried to read some more scraps from Elwin¡¯s gift book, but gave up as minor motion sickness took me. Instead, I decided to swallow a little of my pride and ask the half-elven girl a few questions to help confirm my theories on magic in this world. It was surprisingly informative. The little girl, despite her young age, was well-read and knowledgeable, and she helped rify a few of the points that had been a little troublesome. From her, I learned that Mana was apparently in all living things, from the smallest of rodents to thergest of dragons. However, only a few creatures, man being one of them, could understand the intricacies of Mana to fully utilize it. One such way was, of course, through spells. Thenguage of a spell was, in essence, a way to twist the meaning of a state of existence, a y on words on the current observed reality. I mentally envisaged the whole thing as a sort of cross between advanced arcane mathematics, with mystical puns, and Mana being the source of power that bridged the gap between. Throughout all of this, Kidu remained impassively quiet, asionally nodding to some point, as if it confirmed one of his own thoughts. It was not until near sunset, when the caravan began to slow and settle, the first hints of red and oranges staining the sky, that the caravan master returned. Kidu and Larynda were engaged in one of their practice sessions and they paused in their sparring to look at his triumphant return. He had an air of victory about him, tempered with a look of exhaustion, the setting sun creating a halo about him and his riders. Behind them, a line of six wild and newly-captured horses followed, straining against the ropes that led them. One of the horses was a particrly fine specimen, his coat the color of burned gold that reflected the hues of the oing evening. They were greeted by the drudges, their animals seen to, and their immediate needs met. The stolen horses were taken away and expertly hobbled and staked close by. I could see from the people¡¯s reactions that this was probably not the first time Laes had engaged in horse theft against the Tides. The riders were excused from guard duty that evening, their colleagues good-naturedly jealous of their sess. I saw them clump into small groups and regale each other with their ounts of the day. Evening stole across the sky, slowly painting the heavens with her first stars. Winding down, the train prepared for the night. Soon enough, once the site had been secured, a fire was lit and the delicious scent of the evening meal began to waft along the cool air. My own group kept to ourselves, our meal consisting of a sort of long-grained pink riceyered with thinly-cut spiced meat, then thered with a sweet-smelling sauce. I was told by one of the cooks that this sort of food was eaten only in celebration. Larynda positively stuffed her face, putting off even the wild man, who did not have much in the way of table manners. As the meal and celebrations came to an end, I decided to tell mypanions a tale from my own world, about a certain boy who had been epted into a school of wizardry. I told them of the adventures of ¡®the boy who lived¡¯. Of his friends and his struggle adjusting to his newfound destiny. Some things, however, must have failed to trante well. ¡°He sounds like a real ungrateful sot! ¡®E should be grateful to just have a roof above his head. This boy never did a thing to help right. He was rich too, an¡¯ he never shared with his family. That don¡¯t quite seem right to me!¡± chimed in Larynda, shocking me with her perspective. ¡°You say this great wizard, his parents had been killed by another dark mage, yes? Why does he have the time to be ying fanciful ¡®games¡¯ in a ditch? Should he not be practicing every day, that he might grow in might, and take his vengeance on that dark mage?¡± rumbled the big man, his voice tinged with a faint hint of disappointment and irritation. I had to remind them both that it was a fictitious tale, and reminded myself that I would have to adapt certain parts for this tough audience. Perhaps one of the Greek epics would be more ptable for this lot. In my mind, after all, was a whole world¡¯s collection of stories and tales to tell, their contents fresh and new for this world. Book 2: Chapter 22: Know Thyself Book 2: Chapter 22: Know Thyself Fight the wielder, not the weapon. - The Living Sword by Fen Vaigorus circa 520 AC. The next few days were spent in a predictable, yet not overly-taxing pattern. During the day, I stayed in our wagon, trying to glean some scraps of knowledge from the ragged remains of the book I had gotten from Elwin. I also decided to take the time to half-heartedly write a journal, using Amon¡¯s writing kit. However, the quill and small ink pot took a little getting used to, and were no match for the modern conveniences I had grown ustomed to, not to mention the difficulty of writing in a moving vehicle. Still, on paper and in my nativenguage, my thoughts were at least private. In the evenings I was given riding lessons for a turn-and-a-half of a sand clock, an hour or two by my estimation, by a member of the caravan guard. My instructor was a gruff man, just at the stage where rash youth was finally beginning to be tempered by wisdom. He was ck-bearded, of average build and height, and he introduced himself simply as Alik. As was my habit, I cast an Identify to confirm the truth of his words. Alik Al''Kabar - Soldier (Human lvl.11) Health 115/118 Stamina 21/28 Mana 8/8 Alik was the same level as me, but I surely dwarfed him in terms of raw attributes. It was a shame that my Identify did not show his exact attributes or any of his skills. His ss or ¡®calling¡¯ was of passing interest, as it disyed only ¡®soldier.¡¯ I had expected it to be ¡®guard,¡¯ or some such. He was a good teacher, though a little curt at times. Arik had the voice of one used to barking orders, grating like a drill sergeant. After the second day under his instruction, I could at least mount my bored and borrowed steed unassisted. I was even rewarded with a new skill for my efforts, plus ten points of experience. You have learned Riding (lvl.1) Every day, after the evening meal, and sometimes feeling a little saddle sore, it would be my turn to join the rotation of guards who patrolled the outskirts of our camp. My time among my fellow guards allowed me to converse a little with them. They were from all over the ce, the names myriad and exotic. One of their number was ad from a ce memorablybeled Dullstown, far to the West. Dullstown¡¯s only im to fame was that, in its long history, not a single person from its poption had ever been able to harness magic through the gift of Mana. They spoke to me a bit of their lives, their meager existences up until now, and it was of little note. All except for Alik, my instructor, who joined us one evening on a passing whim. His was a far more interesting story. A fellow guard, Raza, a young slip of a man with a mop of curly brown hair and seastone gray eyes, was able to badger him into telling us a story of his past. A surly Alik told the abbreviated tale of his not-so-distant youth. A few years he spent in the Adventurer¡¯s guild, and he spoke of some of his early exploits. These were moderately interesting tales of in monsters and unearthed treasures. But what piqued everyone¡¯s interest was that a certain event caused him to quit adventuring. No amount of pestering by Raza or the other guards could convince him to exin further, and an air of mystery surrounded the end of his tale. He simply stated that he learned something in an infamous ce known as the ¡®Iron Quarter¡¯ that had put him off from adventuring. From his limited and brief description, I ascertained that it was probably the game world''s version of a ''dungeon.'' Something in its dark and dangerous depths had made the gruff Alik quit his chosen path and instead join the rival Mercenaries Guild. Another few years and a few failed campaignster, sick of the bloody business of war, but unable to put up his sword, he took up employment as a small-time thug in a local gang in a small town. What money he had left at the end of the day, he spent on cheap drink and loose women. He was eventually recruited into the Ravens by Khm, the caravan¡¯s Guard Master, who dragged him out of a dirty drinking den. Kidu, too, would join us on asion when he finished his duties, and his bulky armored form would castrge shadows in the firelight. Larynda would also enter our little circle, if she was not overly exhausted from her training and study. Somehow, the child was able to earn praise and the odd smile from even the most world-weary and surly of the guards. A harsh liqueur called Arag, which was made from fermented mare¡¯s milk, was passed around liberally on such asions. One sniff told me it was not for me. I only pretended to drink it, the liquid just barely touching my lips when it was my turn to take a pull. The Hunter refused altogether, saying that the burning water of Kazass, the wildman¡¯s term for alcohol, did not suit him. The other guards did not press him, nor did they mock him for it. This I found mildly amusing, for just the other day they had relentlessly ribbed Raza for his poor constitution against the strong drink. Larynda wrinkled her nose at the stuff and refused to partake - not that I would have allowed her to drink alcohol at her young age, anyway. I was even invited to join in on one of their card games by Likam, an old gray-bearded guard. Knock-kneed and t-footed, his old armor fit his ungainly frame poorly, and he walked with a slight limp from a previous injury. ording to the old hand, his limp had been caused by a supposedly powerful foe that had knocked him off his saddle. The others disputed his im, saying that he just suffered a bad fall trying to break in a new colt while drunk, much to his consternation. I was given to agree with them. When we talked about the losses in our lives, we were always only beaten by the strongest of foes, or were the victims of the direst of circumstances. The game I was invited to was called, simply, ¡®Blessings.¡¯ The aim of the game was toplete ever increasinglyplicated sets, or Blessings, as the game termed it, by picking up cards from the general pile and discarding unwanted cards from your own hand. The yer who was able toplete a set was able to ¡®cash in,¡¯ by collecting an agreed amount of money from the other yers. Alternatively, he could choose to continue - in an attempt to collect another set, or expand upon his own. Each of the sets came from a ¡®suit¡¯ representing one of the Divines - the gods or goddesses of this world. These were, ording to the sets, starting from the most valuable: the Sun, the Vagrant, the Twin Swords, the Withered Tree, the Matriarch, the River, the Behemoth and,stly, the Hunger. The Hunger was mostly worthless unless it was paired with the ¡°Herald¡± card from one of the other sets, abination that was almost impossible to achieve. It was a simple game, once I had memorized the sets. I counted myself fortunate, as my fellow guards were patient in their instruction. Beginner¡¯s luck was on my side for a few rounds, which allowed me to even w back a few coppers. Halfway through a hand, I was hit with a sh of inspiration. Just as I had used Identify before, to help with my wager back in Ansan, could I not also use its magic here? Surreptitiously, I searched the faces of my fellow yers while I cast the spell on their cards. On the wily Likam, who had won considerably more than he lost, I burned through five Mana to reveal his entire hand. The old hand was the biggest threat. Throwing caution to the wind, and simply excited that my underhanded tactics had worked, I went through the rest of my Mana, revealing more of the other yers¡¯ cards. Suddenly, the odds of the game were turned on their head. Now I was the master of the cards¡ªthe decider of fate, for this round at least. Keeping the other cards that the other yers required and discarding only the ¡®useless¡¯ cards, I was able to win the round. I won with the Herald of the Twin Swords and a single card of the Hunger. A perfectbination. A few eyebrows were raised, and the guardsmented bitterly that I had probably used up all of my good fortune for this one game. Luck was not something to be rationed out by the powers that be, it was made. Smiling slyly to myself, I was rewarded for my masterful use of magic with an increase to one of my more mysterious attributes, and a small bump in experience. You have gained 1 Luck. With my winnings, I was able to exchange my simple pouches for a durable satchel from one of the merchants on the train. My new bag was made of waxed and boiled leather tes stitched together, and closed with a simple sp. The treated material would protect the contents of the satchel from the elements, and at the same time allow for easy ess. I ced my growing collection of potions within, along with my coin purse, some assorted pieces of jerky, and travel biscuits. My inspired use of Identify drove me to focus on the spell in a bid to increase its power. The next day, I cast the spell on everything in sight when I could, starting with my own equipment. My current inventory consisted of; Heavy Iron Mace-il Durability 239/245 Iron Parrying Dagger Durability 119/125 Iron Throwing Knife Durability 87/90 Iron Throwing Knife Durability 89/90 Iron Throwing Knife Durability 81/90 Wooden Kite Shield [Iron] Durability 163/190 Steel Bevor Durability 349/350 Steel Sallet Durability 323/350 Steel Brigandine [Leather] Durability 324/370 Linen Gamebeson [Iron] Durability 98/115 Linen Robes Durability 46/80 Iron Greaves Durability 147/175 Iron Chainmail Leggings Durability 134/170 Old Leather Gloves Durability 76/95 Tough Leather Bag Durability 110/110 Low-Grade Mana Potion [ss] Durability 10/10 Mid-Grade Health Potion [Silver] Durability 50/50 Mid-Grade Mana Potion [Silver] Durability 50/50 Mid-Grade Stamina Potion [Silver] Durability 50/50 Limited Panacea [ss] Durability 10/10 Bronze Adventurer''s Guild Badge Durability 70/70 I came to the assumption that potion durability referred to the sk as opposed to the actual liquid. In addition, when a piece of armor or item consisted of two different types of material, the spell disyed the secondary material in brackets. My gear was getting a little worn, especially my brown robes, and this was reflected in their lowered durability value. I would have to see, at some point, if I could get my equipment repaired by someone in the caravan. Also, much to my disappointment, I failed to level up the spell, and was only given a small increase to my experience point total. I felt I was missing something, but what was it? It was on the second day of determined practice that I received a sh of inspiration. We had stopped for the day. Larynda and Kidu were halfway through another session of strenuous practice, and the ck-ck of wood striking wood or the asional cry of pain was a little distracting for me. Towards the tail end of their session, I saw an exhausted Larynda, near her limit, attack the wild man in a series of blows, trying to overpower him through reckless determination. It was a fool¡¯s gambit. ¡°This is folly, girl. Know yourself. Know your strengths. You could never overpower, spear to spear, a man strong in the arm like me. Use your speed and the strength of your mind! Hah!¡± guffawed the big man, a smidgen of pride entering his voice and causing Larynda to renew her assault. Something about Kidu¡¯s words spoke to me. Know your strengths. Could it be? I wondered as I whispered an old and worn titude to myself. I decided to cast Identify on myself. Threads of magic wove their way through me, searching and questing for the nature of my being. The fabric of my soul wasid bare, but just before I reached an epiphany, any understanding was swept away by a tidal wave of ck slithering things. The limited energy of the spell was diverted and distracted, and the sensation was lost. For a few brief moments, my own name, my true name¡ªthat I had thought lost to me¡ªhade close to being revealed. However, more important than all of this, I had a breakthrough. You have learned Identify (lvl.3) You have gained 1 Wisdom. Finally, some progress! All thoughts of my old name were lost in a surge of satisfaction. I had to restrain myself from jumping for joy, as such an action would no doubt mark me for a loon. ¡®Calm¡¯, I told myself as I began to cast Identify on both Kidu and Larynda. Kidu Kreshin - Hunter (Human lvl.13) Health 315/318 Stamina 21/28 Mana 8/8 Larynda - Chaos Mage (Human/Elf lvl.5) Health 31/35 Stamina 21/23 Mana 11/19 Kidu, as always, was a monster, and from the spell I could see that he had grown a little more powerful, both in mind and body. Our ward Larynda, too, had also made some progress, with small gains in Health and Stamina. No! That was not the point at all. The spell revealed nothing new. No greater depth of information, like Strength or Skill, was shown to me. I ground my teeth as I watched their contest, irritated by the wasted effort. Then, suddenly, as I was about to smash my fist against the innocent wood of the wagon, it happened. Larynda ran at Kidu again, his mocking causing her tounch anotherbination of reckless blows that left herpletely open. Kidu casually deflected or avoided each of the strikes, reminding her of sloppy footwork as he tripped her up, teaching with pain what patience could not. The small girl¡¯s Health dropped by one point, and I could see that she had also lost two points of Stamina. I could see it! Sweet merciful gods, I could still see it. My Identify spell could now keep track of the status ofbatants. Wanting to test the bounds of my spell I cast the spell again on my leather gloves, an inanimate object. Mid-Grade Health Potion [Silver] Durability 50/50 Old Leather Gloves Durability 76/95 The information disappeared momentster, which was yet another disappointment. Flummoxed, I could only grunt in frustration as I watched Kidu continue in his spartan instructions. A few minutester, the pair¡¯s status disappeared from my mind¡¯s view, the magic finally expiring. The information from identified objects would disappear nearly instantly while living things, humans at the very least, would disy their information for considerably longer. Iforted myself that I had at least made some progress, and that the utility of the spell had certainly increased. The evening meal was some sort of deep-fried root vegetable, cut into small chunks and wrapped in unleavened bread. It was cooked to be slightly crunchy and was quite pleasant, though a part of me decided it could have done with a bit more salt. Some ketchup would not have gone amiss, either. After we finished, I decided to tell the tale of ¡®Goldilocks and the Three Bears¡¯, which drew some false consternation from Kidu when Laryndamented that the giant of a man would probably be too big for any of the beds. The girl loved the story and took the time to poke a little more friendly fun at therge man¡¯s expense. Once our stomachs had settled, we checked our gear and prepared to join the guards for our turn at the watch. The sky at night, though painted with a myriad of lights, held not a single constetion familiar to me. Hopefully, my watch would pass with no issue under such an alien sky. Book 2: Chapter 23: The Coming Storm Book 2: Chapter 23: The Coming Storm To miss a night¡¯s sleep is to gain a dark day. - Attributed to Lady Ayah of House Shaem. The night was uneventful, much to my relief. Our patrols around the camp encountered no hidden enemies. No bandits or monstersy in wait for us out on the quiet ins. Alone, with a simple torch forpany, I practiced what magic I could and tried to make some inroads in growing my arcane might. Taking stock of my progress, something I had neglected to do for quite some time, I noted that my experience points had surpassed the three thousand mark, but beyond that, there were no significant developments of note. My Identify spell, however, gave me a glimmer of an idea. Maybe, with a focused effort of will, I could manage to either reorganize or, at the very least, remove some of the redundant skills cluttering my interface. The sibnt voices that had been with me for so long fell into an uneasy silence at the thought. I mentally tinkered with my least-desired skill, Mining, attempting to banish it from view. Suddenly, a sharp, piercing pain tore through my head. Just as abruptly as it had arrived, it disappeared. Had I deleted the skill? No, that was not my intention. All I had wanted to do was push it from view. Panicking a little, I quickly willed it back. Sharp pain returned, but through tear-filled eyes and gritted teeth, I saw that the skill hade back into view with it. Despite the difort, my experiment had been sessful. Now, if I so chose, I could edit what my user interface disyed. The powers that be did not appreciate me ying with their gifts, but I had finally attained a degree of control over my user interface, an achievement that had long eluded me. A measure of independence. Nheless, it was not an experience I was eager to revisit anytime in the near future. This uneventful state of affairs persisted into the following day, and also the day after that, making for an unbearably tedious existence. With nothing to do, I even endured another splitting headache to hide the Mining skill again. This time I would not be bringing it back! Later in the evening, I ambled over to Ankhset''s wagon, only to be rebuffed by her children. They informed me that she was engaged in deep meditation and would not be receiving visitors. I wondered if there was a particr task I needed toplete to gain ess to this elusive NPC, or if perhaps I needed to bring along the more-intimidating Kidu or the more-charismatic Larynda to finally talk with the mage. The only respite from the tedium came in the form of the evening meals, where I could finally unwind. However, even in these moments of respite, Larynda would pester me incessantly, eager to hear more stories from my world. More often than not, I would give in to Larynda''s persistent requests. Kidu would pretend to be uninterested, but I could see his genuine curiosity as he leaned forward, captivated by the tales. There was something enticing about performing for an audience, so eager and enthusiastic. I couldn''t help but wonder how high Larynda''s Charisma attribute must have been to affect me so strongly before I refocused on my own storytelling. During the nights, once I was certain that Kidu and Larynda were both sound asleep, I would cast Drain on Larynda to replenish my magical reserves. This in turn enabled me to cast a Greater Heal spell to repair the minor damage caused by the Drain spell. I convinced myself that this was both a productive way to train my magic and at the same time contribute to developing Larynda''s Constitution. One day, much to Larynda¡¯s delight, someone had even found the girl child some horse tack. A faded blue cloth and a worn leather saddle were attached to an uining Patches, along with a soft hackamore. What the girlcked in experience and skill she made up for in bnce, following the instructions of a group of children whoughingly called her their ¡®Great Sage.¡¯ Children yed childish games. Then we saw them. Under the serene expanse of a cloud-speckled blue sky, we observed distant moving dots on the horizon. Likam, one of the guards, spected that it could be another trading party, like us, endeavoring to traverse the Green Road earlier in the season. ording to the veteran, such an urrence was a rarity, but not an entirely unprecedented one. Now, able to at least not embarrass myself in the saddle, I was assigned to the rear guard of the caravan. My borrowed mount, named Mouse, was thankfully an obedient and cid horse. Mouse was about fourteen hands high, and had gentle eyes that looked at me with a mother¡¯s patience. She had a uniform dull brown coat, with a barrel chest and an ambling gait that forgave my poor seat. I was given strict instructions, by Arik, not to fight on horseback in the unlikely event that trouble should find us. To my relief, trouble did not find us that day, but I felt that it was drawing closer. Something was not quite right. This tedious peace was merely the quiet before theing storm. The next day, a small group of dots could be seen moving in our direction, and Khm hissed that they may be an overly-enthusiastic party of the Tides, fresh young blood looking to harass and extort the merchant trains that passed these ways. They would prove their ce in the world with violence, or at least the threat of violence. It was the way of the Grass Sea, and the caravan was prepared to act ordingly. Jasper, Khm¡¯s second, estimated they would catch up to us on the morrow. Although the caravan for the most part was almost indolently cavalier in their attitude about the whole thing, they would not find Kidu and me unprepared. The next morning, instead of moving out as usual, the caravan remained in its nightly defensive formation. The fast-moving dots from the day before had transformed into a group of horsemen moving steadily closer. At that pace, they would be upon us in a few hours. My group prepared for the potential confrontation, and even Larynda had picked up on the cues and begun sharpening a small steel knife. We had told her to stay back and leave the fighting to those more capable, to which she sullenly agreed. The caravan was prepared to meet the riders. As the advancing horsemen drew closer, I instructed Kidu to keep out of sight and for Larynda to remain in the wagon. Kidu positioned himself behind one of therge wagons, his left hand holding his bow, with three long arrows at the ready. With a huff, Larynda retreated into our wagon. At this distance, I could discern that the group wasposed of two distinct factions. One half of the approaching warband wore grimy white tabards over their armor and were outfitted in a more "Western" style, while the other half were equipped with the armor and gear that were typical of the Tides. Their horses werethered with sweat and came to a halt approximately twenty paces away from the circle of wagons. In the midst of their party, my gaze fell upon a warrior adorned in exquisite te-and-mail, delicately chased with gold. With a gentle motion, she removed her helmet, revealing a breathtaking woman whose stunning appearance stood in stark contrast to the ruggedpany she was in. In that fleeting instant, the chaotic thoughts of warfare and brutality dissolved, consumed by the mesmerizing vision before me. Even from afar, the alluring contours of her face drew the eye, and the vibrant shock of fiery red hair zed like a torch. Self-consciously, my gaze drifted down towards the dull-colored robes that covered my armor, and I fidgeted with the heavy bevor around my neck. My robes would serve to obfuscate the weak points of my armor and, to all appearances, I must have looked like some sort of poor mendicant warrior monk. A feeling close to d¨¦j¨¤ vu enveloped me. So entranced was I, that I barely noticed another of their number. Bound upright to a horse was yet another familiar face, though he looked a little worse for wear. Bruised and battered, Elwin was the very embodiment of painful despair, his expression hollow and haggard. With the Rogue in theirpany, the small warband''s intentions were made clear. I gave a subtle nod to Kidu, who had also noticed our oldrade in their ranks. One of the Tide warriors, an unscarred and youthful man, had his crested bronze nasal helm tucked under one arm. d in the full panoply of war, he wore an impressive iron coat of circr tes gilded with copper and silver, all sewn onto a tough leather backing. In his dominant hand, he held a longnce that was grounded in his right stirrup. The tasseled head of his weapon was a sh of iron in the morning sun. He looked confident and strong, with an air about him of someone filled with self-belief and fuelled by ambition. The leader of this band, if I was not mistaken. With a clear voice that showed none of the strain of his long ride, he addressed the caravan in a ringing voice, ¡°We are searching for a man. An escaped ve, foul brigand of ill-repute, and we believe him to be among your number. I would speak to whoever leads this group.¡± With this exmation, at least in my mind, violence now was all but inevitable. Laes rode out to meet them on his horse, with two mounted guards at each nk. Despite his usual strong demeanor, there was a barely hidden nervousness about him. It made me wonder if this was all pre-nned, a convoluted scheme to capture me when I was at my most vulnerable. I held my breath, itching to take direct action. Instead, I chose the wiser path, casting Identify on the leader to gauge the threat he presented. The uing exchange had me on edge, and I waited with bated breath for what woulde next. Tarkhan Aigiam - Waverider [Human lvl.11] Health 142/144 Stamina 36/37 Mana 8/8 ¡°May the winds favor you. Would you give this one, Laes of the Ravens, the honor of your name that we may address you properly?¡± replied the caravan master, his words almost as stiff as his seat in the saddle. ¡°Lesser merchant, you may address me as Waverider Tarkhan Aigiam, Captain of the 9th Lance¡­¡± he answered with no small amount of contempt, somehow able to look down his nose at Laes, despite their positions of simr height. He took a moment to confirm his smug superiority before continuing in his ringing voice, and the stallion beneath him stamped its foot as it felt its rider¡¯s aggression, ¡°We know he travels under your colors, petty coin-counter. Bring him out, or you will know what is to go against the Tides.¡± Book 2: Chapter 24: The Flight of an Arrow Book 2: Chapter 24: The Flight of an Arrow Thending of an arrow upon its intended target does not rest upon the arrow''s quality, nor that of the bow from which it was loosed. Neither is it dependent upon the whims of the elements, be it the gusts of wind, the torrents of rain, or even fickle fortune. Nay, it is the archer''s mind that determines the arrow''s destiny. - Valerie of the Vale from the Tales of Seven Lands circa AC 573. It is a surreal thing to prepare for violence, even for one such as I, who has drunk more than his fair share of the hot dark brew. Laes¡¯ hands were held up in the sign of peace, an opening to offer an empty denial or to bargain with his purse. Perhaps he even nned betrayal, the life of some strangers for safe passage and continued trading rights. He could probably justify it to himself as a necessary thing, for surely the lives of the people under him were worth more than the lives of a few strangers. There would be no peaceful conclusion to this encounter, I just knew it in my bones. Grimly, I nodded to Kidu, gathering the dark energies within, even as I let my hand fall - our predetermined signal to let loose. Though Laes had dealt with us fairly so far, it was too great a risk to leave things to chance, to a stranger¡¯s whim. Losing the initiative here could also prove to be fatal, and I needed everyst advantage I could get. With battle as my chosen path, the world became a much simpler thing. I would force Laes¡¯ hand. Even as Kidu''s bow sang its thrumming tune, I unleashed a dark wave of entropic power that swept over the Tides horsemen, causing chaos and confusion in their ranks. One of their steeds reared, its rider thrown off in a flurry of hooves and horse flesh. Shouts of rm reverberated throughout the field, a cacophony of fear and surprise as our unexpected assault caught them off-guard. Laes paused in a moment of dull shock, frozen, as swift-winged arrows whizzed by his face, embedding themselves in the enemy''s armor and flesh. However, he quickly regained his senses and spun his mount around, his guards close behind. They raised wooden and animal hide shields in a desperate attempt to protect themselves and their charge, and fled back toward the rtive safety of the ring of wagons. The men I faced this time were not untrained, unwilling youths or cheap criminal swords for hire. They were a tested and trained group, as evidenced by their skill and disciplined bearing. Despite being under fire and caught off-guard, they charged and pursued Laes, determined to apprehend him. But their efforts were thwarted by the guards from the caravan who intercepted them with long spears, stopping their attempt and forcing them to retreat and regroup. Even with the chaos unfolding around them, the tabarded men dismounted and formed orderly lines, shields held up to protect against any errant arrows. They advanced at a controlled walk, grim and uniform in their step. Though the two groups had ridden here together, it was clear to me from their disparate actions and their lines of battle that they were unused to, or unwilling to, fight together. Perhaps we could use this to our advantage. One enemy at a time, I thought as I smiled under my visor. It was time to start with the head of one of the snakes. With my first spellplete, I sought to draw once more from my well of magic, andunched a Drain spell at the young leader Tarkhan. The tentacles of ebon midnight found him across the field of violence, snapping into him with hungry delight. The sibnt dark voices in my head all but howled in ecstasy as his very life force was siphoned into me. Composite recurve horse bows, their small size belying their considerable power, exchanged fire with Kidu¡¯s longbow and the other projectile weapons of the caravan guards. The Waveriders of the Tides were circling the ring of wagons, shooting from the saddle with masterful skill. One of the guards threw a small throwing spear, a jarid I believe, that narrowly missed one of the galloping enemy Waveriders. For his attempted valor, the guard received an arrow in return, the head piercing through a gap of themer at his chest and taking him out of the fight. Tarkhan was looking less confident now, his face growing paler by the moment. With my ¡®upgraded¡¯ Identify spell I could see my Drain spell steadily leeching away at his Health, Stamina, and Mana. Still, he heroically exhorted his men, urging them to continue with their efforts as they exchanged arrows with the Ravens. I tried casting another Drain spell on Tarkhan again, but the spell failed to take hold. It seemed that I could not double up on its effects, so I redirected the magic to a nearby horseman. Suddenly there was a cry of ¡°Ware the witch!¡± and an arrow skittered across my heavy helm. More and more arrows fell around me and I raised my kite shield against the steady assault, a few arrows thunking heavily into the wood. Thrumming with stolen energy, I looked across at the formation of steel getting closer. They marched in almost perfect lockstep, a well-oiled machine of discipline, iron, and flesh. The tabarded men were d in hard metal and thick gambeson, a design of crossed swords at their chest. At the center of their formation was the distinctive woman, a delicately thin longsword with a wide upturned crossguard now wielded in both of her hands. Even in the whirlwind of battle, my attention was drawn to her. To her left was a broad, thick-set man, his heavy armor making him look like a metal golem. He had a spiked crescent axe in one hand and a heater shield in the other. His copper gilt epaulets denoted his rank, possibly as the woman¡¯s second, I thought to myself. ¡°Knight-Sergeant Mistevan, remember we are here to deliver him alive to the Cardinal! Get these savages to stand down!¡± shouted the armored woman over the din, her eyes shing fire. The hulking brute did not even turn in her direction, but simply stiffly saluted. His heavy helm restricted his vision, so he lifted his visor with the edge of his hand. From this distance, I saw only his rough-hewn features and white teeth that were a surprising contrast to his dark beard. ¡°Stand down, Crows or whatever you savages like to call yourself! Stand down, horsemen of the Tides. The Church of Avaria, the great Goddess, demands that you all cease immediately,¡± he shouted, his voice a throaty bark that cut across the sh of steel and flight of arrows. But fate¡¯s die had already been cast, and there would be no ceasing to this fight until one side was broken. A shrill, ulting cry came from Tarkhan that invigorated his men and defied the order. The vicious horsemen did not cease circling the ring of wagons, and they kept shooting barrages from their deadly bows. Hate, a bitter hot thing, filled me - at these people who hade for me. Who sought to punish me for the temerity of wanting to be free. Hate was subsumed by a new emotion. A line of dark power joined me to yet another being, and even more euphoria filled me, along with a feeling of invincibility. With this magic, I had transcended the realms of mortals. Fuelled by my burgeoning confidence, I smashed the shafts of the arrows embedded into my shield with the haft of my Tsengelt-tum, my heavy mace-il, and advanced, by myself, out of the protective ring to smite my enemies. I did not need to hide behind the protection of the wagons like the womenfolk. I was a god of war. Or at least I thought I was. Something blindsided me with the fury of andslide. A charging horse had bowled me over and knocked me to the ground. From the corner of my eye, I saw a heavy cavalry saber flicking down, only to skid across my helm with a shriek of metal, before the rider wheeled away. Though failing to brain me, the impact rattled me to my core, as the force of the blow was wedded to the speed and mass of his mount. Despite all of this, I had lost only around ten percent of my Health, a considerable, but not lethal, amount of damage. Even as I began to pick myself up, I noticed that my own health was ticking back up. Laughing with battle madness, I realized it would take more than a horse at full charge to take me out of the fight. Then the gods decided to punish me again for my hubris, as mytest curse came to haunt me. The damnable half-elven child Larynda decided to enter the fray. Eyes closed and standing between two of the wagons, she held one of her magic seals in front of her face. With a look of grim determination, she began chanting in an ethereal and alien voice that spoke of more than just a simple invocation. Her unruly mop of yellow hair rose, fluttering in rhythm to an unseen power. I simply had to know the words that she spoke. It pulled at me, this hungering curiosity, making me let loose an Identify. The questing tendrils of insight found her voice and sated this new and strange hunger. ¡°I ask the seal, who are you?¡± Larynda asked of her magic, in a voice that came to me as a bare whisper. Mana, the source of all magic of this world, answered in a booming voice that held no sound but could be heard by all with the gift-spark, ¡°I am the spears of the Deep ces. Wrath made shining crystal¡­¡± This was thest I heard of the voice. Something sharp pierced through the back of my leg and erupted out of the meat of my upper thigh, impaling my limb. Ance of pain punched through the mental protection of my Pain Nullification skill. I screamed in agony and saw that a jagged crystal shaft had sprouted from the ground and had gone straight through my leg. The ssy material was slowly filling with crimson, its surface growing opaque and misty. All around me chaos roared in triumph, as a forest of spears sprung out from around the wagons, targeting everything indiscriminately. Men and horses were impaled upon thick crystalnces, their screams of pain echoing around as the fighting ceased for a few moments. Some, however, had been silenced instantly. The spell had brought Sergeant Mistevan¡¯s formation into disarray as the magical spears wounded and killed men. For a few moments, silence reigned supreme. For the first time, I saw the true disaster that magic could sow. What on earth was that? Surely, with Larynda at only level five, such a disy was impossible? Shock, hate, and yes, even envy whirled about in me as I looked upon the small girl who had unleashed the storm. The child was now the object of everybatant¡¯s attention. A cry of pain cut through the silence, followed by a horse¡¯s scream. Then a barked order, followed by another, as the cacophony of conflict took up arms once more. For these were no new recruits, but hardened men, well versed in the ways of war. Magic was a rare, but notpletely unheard of weapon in this world. And against such a powerful disy of magic, the only option was to charge or to retreat. It was a credit to their discipline and devotion that they chose to charge, zealous fire in their eyes as they smashed against the caravan defenders¡¯ thin line. Larynda looked at the devastation she had wrought, trapped and frozen in shock. An arrow flew from a lethalpound bow at her, its song of promised death a whistle on the wind. Kidu, stout of heart and a better man than me by far, threw himself in front of her. His great bulk shielded the child from a hail of arrows let loose by the remaining riders who had escaped the newly-grown crystal forest. Again and again, feathered shafts sprouted from his back, and I feared for his life. The great warrior Kiduy still upon the ground. In a rare moment of selflessness, I thought only to go to my friend¡¯s side. Urgently, I called upon a Power Strike, which barely drained my prodigious Stamina, using the force of the skill to smash the crystal trapping me to the ground. My shield raised above me, I painfully hobbled over. Something inside of me, a whisper of an angelic voice, told me that even Greater Heal would not be enough. More was needed. I had to rely more on the light than the darkness of the void. With great regret, like a drunk who had to let go of his favorite bottle, I forced the unwilling Entropic Aura back inside me, binding it to my will with a feral howl. In counterpoint to the dark spell, I cast Holy Aura. My fingers wove strange patterns in the air and called the spell into existence. An air of righteousness filled me, and the symphony of Heaven¡¯s power became visible for all to see as motes of light yed about me. Time seemed to cease its endless march for a moment, and I focused on what I had to do next. I called upon the power of Greater Heal and the golden song of angels echoed with my own. The energies from the spell harmonized and entwined with the notes from my Aura, building up with celestial power. Then the flood came¡ªthe release of all of that power. Iid my hands on my friend, and the surge of righteous healing poured into the massive form of Kidu. All thoughts of battle left me. All that was important was for this character to live. With gritted teeth, I mentally pushed away the notifications that clouded my vision. You have Holy Aura (lvl.2) The rush of healing energy caused the wild man¡¯s body to glow brightly, and the deadly shafts that had nearly ended his life were expelled from his body as the spell closed his wounds with its auric light. As his chest rose and fell, I knew that he was safe for the moment, and so too was the life that he protected. Book 2: Chapter 25: Divine Fury Book 2: Chapter 25: Divine Fury Known far and wide as the manifold goddess, the bringer of bounty, and the dread mother of monsters, Iasismands a mostplex and enigmatic reputation. Depending on thend in question, she is held either in deep reverence or vile scorn. Many of the old tales credit the vibrant life of Gesthe to her divine intervention, while others me her for every ill wind and cmity that has ever befallen the world. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. My remaining enemies advanced upon me, and a lone Tides warrior dismounted and charged at me with a berserker¡¯s scream. This was foolish, for I was Justice made manifest upon this ne. This was the thought that entered my mind, a thought that was not quite my own. A fanatic¡¯s rage filled me and I deflected a strike from a heavy curved sword and countered with a Power Strike. Then another, and another, and another - in a savagebination. My weapon, a holy tool of divine fury, smashed through the thin telets ofmer and crushed through to the bone. The nameless enemy died pathetically, gurgling sweet nothings to the world in his own blood. You have in a Human 15 experience gained. You have learned Riding (lvl.1) You have learned Maces (lvl.3) Waving the notifications away, I saw through the haze of my growing fury that my Stamina had dropped precipitously low. It seemed that with rapid use, Power Strike drained far too much of my Stamina. This was the price for using skills in rapid session. My Drain continued to leech energy from Tarkhan, and my Stamina began to w back up in time with each breath I took. The battle was far from done, and only a few secondster Tarkhan charged me, along with one of his men. The youngmander¡¯s youthful features had grown sallow, and fear and desperation haunted his eyes. He engaged me with a weak roar, his strikes slow and filled with fatigue. It stood to reason; his Health, Stamina, and Magic were all but drained. The man was but a light blow away from entering the afterlife and being added to my experience total. However, the soldier at his side, who struck at me with a rounded ball mace, was still rtively fresh. Unlike Tarkhan, he presented to me apletely different proposition. They worked in tandem. Tarkhan, slow as he was, acted as a distraction to give the other man openings, and his spear provided the range to fend me off. Fighting against more than one opponent, no matter how weakened one of them was, was exponentially more difficult. To counter them, I had to move my shield constantly, the mace-il in my other hand providing little in the way of defense. Even as I fought the pair, the rest of the conflict devolved into a general melee. Thebatants had taken the fight inside the ring of wagons. Making a wide sweeping strike, to create space, I broke off from the pair who had been hounding me. Luckily, Tarkan and his partner were cut off by the spears of the guards. Two fellow guards, near Larynda and Kidu, rushed to their side. I raised my shield to help protect them as we dragged the pair back to the rtive safety of the armed and grim-faced womenfolk. Having saved mypanions, I returned to the fray with a shout and renewed vigor. Many of the caravan guards would earn a bonus today, I thought wryly to myself as we fought against the remaining enemies. Then something started in the enemy''s ranks, a note of sharp discord that added to the general bem. This chord of chaos drew a sliver of my attention, even as I blocked another strike from a round mace. ¡°Stop this! This is sphemy. Are you all blind!? The Herald hase! You saw it yourself. He is filled with the light of heaven! I see now¡ªwe had been foolish. Who are we to go against her will!?¡± screamed the red-haired woman, the righteous fervor of a divine epiphany in her voice as she tried to stop her men. ¡°Silence, Cordelia! What is this foolish talk of following the will of Heaven? I have my own orders from the Cardinal. Interfere with those, and even you will be deemed a heretic to go against his divine word,¡± shouted Sergeant Mistevan sternly, his voice a deep, angry bark as he parried a guard''s spear thrust. I had to divert my attention away from their exchange as Tarkhan and hisckey fought their way to me. Noticing that I was momentarily distracted, Tarkhan made ast, desperate move and charged me. From his expression, he must have been saving something up, perhaps out of ingrained heroism or sheer spite. The young man lunged desperately at me, his spear seemingly appeared to strike at three ces at once. It was impossible to cover all the angles of attack, and one of the spearheads found its mark. The sharp point split through the chainmail links at my thigh, dropping me to one knee and doing twenty points of damage to my Health. It was but a drop in the ocean. My dark magic ate away at thest of his remaining Health, ending his life even as the newly-inflicted wound scabbed over. Laughing, I rose again on steady feet. You have in Tarkhan Aigiam 15 experience gained. Hisckey wavered and was only a few moments from breaking. Worriedly, he looked for support from some corner. It was support that would nevere. My Stamina had recovered significantly and I was struck upon a new idea. Power Strike was a skill that could be used both armed and unarmed. It was time to use it a little creatively. I used Power Strike, imagining kicking down against the ground, and in essence, causing me to jump forward at a great speed. Launched forward, I met my opponent with a crash, knocking him over. We fell into a nking heap of iling limbs. Straddling the man, I lifted my shield with both hands and smashed the edge into his face. Again, and again, my shield rose and fell, smashing bone and flesh into a bloody pulp until I got the notification of his death. You have in a human 15 experience gained. You have learned Shields (lvl.3) You have learned Dash (lvl.1) ¡°The venal Mauros thinks only of himself, and of power and worldly gain. So be it. If you seek to go against the will of the Goddess, and side with the words of an earthly priest, I will stop you myself,¡± the woman Cordelia cried, in a voice taut with conviction. Her words, even in the heat of battle, reached out to me. As soon as I got to my feet, a tabarded man engaged me up close, holding his sword halfway up the de as he sought a weakness in my armor. Coming within a knife¡¯s range, he failed to find an opening, and instead ended up tackling me down to the ground. We rolled around together on the grass, each searching for an advantage. What hecked in strength, he made up for slightly in skill, leveraging joints and using locking techniques to try to overpower me. It was not enough, for I had found the knife at my hip. I slipped the wavy de under his thick gorget, the weapon finding its way to his throat like an unwee guest, and ended his life. You have in a human 20 experience gained. You have learned Unarmed Combat (lvl.5) You have learned Daggers (lvl.4) My body was thrumming with power, seeking more violence as I rode a high of adrenalin and raw life force. Something within me had changed; the Unarmed Skill, having reached level five, had changed me somehow. This feeling was soon confirmed, as I was given another notification. You have learned Improved Unarmed Combat (lvl.1) You have gained 10 experience I raised my shield to block another arrow, as I quickly read the notification. A quick nce at the rest of my interface showed that it had supnted the basic Unarmed skill. I was delighted that my battlefield experimentation had given me a new useful skill, Dash. I had enough Mana to cast a few more spells. It would be churlish of me not to use them. Skulking in the corner of my mind, as if in hiding, was my Rust spell, its existence almostpletely forgotten. I would have the magic do some work this day. Like a hound of war, my Entropic Aura was straining at its leash and begging to be let loose. So let loose it was, and the insidious waves of energy pulsed with me at its center. I saw a soldier who was engaged with a caravan guard, and targeted him with the full force of my Rust spell. Dark bolts of hungering lightning mixed with the pulses of Entropic energy. Unerringly, the magic found its mark. The mouthwatering smell of roast pork, an aroma at odds on the battlefield, filled my nostrils. The soldier writhed on the ground, cooking in his own armor as it oxidized at an elerated rate. The guards who had been engaging the soldier turned almost green, and my face lit up with a smile, full of satisfaction. It was a few long moments until the tabarded soldier went to meet with his goddess, his agonized death cries a sweet song that finally stilled when the caravan guard put him out of his misery. You have in a human 7 experience gained. A quick nce at my Status showed that I was still very much in fighting condition. Health249/288 Stamina23/63 Mana4/14 The tabarded men wavered for a moment, confusion and division running rampant through their ranks as their leaders argued with each other, even as they fought a resisting enemy. They were unsure of whose orders to follow. Unfortunately, the greater portion of their number seemed to be Knight-Sergeants men, as most of the unengaged soldiers moved to support him. ¡°Hubris to think that you would know of her wishes, little Goddess. We know that you bear that sword only because you spread your legs for his Eminence,¡± spat back Knight-Sergeant Mistevan. The red-haired woman snarled back at this, raised her long slender sword, no longer seeking restraint but satisfaction, and answered with violence. Book 2: Chapter 26: -At the End of the Day Book 2: Chapter 26: -At the End of the Day They talk of the separation between her Church and State! Utter nonsense, I say! The Church without her knights would be like the goddess without her des. - Attributed to Cardinal Mauros. Cordelia moved like swift-loosed lightning, her de shing in thete morning sun as it arced in descent. It struck Mistevan¡¯s shield with a greater force than could be expected for such a slim weapon, biting deep and gouging a great rent in the metal and wood. Unperturbed, the Knight-Sergeant struck back with a businesslike chop of his axe. I saw another caravan guard, a jovial fellow named Timur, fending off two soldiers equipped with swords and shields. He was a dab hand at cards, and rather pleasant to game with, so I rushed to his aid. The tabarded soldiers, the features of their heavy helms reminiscent of faceless metal monsters, would make short work of Timur, unless I stopped them. Charging in with a Shield Bash, I caught the soldier to Timur¡¯s left unawares, almost bringing him to the ground with the force of my assault. They were certainly a cut above the rest of the fodder, as the soldier to the right broke off for a moment to cover his ally. The guard gave me a quick nod of thanks, appreciation that the odds were now evened. The striking red-haired woman moved with a grace that was at odds with her heavy armor, performing well-timed single and two-tempo ripostes and strikes. She lured Mistevan with a weak hanging guard, only to roll her thin de around her wrist to then sh diagonally across his visor, momentarily stunning him. One of his subordinates stepped in to cover him and she was pressed to defend herself, her sword circling defensively to keep the lesser soldiers at bay. It was probably at this point that something broke within the remaining warriors of the Tides. Without their leader, they had lost their discipline and purpose, and the horror of the crystal spears had been simply too much for them. In the face of such magic, the taste of battle lost its appeal to them and they broke off from the engagement. Or tried to, at least. Some of them tried to ride double, to escape on what horses remained. They were chased down by Alik and the heavy spike of his war pick, and thences of the other guards stabbed into those who had turned tail. The other Tides warriors who tried to limp away were cut down by the arrows and jarids of the guards. Truly, the tides had changed in our favor. The tabarded soldiers were, however, a different story. Seeing the fate that followed those who fled, a sense of grim determination stole over them. At their core, however, the dissonant note of discord only grew in volume, as Cordelia continued to fight for whatever she believed in. As if following a preordained script, her de rose and fell in a circling and shing dance as she moved among the melee. Timur, in a seemingly versed stroke of brilliance, lured the soldier to the left and caused him to stumble over a nearby corpse. His ally on the right tried to cover him, but the il head of my weapon looped over his shield and struck him across his helm. It was enough to disorientate him, giving the caravan guard precious seconds to finish off the man who had lost his footing. With two against one, the soldier¡¯s fate was written across his face, the grim lines of eptance clear for all to see. He still fought gamely, but his existence ended when I blocked one of his desperate strikes with my shield. This allowed Timur to grapple him down. Dropping my mace, I drew the dagger at my waist and, with myrade''s assistance, I stabbed him in the armpit. My knife found a bloody path through the links of mail, striking deep into an artery and ending his life. You have in a human 7 experience gained. Realbat against a real opponent was the most-stringent of teachers. Under its tutge, I was slowly learning how to use my weaponry and equipment to their fullest. My kite shield was more than just a defensive tool; it could be used offensively to disrupt the flow ofbat and to create other avenues of attack. On the other side of the fight, the woman was fighting well, parrying or avoiding attacks, and letting her elegant armor absorb the blows when she had to. It was an education in fighting in heavy armor. Her fighting style was strange, to say the least, favoring downward circling strikes that hit with the strength of an ogre, crushing through guards and shields. Only the Knight-Sergeant Mistevan, it seemed, could repel those downward strikes to some degree. For all this, she was still hard-pressed. Either exhaustion or the sheer press of numbers would wear her down, eventually. The caravan guards were slowly mopping up the remaining zealots, viciously finishing them off whenever they had a chance. The end was in sight, our victory all but certain. All that was left were thest gasps of this bloody drama. Something about seeing a beautiful woman fighting off a group of armed men pulled at me. The part of me that dared called itself a man pushed me to rush to her assistance. Her noble struggle was a cry to direct and immediate action and, throwing caution to the wind, I charged in to aid her. This was simply the protective instinct, born from the time when men still rutted in caves like animals. Or simple vainglory. Nheless, it felt right. It felt just. What happened next was a brutal flurry of heavy steel, punches, and kicks. The other guards, drawn by my charge, followed me and crashed into the confused enemy. In the heat of the melee, there was no time for the subtle maniption of magic or clever strategies, only the call of battle that thrummed through my limbs andmanded me to fight with rabid viciousness. I could only vaguely remember Mistevan¡¯sst moments. For my mind painted them all in the impressionist hues of a crimson song as he was pulled down by our coordinated assault. A flurry of notifications passed me, heavy with the weight of my actions. You have in a human 7 experience gained. You have in a human 7 experience gained. You have in a human 3 experience gained. You have in a human 3 experience gained. You have in a human 7 experience gained. You have in a human 7 experience gained. You have in a human 3 experience gained. Finally, as the storm of violence passed, there was only the red-headed woman left. She was surrounded by the wounded and the fallen. Taking off her helm, she looked upon me with a face filled withplete and utter adtion and went down on bended knee before me. I could only look back at her in horror, thankful that my reaction was hidden by my helm. Book 2: Chapter 27: The Will of the Goddess Book 2: Chapter 27: The Will of the Goddess In the long, long ago, there was only darkness and the void. No light from Sahel, nor from his brothers and sisters. There was only nothing and the once-eternal great silence. Out of the lonely silence grew a single drop of water. This drop grew into a stream, then into the River. Thus, Time was born. Now there was Water, Darkness, and the binding thread that was the River of Time. These elements grew together, ever intertwining, until one day there was Air, the Laughter on the Wind. - The Birth of the Gesthe, by an unknown author. The shock took me in a sudden squall of emotion. Surprise, anger, vitriol, and dread flooded through me, as memories once suppressed rose to the fore. This close, even covered by mud and dirt, the familiar beauty of the terrifying goddess from long ago shone through it all. Before me was the vision of the goddess, d in mortal flesh, and I was taken aback by her terrifying countenance. The divine avatar of Avaria, her armor fashioned from fine, delicate te, now stained with the blood of her enemies. Yet even in this state, her form was visible through the cksmith''s artistry, the subtle curves and contours of the steel skin entuating a fierce femininity. Memories of the past and present superimposed, twisted, and intertwined together, adding to my confusion and stopping my breath. The sibnt voices, now familiar friends, rejected the reality before me. The voices shrieked a denial in my mind. Together, as a dark choir, they told me that this was not truly the Goddess. This was merely an opportunity to be exploited. Mental exhaustion fell heavily on my shoulders, as I struggled to silence the internal cacophony. ¡°Herald, please forgive the sinners their willful ignorance. They have met judgment and paid for their sins with their meager lives,¡± said the shadow of the goddess, the one the armored men had called Cordelia. At a loss for words, I waited for her to continue, ¡°I humbly offer my name, Cordelia de Aserac, Knight of the Order of the Penitent Heart. All my life, I have waited to be graced with youring. The goddess came to me in a dream, and told me of you when I was but a girl¡­ I have¡­¡± she paused, a storm of emotions leaving her bereft of control for a moment, her face red with embarrassment. ¡°Forgive me, oh lord, take my life for my impertinence. I am not worthy!¡± she wailed, in the throes of religious ecstasy. Her face was flush with desire as she clutched at the hem of my dirtied robe. The initial shock had now left me, and nonplussed as I was, I could see that this was not Avaria. The hair, of a shorter cut and color, the voice that did notmand reverence, the aura of humility, and theck of agelessness around her eyes informed my mind of the stark truth. Before me was a woman who possessed divine beauty, but was mortal, nheless. Eyes glinting with revenge, the men from the caravan, and even some of the women, had started going around and ruthlessly finishing any of our attackers who remained in this world. Unsurprisingly, I heard quite a few of their number mention Larynda with tones of awe, the devastation of the child¡¯s spell clear for all to see. A few of them paused from their grisly work and formed behind me, their presence afort and support. In their eyes, I could see that hesitation had found fertile soil, and that they looked unsteady and unsure. Some fingered their weapons or postured threateningly, but I doubted they looked forward to having to kill a woman. ¡°Relieve her of her weapons and let us bring her to the caravan master. I would have his opinion on the matter,¡± Imanded in what I hoped was a stern voice. ¡°I have seen your light, and I know of your truth! Many times has the Goddess graced me with visions of you. This is her will! I know it to be so. This is how it should be. All I wish is to serve as your sword against night! How may I show you the depth of my faith?! My belief in you?¡± the woman wailed, her beauty twisted by sudden sorrow. With a swiftness that startled us all, she lunged at me, brandishing a long knife and catching mepletely off-guard. The guards swiftly unsheathed their weapons, their actions producing a metallic rasp in response. We found ourselves encircled by the glint of sharp steel. She seized my hands with an animalistic strength, fuelled by her fervor, pulling them towards her. For a moment I thought she hade to end my life or to take me hostage, but what followed shocked everyone. Desperate tears were tracking a path down her face and she ced the point of the dagger, a poniard, at her own throat. ¡°If you do not believe me, then this life, this existence, has no meaning. I give myself to you, as is the will of the Goddess,¡± she proimed, her gaze locked on mine. She pressed the dagger''s point to her throat, drawing a single droplet of crimson blood. In that moment, the panicked cries of the guards faded into nothingness. The rest of the world ceased to exist. The space seemed to be upied only by her, me, and the resounding truth of her deration. Was this a chance to get another NPCpanion? I mentally rubbed my hands in glee. True, she had been a part of the attacking force, initially, but she had quickly changed her allegiance once she had seen my Holy Aura. On the other hand, this could be another of Avaria¡¯s foul schemes¡­ I would have to be careful. She seemed like she was a fanatic, and fanatics, in my opinion, always had a screw loose, but then again she did not look half-bad¡­ at the very least I could be getting a magic item. Some of the guards moved cautiously behind her. Even with the de still at her throat, she swiveled around to face them, drawing me unwillingly with her. She shot them a deathly re, eyes heavy with lethal warning, causing them all to visibly stiffen. The air grew tense. Seeking to avoid further conflict, I tried to defuse the situation, ¡°If you truly believe me to be your lord, you will surrender your arms to these men, for the moment at least. I will see them returned to youter¡­ once I have discussed the situation with the master of this caravan.¡± I hoped that my delivery did not betray the sense of unease that I felt. ¡°It will be as youmand,¡± the woman warrior half-whispered in a voice full of awe and revtion, shivering at being given a directmand. She withdrew the dagger from her own throat, releasing my hands, and sheathed the long knife at her waist. She was meek and unresisting now, and the guards were able to remove her weapons. They took the sword from her back scabbard, which was an ingenious thing, made from dark leather that opened three-quarters down its length at the side. This, no doubt, allowed the weapon within to be drawn and carried with ease even when sheathed at the back. A feat that would have been impossible with a normal scabbard. What was more incredible was the double-edged sword itself. It was just under a meter-and-a-half in length, with a cruciform hilt inscribed with a delicate gold runic pattern. The weapon''s de was fullered two-thirds down its length and tapered to a deadly tip. The metal of the de was like that of fine watered steel. The caravan guards gave nods and longing sighs of appreciation at the weapon that was so perfectly matched to its bearer. So intrigued was I, that I decided to cast an Identify on the de with thest dregs of my Mana. Longsword ''Weight of Justice'' Mace-il Durability 999/999 Truly incredible! The first magic weapon I had seen in this game and within reach¡­ I was almost salivating, thinking about getting my hands on such an elegant and deadly weapon. The guards also relieved of her simple no-nonsense poniard, which drew a much less dramatic reaction. It was a rtively long dagger, about half-a-meter from pommel to deadly pointed pit with a bronze crossguard. An efficient tool for punching through the weak points in an armored opponent. ns were drawn, and lines of argument were made in my mind as we made our way to find Laes. He was there, in the center of it all, shouting orders at the top of his lungs and miraculously creating some measure of order from the chaos. The injured were gently loaded onto the wagons, their moans of pain a reassurance that they yet lived. The bodies of the caravan¡¯s in were wrapped in purple shrouds and moved respectfully, if not too hurriedly, onto different wagons. The master was shouting out orders, seeing to the logistics of getting a vige on wheels to move. Khm, the Guard Master, who was nking me to my right, was a dour man of dark skin and middling height. He was stern in hismands and scowled often, when not deep in his cups. That same scowl was now stered on his face as he addressed the caravan master. ¡°We have repelled the attackers, and have cut them down to a man,¡± Khm almost spat, ¡°No doubt they were in search of this one. The nerve of him, tounch the first arrow when we could have negotiated, as we have always done. What have you done, Laes? You endanger us all in this insanity. I have not seen war magic of its like outside the campaigns of my youth. If I had known that we had a Quas-trained mage among us¡­¡± ¡°That is Caravan Master Laes to you, Guard Master Khm. I want a report, not an opinion on how I run my enterprise. As for who struck first, it could have been one of your men, no? I could see it in that Aigiam fellow¡¯s eyes that they were not here for sport or treasure. They came for blood. But, please, Khm, continue with your report,¡± replied Laes, the sh of annoyance in his eyes quickly smothered by his professional countenance. I saw Khm bite down a scathing reply, his face red as he finished with his report. ¡°Caravan Master, Abdul is dead, and Catalina took an arrow to the gut. My so¡­ guard Ubaid, will likely never be able to use his sword arm again. Apart from that, we were lucky, as the rest are minor injuries. I never knew we were in thepany of great mages. The little one, ording to some of my men, unleashed what appeared to be a crystal forest of spears on the enemy, cutting down a great number of them. My newest guard, Gilgamesh here, seems to be one of those goddess-botherers, a High Priest if I am not mistaken, of all things. I saw him myself, fishing hispanion from the Shallow River, the big northman, with temple healing,¡± reported Khm, his voice steadily growing louder with each sentence. The names meant almost nothing to me, except for Abdul, if it was the same Abdul, who had been a fellow guard. The only thing I remembered about him was his creepyzy eye and his wily skill at cards. ¡°I see¡­ I suspected that Gilgamesh was a man of hidden depths ,and that our littledy was important. Shemands a magic that I have never seen before, and so powerful for one so young¡­ I am sure Master Gilgamesh has his reasons for keeping it to himself, and I will not pry. It, however, changes nothing. I will fulfill my promise to Hamsa¡ªa trader¡¯s word is his bond. There will always be death on the trail, Khm. Their deaths are regrettable, but they knew the risk. Khm, I have heard that they were, in fact, not cut down to a man. We have a prisoner, do we not?¡± inquired Laes. ¡°Yes, one of their Temple knights or pdins. A priestess, if I am not mistaken. We either deal with her or give her a horse and our deepest apologies and beg for forgiveness. There will be no exining this away, and the goddess of Justice is not kind to those who harm her servants. Gah, Laes, this is a hell¡¯s cursed mess you have gotten us into. I suspect Gilgamesh is one of their High Priests¡¯ get or something. Who am I to know of the intrigue of foreignnds? I am, after all, just a humble Guard Master,¡± answered Khm tly. ¡°Khm, to hear you whine and whinge is unsightly. You know of my purpose, when you joined me those long years ago,¡± replied Laes, sucking in through his teeth, and his brow furrowed in worry as he turned to me, ¡°I know you have your reasons, Honored One, but I have to know, can you save the others of my train?¡± he entreated, barely able to keep the begging desperation from his voice. Remembering something Elwin said about Temple healing being valuable¡­ I realized I had a lot of leverage now. It was time to squeeze. ¡°I make no promises, but I will do what I can. But I have conditions¡­¡± I replied, looking him in the eye. ¡°Of course, anything! Err herm, within reason, of course,¡± blurted out Laes, his equine face shaded with worry. ¡°The woman warrior-knight, I want her surrendered to me. She has pledged fealty to me and I would take her on as one of my entourage. I will, of course¡­¡± I began, only to be interrupted by Khm. ¡°That one is dangerous, Gilgamesh of Uruk. That would be like taming a Zlesh viper,¡± spat Khm, his gray eyes narrowing in suspicion. ¡°You said it yourself, did you not? Avaria is not kind to those who harm her servants. I will, of course, take full responsibility for this Cordelia and keep an eye on her myself,¡± I added, looking at Khm before focusing back on Laes, ¡°Her gear. I would have returned to her in its entirety. After all, you would not want to have the Church using you of robbery,¡± I suggested in a reasonable tone. Laes appeared to be thinking, one hand under his chin before he answered, ¡°This is indeed reasonable, if you swear upon your honor. I will hold you responsible for her good conduct while we are blessed with herpany. I am assuming there is more?¡± Taking a deep breath, I thought over the current situation before I continued with my requests, ¡°Mana potions for healing those in need now. This little skirmish we had has somewhat drained me considerably of my magical energies. Also, the first choice over the spoils, and an extra silver to the wages of mypanions and I.¡± The caravan master almost looked relieved at hearing my requests before he sped me at the elbow, ¡°So it is done, Honored Gilgamesh, in deference to your people¡¯s contributions,¡± he epted. I was genuinely surprised that he had epted all of my conditions so quickly. It had been my n to slip in an unreasonable request to increase the chance of the other things being epted. Perhaps I could have squeezed them for more, but I still needed these people to get me to the city of Al-Lazar. Still, what was done was done and, at the end of the day, I am a reasonable man. Book 2: Chapter 28: A Bitter Harvest Book 2: Chapter 28: A Bitter Harvest Born from the torrential rains of the Grieving Lands, the Green Road is a river that runs through the Whispering Wastes. As straight as an arrow flight the water cuts through the desert with nary a bend, guiding the way to the city of Dust. Along its banks, for a period of two moons, the sands bloom in a celebration of life. It is only during this time thatrge caravans can safely traverse the Whispering Wastes for the Worms of the desert fear only running water. - The Fanciful Travels of Beron de Laney 376 AC. Everything seemed to be slowly falling into ce, and we were well on our way again. After thoroughly piging the bodies of our fallen enemies, we left them for the crows and scavengers of the ins. Although exhausted, the caravan had journeyed through the night, more wary of pursuit than of a broken axle. After checking on Kidu and Larynda, who were both asleep, I fulfilled my promise to Laes. Khm shadowed me as I drank a few precious blue Mana potions provided by Laes, andid my hands on Catalina. The girl was a young mother with mousy hair and a pretty face, but in a homely way. A small boy, perhaps seven or eight years old, was by her pallet, clutching her hand. I found the rise and fall of her chest and her moans of pain a little distracting. My eyes drifted over the lines and contours of her body, clearly seen through sheets dampened with sweat. Guiltily, I noticed her shivering from shock and that her eyes were dted, her face an ashen hue. Annoyed with my traitorous body, I summoned the energies to heal the wound that had made a mess of her innards. As color returned to her face, I imagined I saw a smile as she slipped into the blessed realm of sleep. Ubaid was apletely different matter. The olive-skinned boy was very much awake and in pain. With the remains of his arm a mangled mess, he was screaming in agony. Crushed by a heavy mace, his fellows said. Luckily they had not yet amputated the limb, and my Heal spell was able to restore his arm. The boy¡¯s future was now restored, and he was reduced to a sobbing wreck, tears of relief and joy trailing down his face. Some of his fellow guards also joined him in the cathartic weeping. I must admit to a certain sense of satisfaction at being able to help my fellow man without the need to hide my powers. However, I was put off by the sight of grown men weeping womanly tears. During a lull in the night journey, I grew desperate to do more. Holding a small chunk of Zajasite close to my chest, I stole aboard the wagon carrying Abdul''s corpse. Upon examining his body, I saw that the likely cause of death was a clean slice across the windpipe. Despite this, I still hoped that I could save him. With that in mind, I cast Greater Heal, channeling divine golden energy into him. For a moment, there was a glimmer of hope as the severe wound closed, but his heart remained still. Thest glimmers of life had long left him, and Death had extinguished yet another mortal spark. Alone with the corpse, I found myself weeping, more out of frustration than true sorrow. Even magic had its limits, and there were some things that could not be ovee. * At dawn, a small ceremony was held. Three bodies wereid on a pyre made of dry grass and fragrant wood. It seemed that Khm''s casualty report had been wrong, the ipetent fool. The gathered crowd was somber, their eyes downcast, and only the asional sob or wail broke the solemn silence. The people of the Raven saw my face, the haunting look in it, and must have taken the expression as a shared grief. They bowed to me, whispering ¡®Honored One,¡¯ and kept a respectful distance. Without my powers, and Larynda¡¯s magical assistance, the butcher¡¯s bill would have been much higher. Cordelia had also been busy during the night. True to his promise, Laes had returned her equipment, and as a token of gratitude, she had gone around healing some of the minor injuries in the camp. Some people had spat at her and even struck her, but none could deny the small miracles she performed. Cordelia wore the bruises and small cuts on her noble features like a badge of honor. Within a few hours, she had gained some respect, if not eptance. The fact that she was now part of my entourage must have contributed significantly to her newfound status. As Laes set a torch to the dry grass, a ze consumed the pyres. The smell of incense filled the air and masked the smell of cooking flesh. Prayers were said to various gods and the ceremony drew to a close. Food was served, and the caravan began to make ready for another day¡¯s journey. Laes approached me once I had finished with breakfast, a worried look on his face as he asked me toe to his wagon. Tired as I was, his tone raised the hairs on the back of my neck and I followed him quickly. Opening the door, I was greeted by the sight of Khm and a pair of guards standing over the form of the ever-insouciant Elwin Tucker. A conflict of emotions warred within me as I struggled to maintain control. I had thought the Rogue dead in the forest of crystal spears. ¡°This cur says he knows you, Honored One. We found him in one of the rear wagons¡± exined Khm, his words dripping with disdain. ¡°Gil,¡± greeted Elwin. He gestured to me with his left arm, and I was shocked to discover that his left hand was missing. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you could lend a friend a hand?¡± Taking a deep breath, I found a measure of calm, ¡°What happened to you¡­ your hand? I thought you were going back to find your family?¡± I asked, feigning false politeness. ¡°Well, about that. Just as I was gathering up some funds to find a caravan going the other way, I found a bunch of religious folks, all looking for you and Kidu. Something about a Herald or some such. I thought to inquire more, to warn you of course, but one of them got right enthusiastic when I let something slip. Sorry about that,¡± he paused for a moment, and the smile faded from his face before he continued, ¡°And that¡¯s when I had to pay the Thief¡¯s Tax, courtesy of Her loving Church. I¡¯m sorry Gil, but they¡­ they¡­ Inquisitors¡­ did things,¡± he sobbed, his facade of confidence finally crumbling. ¡°And what were you doing with the group that attacked¡­¡± I began before I was rudely cut off. ¡°I say we leave this dastard to the crows. By his own words, he betrayed you. He is, as you ounders say, a dangerous loose end,¡± spat Khm, and for some reason, I found his words grating. There was no justice to his words. Out of contrary spite, and from a ce of newfound forgiveness, I decided to challenge his words, ¡°Elwin is a friend, and as you can see, he did not willingly give me up. Even the strongest of men can break under torture. I consider it a blessing that mypanion yet lives,¡± my voice stern with resolution. ¡°A man is judged by thepany he keeps¡­¡± returned Khm, probably thinking himself wise and smart. ¡°Yes, followed by a peerless warrior giant and an arcane prodigy that puts your best men to shame¡­¡± I retorted, with no small pride, before Laes decided to intervene. ¡°Peace! The pair of you! This Elwin person was clearly not a willing member of the people that attacked us. That he is the Honored Gilgamesh¡¯s friend speaks to his favor. I will not allow the Ravens to execute a free man, no matter how suspect. If we keep fighting among ourselves, we will never make it to the Rump, let alone cross the Wastes,¡± half-shouted Laes, as would an exasperated father to his squabbling children. Another disy of power was necessary, I felt, to prove the value of my magic to the caravan. Quaffing yet another precious Mana potion, the once sweet-tasting elixir now bitter to the palette, I knew then that I was approaching what Hamsa had described as the limit to the number of potions I could imbibe. My Mana rose to eleven points. Enough for what I had to do. I went through the motions of summoning the holy power of the spell Greater Heal, causing Khm and the two guards to reach for their arms. Laes barked out a quickmand, stopping them from further foolishness. Correcting the cruel error of Avaria¡¯s misguided followers felt right. Felt righteous, and my soul sang in eptance. The interior of the wagon was bathed in the light of a false dawn and the echo of an ancient song of praise filled the air. A gold aura shrouded the stump of his wrist. Bone grew out, a skeletal frame for what followed. Then came flesh born from the holy light, wrapping around the bone, only in turn to be wrapped by new skin. When the light finally died down, I saw that the spell had regenerated Elwin¡¯s missing handpletely. You have learned Greater Heal (lvl.2) As was my habit, I dismissed the notification as soon as it appeared, just as the guards began to mutter reverent prayers. A look of awe was inly written on the faces of all those present. Elwin was on his knees, his eyes downcast. When the spell finally ended, Khm simply narrowed his eyes and made to spit on the floor before he remembered his ce, and was forced to swallow the bile. He had to make do with what he probably thought was a threatening grunt. ¡°I wash my hands of the whole matter. He and that wild woman are all yours. A word from the wise¡ªbest that you remember what the Caravan Master said. Life on the road is a dangerous one,¡± he snarled before leaving the wagon, surprising the other remaining guards with the sharp words of his threat. ¡°Apologies. Khm¡­ he used to be a believer in the gods. Even when faced with the truth, men like him will turn their back. He is still a good and reliable man, do not hold his words against him,¡± sighed Laes. ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you¡­ Gil. So sorry, so sorry¡­ never again. I am your man, forever more,¡± repeated Elwin over and over. His new hand was shaking as if he was suffering from palsy. ¡°I have seen men like this before, I will see to his well-being. There are some wounds even the gods can not heal. You had best get some rest. I fear this day will be another long one and we have lost too much time, and too many people,¡± offered the caravan master in an assuring voice. Knowing his words for what they were¡ªa dismissal¡ªI politely excused myself and returned to my wagon. I took a moment to review my status before entering. STATUS CallingGilgamesh Level 11 Pdin/Reaver Strength27 Dexterity22 Constitution39 Intelligence21 Wisdom22 Charisma13 Luck18 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.2) Power Strike (lvl.2) 10 Endure (lvl.3) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.2) Critical Hit Master (lvl.2) Improved Unarmed Combat (lvl.1) Hammers (lvl.2) ils (lvl.3) Maces (lvl.3) Shields (lvl.3) Medium Armor (lvl.2) Heavy Armor (lvl.4) Axes (lvl.1) Daggers (lvl.4) Throwing Weapons (lvl.2) Double Throw (lvl.1) 5 Herbalism (lvl.2) Shield Bash (lvl.1) Riding (lvl.1) Dash (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) 5 Rust (lvl.3) 2 Identify (lvl.3) 1 Silent Casting (lvl.2) Mana Regeneration (lvl.2) Purify (lvl.2) 3 Holy Aura (lvl.2) 2 Decay (lvl.1) 1 Drain (lvl.4) 2 Entropic Aura (lvl.2) 2 GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% to all starting attributes Mark of the Pdin 10% resistance to Dark/Holy Magic. 5% resistance to Physical. Touch of the Void 10 reduced resistance to Holy/Fire Magic, 20% resistance to Mental Effects, 15% immunity to Mental Effects. Experience to next level 3137/3202 Health249/288 Stamina23/63 Mana1/16 Book 2: Chapter 29: Faiths Reward Book 2: Chapter 29: Faith''s Reward It is only through a greater enmity that enmity is ovee. - The Traveling Scourge. Weariness hung heavily upon my bones, and my muscles were aching from the weight of the day''s burdens. I copsed onto the carpeted floor of the wagon, the stress and strain of my exertions draining away, leaving only a liquid relief in their wake. Cordelia regarded me with concern, a desperate hungry hope in her eyes. "Are you well, my lord?" she asked, her voice filled with worry andpassion. "I am well enough, Cordelia," I replied wearily, my energy nearly spent. It took great effort to meet her gaze, but I needed answers to satisfy my curiosity. "You are Cordelia de Aserac, yes? I want you to know that the title of ''lord'' is of little importance to me. Gilgamesh or Gil will suffice." "Yes, my lord¡­ I mean, Gilgamesh. Cordelia de Aserac. Apologies, again, my lord, for being so presumptuous. To be in thepany of those who would do you harm! Truly, I was an ignorant fool. For dering myself to be your servant before¡­ I only wish to serve, yet I fear I am not worthy," she replied, her eyes downcast and voice stricken. Though being called a lord did tickle my pride, I decided that, for the sake of expediency, such a fancy title would only be an impediment to further conversation. This Herald business was also a little distracting. "Please, Cordelia. Again, Gilgamesh, or even Gil, will suffice. And rather than words, I would have you show your loyalty through action. However, for the moment, I ept your deration of fealty," I stated magnanimously and with as much confidence as I could muster in my exhausted state. Inside, I was all but cooing with pleasure at being given another character tomand as I saw fit. Perhaps it was the lingering effects of having imbibed several Mana potions in such a short time, but I had regained another point of Mana. Just enough to cast an Identify on thetest addition to my entourage. Cordelia de Aserac - Temple Knight (Human lvl.18) Health 213/247 Stamina 23/37 Mana 1/10 As I was busy being awed by her impressive attributes, I was surprised by a sudden lurch, as our wagon began to move. I had to give Laes credit; he ran a very tight ship, for we had set off far sooner than I had thought possible. "I feel your regard upon me. I pray you do not find me wanting. Truly, you are too forgiving," Cordelia rejoiced, her face growing flush with religious ecstasy. "Quite. Enlighten me, please¡ªhow were you able to find me? And do you know a man named Amon Vanes?" I inquired tly, pausing to take a swig of water from the sk at my hip. This discussion was probably going to be a long one. Game characters did, after all, enjoy their exposition. Did I still regard these people as simply characters within the confines of a game? Such a notion caused me the tiniest twinge of guilt before my thoughts moved on to the next question. Did it matter if I saw these individuals as nothing more than a collection of data and algorithms? Yet, before I could continue down this line of idle contemtion, Cordelia''s words cut through to me. "Our penance was to scour thends for you. However, there were those who sought to expedite the process. The leaders of the Church petitioned the seers of the River God for news of you, Herald. Venal fools, all of them seeking a shortcut through the offering of gold, for the Goddess''s trials are sacred," she intoned, her voice as smooth as silk, but with a passion and fervor in her eyes that spoke of a deep-seated belief in her cause. Me. I chose not to dwell on the hypocrisy inherent in her words, for without those same venal fools, they might never have found me at all. Lulled by the timbre of her melodic voice, I found myself drifting, feeling safe. There was a sensation of falling, followed by a glimpse of Cordelia rushing to my side. * Opening my eyes slowly, I was greeted by the sight of the warrior woman looking down at me, my head on her armoredp. Smiling, she continued to dab a piece of cloth across my brow. "You are awake, Your Holiness," she greeted me with a soft, contented smile. In this world, there were worse ways to be awoken. "How long?" I croaked, eyes darting around the interior of the wagon. "No more than a few minutes. You must rest. Be at ease, for your servant is with you. All is well now," Cordelia replied, her beauty magnified tenfold by her angelic smile, and her words almost hypnotic. With little reason to resist sleep''s call, I rxed and surrendered myself to her care. * This time, I was awakened from a sleep free of pleasant dreams and nightmares by a sudden lurching motion. Scrambling to my feet, I took in the scene before me. Kidu, like me, had been roused by the abrupt stop and had leaped up. Mere moments after waking, the Hunter had already assumed a wary stance. After taking half a second to orient myself, I noticed Larynda groggily rising and rubbing her eyes. Cordelia was sitting on her knees on the carpet beside me. "Who is this... you invite our enemies...?" Kidu began, his face a confused mixture of concentration. "Peace, Kidu. Peace. This is Cordelia, and we are no longer enemies. She has sworn herself to my service," I replied, attempting to defuse the situation. "It is as Gilgamesh the Herald says," the Temple Knight added in her soft voice. The Hunter looked at me questioningly. I simply nodded to him and gradually, after a span of a few seconds, I could see the tense muscles of his body begin to loosen and some of the strain leaving him. Larynda had moved closer to him, using him as a shield while peeking at us from behind one of his sturdy legs. ¡°I think it is best that I speak to you about what happened while you were both convalescing. And you Larynda, though our sessful defense owes a great part to your contribution, your little stunt almost cost the life of one of mypanions,¡± I stated, looking at all of the wagon¡¯s upants in turn before sitting down. Following my example, and with a few more nces shot in Cordelia¡¯s direction, both Kidu and Larynda sat down. And so I told them about what had transpired. * I instructed the devoted Temple Knight Cordelia de Aserac to follow and obey me in all things, to demonstrate her worthiness to be by my side. To her, this was another test of faith, and nothing seemed to bring her greater joy. Cordelia revealed that, like Amon, she had received dreams from the goddess Avaria in the nights before our meeting, urging her to bring me back to the Church''s fold. But why would the Goddessmand her to capture her chosen, the most perfect vessel of her holy will? It was too contrary. To the female warrior-knight, the answer was simple: these visitations were mere temptations sent by the demons of the abyss to appeal to human hubris. She believed that the chosen of the Goddess¡ªme¡ªwas not someone who¡¯s purpose could be chained to mortal authority, and hers was only to obey. I was pleased to hear that she viewed Amon Vanes'' actions as a grave sin. I could almost taste Avaria''s tears. I urged Larynda to gain greater control of her remarkable powers. Although her spell had been effective, it had been a rather risky and impulsive thing, indeed, that had nearly cost both her life and the Northman''s. Better that a few guards and other nameless NPCs had met their end, rather than me losing a friend. More worryingly, the crystal spears she had summoned from her Seal had injured me amidst the chaos. Aware of children''s fragile and easily-wounded psyche, I made sure to bnce my criticism with ample praise. I inquired if Cordelia had any knowledge of magic, and whether she could teach Larynda. Regrettably, she knew only a few simple prayers, bestowed upon her by the Goddess - feeble incantations that could only heal minor wounds. When I further questioned her about magic, I was surprised by how readily she epted my limited knowledge of the arcane. "And lo, there shalle my Herald, as if an innocent child, knowing little of this world. It shall fall upon you, my beloved children, to shelter him and show him of mortal foibles - even as he instructs you in the deeper mysteries. For this will temper Justice with Mercy, and he shall bring forth the light unto those who have long dwelt in darkness," she exined to me, quoting from a religious text and smiling, as if caught in rapture. The sword, the magical de ''Weight of Justice,'' also piqued my interest. Another smile illuminated the beautiful woman''s face as she told us about the sacred and storied de she wielded. In her own words, the de was a gift from Avaria herself, forged with metal extracted from the fallen star. Blinded by her religious devotion, she exined with a knowing smile that the sword had the power to be as light as a feather in the hands of its wielder, yet have the weight and force of a mountain when striking downwards to smite an enemy. Based on her description, and the name of the de itself, I hypothesized that the star-metal, if indeed it was made from the heart of one of the celestial bodies, was able to manipte one of the fundamental forces of the universe, gravity. In essence, it had the limited ability to control this universal constant. ording to Cordelia, only the downward strokes of the de were so empowered. If it was a ¡®simple¡¯ matter of changing the sword¡¯s mass, then upwards and vertical strokes would have also benefited from the magic of the de. Or perhaps it functioned as it did because the gods deigned it to be so. Religion, the delusion, was as prevalent in this world as it was in my old one. Even when faced with stark evidence to the contrary, I refused to ept that such beings were truly gods, let alone beings worthy of worship. However, there was one being who was worthy of fear¡­ I set aside those thoughts for the moment and, as a distraction, made a mental note to prioritize visiting the water witch of the caravan. Now came the daunting task of persuading the stubborn Kidu to ept our new reality. Though he was quick to ept Cordelia''s oath of fealty to me, due in no small part to her skill and strength, when it came to the thorny topic of Elwin¡¯s return, things were of a different cut of cloth altogether. Kidu was quivering with rage, while Larynda merely looked confused. The newest member of my entourage, the me-haired Cordelia, remained sitting on her knees, calm and regal. ¡°I understand that in the face of a great storm, former enemies must be allies. But that honorless son of a¡­¡± sputtered Kidu, his rage and confusion forming a vtile mix of emotions, ¡°And you! You people did that to him!?¡± ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t say that I was there for his inquisition. But I know the Seekers are not always kind,¡± replied the woman, avoiding his gaze before continuing, ¡°But I believe that the need was great, no matter how misguided their methods may have seemed.¡± Bristling inwardly, having perhaps received a simr ''misguided'' method of discipline, I was careful not to let my emotions show on my face. I had to be the calm one here, the cool and collected leader. "Best you direct your anger on the correct course, Northman, for I heard that the one you call Elwin did not break easily. Though I do not im myself to be truly free from me, I was not directly responsible for the pain or injuries he suffered. And you people of the North, though I can profess no deep knowledge, it is said that the ways of your people are no less cruel," added Cordelia calmly, braving Kidu''s wrath. "Don''t know much about yer friend, that Elwin person, but he din''t seem so bad,"mented Larynda, straining her neck to look up at Kidu''s face. Finally, some support! I thought to myself before delivering my final decision to the Hunter, "I believe that despite the manner of the reunion, we havee through this trial together. Elwin is deserving of forgiveness, as is Cordelia. I find myself in need of more friends and allies than enemies. If I can find it in myself to forgive the Ro¡­ the man, then surely you can forgive him, too? At the very least, promise no violence against the man for the time being," I asked of the fearsome man, looking him firmly in the eyes to show the conviction behind my words. "Very well, I will stay my anger. But I will seek him out and learn the truth of this from his own traitorous mouth," he replied grudgingly, like a child forced to swallow a bitter pill. There was a respectful knocking at the door of the caravan, three evenly-spaced beats that punctuated the end of the discussion. Book 2: Chapter 30: Fated Reunion Book 2: Chapter 30: Fated Reunion In the vast expanse of the knownnds, there exists a substance that is revered above all else. Known as Dust, it is a treasure coveted by Alchemists, philosophers, artists, clerics, and countless others whose yearnings for inspiration are boundless. Only in the vicinity of the city of Al-Lazar may the Dust be harvested, and its possession is considered a rare and precious gift. What makes the Dust so alluring is its unique ability to transport its imbiber beyond the humdrum confines of this world. With the smallest of doses, one can escape the monotony of reality and enter a dream of their own making. The Dust is a gateway to worlds beyond imagining, where the limits of the mind are shattered, and the impossible bes possible. For those who have suffered the loss of loved ones, the Dust offers a glimmer of sce. A simcrum of their dearly departed may be summoned in a dream, and for a fleeting moment, they are reunited with those whom they have lost. The rapture experienced by those who have partaken of the Dust has no equal. All other sensory experiences pale inparison to the ecstasy of the dream. Truly, the Dust is a gift beyond measure, an elixir that offers a glimpse of a reality beyond our own. It is the ultimate indulgence, a wonder that has captivated the hearts and minds of all who seek to transcend the mundane and touch the sublime. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. Opening the door, I was met by a small and gangly, ck-haired youth. Despite his stature, his limbs seemed inordinately long, giving him the impression of a half-starved demi-human. "Begging your pardon, Sir Gilgamesh... I mean, Honored One," he began in a nervous and reedy voice that did nothing to improve my initial impression of him. "Yes," I replied tly, slightly annoyed at being interrupted from my discussion with mypanions. "This one is Dumuzi, and Ie to inform you that the evening meal will be served shortly. I bring messages from the Guard Master and our Water Mistress. They both wish to speak to you at your convenience, Honored One," he finished, bowing low, scampering off before I could ask him any questions. Stepping out of the wagon, I saw our driver stretching, no doubt a little worn from the day''s travels. Noticing me looking in his direction, he gave me a small bow before examining the giant Xaruar, hitched to our wagons. "Many thanks for your smooth driving, Ables," I offered in greeting, an awkward pause ensuing as it took me a few moments to dredge up his name from memory. "And thanks to you, Honored One. For without you and yours, your man Ables here might have had the worst of it! I saw you out there, like one of ''em heroes out of the old stories!" he almost crooned with a crooked smile before nodding to himself and focusing on his lizard charges. Following me, mypanions stepped out of the wagon. Like Ables, they stretched and breathed deeply of the fresh air. Kidu yawned like a lion, shaking the mane of his hair, which drew a few giggles from Larynda. We made our way to where our next meal was being prepared, the air between Kidu and Cordelia a little tense. Perhaps a shared meal would go some way to ease things between them. In the short time it took us to get our portions, the Temple Knight had already endeared herself to Larynda by yfully tousling her hair and allowing her to inspect her enchanted sword up close. The evening meal was a much more muted affair than usual. We were served a humble supper of tbread and a thick, orange stew with the vors of carrots and squash,ced with a hint of spice. Despite the ingredients used and its appetizing appearance, it really could have done with a bit more salt. We ate in silence, the air thick with tension until, unexpectedly, it was Kidu who shattered the uneasy hush. "I am Kidu Kreshin of the Three Bears,panion of Gilgamesh of thends of Uruk. And you, who have pledged yourself to be his servant. What name do you go by?" he grunted, his gaze fixed on a point in the empty space before him. Cordelia set down her wooden bowl and turned her head, revealing a striking profile that held me rapt. "I am Cordelia de Aserac, a Temple Knight of Avaria. In the Northern Ice Wastes of the Kar-Kaphon, our goddess is known as Vari among your people, the chooser, and final judge of the in. I am the third child and youngest daughter of Duke Everard de Aserac of Aranthia. Since I was seven years old, I have received visions from the goddess, instructing me to train and prepare to serve her Herald. My father, a devout man, personally saw to my training in all aspects, so that I could serve Avaria to the best of my ability. When he deemed me ready, I took my vows at the age of thirteen, and for ten years I have devoted myself entirely to her service," she spoke, pausing momentarily to let out a wistful sigh. "Aranthia, that''s really far to the west. Like, well far it is! What''s it like?" interrupted Larynda, with an eager and curious voice. "The kingdom of Aranthia is a just and peaceful kingdom, where the light of Avaria shines brightly. My father''snd borders the great grass sea of the Children of the Tides. That was perhaps why I was chosen for this mission to find her Herald. Avaria works in mysterious ways," she answered with a contented smile. As I was digesting her words, we were interrupted by the Guard Master Khm, who was dragging a haggard Elwin behind him. "Gilgamesh. Good evening," Khm addressed me tersely. He wasted no time in getting to the matter at hand. "This foreigner, Elwin of Tucker, he is your responsibility now.¡± The Guard Master sucked in air between his teeth, ncing at Elwin for a moment before he added, ¡°Here is some Zarzar leaf tea from the caravan master; it is to be taken before rest. It will help your ¡®friend¡¯ find sleep through the night. After you have finished here, Laes has asked me to tell you toe to his wagon to get your share of the recent spoils. After that, you are to report to Alik for instruction," he informed me, eyes steady and unwavering. Turning now in Cordelia''s direction, "Lady Priestess, it would be unseemly for you to be sleeping in the roughpany of men. Laes has made arrangements for different amodations for you and the girl," he stated, matter-of-factly. ¡°I think it best that we all stay together,¡± I countered, unwilling to let go of my new prize. ¡°A child is one thing, but unmarried women do not sleep with unmarried men, Gilgamesh. This is simply the way of things. I can only offer you my word that both of them will suffer no harm,¡± pronounced Khm, head bowed and both palms pressed against the back of his head. I had seen this gesture before about the camp. It was an expression of supplication, and in the face of such, I found myself automatically nodding in agreement. ¡°Scripture has never agreed much with me, but I would like you to know that we keep to the gods here. However, in all my years, this is my first time seeing ady Temple Knight. Whatever wille next¡­ Please, this way, mdy,¡± he offered with a fixed smile. Cordelia bristled for a moment before her face settled into a disturbingly serene expression, "My thanks, Guard Master," she replied cordially, if not a little forced. "Since I am done with my evening meal, please lead on," she added, rising to her feet. "As you wish, your err¡­ holiness," Khm responded awkwardly, caught off-guard by her sudden eptance. "Come now, Larynda, let us find a ce away from these rough men," she said, smiling a radiant smile at the girl and holding out her hand. Larynda looked to me and Kidu for permission, and we both nodded to her. "Go with Cordelia," Kidu and I said at the same time, echoing each other andughing at the absurdity. A few secondster, I began to regret my decision as I realized I had lost my Mana battery. Perhaps another investment in Mana regeneration was in the cards upon my next level-up. Trustingly, the child scampered off to Cordelia''s side with an inane grin on her face. Finished with his delivery, Khm made as if to leave, with Cordelia and Larynda in tow, before turning back to me and throwing a long brown package my way. Surprised, and caught off guard by its weight, I almost dropped the damn thing. "Ubaid has fully recovered. But, he no longer wishes to have a ce among my guard, and he wants you to have this. Truth be told, he never had the mettle for it. Weak. Weak like his mother''s people. It is an Azag-Gishban, what you people know as a sword-hammer. May it serve you better than it served him," Khm exined in a clipped voice before taking a moment, sucking in air through his teeth, "You have done me and mine well. Thank you. Oh, and Water Mistress Ankhset wishes to see you, with the little girl mage over there; she says it''s important. I will excuse you from Alik''s ministrations this evening," he said offhandedly, before walking off, escorting thedy knight and our budding mage. Alone with the members of my original party, a silence descended upon us. A silence which was then broken by Elwin, who sputtered a "Thank you¡­ I told them everything," before starting to cry, soft, pathetic, unmanly tears, causing me to recoil. Kidu, once again, surprised me by cing a sympathetic, meaty hand on his shoulder. I believe that seeing his misery up front had quenched much of Kidu''s anger towards the Rogue. The man, for all his bluster, had a big heart. It was an awkward, if not touching, moment. But, at the very least, now I wouldn''t need to worry about Kidu stabbing Elwin in the middle of the night in the name of honor. Violent as he was, I was forced to conclude that Kidu had learned a skill that had so far eluded me: the ability to let go of a grudge. ¡°You are safe now, and all is forgiven. I hold no secrets worth a friend''s life, anyway,¡± I stated simply, wanting to extricate myself from this situation. If I really thought about it, I never held much ill will towards Elwin anyway. Elwin nodded to me and wiped his nose on the sleeve of a borrowed shirt. ¡°Gil,¡± he croaked, ¡°that woman Cordelia, be careful of her like. Those of the faith can be strange, and capable of almost anything. Sure, she thinks of you as Avaria incarnate now¡­ but, but, just be careful, alright?¡± ¡°Perhaps. Can¡¯t have you relying on Kidu and me for protection though. Let¡¯s go about and see what we can do about that. Time to see what Laes has for us,¡± I chimed with an avaricious smile on my lips, ¡°but first let¡¯s have a look at Ubaid¡¯s present.¡± Book 2: Chapter 31: The Spoils of War Book 2: Chapter 31: The Spoils of War In the depths of the Whispering Wastes, where the sands dance and burn hot under the gaze of the sun, there lies the Straight River. It is said that after the rain falls, the river awakens from its slumber and flows with a fierce determination, carving an unbending path through the heart of the desert to the city of Al-Lazar. Along the banks of this elusive river, there lurk creatures that have long haunted the dreams of weary travelers and poorly-guarded caravans. They are monstrous three-eyed frogs, Sandgorgers, whose skin glistens with a sickly green hue, and whose croaks echo with a haunting resonance. These monstrous frogs are unlike any other in the world, for they onlye to life after the rains. They emerge from their slumber in the sand, and begin their short-lived existence, their sole purpose to feed and breed before the river dries up once again. Those who travel along the banks of the river are in grave danger, for the frogs are not to be trifled with. They attack with a fierce and unrelenting savagery, their three eyes glinting with an insatiable hunger. Yet the frogs are not invincible. They have one weakness, one thing that they fear above all else: fire. The mere sight of a me is enough to send them scurrying back into the sand, their haunting croaks reced by the sound of their frantic retreat. Such is the way of the monstrous three-eyed frogs of the Whispering Wastes. They are a peculiar and fearsome sight, a product of and that is harsh and unforgiving. And though their existence is fleeting, their presence is felt by all who dare to travel the green road. - Monsters of the Mortal Realms by K. D. Fidditch. Unwrapping the brown cloth of the package revealed a sword in a dark, utilitarian leather scabbard. Drawing the weapon from its sheath, I was struck by its ingenious construction, for the Azag-Gishban was a sight to behold. What truly set this de apart was its crossguard. For it was not a simple piece of metal meant to protect the wielder''s hand. No, the crossguard of the Azag-Gishban was formed in the shape of a hammer, with a blunt striking edge on one side and a sharp spike on the other. The handle of the sword was thick and sturdy, ending in arge rounded leaden pommel. Its de was single-edged, and measured around seventy or so centimeters in length and honed to a razor''s sharpness. Three-quarters down the length of the de was a hole rimmed with bronze, perfectly positioned for the wielder to grip the metal on the unsharpened edge. This was the handle when the weapon was to be used as a hammer, allowing for a powerful grip and maximum impact. True to the grizzled Guard Master¡¯s word, the weapon before me could serve effectively as both a sword and a hammer. I had never seen its like before. Out of habit, rather than any real curiosity, I used Identify on my new weapon. Steel Sword-Hammer [Azag-Gishban] Durability 207/225 Overall, very impressive, I thought to myself, as I attached the sword to my belt. A happier memory of a time long ago, of Elwin teaching me how to tie a sword to my hip, rose to the surface. A small sigh escaped my lips, and I wondered if using the thing would improve my Hammer¡¯s skill or simply give me a new skill. Perhaps both? There was only one way to find out, but for the time being there was a distinctck of enemies nearby, and I was not quite in the mood for a spot of cold-blooded murder. Perhaps I could ask one of my fellow guardster for some tips and instructions. ¡°Come now, Elwin and Kidu. I wish to see how Patches¡¯s doing before we see to getting you some new equipment,¡± I said and rose to my feet. We made our way to where the animals were hobbled for the evening. Lowing gently in the evening, therge Xaruar were unhitched from their wagons and tended to by their loving minders. I saw a boy of about eight cleaning between the spikes of one of therge saurians with arge brush, causing the creature to bellow in pleasure. Next to them were where the horses and other equines were kept. An old hunched and bearded man sat before a fire on a small wooden stool, his face creased with wrinkles as he looked into the depths of the me. At his side were a few baskets of feed, along with vegetable and fruit treats for the animals of the caravan. He was Abas Yar, the Beastmaster of the caravan, and responsible for the welfare of all the animals of the train. In short, he was a man of some importance. ¡°A fine evening to you, Honored One Gilgamesh,¡± he greeted me in a voicemon to those who had grown tired of life. ¡°Back has been giving me trouble again. I wonder how much a silver piece can go towards having the gods send some of their mercy my way. Heavens know I could be due some, after fifty years of prayer,¡± he said a little grouchily, leaving a silver piece on the lid of a basket. To my right, I could see Kidu bristle slightly at the elderly man¡¯s almost-sacrilegious words. In contrast, Elwin smiled a ghost of a grin. Putting on my best smile, I replied to his request, ¡°I am sure the Church always wees the donations of the faithful.¡± It was fortunate that Cordelia was not in presentpany, I could almost picture her going into a religious apoplectic fit. That aside, the elderly man¡¯s problem presented an opportunity to garner some reputation with the traveling folk and to perhaps improve my somewhat stubborn Charisma attribute. Solemnly, I went up to the Beastmaster, who looked at me with expectant hope in his eyes. The talk about his back ying up had been but a cover for a more serious condition. I had previously noticed him coughing blood into a dirty handkerchief while he was seeing to the animals. Even the very old, it seemed, still wished to cling to life - even for just that little bit more. A single piece of silver seemed a little stingy to me, but it was still money. With there being no longer a need to hide my magic among the people of the Ravens, perhaps another show of my divine gifts would improve their regard of me even further? Chanting out the holy words of Heal, I called forth the power of the spell andid my hands on the old man. Energy flowed from me and into him, carrying with it the divine blessing of the angels, alleviating some of the damage umted over his lifetime. He sat up more upright, his previously hunched back now straightened. The wrinkles around his eyes softened slightly, and sections of his white hair reimed a silvery sheen. Though not exactly the picture of youth, it was clear that he was in much better health. This was all well within what I hade to expect from the spell. Quite a decent result for five points of Mana. While a warm feeling filled me - that of doing something right and good, another part felt doubly-annoyed. It nagged at me, leading me to wonder if it would be possible to get some Mana back? Yes, yes, it would, the voices answered. ¡°You may feel a little weak, as it takes something from you,¡± I stated, with a weak smile. The old man was still looking at me, awestruck, as I used the Drain spell on him. Sweet rapturous life-energy filled me, and being in physical contact with my target, the intoxicating effects seemed to be magnified. What little color my Heal spell had gifted the man had been almostpletely drained, and the lines around his face deepened, returning to their former state. The voices demanded more. However, there was no need to be greedy, I chided. I needed this man to owe me a favor and sing my praises to whoever would listen. It would do me no good if I left him as a dead husk, no matter how satisfying that would be. My Mana rose by three points, a mere one point more than the cost of the Drain spell. It was, regrettably, a loss of four Mana. I doubted the old man had much more life to give, anyway. Just then, a whisper of a memory came to me, a remembrance that was not my own. A vision of helping a pregnant mare birth a live foal¡­ before it faded as I released from both the spell and my touch. ¡°I would rmend some rest and a good meal. Rest assured, that you have been healed from all that has ailed you,¡± I pronounced, with falsepassion in my eyes. I was a little unsettled by the memory¡¯s intrusion. His next reaction was thoroughly unexpected. Almost at once, Abas groveled on the ground before me, tears of gratitude streaming from his eyes, and begging for my forgiveness for the temerity of offering only a single silver for the miracle he had received. I decided to y the part of the humble and magnanimous priest, epting the single coin quickly. It seemed that my n to get in the Beastmaster¡¯s good graces had worked perhaps a little too well. Not wanting to create a scene, I took a carrot from an open basket and distanced myself as quickly as possible. Looking around, I caught the wee sight of our donkey Patches and smiled when I saw our charge Larynda brushing her down. Seeing a delicious opportunitying her way, the greedy donkey made her way to me, much to the half-elf¡¯s consternation. ¡°There you go, girl,¡± I offered, feeding her a carrot. After demolishing the root vegetable in quick order, she greedily sniffed about my person for more treats. Larynda pouted for a moment, grumbling, ¡°Silly Patches,¡± before continuing with her care. A few momentster, Cordelia appeared from behind a nearby wagon, with a nk of armor. ¡°Ah, Cordelia, err¡­ I hope no one was untoward to you. Also, are, will your new quarters suffice?¡± I said awkwardly. ¡°Yes, my lord Gilgamesh. Laes has been most generous. Though a lot of the wagon is taken up with some chests, it is norge matter,¡± she positively beamed before smiling at Larynda and ruffling her hair, ¡°And this little one is quite a delight.¡± ¡°Oie! Gil, Gil, guess what, Gil! She even said she¡¯ll show me how to use a sword! That sounds like a right bunch of fun! Ain¡¯t she nice? Don¡¯t forget you promised to show me how to do the knife thingy, too!¡± Larynda bubbled energetically. She paused momentarily in her task, almost dropping her brush, and her eyes shone with barely-constrained delight. ¡°We are, after all, in the roughpany of men. It would serve you well to learn how to defend yourself,¡± the red-haired womanmented archly, which, for an unknown reason, drew an annoyed grunt from Kidu. But then again, grunting was often Kidu¡¯s main form ofmunication. ¡°Well then, it seems things are well in hand over here. We have business we must attend to with Laes. Larynda, take good care of Patches, and don¡¯t trouble Cordelia overly much!¡± I directed, hoping the mischievous child would at least heed some of my words. Larynda merely saluted at me, and Cordelia bowed formally at the hip, her back ramrod straight with both hands at her sides. Seeing that Patches was in good hands, we made our way through the camp to Laes¡¯ gaudy wagon. Realizing that Elwin was being unnaturally quiet, I asked him if anything was bothering him. ¡°Gil, at the risk of sounding like a fish wife that loves to repeat herself ¡®cos she loves the sound of her own voice... That Cordelia person, as I said before - be careful of her is all I¡¯m saying. For all of that, she is a nice piece, but I would not touch it with a ten-foot pole, and advise you to just stay away. I¡¯ve seen her type before. They are the kind who are always a little too eager to be venting their religion on the ordinary folk. There is just something about her¡­ something strange,¡± warned the Rogue, his voice unnaturally serious. This drew a harrumph from Kidu, who decided to add his opinion to the matter, ¡°The Cordelia of Aserac, I judge to be honorable. She is strong in battle, umon in the women of your softnds. I do not see what it is that worries you so. Perhaps it is because you warmnders feel that women should have no ce of importance?¡± The Rogue turned to him, his face momentarily worried before replying in an earnest voice, ¡°Kidu, mate, there¡¯s more to it. It¡¯s more than just being strong or respecting womenfolk. I¡¯ve seen women adventurers¡ªrare, I might add¡ªthat can chew rocks, and they themselves have bigger stones than most men. Something¡¯s just off about her¡­ something I can¡¯t put one of my grubby fingers on.¡± Kidu frowned at this and looked like he was about to give a reply before I decided to end their discussion on Cordelia¡¯s trustworthiness. Perhaps I could also give the Rogue some purpose at the same time, to get him out of his brooding state. The man went on like a woman sometimes, and cried like one, too. It unsettled me when a man could so readily lose control and unabashedly break down in tears in public. ¡°Elwin, if Kidu can wee you back into ourpany with open arms, do you not think that Cordelia at least deserves to be treated with an open mind? She might be as dangerous as you say, or odd, but the gods have led her to me. It would be churlish to reject their gifts outright. At the very least, we can give the woman the benefit of the doubt. And if you doubt her so much, I am sure that you will keep an eye on her for me, won¡¯t you?¡± I countered with a hesitant smile. ¡°If you say so, Gil, mate,¡± Elwin answered tly. Luckily, there was no more discussion as we soon found the caravan master in front of his wagon, inspecting some crates filled with the outerments of war. It took me a few moments to realize that it was loot that the Ravens had gathered after ourst encounter. ¡°Ah, there you are,¡± greeted the long-faced man. I was thinking that perhaps Laes would grow on me, but he is still as ugly as the day I had first met him. His eyes rose a little in surprise when he caught sight of the new sword at my hip, before he gave out a long-drawn sigh. He cast another nce at me as he leafed through the worn ledger, shaking his head in exasperation. ¡°So,¡± he continued, ¡°it is true that Ubaid no longer has a taste to hold steel. I always knew it to be true, but Khm, in his foolishness, would have it no other way. Fathers and their expectations. Now, then, if you could look over these items here and, as agreed, you may take what you need.¡± He paused for a moment, as if considering something, before reaching into the folds of his clothes and throwing a small cloth purse at me, ¡°And this is your share of the monies collected from the recently-departed. Again, I must thank you for aid in our defense, regardless that you have been the primary cause of it,¡± he finished, with just the tiniest shade of irritationcing his voice. ¡°No, caravan master, we are much obliged to you, and your generosity,¡± I replied, as courteously as I could, which resulted in a small nod of acknowledgement. We took the time then to go over the loot. For the Rogue, we chose a thick linen gambeson with boiled leather tes, along with an assortment of knives and a no-nonsense shortsword. The armor was of little interest to Kidu, but a powerfulposite horseman¡¯s bow drew his eye, along with a few well-made arrows. For myself, the armor before was a treasure trove and I selected a heavy steel te harness that I judged to be close to my size. Ignoring the reddish stains, I opted for a linen and chainmail gambeson toplement the harness. Toplete my panoply of war, I picked a new helm, fashioned in the likeness of a snarling, wolf-like creature. The visor of my new sallet was the tooth-filled maw of the beast, and it looked both intimidating and stylish. Some of the pieces, like the vambraces, sabatons, and gambeson, would need a little adjustment. However, Laes assured me that it could be done by the caravan¡¯s mobile smithy. However, I would have to wait until we stopped for the Weeping. Seeing the state of my garments, the caravan master rmended that I hand my robes over to one of the women for repairs. This, he assured me, would only cost a silver, which he could deduct from my wages if I so wished. Alongside my new armor, I chose a wooden kite shield with what looked like a monstrous horse¡¯s head design at its center. The boss and rim of the shield were made from solid iron or steel. The shield could be strapped on my forearm for ease of use, or gripped behind the center for more advanced deflection techniques. Once the necessary fittings had been made, I would be turned into a veritable walking tank, all but invincible to the majority of blows. I promised myself that I would spend as much time as possible in the outerments of war so that my armor would feel like a second skin. ¡°I would not presume but¡­ deep in the Wastes, wearing such armor may well be¡­ cumbersome. The days are as hot as an oven and the nights equally as cold. Much like myst wife¡­ ha ha!¡±mented Laes, ending his weak joke, which drew nothing from me save for a weak smile. ¡°Indeed, but until such a time these will do me just fine, Master Laes,¡± I responded a littleconically. ¡°Of course, as you wish. Though I hope that the rest of the journey will be without issue, I pray that your sword arm remains strong for whatever trials lie ahead,¡± the caravan master intoned seriously. He quickly jotted something down in his ledger, his quill dancing swiftly across the parchment before ending with a flourish. ¡°I will have one of the boys deliver your thingster, I hear you have Ankhset wishing to see you next. Best not to keep that old witch waiting,¡± he finished, dismissing us as he continued to inventory the remaining items. Book 2: Chapter 32: The Call of Water Book 2: Chapter 32: The Call of Water Ancient lore tells of a being beyond reckoning, a figure of myth and legend. Am embodiment of humanity itself, forged in the crucible of our darkest moments to guide us into the light. A beacon of hope, he carries with him the knowledge and wisdom of our forebears, that we may chart a course to a brighter tomorrow. - On the Prophecy of the Gods, by Gideon de Svia 376 AC. Slightly annoyed at the dismissal, but grateful for my new equipment, I cut through a gaggle of people going about their business on my way to Ankhset¡¯s wagon. I overheard snippets of conversation amidst the throng, revealing that a certain Gelgor was trailing us by only a few days. Rumor had it that one of the boys had sighted his caravan from atop one of ourrge wagons. From my understanding of the fragments of information, this Gelgor person was another caravan master who was also leading his group across the Whispering Wastes. Was this to be yet another threat, or perhaps an opportunity? As I thought upon this, my feet led me to the wagon of the Water Mage. This time, to my surprise, there was no one guarding the entrance. Shrugging to myself, I walked up to the wooden door and rapped my knuckles upon it. The door swung open to reveal a hunching Aizere, or perhaps it was Erasyl - the twins were nearly indistinguishable. "Please, doe in. Our mother has been expecting you," said the brother, gesturing for me to enter. Mindful of the dirt on my boots, I kicked them off by the steps and followed him inside. Elwin and Kidu followed suit, removing their footwear before they came in. As we entered, we beheld Larynda seated cross-legged at a low wooden table. Opposite her was the willowy old woman sipping tea from a delicate porcin cup, the Water Mage of the caravan. Her name, ording to my Identify, was Ankhset, and she was the mother of the twins. She looked up, registering our appearance through smoke-gray eyes that were still clear and bright. From up close, and despite the ravages of time, I could discern that she must have once beenely in her youth, unlike her monstrouslyrge offspring. The old woman nodded to me once before she gestured for mypanions and me to sit. ¡°Have tea and be at ease,¡± the woman said in a matronly voice as she poured out some tea for us. We sat cross-legged at the table. The threerger members of this gathering¡¯s bulk were in stark juxtaposition to the almost jokingly small tea set disyed before us. Raising a small white cup to my lips, a perfumed hint of jasmine graced my senses for a moment, bringing with it a ghost of a memory. Another ce, another life. I tasted the golden brown liquid and found the tea clean to the palette, yet having a full and rounded muscatel vor. Our host, judging that we had passed some sort of mysterious test, deigned to grace us with an introduction, ¡°I have been told that you already have met my son and daughter, Erasyl and Aizere. Forgive them, they are a little overprotective of me in my old age. I am Ankhset Ulgen, Water Seeker of the Company of the Ravens, and I wish to thank you for your gracious actions.¡± With a conscious effort, I stopped a smug grin from crossing my face. Just as I had predicted, an event, in this case defending the caravan, had unlocked ess to this new character and started this scripted piece. Instead of a sneer, I decided my most-pleasant smile would serve me better, followed of course, by the expected humble heroic tripe. Also, it was a good thing that Cordelia was not with us, as I had a feeling that if she were present things might be a little more ¡°I did nothing more than what was expected. The caravan master had hired me to protect the people of this train, and that is all that I did,¡± I replied as cordially as possible. ¡°Some say that it is you who also brings the scrutiny of the fates upon us - that Laes has been coerced by the result of his foolish honor,¡± the sister added to the conversation rudely, her annoyed expression mirrored by her twin. I was d that Cordelia was not with us. ¡°Only those who say that honor is foolish are the ones who have no honor themselves,¡± countered Kidu, his voice a rumbling warning. Ankhset sighed at this. ¡°I did not invite Master Gilgamesh to gossip like old wives at the festival,¡± she chided her unruly spawn. Turning to me, she offered in a conciliatory tone, ¡°Peace. I invited you to offer a small gift in thanks, and a humble word of warning, if you would listen to this old woman.¡± ¡°Our boss, Gil, likes his presents. Now what he doesn¡¯t like however is surprises. There was this time¡­¡± Elwin started before he was silenced by a warning look from Kidu. Luckily, the Rogue held his tongue. ¡°You have my ear, speak on,¡± I cut in a little sharply, giving up the pretense of acting the part of the quiet and humble hero. It was never within me anyway, and I just wanted the old woman to get to the point. ¡°Very well then. Though I am no oracle, I can sense Fate¡¯s heavy hand about you and the young one¡¯s path,¡± the old Water Mage exined while looking in Larynda¡¯s direction, causing her to fidget uneasily. Why did ¡®wise¡¯ people always have to speak in such strange roundabout terms? Only a few words had been spoken, and yet this exchange was already grating on my nerves. Perhaps it was the recent stress, from just about everything, but I was already getting tired of the mystic mumbo-jumbo. I found myself fighting an urge to simply wring the information out of the old biddy. Under the table, my hands had formed into fists, but I was able to keep the irritation and strain from showing on my face. A quick nce to my left showed Elwin rolling his eyes. My thoughts exactly. ¡°They say you are chosen, beloved of the Goddess of the Twin des, and there are many here who have witnessed you work her will. You brought some measure of bnce to the world. That no one can deny. But there is also something about you,¡± she paused for a moment as if considering her next words very carefully, only for Elwin to cut in. ¡°Yes, he is rather attractive,¡± the Rogue quipped. Ignoring him, and utterly unfazed, Ankhset continued seriously, ¡°Something almost ominous. I do not know the word in Trade, but young master Gilgamesh, you bear a heavy Ma''at,¡± she intoned thest with dramatic portent while fingering arge ck feather at her side. ¡®Ma¡¯at.¡¯ The word was important. I knew it in the depths of my bones, and my curiosity demanded to be sated. Thus, I had only one recourse. ¡°What is this Ma¡¯at that you speak of?¡± I asked, not expecting a decent answer from the old witch. Even as I spoke, I used the magic of Identify on the word. The concept. Dao. The wordy heavy in my mind, like a fat sow, as my spell made her meaning clear to me. It meant way, or path, in the misguided Chinese philosophy of Taoism. It was an affront to my rational mind. From my limited knowledge, it was all about some spiritual nonsense involving bing one with nature, meridians, and dantians. Was it my fate to be spiked full of thin needles in the name of enlightenment? Was that the best trantion that the spell could give? Had I just wasted more of my Mana? Smile, I told myself, smile. ¡°Ma¡¯at - it means way or path. To bear the blessing of the Divine is no easy thing,¡± she ended dramatically, and, with no small effort, I was able to keep my face neutral. The one problem with going to a fantasy world was that everyone, for the most part, was backward and primitive in their thinking. I almost pped myself in annoyance. A waste of Mana it truly had been. Get to the bloody point, I thought to myself as the old mage finally resumed her bit of exposition, ¡°And that is a burden you will have to bear. No aid can I give you. It is not my ce to meddle with the Divine, but if I may offer this one small piece of wisdom. Seek bnce within yourself. However, it is not you who is the object of my worry, for you are a man full-grown. Larynda, child, you have my thanks. Through your actions, you have saved many lives. But, do you know of the powers you are trying to harness?¡±, she asked with a soft smile, to which the half-elf just mutely shook her head. Now, this was just taking the biscuit. Mumbo-jumbo and a lecture that helped not one whit. It should be me who should be being praised. I controlled myself, draining my cup. At least the tea was half-pleasant. Luckily, the barbarians were notpletely without manners, and the brother poured me another serving from an elegant white china teapot, hisrge heavy hands surprisingly dexterous and delicate. ¡°I say this not to admonish, but that is a power you must not use under any circumstance. It is a thing more ancient than the gods. And I fear that such a power is not to be used, for it is a power that also uses you, and will bring nothing but despair. It is a thing stronger than even the call of my water,¡± she went on to advise, and her voice was heavy with portent. ¡°No,¡± said Larynda in a small voice, before she repeated in a stronger voice, ¡°No.¡± The old thin woman, probably unused to being denied, looked perplexed, ¡°Why child, do you not see the dangers of such power?¡± she asked incredulously. ¡°It¡¯s like a knife. Ain¡¯t gonna give it up ¡®cos someone just told me to. That¡¯s what people with power like to do. Say smart words to make you think you''re weak, then you be weak. No, ain¡¯t happening, Lady Ankshet miss,¡± the girl said defiantly. Hah! I thought to myself. Take that dose of truth, you old hag. I expected the woman to burst into anger, but instead, she merely sighed in exasperation. ¡°Since I was just a girl of your age, before I first heard the first whisper of the Call, before it became the song that rings in my ears, I started to make this,¡± intoned the Water Mage reverently as she took out a small scroll from a chest next to the table. Almost lovingly, she spread it across the wooden surface of the table. Once fully unfurled, the designs on its vellum sprang to life with flowing, blossoming magic. Blue script ran in chaotic, shifting patterns, teasing me with their meaning. It was the very essence of water, the root meaning of the element. In front of my very eyes was an item probably worth more than the lives of the entire train. My very being greedily lusted for it. ¡°I made this for my children, long ago, if none of them heard the call of sister Water. Luckily for you, both Erasyl and Aizere show promising Control and can hear the Water¡¯s song. If you will not be dissuaded from your course, I owe it to you to at least attempt to divert you from a thorny path. And you, Gilgamesh, I thought to offer this first to you, but I fear your soul is too burdened by your own great Dao,¡± She half-whispered thest, and shook her head in regret. I, too, felt no small amount of regret at not being gifted the scroll, and was surprise when I noticed that the game had decided to automatically trante Ma¡¯at into Dao. How odd. The old mage¡¯s face creased into a kindly smile, ¡°Come child, it is time to listen with your heart. If you wish to continue down the path of magic, Water is a good pairing for you. It has greater depths to it than just providing the needs for a caravan, child. Also, though the Call of Water will not be able to stop you from following your Dao, perhaps it will help divert the attention of the First Havoc. To give you bnce in the years toe,¡± pronounced the old hag, ¡°Come now, touch the Manzaza Shiptu, the words of knowledge, and know a new path that you might take.¡± Doing my best to keep my face neutral, ¡°A moment, Larynda. The wise woman speaks of Dao. I would know more of what she speaks of. And, why must Larynda not use the power that she has been gifted? I mean no insult, but why do you wish to shackle this girl¡¯s potential?¡± I inquired in as much of a neutral tone as I could. Ankhset¡¯s face grew dark and serious, ¡°I mean no such thing, Gilgamesh. The magic she unleashed, the Forest of Crystal, Naspu Surahu, is known to us. And, like the ck me, Nara Sakullu, we know the root of such magic. The power that came before the gods of man. So, it is recorded and spoken. Though I know that her birth parent¡¯s people are skilled in Control, it is not a thing for adults to wield, let alone a child. I am not so foolish to tell a curious child to not use the gift Mana, only that she does so with a different, less-dangerous, element, and with some measure of guidance,¡± she paused for a moment to take a deep breath, ¡°Perhaps this will help give you some understanding. Come here, child. Give me your hand,¡± she gestured kindly to Larynda, and I nodded to the small girl giving her my permission. ¡°This ain¡¯t gonna hurt, is it? Or taste like medicine?¡± mumbled the half-elven child. Ankhset merely smiled at this and took Larynda¡¯s hand in her own, her old fingers looking like withered branches from a tree. In a casual disy of power, she summoned a few droplets of water that hovered in the air just above the table. Whatever this old woman was nning, I thought it better that Larynda be the recipient. Still, it would be best to at least give a token of objection. ¡°What is this now?¡± I asked in what I hoped came across as a stern and protective tone. ¡°Just a small demonstration of one of the fundamentals of existence. Fear not, I would never harm the child,¡± the old woman replied calmly. I made a show of being barely assuaged by crossing my arms. The old woman turned to Larynda and instructed, in a kind voice, ¡°Now, stay as still as you can and watch.¡± I noticed that she had Larynda¡¯s full and undivided attention. One of the droplets fell gently on the back of the child¡¯s hand, coursing down in a random pattern across her skin. Another droplet fell in the exact same spot, and like thest droplet, it plotted a random and different course. This was repeated again and again until the light of understanding dawned in Larynda¡¯s eyes. In everything there is an element of the uncontroble, the untameable. The tiniest of changes could result in a myriad of different oues that rebelled against the order of the universe. Yet even within this, there was a pattern only visible to the gifted and the mad. Although the crone thought that she had schooled the girl in one of the deeper mysteries, revealing to the child the source of her magic, I had known all along. The obvious clue had been in the name of Larynda¡¯s ss. Chaos Mage. Chaos. While the little girl looked suitably impressed, I, on the other hand, was merely annoyed at the cheap theatrics. Seeing the woman upied, I surreptitiously cast an Identify on the scroll. Scroll of Water Ball [Magic] Durability 9/10 As I thought, a magical scroll. Like my Identify spell, one would, no doubt, be able to learn a new magical ability by touching and absorbing the knowledge and power held within the words of the scroll. Ankhset wore a satisfied expression on her face, like she had just imparted the wisdom of the gods to us. Little did she know that such ¡®wisdom¡¯ was well within the purview of themon school child in my world. Also, in my opinion, a few words would have gotten the point across just as well. All in all, it was a rather primitive and overly-reductive way of demonstrating Chaos Theory. ¡°Please, let the water guide her. I do not wish to see such beautiful potential cut so short before its time¡± the old woman begged of me. I could not stop smiling in smug superiority, for I had known the source of Larynda¡¯s power long ago. It was time to indulge the child, and a part of me feared what taking the scroll for my own selfish desires entailed. She did mention that it would add extra strain upon my soul. Did a strain upon my soul limit me in some mystical way, or was it possibly dangerous to push myself so? Was she lying, or simply mistaken? Did this mean I would no longer be able to learn new magic spells in the same manner as my Identify? ¡°Touch the magic scroll, child,¡± Imanded, hoping that I had made the right decision. With hands trembling and hesitant, the child of half-elven blood reached out for the magic scroll. As the girl''s fingers brushed against the parchment, lines of arcane script surged with an azure crystalline light, before flowing like a swift mountain stream toward her. And with a shudder, the power of the words infused the child, filling her with mystical energy. Then, for the briefest of moments, there was the roar of the ocean, the tinkling of gentle rain, and the cacophony of the storm. Almost as if reacting to being challenged, my Entropic Aura roared to life. I tried to hold it back, but it was toote. Reachingpletion, it burst from me in an invisible wave, and Ankhset and her children gasped in surprise. However, I could not tell whether this was from reacting to Larynda¡¯s absorption of the esoteric script or the effects of my own spell. Not wanting to draw attention to myself, I quickly reined in the spell and silenced the fury of the voices. Despite the overwhelming power that filled her, the girl smiled serenely, with a calm that belied her youth and rambunctious nature. It was a picture of eptance, of a prophet that had found her god. ¡°Now, truly you are a Windspeaker, little one!¡± celebrated Kidu in a voice that boomed louder than any storm. Book 2: Chapter 33: A Lesson to be Learned Book 2: Chapter 33: A Lesson to be Learned In the world of sleep, tossing and turning in the night, darkness descends upon me like a heavy weight. The visions that besiege me are those of a gathering storm, an unyielding force that churns the ocean''s depths. Terror consumes me, gripping my heart with a vice-like intensity. Thebyrinth of dreams and dust offers no respite, no escape from the shadows of the future that haunt me. They pursue me relentlessly, and I cannot shake them off. Each twist and turn of the maze brings me closer to the realization that there is no way out. As I stumble to a halt, gasping for air, the shadows loom before me, threatening to engulf me in their icy grip. The fear that has gripped me so tightly threatens to overwhelm me entirely. I am but a leaf in a storm, tossed and turned by forces beyond my control. With a trembling hand, I brace myself to face what lies ahead. There is no escaping the inevitable, no avoiding the storm that is about to break upon me. For a moment the hand that grips me lightens¡ªcould the portents be a gift from the River? A fleeting glimpse of what is toe? Fear courses through my veins anew, and yet this time I embrace the shadows, ready to meet my destiny. For with the feares yet another emotion¡ªexcitement. An escape from my gilded prison. - From the diary of Lady Ayah of House Shaem. It was the first time I had seen someone, other than myself, be given a spell. There was a solemn air after Kidu''s rumbling exmation that seemed to permeate through the room. Elwin looked thoughtful, and Kidu seemed wistful, perhaps thinking of an old memory. Larynda looked the picture of joy as the light of the magic''s eptance slowly faded. I didn''t personally need water spells anyway, and at least this way, mypanions and I wouldn''t have to worry about drinking water. We were generally in good spirits after finishing a few more cups of tea and exchanging pleasantries and information. I was a bit hesitant to give out details about myself to these strangers, so I let mypanions do most of the talking. Ankhset and her spawn were Water Mages of the Children of Tides, which lowered my estimation of them considerably. With this in mind, I briefly entertained the idea of slowly killing her during our journey. A few Drain spells cast here and there could whittle away at her health, making it look like natural causes. However, I ultimately decided against it, since the train still needed her, and there was no sure way to know if she could detect the use of my magic. Throughout the exchange, I tried to gauge whether or not she had felt my Entropic Aura. The voices had told me that it would be problematic if she had. The evening finally drew to a close. Before leaving the wagon, the half-elven child was made to promise that she would visit Ankhset¡¯s wagon every other day in the evenings to study the path of water. Once we put a little distance between us and Ankhset¡¯s family, I decided to use Identify on the small girl, eager to see if the magic had wrought any changes upon her. Larynda - Chaos Water Mage (Human lvl.9) Health 73/74 Stamina 17/26 Mana 11/20 What in zes? The girl has risen a whole four levels! Was that the effect of taking in a single scroll? It couldn''t be... Learning Identify didn''t give me anywhere near that level of a boost, I thought to myself. After pondering for a moment, I realized that the likely source of her newfound levels must have been from the single engagement where she ughtered, almost wholesale, a group of men and horses. It made sense, and I was relieved to see that learning water magic had not removed the ''Chaos'' tag from her ss description. Chaos magic was useful after all, and I made a mental note to talk to her about it at ater date, before the hag got her ws fully into her and dissuaded the girl from using her intrinsic powers. I also nned to tell Kidu to push her a little harder in her physical training. At least now, with the increase in her level, she wouldn''t fall over from an errant breeze. After all, it is said that a sound soul resides within a sound healthy body and mind, or something like that. As we walked Larynda back to the wagon that she shared with our newestpanion, Cordelia, my mind raced. This time, thedy knight was dressed in the local fashion, wearing a light red deel with bright yellow trim that red out from the sleeves. She sat among the women of the Ravens around a small open fire, sipping tea from a thick ceramic cup and wearing an infectious smile. Among their number was Catalina, the mother I had healed the night before, who blushed like a maiden at her first dance as we neared. Larynda rushed to greet Cordelia and excitedly told her the news in an iprehensible babbling stream of words. "Thank you, honored one, for healing me," began Catalina demurely, looking away when our eyes met. My magic had done wonders for her, and she now looked to be the very picture of health. "Think nothing of it, deardy," I replied courteously, offering my best smile. The women of the small group looked at each other knowingly, and I felt a little flustered. I turned my attention to Cordelia and informed her of the recent events. Once Larynda had finished venting off her exuberance, we sat down on small chairs that some old women put out for us. I decided to update Cordelia on thetest happenings, as I nned for her to take part in Larynda¡¯s training. Best she knows what it was she was dealing with. She, in turn, told me of the little things, of how she had spent her time with the people of the caravan. Unimportant things that I only gave half-an-ear to. I slipped into giving automatic responses and asionally repeating thest thing she said, to humor her. It was one of the skills I had picked up in the old world when dealing with women, and it worked equally well here. Kidu would asionally make ament or ask a pointed question about the Ravens, to which Cordelia was surprisingly able to answer with ease. The answers to these questions I paid full attention to, as Kidu, uncivilized and savage as he was, could be surprisingly insightful at times. I learned that the Ravens, like the people of North, put great stock in honor and trust. This made sense for a people who¡¯s very livelihood relied on trade. However, they took this to the extreme, in my opinion at least. For example, they ced great weight on honoring and collecting debt. So much so that a male child among the traveling people could not truly call himself independent unless he paid his family back in full, throughbor or by coin, the cost of raising him. However, girls had intrinsic value, as they bore the greater inherent responsibility when propagating and carrying the next generation to term. Their bride price, or dowry, was their value when they came of age. Treating the fairer sex like so much cattle or brood mares to be bought and traded was, in my opinion, the mark of a primitive and underdeveloped culture. Could they not see that all human life had intrinsic and equal value, regardless of race, sex, and so forth? Thinking on it more, I saw that, at the very least, the beings of this world had a possible excuse for their barbaric customs. Their behavioral patterns, culture, and histories, were probably set by the ¡°system¡± of this world. Their way of life and very existence, were nothing more than the predetermined result of a collection of ones and zeros. However, the people of my old world, who did not ascribe to the line of thinking that all human life was equal, had no such excuse. They were all just as savage and backward as the people I had encountered in thesends. For what of the handicapped, the weak, the wed, and the vulnerable? Do their lives hold no value? And by what right would we assign value to each individual? Once you start believing that one group of people is more valuable than another, the logical progression is the eradication of those deemed ''lesser.'' History is awash with instances of such dehumanization, the narratives written in the blood and tears of humankind. Throughout this long exchange, I could not help but notice that Elwin had slipped off somewhere. ¡°...so as you can see, I will entrust Larynda to your care. I see the girl has taken quite a liking to you,¡± I finished tly, resisting an urge to ruffle Larynda¡¯s mop of hair as she sidled up next to me. ¡°Yay! I get to learn how to use a sword an¡¯ all!¡± the small child exuded, drawing a beatific smile from Cordelia. "It will be as youmand, Your Holiness. I mean, Gil," Cordelia replied, flustered at using a less-formal tone. "Come now, Lynda, tomorrow is a long day, and it''s well past your bedtime!" shemanded, dragging the little girl by the arm into the wagon. The other women smiled at this, curtsying to me like a brood of hens before retiring to attend to their evening business. As they were about to leave, I stopped them, taking off my robe and asking if it could be mended. Catalina volunteered to handle the task herself, refusing payment and insisting that it was the least she could do. Just as I finished wishing them a good evening, Elwin appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. An insouciant grin was his only greeting as he took a ce by my side. The man truly was slippery as an eel. With my business settled, we returned to our own wagon. * The next few days were spent at rest. Laes had decided to wait for Gelgor¡¯s caravan to catch up, deciding it would be best to travel together for mutual protection. Mypanions and I felt it to be a wise decision, and all were d to have a little respite from near-constant travel. Larynda spent this time with Ankhset and her burly children, studying the ways of water during the day, and in the evenings Kidu threw her into a relentless training routine. He was a harsh and exacting teacher, giving only minimal praise and acknowledgment, but punishing repeated mistakes of footwork or position with merciless strikes that would leave the girl near tears. To her credit, she shed no tears in front of us. It also afforded me the opportunity to practice my Heal and Drain spellbination. Unlike the old Beastmaster Abas Yar, the young girl was positively brimming with delicious life force and Mana, which allowed me to get back most of my own Mana. One afternoon, the boy Dumuzi returned my mended garments, bowing low as he did so. I was alone at the time, seeing to the maintenance of my armor, and mypanions were busy with various things around the camp. Looking closer at the boy''s features, I realized that I had seen him before at Catalina¡¯s side. He had been the son who had been clutching at his mother¡¯s hand. ¡°How is your mother, Catalina?¡± I probed as offhandedly as I could, wishing to confirm the truth of the memory. Smiling at me, the youngd replied, ¡°She is well, Honored One. I thank you for saving her.¡± He paused for a moment, his expression growing a little dark, ¡°She is my only family now.¡± "You''ll forgive me if this is a sensitive subject, but your father?" I inquired. "He crossed the Shallow River, defending my mother and me from the attack, Honored One," he shared, his voice trembling slightly from suppressed emotion. Taken aback, I responded awkwardly, "I am sorry for your loss." In the back of my mind, I wondered if his mother might appreciate somefortter. ¡°If there is anything I can do, do not hesitate to ask,¡± I added casually. ¡°Apologies again, Honored One. This one is foolish for troubling you with his own matters. You have already given us so much. You and the child sage Larynda have already given me my vengeance¡­now there is¡­¡± He could not finish thest as he started bawling his eyes out. That was the final straw, as all of my pent-up irritation and negative emotions needed a vent. The swiftness of my hand surprised even me as my backhanded p connected with his face, silencing his pathetic mewling and knocking him to the ground. "Cease your womanly weeping," I snarled, looking down disdainfully at his crumpled figure. He stared up at me, a mix of shock and pain warring with his anger. And fear. Fear of me. "Your father surely did not spawn such a weak child. You dishonor his memory. I shall overlook this deplorable disy. Existence is rife with adversity and loss. To expose vulnerability is to beckon that which would be your downfall. Tell me, are you weak, child?" I inquired in the measured tone of a teacher. He sniffed for a moment before gaining control. "No, Honored One. Please forgive me for disappointing you," he stammered, prostrating himself on the ground, dreading further provocation of my fury. I knelt down beside the young innocent boy andid a gloved hand on his head, causing him to reflexively wince. I cast Drain on his unresisting form and energy filled me, delicious, like sweet nectar. Take more, the voices insisted. It would be so easy. With an effort of will and great regret, I stopped the spell. I paused for a moment as a few images from the boy¡¯s life filled my mind. Days filled with taking care of the giant Ruar, the stern smile of a proud father, and the gentleness of a young mother. Forcing these memories out of my mind, I cast Heal on the boy to restore some of the damage I had inflicted. Now energy flowed from me to the boy causing the evidence of my violence to disappear from his face. I raised him to his feet and looked him firmly in the eye. Now I could see that the fear in his eyes had changed to an altogether different emotion. Something I found much more tolerable. Respect. Once he had gone, I heard a snarkyment from behind me in Elwin¡¯s voice. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s one form of tough love,¡± the voice said. I refused to give Elwin the satisfaction of seeing me surprised and firmly resisted the urge to turn around. ¡°Better that he learns of the true nature of the world now. Thisnd is an unforgiving ce. I would be doing the boy no favors, and a hard truth is worth a thousand soft lies¡­¡± I muttered a little irritably. ¡°Not saying what you did was bad, Gil. Perhaps, you¡¯re looking to fill in his father¡¯s shoes? Either way, he¡¯s probably got to grow up fast now. Dark Lady knows, I could have done with more of a p when I was younger,¡± added the voice in an infuriatingly knowing tone. I turned around, taking in the Rogue, looking him firmly in the eye, noticing that they still had a hollowness to them.¡°You know, it is never toote,¡± I smiled back darkly, and wondered if a simr method of instilling respect would work with Elwin. Book 2: Chapter 34: An Encounter with the Crows Book 2: Chapter 34: An Encounter with the Crows In the art of warfare, victory is not simply a matter of winning a single battle; rather, it is a sustained effort that epasses the entirety of a conflict. A battle may indeed be decided by who wins the field on a given day, but the oue of a war is ultimately determined by a more fundamental principle: the willingness of a side to continue the fight. A wise strategist understands that there are many factors that can influence the oue of any campaign, and even the most carefully-crafted strategy is no guarantee of overall victory. Unexpected events can turn the tide of the conflict in an instant. And yet, despite the many uncertainties of war, there is one constant that can never be overlooked: the power of determination. To seed in war, a wise leader must cultivate this spirit of determination within his people. He must inspire them with a sense of purpose, a belief in the righteousness of their cause. He must instill in them a sense of discipline and loyalty, so that even in the face of adversity, they will not falter. In the end, it is the side that possesses this indomitable spirit that will emerge victorious. For though battles may be won or lost, war is ultimately a test of willpower. And it is the side that refuses to ever admit defeat, that refuses to give up the fight, that will ultimately prevail. - The Principles of Conflict by General Damien de Savant circa 234 AC. When I had been a ve in the mines, I had positively thrown myself into work. Now, as we waited for Gelgor''spany of the Crows to catch up to us, I did so again. I helped wherever I could, no matter the task, in my pursuit to grind up some experience and perhaps new skills. Whether this was gathering up Ruar dung for the fires, or helping to change a wheel of a wagon, no task was beneath me in my bid to reach my next level. The people of the Raven were deferential to me at all times, and with no little surprise on their faces to see what they viewed as an ¡®Honored One,¡¯ to be going about such humble tasks. One of the chores I frequently engaged in was splitting firewood, and I spent hours hacking away at wood with a borrowed axe. I made sure to Power Strike each and every time, waiting for the ¡®cooldown¡¯ of the skill to finish beforeunching another strike. Power Strike could still be used during the ¡®cooldown¡¯ of the skill, but activated this way it used a lot more Stamina. After what seemed like an eternity, I was given a much-weed notification. You have learned Power Strike (lvl.3) You have learned Axes (lvl.2) The caravan might be at rest; however, that did not mean that I could escape my lessons. Under Arik¡¯s instruction, I learned how to control my mount, Mouse, more with my knees and legs, and I gained a better seat in the saddle. Unlike the others, Arik¡¯s treatment of me was no different than before, and he was as gruff as always. Perhaps it was a cultural thing - a teacher holding a position of authority over a student, rather than just a mere instructor. More importantly, my diligence and perseverance rewarded me with an increase in my newest skill. You have learned Riding (lvl.2) Perhaps it was due to thebination of my armor pieces, my recent increase in Riding, or for some other mysterious reason that escaped me, but I also gained a skill level in Medium Armor. It all seemed so very arbitrary at times. You have learned Medium Armor (lvl.3) I also took the time to continue with my journal, recording some of my thoughts and experiences thus far in this new world. It was a way for me to deal with some of the as-yet-unpacked emotions I had been carrying around. I hade far in this world, and had ovee challenges that would have broken a lesser man. I felt proud of myself as I wrote. The journal also served as a reminder of promised vengeance. All would be crushed under my iron heel! Hah! A man could dream after all. Also, in a moment of vanity, and remembering Durhit, I decided to name the journal after one of his more-colorful curses. All of this and, surprisingly, writing the journal, earned me a modicum of experience. However, it was still not enough to get me to the next level, the next height of my power. One evening, feeling that the menu for my list of skills was getting a little cluttered, I decided to brave the pain to strike off the Herbalism skill. Icy daggers stabbed about inside my brain and forced me to my knees, but as it turned out, this was what it took to finally get my Pain Nullification to the next level. You have learned Pain Nullification (lvl.3) I remembered shaking, and hoping that no one noticed my temporary moment of weakness. I remembered taking quick, desperate lungfuls of air before stilling my breath. Distancing myself from that moment, I boxed the memory in and reviewed my Status. My path to power. [STATUS] Calling:Gilgamesh lvl.11 Pdin/Reaver Strength: 27 Dexterity: 22 Constitution: 39 Intelligence: 21 Wisdom: 22 Charisma: 13 Luck: 18 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.3) Power Strike (lvl.3) 10 Endure (lvl.3) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.2) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Improved Unarmed Combat (lvl.1) Hammers (lvl.2) ils (lvl.3) Maces (lvl.3) Shields (lvl.3) Medium Armor (lvl.3) Heavy Armor (lvl.4) Axes (lvl.2) Daggers (lvl.4) Throwing Weapons (lvl.2) Double Throw (lvl.1) 5 Shield Bash (lvl.1) Riding (lvl.2) Dash (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) 5 Rust (lvl.3) 2 Identify (lvl.3) 1 Silent Casting (lvl.2) Mana Regeneration (lvl.2) Purify (lvl.2) 3 Greater Heal (lvl.2) 10 Holy Aura (lvl.2) 2 Decay (lvl.1) 1 Drain (lvl.4) 2 Entropic Aura (lvl.2) 2 GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% to all starting attributes. Mark of the Pdin 10% resistance to Dark/Holy magic. 5% resistance to Physical. Touch of the Void 10% reduced resistance to Holy/Fire magic, 20% resistance to Mental Effects, 15% immunity to Mental Effects. Experience to next level 3187/3202 Health285/288 Stamina62/63 Mana16/16 I had made no gains to my base attributes, but I was pleased with the increase in my skills. Close, I was so close to getting to level twelve. Only a mere fifteen experience points from my next power boost, and one more step down the road to my apotheosis. Whatever should I spend my bonus points on next?, I wondered, as I reported in to take my turn at the watch. * Waiting for Gelgor was mostly uneventful, but finally, it was time. I was stationed behind Laes, on foot, to wee a small party of mounted horsemen who approached the Ravens¡¯ caravanin the early hours of the morning. Leading them was a figure I recognized at once to be Gelgor. I had overheard the people of the Ravens talking about his distinctive appearance, and there was no mistaking that it had to be him. At this range, he looked like a blob of an orange that had found itself a strong enough mount to carry it. However, I saw that he carried himself well on his horse, despite his prodigious size. As the small band drew closer, I could see that Gelgor¡¯s escort consisted of professional soldiers. Their gear was uniform, and their eyes were watchful and serious. Each had a longnce cupped at their right stirrup, and at their waists was their choice sidearm. They were all equipped with iron nasal helms and well-crafted ironmer trimmed in bronze. About their armor they wore an orange sash that designated their allegiance. Gelgor himself was armed with nothing more than a smile. I could not help but be reminded of a simr scene from not too long ago. Yet, unlike that encounter, where tension filled the air, the stillness thates before violent acts, this time felt different. Rather, I felt it to be more forced and routine. More akin to a regr family meeting¡ªtolerated, but not eagerly anticipated. On the surface, it certainly did not have the feel of another hostile encounter. Hopefully, this meeting would not end in bloodshed. Despite that being the best oue, I still entertained the stray thought that it could be a wee chance to gain a few more points of experience. Prepared for it, even. Patience, I chided myself. ¡°Hello there, Laes of the Ravens,¡± greeted Gelgor the portly caravan master, a fixed smile on his lips and only the barest of edge to his voice. I could not help but notice that his jowls bounced in time to his mount''s gait before he finally came to a stop. At this distance, I could see that his face resembled an ugly and overly-friendly pug. From the pockmarks on his face, it seemed that, once upon a time, Gelgor had a bad case of e. Good looks, it seemed, were not one of the prerequisites for the position of caravan master. ¡°Gelgor Badawi,¡± Laes returned, with only the barest inclination of his head, his voice formal and controlled. Gelgor smiled at this. ¡°We meet under an auspicious sun, indeed. Most auspicious. I hope this day finds you well, Master Laes. I presume you wish for us to travel together once again? You always were one to skimp on adequate protection.¡± ¡°As always, Gelgor, you have the way of it. The path has been most dangerous ofte, and I fear that there are many perils left on the road,¡± offered Laes. Laes¡¯ counterpart sniffed at this. ¡°Of course, the way would be safer. For you, of course. The banquet on disy for the scavengers of the ins¡ªthat was your doing, I presume?¡± Gelgor asked archly, more of a statement than a real question. To his credit, Laes did not even bat an eyelid. ¡°Not of my choosing,¡± he replied tly. ¡°Of course, that is the way of things. Better that the scavengers feast on their honorless corpses, than yours and mine. The rules of the long road. I have something that might be of interest to you. News reached me just before my departure. News of an escaped ve, brought back to life through dread ritual and magic. And, sightings of the first folk, the Warders of the Woods. Elves of a different cut of cloth. You would not perchance know anything of this?¡± probed Gelgor as he looked with great interest at one of his nails. My hand began to stray slowly to the hilt of my weapon. I had faced worse odds than this before. However, peace would reign for a while longer as Laes answered him quickly. ¡°Elves, as you know, are umon, but not exactly rare. You speak of them as if they are legends and myths that walk thends again. We both are too old for this. You yourself, have traveled with the long-lived ones before, as have I. They are just people, though much longer-lived. Heavens, Gelgor, your grandfather¡¯s head scribe was one of the dark-skinned ones. Also, we both know that those who would do business with the free city of Al-Lazar do not travel with, nor trade in, ves. There is no one in mypany that bears the brand. I would have you kindly cease such spurious talk¡ªit could get my writ of trade revoked,¡± Laes answered a little heatedly. ¡°As you say, as you say. But, Laes, I would have you know that these were nomon elves. The local guards of Ansan were spouting nonsense that two of their number were able to fight off half the city, set fire to the other half, and escape into the night. What their business was in the city is still a mystery. Mixed in with all this mess, this little snippet caught my attention - a rather renowned ve concubine of a prominent Vessel family has escaped. A precious family treasure, for she has been in their possession for many generations, and yet she is still asely and youthful as any spring maiden. Of elven stock, with hair like fine spun gold, eyes of jade, and skin of pure ivory. Worth more than a king¡¯s ransom, or so they say. This would not have anything to do with your sudden departure from the city?¡± ¡°Master Laes, was just¡­¡± Khm began to interject before he was immediately cut off by Laes with a look. ¡°I see that even such a man as yourself can fall prey to the lure of idle gossip,¡± Laes answered, his expression ever so slightly strained. ¡°Youe to me with less than news, less than rumor. The gossip of bored women. Perhaps, it is because I simply wished to arrive ahead of the Weeping - earlier than is usual. Still, no matter, as your good friend, I offer you, Gelgor Badawi, the guest right of the Ravens. I will indulge your penchant for idle rumors over tea. Perhaps we might be able to talk of matters that are more profitable.¡± ¡°Very well, Laes. I see that, as always, youck even the smallest shred of romance. What you dismiss as idle gossip and fancy is the spice that keeps our lives interesting. It would not kill you, Laes, to live a little. I really don¡¯t see what my sister saw in you,¡± sighed the obese man. ¡°Nheless, I shall surrender myself to your honor and hospitality,¡± stated Gelgor, with a knowing glint in his eye. He dismounted, handing the reins over to one of the drudges. Eyes down, the worker epted them, bowed respectfully, and led the mount away. Soon after, the rotund man barked amand to one of his men in High Quassian, anguage with which I had only limited familiarity. The man was of medium height, dark-bearded, and had an orange turban wrapped around his helm. The man nodded once to Gelgor, acknowledging the order before galloping off back in the direction of the Crows. The rest of Gelgor¡¯s honor guard also dismounted and passed their mounts to Abas Yar and his assistants, who led them off to be fed and watered. They soon began mingling with the rest of the Ravens in friendly conversation. Backs were patted, and stories were exchanged, and from what I could gather from the snippets of conversation, Gelgor¡¯s guards had many of their friends and extended family among the Ravens. After about half an hour, Khm touched me on the shoulder and drew me aside. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, and I don¡¯t care. But now, you are a healer, a prodigy from one of the temples, and the red one is yourdy wife. The pair of you are seeking lost relics of your goddess, and thus have joined the Adventurer¡¯s Guild,¡± he whispered in a quiet voice. ¡°Laes feared that this journey would be more dangerous than usual, and chose to hire some adventurers to supplement his usual escort. The tight bastard that he is, he only hired those of the bronze rank. You can remember this?¡± he hissed. ¡°I think so¡­¡± I replied, uncertainly. ¡°You had best be sure, for Gelgor, despite his outwardly friendly manner, is a snake. He would sell his own mother for a few coins, if she was still alive. Now, I am not saying not to talk to the people of the Crow, but I would ask that you not get overly-friendly with them. Best you keep that in mind. Now, repeat to me your story,¡± the Guard Master insisted. Once I could repeat the story to his satisfaction, he made me promise to tell myrades of thistest twist. I would do as Khm advised, but the lies did not sit well with me. Book 2: Chapter 35: Breakthrough Book 2: Chapter 35: Breakthrough It is said that our forebears once hunted the sky lords, the dragons of yore. There was a being, of whom the old tales refer to simply as the ¡®Hero,¡¯ who taught us of the dragon lore. ording to the stories, it was he who taught us how to kill them. But the price of making a great winged one fall was great, for with every dragon in, countless human lives were lost. - In Search of the Dragons, by Captain Fiore Haldane. I was struck with no small amount of astonishment to find that the Crows and Ravens had melded seamlessly together. A remarkable unity of purpose prevailed among them, and duties were shared with an admirable sense of fairness. The pragmatic and hardworking nature of these caravan people left little room forint or argument. However, with arger group now, the pace of the journey inevitably slowed down. Nevertheless, Laes steadfastly reassured me that we remained on schedule. Our next destination, the Rump, was a collection of hills that promised refuge from the merciless deluge of the Weeping. There we would wait out the rains before we would brave the treacherous expanse of the Whispering Wastes along the Green Road. And so we continued on our journey. I devoted much of my free time to honing my magical and martial skills. Observing Kidu and Larynda''s training, and asionally joining in, I gleaned further knowledge on foot spear techniques, which resulted in an improvement of my Polearms skill. The boy Dumuzi, Catalina¡¯s get, would also sometimese and observe. Kidu, if he was feeling particrly spiteful, would sometimes pit him against Larynda. I almost felt sorry for her at times, as the boy was quick and strong and woulde in fresh. Cordelia taught me the rudiments of swordsmanship, and though the Azag-Gishban differed from her magical longsword, the fundamental principles of wielding a long, sharp metal de remained the same. Drilling me incessantly, she instilled in me the significance of proper footwork for sword and shieldbat. This, I slowly began to understand, formed the foundation of nearly all martial skill disciplines. It felt like learning the first steps of a dance, in a way at least. Though not yet an expert, I felt I had gained greater insight into theplexities ofbat and more importantly a new skill, Swords. Practicing with my new weapon, I grew to appreciate the utility of the Sword-hammer. Though not magical, it was still well-crafted, and provided me with an answer for both armored and unarmored opponents. I would still, however, need to acquire better ranged weapons than my throwing daggers. Apart from their limited range, equipping my new te gauntlets would make them inordinately difficult to use. Cordelia was pleasant on the eyes, and in the breaks, she would sit close to me. I would ask her about her life before she joined the Church and the Knightly Order of the Penitent Heart. If you could filter out her ramblings about her faith, she was actually rather pleasant to talk to. She spoke of her father¡¯snd in Aranthia, and how she yed with her doting brothers as a child. Her family had always known that the touch of the Goddessy heavily upon her, and encouraged her in all things having to do with faith and spirituality. When I sought out further details as to why I was being sought by the church, she deflected, instead telling me that she had always known that her highest calling was to serve me, the Herald of Avaria. No matter how hard I persisted, it was simply too difficult to wring out the details of the machinations of the Church. I concluded that she was either disinterested or simply ignorant of the organization¡¯s inner workings. Instead, she spoke of how, in recent years, she had grown to doubt herself, to doubt her faith, only to have it renewed when she witnessed my holy light. I was finally able to press the question, searching for the root of the matter. The Kingdom of Aranthia held their holiest of rites, under themand of Cardinal Mauros, in an attempt to bring forth the Herald of Avaria into the world. The Herald was believed to be the harbinger of a new age of prosperity and peace for those who held the faith, or woulde as a righteous judge to purge the world of evil. From Cordelia''s lips, I discovered that many in the Church viewed Cardinal Mauros as being too consumed with worldly and mundane affairs, neglecting many of his more-spiritual duties. This led Cordelia to suspect that the Cardinal had undertaken the summoning ritual for less than righteous reasons, resulting in the Herald being sent to a far-offnd as punishment for his spiritual worldliness. In the woman¡¯s eyes, I was divinity incarnate, and she was willing to do anything for me. With that in mind, I extracted a solemn vow from her to keep my true identity a secret, convincing her that it was Avaria''s will that I should experience the world as a mortal man, to understand their struggles and pass Her judgment ordingly. My ploy worked wlessly, and the zealous Cordelia was now mine tomand as I truly wished. Not wanting to get caught up in the power struggles or the machinations of the church, I decided it best that I avoid Aranthia and other members of the Church for the time being. From Ankhset, I learned a little more about the nature of magic. Certain people, and in some rare cases creatures, would have an affinity for certain elements. Unlike people, creatures with the gift of magic never suffered from the Call, the suicidal impulse that grew stronger as a magic user grew in power. Among the wise, it was said that this was because animals and monsters were closer to the elements, closer to their natural state. As a Water Mage, her element was a constant source of danger, as she struggled to control the insidious Call of her magic. Over a cup of tea, while Larynda was busy juggling floating balls of water, the old woman exined to me that the mages of this world would often use magic staves or wands. These were either crafted by the mages themselves, or could be bought from purveyors of magical goods. As I understood, from her somewhat scattered exnation, the opening segment of a mage''s spell repertoire would be inscribed onto these implements, thus serving as shortcuts for a magic user''s incantations. From her description, the whole process seemed simr to what Larynda did with her Seals. My fellow guards were respectful of me, and the bonds and camaraderie of shared battle and the campfire were not so easily changed by my new status as a sort of holy man. It is hard to view the man who has yed a few hands of cards with you as an embodiment of divine will. Timur, who I had fought alongside, was very much in my camp, and would often be shouting my praises in a drunken voice. They all still tried to get me to drink their poisonous brew, the fiery drink Arag, but as always, I refused. Elwin, on the other hand, was more than willing to drown out his sorrows, imbibing copious amounts of the acrid swill and singing at the top of his voice before passing out, unconscious. I suspected that this must have been how he dealt with his problems. Although he never talked about his time in the hands of his captors, in his unguarded moments, his eyes were a map of suffering. Luckily, the guards still invited me to their games of cards, dice, and chance, for which I was grateful. My focusy not in winning, but in honing my Luck attribute. This meant that I usually lost more money than I won, much to the delight of my fellows, as I sought to win against increasingly long odds. At least at dice. With cards, thanks to my Identify spell, I was able to recoup some of my losses. One evening, after a sessful Hail Mary throw of the dice, I was able to gain a point in Luck, as well as break even. This, it turned out, was also enough to finally get me over the threshold to level twelve. With so much time to think things over, I already had a general n in mind on where I would put the bonus points. With the counter ticking down, I ced two attribute points in Dexterity to help offset the penalty of wearing te gauntlets, and a single point in Constitution to make it a nice, rounded forty points. For my bonus point, it was a toss-up between Mana Regeneration and the Drain spell. I went with Drain, eager to see how the spell would evolve, which pleased the voices within. My recent level-up gave me the courage to see if I could edit my user interface again. This time, instead of hiding a skill, I tried to fiddle with my experience disy to get it to show only the experience required for the next level, and not my total experience. Just before I willed the changes toe about, I drank a few gulps of Arag to helpbat the pain I knew wasing, much to the cheers of my fellow gamblers. Luckily, they thought that my screams were ones of celebration, rather than of agonizing pain. I must say that I truly deserved a Charisma point for my quick thinking and splendid performance. The universe, however, was not so kind. [STATUS] Calling:Gilgamesh lvl.12 Pdin/Reaver Strength: 27 Dexterity: 24 Constitution: 40 Intelligence: 21 Wisdom: 22 Charisma: 13 Luck: 19 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.3) Power Strike (lvl.3) 10 Endure (lvl.3) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.3) Dual Wield (lvl.2) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Improved Unarmed Combat (lvl.1) Hammers (lvl.2) ils (lvl.3) Maces (lvl.3) Shields (lvl.3) Medium Armor (lvl.3) Heavy Armor (lvl.4) Axes (lvl.2) Daggers (lvl.4) Throwing Weapons (lvl.2) Double Throw (lvl.1) 5 Shield Bash (lvl.1) Riding (lvl.2) Dash (lvl.1) Swords (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) 5 Rust (lvl.3) 2 Identify (lvl.3) 1 Silent Casting (lvl.2) Mana Regeneration (lvl.2) Purify (lvl.2) 3 Greater Heal (lvl.2) 10 Holy Aura (lvl.2) 2 Decay (lvl.1) 1 Drain (lvl.5) 2 Entropic Aura (lvl.2) 2 GIFTS Curse of Entropy: -20% to all starting attributes. Mark of the Pdin: 10% resistance to Dark/Holy magic. 5% resistance to Physical. Touch of the Void: 10% reduced resistance to Holy/Fire magic, 20% resistance to Mental Effects, 15% immunity to Mental Effects. Experience to next level 7/891 Health316/321 Stamina47/65 Mana16/16 Confirming the changes, I found myself happy with the significant increase to my Health and Stamina pool. My Health had truly grown to be monstrous. Just a few more levels, and I would grow to be as tough as even therge Ruars that pulled the wagons. Generally pleased with my overall growth, I joined my fellows for a few more rounds at rolling the bones. Book 2: Chapter 36: The Long Road Book 2: Chapter 36: The Long Road Some would have you believe that the gods and their games do not exist. Some believe that they are dead, or that they are both alive and dead. Others would posit that the divines have been dying for thousands of years, their blood seeping into the ground, into the water, into the air. The very air we breathe, the water we drink, and the ground we tread may all contain traces of this divine essence. And so, the gods continue to exert their influence upon us, whether we believe in them or not. That is the origin of the gift-spark, the curse of Mana. - On the Prophecy of the Gods, by Gideon de Svia 376 AC. For the rest of the journey up to the Rump, not wanting to upset the bnce and status quo, I heeded Khm¡¯s counsel and, for the most part, steered clear of the Crows whenever feasible. Nheless, there were instances where I could notpletely avoid them, such as when participating in a joint patrol around the encampment at night, or scouting on horseback. Despite this, I tried to maintain a low profile, neither impolite nor forting with my details. However, there was one event that raised a few eyebrows among the people of the caravans. One evening, tired and unable to deal with the rasping saw that was Kidu¡¯s breathing, I went outside for a bit of fresh air and to enjoy the sight of unfamiliar stars painted across an unfamiliar sky. I walked a little way from the ring of the wagons, to meditate and reflect. Away from the caravan, for practice, I released my Entropic Aura as I looked up at the celestials on high, wondering if Earth¡¯s sun was among their number. Thus, I remained until sleep found me. Dawn¡¯s touch, her rosy fingers staining the morning sky, was what awoke me the next day. I quickly rose to my feet, for all around me was a circle of wilted grass and dusty dead earth. Understanding hit me, and I stopped my Entropic Aura and retreated back into my wagon. A quick check of status revealed that my spell had increased in level during the night while I slept. It had been careless of me to leave the spell activated. That same morning, there was a rumor floating, a rumor that we had passed by a barrow grave or some other nonsense about a ¡®Witch spot.¡¯ I received a few odd looks from Kidu and Elwin, but thankfully none of them asked me any pointed questions. As the days passed, the Rump could be seen, growingrger in the distance. A few more uneventful days and we found ourselves at the top of those hills. Once they had found a suitable ce to stop, Laes and Gelgor began to organize their people for theing rains. Stakes were hammered down, wagons secured, and a great tent of oiled and waxed tarp was erected for the animals. Repairs were made, and I had to treat a few injuries. Dumuzi was among those who had suffered, for a Ruar had stepped on his foot. However, by the Grace of the Goddess, as the Crows hade to call, my Heal spell fixed his broken bones and bruised flesh, saving him from a future of beingme. A tearful Catalina tried to give me some of what little money she had, but I refused it with a smile, touched her shoulder, and told her that instead I would be delighted if she could cook for me a meal someday. I was sure that, if I yed my cards right, I could get something more. I weed all of the requests for healing, as they allowed me to practice my magic and earn a few coins. Not to mention, that the generous use of my spells elevated my standing with the people of both caravans. The Crows and Ravens were ready now, ready to wait out theing rains. Steadily, the days grew darker as more clouds, carried by a northerly wind, floated in. In the far distance was a ck sky of darker clouds, pregnant with rain. At the edge of that dark horizon was a stark line of bone white, the beginning of the Whispering Wastes. That same day, under Laes'' direction, a sturdy man in his thirties approached me. Because of his long dirty blonde hair, which was really more of a light brown on closer inspection, I recognized him from our evening meals, but this was the first time I had made his acquaintance. His name was Garven, and he exined that he was the armorer and smith for the Ravens, and that he would be making the adjustments for my looted suit of te harness. Taking out a measure, he quickly and efficiently took down my sizes on a wax tablet, while humming to himself. I thanked him for his time, and he made off to do whatever it was he had to do. As he strode away, I noticed that the man walked with a slight limp. Sometimes in the evening, when the fancy took me, I would tell stories from my old world. From the ssics like the Odyssey and the Aeneid, to recent pieces of fiction that were popr with the masses. A further adapted version of the story of the ¡°Boy Who lived¡± was particrly popr with the children. I had changed it into a story of revenge, of a boy¡¯s drive to find vengeance for his family at all costs, which went down well with my listeners. At first, my audience was just mypanions. Next, intrigued, Dumuzi woulde to listen. Thenter, Catalina would join, and in turn, so too would her friends. They would bring small gifts or food, offerings and payments of a sort for the tales of my old world. Once the preparations wereplete, there was a sort of semi-festive atmosphere to the train that apanied this period of waiting, giving the people time to rx and unwind. Meals were a touch more extravagant, faces a little less tight from stress, and theughter of the workers freer and less guarded. Free from the rigors of the road, music echoed delightfully, as simple wind and string instruments filled the air with jubnt melodies. With these infectious tunes came dancing. Even the stoic Kidu, at Larynda¡¯s insistence, took to the floor and proved surprisingly graceful and light on his feet. Many of the women, blushing with amusement, eagerly danced with him. However, most surprising of all was Elwin, who after a few drinks, invited Cordelia to dance. His movements were stiff, and hisnguage formal, but thedy knight received and epted his request like a queen at court. I was d, for slowly it seemed that the Rogue was regaining some of his dauntless nerve and joie de vivre. I had thought that he was intimidated by the woman. What was he nning exactly? It was only through confronting our fears that we could ovee them, I realized. In a world full of miracles and magic, I wondered why I found this simple truth surprising. Cordelia represented something he feared, and the Rogue was trying to ovee his fear with familiarity. He was a braver man than I, for even as an object of Cordelia¡¯s faith and veneration, her single-mindedness and zeal scared me at times. None of the songs or music was familiar to me, but I still found myself lost in looking on at their happiness, distant and apart. It was Catalina who saved me from my solitude, offering her hand and forcing me to rise to my feet. She taught me how to dance their dance, and my heart was filled with a new joy. As the music faded into silence, she took my arm and whispered in my ear, beckoning me to follow her to her wagon. For a fleeting moment, upon entering, I thought I felt the earth quiver momentarily, but I quickly brushed it aside as just a symptom of my burgeoning excitement. Locking the door, she told me that her son was being cared for by close friends. That night she thanked me in more ways than one, as we both sought sce and release in each other¡¯s arms. * The next afternoon, the boy Dumuzi found me to give me my adjusted suit of armor. It took him about three trips toplete the delivery of my te harness. As it was my first time equipping a full set of te mail, I had no idea how to put the thing on. Smiling beatifically, Cordelia volunteered to show me how to put on various pieces. I could see why a squire would have been useful for the medieval knight. It was awkward to put on a full set of armor by myself, but with a little fiddling around with the leather straps, quite possible. The trick was remembering the correct order, and leaving some parts semi-attached, and some knots at half-done to facilitate the whole process. She had Larynda watch, exining to the girl as if the child was her squire, the differences between her armor and mine. I found being dressed by two girls a tad embarrassing. Walking around in my steel te gave me a certain feeling of invulnerability. Yes, it was a little cumbersome to move about in, but not quite as much as I had imagined it would be. My range of movement was more limited, but this was a fair price to pay for the extra protection that the armor provided. Also, truth be told, I felt rather dashing in the thing. Feeling rather motivated by my new equipment, I practiced running in my suit of steel after the evening meal. Mypanions thought I was insane. God-touched, they said. And God-touched I am, but not quite in the way that you mean, I thought to myself. They expected me to soon tire, but they would be proven wrong. After my tenthp around the big camp, weapon and shield in hand, I was barely out of breath. Admittedly, I was not wearing my helm, which allowed me to shed a bit more heat and draw in a bit more air, but I believed it was impressive nheless. This was the benefit of putting the majority of my bonus points into my Constitution attribute. My Health and Stamina had basically grown through the roof. I kept running, asionally taking a swig from the water sk at my side. Still, I ran on, and this continued until people stopped their business for the evening to watch the loon who was runningps around the camp in full armor. You have learned Endure (lvl.4) Drenched in sweat, I smiled as I took in the notice, savoring my sess. I guess I finally had an answer for what the Endure skill did. It helped me endure. So I kept on running, picking up my pace as some of the children joined me, thinking it was some sort of event. Ten minutester, as I jumped over a waist-high barrel for sport, much to the delight of the children in my wake, I was given yet another notice. You have gained 1 Constitution. You have learned Heavy Armor (lvl.5) Oh well. There went the nice round number of forty for my Constitution - not that I was reallyining. It was perhaps a good time to stop, anyways. My Stamina was around twenty percent and I could do with a quick break. As fate would have it, a few minutester I was pulled aside by Khm. "Best save a little forter,d. You''re on the middle watch," Khm half-ordered in a gruff voice, with a little more respect in his eyes. "I''ve heard stories of the legions of the Old Empire running for miles all day in full gear, and your little performance gives some truth to those tales. But it''s best if you don''t draw more attention to yourself." Without any words to refute him, I had no choice but toply and save my energy forter. I took a ce next to the fire where mypanions and friends sat. Larynda looked at me in rapt awe, Kidu looked proud, Cordelia murmured a prayer, and even Elwin gave me a respectful nod free of his usual cynicism. As the evening continued, stories and tales were exchanged. Kidu¡¯s tales of the icy North were, as always, as grim as thend they came from, and very short. For the most part they were usually about this somebody killing this somebody over some sort of perceived slight. There was little drama and excitement that could fit into a ¡®story¡¯ only a few sentences long, and no amount of prompting could get him to expand upon them or give more detail. Cordelia¡¯s stories were a little more in line with a bible recitation of the old testament. She went on about how Avaria judged so and so, and how so and so got his or her just desserts. Despite her questionable material, her delivery was near-perfect as she could truly draw you in. It was more than simple recitation. Her belief and faith in her words were hypnotic and infectious, the mark of a great proselytizer. Elwin¡¯s tales consisted mainly of well-known ribald stories, sometimes mixed in with ounts of his own life. ¡°And could not wait to taste the sweetness of her creamy te,¡± was one of his more-memorable moments from his recitation of the ¡®Milkmaid and the Lord¡¯. This caused Cordelia to stiffen and blush, and cover Larynda¡¯s ears with her hands. Dumuzi asked his mother what exactly the line meant, causing her to stutter, but Elwin promised to tell him when he was a bit older. For the first time in a long while, I felt content. Book 2: Chapter 37: Downtime Book 2: Chapter 37: Downtime Let not hatred and anger rule you, but rather strategic thought and decisive action. In war, the root cause may not be mere animosity, but rather a sh of interests or ideology. For the most part, wars are nothing more than a means of negotiation between nation-states. As a student of war, I seek to understand the objectives of both sides and to find the most effective way to achieve them. I do not allow myself to be swayed by emotions, for they can cloud judgment and hinder the ability to see the situation clearly. The true art of war lies not in the destruction of one''s enemy, but in the ability to achieve one''s objectives with minimal loss of life and resources. To do so, one must be mindful, adaptable, and always seeking to improve one''s strategy and tactics. For wars are won only when those objectives have been met, or lost when the cost of human lives or resources outweighs any and all possible gains. In the end, I find it truly ironic that the only way to ensure swift peace is to fight a swifter war. - The Principles of Conflict by General Damien de Savant circa 234 AC. My build wasing along nicely. I had arge amount of Health and Stamina, which meant that I could weather most of the blows that found their way through my formidable armor. Between my high strength and Power Strike, I had a way of dealing with tougher opponents. All of this was supplemented by my magic, which was primarily support and curse-style spells that I could use in a limited fashion. Talking with Ankhset, and reading through my primer, I just knew in my bones that my gifted ¡®element¡¯ was about more than simply rusting iron and rotting things. It represented something much deeper. Something more, if only I could get my head around the abstract concepts involved. The Drain spell, I felt, was a prime example of this. When I touched Abas Yar, the Beastmaster, I had taken something more than just his basic vitality. Learning more about magic gave me only more mysteries to unravel. Perhaps if I increased the level of my spells, I would gain more instinctual understanding of the whole thing? The problem I still had with my build was one of range. I had some throwing daggers, but these were not really battlefield weapons, and theycked the range and power afforded by a weapon like a bow. I was half-engaged in a conversation about the Crows at breakfast as I was thinking about these things. Today¡¯s morning meal consisted of small, thick pancakes served with salted fat and hot pepper. It would help power me through most of the morning. ¡°¡­uncle Gelgor. He¡¯s really quite nice, he is,¡±mented Larynda between bites. ¡°You should not speak with your mouth full, it is unbing of ady,¡± chided Cordelia, as she delicately picked at her food. ¡°What do you mean ¡®uncle¡¯?¡± I almost spluttered, genuinely surprised. ¡°Ol¡¯ Ham, I mean Hamsa, used to send me off to get some stuff from Gelgor. You know, like ingredients and stuff and the like. He used to give me a few snacks every now and again. He sells almost anything, that Gelgor person. Nice person, too.¡± Larynda added between mouthfuls. That the brat had deigned it unimportant to mention this little fact put me on edge. It changed nothing, however, as long as the fat man did not try to get in the way of my quest. Even if he did, it would be a simple matter of killing anyone that stood in my way. Still, I thought it best that Larynda avoid the Ravens as much as possible, and told her as much. The part about selling almost anything certainly got my attention. Perhaps there would be a way to send some feelers out, not directly of course, to see if he had something I wanted. I needed to keep a low profile for a bit, after running around the camp like a loon. I was able to convince everyone that it was a form of training, which it certainly was. Most of the people had been surprised at first, but the greater number had been downright impressed with my disy of physical endurance. That aside, I still needed something, and I made my way to Laes¡¯ tally wagon to possibly get him to find what I was looking for. A ranged weapon, preferably a crossbow. As usual, I found him shouting out orders and writing down numbers on a board. Efficient was one of the words that truly described our Laes. Noticing me, he gestured for me toe over. ¡°Master Gilgamesh, to what do I owe the surprise?¡± he said, looking up for a moment. Not wanting to take too much of his time, I quickly told him that I was looking to purchase a crossbow or simr weapon. He asked a few questions to get a more-detailed picture of what I was looking for. Rubbing his chin, he told me that he might have a piece lying about somewhere himself, but that Gelgor was actually something of a weapons collector. The sum total of my wealth was around four gold pieces, which I was told was more than enough to get a fine weapon. I specifically mentioned that I needed something that would be easy to use. I had no choice but to use Laes as an intermediary. He was my only real contact, seemed a dependable and steady sort, and most importantly had treated me fairly, thus far. The caravan master promised to talk to his counterpart about getting me something at around three gold pieces or less. Gelgor was apparently more fond of gold than of his own collection. Why was Laes being so amodating? I connected the dots. The man wanted to stay in my good graces. It was a minor thing, this small favor that I would owe him in return, but these things had a tendency to grow muchrger. With our business concluded, I went back to my section of the encampment. The next day, the rains came on the wings of a cold wind. The darkness of the sky found us, blotting out the light of the midday sun. Then there was a torrent, a veritable deluge of water that fell from the skies. The rain beat relentlessly, with a continuous roar, against the giant oiled canvases that covered the camp. Ankhset was called, and she and her family sat cross-legged on a mat in the center of the camp. Hand-in-hand, they began to chant a beguiling tune, and behind the notes of their song I heard the sounds of a faraway ocean. Weather warding, Laes exined to me. The family¡¯s spell acted as a way to repel most of the water away from the camp and had to be recast every day to maintain its power. It was at times like this that Ankhset felt her call most strongly,mented the caravan master. The deluge continued incessantly, and I could understand why Laes had chosen the hills to weather out the storm. Without the ward we would have beenpletely at the mercy of the storm, or so I was told. Life continued under the canvas, albeit muted, and the festive air had long gone, drowned out by the heavy sound of the relentless rain. I spent some of the time with Catalina, both of us finding mutualfort and shelter from the storm in each other¡¯s arms. Even in the sorrow of the gods, happiness could be found. One evening, she looked at me in the gloom and half-whispered to me with a smile, ¡°Who are you, Gil?¡± Looking at the ceiling, I smiled. ¡°Here, I am Gilgamesh of Uruk.¡± Her brow furrowed at my reply. ¡°Here? Here implies a there, and I have never heard of a ce called Uruk.¡± ¡°It is a ce where men travel many miles in the belly of long snakes, and metal birds fly in the sky,¡± I chuckled to myself. ¡°You mock me? Or is this another one of your stories? Your words have more weight than you think, you should not y with others so,¡± she chided prettily and punched me yfully. ¡°If I were to tell you, you would not believe it. The wonders of my wor¡­nd,¡± I replied wistfully, drawing her closer to me to silence her. She resisted, trying to push me away with a giggle, but soon yielded, and our lips met. * Once I was done, I started to chew some minty leaves to wash out the taste of her. The nt was called Payana Leaf, amon nt that the people here used as a form of dental hygiene. The Payana nt had some minor medicinal properties, and I found that, when ingested directly, restored a single Health point. More importantly, the herb stopped our mouths from smelling like a gutter. I would have much rather preferred some toothpaste and a good soft-bristled brush, but when in Rome¡­ I spat out the leaves into a bucket and looked down at her sleeping form. It almost made me believe that she was more than just another character in a game. Knowing that she was recently widowed, and needed the money, I left a few coins with her to help her out a bit. Perhaps there would be a rewardter if I kept improving my reputation with her. The rewards were certainly worthwhile, for the moment. * After one of the evening meals, Laes, and Khm, of all people, came to find me. Khm was carrying a small wooden case. I almost licked my lips in anticipation. Laes looked at me with a smile and instructed the Guard Master to open the case. ¡°I hope this meets your satisfaction.¡± Khm opened the case, revealing the weapon I had purchased with my hard-earned gold. It was a marvel of engineering, masterfully crafted from metal, horn, and wood. Taking it out of the case, he showed me the iron sights along the rail that would allow even an inexperienced user to line up shots more easily. The Guard Master instructed me in his no-nonsense manner on the weapon¡¯s use. The crossbow was also toolless, requiring no separate gaffe lever or winss, and the limbs could be spanned and drawn taught by pulling a long lever along the bottom. The limbs were aposite of horn and wood, and were mped in ce. If necessary, this part of the weapon could be reced and removed. It was, in essence, a small, but powerful self-cocking crossbow. Cradling my weapon like it was a newborn child, I was more than happy to hand over the three gold pieces. ¡°This was very much worth the money, and more. Thank you Laes,¡± I replied, in genuine thanks. Khm paused to study me. "That seems more like a noble''s hunting tool than a genuine weapon of war," he observed. "It''s practically a toy. A sturdy bow would be more beneficial to you." He straightened up, adding, "And remember, you''re on duty in the next turn of the ss. It might be wise not to bring that with you. An unfamiliar weapon can often benefit the enemy more than oneself." ¡°As you say, Khm. I will take those words to heart,¡± I answered him formally, doing my best to keep the frustration at being treated like a child out of my voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Khm, sir. We¡¯ll be keeping an eye on him to make sure he¡¯s on time¡ªdon¡¯t you worry!¡± Elwin decided to add, patting me on the shoulder and drawing an annoyed grunt from the older man. Khm gave me another pointed look before Laes bowed and took his leave, dragging his Guard Master with him. ¡°That one¡¯s got the sense of humor of a brick,¡± quipped Elwin, and I found myself thoroughly in agreement. Book 2: Chapter 38: Straight Shooter Book 2: Chapter 38: Straight Shooter In the time of yore, Tatankhum''s realm entombed their regal departed alongside their devoted retinue and trusted aides who yearned to pursue them into the hereafter. The reward for such devotion was the excision of their servants'' flesh from their revered bones. These bones were then coated in steel and subsequently treated with tin to safeguard them against the ages for their long vigil. - The Fanciful Travels of Beron de Laney 376 AC. Guard duty during the Weeping was very much a dull affair. There were Zajasite stones ced around the perimeter. These shards of azure, which bathed the encampment in their blue light, were sentinels in the night. Small ps had been opened in the canvas to allow the sentries to look out at the rain, falling in almost solid sheets against the ground. Despite the deluge, there was little wind and I noticed that the canvas seemed to be deflecting the rain, as if the water could not find purchase against its surface. This must have been Ankhset¡¯s water ward. Apart from the interesting reaction between the rain and the ward, there was really not much to see at all for the first few nights. However, things started to grow interesting as, one night, I saw some lights in the near-distance. Other camps of traveling folk and caravans, Laes exined to me, once I brought it up with him after my shift. The Rump was, ording to him, a stopping point where people would wait out the rains before crossing into the wastes. Slowly, the number of lights grew along the tops of the hills with each passing night. However, none of us were brave enough to go out into the torrent of rain to make contact with these new people. The way I saw it, there was also little point. So heavy was the rain that I was pretty sure I would drown if I were to walk outside the protection of Ankhset¡¯s ward. * I needed to make better use of my time here stuck on the Rump. One morning, with Dumuzi¡¯s help, I bought some sheets of wood,yering them atop each other to fashion a rough target for practice. I practiced breaking down the bow, and in doing so, I got a basic understanding of its mechanisms. Simple, by modern standards, of course, but in this one I had no doubt that this weapon was one of the more-advanced specimens. The crossbow also came with a small quiver filled with wooden bolts tipped with solid steel. For the sake ofpletion, I used Identify on the crossbow. Ironwood Quas Crossbow Durability 190/190 It certainly had a fine-sounding name and looked like it would be fun to use. However, at such a high price I was beginning to wonder if the new weapon would actually be effective in my hands. With how quickly I could learn new skills in the world, there was always the option of picking up a simple bow and getting Kidu to train me in its use. Practicing reloading and shooting the crossbow at the target for the next two hours until I could hit more than miss, gave me, as expected, a new notification. You have learned Crossbows (lvl.1) Breathing a sigh of relief, I let go of thest vestiges of my buyer¡¯s remorse. I truly felt that it had been money well spent. A bitter, Elwin also decided to loose a few bolts for fun, and I was mildly annoyed when I saw that he was a much better shot than me. Even Cordelia had a go with my new weapon, and she shot almost as well as the Rogue. The only one who was worse than me was Larynda, and she had to get Cordelia to crank the lever for her, as she was too weak to do so herself. Kidu himself did not want a turn at shooting, exining that his archery and bow were far superior to any warmnder¡¯s toy. In my opinion, it was indeed a toy, but a deadly one. Swallowing my pride, I got Elwin to give me a few pointers. He told me to rx more and not to pull so strongly on the trigger. ording to him, the release of the bolt shoulde as a ¡®surprise,¡¯ or whatever that meant. Under his guidance, I was able to increase my skill level again. You have learned Crossbows (lvl.2) The Rogue assured me that all I needed to do now was practice. And I did, with an almost single-minded purpose that surprised even myself. Guard duty and meals became a distraction. My time with Catalina was a necessary relief, like going to the bathroom, as the warmth I had initially felt was now growing distant. When my fingers chafed, I cast Heal on them, and with the passing of the hours, my motions became like a machine. I practiced shooting through the sights and shooting from the hip, my hands and eyes slowly learning the feel of the weapon. Crank the lever, load, aim, shoot. My grouping improved, but I felt I was missing something. After a quick lunch, I started to shoot and reload with my gauntlets on, and the movements were no longer as fluid as they once were. At first, I was slow. Slow, far too slow, and clumsy, fumbling to reload the weapon in good time. However, I kept at it, seeking to master this skill. In time I got better, but I was nowhere near what I would consider a good speed. However, fortune would smile at me a day-and-a-half or soter. You have gained 1 Dexterity. You have learned Crossbows (lvl.3) This was enough, I thought to myself. Any more of it and I would run the risk of going insane. This was my limit. I broke down my weapon and put it in its case, much to the relief of most of mypanions. ¡°Why were you so intent on your practice? And why did you stop?¡± inquired Cordelia, looking at me, as if searching for a deeper answer. I decided that a quote from an ancient warrior would fit the bill perfectly, ¡°Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful,¡± I answered, trying to sound wise. The beautiful woman pursed her lips in thought, a mortal gesture that reminded me that she was not the goddess. ¡°You believe then, that further practice would be of little use?¡± she inquired. ¡°No, I am sure it would. But there should be bnce in all things. If I focused solely on target practice, my skill with the sword would suffer,¡± I countered with a smile. ¡°I see, you speak the holy truth, Gilgamesh. I have been remiss andck with my duties. Come now, it¡¯s best that I show you more of how to use that sword at your hip,¡± she replied seriously, a dangerous and fanatical gleam in her eyes. Behind her, I could see Elwin silently mouthing a ¡°Better you than me.¡± Truth be told, however, I did not mind a single bit. * So the days passed in quick session, and I took the time to rx more and took a more bnced approach to my training. Life under the canvas had started to drive me a little stir-crazy, so I took sce with mypanions a lot more. Patches¡¯ presence was especially wee. The simple creature was always d to see me, and I found the uplicated love of an animal mostforting. With some more time on my hands, Imissioned some simple bolts, fashionedpletely from iron, from the caravan¡¯s smith. He gave me a funny look, but a few bronze piecester and he was more than willing to do it. Though it drew a few frowns from Cordelia, I took up one of my old pastimes, gambling. I exined to her that it was less about the money, and really more about whiling away the time. Gambling was simply a means to an end to ¡®train¡¯ my Luck attribute. That¡¯s what I was telling myself, anyway. The evening story sessions continued, eliciting numerous smiles and creating a sense of anticipation among the caravan''s inhabitants. As I entertained them, I couldn''t help but think to myself, "I should start charging for this." As my audience expanded, so did my confidence, and I began incorporating narrative techniques to capture their attention. asionally, I would also impart some scientific knowledge when the locals asked me simple questions about the world, such as "Why is the sky blue?" posed by Dumuzi. In response, I exined about the Rayleigh scattering effect. However, as I delved further into the subject of air molecules, which in turn meant that I had to exin what molecules actually were, I sensed that I hadpletely lost him at this point. On the other hand, Larynda appeared deep in thought, pondering the exnation. With this particr evening¡¯s story nowpletely forgotten about, Larynda asked me another insightful question. ¡°So like. What is a molecule then, Gil?¡± her tongue hesitant and unsure, as she stumbled over the alien word. ¡°Ah, a molecule is the smallest amount of a substance that can exist, while having the properties of that same substance. They themselves areposed of even smaller things that determine their properties, but that is a discussion for another day. They are all everywhere, making up nearly everything around us,¡± I smiled proudly. Science did not have the answer for everything, but what answers it had were good ones. ¡°Then what is Mana?¡± she followed up, her face a picture of concentration. I could have answered with a simple quote from the primer, but I felt that would be doing her a disservice. ¡°That, I do not truly know,¡± I stated simply, uncaring for any potential loss of face, for science did not have all the answers. What answers it did have were, however, good ones, and I took pride in being able to admit ack of knowledge. For a child, she seemed to take all of this well, and I exined that I was not, in fact, hiding any divine revtion or esoteric knowledge from her. Cordelia seemed to be absorbing everything that I uttered, like a sponge, muttering to herself at times, as if she was trying to inscribe my words to memory. At times, I felt like a preacher spreading the gospel to the unwashed masses. My words bore fruit, and thanks to this little exchange, I earned another point towards my least-important attribute, Charisma. You have gained 1 Charisma. As if science was just another aspect of religious dogma, the woman knight took off into another tale of Avaria and her judgment of the city called Dezones, in thend of somewhere-I-forgot. Despite her skillful rhetoric, my mind wandered off to engage with different thoughts. At least my Charisma was a nice and even number now. I still had no idea how the attribute worked in the slightest. Was it like apelling effect that forced other characters to be friendlier towards me? Could high Charisma be used on me, forcing me down a path I would not have taken otherwise? It opened up the consideration of what exactly ¡®free will¡¯ meant in this world, but without any evidence or empirical data, my thoughts could only run around in circles, never stopping at a satisfying conclusion. There was really nothing for it, so I shelved my musings on the Charisma attribute. I needed to improve what I could, and I had a new idea on how I could improve my most recently-acquired skill. * The following day, I was able tomission some padded blunt bolts from one of the craftsmen, in exchange for the medallion that I had looted off Amon Vanes. Then I got Dumuzi to wear some of the old pieces of my armor and to carry the thick wooden target board. I told him that I needed a moving target and that I would be shooting at him with blunted bolts. The boy was understandably reluctant at first, but the promise of payment made him amenable to my demands. Hitting a moving target at running speed was considerably more difficult than a stationary target. Nheless, with some practice, I learned to lead the target,pensating for the speed of both the bolt and Dumuzi. This continued until the boy could run no longer, and I paid him a whole bronze piece for his troubles. As expected, he had not been hurt and had found the whole thing to be like a game. This had been especially true when I had encouraged him to try dodging the iing bolts. The youngd took it as a challenge, and did his best to run in zigzag patterns to throw off my aim. Worried, his mother came the next day. I could see that she was biting her lip for a long while, but even she could see that it was rtively easy work for decent money. She was a little cold that evening, but eventually, she gave in to my forceful demands, and I was able to find some release. As I left her ce, I assured her that Dumuzi would not be hurt. After all, even if he did get hurt, all I needed to do was use Heal. No harm, no foul. Book 2: Chapter 39: Hard Mode Book 2: Chapter 39: Hard Mode Smooth and powerful are the winds of change brought by the words of prophecy. They cut through mountains like a river and are inexorable as the tides. - On the Prophecy of the Gods, by Gideon de Svia 376 AC. The rain, as always, continued to beat down against the camp in a never-ending torrent. The inside of the great ¡®tent¡¯, where we waited out the rains, was filled mostly with the blue light of the crystal Zajasite, and open fires were being limited to only essential cooking activities. The whole situation began to remind me of my time in the mines. If I was to ascend to the next level of skill, I needed to shake things up. Though smashing someone in the face had a certain cathartic appeal, a part of me much preferred having the option to kill someone from afar. Currently, as things stood, I could hit a stationary target nine times out of ten at fifty paces and a moving target at about half that. Having learned to lead a target, the rest was simply a guessing game when it came to aiming, much like ying a game of rock-paper-scissors. Only in this game, a bolt to the body was the price of losing. However, Dumuzi, rather trusting of my skills at healing and the padding that he wore, made a game of it with me. If he could run between posts that we had set up without being hit, three times in a row, I would give him a whole copper piece. This incentivized the boy to be creative. As if not getting hit by a blunt bolt was not incentive enough. He dodged, jumped, rolled, stopped, and started. All in an effort to earn just a bit more coin. There was one way to make this significantly harder, but it seemed almost silly to me. Still, it was worth a try, I thought to myself. At least this way, the boy would be able to bring some more money back to his mother. Wrapping a strip of cloth around my eyes, I started to fire blindly at the boy. I really tried to concentrate, trying to guess his position by the noise that he made running across the grass, and thus timing my shots. Miraculously, I was able to get one ncing hit to his shoulder, but once we had finished for the day, I ended up giving him more money than I had intended, more than the brat deserved. I needed to try something new, so the next day found me doing a variety of things. I tried switching hands, attempted to feel the boy¡¯s position by some non-existent sixth sense, and heaven forbid, I even tried praying, to see if that worked. As expected, none of these things were effective. Dumuzi was smiling smugly, for he knew that today he would be bringing back even more coin. Irritation had begun to show on my face, and it was, in fact, this negative emotion that ended up inspiring my next breakthrough. Who was this little rascal who thought himself better than me, I wondered, which prompted me to use Identify on him before donning my blindfold again. Dumuzi Kalkassin - (Human lvl.7) Health: 81/81 Stamina: 21/37 Mana: 6/6 For some reason, this new information made me even more determined to hit him and wipe the smug smile from his face. I was surprised to see that the numbers that represented his Status moved across my ¡®user interface¡¯ - and where the numbers of his Status were, the boy most certainly was. That was it! Because I was blindfolded, the boy was not bothering to dodge or zig-zag, he was merely making a beeline toward his goal. Calmly, I pressed the trigger, loosing a blunted bolt that hit my target and caused him to yelp, more in surprise than in pain. The boy was now only one health point down, and I had many more bolts left in my quiver. I imagined him pausing in shock and looking in my direction, wondering if it was just luck or the divine that had guided thest bolt. Plenty more where those came from, I sniggered to myself, as I took in my new notifications. You have learned Blind-Fighting (lvl.1) You have learned Crossbows (lvl.4) That was more like it. The powers-that-be deigned to recognize my efforts. Progress, atst. Perhaps, this day I could hit the boy eighty more times for some more experience to contribute toward my next level up? No, I thought better of it, that would reduce the reputation and rtionship points with Catalina, which could make things more difficult from here on out. Best y it safe. On the other hand, hurting him would allow me to practice my Heal spell. An evil grin spread across my face. I was determined to make the boy work for his dinner. Book 2: Chapter 40: The Truth Within the Lies Book 2: Chapter 40: The Truth Within the Lies It is alright to asionally stumble and fall. It is not alright to think that it is alright to stumble and fall. - Gilgamesh of Uruk. Despite hitting Dumuzi a little less than half the time, I got no further gains in my skills. Feeling generous, I used Heal on the boy, perking him up, and passed him a few extra coins, which he epted with a bow and an inane grin. I had to resist the urge to pat him on the head like a dog. After the evening meal, I saw our Rogue trying to juggle some knives, to Larynda¡¯s amusement, only to see him miss a catch and hurt himself. That did not seem like the Elwin that I knew, and it was this that prompted me to take him aside for a serious talk. Had the Rogue lost his edge? Also, Cordelia had told me the Church¡¯s side of things, but I wanted to hear it from a different point of view, even if it meant opening up barely-healed wounds. ¡°What¡¯s with the serious air about you, Gil?¡± Elwin started, noticing my look and running a hand through his hair. Hair that had mysteriously thickened, slightly. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot Elwin, just wanted to let you know that if you need to talk about anything, I am here¡­¡± I offered gently. In my mind, I was already calcting how I could extract some necessary information from him. ¡°That¡¯s nice, Gil. Really is. I¡­ the things they did. Like I said, I¡¯m sorry I told ¡®em. But they didn¡¯t get it easy,¡± he replied, looking away. I saw that his hands were shaking. Luckily, the man had given me the opening I needed. Though I trusted Cordelia, more sources of information were always better. Especially when it involved having a bunch of religious fanatics in search of me. ¡°I know Elwin, I know. We¡¯ve been through so much together. I¡¯m just d that you¡¯re safe and in one piece again,¡± I said with a bitter smile, which he returned with a wry grin. ¡°But, I need to know what they were asking about, and why they want me?¡± ¡°They¡­¡± the Rogue gulped, his eyes growing far and distant for a moment, before he found himself again, ¡°They wanted¡­ wanted to know where you was going. That¡¯s it. That¡¯s all I know. Maybe, something about a big guy wanting you. That¡¯s all I heard on the way over. I was all beat up, Gil. They only brought me along because I know your face. They were looking for someone with the ¡®Divine Light,¡¯ or whatever that¡¯s supposed to mean. Way I see it, it¡¯s got something to do with the odd miracle or two you¡¯ve been doing right?¡± ¡°It might indeed,¡± I said worriedly, ¡°ording to Cordelia I am the Herald of Avaria, or something to that effect.¡± ¡°Well, this is just my own reckoning, mind. I¡¯m thinking that maybe you being the Herald, may make you something of a power within their Church. An¡¯ what I know about people and power is that people don¡¯t like to be sharing their power with just anyone. This Mauros fellow¡ªa Cardinal by the way¡ªthey were talking about him.He really wants you. A dangerous man, that one. The way I see it, to them you¡¯re basically the next best thing to Avaria herself. Guess I got myself a friend in a high ce now,¡±mented the Rogue in a low voice. I took a steady breath and added my own thoughts, ¡°This is certainly something to think about, Elwin. I know all too well the machinations of men and their lust for power. Though I can¡¯t say for certain if I am truly this Herald. Never felt there was anything special about me, if I am beingpletely honest with myself. I am just a man, like you. Can¡¯t say I¡¯m the particrly religious sort, either. I tell you this for a fact, before I ever came here, I had never heard of Avaria.¡± Elwin narrowed his eyes, and I realized I might have said too much, ¡°What do you mean came here, Gil? I know you¡¯re strange in the head, but just where exactly are you from? You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps it is better that way. Just know that it is a ce, far, far away from here, my friend. And even if I did tell you, I doubt you would believe me,¡± I countered. ¡°Ah damn, Gil. I think this is a bit something of my fault too,¡± he said, kicking at some yellowing grass. ¡°I ain¡¯t beenpletely honest with you, either. It¡¯s not that I¡¯ve lied to you. No. Just haven¡¯t told you and Kidu the whole truth. I ¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t have to, Elwin. It¡¯s oka¡­ alright,¡± I interjected, not wanting any more character exposition from him. He would have none of it though. My interjection notwithstanding, his eyes shifted for a moment and he continued, ¡°When I said about my family. It¡¯s kind of a special family. Let¡¯s just say I work¡­ well, worked for a group that some might call ¡®unsavory.¡¯ Since you¡¯re a foreigner, I doubt you¡¯d know anything about a group called the Bulls of Heaven. I fell in with that lot when I was younger, then got to have my own crew after a while. One of the younger up-anders was a bit hungrier than I expected¡­ there was a struggle, and I lost,¡± he sighed mightily, lost in a recollection ¡°So that story from before¡­?¡± I interjected pointedly. ¡°Completely true, well almost. That¡¯s how I actually fell in with ¡®em. Remember ¡®bout how I covered for the boy who had started poaching? Got used of being a corrupt servant. Was not having it, so I escaped from my sentence, I did. On the run and all, I got offered work and protection in a big city by one of the gangs, the Bulls of Heaven. Found that the work suited me. Stalking a man through the streets ain''t too different from tracking an animal in the forest,¡± he paused for a moment, then, lost in thought, he grew suddenly quiet. With nothing to add, I let him fill the silence between us with the rest of his tale. ¡°Then one day, I just wanted to, you know, check up on a few things. So, I went back home, only to find the wife already shacking up with the neighbor. Went off in a bloody rage. Don¡¯t really know why, it wasn¡¯t like we were, how shall I say, intimate with each other, for a long time anyways. Whatever made me fly off the handle, I wonder?¡± he continued, almost looking wistful. ¡°And then?¡± I prodded, wanting to hear the rest and to stop him from going off on a tangent. ¡°Don¡¯t really remember too much of what happened, but they found me sitting in my chair the next day and shortly after finding me, they found the two dead in our marital bed. This time there was no escape. Would have hanged me, too, if the alderman didn¡¯t see that it was a quick way to make even more money on the side, you see,¡± he finished tly. ¡°Well, are you wanting to go back to your family?¡± I inquired, eager to now know his reasons. ¡°As I said, it¡¯s true Gil. Got a son, I do. Least, I hope I still do. Was thinking of getting my old crew back. There will be a bit of grumbling, but that is nothing a bit of violence couldn¡¯t fix anyhow. Was at the top before, could be again. They wouldn¡¯t be expecting me. I thought I could make my own fortune again, send a little bit back to my son, secretly. See if he was alright, maybe check to see if I got any grandchildren. Old man things,¡± he paused for a moment and stood a little straighter, ¡°I say this with no small amount of pride, but for wetwork, in all of Aranthia, I was perhaps once one of the sharpest des. I have killed more men than most have had hot dinners. That¡¯s why I understand you, Gil¡­ That¡¯s why you scare me a ¡®lil,¡± he exined, looking at me through narrowed eyes. I feigned innocence. ¡°I saw you looking at me, Gil. You probably think I¡¯ve lost my touch, but I am almost as sharp today as the first time I met you. Some trials break a man, but maybe because of those miracles that you keep pulling out of your arse, I feel more spry than I have in many seasons. In my heyday, they simply called me ¡®Luck,¡¯ for it was only their own misfortune that they could me if I set my sights on them. Nothing more than bad luck. The streets knew of me, and I was feared by bothmon whore and noble lord. And let¡¯s just say that I got more than enough reasons to be sticking around with you now. Be not afeared, Gil boy. I got your back,¡± he smiled, with a little of his former spirit returned, before drawing me close with a conspiratory whisper. ¡°Again, let me warn you of the redhead. That sword she wields has a different name on the streets. They called it the Blind Executioner, for it cares not who it cleaves, no matter if they are innocent or guilty. Too many bad tales are told about the bearer of that de. Not saying that such a tool ain¡¯t useful. Just make sure it cuts the right way. Her lot be like, ¡®better that ten innocents perish than a single guilty man roams free¡¯. A double-edged sword, in all senses of the word. Like magic. That¡¯s why I got you that damn book. I know I don¡¯t have a fancy education, but you learn things, and even I know that all magic stuff has a price. I hope you don¡¯t mind paying yours,¡± he finished rather ominously. ¡°It¡¯s a price I have no regret in paying. Magic, it saved us, didn¡¯t it?¡± I replied wryly, trying to change the mood. ¡°Yes, it did, Gil. And I won¡¯t be forgetting. You trust me on that. Now, I got to be off to see a little knife-eared missus. I bet she¡¯ll be wanting a few pointers on how to take down the big man,¡± he said with a grin, though his voice was solemn. ¡°Be well, Elwin,¡± I said softly as he walked away. The Rogue, not looking back, merely raised a hand in reply as he left. Book 2: Chapter 41: Invaders Book 2: Chapter 41: Invaders In the realm of the known, where men and monsters sh and a multitude of races struggle for their ce in the sun, the human soul endures as a rare and enigmatic jewel. A singr force that, amidst the cacophony of life and strife, continues to defy the boundaries of reason and convention, seeking sce and strength in the tenderest of origins. For it is said that the eternal disposition of the human psyche, that elusive force that governs the heart and mind, is born of a singr truth - that we, above all other creatures, linger longest in the embrace of our maternal guardian. In our infancy, we are fragile, unprepared to navigate the treacherousbyrinth that is existence. This vulnerability forms the bedrock of the human spirit. - The Human Question by Gideon de Svia 378 AC. There was a chittering, and it was not from the dark creatures of the void, those beings that haunted me in my sleep. There were intruders in my sanctuary, my ce of rest. Shouting in surprise, I reached for the dagger at my waist and prepared to do battle with the intruders. Eyes now adjusting to the general gloom, I still could not see my enemies, save for small movements at the corner of my eyes. Damnations, I need to see, I thought to myself. Reaching for the bag at my waist, I grabbed a chunk of glowing Zajasite from its depths. Holding it in one hand in front of me, the stone immediately illuminated the interior of the wagon with its soft azure light. Furry fluffballs were running amok in my wagon! Kidu and Elwin had already found their feet, and had begun stamping on what I could see were cute rodents. Yet, despite the pair¡¯s wild struggles against these invaders, the animals evaded them, for the most part, and were getting everywhere, as more of their number came in. ¡°Stop!¡± I cried, and the pair looked at me, ¡°No need to panic over such mighty foes.¡± I was disgusted with my earlier reaction. The great Gilgamesh reacting like a maiden before her first blood was truly an embarrassment. These foul creatures would pay for their temerity. I reached into my pack for a piece of jerky, before kneeling down and offering it to one of the balls of fluff. The animal knew no fear and, with great gall, sniffed it once before trying to take off with it. For its hubris, it would be punished as my other hand shot out and grasped it around its neck. It squealed in surprise, and the other creatures echoed its cry of desperation. I brought it up closer to my eye, inspecting the absolutely adorable animal, and used a spell that served me well. Whispermews - (Rodent lvl.1) Health: 6/6 Stamina: 12/12 Mana: 1/1 My Identify spell revealed to me that it was a weak little thing, barely worth killing. The tiny rascal beast had truly adorable beady eyes and soft fur. It looked like a cross between a ground squirrel and a lemming. Looking at mypanions, I asked them in an irritated voice, ¡°What in heavens is a Whispermews?¡± ¡°Ah, these things. I thought they were rats. Hate those things. These cute little ones are Whispermews, they live under the grass here. Harmless. The rain probably flushed them all out of their burrows and they are here looking for shelter on the high ground. They are worth quite a bit; some of the nobledy folk like their fur for the insides of their clothes. Smooth, it is,¡± exined Elwin. Suddenly, Kidu gave out a roar and smashed his hand against the side of the wagon, causing our temporary home to shake. ¡°Harmless, you say, Elwin of Tucker. This one bit me!¡± growled the wildman, pointing at a crushed thing that once was a Whispermews. Just as I was considering letting the cute creature in my hand go, Kidu¡¯s shout caused it to relieve itself and I could feel liquid running down between the seams of my gauntlet. I ended its life without a second thought, crushing it in my armored gauntlet and I unleashed a jubnt Entropic Aura to help deal with its cousins. If they were not worth the experience, at the very least they might be worth a few coins. The other Whispermews were suicidally bold, and the death of two of their number whipped up the remainder of the animals into an ineffectual frenzy. They ignored the dark aura of my spell and threw themselves at us. Stab, stab went the Rogue¡¯s knives as they thunked against wood after piercing through furred flesh, and his des punched out a rhythm of a crazed metronome. Kidu needed no such weapons, and his ham-size hands made bloody work of the adorable rodents. Though the creatures were ignoring my spell, my magic certainly was not ignoring them. They were slowed by the dark magic and their movements sluggish, a testament to what it was to go against the ravages of time. I added my own knife and armored fist to the savagery. An anger and irritation that had been building up within me found its vent. Satisfying crunches and sharp squeals filled my ears, as I smashed or sliced the rodents apart with vicious abandon. We were probably doing nature¡¯s work by removing them from the gene pool, I reflected. As the few creatures that remained finally scurried away with frantic squeals, I reined in my aura spell, forcing it back by the dent of my will and my growing mastery. During this encounter, for I dared not call it a fight, I learned some things. Several times during the fight I received notifications that I received zero experience for a kill. However, after ying a few of the creatures, my experience had risen by a whole point, which led me to the conclusion that my interface simply did not disy fractions or decimals of numbers of the experience I was actually earning. Another was that my Entropic Aura could kill, albeit very slowly. My memory, greatly improved by my Intelligence attribute, allowed me to recollect that one of the creatures had simply expired under the effects of the spell. The animal¡¯s movements had begun to get slower and slower, as if it was trying to run through thick treacle before it gave up on life. The rodent toppled over and simply died, giving me a fraction of an experience point. The spell too, sensing that I wished no harm on the Whispermew corpses, did not cause their bodies to rot or spoil. A bonus, for if Elwin¡¯s words were true, then these things could be turned into a pretty penny. We began to tidy ourselves up before I found a survivor. This one was smarter than its cousins, having chosen to cower in the corner. Perhaps, I could be merciful. I reached forward and channeled a Heal, wasting precious Mana and filling the creature with my holy light which restored some of the damage caused by my Entropic Aura. For some reason, it simply felt like the right thing to do. ¡°Perhaps the little half-elf would like a pet. It will help to teach her responsibility, the caring of another life. These things do make for good pets, yes?¡± I asked, and mypanions simply nodded dumbly. At times, I truly surprised myself with my magnanimity. My piece said, I left mypanions to do the annoying work of skinning the creatures and tidying up the insides of the wagon. Truly, I needed a breath of rtively fresh air, and a moment to myself. Nose curling, I decided my hands and gauntlets could probably do with a wash, too. * Later, that same day, we were able to sell the little pelts to some of the women of the camp. But unlike our expectations, we were only able to get half a silver for our troubles. The damn things truly were a nuisance. The only positive thing that day was the wide beaming smile that Larynda gave me when I handed her a cute, quivering ball of fur. As an added twist, we gave her some new jerky we had prepared that same day to feed the poor thing. * And life went on beneath the warded canvas. Then one day, as if on a divine whim, the darkness ended and the rain stopped. There was the deluge, the torrent, then there was nothing but sunlight and a great double rainbow that arced across the sky, heralding the next phase of our journey. Finally, I no longer had to put up with the stale air of a pressed humanity forced into close quarters for what seemed like weeks on end. Stepping outside the canvas, I saw before me a multitude of other camps simr to our own, dotting the hills. However, most surprising of all was in the distance, starting where the grasnd met the desert of the Whispering Wastes, was a line of green that ended on the horizon. A river as straight as an arrow¡ªthe Green Road, as Laes had told it. The road we would be traveling for the rest of our journey to Al-Lazar. The Ravens had already begun to break down the great tent under which we had all sheltered, beast and human alike. All around me was a hive of activity as people brought down, folded, packed, and stored the canvas. Only once thisbor was finished, did the people of the caravan begin to prepare for the morning meal. There was none of the earlier air of festivity about the camp, only a grim industriousness that lent itself to shouted voices and a few well-ced kicks here and there on the younger, more-idle members of the caravan. After a hurried meal, we bundled onto our respective vehicles and set off for the Green Road, well ahead of the other camps. It was a testament to Laes¡¯ and Gelgor¡¯s logistical skill that they were able to achieve this feat. Their wide wheels, leaving shallow tracks across the grass, rumbled forward across the muddy earth in a long procession. It was quiet in the wagon without our charge with us, I noticed. Larynda would always pester us with her incessant questions, quite the font of curiosity, once she had gotten over her separation from the old Alchemist. To pass the time and extend my vocabry, I yed word games with Elwin and Kidu. Elwin and I both made sure to let Kidu win on asion, to stop him from growing surly or belligerent. Sticking my head out of the open shutters after a recent ¡®loss,¡¯ I saw the other groups perhaps half-a-day behind us. All in all, I judged that we were making good time. Even so, Laes pressed on well into the evening and only stopped an hour or two after sunset. Perhaps he was trying to make up for the lost time from the attack and the pointless funerals? That same evening, after the caravan stopped, I was given arge chunk of Zajasite stone by Khm, who instructed me to hang it about my borrowed mount¡¯s neck. Mouse and I would be on a mounted night patrol, it seemed. I was to be proven right, as I joined up with four other guards. Their numbers included Timur, myrade in arms, and Arik, my riding instructor. The other two I had met before, but could not remember their names, for we had never been assigned together. They were both of Asian persuasion, swarthy, and short of limb. Luckily, they introduced themselves again to me. ¡°This one is Sukhbat, honored one, and this is my friend Tomorbat. It is often said that perhaps we shared the same father.¡± ¡°I can see that you both look much alike,¡± I replied evenly, in a neutral voice. Looking them both up and down I saw that one called Tomorbat¡¯s figure was gently moving towards fat. ¡°Shared the same father? Bah, drivel! I am, of course, a much more handsome man. Pay him no need, we are cut from different cloth, he and I. Sukhbat is merely a childhood friend. Spend enough time around this rascal and anyone will surely change, for the worse mind you. Were it not for me, this ungrateful fool would have never learned to ride a horse, let alone throw a spear!¡± he guffawed good-naturedly. ¡°Ha! Were it not for me, you would have died three times over in the Grass Sea. You would have been nothing more than a banquet for the birds,¡± returned his friend. ¡°You would make a much more filling feast than I,¡± countered Tomorbat with a feigned growl. This jibes against each other was old banter, more ceremony than anything else, and with none of the poison reserved for true hatred. It was, however, beginning to grate, and were it not for the fact that Timur and Arik were with us, I would have been tempted to turn the pair of them into experience points. I had never been good with inside jokes and weak attempts at humor, but nheless, I did my utmost to hide my displeasure behind a vacuous smile. ¡°Keep your wits about you,¡± Arik thankfully interjected, as exasperated as I was with the pair. ¡°Tonight, we need to be on our toes. Bandits have been known to wait out the Weeping, to prey on those that have let down their guard. I will need you to keep your eyes and senses at the ready, men. The rains have been known to bring out more than just Whispermews!¡± the man chortled. All I could do was grit my teeth. Book 2: Chapter 42: The Green Road Book 2: Chapter 42: The Green Road I believe that it is in this cradle of vulnerability, this realm of tender dependence, that the true nature of the human soul is forged. For it is the very ipleteness of our birth, the knowledge that we are unready to face the world, that grants us the strength to endure, to adapt, and ultimately to triumph over the challenges that life presents. - The Human Question by Gideon de Svia 378 AC. It took a few days of solid travel, but eventually, the green of the endless grass turned to a yellow, then to brown scraggly brush, before finally disappearing altogether as we entered the domain of the white sand. This was true except for one ce, the line of green that cut through the Whispering Wastes, the seasonal river that was called the Green Road by the people of thisnd. I was riding ahead of the caravan, with the two friends Tomorbat and Suhkbat, Khm¡¯s second, Jasper, and my gamblingrade, Likam, the old guard. We were roughly two horses¡¯ length apart from each other on the left bank of the oddest of rivers. The Samasutum, or the Green Road, was as straight as a well-crafted spear, with neither bend nor turn, all the way to the horizon¡¯s edge. Its waters were shallow and it was a uniform twenty or so paces wide. The river¡¯s water was crystal clear and one could see the white sand and stone along its bottom. Small fish swam with and against the current, silvery shadows that darted to and fro. All along the banks of this strange river were new growths of wiry grass, small flowering bushes, andrge ferns twice as tall as thergest of men. Insects buzzed in the air among the rapidly-forming mist as morning turned to afternoon. I saw a purple beetle, the size of a closed fist, alight momentarily on Mouse¡¯s head, causing my mount to snort in displeasure and shake her mane. On our afternoon patrol, the weather had be a little warmer as we journeyed further south. The mist that had grown along the banks of the river in the morning had mostly been banished by the rising sun. I noticed that, despite it being broad daylight, the leader of our small group, Jasper, held a lit, burning torch in his hand. When I questioned Suhkbat, or it could have been Tomorbat¡ªthese people all looked the same after all¡ªhe exined to me that it was to ward off a certain type of monster that lived along the Green Road. Sandgorgers, Likam took over exining, were a type of monstrous amphibian that resembled a giant three-eyed frog. The creatures wouldsh out at the unwary from beneath the water of the river, or the wet sands of the banks, with their long prehensile tongues, before charging in and savaging them. Suddenly, the wet sand, a score of strides ahead of me, erupted as a long line of pink wrapped around my left arm. I saw arge brown three-eye amphibian, with a crest of bone running down its back. Its skin hung loosely around itsrge frame in fleshy folds, and it was more akin to a toad than a frog. Its maw gaped wide, revealing rows of serrated teeth, and I grasped that the fleshy coil entwined about my limb was none other than the creature''s elongated tongue. Without forewarning, the beastmenced to drag me towards itself, the force of the pull threatening to unseat me from Mouse. I struggled for mastery as Mouse reared up in fright. The monster was about the size of a small cow, and as mount and rider, we valiantly struggled against it. Luckily for me, Jasper charged at it, torch in hand, scaring off the creature and forcing it to withdraw its long tongue and flee to the safety of the river. There, it jumped into the shallow waters and started swimming with great speed downriver. ¡°These things fear the fire,¡±mented Jasper, ¡°Though I did not expect them to rouse themselves so early in the season, and so close to the Grass Sea, which is worrying. No doubt they will be hungry after their long sleep, but I think we will not make for an easy meal!¡± ¡°How about the others that travel behind us? We cannot allow these creatures to live; they endanger those who travel behind us,¡± I added, eager for experience, and confident after seeing that I had suffered no damage from the monster. ¡°They are easy enough to ward away with fire, Gilgamesh, and pose no threat to us,¡± Jasper added a little testily. ¡°But what of those who do not know this? The young child or fellow unwary traveler? Sure, we cannot kill them all, but at least we can show them the error of targeting men. We are armed and strong, and they should pose no threat to us,¡± I stated confidently. ¡°Those are fine and noble words, as expected, from one that walks with the Goddess. I have a small son, no more than three years to this day. I am with Gilgamesh with this. It is for the strong and able to protect the weak, that is why we are getting paid too, yes?¡± opined Sukhbat. I had to repress an irrational tick of irritation at his mention of Avaria. His friend Tomorbat rolled his shoulders before adjusting his seat in the saddle, as he looked across at the flowing water of the river. ¡°Surely a little exercise will let us work up a little appetite for dinner. My wife says that I am getting too fat and I feel she would be a little warmer in bed if I regained my former majesty. Come now, you know these Sandgorgers make for a good meal. It will give Chef Amgn some variety to cook,¡± he chortled good-naturedly. ¡°Why must the pair of you always wish to create more work! Fine, we will hunt these Sandgorgers but I can not risk our mounts,¡± he paused momentarily, before turning on his seat, ¡°Sukh, you will lead our horses far from the shore, but close enough that you might render us assistance. Sir Gilgamesh, since this is your idea, you will do the honors of luring these creatures out. Thatst one must have had the hunger with him to attack a group of four,¡± Jaspermanded, his voice growing stern with authority. I took his words in, weighing them, and found them grating. It was what I wanted, but I did not enjoy being maneuvered into a decision that was not of my own making. Nheless, I dismounted without a word, albeit a little awkwardly with all of my new gear, and then gave Jasper a winning smile, ¡°Very well,¡± I acquiesced. ¡°But let us make a game of it. Let us see who can kill the most of these terrors,¡± I added, unstrapping my shield from my shoulder. Almost as if on cue, Sukhbat asked, ¡°What are we wagering? Not that I care, for I am bound to lose,¡± he furrowed his brow for a second in thought before he found enlightenment, ¡°Perhaps, I could wager on a winner!¡± ¡°How about a copper, just for fun? Would not wish to rob you before the evening¡¯s games, for that would truly kill my enjoyment,¡± I grinned at my fellows as I patted Mouse. Smiling weakly, I handed her reins to the genial Sukhbat. ¡°Ha, I¡¯ll show you lot. I¡¯ve still got a bit of bite left in me. I¡¯ve been killing these things when you were still soiling your small clothes. By the smell of things, you lot still do!¡± Likam added to the mix with a good-natured growl. ¡°This is a serious thing! Hah! Even as men, our hearts are as boys, or so my wife reminds me, often and loudly. Perhaps the old Likam is right. Good thing there is a river nearby where you can clean yourself up,¡± our leader Jasper sighed as he ced a slightly-worn nasal helm on his head. Grinning secretly to myself, I followed suit, ced my helm on my head, and took my ce at the front of our group. I began to whistle a tune from my old world as I walked ahead. A few secondster I looked back to confirm the distance between us, not that I was worried, only to see Jasper drop a medium-sized purple stone onto the damp sands. I noted that Jasper kept his cavalrynce, even on foot, while Likam and Tomorbat held small bows at the ready. The rascals let me walk about fifteen or twenty paces in front of them before they started to follow behind me. It seemed I really was going to be the lure and bait. However, I nned to be much more. Every single one of those creatures that I could get my hands on, I would turn to experience points. With Larynda now sharing a wagon with Cordelia, I had lost easy ess to my Mana battery. I needed to get to the next level as soon as possible, in order to get to the next level in Mana Regeneration, to help make up for the deficit. But these were thoughts for another time, I chided myself, and shook my head. Since it was my job to lure the creatures, my new Quassian crossbow would be of little use, so I drew the sword-hammer at my hip. The weapon felt solid, aforting weight, and I moved onwards. It was getting a little hotter now, just a touch outside the realm of ufortable. Already I could feel the sweat beginning to form across my skin. I was warmed from within and without as my eagerness to umte experience mounted. Ten or so minutester, feeling ufortable, I turned again to check on the rest of my group when I felt it. Instincts that were gifted to primal man, from when we warred with the saber-tooth and the Neanderthal red, to life and I spun around with my shield raised. Another sticky pink thing, a tongue from a Sandgorger, wet with saliva, had smacked against my shield before wrapping around my arm. This time, without the benefit of Mouse¡¯s added weight and Strength I struggled against the monster¡¯s pull. I braced myself for a moment in the sand, pulling against the creature before I saw arrows start to fly towards it. Luckily, all but one of the missiles hit the creature. However, even the ones that hit failed to cause great damage, as its tough, warty skin absorbed most of the force. Even as we struggled against each other, I cast Entropic Aura, almost as if by second nature. Waves of raw Entropy burst from me and washed across the creature, and I had the satisfaction of watching the creature blink in what I considered to be fear. How the hunter is hunted, I whispered to myself, in grim satisfaction. I gripped the monster¡¯s tongue and the creature began to panic, trying furiously to extricate its wriggling, vile appendage. Not today, little one, not today, my heart sang in joy. The guards were shouting at me, but I could hear none of it. I was so focused on this contest of man against beast, my blood was up and none would stand in my way. Using Dash, I tried to close the distance and my Stamina fell by a negligible amount, thanks to my inordinately high Constitution. My sword arm rose high before I brought it down in a savage blow, fuelled by a Power Strike. The creature gave a high-pitched gurgle as my blow connected with the side of its ugly face and smashed out a few of its teeth. Green blood seeped from the wound, and instead of white, I saw that the bones of its exposed jaw were turquoise in color. Disgusted, I raised my sword and fell into a festival of release, this time taking out its eyes with shes and stabs. Behind me, the group was still shouting some indecipherable nonsense. Could they not see that I was preupied? I had experience to farm here, I roared in glee. Then another alien pink tongue shot out, this time from the water¡¯s edge, and coiled itself around the wrist of my sword arm. With a new foe, my first reaction was to let go of the first Sandgorger¡¯s tongue. This one seemed stronger, and I saw arge horn on the snout of the new creature. Damn bloody things, one after another. In the corner of my vision, I saw the first monster limping away, trailing blood as it wandered in circles across the new vegetation. Digging my heels in, I formed the spell incantation of Drain in the silent halls of my mind, as the dark voices lent me their guidance. Once the spell was ready, I let the magic form a different sort of connection with my foe, grinning when the hungry lines traveled up its thick pink tongue. Impressions of sleep, thirst, and hunger over long months clouded my mind for half-a-second before I ignored them. They were irrelevant and unnecessary, so I simply prepared another Drain spell. Going through the motions of the spell, I released questing tendrils of ck midnight, invisible to anyone else but me, that reached out for the other struggling amphibian, as it made strange, alien cries of pain. Using another Dash, this time away from my foe, I pulled therger, horned monster away from the water¡¯s edge. Now that things were a battle of attrition, I had things well in hand, and I nted my feet and faced the creature. I pulled, pulled, and kept pulling at the horned one before me, in a contest of Strength. Book 3: Chapter 43: The Green Road Book 3: Chapter 43: The Green Road The Festival of the Undrawn, a lingering echo of our primitive ancestry, hails from a time when the Founders first crossed the Whispering Wastes, the barren Sim Edin. Called the Contest of Saints in less-cultured circles, I am consumed by aversion for this uncultured relic, yet both the clergy and the masses cling fervently to this crass tradition, yes, and even some of those of higher station. To what end must they offer violence unto one another, with fist and foot, in supplication to the divine? Surely, the celestial beings would savor more-refined tributes, such as the elegance of art, the melody of song, or the exquisite rhythm of poetic verse. - From the diary of Lady Ayah of House Shaem. You have gained 1 Strength. Wee as it was, I mentally pushed the notification aside. What were the others doing? Ipetent fools. Just as these thoughts started, I heard shouts behind me. They were saying something important-sounding, but I could not spare them any attention, as I waspletely focused on besting the monster in front of me. A few more arrows flew by and embedded themselves in the horned-toad thing¡¯s side. They served as nothing more than a distraction, but enough of one, and that allowed me to pull my enemy closer. Grabbing another length of tongue, I continued pulling, when yet another monstrous tongue from a different beast flew out from beneath a small bush and wrapped itself around my chest. As I struggled to keep my footing, I spared a moment to size up yet another adversary. This new one was a sickly green and ¡®small¡¯, like the first specimen I had encountered. zes, these things were annoying. Finally, from behind me, I could hear the sounds of my fellowsing to my assistance and my mind started to parse what they were saying. ¡°There¡¯s a whole KNOT of them! Don¡¯t just stand there, help Gilgamesh!¡± I heard Likam shout. I felt a sh of irritation as Jasper ran past me to try and finish off the crippled Sandgorger. At the same time, Tomorbat and Likam, rushing to me, had shouldered their bows and drawn short swords. For a brief moment I thought that they meant to do me in, before the pair started to hack at the tough rubbery thing still wrapped around my trunk. Under assault, and bleeding a viscous green, the amphibian withdrew its injured tongue. The monster then gave a loud, ominous croak, and charged at me. The other guards shouted to each other in warning, but I could pay them no attention as I was still contending with the horned one that was stubbornly struggling against me. Unfortunately, Jasper, too, was simrly preupied, his efforts bent towards killing the one I had blinded. The heady power of the Drain was filling me. A quick nce at my Status showed that I was at full Health and barely losing any Stamina. Still, even drunk on my own magic, I could see that, with my sword arm entangled, it would be difficult to deal with the new and closing threat, the smaller Sandgorger. But I was not without recourse, as I used another Skill that turned my shield into a weapon. Aiming to check the charging creature, I used Shield Bash, swinging my shield just as the creature leapt at me. You have learned Shield Bash (lvl.2) You have learned Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.3) ¡°Well-struck!¡±ughed Tomorbat I grinned like a feral beast, for my blow had connected with the side of its head and stunned the Sandgorger. Perhaps this was finally my Luck attributeing into y? It truly felt wonderful when one¡¯s Skills improved. Swift to react, myrades fell upon the monster, hacking and shing with wild abandon. Still entangled, I left the poor thing to the gentle attentions of Likam and Tomorbat as I focused once again on the animal whose tongue was wrapped stubbornly around me. I could feel the thing weakening, its very life energies being leeched by my dark spell. But feelings are not facts, and I needed confirmation. Sandgorger - (Trap Toad lvl.14) Health: 181/195 Stamina: 21/38 Mana: 1/2 As big and threatening as the Sandgorger was, the Identify spell confirmed to me that the thing was definitely weakening. I did not want it escaping, nor did I want to approach it further, in case others like it were lying in wait. That meant there was only one thing for it. I pulled on its tongue and drew it closer to me with both hands in a strange tug-of-war. The ugly thing struggled, the trinity of its eyespletely focused on me, its wed toes drawing ruts in the sand and grass as it slowly lost ground. When I judged I was within range of Dash, I pulled it towards me with all my might. Letting go of its tongue, I activated Dash, followed immediately by a downward Power Strike aimed at the space between its three eyes. At thest moment, the creature veritably leaped to the side. Caught mid-leap, the evasive maneuver threw off my aim and foiled my attack. Completely taken by surprise, I missed with my blow, simply smashing into some grass and sand. Crashing face-forward to the ground, I tried to scramble to my feet. As is the nature of man, I tried the same thing again, disregarding the exorbitant cost in Stamina. The monster would pay for dodging my first attempt. Rocketing towards the horned Sandgorger with a Dash and Power Strikebination, I decided upon a minor variation. This time, I aimed an upwards backhand sh at it, and this time, fortune favored me. The blow, enhanced by my forward momentum and the Skill, connected with a satisfying crunch. Through the eye slits of my helm, I saw my straight-edged de rise in a diagonal vertical cut that shed through tough hide, muscle, and bone. You have learned Swords (lvl.2) You have learned Rush Strike (lvl.1) It seems thatbat really is the best of instructors, I thought grimly as I continued the attack. Grievously wounded as it was, the creature was not yet done, as one of its front ws swiped at me in a vicious counterattack, which I barely raised my shield in time to meet. The Sandgorger struck again, drawing shallow rents in my shield with its ws. With its Stamina dropping precipitously, this time the attack was a lethargic thing, with none of the power and viciousness of itsst few attacks. I had the creature now. You have in two Sandgorgers 30 experience gained I finished the creature off with a simple stab through its right eye, and almost simultaneously I was informed that the others in my group had felled another of the creatures. Cursing, I knew it had to be Jasper who had finished off his target, as the flow of stolen energy to me was abruptly cut off. That man was starting to get on my nerves. Bloody kill-stealer. With this thought in my mind, I rushed to the aid of Likam and Tomorbat. * What followed was a systematic dismantling of a monster. Taking down the remaining Sandgorger was a trivial thing. The beast was outnumbered, and nowcked the element of surprise, making it easy for us to attack the giant toad from all sides at once. For this, I earned a trifling amount of experience. ¡°I really could have done with a little more help back there with the horned one. Why did you go off chasing the one that was basically half-dead?¡± I asked our leader Jasper as he was helping to dress the bodies, his arm growing bloody with the work. Taking a moment for myself, I sat down on a rock to catch my breath while I waited for his answer. Sand, as expected of a desert, was getting into everything and souring my mood. ¡°If we had allowed that one to escape, it would have brought down even more of them upon us. I knew the others were with you,¡± he said, almost grunting as he removed the guts and entrails from therge horned specimen. Cutting out the horn, Likam tossed me the beastly trophy, which I caught easily with both hands. ¡°A bull Sandgorger''s horn holds value. I believe you''ve earned it," he remarked, a faint trace of reluctant admiration in his voice. "And this is why we call them Sandgorgers," he clicked his tongue as sand and small rocks fell out from the gullet of the beast. The rest of the gangughed at this before they continued with their work, their knives sawing into the remains of the Sandgorgers. ¡°What was that stone you dropped before, the purple one?¡± I inquired, refilling my sk from the river and taking a sip. I was unsure if the river water was actually safe to drink, though with my monstrous Constitution and magic, I could probably drink sewage water with little ill effect. "Caution Stone," he said, his voice tinged with concern. "Informs those behind that we now tread upon Sandgorger territory. I''ve not seen them this near to the Rump before; they typically dwell further within the Whispering Wastes. This development... it troubles me." He furrowed his brow in worry. "We should take these carcasses, return before they spoil. Acquire fresh mounts and hunt more of the beasts farther out. Thin their numbers," he concluded, going back to his bloody work. Afterpleting our task, we distributed the weight of the dressed kills among the four horses, and guided them back on foot. Exhausted, and slightly battered from the skirmish, we rejoined the head of the caravan an hour or twoter. We all made sure to avail ourselves to one torch each before we set off to find more of the monsters. Why hadn¡¯t Jasper used one of the torches and just charged straight in? Could it be that he wanted to steal the experience from my kill?, I wondered to myself as we set off. Scanning my Status, I noted that I was at full Health and just a few points shy of full Mana. I also was pleased with my gain in the Strength attribute, as well the improvement in several of my skills. With a happy grin, I saw that my new skill Rush Strike, at twenty points, used less Stamina than a Dash and Power Strikebination, which was a wee development. Undoubtedly, had I not been d in my protective armor and armed with a lethal new weapon, the recent encounter would have yed out quite differently. My gear made a big difference to my survivability and, coupled with my new offensive technique, I could only grow more in power. But my current equipment was made for normal men, and by design, constrained by the limits of human Stamina and Strength, limits I was slowly exceeding. Perhaps in the future, I couldmission some armor and weapons more suitable for my new power. Truly I had grown strong, grown powerful. I chafed, eager for more experience and a chance to advance my skills. However, to my disappointment, our second foray brought us face-to-face with only a solitary Sandgorger, a smaller female, which we were able to quickly dispatch. I even managed to employ my crossbow, grasping the beast¡¯s tongue with one hand and loosing a bolt through the roof of its mouth with the other. A most gratifying experience. Book 2: Chapter 43: The Green Road Book 2: Chapter 43: The Green Road The Festival of the Undrawn, a lingering echo of our primitive ancestry, hails from a time when the Founders first crossed the Whispering Wastes, the barren Sim Edin. Called the Contest of Saints in less-cultured circles, I am consumed by aversion for this uncultured relic, yet both the clergy and the masses cling fervently to this crass tradition, yes, and even some of those of higher station. To what end must they offer violence unto one another, with fist and foot, in supplication to the divine? Surely, the celestial beings would savor more-refined tributes, such as the elegance of art, the melody of song, or the exquisite rhythm of poetic verse. - From the diary of Lady Ayah of House Shaem. You have gained 1 Strength. Wee as it was, I mentally pushed the notification aside. What were the others doing? Ipetent fools. Just as these thoughts started, I heard shouts behind me. They were saying something important-sounding, but I could not spare them any attention, as I waspletely focused on besting the monster in front of me. A few more arrows flew by and embedded themselves in the horned-toad thing¡¯s side. They served as nothing more than a distraction, but enough of one, and that allowed me to pull my enemy closer. Grabbing another length of tongue, I continued pulling, when yet another monstrous tongue from a different beast flew out from beneath a small bush and wrapped itself around my chest. As I struggled to keep my footing, I spared a moment to size up yet another adversary. This new one was a sickly green and ¡®small¡¯, like the first specimen I had encountered. zes, these things were annoying. Finally, from behind me, I could hear the sounds of my fellowsing to my assistance and my mind started to parse what they were saying. ¡°There¡¯s a whole KNOT of them! Don¡¯t just stand there, help Gilgamesh!¡± I heard Likam shout. I felt a sh of irritation as Jasper ran past me to try and finish off the crippled Sandgorger. At the same time, Tomorbat and Likam, rushing to me, had shouldered their bows and drawn short swords. For a brief moment I thought that they meant to do me in, before the pair started to hack at the tough rubbery thing still wrapped around my trunk. Under assault, and bleeding a viscous green, the amphibian withdrew its injured tongue. The monster then gave a loud, ominous croak, and charged at me. The other guards shouted to each other in warning, but I could pay them no attention as I was still contending with the horned one that was stubbornly struggling against me. Unfortunately, Jasper, too, was simrly preupied, his efforts bent towards killing the one I had blinded. The heady power of the Drain was filling me. A quick nce at my Status showed that I was at full Health and barely losing any Stamina. Still, even drunk on my own magic, I could see that, with my sword arm entangled, it would be difficult to deal with the new and closing threat, the smaller Sandgorger. But I was not without recourse, as I used another Skill that turned my shield into a weapon. Aiming to check the charging creature, I used Shield Bash, swinging my shield just as the creature leapt at me. You have learned Shield Bash (lvl.2) You have learned Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.3) ¡°Well-struck!¡±ughed Tomorbat I grinned like a feral beast, for my blow had connected with the side of its head and stunned the Sandgorger. Perhaps this was finally my Luck attributeing into y? It truly felt wonderful when one¡¯s Skills improved. Swift to react, myrades fell upon the monster, hacking and shing with wild abandon. Still entangled, I left the poor thing to the gentle attentions of Likam and Tomorbat as I focused once again on the animal whose tongue was wrapped stubbornly around me. I could feel the thing weakening, its very life energies being leeched by my dark spell. But feelings are not facts, and I needed confirmation. Sandgorger - (Trap Toad lvl.14) Health: 181/195 Stamina: 21/38 Mana: 1/2 As big and threatening as the Sandgorger was, the Identify spell confirmed to me that the thing was definitely weakening. I did not want it escaping, nor did I want to approach it further, in case others like it were lying in wait. That meant there was only one thing for it. I pulled on its tongue and drew it closer to me with both hands in a strange tug-of-war. The ugly thing struggled, the trinity of its eyespletely focused on me, its wed toes drawing ruts in the sand and grass as it slowly lost ground. When I judged I was within range of Dash, I pulled it towards me with all my might. Letting go of its tongue, I activated Dash, followed immediately by a downward Power Strike aimed at the space between its three eyes. At thest moment, the creature veritably leaped to the side. Caught mid-leap, the evasive maneuver threw off my aim and foiled my attack. Completely taken by surprise, I missed with my blow, simply smashing into some grass and sand. Crashing face-forward to the ground, I tried to scramble to my feet. As is the nature of man, I tried the same thing again, disregarding the exorbitant cost in Stamina. The monster would pay for dodging my first attempt. Rocketing towards the horned Sandgorger with a Dash and Power Strikebination, I decided upon a minor variation. This time, I aimed an upwards backhand sh at it, and this time, fortune favored me. The blow, enhanced by my forward momentum and the Skill, connected with a satisfying crunch. Through the eye slits of my helm, I saw my straight-edged de rise in a diagonal vertical cut that shed through tough hide, muscle, and bone. You have learned Swords (lvl.2) You have learned Rush Strike (lvl.1) It seems thatbat really is the best of instructors, I thought grimly as I continued the attack. Grievously wounded as it was, the creature was not yet done, as one of its front ws swiped at me in a vicious counterattack, which I barely raised my shield in time to meet. The Sandgorger struck again, drawing shallow rents in my shield with its ws. With its Stamina dropping precipitously, this time the attack was a lethargic thing, with none of the power and viciousness of itsst few attacks. I had the creature now. You have in two Sandgorgers 30 experience gained I finished the creature off with a simple stab through its right eye, and almost simultaneously I was informed that the others in my group had felled another of the creatures. Cursing, I knew it had to be Jasper who had finished off his target, as the flow of stolen energy to me was abruptly cut off. That man was starting to get on my nerves. Bloody kill-stealer. With this thought in my mind, I rushed to the aid of Likam and Tomorbat. * What followed was a systematic dismantling of a monster. Taking down the remaining Sandgorger was a trivial thing. The beast was outnumbered, and nowcked the element of surprise, making it easy for us to attack the giant toad from all sides at once. For this, I earned a trifling amount of experience. ¡°I really could have done with a little more help back there with the horned one. Why did you go off chasing the one that was basically half-dead?¡± I asked our leader Jasper as he was helping to dress the bodies, his arm growing bloody with the work. Taking a moment for myself, I sat down on a rock to catch my breath while I waited for his answer. Sand, as expected of a desert, was getting into everything and souring my mood. ¡°If we had allowed that one to escape, it would have brought down even more of them upon us. I knew the others were with you,¡± he said, almost grunting as he removed the guts and entrails from therge horned specimen. Cutting out the horn, Likam tossed me the beastly trophy, which I caught easily with both hands. ¡°A bull Sandgorger''s horn holds value. I believe you''ve earned it," he remarked, a faint trace of reluctant admiration in his voice. "And this is why we call them Sandgorgers," he clicked his tongue as sand and small rocks fell out from the gullet of the beast. The rest of the gangughed at this before they continued with their work, their knives sawing into the remains of the Sandgorgers. ¡°What was that stone you dropped before, the purple one?¡± I inquired, refilling my sk from the river and taking a sip. I was unsure if the river water was actually safe to drink, though with my monstrous Constitution and magic, I could probably drink sewage water with little ill effect. "Caution Stone," he said, his voice tinged with concern. "Informs those behind that we now tread upon Sandgorger territory. I''ve not seen them this near to the Rump before; they typically dwell further within the Whispering Wastes. This development... it troubles me." He furrowed his brow in worry. "We should take these carcasses, return before they spoil. Acquire fresh mounts and hunt more of the beasts farther out. Thin their numbers," he concluded, going back to his bloody work. Afterpleting our task, we distributed the weight of the dressed kills among the four horses, and guided them back on foot. Exhausted, and slightly battered from the skirmish, we rejoined the head of the caravan an hour or twoter. We all made sure to avail ourselves to one torch each before we set off to find more of the monsters. Why hadn¡¯t Jasper used one of the torches and just charged straight in? Could it be that he wanted to steal the experience from my kill?, I wondered to myself as we set off. Scanning my Status, I noted that I was at full Health and just a few points shy of full Mana. I also was pleased with my gain in the Strength attribute, as well the improvement in several of my skills. With a happy grin, I saw that my new skill Rush Strike, at twenty points, used less Stamina than a Dash and Power Strikebination, which was a wee development. Undoubtedly, had I not been d in my protective armor and armed with a lethal new weapon, the recent encounter would have yed out quite differently. My gear made a big difference to my survivability and, coupled with my new offensive technique, I could only grow more in power. But my current equipment was made for normal men, and by design, constrained by the limits of human Stamina and Strength, limits I was slowly exceeding. Perhaps in the future, I couldmission some armor and weapons more suitable for my new power. Truly I had grown strong, grown powerful. I chafed, eager for more experience and a chance to advance my skills. However, to my disappointment, our second foray brought us face-to-face with only a solitary Sandgorger, a smaller female, which we were able to quickly dispatch. I even managed to employ my crossbow, grasping the beast¡¯s tongue with one hand and loosing a bolt through the roof of its mouth with the other. A most gratifying experience. Book 2: Chapter 44: Going for a Ride Book 2: Chapter 44: Going for a Ride The Timekeeper Knot bears an esteemed legacy, once utilized by the venerated imperial emissaries. It manifests as a tangiblemitment, a sworn obligation to deliver results with all due haste. Woven amid the elegant silk lies a potent toxin, its potency subject to the mastery of skilled alchemists who can manipte the poison''s onset. The recipient of the package or message alone holds the key to the tailored antidote. In the modern period, the knot persists only as a symbol, its deadly poison a relic of times past. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. After thoroughly searching the local environs for further signs of the monsters, the Guard Master and Laes listened to our report, and judged it to be safe. Well, rtively so, at least. Laes, informed of our encounter with the toads, appeared to be brooding as he swallowed the news. The leader of the caravan ordered us to stop for the evening near the area where we had first encountered the Sandgorgers. Khm acerbicallymented that if the desert-dwelling creatures were this close to the edge of the Wastes, then something might have pushed them out from their usual territory. A worrying thought. Larynda, however, proved unrelenting in her curiosity about my encounter with these new creatures, bombarding me with a litany of questions, demanding that I recount each detail time and again, as Kidu observed with a contemtive nod. She also asserted that her newfound magic would prove invaluable in dealing with this threat. Silently, I had weighed her offer, my gaze drawn to her new pet - a Whispermews that quivered in fear at my presence, seeking refuge in the folds of Larynda''s attire. In the end, the girl extracted a promise from me that she would be allowed to apany us on our next outing. Despite the potential merit of her newfound abilities, I harbored doubts regarding her untested skills. Still, realbat was one of the fastest teachers, and the potential experience gain might foster her growth. The girl, in my estimation at least, had demonstrated a startling resilience of mind. After all, it was an umon urrence when a child could disy scant remorse after taking the lives of men. Perhaps her prior existence on the streets had tempered her resolve, or it might simply be the norm within this harsh realm, for even the young to lead a brutal existence. The Grieving Lands, it seemed, held a penchant for culling the useless and the weak. To her credit, I mused. Elwin, too, seemed unusually eager. I had taken him for a bit of a coward, which made his newfound enthusiasm all the more puzzling. Perhaps he was looking forward to working out some kinks. Perhaps people really do change. As for Cordelia, she just smiled subserviently, promising to do whatever Imanded, as it was the goddess¡¯s will. Despite her meek and humble attitude, I always made a point of not holding the woman¡¯s gaze for too long, for her eyes would grip my attention tightly. Compelling in their intensity, their depths were like a lesser version of the goddess herself. The attitude she wore felt like a facade, for her voice held hints of one being used tomand, and her expression seemed to always be hiding something far more violent and zealously fierce. In addition to this, she would hang upon my every word, as if it were gospel. Often, I would catch her repeating something I said ormented upon in passing, as if dedicating it to memory. I found the whole thing a little worrying, yet at the same time ttering. It is not often that one is treated like divinity made flesh. Instead of the usual group of guards, I thought it best to assemble my own group to range ahead of the caravan to exterminate the rest of the giant frogs. Not only would this boost my esteem further in the eyes of the Ravens, but would, no doubt, help me to advance to even greater heights, as I gained more experience alongside mypanions. I found Laes during the evening meal to broach the idea to him, d that Khm, his Guard Master was not around. No doubt that stubborn old goat would find any sort of reason to try to deny me. ¡°Good evening to you, Master Harevor,¡± I began respectfully, with a small inclination of my head. ¡°Master Gilgamesh, to what do I owe this visit? The list of your epic feats grows by the day,¡± returned Laes, smiling feebly. ¡°Pray, do tell what they are saying about me now? I was trying to keep a fairly low profile,¡± Iughed weakly. ¡°Legends have a habit of growing even when unwatered. My guard tells me that you and you alone overpowered an adult bull Sandgorger by wrestling it down and beating it with your fists. Still others¡ªI think it''s that bumbling pair¡ª saythat despite wearing a mountain of steel, you move like a Zlesh viper on the sands. Had I not witnessed the miracles that you so easily dispense, I might have taken these for the typically drunken ramblings of bored men,¡± the man answered pointedly before he drew a deep breath. ¡°But, in truth, I do not believe you are here to be regaled by tales of your exploits.¡± I looked the man in the eye and spoke to him directly. ¡°True indeed, Master Laes. I fear that these monstrous frogs, these Sandgorgers, present a threat that must be dealt with. I would volunteer, if you would allow me, to ride ahead and deal with this menace. I wish to exterminate as many of them as I can. For the good of all, of course.¡± ¡°Truly, you are a strange man. But I would not begrudge you this¡­ request, as it would be of direct benefit to me. What would you wish in exchange? Know that I can not afford to pay you anymore. Not if I wish to turn a profit at any rate from this trip,¡± he sighed, looking a little worn. ¡°Nothing at all. Cordelia preaches of charity and I have taken a little of her words to heart. I am already in your employ, am I not? Consider this as just me taking up a little initiative,¡± The man seemed to have reached a decision as he straightened up and said firmly, ¡°Very well, Gilgamesh. Though truly, I cannot fathom your motive, I feel that you should do as you wish. I see no negatives for the Ravens, and the fewer Sandgorgers along the Green Road, the better for all. Still, I would just ask that you try and stay safe and not underestimate the creatures of the Waste. Old Hamsa would reprimand me mightily if anything were to happen to you. Also, I fear you have yet to see what other manner of beasts make the bleach bone sands their home.¡± ¡°If we might also borrow some horses¡­ for I intend to go with my entourage,¡± I thought to add. ¡°Yes, of course. Speak to Beastmaster Abas about that tomorrow. I will have a word with him myself. He too sings your praises, did you know? Please remember that horses are expensive. Abas believes the animals of this train to be almost family to him. Also, I fear that we have no mount suitable for your¡­rgerpanion¡­ the North man,¡± the caravan master finished with a long-suffering sigh, as if it were him doing me a favor. * The next day we found an Abas Yar much recovered now from his ailments. The Beastmaster was more than amodating when we found him in the early hours of the morning. Straighter of back, firmer of grip, and keener of eye was the old man, with none of the racking coughs that had gued him. Bowing to me reverently, he found horses and tack for all of my party. Larynda, however, dered that she would be riding on Patches, causing the donkey to bray enthusiastically, as if in agreement. The question of Kidu was another matter, for the man was much toorge for any of the avable horses. He would simply break their backs. The Hunter offered to run, but it was Abas who solved our predicament. The Beastmaster suggested that his nephew, Pakum, shoulde with us, with one of the train¡¯s Xaruar. The boy would take the reins of thend dragon and Kidu would sit behind him. I pitied the pair, for the bone armor tes of the creature¡¯s back did not look like the mostfortable of seats. This arrangement, as well as preventing the giant of a man from exhausting himself keeping pace with the horses, would also allow us to carry more baggage. The beast itself, Buttercup, arge male who had been hatched by Pakum, would also intimidate some of the lesser creatures of the Wastes¡ªor at least, so I was told. Pakum himself was a slip of a youth. I was told that he had seen sixteen summers, and he stood tall for his age, his short chestnut hair mirroring the hue of his eyes. However, the boy''s slender form was gued by the awkwardness of limbs still adjusting to their burgeoning growth. Added to this, his face was, in the manner of many adolescents, a map of the unwee encroachment of e. Once he heard that we were ranging out to clear the way of Sandgorgers, Paku busied himself in preparation. He gathered wooden torches for our journey and armed himself with a modest sling, a spear, and a light mail shirt. The boy had none of the callow attitude somon among those of his age; he was quiet, respectful and, more importantly, knowledgeable andpetent. Pakum seemed to have a strong bond with the animals, and therge lizard and horses responded well to the boy¡¯smands. From my initial impression, I surmised that he would be a wee addition to our forays. Preparationplete, we set off to kill as many of the creatures as possible. Book 2: Chapter 45: Discovery Book 2: Chapter 45: Discovery The most disquieting aspect of a religious zealot lies in their uncanny capacity to deflect any criticism. This near-mystical shield arises from their unwavering conviction in serving a "higher" power. As they navigate the treacherousndscape of dogma, they remain steadfast in their beliefs, immune to external influences that may challenge or question their devotion. Their unwavering faith and resolute determination make them formidable opponents in any debate or discussion. No rational argument or logical counterpoint can prate the imprable fortress of their beliefs. Instead, any attempt to criticize or question their views is often perceived as a test of their faith, further bolstering their devotion and sense of righteousness. This imperviousness to critique presents a unique challenge to those who seek to engage with religious zealots in meaningful discourse. The unwavering nature of their faith and their steadfastness in the face of opposition can create an atmosphere where dialogue is stifled and understanding bes elusive. As a result, bridging the chasm between the unyielding convictions of the zealot and the perspectives of those who hold differing beliefs can be a seemingly insurmountable task. - The Question of Religion and Its Purpose by Gideon de Svia 374 AC. It was only half-a-day¡¯s ride when we encountered the Sandgorgers. At first, I would range ahead with a lit torch in hand to try and provoke the hidden amphibians into an attack. Once a group, or individual, of the monsters was found, Pakum would hang back with our mounts. There he would stake our animals, set up a temporary camp, and light a fire made from dried vegetation, unearthed a few inches under the sand. It was a rather careless strategy and would need some refinement. Kidu would then look for any signs of monsters that I missed, find their exact location, and flush them out. At first he was hesitant, as his finely-honed instincts and skills were still adapting to an unfamiliar environment. As time progressed, however, he grew more sure of himself, and led us to where our victim was hidden. ¡°There, look, on the dry snow,¡± the wildman observed, pointing to a small rock formation twenty or so paces away from the far bank of the shallow river. ¡°Sand,¡± Elwin corrected tartly, which drew a dark look from Kidu. Squinting my eyes, I could not see it at first, but as my eyes truly focused upon it, I began to see the details that betrayed the Sandgorgers. A small area of the sand was a little different, a little darker, and the nearby vegetation had been subtly disturbed. You have learned Tracking (lvl.1) Having learned a new skill, I grinned inanely. Kidu must have taken my expression for one of eagerness, as he smiled wolfishly in return. ¡°I can flush it out, if I approach from the other direction with fire. Make it run to you!¡± he offered gleefully. ¡°It is a good and simple n. But the Northman will need to reach the other side undetected before lighting his torch. If there are others, his is the most dangerous of tasks,¡±mented Cordelia, her beautiful lips pursed in thought. Larynda raised a hand timidly and I gave her a small nod. ¡°I¡¯ve been learning a lot about the feel for this Water stuff. The old woman told me something about it being in all things. Dunno about that, but to me it just kinda flows different when it¡¯s in living stuff. Anyways, don¡¯t think there¡¯s any of ¡®em nearby, at least not in the river. Don¡¯t know about all this sand, though,¡± piped the small girl. ¡°I don''t think there are any of them,¡± corrected Cordelia with a saintly smile, which caused the half-elf to roll her eyes. This small act of disrespect, in turn, prompted the Temple Knight to cuff her lightly about the head, drawing a small ¡®ouch¡¯ from the child. I was taken a little aback by how no onemented on the casual use of violence in disciplining children. Different cultures, I supposed. ¡°That aside for a moment, I believe there might be someone more suitable for the task¡­¡± I ventured. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it. How bad can a bunch of overgrown frogs be anyways?¡± huffed Elwin, with his usual rascally smile. ¡°This is for me,¡± rumbled Kidu countered ominously. Listening to their exchange, I decided it would be best to refrain from any addition to their discussion. I had a feeling that anything I said would be simply adding oil to the fire. ¡°Alright, alright, big man. Knock yourself out. Was just thinking you¡¯d be more useful shooting at them with that big bow of yours, right?¡± the Rogue exined quickly. ¡°No, you shoot,¡± Kidu insisted stubbornly. ¡°I can barely draw that thing¡­¡± Elwin made to go on, but he quickly mmed up on the subject when he saw Kidu¡¯s expression grow dangerous. ¡°Alright, as I said before. I¡¯ll have some fun with it. I needed a bit of practice anyways. Don¡¯t me me if one of my arrows nicks you, if I can even shoot that thing,¡± he grumbled, as he epted the quiver and bow from the Hunter. ¡°Hah, I doubt that, little man. If you should be of such poor aim, then I will simply just catch the needle!¡± he eximed, pping the smaller man¡¯s back good-naturedly. * We were divided essentially into three. Kidu, Cordelia, and I carefully crossed the river, alert for even the smallest signs of the monsters. Elwin and the girl followed a bit after, the bright smile on Larynda¡¯s face at odds with the Rogue¡¯s somewhat dour expression. The general n was to try and herd the animals downstream, to prevent any of their number from escaping. I had Elwin and Larynda remain a little downstream, to at least ostensibly, be in a position to pick off any monsters that got past us. In reality, I wanted them out of the way and in the safest position. For me, this was an extermination mission to maximize the amount of experience gained. There was indeed a chance of getting nked or simply biting off more than we could chew, but I had faith that Kidu¡¯s sharp senses would not lead us astray. There was always a little risk in everything you did. Checking on our Rogue and Mage, I saw wavy dark green fronds growing from the bone-white sands near where the pair were waiting. At this distance, the nts looked more like wool than vegetation. Looking back, I saw that Elwin had started applying some mmable resin to the arrows. I had been told that such were the creatures¡¯ fear of fire, that this would be enough to dissuade them from entering the river and swimming away. Pakum had informed us that the creatures could not go that far under the sand and would not be able to escape us by simply ¡®digging¡¯ in. This meant that as long as we were able to find them , things would be rtively simple, as we could run them down at our leisure. In short, we would not be needing shovels. Finishing our crossing, Kidu rushed off ahead to flush out the creature, giving its suspected location a wide berth. I unslung my new crossbow and loaded one of my iron bolts. This new piece of ammunition had small iron fins, instead of feathers, to provide a small measure of stabilization in flight. Undoubtedly, being heavier these bolts would have less range than regr bolts, but would pack more of a punch up close. Also, I had the inkling of an idea that I wanted to test. Cordelia graced me with a smile that could outshine the sun itself, as she settled a plumed horsehair barbute atop her noble brow. The ''T'' shaped visor lent her an air of menace, reminiscent of the ssical Spartans. Then she drew her storied longsword with an easy grace. ¡°You do this to safeguard those who travel behind us,¡± she began. ¡°Indeed. We must teach these things to fear man. That we are not prey,¡± I answered casually, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Cracking my neck, I dug the tip of my shield into the loose sand, using it as a simple stand to rest my crossbow as I waited. I saw her mouthing my words, repeating them, and sampling their taste. ¡°Make ready, Kidu is fast in his duties,¡± I said a little tersely, wanting to avoid unnecessary conversation before a fight. ¡°As you will,¡± she answered The Temple Knight¡¯s demeanorpletely changed; her expression grew taut and she adopted a fighting stance. The woman had entered a short guard stance, with the de pointing out in front of her, the tip around eye level. There was a roar, more animal, really, than human. Kidu, far ahead of us and behind the creature, threw his torch and the ming brand arced its way to where the Sandgorgery in ambush. Bursting out of the sand, the monsters, for they turned out to be more than one, ran towards us, away from the burning me and the Hunter¡¯s wild pursuit. Three creatures had sprung out from the sands, light brown with splotches of a dull white across their backs. The damnable wild man had failed to inform us of their number. All three of these creatures were without horns, so they were probably juveniles or females, but even these smaller specimens still posed a threat. Two of the creatures rushed Cordelia and I, while the remaining Sandgorger darted around us. It ran at a diagonal to the straight line, heading towards Elwin and Larynda¡¯s general direction. Spear in hand, Kidu was running behind the amphibians, shouting like a loon and herding them downriver to us. Elwin and Larynda would have to fend for themselves, as I could spare them no further thought. I sighted down my crossbow and loosed both a bolt and a spell. Even as the solid iron missile flew through the air, ck lightning flowed from me, into it. The bolt grew incandescent like a tracer round before it mmed into the creature¡¯s middle eye, stopping the monster dead in its tracks. I was aiming for its center mass, but this was indeed better. You have learned Inferno Bolts (lvl.1) You have learned Rust (lvl.4) You have gained 1 Luck. I grinned to myself, for my little scheme had worked. I had been ying with the idea for a while now, ever since the day I had broken my own chains with the spell. Entropic forces condensed what would have been weeks of oxidization into mere seconds, releasing a huge amount of thermal energy. Exploiting the rapid exothermic reaction of the Rust spell had essentially allowed me to cast a mini-fireball as an ¡®Inferno Bolt¡¯ it seemed. This new skill, the upgrade to my Rust spell, and the Luck gain were very much a wee windfall. Perhaps the Sandgorgers were my lucky animals? The other amphibian sprang forth and ate up the distance between us, Kidu chasing it from behind. There was scant time to ponder, and I did not have the calm discipline to loose another bolt from my crossbow. I prepared to meet it head-on. As fast as Kidu was, the monster was faster still. For the first few crucial seconds of this engagement, I could expect no aid from the wild man. Now, it was close enough that I could see the monster¡¯s bulging eyes. Suddenly, the Sandgorger¡¯s powerful legs propelled it forward in a ferocious leap, and in midair, it unleashed its tongue in my direction. Reacting quickly, I lifted my shield to deflect the unwee appendage. Yet, it was the Temple Knight who proved to be swifter, for she rushed towards the monster and swung downwards at it with her magical sword. In defiance ofmon sense and physics, the de connected with the side of the Sandgorger¡¯s face, and therge creature crashed to the ground, robbed of its forward momentum. Its three eyes betrayed a wild panic as it attempted to regain its footing, but Cordelia''s storied sword descended with a final hammer blow, ending the creature''s life in a single, decisive stroke. Well, I guess I won¡¯t be getting any experience from that one, I thought to myself. I jogged over to the other creature that was on the ground, its limbs spasming weakly, eager to finish it off. However, by the time I reached it, the bolt had worked its way to its brain matter, killing it, and the smell of burning chicken filled the air. You have in a Sandgorger 20 experience gained. ¡°Excellently, done mi¡­ Gilgamesh,¡± Cordeliamented demurely as she made her way to my side. ¡°Not half as impressive as your performance¡­ Cordelia,¡± I returned a little wryly, her name still a little unfamiliar to my tongue. She nced down, unable to meet my eyes. ¡°The Goddess guides my hand.¡± ¡°I guess so. Anyways, we best help over there,¡± I responded, feeling ufortable, as I always did when she mentioned her goddess. My other threepanions were busy fighting thest monster, and I could see that they had things well in hand. While Elwin shot a few arrows into the creature, Larynda summoned balls of water that flew out from the river and struck the monster¡¯s hide with unfortunately little effect. Kidu was having the time of his life, arge smile on his face as he waved the lit torch that he had picked up off the sand with one hand. Almost yfully, he stabbed at the creature with his spear in the other. The creature was wavering between the states of flight or fight, attempting to do both, and failing to do either. This allowed the trio to wear it out. Whenever it would try to escape, Kidu would stab at it. This made the monster turn towards the Hunter, which in turn gave Elwin and Larynda the openings they needed to chip away at it. After a few seconds, the slow brain of the creature would focus on Kidu¡¯s torch. Its fear of fire then caused it to try and flee, starting the whole cycle again, and giving the Hunter another opening to savage its nks and rear. Cordelia moved to charge at the remaining creature, but I quickly ced a hand on her shoulder, shaking my head tomand her to stop. Adding Cordelia to the mix would make things too easy, and I wanted to see the other threepanions improve their teamwork. After all, Larynda was still an unknown element. Still, wanting to expedite things a little and to get a little experience, I walked a little closer to the ongoing struggle and cast Drain on the creature. Unerringly, the tendrils of pitch ck found the creature, and delicious energies found their way to me. Kidu tossed the torch away to use his spear with both hands. Grinning ferally, he saw an opening and stabbed through the roof of the mouth of the Sandgorger, piercing it through to the brain. He pulled his mighty spear out of its mouth with the satisfied expression of a man who had done a good job. The now corpse twitched for a moment before it stilled. You have in a Sandgorger 5 experience gained. Fantastic, I thought to myself as I raised the visor of my helmet and went over to congratte them. For a moment I thought I could feel the earth move beneath my feet, but attributed the cause of the sensation to my general excitement. Secure in our victory, I was totally unprepared for the shock and explosion of the white sand and solid flesh that hit me, bowling me off my feet like a ragdoll. Book 2: Chapter 46: The Dragon of Earth & Sand Book 2: Chapter 46: The Dragon of Earth & Sand As thanks for the rare and precious gift of your hospitality, weing me to your hearth and home, when none before you have dared, I shall bestow my favor upon this youngling, next in line to carry the proud sigil of your house. As the seasons wax and wane, he will grow to sense my presence in every shadowed corner and sunlit de. With eager hands reaching, and his voice echoing my name across thends, he will endlessly seek me out and tempt me with offerings numbering in the thousands. Yet, I will forever deny him my direct gaze, turning my countenance aside, and my eyes shall never lower to meet his. He will never know my caress, though he will yearn for it with every fiber of his being. That is my gift. - The Beloved of Death - The Tale of the Undying King, found in the notes of the ywright n di Panoli. I was being mauled by a massive toad, its wed webbed feet attempting to rip me apart. Luckily, I was protected by my heavy armor, but no matter how I struggled, I simply could not move. I was trapped like an upturned beetle beneath arger predator. Thankfully, mypanions came to the rescue, with one of them bodily forcing it off with a powerful attack. Still, disorientated, it took me a precious few seconds to regain my footing. Looking for the monster that had knocked me over, I saw Cordelia fighting with yet another threat. She was dancing with arge ¡®bull¡¯ Sandgorger, weaving a shimmering pattern of steel with her sword as she deflected its horrible tongue and parried its long horn. Her face was set in lines of grim concentration. Strong and skilled as she was, this was nopetition set in stone. Too far away, and in no position to help directly, it took all of my concentration to cast a Drain at her adversary to help turn the tide in her favor. There was a low rumbling and the earth shook. I was unmanned for a moment, my body stock still, my mind recalling memories of a time underground in the bowels of the earth. Vibrations threaded themselves through the desert sands, and the river itself formed waves that crashed against its banks. The shaking grew stronger until it was impossible to keep my bnce or stay on my feet. Suddenly, all about me was the very white stuff of the desert as something erupted from deep beneath, roaring with the ferocity of an unleashed gale. I saw a glimpse of what looked like a collection of massive serpent¡¯s scales and spikes, only of a titanic size, rising through the eruption of blinding sand. Futilely, I shouted mypanion¡¯s name against the storm, in a panicked reaction, my single voice silenced by the cacophony. Then there was a sensation of falling, as if I was slipping through the earth itself. Something heavy collided against my head, causing my skull to ring, but I was able to keep my consciousness. Almost on reflex, I tried to cast a Heal, but the mastery of its divine energiespletely eluded me. System messages shed across my vision as I fell, pulled along deeper into a river of sand and darkness. Writhing sand dragged me deeper, working its way into my helm, and I spat and choked upon it before deciding to firmly close my eyes and mouth. I iled trying to grab onto anything to arrest my descent, but could only grab the stuff of the desert, the fine grains sifting through my armored fingers. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, it stopped, and I had stopped as well. I shook my head and tried to move my left arm, but felt nothing. Next, I tried to get up, but I felt that my lower half was covered with more of the damn sand. Timidly, I opened my eyes, afraid of what I would or would not find. Seeing only ck, I reached for my helm with my right hand, and cleared out the earth and sand that had been blocking my visor. With my vision slightly clearer, it still took a while for my eyes to adjust to the gloom. At first, I could discern nothing save for varying degrees of pitch ck, but slowly I saw that the area I was in was lit by a low purple glow. What new hell had my sted luck taken me to?, I thought to myself. Was this the price one had to pay for trying to be a hero? For simply trying to help people by ridding the world of a few monsters? Thoughts of being buried alive intruded upon my mind, but I forced them down with a re of anger. Behind I could hear the sound of moving sand, like a snake that was tasting the air for its prey. I rose to my feet, only to realize that my left arm hung limply at my side. Without thinking, I quickly cast a Heal, grimacing as sensation returned, and the limb popped back into ce. A cursory nce at my Status showed I was a little worse for wear, with my Health at around seventy percent. The air was cool here. The soft purple luminescence of this area was caused by veins of rock that threaded through the stone walls. Grunting, I shook my head and began exploring. A few momentster, I tripped over a rock and fell t on my face. Cursing, I wasted energy by punching the ground, only to notice a glint of metal in the poor light. I reached for the metal, and a grin lit my face. It was my weapon. You have gained 1 Luck. With hope filling me from the return of my weapon, I cut the air a few times with it in mute celebration. Yes, I was once again trapped under the earth, and my stout shield was lost to me. Still, I was not only armored but armed with a fine and deadly weapon. The system of this world agreed with me, did it not? For it saw my current state as fortuitous and had rewarded me with a point in Luck. Reunited with my sword, I decided to take a quick inventory. Panic¡¯s shadow hovered at the edge of my thoughts, threatening to unman me. It was actually the dire nature of my situation that forced a focus of thought, of a sort anyway, to give me some semnce of functionality. The bag at my side was filled with a few victuals, jerky and hard biscuit wrapped in dried leaf, and my water sk was half-full. Exploring about myself with my trembling hands, and by dint of some much-needed luck, I found my fancy crossbow still strapped about my person. The small quiver filled with bolts was, however, lost to me, no doubt swallowed up by the earth itself. For a few moments, I took the time to think of mypanions and their fate. Had they survived whatever it was that had attacked us? For I was sure it was something, rather than just a natural disaster. And the people of the caravan¡ªwhat of them? A drop of water from the ceiling sshed against my face, surprising me. This was followed by an unnatural sound, a low moan that was then taken up by another like it. Suddenly what was one voice turned into a chorus. My dder grew weak, and the hair of my nape stood up in fear at whatever new horror I would be forced to face. Cautiously, I moved forward as stealthily as my armor would allow, which, I realized with no small amount of regret, was not stealthy at all. Straining my ears, I imagined I heard the ck of metal feet moving across the sand and stone ground. Then I saw it. Two orbs that glowed a menacing red set in its skull. The thing was humanoid, with stick-thin arms that held aicallyrge khopesh that gleamed with a silvery light. It was armored in some sort of dull metal that seemed much too big for its slight form. Could it be what I thought it was? I had already gone through the valley of fear, and a portion of a measured clinical calm had settled upon me, the vestiges of my residual panic forced back by necessity. Quickly, I cast an Identify on the aberration before me, wishing to confirm my suspicions. Praxis Guard - (Undead lvl.14) Health: 325/325 Stamina: --/-- Mana: --/-- Just bloody great, I thought dourly. Almost as if sensing my thoughts, the undead thing turned towards me. A chill crept down my spine and a cold sweat beaded my brow. I had thought that I was beyond fear, but I would be proven wrong. As the walking dead gazed at me with its unnatural orbs, seeds of a new fear were sown. It was one thing to read about or to see depictions of the undead across a t screen, but it was quite another to see death staring back at you directly. With a ck of metal upon stone, it began to move towards me on skeletal feet. Book 2: Chapter 47: No Respite, No Surrender Book 2: Chapter 47: No Respite, No Surrender In a time of the long ago, there was a man who lived happily with his three daughters. All three were graceful and of fair countenance. However, as is the nature of all things born into this world, his end woulde to pass. A death vigil was held by his daughters,mencing with the eldest. She maintained an unbroken stoicism, shedding not a tear for him. The dying man asked her, ¡°Why do you not weep?¡± ¡°I cannot mourn for those still living,¡± she answered gracefully. Next, came the second daughter, and she held his hand as he waited to meet his end. They reminisced about their shared past - the countless joyful days, the painful loss of her mother, his adored wife. Despite the warm nostalgia of their shared memories, he observed a striking absence of tears in her eyes. ¡°Why do you not weep?¡± he asked. "I cannot mourn someone who will find peace in a better ce," she replied, concealing her true emotions behind a serene facade. Finally, it was time for the youngest, his cherished child and the joy of his existence, to bid him farewell. ¡°Why do you not weep?¡± he asked. She remained standing, her face etched with a maelstrom of rage and subtle delight. ¡°I cannot mourn you, for bitter joy fills my heart. I hate you with all of my being,¡± she spat, her words scalding with rage. "What has filled your heart with such anger against me, my dear? What have I done to deserve your scorn?" he implored pleadingly, in a beggar¡¯s tone. Her voice was shrill and ringing as she answered him in bitter retort, ¡°You have the gall to ask me this, you who would touch me in the night and call out the name of my mother? You always feigned ignorance, hiding behind the pretext of drunkenness. I have found it in my heart to forgive my sisters for theirplicity, but I condemn you with all my heart. I do not weep, for it is I who have killed you. One poisoned cup at a time." In the grip of utter destion, he met his end with her bitter truth echoing in his dying ears. For the light of justice will always shine on those who seek to hide in the darkest of ces. - The Threads of Forgiveness, found in the notes of the ywright n di Panoli. Stately and inexorable, the undead thing made its way toward me, the weapon in its hand raised threateningly to strike. In response, I tried to work up a spark of anger, to fill myself with some token of fighting spirit. However, I failed miserably and only seeded in raising my sword into a center guard, the tip pointing to face the new menace. Here, deep in this dark tomb, the sweat that had soaked into my gambeson had grown cold and mmy in new fear. I was to dobat with living death. Advancing with the imcability of the grave, it struck at me, once it was within the measure of its khopesh, the gleaming de blurry and deceptively swift. I wanted nothing to do with this horrible thing, and I edged backward, unconsciously. The undead thing paused, as if unsure at the result of its actions, before it fixed upon me with the baleful glowing orbs it had in ce of its eyes. Its empty sockets lit with a lost soul¡¯s luster. The dark guardian regarded me, analyzing the trespasser of its domain. Teeth cking with a metallic sound, itunched a few probing strikes in my direction. The undead guard¡¯s movements were, for the most part, stilted and slow. Almost predictably so, but interspersed among the cadence of its attacks were serpent-swift strikes that my eyes could barely register. It was, in short, a most-vexing opponent, for it was unpredictable, the slow strikes lulling the senses before it struck at me erratically, but at full speed. I disengaged for a moment and drew upon my magical reserves to unleash Entropic Aura, hoping to hinder the undead guard I faced. The gray waves of entropypped against the skeleton, but the walking evil pushed through them unhindered. Grimacing, I quickly followed this spell with Drain, which was empowered by my Aura. I could barely hear the inner voices, my longtimepanions. They screamed in frustration as my dark energies made contact with the monster. This time, there was no flood of delicious stolen energy towards me. This skill was one of my aces, and I was thoroughly nonplussed as the Praxis Guard closed the distance to me and cut at me with its curved, heavy sword of war. The sibnt voices within now howled, a howl that I echoed with my own frustration and blossoming rage. I was doing so damn well! I was finally making progress, only to be dumped down here, away from mypanions and friends. On top of this, I was now forced to fight some insufferable creature that had the temerity to be resistant to my magic. However, anger is a poor recement for skill and discipline. Though I hacked away at the offending creature with a few counterstrokes of my own, my blows failed to find any purchase across its unnatural body. In reprisal, the undead guard scored a ncing hit across my vambrace, which I barely noticed in my heightened state of rage. Fight the wielder, not the sword, I reminded myself. Another maxim threaded its way through my thoughts. Fight smarter, not harder. After all I had gone through, surely it was not my destiny for this to be my tomb. Purchasing a few seconds by retreating yet again, I vaguely entertained the idea of just running away from the revenant, into the darkness and the unknown. Further threats could lurk within, however, and I was already struggling as it was. I needed to deal with this here and now. To my chagrin, the long-dead warrior¡¯s jilted movements were slowly turning smoother, as if up until now had been nothing more than a warmup, a rehearsal. Great, just what I need, I thought bitterly as the skeleton closed within striking distance again. But just as the creature''s movements became more natural, so too did my understanding of it. There was an almost mechanical pattern in its strikes. A high cut followed a low, which was, in turn, followed mysteriously by a wide swing of its other arm, which struck nothing but air. Thisst move in the sequence was important, as it gave me an opportunity tounch an attack of my own. With the insights gained through battle and my rigorous instruction under the overly-zealous Cordelia, I realized, none toote, that the dumb thing was swinging a shield it no longer possessed. I was, in essence, fighting a machine. An undead machine, but a machine nheless. No matter how advanced, or magically-enhanced, there is no spell or line of code that can rece real human ingenuity. Waiting for it to y this sequence, Iunched a disciplined probing attack of my own that connected. I struck across its corbone, and there was the dissonant sh of metal on metal. The shock ran up my arm, and I was utterly dumbfounded, for I had been expecting to cut deep into the bone. Barely able to parry its next stroke, I cursed my luck. The thing before me was more than just a skeleton warrior. It was a damnable metal skeleton warrior. My cursed Luck! When it rained in my life, it truly poured misery. It was time to try a new line of attack. Shifting my grip, I wielded my sword reversed, like a hammer in the ¡®mordhau,¡¯ the murder-stroke. However, unlike other des, my weapon was designed to be used in such a way, and the Azag-Gishban felt solid and sure in my hand. Predictably, like clockwork or the turning of the tides, the opening I had been waiting for came. With a resounding roar that surprised even me, I burst through the opening in the skeleton¡¯s guard andunched a Power Strike at its hand. My blow smashed the skeletal digits of its hand, and magical or not, it was still bound by thews of physics. The khopesh flew from its grip, nging against rock somewhere in the purple murk. I had been foolish taking on the unliving monstrosity with the edge of my de. The undead were always more susceptible to blunt attacks. iling wildly at me, with weapons it no longer possessed, it did not seem so fearsome now. I took my time dismantling it, taking no small amount of joy in the process, repeatedly using Power Strike to cave in the metal. I burst through its knee with the hammer head of my weapon, disabling it for the greater part. Finally, I lifted my unstoried sword and caved in its metallic skull with a final Power Strike, the weight of my fear and hate lending strength to my blow. I was panting, my body and mind feeling like they had been through the nine circles of hell. In a state of fear-driven frenzy, I had ignored the ¡®cooldown¡¯ on Power Strike, causing it to burn through exponentially more Stamina than it would have done otherwise. Though my Stamina was prodigious¡ªmonstrously so¡ªit was not without its limits. Just as I was going through the slew of notifications that praised me for mytest triumph, I began to hear the sound of eerie nking footstepsing ever closer. There was no respite for the wicked. Book 3: Chapter 48: Influence Book 3: Chapter 48: Influence In the tranquility of our camp, let us take heed to guard against the loquacity of certain individuals. It falls to the sagacity of their sergeants to guide them, to curb their excessive chatter. If it proves beneficial, let the threat of prolonged service in the most-humble of our duties, the digging out thetrines, be employed. Remember, idleness breeds folly. It is incumbent upon us to keep our men engaged in purposeful action, notnguishing in idle pastimes like dice, nor the roughpany of the women of the camp. Beware of those who cast a shadow on the minds of theirrades, disseminating disheartening thoughts in the midst of our campaign. These are they who pose the greatest threat, bringing with them the poisoned cup, veiled in the guise of apanion. They, the bearers of ill sentiment, are the true enemy within. To confront this enemy is not only our duty but our responsibility, for it is upon our resolve that the spirit of the army depends. - The Principles of Conflict by General Damien de Savant circa 234 AC. I faced another dark chapter in my life¡ªliterally. Mytest triumph brought me some much-needed gain to my power. You have learned Power Strike (lvl.4) You have Hammers (lvl.3) You have gained 1 Strength. It was much appreciated, but would it be enough to ovee the new threat that I knew was approaching? Another note of worry clouded the back of my mind., I had received no notification of the metal skeleton¡¯s death and the expected reward of experience. The struggle against fighting just one Praxis Guard had been very real, and I was still panting heavily from the strain. Looking around me, I was determined to find out just exactly what sort of ce this was. Hurriedly, I turned around and went back in the general direction of where I had been initially deposited, looking for an avenue of escape. Something told me that I should be careful of my footing, and I looked down. Here the floor was mostly gravel and sand with the asional broken tile. The air was stagnant and still, and before me was a deeper darkness, more ominous than the general gloom that pervaded the area. I felt, more than saw, that to proceed further down in this direction would spell my certain death. The deep darkness called to me, like the song of the high perilous ledge, daring me to jump. The music of the sands was strong here, wanting to drown me in its embrace. There was a real temptation to remove my helm. The feeling of ustrophobia here in the deep underground was threatening to undo the vestige of calm I had attained. I made apromise and lifted my visor, but the overall improvement to my vision was minuscule. More precious seconds passed, the sounds of the approaching creatures growing louder, with their slow and deadly purpose. If I was to have a fighting chance, I would need more light. It was more of a miracle, really, that I had been able to fight the metal skeleton. I could only conclude that it was thanks to one of my newer skills, Blind-Fighting, that I was able to prevail under such disadvantageous conditions. Regardless of my new Skill, I really could have done with one of the ming torches mypanions had on them, I bitterly thought to myself. Inwardly chastising myself, I pushed past this extraneous line of thinking and focused on the needs of the now. Bitter regret was ever just a useless old friend, and a poorpanion. My mind wracked itself looking for a solution. As I went through the list of options, which stupidly included hammering out some of the veins from the wall, a voice called to me, like a long-lost distant friend. And the solution came to me. Holy Aura. I would shine like a bright torch. Perhaps that would more easily draw their attention to me, but did these things even have real eyes? I listened, truly listened, to the quiet voice, promising salvation. Entropic Aura bellowed in disagreement, snarling like a feral beast, wanting more time upon this ne of existence. Entropic Aura had grown powerfully loud, but the voice of Holy was insistent and filled with the authority of the moment. I found myself casting the spell, the notes of purity threading their way through my voice. Light filled the room, for I could see now that it was indeed a room, and the energy of the spell lifted my spirits even as it healed my body. It was by no means as powerful as my Heal spell, but I could feel it, a constant pulse of divine energy that invigorated me. My instincts had been correct. Illuminated by my spell, I saw that the deep darkness had, in fact, led to a sharp drop. A cavernous expanse was before me, streams of sand trickling down the rock walls in an almost mesmerizing fashion. A few paces further and I would have plummeted further into the dark bowels of the earth. A fall I am sure I would not have survived. There would be no escape in that direction. Buoyed by the light of my Aura, I turned around. Such thoughts of escape were beneath me, for that was not how a hero acted, after all. Resolution¡¯s mantle settled on my shoulders to do Her will. If this was to be my end, I would face it like a man and take as many with me as I could. The paradise of Heaven awaited those who did the Goddess¡¯s work. There were two exits from the room, both of them led into bored-out circr tunnels with tiled stone floors. From the left came the sound of yet new foes, the tread of their feet pping against cold stone, and I yearned to do battle with them. These thoughts were not my own, I realized with growing horror. Insidious, they were, like the Goddess herself. After all this time, was she still trying to pull my strings? Working to influence me through the very magic she had gifted me? I would not yield to the Divine whore¡¯s influence. My will, my powers, my strength - all of these were mine and mine alone. Other, darker voices chittered their agreement, as the mes of rebellion purged the foreign thoughts from my mind. You have learned Holy Aura (lvl.3) Control was restored to me. I jogged, rather than ran, to preserve my Stamina. I went down the right exit, the sound of my armor echoing loudly in my ears as I made my escape. As I continued down this path, the roughly-hewn stone gave way to smoother walls and paved floors. I took a left fork, followed by a right. This will be easy to remember, should I need to retrace my steps, I thought to myself. For several more minutes, I paused to recuperate my Stamina. My heart beat wildly in my chest, my lungs working like heavy bellows. There was a pervasive silence that filled the tunnel - now corridor. I waited there, as still as could be, my Stamina slowly recovering. Not wanting to simply stand there, I reviewed my Status in this little interim. [STATUS] Calling: Gilgamesh lvl.12 Pdin/Reaver Strength: 29 Dexterity: 25 Constitution: 41 Intelligence: 21 Wisdom: 22 Charisma: 14 Luck: 21 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.3) Power Strike (lvl.4) 10 Endure (lvl.4) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.3) Dual Wield (lvl.2) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.3) Improved Unarmed Combat (lvl.1) Hammers (lvl.3) ils (lvl.3) Maces (lvl.3) Shields (lvl.3) Medium Armor (lvl.3) Heavy Armor (lvl.5) Axes (lvl.2) Daggers (lvl.4) Throwing Weapons (lvl.2) Double Throw (lvl.1) 5 Shield Bash (lvl.2) 10 Riding (lvl.2) Dash (lvl.1) Swords (lvl.2) Crossbows (lvl.4) Blind-Fighting (lvl.1) Rush Strike (lvl.1) Tracking (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) 5 Rust (lvl.4) 2 Identify (lvl.3) 1 Silent Casting (lvl.2) Mana Regeneration (lvl.2) Purify (lvl.2) 3 Greater Heal (lvl.2) 10 Holy Aura (lvl.3) 2 Decay (lvl.1) 1 Drain (lvl.5) 2 Entropic Aura (lvl.3) 2 Inferno Bolts (lvl.1) 2 GIFTS Curse of Entropy: -20% to all starting attributes. Mark of the Pdin: 10% resistance to Dark/Holy magic. 5% resistance to Physical. Touch of the Void: 10% reduced resistance to Holy/Fire magic, 20% resistance to Mental Effects, 15% immunity to Mental Effects. Experience to next level 192/891 Health258/333 Stamina8/68 Mana10/14 I was not in the best of states, but neither was I the worst. Thanks to my Aura spell, my Health was slowly ticking up, and so too was my Stamina. I had enough Mana to cast a few healing spells, but decided to refrain from such actions, and I let my heal-over-time spell do its work. As for my inventory, I had more than half of a sk¡¯s worth of water and some travel jerky. These I would have to ration out, for I had no idea how long I would be stuck here. I had lost my quiver of bolts and my shield, which limited some of my fighting options. Wherever I was, I knew for certain it was the product of civilization. The paved floor and uniformly smooth-cut walls spoke to this obvious truth. I saw what initially appeared to be a fork in the path. Thinking to throw off the pursuit, I quickly veered into it, only to find that it was, in fact, a side room. With no other options, and needing a less-exposed ce to rest for a while, I decided to explore further within. Book 2: Chapter 48: Influence Book 2: Chapter 48: Influence In the tranquility of our camp, let us take heed to guard against the loquacity of certain individuals. It falls to the sagacity of their sergeants to guide them, to curb their excessive chatter. If it proves beneficial, let the threat of prolonged service in the most-humble of our duties, the digging out thetrines, be employed. Remember, idleness breeds folly. It is incumbent upon us to keep our men engaged in purposeful action, notnguishing in idle pastimes like dice, nor the roughpany of the women of the camp. Beware of those who cast a shadow on the minds of theirrades, disseminating disheartening thoughts in the midst of our campaign. These are they who pose the greatest threat, bringing with them the poisoned cup, veiled in the guise of apanion. They, the bearers of ill sentiment, are the true enemy within. To confront this enemy is not only our duty but our responsibility, for it is upon our resolve that the spirit of the army depends. - The Principles of Conflict by General Damien de Savant circa 234 AC. I faced another dark chapter in my life¡ªliterally. Mytest triumph brought me some much-needed gain to my power. You have learned Power Strike (lvl.4) You have Hammers (lvl.3) You have gained 1 Strength. It was much appreciated, but would it be enough to ovee the new threat that I knew was approaching? Another note of worry clouded the back of my mind., I had received no notification of the metal skeleton¡¯s death and the expected reward of experience. The struggle against fighting just one Praxis Guard had been very real, and I was still panting heavily from the strain. Looking around me, I was determined to find out just exactly what sort of ce this was. Hurriedly, I turned around and went back in the general direction of where I had been initially deposited, looking for an avenue of escape. Something told me that I should be careful of my footing, and I looked down. Here the floor was mostly gravel and sand with the asional broken tile. The air was stagnant and still, and before me was a deeper darkness, more ominous than the general gloom that pervaded the area. I felt, more than saw, that to proceed further down in this direction would spell my certain death. The deep darkness called to me, like the song of the high perilous ledge, daring me to jump. The music of the sands was strong here, wanting to drown me in its embrace. There was a real temptation to remove my helm. The feeling of ustrophobia here in the deep underground was threatening to undo the vestige of calm I had attained. I made apromise and lifted my visor, but the overall improvement to my vision was minuscule. More precious seconds passed, the sounds of the approaching creatures growing louder, with their slow and deadly purpose. If I was to have a fighting chance, I would need more light. It was more of a miracle, really, that I had been able to fight the metal skeleton. I could only conclude that it was thanks to one of my newer skills, Blind-Fighting, that I was able to prevail under such disadvantageous conditions. Regardless of my new Skill, I really could have done with one of the ming torches mypanions had on them, I bitterly thought to myself. Inwardly chastising myself, I pushed past this extraneous line of thinking and focused on the needs of the now. Bitter regret was ever just a useless old friend, and a poorpanion. My mind wracked itself looking for a solution. As I went through the list of options, which stupidly included hammering out some of the veins from the wall, a voice called to me, like a long-lost distant friend. And the solution came to me. Holy Aura. I would shine like a bright torch. Perhaps that would more easily draw their attention to me, but did these things even have real eyes? I listened, truly listened, to the quiet voice, promising salvation. Entropic Aura bellowed in disagreement, snarling like a feral beast, wanting more time upon this ne of existence. Entropic Aura had grown powerfully loud, but the voice of Holy was insistent and filled with the authority of the moment. I found myself casting the spell, the notes of purity threading their way through my voice. Light filled the room, for I could see now that it was indeed a room, and the energy of the spell lifted my spirits even as it healed my body. It was by no means as powerful as my Heal spell, but I could feel it, a constant pulse of divine energy that invigorated me. My instincts had been correct. Illuminated by my spell, I saw that the deep darkness had, in fact, led to a sharp drop. A cavernous expanse was before me, streams of sand trickling down the rock walls in an almost mesmerizing fashion. A few paces further and I would have plummeted further into the dark bowels of the earth. A fall I am sure I would not have survived. There would be no escape in that direction. Buoyed by the light of my Aura, I turned around. Such thoughts of escape were beneath me, for that was not how a hero acted, after all. Resolution¡¯s mantle settled on my shoulders to do Her will. If this was to be my end, I would face it like a man and take as many with me as I could. The paradise of Heaven awaited those who did the Goddess¡¯s work. There were two exits from the room, both of them led into bored-out circr tunnels with tiled stone floors. From the left came the sound of yet new foes, the tread of their feet pping against cold stone, and I yearned to do battle with them. These thoughts were not my own, I realized with growing horror. Insidious, they were, like the Goddess herself. After all this time, was she still trying to pull my strings? Working to influence me through the very magic she had gifted me? I would not yield to the Divine whore¡¯s influence. My will, my powers, my strength - all of these were mine and mine alone. Other, darker voices chittered their agreement, as the mes of rebellion purged the foreign thoughts from my mind. You have learned Holy Aura (lvl.3) Control was restored to me. I jogged, rather than ran, to preserve my Stamina. I went down the right exit, the sound of my armor echoing loudly in my ears as I made my escape. As I continued down this path, the roughly-hewn stone gave way to smoother walls and paved floors. I took a left fork, followed by a right. This will be easy to remember, should I need to retrace my steps, I thought to myself. For several more minutes, I paused to recuperate my Stamina. My heart beat wildly in my chest, my lungs working like heavy bellows. There was a pervasive silence that filled the tunnel - now corridor. I waited there, as still as could be, my Stamina slowly recovering. Not wanting to simply stand there, I reviewed my Status in this little interim. [STATUS] Calling: Gilgamesh lvl.12 Pdin/Reaver Strength: 29 Dexterity: 25 Constitution: 41 Intelligence: 21 Wisdom: 22 Charisma: 14 Luck: 21 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.3) Power Strike (lvl.4) 10 Endure (lvl.4) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.3) Dual Wield (lvl.2) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.3) Improved Unarmed Combat (lvl.1) Hammers (lvl.3) ils (lvl.3) Maces (lvl.3) Shields (lvl.3) Medium Armor (lvl.3) Heavy Armor (lvl.5) Axes (lvl.2) Daggers (lvl.4) Throwing Weapons (lvl.2) Double Throw (lvl.1) 5 Shield Bash (lvl.2) 10 Riding (lvl.2) Dash (lvl.1) Swords (lvl.2) Crossbows (lvl.4) Blind-Fighting (lvl.1) Rush Strike (lvl.1) Tracking (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) 5 Rust (lvl.4) 2 Identify (lvl.3) 1 Silent Casting (lvl.2) Mana Regeneration (lvl.2) Purify (lvl.2) 3 Greater Heal (lvl.2) 10 Holy Aura (lvl.3) 2 Decay (lvl.1) 1 Drain (lvl.5) 2 Entropic Aura (lvl.3) 2 Inferno Bolts (lvl.1) 2 GIFTS Curse of Entropy: -20% to all starting attributes. Mark of the Pdin: 10% resistance to Dark/Holy magic. 5% resistance to Physical. Touch of the Void: 10% reduced resistance to Holy/Fire magic, 20% resistance to Mental Effects, 15% immunity to Mental Effects. Experience to next level 192/891 Health258/333 Stamina8/68 Mana10/14 I was not in the best of states, but neither was I the worst. Thanks to my Aura spell, my Health was slowly ticking up, and so too was my Stamina. I had enough Mana to cast a few healing spells, but decided to refrain from such actions, and I let my heal-over-time spell do its work. As for my inventory, I had more than half of a sk¡¯s worth of water and some travel jerky. These I would have to ration out, for I had no idea how long I would be stuck here. I had lost my quiver of bolts and my shield, which limited some of my fighting options. Wherever I was, I knew for certain it was the product of civilization. The paved floor and uniformly smooth-cut walls spoke to this obvious truth. I saw what initially appeared to be a fork in the path. Thinking to throw off the pursuit, I quickly veered into it, only to find that it was, in fact, a side room. With no other options, and needing a less-exposed ce to rest for a while, I decided to explore further within. Book 2: Chapter 49: The Belly of the Beast Book 2: Chapter 49: The Belly of the Beast The air was tumultuous, yearning for freedom from the domain of her parents, eager to explore beyond the reach of the expansive primordial oceans and the tranquil, silent night. Distressed by this, Water and Darkness endeavored to craft both a haven and guardian for their wayward daughter, aiming to keep her from the emptiness thaty in the great beyond. This they called the Earth. - The Birth of the Gesthe, by an unknown author. Bathed by the light of my golden Aura, a dance of shadow and light presented a room filled withrge earthenware pots. Interesting, I mused. After a closer inspection of one of the pots, I attempted to pry its lid off, but found it stubbornly sealed. Applying more force might risk damaging this ancient artifact. I briefly considered shattering the pot to check for any hidden treasures, but my inner historian instantly vetoed that sacrilegious thought. I chose another pot at random, and this time I seeded in opening it. Curiously, I took a cautious look inside. Inside, the pot harbored dark brown crystals closely resembling ck sugar. This was a small stroke of fortune, for food would be no small boon here, but I had to be careful. I had to check for sure. Corpse Honey Durability 64/65 An Identify spell revealed a somewhat macabre name for the contents of the pot. Yet, despite this ominousbel, I was aware that honey could endure for thousands of years, remaining perfectly edible. Moreover, if it happened to be tainted or had merely spoiled, my robust Constitution and the Purify spell in my arsenal would allow me to easily negate any repercussions. It was amusing to think that I, who once had such a delicate stomach, was now ready to consume some ancient honey discovered underground without a second thought. Sampling a small portion, I discovered that it certainly lived up to the ''honey'' part of its name, although the ''corpse'' element still had me apprehensive. It was likely named after the flower that the honey-making bees had harvested, or something along those lines, I justified to myself. Sampling another bite, I had to spit out an inedible fragment, a small chip of white. I would have to be careful not to choke when eating the honey. I then spent the subsequent twenty minutes inspecting the rest of the room, which only revealed yet more earthenware pots. Having not experienced any adverse effects from my recent risky indulgence, I concluded that it was safe for consumption. A pot itself would be too heavy to lug around with me, so I made do by wrapping some of the crystallized honey in a few leaves, and stuffing it into my pouch. I inspected the other pots, the ones I could open at least, finding them all uniformly filled with Corpse Honey. Finding no more in the room, I retreated to the corridor to uncover more of this enigmatic ce. Equipped with light, sustenance, and a reserve of Mana, and buoyed by my recent victory, I felt that I was in a reasonable state. A swift pull from my water sk brought me some relief, the precious item thankfully not lost in my recent ordeals. Still, the need for more water hung over me, an issue not yet urgent but bing increasingly critical. The passage subtly inclined upward, a detail that kindled a tiny me of hope within me. Could this lead me out of this dreadful ce? A deep dive into my emotional state revealed neither fear nor anxiety. I wondered, could this tranquility be the result of my prolonged use of the Holy Aura spell, something I had never sustained for such a length of time before? Yet, contemting this seemed premature, like putting the cart before the horse. For an indeterminate span of time, I trudged on, alone in a circle of light besieged by the oppressive darkness, the echo of my footsteps as my onlypany. The passage held no branching paths, no additional rooms, just an unending tunnel, seemingly leading to nowhere. Then, an ominous click sounded beneath my foot, followed by the grating hum of machinery. From the darkness to my left, an object collided with my pauldron, while yet another skittered across my thick cuisse. With my adrenaline surging, I quickly retreated from the suspect tile and crouched low, reducing my silhouette and covering my helm''s eyeslits with an armored gauntlet. A barrage of projectiles peppered my armor, each strike echoing in the tight confines of the passage. When the final bolt had nged harmlessly away, silence once again descended. With my heart pounding against my ribs, I dared a cautious look around. Spent metal darts littered the floor, resembling fish spilled froms after the morning catch. I had been a victim of a dastardly trap. Of course there would be traps here, I thought bitterly. By dint of bad luck, some of the darts had found their way through the weak points of my armor, namely the joints, cutting in shallowly through theyer of mail. A minor annoyance, and a quick nce at my Status showed that I had suffered only minor damage from the sprung trap. Nevertheless, a man could still die from a thousand cuts. A grimace twisted my face as I observed the sorry state of my robes, now reduced to tattered shreds. Frustration welled within me, prompting a muttered curse directed at the world atrge. I inspected one of the darts, bringing the missile close to my face. It was a simple thing, made of wood and was the size of arge pencil, with a sharp metal tip. If I had not been so heavily-armored, the storm of darts could have done some real damage. Not serious damage, of course, considering the prodigious amount of Health points I had. I doubted that even a stab in the heart could kill me as I was. Annoyed, I threw the thing down onto the floor where it joined its brothers. Now, not only was I dealing with wandering undead revenant monsters, but now I also had to contend with devious traps. I would have to be more careful as I progressed through this dingy hell. I got down on all fours, brushing aside several darts to examine the floor more closely. Right before the ''pressure te'' I had inadvertently stepped on, blocky ideographic script framed by stylized scorpions was inscribed upon stone. While I was hesitant to waste Mana, somethingpelled me to decipher its meaning. It was a curiosity I could not ignore. ¡°Step lightly, or dance eternally in my hall. Wee to you, believers and honored guests,¡± was what my Identify spell revealed to me. ¡°The builder of this trap had a dark sense of humor, at least,¡± I said to myself, almost hissing. Such pointless drivel. Now, a new decision awaited me: did I press on and brave possibly more traps, or double back and try another route? The prudent and logical course would have been to retrace my steps and choose a different course, but a part of me wanted to find out who had been responsible for the trap. To bring them to justice for their crime against me. So, with my sword in hand and a stern resolve in my heart, I continued. My Holy Aura illuminated the path, parting the darkness with ease, yet I moved slowly at first, my recent encounter urging me to caution. I tapped each new tile with my sword, ears tuned for the telltale sound of clicking gears. However, as no new danger emerged, my caution began to fade. After taking another fifty steps, the monotony of my exploration was interrupted by the unveiling of another trap. This time, there was no stone-carved message, just a wire stretched across the passageway at shin height. I chuckled at the simplicity of its design and, in my arrogance, I merely stepped over it. But this time, there was no audible click. Instead, I felt a brief shift in the air before something hit me from behind with the force of a stampeding bull, knocking the wind out of my lungs. I coughed blood as Iy on the cool stone floor, feasting on a rare banquet of pain. Something vital inside of me had broken, and I wanted to do nothing more than curl up into a ball. The voices within, ever mypanions, whispered encouragement and urged me to live. Shock threatened to overwhelm me, but somehow I found it within me to cast my basic Heal spell, giving shape to the incantation. The magic of the spell raced against the damage that threatened to undo me. For a moment it was a close thing, but Heal, bolstered by Holy Aura, won the day. Regenerating flesh strained against impacted steel. The groan of metal was followed by a popping sound. Though my cuirass still felt very tight, at least now I could breathe. The crushing pressure about my chest was now relieved. I drank deeply of the stale musty air, the heady substance of life filling my lungs. Of the thing that had struck me, there was no sign. Struggling to my feet, a hysterical sob came over me. I had faced yet another close call with my fragile mortality. Incongruously, tears of embarrassment, of all things, tracked down my face. I felt only d that here, alone in this bleak ce, there had been no one to witness my misfortune. This was the price for letting my guard down, and in turn, the vicissitudes of fate had not been kind. There were two new notifications that I hadpletely failed to register. One of which was a gain to Constitution, followed by another that grated and set a fire to my belly, dispelling my self-pity. You have Trap Detection (lvl.1) Heedless and uncaring of other things that mayy in wait in the darkness, I screamed in frustration with the full force of newly-healed lungs. I had thrown caution to the wind. Let theme. Let all of theme. Yet, none were drawn to my challenge. Not beast nor revenant, and the silence swallowed up my pathetic battle cry. With my face growing hot at my momentarypse of control, I decided it best to put some distance between here and whatever might being for me. I could not discern what my new Trap skill was doing exactly. Was it a passive skill, or something I had to directly invoke? At level one, it was not something I could rely on to shield me. So, I proceeded with caution, worry hounding each of my steps. Luck must have been with me, for I encountered no new traps. Finally, after an eternity of slow plodding progress, I arrived at what I could only assume to be arge hall. Light did not diffuse naturally in this ce. The golden light of my Holy Aura provided only a small sphere of illumination, stopping at a certain point and leaving the rest of the room submerged in a murky gray. Despite these conditions, I could still see that this ce was lined with finely-crafted and highly-detailed statues on raised plinths. Carved from fine marble, they were of a monstrous aspect. Amalgamations of man and exotic beast, meticulously crafted with lifelike precision. Trapped, frozen forever in their own existence and horrific in their exquisite art. In stark contrast to the statues, at the end of the hall was arge crude altar. A monolith to the profane. I moved closer to the simple stone construction as if drawn by some other force. A presence that was alien, yet tantalizingly familiar, filled this foreboding ce. Then all there was, all that existed, was a shoutedmand, demanding obedience, that reverberated through my soul. ¡°KNEEL!¡± cried a female voice filled with divine authority. My knees almost buckled at the force of themand. The dark voices rallied behind me, propping up my gging will with their own. ¡°KNEEL! Bow down before the presence of Iasis, Mother of Monsters, Mistress of the Twisted Helix¡± the voice intoned again, though this time I could feel its influence over me weaken. Almost imperceptibly weaken, but still, weaken nheless. ¡°No¡­¡± I cried hoarsely, the long-smoldering coals of rebellion turning into a hot me. I was in the presence of a godling, and I would not ept their authority over me. Book 2: Chapter 50: The Belly of the Beast Book 2: Chapter 50: The Belly of the Beast Our ancestors came from the sky to make their home in the stone. - Excerpt from the Lave Tablets unearthed from the old ruins in the Beacon Mountains. ¡°Mortal priest of the whore, abase yourself before me and know your ce. You would dare bring the light of another here, in my temple, and still defy me?¡± the voice answered in turn, with another question. Demand had turned into nonplussed incredulity. ¡°You will make no demands of me,¡± I said tly in response, standing tall and straightening my shoulders. ¡°Haha. You amuse us. Die then, as a sacrifice to us here in my temple. I will even grace you with my presence. as a parting gift for entertaining me so. I had forgotten how droll you mortals could be. How long has it been, I wonder?¡± the voice almost preened. A naked female figure, the voice given shape, floated out of antiquity from an intricately-detailed mosaic on the ceiling, the tiles turning nk as she formed in the real. Long ck hair trailed behind her, as if caught in some unseen current. Her skin was darker than the ckest night, and she looked down at me with golden-slitted eyes. A smile that would have shamed the best of artists yed about her face. I noted that she stayed out of the radius of my aura. ¡°I am Iasis, sacrifice, and know this is one of the highest of honors,¡± stated the goddess. I knew it to be a goddess, for she had a presence, if not appearance, that was almost a mirror to Avaria¡¯s. Unlike Avaria, I did not feel a sense of forced adtion, rather a traitorous stirring in my loins. Secondster, I felt repulsed in equal measure as her mouth split into four parts revealing a fanged maw that undted as she spoke. ¡°I am no sacrifice, godling. But yours is the first presence that has a tongue to speak. Tell me, what is this ce? Was it you who ced those traps?¡± I demanded. Delicateughter was my only answer for a while, before the goddess answered. ¡°A goddess should not do aborer¡¯s work, unlike my virginal whore of a sister Vari. My worshipers would do anything to preserve the sanctity of my temple,¡± an almost-invisibly dark eyebrow lifted in wry amusement before her face turned into an expression of consternation, ¡°Where are my priests? My worshipers? The sacrifices for this day? My children, the Guardians, I can barely hear their voices¡­¡± she questioned of me, her delicate features turning almost feral. ¡°I bear no love for Vari,¡± I stated simply, recognizing the variation of Avaria¡¯s name and seeking to divert the flow of the conversation. This was what it was to walk the razor¡¯s edge. Though I hated the gods and all that they stood for, it would do me no favors to earn the ire of one, here, where I was vulnerable. A peal ofughter resounded through the hall like the screeching of cats. ¡°You are a jester of the highest sorts. You bear her cursed light¡­ yet you speak the truth. At least, as you believe it to be. Intriguing,¡± her voice turning into one of clinical interest. Drifting on invisible wings, moving closer to me, she crossed the threshold of the light, with only the smallest of traces of a wince as she did so. Like an ethereal wisp, she danced sinuously around me, inspecting me from every angle. I yearned to reach out and touch her, but instead stood stock still. ¡°I feel it¡­ you bear one of my tokens about your person,¡± she stated quizzically before asking simply in a t voice, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I know not of what you speak,¡± I answered in kind, drawing a snort from the Divine. ¡°All I wish for is to leave this ce in peace. I have no issue with you.¡± The mercurial goddess continued to circle me, and I turned my body to track her. ¡°So soon, fallen priest of Vari. No issue, you say,¡± she returned, her tone mimicking my own and her expression yful like a cat¡¯s. The goddess had called me a priest, and from this, I intuited that the Divines of this ursed world were, at the very least, not omniscient. That, or she could just be ying with me. A habitmon to many of those in power. ¡°But I have issue with you,¡± she rebuked, her voice growing dread. ¡°You bring no offering, no votives, here, in one of the most sacred ces. A most grievous insult.¡± ¡°Whatever shall I do with you?¡± she questioned of the air, seductive promise threaded into every syble. I forced myself to keep up my shield of silence, fighting against feelings that were not my own. How dare these entities, that yed at being gods, use me for their own amusement! Her features shifted back to a girlish and demure aspect. ¡°As always, she and her lot have taken from me. This time, I think I want that of my sister¡¯s. It is a good time to return the favor. It is, after all, only fair rpense. This will be as mud on her face! How fitting!¡± she pped her hands together in innocent joy before fixing me a targeted look. ¡°wed, even for a mortal. Your Ma''at is almost pitiful. Still, you have some of the qualities that would allow you to survive my favor. It would be most amusing, do you not think, for a fallen priest of Vari to bear one of the marks of the Mother? I think it would be fair Justice,¡± she continued, airing her ideas to the world atrge. For an audience of one. She pped her hands together with a smile, ¡°Yes! I will have you take the Test! Fail and you will be another honored sacrifice¡­ but seed and you will receive my favor, and I will unleash you on the world to spread the joy of my creation,¡± she announced, her light tone at odds with the ominous echo that followed it. ¡°And if I refuse to take this Test?¡± I said, none too gently. ¡°Oh, how you test me so,¡± she chimed, pleased at her own pathetic attempt at witticism. ¡°Then, I am afraid your little spark will be snuffed here. Gilgamesh.¡± I gulped, a cold sweat forming about my body at the mention of my name. Perhaps the gods knew more than I thought they did. Though I hated myself for the next words I was forced to utter, I uttered them nheless. ¡°Then I ept,¡± I croaked into the darkness. ¡°Then know this, unbeliever. I am the Truth of Life, of the endless struggle against the nothingness of empty existence. Of boundless change and infinite possibilities. To ovee my trial, you must ovee Life in its many aspects,¡± the Divine dered, her voice now heavy with the authority of the years. ¡°This is not going to be easy, is it?¡± I spat bitterly. She danced close to me, cupping my face with her hands, her skin smoking slightly at the touch of the light. The goddess looked at me with ck orbs of deep ebon and answered in a stern voice, ¡°Life ever was meant to be a struggle. A favor given and not earned has no meaning. Has no value. Without struggle, there can be no change. Without change, there can be no growth.¡± Still dizzy from the sudden nearness of Iasis, I barely had time to register the ominous rumbling, let alone her mindless titudes. A great, straining creak resounded as stone began to crack and splinter. Turning towards the noise, I found myself rooted to the spot in sheer disbelief. Defying all logic and reason, a statue to my left wasing to life before my disbelieving eyes. Fragments of stone tumbled off the figure like shedding scales, revealing a creature of flesh and blood beneath. Eyes that had once been nothing more than lifeless stone sparked a vibrant copper. A lion''s head shook free of its remaining stony shroud, its mane glorious. Bat wings, encased for countless centuries, unfurled in a grand gesture of newfound freedom. Instead of a tail, a second head, a serpent¡¯s head, emerged, its forked tongue flickering in the air to taste its surroundings. It was a creature from myth and legend. It was a Manticore. Book 2: Epilogue Book 2: Epilogue "There is a time for practice, and a time for tea," her father often remarked. She peered into her cup, remembering the girl that had searched for answers within the warm brown liquid. Answers that had remained elusive until this day. She idly traced the rim of the small vessel, releasing a sigh that had worn thin from years of repetition. In moments like these, she could not help but liken her past self to the delicate porcin cup. How was it that something so inherently beautiful could also be so fragile? Each tiny vessel was a testament to an artisan''s painstaking effort over many years, an eternal snapshot of snow captured in white y. Did she regret the path she had chosen? If she was to be honest, she did. At least, a very small part of her did. The part that harbored the ghost of her guilt. She witnessed her childhood friends, born into prestigious Shareholder families, as they strolled gracefully up and down the boulevards of the city, and felt envious of them. Like the teacups, they were attractive, part of a set. And like the teacups, they were property, their life paths decided by their elder brothers or fathers. Exchanged as tokens of power or to cement new or existing alliances. Their futures were drafted, signed, and sealed in their marriage contracts. The certainty of their happiness remained dubious, but they would enjoy a life of carefree ease. Unlike her, they were spared the severity and rigor of harsh training. But then again, that had been her choice. Then there was, of course, the horror that was childbirth. Beautiful words describing the joys of motherhood; but even with the best of healers, that joy could not be measured against the pain, the terror, and the risk. She had killed her own mother as she was forcibly spat out to take her first breath in this world. This, she knew, was what fueled the tension between herself and her brothers. She would not wish the fate of a broodmare on anyone. Her eyes drifted to a portrait of one of her ancestors, their true name lost now, but their title and deeds preserved forevermore within the collective memory of her House. Her glorious ancestor, the Shield of Hope, had been the reason that she had chosen her path. The tales of her valor were countless and were an inspiration, but it was the Shield¡¯s deeply-held beliefs that resonated within her. The tales often spoke that the Shield hailed from and far, far away, a ce beyond the stars and the rising sun. And, if the legends were true, a different world altogether. ording to some of the popr ounts, the Shield had imed that in her homnd, women were considered lesser than men, but in Gesthe, she demonstrated that they could be equal, even superior. Her legendary deeds testified to this truth, did they not? A woman could be a man¡¯s superior. The words had ignited a spark within Kanaia of House Alim that her youthful imagination had fanned into a zing fire. It was what pushed her to train, even when the others had long retired. At first, it was simply a parent¡¯s indulgence that allowed her to practice with the males of the House. The disparity in strength and endurance seemed overwhelming at first. The boys were faster, could train for longer, and could withstand more physical punishment. Then there was the allure of the surrender, the call of the easier path. Giving up. Oh, how simple that would have been. There would be no honor lost, her brothers told her, jokingly at first, if she just signed a marriage contract that would benefit House Alim. That was, after all, how girls upheld the honor of their House. Their jests turned more serious as time went on, and as Kanaia narrowed the gap between them. She had grown strong enough to rival her brothers, for she had read the more esoteric parts of the Shield¡¯s legend. Exchanging unwanted jewels and trinkets for scraps of knowledge, she found out that the source of the Shield¡¯s power was more than just the blessings of Mana, or the gifts that she had been born with. The Shield would offer up the lives of her foes as sacrifices to the Gods and, in turn, would be granted power. Her ancestor answered the pleas of the masses. Whether it was to clear out an old cer teeming with mouse-like Wise Ones, or to stop a rampaging Ogre, no task was deemed too grand or too humble for the Shield to ept. In turn, she would be rewarded by the Gods with greater insight. Surely, if Kanaia followed in the Shield¡¯s example, she would reap the same rewards? So that was what she did. She helped the servants with their tasks. From cleaning tes in the kitchens, to scrubbing the floors alongside the menials, and giving water to the messengers that delivered her father¡¯s letters - she did it all. These same letters, she would asionally open, swiftly perusing their contents before resealing them. All to learn more about the business of her House and to support her father, of course. The Steward of her House thought it unbefitting of ady of her stature to go about doing such crude and humble work, but he was like a second father to her, and could deny her nothing. Smiling, the menials of the house all doted on her, praising her at every turn. Like the Shield, she would form her strength from the bedrock of humility. Over the course of the months, she felt herself grow stronger. Faster of mind and stronger of body. But was this just due to just natural growth and training, or was it due to her following the Shield¡¯s example? She started to hunt the animals about the estate, praying to the gods whenever she made a kill. The Desert Rockcrabs and the little Wise Ones were her prey. She barely spared a second thought when she killed the insectile Desert Rockcrabs, but she felt guilty ughtering the little Wise Ones. Apart from their disgusting sinuous tails, they were cute in their own way. Fluffy brown things with beady eyes and soft fur, they would often find their way into the kitchen stores and were a general nuisance. In time, the animals learned not to show themselves about the grounds. Frustrated, she was forced to throw her further afield. Under the cover of darkness, she would slip outside of the estate to kill the stray animals that wandered the streets. She felt herself growing ever stronger as the gods blessed her, but with each animal¡¯s death her heart had begun to harden, growing cold and callous. A seed born from jealousy and nourished by her need to reject a woman¡¯s lot had blossomed into a hunger for more power. She killed the animals in droves. Still, it was not enough. It would never be enough. Her worried brothers had assigned her ¡®guards,¡¯ who followed her on these little excursions. She knew what their true reasons were for giving her this escort. They were envious of her and sought out the source of her sudden rise in strength and power. But Kanaia had grown cunning and fleet of foot. With the help of the servants and her own physical prowess, escaping her new minders was child¡¯s y. She recalled one moonlit night. She would have a revtion as she ran through a narrow alleyway in search of prey. From the detritus and rubbish of the streets, a hand reached out, a frail pathetic thing thattched onto her ankle, causing her to stumble and almost fall. Grimacing, she looked down to see a gaunt face, desperation and longing in its eyes. d in filthy rags, it was a Dust addict. One of the invisibles of Al-Lazar society. A shudder had gone through, as she felt utter revulsion. How dare this thing even touch her! She was Kanaia of House Alim, was she not? Angrily, she had mouthed a curse to the Withered Tree as sheshed out with a kick, caving in its disgusting skull, and freeing herself from the Dust addict¡¯s clutches. Almost immediately, shock filled her at what she had done. What had she done? Had anyone seen it? Panic ran through her mind, and a thousand and one possible scenarios unfolded before her. This was followed by the most unexpected of sensations. A feeling, simr to how she felt when she secretly touched herself, coursed through her. A feeling of euphoria, causing her to shiver in delight, and causing her muscles to grow taut and strong. Once thest wave of bliss and power had left her, she fell to her knees panting. Tears of pure joy tracked down her face. This was what she was looking for. This would be the key to unlocking the true power within her. With this, she would be the next Shield of Hope. No one would miss a few Dust Addicts, would they? They were broken things, so lost in their own dreams of desire that they could not even work the Dust Fields. Useless. Like the Rockcrabs and the Wise Ones, she would be doing the city a favor by removing their ilk. Ever since that night, when she had found the key to her power, she had only grown further in strength and power, as the gods themselves blessed her actions. At first, she had felt soiled as she cleaned the streets of the dregs of society, but slowly she had learned to put aside such childish feelings. Draining thest of the tea, she realized that sacrifice was ever the burden to be born by those gifted with talent and power. A sacrifice that she had resigned herself to make. Sighing to herself, she got up to her feet and stretched. It was time for practice with the head of the House, her father. Out of all of her siblings, she had shown the most promise, and thus had received special attention and training. She would crown herself in glory at the next Saint¡¯s, thepetition that would decide the city¡¯s strongest. It would be her, and not one of her pathetic brothers, who would represent House Alim for Arbitration. She nodded to one of the servants as she entered the Haql Tajriba, the training ground of her house. The servant anointed her with sacred oils, running a finger across her forehead before she bowed and took her leave, and closed the sliding door. Her father was still deep in meditation on the hard-packed y floor of the Haql Tajriba. As was his habit, he used no mat, saying that it made him closer to the element of the earth. His face looked still and untroubled to the average onlooker, but she knew well the tautness about his eyes that made his serenity a lie. Even now, she knew she was being observed as she went through the basic Raks Qowa, the body conditioning forms that she had mastered long ago, when her peers had been learning how to sew. Her body took over, allowing her mind to formte a strategy to defeat her father this day. ¡°Good. Your form is passable and your Ma¡¯at is strong. That is good. I only wish that you had been born with a dangle and not a cleft, then I would not be so worried for the future of our House. Come, it is time,¡± her father pronounced as she finished thest segment of her form. There was no time for her usual bitter response, for without warning, her father¡¯s swift blow came. She had seen the attacking, but seeing and being able to move her body in time were almost two different things, and she was barely able to put up a defense. However, she would offer no excuse. No im of unfairness. Such things had already been beaten out of her. What came next was an adrenaline-fuelled exchange as blows were traded. Attacks, blocks, counters, and feints melded together, as she was forced to adapt to the storm that came upon her. Sheshed out with a low kick, making it look like she wanted to buy herself some time or to create some space between them, setting herself up for an orthodox attack. Her father easily saw through her ruse, stepping into her inner circle andunching an attack that, from this distance, she could not divert. The young girl took it full on, absorbing the blow with a hard block, stopping the hammer blow in its tracks using her raw strength. For a moment she imagined that she saw a flicker of surprise in her father¡¯s eyes before the two resumed their deadly dance. She would surprise him more as sheunched a counter-offensive. Using the Willow Weeps followed by Iron Anvil, she blended the soft and hard forms of her House¡¯s ancient art into something unique. Against an opponent such as her father, simple mimicry of the techniques that he had taught her would not be enough. She adapted the forms to her body, creating something new that did not simply bludgeon, but something that also cut. Old and new came together, blended by a strong will. She did more than match her father¡¯s strength, she exceeded it. What shecked in reach, she more than made up for in youth, and raw lightning speed. Kanaiaunched herself into an almost-perfectbination of blows that would have made her ancestor proud. Almost perfect, save for one opening, an opening she knew her father would never take. If he ced any importance on her House¡¯s future or had even the smallest scrap of affection for her. It was a gamble that she was more than willing to take. For a split second, she sensed a dark momente. An ugly thing that emanated from the soon-to-be defeated man. Thankfully, her father did not give into his baser emotions, and momentster the killing intent left his eyes. d that the threat had passed, the rest was rtively simple as she went through the preordained sequence that would spell his defeat. She ended thepetition with a knife-hand at his throat. ¡°I yield,¡± her father stated tly, a mixture of emotions ying about his face. Anger, surprise, and injured male pride. He had expected this day toe, if not so soon. As he had learned from his own father, eventually youth would always catch up to, then outrun, the lead that age and hard-won experience gave. Still, It was a bitter pill to swallow. And to be beaten by a mere slip of a girl, his own daughter, doubly so. ¡°You had given me the perfect position. Had I used the Blow that Shatters, you would be dead,¡± he added, looking to save face. ¡°Perhaps. But I knew you would not. I will use whatever it takes to win. Even a father¡¯s affection. That is what is important, is it not? Besides, I doubt your Blow that Shatters would have been enough. I am not made of the river¡¯s reeds¡± she countered, looking down at her defeated foe. Had he always been this small? He had seen so much bigger before. ¡°Duty and sacrifice are the words of House Alim.¡± The man before her blurted out the ritual words, with none of the solemnity they deserved. She almost felt pity for him. ¡°And I will sacrifice anything in the name of honoring those words. For House Alim is the Shield of Lazar. I will hold you to your honor, father. It will be I that willpete at the Saint¡¯s. And it will be me, and only me, that will represent our House,¡± she replied coldly, her voice hollow, yet at the same time filled with the echo of divine purpose. The man could only nod and stare dumbly at the monster he had raised. Book 2: Glossary & Dramatis Personae Book 2: Glossary & Dramatis Personae Glossary & Dramatis Personae Abas Yar - An old man and Beastmaster of the Ravens. Gilgamesh cures Abas Yar¡¯s bad back, which also restores him to good health, causing the Beastmaster to venerate Gilgamesh. Abdul - A guard that dies in Tarkan¡¯s attack on the caravan. Gilgamesh tries, and fails, to resurrect his corpse. Ables - The driver of Gilgamesh¡¯s wagon. [The] Adventurer¡¯s Guild - An organization specializing in ying monsters, gathering rare and precious materials, conquering dungeons and protecting the weak. They are rivals of the Mercenary Guild. Aizere Ulgen - Twin sister of Erasyl and daughter of Ankhset. She is a Water Seeker apprentice. Alik Al¡¯Kabar - A guard in the Ravens and Gilgamesh¡¯s riding instructor. Al-Lazar - The fabled City of the Dust. Gilgamesh is tasked with escorting Larynda there. Amon Vanes - A mage priest of the Church of Avaria. He was sent by Cardinal Mauros to capture Gilgamesh. Ankhset Ulgen - An old woman and Water Mage, or Water Seeker, of the Ravens. She is the mother of Aizere and Erasyl. She gifts Larynda with a scroll of Water Ball and begins instructing her in the path of Water. Ansan - Seat of power for the Children of the Tides. The city of tents is built around an ancient Ark made of mystical living Witchwood. It is a nexus of trade. Arag - A strong alcoholic beverage made from fermented mare¡¯s milk. Arimea Lostariot - Wood elf and Spellsinger. Driven by an ancient prophecy, she leads a group in search of Hamsa¡¯s adopted daughter, Larynda. Aranthia - A kingdom far to the west of Ansan and the Grass Sea. Home of Cordelia. Asixum - The name of the nt whose pollen ismonly called ¡®Dust¡¯, a highly narcotic substance. Avaria - Goddess of Justice. Known in the North as ¡®Vari, Chooser of the in¡¯. She is often symbolized wielding the Sword of Justice and the Knife of Mercy. [The] Beacon Mountains - Home of Durhit. It is an active volcano range where the Lave tablets were unearthed. Beron de Laney - Author of ¡®The Fanciful Travels¡¯, an ount of his travels and adventures across the world of Gesthe. Blessings - A popr card game. Gilgamesh ys this game with the goal of increasing his Luck Attribute. Broomshead - A mushroom that has vague resemnce to the head of a broom. Gilgamesh is charged by Hamsa the Alchemist to acquire some Broomshead from the Sainba forest in exchange for a discount at his store. Bulls of Heaven - A criminal organization. [The] Call - The seductive pull of magic that makes a practitioner wish to be one of his element. As a user of magic grows in power, so too does the call. This almost always leads to their death. Catalina - Mother of Dumuzi. Her husband was killed defending the caravan from an attack by a group of raiders led by Tarkhan Aigiam. Nearly fatally wounded in the same attack, she is healed by Gilgamesh and eventually bes his lover. Caution Stone - A red colored stone used to warn the caravan of Sandgorgers. Cillis Aideh - Smith of the Soot-Stained Pig. Supplies Gilgamesh and hispanions with a new set of armor and equipment. Trains Gilgamesh in the use of ils. Charisma - The attribute that governs how one can interact effectively with others. It includes confidence, eloquence, general charm, and/or simply the force of one¡¯s personality. [The] Children of the Tides - Formerly a maritime people. Now they are a semi-nomadic race of people that live upon the Grass Sea. Their seat of power is the great city of Ansan. Church of Her Divine Radiance - The religious organization that venerates Avaria, Goddess of Justice. Constitution - This attribute epasses a character''s physique, toughness, general health and resistance to disease and poisons. It also determines the number of potions one can consume without ill effect. The Constitution attribute greatly affects both Stamina and Health. Contest of Saints - An ancient martial arts tournament. Also known as the Festival of the Undrawn. [The] Control - Themon colloquial term for the use of magic. Cordelia de Aserac - Temple Knight of the Order of the Penitent Heart. She was chosen to be part of the mission to capture Gilgamesh, as her father¡¯snds bordered the Grass Sea. She swears fealty to Gilgamesh as the herald of Avaria and devotes herself to him. She wields the magical longsword ¡®The Weight of Justice¡¯. Corpse Honey - A suspicious foodstuff that Gilgamesh finds underground. [The] Crows - A trade caravan led by Gelgor Badawi. They agree to join with the Ravens to travel together to Al-Lazar. Cureall - A miraculous drug made from aged Moonblossoms. They are said to be capable of curing most poisons, whether they be mundane or magical. Laes gives Gilgamesh a vial of the remedy. Damien de Savant - A general and author of the ¡®The Principles of Conflict¡¯. Darcen Tsend - Guildmaster of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild branch in Ansan. Reputedly has the ability to detect lies. Degei Ganbataar - ve Overseer of the ve Pits of Ansan. Disciplines and tortures Gilgamesh after he kills another ve. Dexterity - This attribute is a reflection of a number of physical abilities including hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, fine motor skills, bnce, and speed of movement. Dexterity also moderately affects maximum Stamina. Dezra - Larynda¡¯s childhood friend who died due to an illness. Her pitiful death drives Larynda to improve her living conditions. Dullstown - Far to the West of the Grass Sea and the Whispering Wastes. Not a single person from Dullstown has ever been able to use magic. Dumuzi Kalkassin - Catalina¡¯s son. Gilgamesh uses him as target practice to improve his own marksmanship. Durhit Coal - A dwarf from the Beacon Mountains. He became a ve in Ansan, as his sister Evenes was unable to pay his war ransom. He is in by a chameleonic variant of the Echo-Stalker. Dust - A dangerous narcotic substance, also known as Faerie Powder, Stardust, and the Call of Oblivion, among many others. The drug is the pollen of the Asixum nt that grows only upon the shoreline near the city of Al-Lazar. In small quantities, it can improve the health and mental faculties of its users, but can grow to be extremely addictive. The most interesting property of the drug is that it allows the user to experience lucid dreams. It is the source of power and wealth for the city state of Al-Lazar. Elwin Tucker - Gilgamesh meets Elwin in the ve pits of Ansan. He professed to be a Forester, but is, in fact, a Rogue. He leaves the group before Gilgamesh journeys with Laes, ostensibly to try and reunite with his family. Elwin is captured and caught by the agents of the Church. He is reunited with Gilgamesh after Tarkan¡¯s failed raid. Once was known by the moniker ¡®The Luck¡¯ when he was associated with the Bulls of Heaven. Elves - A long-lived humanoid species whose origin is shrouded in mystery. The elves refer to themselves as the ¡®The First Children¡¯. They are allies of the Fae. There are several varieties of elves. Entropy - The heat death of the universe and the end of all things. Erasyl Ulgen - Brother and twin of Aizere. He is an apprentice Water Mage. Fae - A mysterious race that lives in the ce between worlds. In times long ago they provided the elves with precious Witchwood to build their great ships. Fen Vaigorus - Author of the ¡®The Living Sword¡¯. Garven - Armorer and smith in the Company of the Ravens. Gelgor Badawi - Caravan leader of the Company of the Crows. He is a very fat man and seems to enjoy a friendly rtionship with Laes. Gideon de Svia - Author of the ¡®On the Prophecy of the Gods¡¯ and the ¡®The Human Question¡¯. Guardians - Great worms that inhabit the Whispering Wastes. Also known as Sand Fathers and Hul Abba, to the Elves. [The] Grass Sea - The domain of the Children of the Tides. Travel across this vast expanse of grass is difficult, as a Water Mage is required to conjure drinking water. [The] Green Road - Known also as the Samasutum, it is an unnaturally straight river that only appears after the Weeping. The Green Road cuts through a harsh desert known as the Whispering Wastes. Gryphon - A flying creature originally native to the Misery¡¯s Reach mountain range. They have been domesticated and serve as flying mounts for people who can satiate the Gryphon¡¯s ravenous appetites. Hamsa - He was an Alchemist in the city of Ansan. However, meeting with Gilgamesh had awoken ancient memories within him making him realize that he is in fact, the Hero. He sends his adopted daughter, Larynda, with Gilgamesh to the city of Al-Lazar. Happyfeet - Arge harmless creature resembling the gigantic prehistoric millipedes of Earth. [The] Hero - The Hero was the ancient guardian of humanity who was born time and time again, with his memories intact, tobat the threats to mankind. Hwanda Heveni - The Sum of all Men, in the Elvishnguage. It refers to the Hero, the ancient Guardian of humanity who had the power to challenge the dragons themselves. Iasis - Goddess. She is known through much of the known world as the Mother of Monsters. Iron Quarter - A mysterious ce where Alik lost his taste for the adventurer¡¯s life. Intelligence - The attribute that measures mental acuity, the uracy of recall, and the ability to reason. It significantly affects maximum Mana capacity. Jasper - Khm¡¯s second inmand. Jongshoi Aigiam - A boy that Gilgamesh is forced to kill in the Winnowing. Kaes-Loka - The god of Hearth and herd. Waveriders of the children of the tides make great offerings in his name before they are allowed to select a mount from his herd. Kari - Arge lizard that closely resembles a Dimetrodon. Khm - The Guard Master of the Ravens. Kidu Kreshin - A man of giant proportions. He is a peerless warrior and Hunter of the Three Bears n from the far North, or the Kar-Kaphon. He is a loyalpanion of our protagonist. Gilgamesh encounters Kidu in the ve pits of Ansan. K.D. Fidditch - Author of ¡®Monsters of the Mortal Realms¡¯. Lady Aeleyah - Ady of House Shaem. Laes Harevor - Leader of the Ravens, the caravan that is taking Gilgamesh to the city of Al-Lazar. He is a friend of Gelgor, the leader of another trade caravan, the Crows. Lanarisa - An elven adventurer in Ansan. She is currently one of the highest ranking members of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Larynda - A small half-elven girl and Hamsa¡¯s adopted daughter. She is innately gifted with the magic of Chaos and learns how to control the element of water from Ankhset. Likam - An old guard in the Ravens. [The] Living Sword - A treatise on how a warrior should train in the use of a sword, and amentary on martial arts in general. Written by Fen Vaigorus. Lorsan - An elven swordmaster who bears a mantis-marked de. Lotus Palm - An ancient open-handed technique that is able to transmit the force of an unarmed blow through armor to cause internal damage. Ma¡¯at - Meaning path, way, or fate in the localnguage. It has a close meaning to the word Dao from Chinese Taoism. Mana - The source of all magic in the world of Gesthe. Mantis Mark - The sign of one that is truly aplished in the way of the sword. It is the sign of a sword master. Manzaza Shiptu - A magical scroll. Mauros - A cardinal in the Church of Avaria. He is jealous of Avaria¡¯s Champion, Gilgamesh, as he himself had not been chosen. [The] Mer - The people of the sea. They have been at war with the city of Al-Lazal for generations. Mistevan - Knight-Sergeant of the Church. He had direct orders from Cardinal Mauros to capture Avaria¡¯s Champion, Gilgamesh. Mithril - Godmetal or Saint¡¯s Silver. Extremely rare, it is a near mystical metal with almost magical properties. Moon Moss - An alchemical substance that Gilgamesh must harvest in the Sainba forest for the Adventurer¡¯s guild. Mouse - Gilgamesh¡¯s borrowed mount. Naspu Surahu - The Forest of Crystal. This is the devastating spell that Larynda uses when Tarkan attacks the caravan. [The] North - A vast expanse of ice and tundra. Also known as the Kar-Kaphon. Pakum - An adolescent boy and nephew of Abas Yar. He is sent with Gilgamesh to look after the Xaruar that Kidu rides on their excursion to kill more Sandgorgers. Patches - Therge donkey that Gilgamesh saves from the butcher¡¯s block in Ansan. She is now his favored pet. Payana Leaf - A nt with minor medicinal properties that the caravan people use to keep their teeth clean. Praxis Guard - An ancient undead revenant. Its bones have been coated with metal. [The] Ravens - A traveling people. Their livelihood revolves around trade. Gilgamesh travels with them to get to cross the Whispering Wastes to reach the city of Al-Lazar. They are led by Laes Harevor. Raza - A young guard in the Ravens. River Lurkers - A crocodilian creature with six legs. River Root - One of the herbs that Gilgamesh has to collect for the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. [The] Rump - A group of hills where the Ravens and Crows sought shelter from the Weeping. Sahel - The name of the star that serves as Gesthe¡¯s sun. Sainba - Arge ancient forest, filled with gigantic trees. Sandgorger - Arge monstrous three-eyed frog found in the Whispering Wastes. Sasan - A fruit native to the Sainba forest. Seals - A sort of magical aid for apprentice mages to cast simple spells. They simplify the spellcasting and are used up in the casting process. Larynda uses a seal to unleash the devastating spell Naspu Surahu, the Forest of Crystal, when Tarkan attacks the caravan. Sepfan - One of Larynda¡¯s childhood friends. [The] Shallow River - The river symbolizing death. Snap-Honey - A carnivorous nt resembling a gigantic venus flytrap. Spotted Uakari - A type of canid. Strength - The Strength attribute is a measure of muscle strength, endurance, and staminabined. Strength moderately affects Stamina and to a much lesser degree, maximum Health. Sukhbat - A guard in the caravan of the Ravens. He is the childhood friend of Tomorbat. Tarkhan Aigiam - A young man eager for blood and glory, who led a disastrous attack on the Ravens. He is in by Gilgamesh. Timekeeper Knot - A poisoned silken strand. In times past, taking up a Timekeeper Know was a solemn vow andmitment to deliver an important message to its intended recipient. If a bearer of the Timekeeper Knot does not fulfill his charge on time, the poison of the Knot will kill them. Timur - A guard in the caravan of the Ravens. Tomorbat - A guard in the caravan of the Ravens. He is the childhood friend of Sukhbat. Trade - The lingua franca, ormonnguage, of the Grieving Lands. Vari - Another name for Avaria in the North. n di Panoli - A ywright. Vow-poison - The deadly contact poison that isced through a Timekeeper Knot. Water Mage - A mage who can manipte the element of water. [The] Weeping - The seasonal rains that fall on the Grass Sea of the Grieving Lands. From these rains, the Green Road is born. Whispermews - A rodent resembling a cross between a ground squirrel and a lemming. Driven out of their homes by the rains of ¡®The Weeping¡¯, a ¡®horde¡¯ of Whispermews run amok in Gilgamesh¡¯s wagon. He kills them all, except for one creature, which he gives to Larynda to take care of as a pet. [The] Whispering Wastes - Arge desert also known as the Sim Edin. Home to the Guardians. Water Calling - A duty given to the Water Seeker¡¯s to provide water for the caravan. [The] Weight of Justice - A magical longsword wielded by Cordelia de Aserac. Also known as the Blind Executioner. It has the power to be light as a feather. However, downward strikes are inordinately powerful. Windspeaker - A mage, in the nomenture of the North Wisdom - The attribute that governs willpower,mon sense, perception, and intuition. It moderately affects maximum Mana and Mana regeneration. Wood Elves - Musenvane, or the First Children. They are a near mythical race and also known as the Warders of the Woods. Xaruar - Arge, six-legged proto-dragon that resembles the Ankylosaur of Earth¡¯s primordial past. They are used as pack animals. Zarzar Leaf Tea - A beverage used to help one sleep. Zajasite - Glowing crystals that are mined from the earth. Thank you for reading! Book 1 is available now on Amazon! Thank you for reading! Book 1 is avable now on Amazon! Published Royal Guard (2023) ----------------- Link: A Record of Ash & Ruin: The Grieving Lands (Book 1) Book 3: Chapter 1 Book 3: Chapter 1 Anything, when meticulously crafted and refined for a single, specific purpose, free from all unnecessary trappings and features, embodies a form that is pure and captivating. Like the most elegant of instruments, or the most elegant of weapons - their intrinsic beauty lies in their purity of purpose. In this, the human heart can not help but be enamored. But when we ponder the nature of such beauty, an ethical question arises. If the thing is fashioned for a purpose that falls within the realm of the malevolent or the hical, should we still regard it as beautiful? It is one of the foibles of man that we are often attracted towards the aesthetics of perfection, even when it is directed towards an objectionable end. - The Principles of Conflict by General Damien de Savant circa 234 AC. A thing from myth and legend fixed its gaze on me, its slitted eyes emanated a primordial light and were mesmerizing in their ferocious beauty. The Manticore unfurled its leathery bat wings, shaking off thest of the stone dust before giving out a thunderous roar that echoed throughout the temple. I was momentarily stunned by the sheer force of the sound as it reverberated through my very core, causing my bones to tremble in response. The monstershed out with its lion¡¯s paw, its sharp ws screeching against the metal of my cuirass and knocking me off my feet. As the world spun around me, a burst of adrenaline flooded my system. Time seemed to slow down as I rolled to evade a liquid projectile hurtling through the air, taking cover behind one of the lifelike statues. The gob of whatever it was sizzled upon contact with the stone floor where I had been, just scant moments before. The creature possessed the ability to spit acid, or something equally deadly. The temple resounded withughter, a mocking echo that seemed to pierce through to my soul. It was theughter of the godling, taunting me mercilessly. Itunched another attack, pouncing at me, which by some miracle, I dodged by half-rolling out of the way. I even managed to score a ncing hit with the de of my weapon, but that was turned, for the most part, by its thick hide. "You''ll need to do much better than that. Struggling against such a juvenile creature, and this is only the beginning of your trials," Iasis, the Mother of Monsters, warned yfully, cing a delicate, wed finger to her lips. It was circling me, its prey. I was the only focus of its leonine and serpentine eyes, all four filled with equal menace. I kept the statue, a brutish Minotaur, between me and the monster. Dwarfing thergest of draft horses, it was of a fearsome size. But what truly unsettled me was seeing the alien hunger in those malevolent orbs. The primal part of me screamed that I should just run away. Fear, however, could give birth to more than cowardly flight. From fear coulde rage. And from rage a serene form of rity. Seeking to cut out the root of the problem, I shed at the goddess, the de of my weapon passing through her form like so much smoke. This only caused her to erupt in new peals ofughter. Tsk-tsking in annoyance, I realized that there would be no choice but to y her game. I focused on the task at hand and cast my investigative spell, Identify. Juvenile Manticore - (Chimerae lvl.12) Health: 402/402 Stamina: 74/75 Mana: 7/7 Seeing something broken down into visible numbers soothed the part of me that feared the unknown. The monster before me, though no doubt a being of a fantastical nature, had Health, Stamina, and Mana. They were high numbers to be sure, but not totally out of reach. With my powers, given enough time, I could kill even this mighty creature. A quick nce at my Status caused a small grin to steal across my face. Health328/336 Stamina64/68 Mana9/14 Thanks to my heavy armor, the Manticore¡¯sst attack only caused eight points of damage, a drop in the ocean. Even as I registered this, my Holy Aura was already starting to undo this minor damage. If I yed this correctly, my victory would almost be certain. The only thing I had to worry about was its acid attack. Worriedly, I noticed the stone was still sizzling from the caustic liquid of its missed attack. Almost as if sensing my thoughts, the snake head opened its mouth wide and spat arge gob of acid. The burning liquid missed me, sshing against the Minotaur statue between us. The acid ate into the living stone, causing Iasis to float closer. Her movement drew my eye, and although she hid it well, I saw a sh of anger cross the features of the dark goddess. So that¡¯s what it was, I thought to myself with a grim smile. These statues were of some importance to her. That could be leveraged. It was time to make this trial, divine test, or whatever this was meant to be, a little easier. I gave a challenging roar of my own, hoping to anger it even further, and forcing it to put aside whatever low cunning it possessed. In response, it simply offered up another bestial cry, and we continued our little game of Ring Around the Rosey. I started to cast an old staple of mine, Drain, upon the monster. Forming the spell structure in my mind had be almost second nature, but for some mysterious reason there was a resistance, an obstruction to the spell. Nevertheless, I continued to push more Mana into the spell and the familiar ck lines of ebon came into being. They formed a link between me and the mythical creature, and a flood of heady energy filled me. A vor I had been without for too long, the very taste of life, distilled in its purest form. Between raw human cunning and the insidious power of Drain, it was just a matter of time before the thing died. Unlike the Kari, arge fearsome lizard beast that I had defeated in the Sainba, the Manticore sensed the link between us and stormed towards me. The monster¡¯s feral charge was a hurricane of scale, tooth, and w that smashed into the statue between us, toppling the sculpture over with a crash. My timing was perfect, for I had moved out of its path just before the monster crashed through the stone, and I took shelter behind yet another statue. The silence of the goddess¡¯ughter was all the confirmation I needed to know that my ploy was working. Like the action games of the old world, this would be a battle of patience and attrition where I used the enemy to damage objects in the environment in the hopes of unlocking the next stage. I just needed to repeat this. My goal was to wear it out and, at the same time, potentially destroy future opponents that could be born from the stone. Enraged, the Manticore fixed its baleful eyes at me, the serpent¡¯s head hissing with new malice. More gobs of stone-eating liquid flew my way, but, as always, I made sure to keep behind a statue. Again the creature charged, knocking over yet another statue and hurting itself in the process, to boot. I was hit by a concussive fragment of stone, which took out a chunk of my Health. But my Drain spell was still eating away at its very life force, and this stolen vitality was recovering my Health. The creature shook itself from itstest failure. At this rate, the creature¡¯s end, like all things that bled and died, was inevitable. Iasis knew of this truth. ¡°Enough! Very well, you pass this stage of the trial!¡± cried the goddess, her words an imperiousmand. She pped slowly at my sess, grudgingly even, and the Manticore mysteriously faded into the silken shadows. The midnight lines of the Drain spell that joined me to the monster suddenly snapped, as if cut by an invisible de. Doubting her words, for this stage of this so-called trial had been surprisingly easy to ovee, I narrowed my eyes, looking toward where the monster had vanished before a new script filled my inner sight. You havepleted a Divine Ordeal. You have gained 200 experience. Perhaps the godling was telling the truth, but what she said next was as from relief as mirage was to the true water of an oasis. A mischievous expression yed about her face before she announced, ¡°Very well done. Indeed, I did not expect one of my sister¡¯s ownto actually use their little brain. It¡¯s always purge the unclean, burn this, and burn that¡­¡± she yed with her hair, twirling it in her fingers before she smiled at me. ¡°But have you the mettle toplete my next Test, I wonder?¡± she broke offughing, a melodious tinkle that irked me to no end. The Manticore had been objectively dangerous, but not something I could not have ovee with a strong arm and a sharp wit. Indeed, a part of me was disappointed that I had not been given a chance to finish the thing off. I had suffered minimal damage and had even absorbed two points of Mana from my exchange with the winged terror. Wings that it had, thankfully, never gotten to utilize, for had we fought where it could have used the advantage of flight, the oue may well have been very different. The crack of stone splitting shook me from this line of thinking, and drew me back to the task at hand. The sacred task of defying the Goddess and surviving this damnable trial. The hall shook as the sound of worn gears and ancient machinery filled the stale air. All except two of the remaining statues sank into the floor, as if being absorbed by quicksand. From one of the remaining statues, a new threat presented itself. A threat that positively towered, reaching almost as high as the ceiling. A hulking metal faceless thing that was shaped in the vague approximation of a gigantic man, but with sharp lines and oblique angles. No bestial roar came, for the construct had no mouth to scream its challenge. There was only the screech of ancient pitted iron as the unnatural abomination stood upon thick pirs that could be construed to be its legs. Fear and shock had long left me now, just a dull weariness remained that hid a smoldering ember of hate. I just wanted to get this over and done with, and I spent a precious point of Mana to measure the new threat. Iron Golem - (Automata lvl.12) Health: 1059/1059 Stamina: --/-- Mana: --/-- Like the undead Praxis Guard I had encountered before, the Iron Golem had neither Stamina nor Mana points. At a guess, this probably meant that it did not rely on Stamina for its basic lotion. Theck of a Mana points, I intuited, meant that it possessed no will or consciousness of its own, not unlike a pre-programmed machine. It did, however, still have a prodigious amount of Health thatpletely overshadowed my own, and since it was a metal construct, I doubted my Drain spell would work upon it. ¡°One of the finer creations of one of my own creations. The old Gnomes always had a way with their inspirations. You will not defeat the Giant of Iron by running around like a little mouse,¡± Iasis chortled yfully, her voiceing from somewhere behind me, tempting me to look back. I resisted the urge to turn in her direction. An indistinct yearning slowly emerged from within the deep recesses of my mind, crystallizing into a nearly palpable thought of a deeper hunger. A burning need to reduce this lump of metal into molten g. Rust, and its need to consume the banquet before it. It had consistently eluded me before, as slippery as a wet eel, but now it pleaded to be invoked. If I had only realized sooner, I could have turned the Undead Praxis Guard into so much dust and avoided a desperate struggle. But these were merely thoughts of what could have been, what should have been. Regrets had once held me captive, keeping me on the path of passable mediocrity. To give ear to them would be but a waste of time and emotion. They had no ce in the here and now, in this world where civilized society would not shield me. Somehow, I forced down a burst of recklessughter that would have no doubt riled Iasis, possibly causing her to twist this Test against my favor. Impending triumph yed its anthem within my mind as I began the motions to cast Rust. The dead sybles of an unknownnguage formed the spell in my mind. The voice of the spell resonated alongside mine, delighting in the anticipation of soon feasting upon fresh bounty. Just as men were often victims of their own hubris, so too did the gods often misjudge the capacity of mortals. Book 3: Chapter 2: Testament Book 3: Chapter 2: Testament Under intense scrutiny, some things be vague and indistinct, while others take on a perfect crystal rity. - The Human Question, by Gideon de Svia 378 A.C. A Power and hunger that knew no bounds burst from me on wings of ck lightning. I had be a willing conduit for eldritch forces far beyond mortal ken. I was rewarded with the savage disy of an elder god¡¯s wrath. Incandescent light, bright enough to banish the darkness, and the cloying stench of ozone filled the air as my magic consumed the Iron Golem with wanton glee. Even at this distance, I could feel the heat as the air around the giant threatened to burst into mes. For a few moments I waspletely hypnotized, the disy before me an energetic show of one of the most primal powers of the universe. There was a truth to be found here, if only my soul could grasp it. However, the temperature continued to rise and fearing for my own safety, I backed off as several metric tons of iron bonded with the air itself in a release of white-hot energy. After what seemed like an eternity, but could have only been minutes, a solemn silence filled the underground temple of the Mother of Monsters. A silence that was only broken by the hiss and crackle of superheated stone. A notification filled my inner vision and, soon after, a sense of aplishment filled my heart. Rust, oh elusive rust, you had grown to be more than just a simple curse spell. You havepleted a Divine Ordeal. You have gained 200 experience. You have gained 1 Luck. Then, of all things, I felt cheated. What of the experience for killing the iron giant? Anger, that dubious and unthinking friend, perched itself upon my shoulder before the logical part of my mind presented an answer that drove it away. Like the Praxis Guard, the Golem had been a construct, a mere thing without life and soul. This all but proved one of my earlier hypotheses on the variable nature of experience. To gain experience, in any meaningful amounts, I needed to have unique experiences. And every life that I took, was by its very nature unique. Along with the increase to my Luck attribute, the spell had given me the brief joy of utterly trivializing what should have been an epic struggle. But what truly gave me savage delight was the look of perplexity on Iasis¡¯ face. An expression that I would keep as a private treasure, only to look upon and sample when the fancy took me. Invite and mine. Mine and mine alone. But too soon did it fade, like the morning mist, to be reced by a stony countenance. The gods of this world were not perfect, they were wed. Nothing more than children granted power that should have never been theirs. ¡°What manner of pyromancer are you? To ovee such a mighty servant of an old creation with such ease?¡± asked the goddess of me, unable to hide the growing incredulity in her voice, ¡°Only a mortal who grows close to the end of their Ma¡¯at couldmand such puissant fire, yet I sense that you do not seek the frenzy hidden within the mes¡­¡± Indeed, the gods of this world, at least this one, were not omniscient. This was a far cry from their portrayed perfection in my world, as espoused in the books of modern misguided religious practice. And if they were wed, they were unworthy of reverence and through their ws they could be manipted. They could be bargained with. It was worth a try. ¡°I will answer, if you will first answer a question of my own,¡± I returned, hoping my voice sounded steady and sure. Iasis arched an eyebrow in mock amusement before nodding her assent with a royal¡¯s authority. ¡°What of mypanions? Those who were near me when I was attacked by that worm of the desert, are they alive and well?¡± I realized that, thinking of mypanions even now, in the face of such a terrible being, spoke well of my character. Perhaps I truly was the hero of my own story after all. Floating sinuously through the air, shepleted a loop around me, her eyes roved over me as if inspecting for any hidden mystery before she replied, ¡°Of all the questions you would ask of a Divine, you would first seek to merely assuage your worry of yourpanions? I had expected something along the lines of how to achieve greater heights of power, or the secret to immortality. How terribly virtuous of you¡­ and such a banal question, too. Refreshingly so.¡± ¡°We are more than just selfish desire,¡± I snapped, the vehemence in my voice shocking even me. ¡°As expected of a servant of my sister, oh so very sure of yourself. Of what makes you, you. This will only make marking you as one of my own even more satisfying. Very well!¡± she pped her hands together in false delight before finally answering my question, ¡°Let it be known that Iasis is generous with her grace. They live, for now. Brought deeper into the desert by the Guardian, they clung to its hide like parasites. Exhausted from its duty, the worm returned to the depths. Even now, they travel towards this ce, though how they still cling to life is a mystery, even to me. Ever has your kind been one of my more tenacious creations.¡± Relief flooded through me and I uttered my gratitude, ¡°You have my thanks.¡± My friends were safe, and I had not failed in my current quest to escort Larynda to Al-Lazar. ¡°Be that as it may. You have yet toplete my Test,¡± she breathed huskily, and I felt myself drawn by her intoxicating influence. ¡°I must choose a suitable opponent for a powerful mortal such as you. Something¡­ something poetic,¡± she drawled, running a finger across the line of my of my jaw before yfully tapping me on my nose. My sword would not strike a futile blow against that which it could not touch, nor would my teeth gnash against themselves in frustration, for I had long gone past the point where such petty provocation would get a rise from me. Still, my free hand formed an iron fist and I found myself gripping my trusty weapon tighter. I would seed at this Test, and onlye out stronger. ¡°Yes, I have just the thing! Your final trial and a suitable reward, should you ovee it. I am most generous, am I not?¡± she voiced with an intonation that demanded worship. It was a powerful thing, the influence of god, a mesh of soft womanly wiles and the hard steel of irresistiblemand that threaded through her voice. I felt myself start to give voice to a word of praise and thanks, but stopped myself. My pride would not allow me to do so. Inparison to the power of my patron, the source of dark, otherworldly magic, Entropy, hers was but a pale shadow. ¡°You do yourself proud. I see that you are made of sterner stuff. This will be thest Test. Come prove to me your worth,¡± she eximed, an echo to her voice that reverberated with heavy portent. From thest statue, an amorphous blob was born from the living stone. It shrunk in size, condensed and turned into liquid, before taking on the rough texture of mud or earth. Like y. From this ball grew four limbs and a head. As it slowly took on more detail, I could see that it was molding itself into a vague approximation of a humanoid form. It began to take on moreplexity, growing ever more sinister in its appearance. I yearned to strike this thing down as it was being created, before it could bepleted, but something held me back. It would be wrong to strike down an unborn child. It would be perverse. It would be unjust. These thoughts, however, were not my own, and the choir of voices within mored in protestation. A suggestion snuck through the alien thoughts to the fore of my mind, an image of the raw stuff of Entropy. Holy Aura would not serve me well here. The next opponent would require something darker, something more powerful. The auric light faded slowly, and with it my primary source of illumination. The orange red glow of Golem¡¯s body was all that was left, and even that had begun to slowly fade as my Rust spell continued to consume the remains. Divine purpose and the sense of righteousness was reced with something more familiar. I readied the threads of Mana and cast the spell. Entropic Aura pulsed from me, and I felt a serenity, an eptance of my ce in all existence. Though I was finite and had an end, I was also the end. Finally, I was able to break from my fugue of inaction and false sense of fairness. Using the Dash skill, I closed the distance between us and raised a blow, fueled with the strength of Power Strike at what I thought was the y figure. My weapon was parried by the y creation¡¯s weapon, and the first note of steel meeting steel rang in the air. Even in the questionable light, I could see that its sword was identical to my own. I took a step back to gaze upon the figure that had been born from the y or living stone. It looked back at me through a visored helm, fashioned in the same style as my own, with cold disdain. What was once stone and y, was now a thing d with heavy steel, shadow, and dark ambition. In time to the waves of my own Entropic Aura, it emitted identical gray waves of its own that brushed and flowed against mine. It was in a way apliment, I thought somewhere in the back of my mind. Of all the mighty monsters that Iasis could have chosen for her final Test, she had chosen that I fight a mirror image of myself. A reflection and testament of my own might. For a second, it looked down at what was left of the golem and drew inspiration from it. The thing had been born, but a few seconds ago, and I could sense that it was already learning. And learning quickly. Wary, I kept my distance, which proved almost to be my undoing. ck lightning flowed from its outstretched hand, intertwining with the pulses of our Entropy as raven dark energytched onto my armor. Gritting my teeth, I expected a world of pain, girding myself tounch ast suicidal spiteful attack even as I cooked within my armor. But there was nothing. There was no spike of pain, nor was I turned into a zing congration of metal. Absolutely ineffective, the ck lightning wove and coursed futilely about my person. Stupidly, the thing cast Rust on me again, but to no effect, as the energies of the spell simply washed over me. Iughed in unrestrained glee at the lesser me¡¯s disy of foolishness. It had even inherited my habit of making the same mistake twice. I understood now why the voices had prophetically advised me to use my Entropic Aura. The Aura had been the shield that had nullified my mirror¡¯s power. I knew it to be so. Before it could cast another spell, I redoubled my attack, our des shing in a song of sparks. I would enjoy this contest with the most perfect of sparring partners. Book 3: Chapter 3: Reflection Book 3: Chapter 3: Reflection Money is arguably one of human civilization''s most impactful inventions. Born from human necessity, it quickly permeated every corner of the known world, being adopted by almost every race in Gesthe. Money fuels trade, serving as the cornerstone of prosperity and progress. Truly, its evolution is fascinating, from the initial exchange of rare shells to the minting of copper, bronze, silver, and gold coins. Yet, it is the Shareholder Houses of Al-Lazar that have truly revolutionized the concept. They ingeniously adopted mere paper scraps as a representation of value for easier trade. What makes this system striking is its straightforwardness. These notes can be exchanged for gold or other precious metals at the city¡¯s treasury, establishing a mechanism rooted almost entirely in trust and upheld by the city''s vast resources. Termed as "promissory notes," their poprity is surging among cities that engage in trade with Al-Lazar. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. Stroke for stroke, counter, parry, strike, and sh. It was my very mirror. Its very existence was a problem, a test and a divine ordeal. At its very essence, it posed the quandary - how does one defeat oneself? Like many things in life, the solution was simple, yet the execution was far from it. A simple answer to a simple problem. You just had to be the better version of yourself. ¡°A small hint for you, child of mortals. It will not be through violence, nor through magical might, that this Test is ovee,¡± dered the goddess imperiously, floating upon high. Our des met again, locking clumsily, and we were both off-bnce from having put too much power into our blows. She shrugged casually as she moved through the shadows and flickering darkness. ¡°Never did you mortals learn to listen,¡± she sighed exasperatedly. Distracted, a slow parry on my part caused a small shock of pain as the metal of my enemy¡¯s weapon smashed against my upper arm. It was a good thing that my Health was so high, as the force of the blow, I am sure, would have been debilitating, armored or not. Instead, an abstract ten points were subtracted from my Health pool. Angrily, I replied in kind, striking at its knee-joint, causing it to lose its bnce and crash to the ground. However, my follow-up blow failed to end things. My mirror dodged the descending de, rolling away. We were not equal after all. This thing, for all of its mimicry, fought like a machine. There was no anger behind its blows, just cold, calcted reaction. I switched grips with my weapon, holding it like a hammer now to better deal with an armored opponent. My mirror did likewise, and I smiled beneath my helm. As there was no emotion, so too there was no true thought behind its actions, no real n. It was only reacting. I almostughed at the bitter irony. This Gilgamesh-thing was indeed a perfect mirror of myself. My old self, that was. The old me that could do nothing more than to react to circumstance, that never thought of tomorrow. Always dealing with one problem without thinking about the next. The old me was weak. The old me was dead, dead from exposure, sliced from navel to neck in the arena, or crushed under the very earth itself. Our strikes became less elegant, but more punishing. We dealt ringing blows against each other that dented our thick armor. The underground temple to the Mother of Monsters sounded like a cksmith¡¯s forge as we beat each other into shape. As we fought, it was like I was being made anew. Being nearly my equal made it the perfect sparring partner. You have gained 1 Dexterity. There it was, the key to my victory and the release from this underground hell. Unlike the pseudo-me, and the other artificial creations of this ce, I had the capability for elerated growth. It was a slim advantage, but one that would be more pronounced as the contest continued. But with such a closepetition, the hand of fortune¡¯s favor would heavily influence the scales. I would need to massage the odds in my favor with a better strategy. I shifted to a more defensive mindset, focusing on avoiding the swift iing blows, conserving my own Stamina and letting my mimic to waste more of its. Its hammer descended in a predictable arc, which I dodged, and the head of the weapon smashed into a plinth and sent stone chips scattering. Evading the attack had been easy, for I had seen the action telegraphed in my arms and the set of my shoulders, its arms and its shoulders. It was a w that Cordelia had warned me of before, that my movements were toorge andcked subtlety. They were too straightforward and honest. Seeing myself from an outside perspective made it easy to see the truth in her words. My retaliation came swiftly, a simple Power Strike enhanced blow that smacked into its helm, stunning it. Again, and again, I repeated this move until my vanquished foey still at my feet. Notifications filled my inner sight, but I paid them scant attention as I raised my hammer weapon to end this trial. ¡°CEASE!¡± cried out the voice of divinity, forcing my arm to stop, the limb suddenly feeling alien and apart from me. No matter how I struggled, it felt like themands I was sending to my arm were simply being ignored. Utterly frozen, I could do nothing as the goddess floated closer to me. Always. Those in power only y games that they have already won, I thought to myself as I snarled in aggression. ¡°No, no, no. This is not how it should have been done,¡± pouted Iasis, ¡°You were meant to fight each other for a bit before you realized the futility of fighting yourself. It was meant to teach you something!¡± ¡°Teach me something, you say!¡± I spat back, my helm causing my voice to sound hollow. Rolling her eyes, she exined, ¡°Yes, you were meant to sheathe your sword and the mimic would have done likewise. It is meant to be a mirror of yourself! Have you not read of the tales!? Honestly!¡± ¡°Tales!? What tales? You speak in riddles and bend and break the rules that you have made, like a spoiled child. You have me dance to your tune, and I will suffer it no longer. Strike me down and end this farce, I grow tired of it all,¡± I answered, all the while using this time to check my notifications. You havepleted a Divine Ordeal. You havepleted the Test of Iasis You have gained 200 experience. You have gained the Mark of the Adapting Helix. You have learned Frenzied Strikes (lvl.1). You have learned Swords (lvl.3) You have learned Hammers (lvl.4) You have gained 1 Strength. From my notifications, this divine trial had certainly taught me something. Control returned to me as the experience flowed into my being. As powerful as they were, the gods of this world could be defied. If one was strong enough. ¡°Ignorant¡­ and so melodramatic are you, human, but I guess I did after all make you in my own image,¡± she sighed, rolling her eyes. Her voice grew serious and stern, ¡°If I wished you dead, you would be. I tolerate your presence because you are amusing, and because I have a use for you. Be that as it may, I will not tolerate RUDENESS!¡± eximed the divine. The anger left her as quickly as it came, for her expression became bright and joyful. She pped her hands together, her eyes lighting, ¡°You have passed the Test! Which makes you worthy of receiving my Mark. Oh, how delightful. This has not happened for, ah yes, centuries! Well done, now the Hul Abba, my servants will allow your passage!¡± she praised, her enthusiasm almost infectious. ¡°Now, im your prize! Quickly¡± she intoned. I sought my ¡®prize¡¯, scanning all the corners of this room, only to see the pseudo-me swiftly revert to an amorphous blob. The liquid began to vibrate, creating ripples that distorted and distended it into strange shapes. Then corners formed, and new wooden textures formed along the surface. Slowly, it began to take the rough shape of¡­ a trunk or chest. ¡°Quickly, before it finishes its transformation. Touch it!¡± insisted the goddess,mand etched into every syble of her voice. I found myself drawing closer, my hand reaching for what was left of my defeated foe. Making contact with its wooden surface, I felt a connection more intimate than anything I had ever felt before as I imed what was rightfully mine. My heart raced, pounding in my chest, as a strange, fiery desire enveloped me. And then, with an abrasive suddenness, pain, that most unwee of guests, imposed itself upon me. Book 3: Chapter 4: Symbiosis Book 3: Chapter 4: Symbiosis It is perseverance through the darkest of times that truly marks the souls of the greatest of men. As the tide rises, carrying with it every ship in the harbor, so too does a man''smitment to the realm elevate all those around him. In pursuit of a brighter dawn, one may offer a lifetime to the forging of a just and noble society. And though the shadow of mortality may im him before he beholds the fruits of his toil, his legacy left behind is a bettered world. In the face of the abyss, where hope might seem but a fleeting wisp, those who tether their hearts to just purpose shall, indeed, find a profound fulfillment. - The Human Question by Gideon de Svia 378 A.C Even through ayer of steel, alien memories and more entered my consciousness in an overwhelming wave that sent me reeling. Senses that I did not possess, feelings that were not mine, traveled across the bridge of my touch with the Mimic. The collected thoughts of the monster flowed into me in a frozen fraction of eternity. Impressions of shape, sensations, and purpose blossomed in my mind, giving birth to the alien idea of its essence. It was an ambush predator. A monster that preyed on man¡¯s greed and curiosity, it lured them with the promise of rare and valuable treasures, only to snap shut the jaws of its many-fanged trap. A creature of shadow and ck. Its kind lived in long-forgotten ces of the world - in the ruins of lost civilizations, forgotten temples, and the other darker ces of the world. From the moment it had been born, it had known only one thing. A deep, overwhelming need to consume. And consume it did, from simple rocks and nts, to that greatest delicacy of all - warm yielding flesh. Every day was a battle, and it fought to consume, to consume and to grow. It grew, even eating others of its own kind, such was its all-consuming need to grow and change. As was the nature of Mimics, a seed of consciousness began to form within, and with it a new ability. The nascent creature learned to change its shape, taking on the properties of the things it had consumed. It learned to wait to conserve its energies to bide its time. It learned to change its shape in order to lure its prey. It became a fully fledged adult Mimic. The taste of solid steel and hardened leather mixed with blood, bone, and scrumptious innards was, for the Mimic, a feast of experience. With each bite, it could feel and taste new things, new sensations. It saw things, things that made it want something more. Of all of its kind, the mimic before me had be truly apart and different. The old hunger, the need to consume, though still an insistent thing, lost its edge ofmand. It wanted to feel the sun, to feel the wind, to be outside of the ever-darkening gloom. Life began to lose its vor, as food no longer held its interest. With no appetite, it began to lose its drive to live, and an unusual mise fell upon the creature. This state that it found itself in was an aberration. For Mimics, their hunger was a very intrinsic part of them. The driving force behind their existence. A deep ennui overtook this creature, for life had lost its luster. Oh, how it wished to see the world outside. Food began to taste like ashes, and disinterested, the creature began to ignore its once delicious prey. As the mimic began to starve, consuming itself from within, it prayed to its mother, the Mother of All Monsters, for salvation from its stagnation. The fickle Divine decided to entertain this strange creature''s prayer. Iasis, seeing that this Mimic was unique among its own kind, gifted it with something equally unique, and something that only she could give. Iasis tampered with its life-script, the helix that preordained the shape of all life. She promised it delivery from the hell of its own self-imposed suffering, to give it a new world with a potential bond, the Gir-Shanu, the Change, promising it a host. And today, the Goddess had finally made good on her promise. A lull in the flow of memories let me slip back into the here and now, back into myself. The thing was sending out tendrils of consciousness, seeking out a form of symbiosis. Let me help was the mental impression I received across my bond. In my mind the creature formed the shape of my missing shield, dredging it from my recent memories. It was the very picture of what I needed right now. The thing, it seemed, was trying to be useful. Sifting through my memories, it then formed words, gleaning them straight from my mind, in an effort tomunicate. The Mimic¡¯s thoughts and desires became known to me. It even wanted a name, of all things. To my growing horror, I saw that something else had been flowing into me, organic grey threads that pulsed in time to the beat of my heart. Thest of the threads slipped through the gaps in my armor, their invasive presence working their way through my being. Of the chest shape that had been its budding chrysalis, only a thin brittle ash-like substance remained. The goddess looked down as her gift fused with me, crowing with delight as she sped her hands together. In counterpoint to my horror, the power and strength such a fusion, such a true symbiosis could bring me was truly tempting, but in exchange I would be losing myself. I would be something different. And, thest thing I needed was another voice in my head. The dark things in my mind, the current residents, agreed with me, and together we hatched a n to lure it in deeper into the halls of mind. The crux of our ny with my Drain spell. With the old Beastmaster Abas Yar, I had taken something from him when I had cast the spell with a touch. And what more intimate touch was there than the joining of minds? The voices exined that the spell Drain was more, much more than the simple transfer of vitality. It was the subtle consumption of a being''s very essence, the thing that made them, them. The transfer of memories gave evidence to this fact. But how could I target a thing that was within? The very notion was so steeped in the mystical that my modern enlightened mind could find no starting point of reference on how to even begin. We will do it for you, the dark choir promised, their voices loud and insistent in the hollows of my mind. All I would need to do was cede a little control to them, just a little, and together we would exact our revenge on the things that sought to control us. I found myself agreeing. Better the devil, you know. Besides, the voices sounded familiar, like a long-lost friend, and had, as of yet, never steered me wrong. Together, we sent out feelings of warmth and eptance, and the voices opened up a door to the inner parts of my mind. Innocently, the mimic epted our mental invitation for congress, passing into the area we had prepared for its demise. The jaws of the trap closed as its main consciousness sought to meld with my own. The dark choir opened the floodgates when it was at its most vulnerable. They assisted me in channeling raw Entropy, the foundation of my power, into the mana-form of a mostplicated spell. As this energy surged, the void whispered madness, as something was simultaneously drawn away in a chaotic symphony; the intrinsic identity and the essence of the Mimic. It was they, and not I, that cast the threads of the Drain spell, each tiny threadtching onto a string of the Mimic¡¯s conscious thought before hungrily tearing into it. It was takenpletely by surprise, for human duplicity was still a foreign concept to it, and it could have never predicted this moment. For a second, I felt its fear before it waspletely overwhelmed, as its consciousness was sucked out of it and lost to the ether. I had, for all intents and purposes, destroyed its consciousness and whatever it was that made the Mimic a Mimic. I shrieked internally in delight for a victory imed, though the understanding of how I did what I did was fleeing me. I was me, and not an us. I was a human, and not some sort of amalgamation of man and monster. I was pure. Up above me, Iasis crowed happily as she floated inzy circles. With a smile, her divinity descended, stopping just above head height. ¡°Wonderful, now truly you are stained in my colors. I have beaten my sister on this turn!¡± she crowed with childish joy. She doesn''t know. She doesn''t know. She doesn''t know. I kept repeating myself like a mantra in my head, fighting back a smile of satisfaction. The gods were not omniscient and it seemed that even they could even be tricked. ¡°Now, I guess there is nothing for it but to be on your way. Your very existence will be a walking prayer to me, the greatest of Divines. Know it to be an honor and a gift,¡± she intoned. ¡°I live but to serve,¡± I answered wearily, d that my helm hid my features. ¡°How delightful, I see that the Change has transformed you for the better. Much better. I see you have finally learned some respect, even if it makes you a little less interesting¡­¡± she pouted prettily. ¡°One of Vari¡¯s virgin whores waits for you on the sands with a few other mortals. You would do well to end her, or perhaps do whatever you wish with her¡­ Ah, and there is a new den of your kind at the end of the long water. You may go there and spread my glory. Go forth then, my Gilgamesh, you will find safe passage from the Guardians and the Praxis down that path. Remember to always take the left,¡± Iasis instructed, pointing imperiously to a passage that had mysteriously opened behind the altar dedicated to her. Momentster, she faded from sight. Her words hit me like a ssh of water in the desert, and relief settled awkwardly upon me. So engrossed was I in my struggles that I had forgottenpletely about mypanions. Up until now, a part of me had thought them dead, swallowed by the great worm. If I had, however, thought about things rationally, I realized my quest to escort Larynda had not failed, which meant that she was still alive. And, if the girl was still alive, then it would have meant that others who had been in proximity to her were also. It was high time to focus on the path before me. Pushing down my concern for mypanions, I peered ahead and could barely see the passage, for the glow of the golem corpse had dimmed considerably. Nheless, I forced myself to walk on, d that I had a means to get out of this dark and forsaken ce. I had had enough of the gods for a moment, sworn promise of vengeance or no. For a few moments, I considered recasting my Holy Aura, but thought better of it because of recentpany. I had to at least keep the thin veneer of acquiescence, or the Goddess might be less amodating. With my heart burdened by recent events, I lumbered on with a nk of metal, starting upon this dark path with no small amount of trepidation. With no good source of light, my hand guided the way as I felt along the unnaturally smooth stone walls. Once I judged I had traveled a suitable distance, I decided to finally take stock of my situation. In need of light, I pushed down the hungry pulse of Entropic aura, a pulse that had grown to follow the beat of my heart, and released Holy Aura. Determination filled me, a sense that I was doing right, and the light of the spell illuminated the way. Under the light of divinity, I took inventory. I had my weapon, a lethal thing capable of warding off the mightiest of monsters in my hands, a well-made dagger and a fancy crossbow that was useless without any bolts. As for supplies, in my pouch were a few bits of travel food, some coin, and potions in their metal vials. However, most importantly of all, was the half a sk of water at my hip. How long would I need to travel before I could find a source of water? Iasis had disappeared before I could ask her any relevant questions to my current situation. The gods of this world were certainly stingy in their aid¡­ Where was the mimic? Was the thing inside of me and eating at me from within? The potential horror of the situation ranps in my mind as I searched for its presence, and felt a shifting under the skin of my hand. Quickly, I removed my gauntlets and touched the hand that had made contact with the monster. It looked normal to the naked eye with no unusual markings, but I could feel something new, but now unquestionably dormant, within me. Then, tendrils of something vile undted just under the skin in rippling patterns that thoroughly disgusted me. I had to stop myself from dry-heaving, thoughts of this moving within my hand almost unmanning me. Hissing through my teeth, I prepared myself for what I had to do next, grateful that I had kept enough Mana in reserve for a Heal spell. Raising my de, I brought it down to sever the infection that had taken root in my hand, thest of the taint that was Iasis¡¯ gift. Book 3: Chapter 5: A New Point of View Book 3: Chapter 5: A New Point of View The Whispering Wastes, at least from the mouths of the more intrepid adventurers tell, has hidden depths beneath its shifting sands. They speak of a cavernouswork of tunnels, bored out by the Guardians of the wastes and of rivers, not of water, but of sand that flows beneath the surface. They tell tales of people who have never seen the light of the Sahel, our glorious sun, who have made such a ce their underground home. Others whisper of cannibalistic and backward troglodytes, far removed from ourmon ancestry, who prey on each other and the monsters that dwell beneath the surface. But all of them speak of the vast treasures of an ancient civilization and a gateway into the deeper darkness. A path to the mystical realm of the Everdark. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. Hesitation, the source of all failure, leeched power and speed from my blow. My sword was slowed in the final fractions of a second before it was stopped by ayer of wood and metal that grew with sudden speed from the joints of my wrist and formed just above my arm. From near my wrist, an organic mix of wood flecked with dull metal burst forth tendrils that formed a shape. The shape of a small round shield. Dumbstruck, I could only pause in shock as the edge of my de cut into this new shield. Messages and notifications then floated across my vision, obstructing my view. Blocked, my sword had bitten deep into the strange wood, but not nearly enough to cut through it and sever my wrist. I had beenpletely protected from harm. You have learned Monster Taming (lvl.1) Your Entropic Mimic has learned Adaptive Defense (lvl.1) Your Entropic Mimic has learned Shield Form (lvl.1) There it was before me, the unnatural shape of my curse and mytest parasite. Had my humanity been taken from me, making me a monster, an unnatural and alien thing? I would grieve if I had any tears left in me, I thought to myself with a bitter mentalugh. The thing living inside me, was it a separate entity? Or I had be partially a monster? Perhaps it was a little bit of both. I had envisioned that the invasion would be finished once the voices, as promised, had neutralized the Mimic¡¯s influence. But, like all wars, the damage is still felt long after, as this unnatural growth was testament to. Was this supposed to be the Iasis¡¯ gift, a shield made from my own flesh and blood? Then this should be a blessing, and not a curse. A giggle infused with the chaos of the moment escaped me, so overwhelmed I was at the ridiculousness of it all. I scanned my Status, looking for any changes. [STATUS] Calling: Gilgamesh lvl.12 Pdin/Reaver Strength: 30 Dexterity: 26 Constitution: 42 Intelligence: 21 Wisdom: 22 Charisma: 14 Luck: 21 Entropic Mimic [Creature of Entropy - lvl.24] Health: 462/474 Stamina: 58/60 Mana: 1/1 Adaptive Defense (lvl.1): Shield Form (lvl.1) SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.3) Power Strike (lvl.4) 10 Endure (lvl.4) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.3) Dual Wield (lvl.2) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.3) Improved Unarmed Combat (lvl.1) Hammers (lvl.4) ils (lvl.3) Maces (lvl.3) Shields (lvl.3) Medium Armor (lvl.3) Heavy Armor (lvl.5) Axes (lvl.2) Daggers (lvl.4) Throwing Weapons (lvl.2) Double Throw (lvl.1) 5 Shield Bash (lvl.2) 10 Riding (lvl.2) Dash (lvl.1) Swords (lvl.3) Crossbows (lvl.4) Blind-Fighting (lvl.1) Rush Strike (lvl.1) Tracking (lvl.1) Trap Detection (lvl.1) Frenzied Strikes (lvl.1) 30 Monster Taming (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) 5 Rust (lvl.4) 2 Identify (lvl.3) 1 Silent Casting (lvl.2) Mana Regeneration (lvl.2) Purify (lvl.2) 3 Greater Heal (lvl.2) 10 Holy Aura (lvl.3) 2 Decay (lvl.1) 1 Drain (lvl.5) 2 Entropic Aura (lvl.3) 2 Inferno Bolts (lvl.1) 2 GIFTS Curse of Entropy: -20% to all starting attributes. Mark of the Pdin: 10% resistance to Dark/Holy magic. 5% resistance to Physical. Touch of the Void: 10% reduced resistance to Holy/Fire magic, 20% resistance to Mental Effects, 15% immunity to Mental Effects. Mark of the Adaptive Helix: 5% resistance to Physical, Minor Regeneration Experience to next level 812/891 Health256/342 Stamina8/70 Mana10/14 There it was, a new entry on my Status, the list and record of my progress and aplishments. The Entropic Mimic, with all its own mini status within my own. For an irrational moment, jealousy pulsed hot. This creature had taken up precious space in my already cluttered ¡®character sheet¡¯. I took a deep breath, shaken by my almost-self-dismemberment. The will I had worked up to cut off a part of my limb had left me, and the crazy part of me finally stopped giggling. The rational part of my mind was slowly taking over, searching within for anyst remnants of my invader. Finding nothing, not that I would know what I was looking for anyway, I began to think more and more logically, and cold reason took the helm. Like appreciating a pointillist painting, I needed to take a step back and appreciate the whole. Forcing myself to continue, I plodded on in the darkness with the nk of my armor punctuating my steps. I needed to keep moving. Mypanions were waiting for me. Despite her annoying prattle, and putting aside the whole almost dying part, I hade out of the exchange quite well. ying one god''s ire against the other had worked, giving me yet another source of power to work with. I read over the additions again, trying to work out a few answers for myself. First, there was my new skill. Being bonded so closely, at the very much physical level, and perhaps psychic level, had even given me the Monster Taming skill. I had sampled the monster¡¯s life across our mental link and had drunk deep of its memories. For a time its struggles were mine, its hunger was mine. It had felt that I truly was the Mimic. Apart from the feeling of disgust that still lingered, this opened up a whole plethora of new possibilities, provided I survived long enough to make use of the new skill. Or survived its use. My new ¡®pet¡¯, forck of a better word, had its own Status disyed within my own. True to form, this world decided that it would be unsporting to give me more detailed information. All the information I had on my new passenger was its Health, Stamina, and Mana, alongside its new skills Adaptive Defense and Shield Form. Its Shield Form skill was rather self-exnatory, and I had an inkling that the Adaptive Defense had something to do with it suddenly forming a shield in reaction to my attempt at self harm. The name of my new passenger itself was puzzling, Entropic Mimic. Was it just a simple Mimic before it met me, and upon bonding, had been changed somehow? What did the prefix ¡®Entropic¡¯ mean for it? What did it mean for me? More worrying than the name was that, at four hundred and seventy-four, the Mimic¡¯s health dwarfed my own. Was that because it was at a much higher level than me, having lived in an environment filled with constant conflict before its ennui and its encounter with Iasis? Or was it, like the Xaruar, simply because it had a ridiculous Constitution attribute. Most likely, a mixture of both. I vaguely recalled that the monster, before we hadpletely bonded, had wanted to make itself useful. It hadtched onto my recent memories of the loss of my shield. Perhaps, that was the reason it had received that skill? Also, if it had acquired the Shield Form skill, then it stood to reason that there would be other forms and shapes it could learn in the future. The Entropic Mimic had only a single point of Mana. I concluded that this was due to it no longer having a consciousness or true will of its own, having beenpletely suborned by my own. Though I was reluctant to be a host to a parasite, I would use the tools that were given to me. I would be a fool if I didn''t use everything in my power to survive in this world, even if I did not fully understand the ramifications of doing so. From my experience, the gods of this world were rather backhanded in their blessings, after all. The voices, my other passengers, agreed with this assessment. It was yet more fuel to add to the growing pyre of hate, the only emotion that I reserved for false gods of this world. Yes, for false gods they were, and from my experience, far from perfect beings and most definitely not worthy of respect. Still, however they were powerful¡­ For all of this, I could not feel its physical presence within me, either. My limb, for all intents and purposes, felt just like an ordinary arm. I moved it experimentally, testing its range. Yes, apart from the new growth, nothing odd. I willed it back, and felt nothing. Next, I tried imagining my arm and wrist as they used to be, willing it to be so. It felt like learning how to walk for the first time, a clumsy thing, but slowly the new growth receded, disappearing back into my flesh through the gaps of my armor. How convenient, I thought to myself in a moment of ck humor. At least now, I would not need to go shopping for a shield ever again. This new symbiosis was very much one-sided, in my favor. The mimic was effectively dead, its monstrous nature now joined to mine. Or was it simply dormant, and this was its way of making me let down my guard, before it consumed me in my sleep? An existential dread threatened to overwhelm me before the voices soothed it away. The legion within me had done their job, or so they had assured. The choir protected its own against any and all. As I was thinking these thoughts, I saw my Health, along with the Mimic¡¯s, go up a tick. That must be due to the Minor Regeneration effect from the Mark of the Adaptive Helix, the new entry in my character sheet. Though perhaps of little use in a confrontation settled in a manner of seconds, its effects outside ofbat were already making themselves known. What were the biological implications of all this? Was there even one? Wasps had been gifted their stings by an ancient virus, incorporating the alien presence within their very being, across the generations. My symbiosis, was it to be a simr story? Would my future prodigy, if any, be cursed, or blessed, simrly? What was the term for it¡­ mutualism, ormensalism? The scraps of knowledge of my old world, of my old life, had grown distant. Questions within questions, within questions, spiraling pointlessly within my mind. I would have to set aside such things and concentrate more fully on whaty ahead. There was still the option of excising the thing at ater time, if it proved problematic. However, I doubted that I had it within me to actually do the deed. Still, perhaps one of mypanions could do it for me. Fearful of drawing the ire and attention of the goddess, I was leery of using my Holy Aura so close to a ce sacred to her. With no torch to light the way, the path I was on darkened considerably, rendering my vision near useless, the ambient light now nothing more than a patchy feeble glow. The purple veins of glowing mineral that threaded through the walls now illuminated next to nothing and simply emphasized the ominous air and heavy darkness of this ce. Disoriented, I trailed a hand along the left wall, shuffling forward with slow, tentative steps. In this manner, I proceeded a good while, despite a pall of ustrophobia threatening to overwhelm me in the suffocating gloom. Now, hopefully a good distance from the goddess, I channeled my Holy Aura to throw off the dark and to top off thest of my Health. It was bright, too bright, for eyes that had grown ustomed to the dim. Down before me, beyond the circle of my light, I heard the slither and cking sound of something approaching. Empowered by the spell and my divine gifts, thoughts of flight were a distant thing for one such as I, who had been chosen by one of the greater powers of the universe. Being close to level thirteen, I needed the experience, and weed conflict. Whoever, or whatever, it was, mattered not to me. I would not flee,e what may. What had the goddess said about going down the left? Who cared, I would deal with this thing first and then backtrackter. I drew my sword with a new and fierce determination¡­ and this time summoned my new shield. Book 3: Chapter 6: Cultural Exchange Book 3: Chapter 6: Cultural Exchange Of the Mer, the children of the salt and sea, not much is known. It is said in a few academic circles that in ages long past, they enjoyed an alliance with the Children when the Tides were a sea-going people. Some even specte that it was, in fact, the Mer that taught humans how to use the element of water, a im I find patently fantastical. At first nce, the Mer bear some resemnce to humans, much as apes might seem kin to us. They possess a head, torso, two arms, and, peculiarly, two feet. However, the simrities abruptly cease there. The Mer are a diverse people, but their features often belong to the realm of nightmares. Some haverge bulbous, unblinking eyes, while others have none, relying instead on quivering feelers that sample the air for sensory input. Their extremities are webbed, and some even have sinuous tails. Bony spines erupt along their dorsal ridges, providing an otherworldly contour to their forms. The hue of their blood ranges from emerald green to viscous purples and vivid reds, adding anotheryer to their arcane mystique. While some are encased in intricate scales, others have skin as sleek as that of eels. ording to seasoned adventurers, onnd, the Mer make for fearsome adversaries, which leads me to conjecture that in their aquatic realm, they would be nigh unstoppable. An intriguing yet disquieting footnote: their flesh is considered a prized delicacy in the city-state of Al-Lazar, a detail that reveals as much about the Mer as it does about the peculiar tastes of Al-Lazar¡¯s citizens. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. The pitter-patter of unsoled feet on smooth stone, came up from where the enigmatic dark sprawled before me. Shapes coalesced into vague mimicries of men, hunched, twisted, and albino pale. From the path directly in front of me they came, holding crude, primitive weapons. They waved clubs and simple spears at me in obvious threat. A part of me noticed that, for the better part, they did not look directly at me. They were all shying away, or shielding their eyes, from my golden light. Then suddenly, the leading figure, stooped, butrger than the rest of them, howled at me in primitive warning. To their credit, these troglodytes, these crude approximations of the men, did not attack me. Perhaps they were not as stupid as I thought them to be, or maybe they just knew on an instinctual level that I was armored death,e from the surface. Drawing myself to my full height, my head almost brushed the ceiling of the low tunnel, and looked down at them. Seeing them for the pathetic creatures that they were, a flicker of pity stirred within me. Feeling generous, I decided that I would at least try tomunicate with them before I sacrificed them all on the altar for more experience points. I began, as I always did, by casting an Identify on the leader of this ragged assembly. This was soon followed by another cast of Identify on his guttural howls that served as hisnguage. Glod - Troglodyte Ranger (Human lvl.10) Health: 176/180 Stamina: 41/44 Mana: 7/7 What struck me as most astonishing was the ssification of the entity as a human, at least within the confines of this game''s taxonomy. The revtion piqued my curiosity, for at least in my opinion, the game had a rather expansive interpretation of the term "human." Intriguing, indeed, for with such a loose definition, the term itself could suffer from a wide spectrum of abuse. The threads of myst Identify spell came back to me, filling my mind with new meaning. With my increased Intelligence, along with the aid of the spell, I would be able to parse most of his words. Vastly improved, I could sense that the spell was doing more than just tranting the words and inscribing them upon my memory. To me, it felt that it was searching for the very root, the essence of theirmunication. Images and sensations of the ancient Troglodytes filled my mind. I saw their brief lives filled with struggle, every day spent hiding from a burning sun. As thest vestiges of the magic of the spell left me, I noticed that the leader even had the temerity to have a name, Glod. I took a moment to look more closely at this motley group of ¡®humans¡¯, noticing the mismatched series of leather strips and rags that served as their clothing, hiding only, for the most part, their genitalia. Of particr note was the curious way that they shaded their eyes with thin cloth. Light, it seemed, was not unknown here in the realm of the dark. I had been taught in my old world that all cultures were beautiful, all of them equal and special, in their own ways. However, these things in front of me put paid to such fanciful and idealistic notions. I saw the leader turn towards me after conferring with one of his seconds. Feeling that whatever came next might be of some import, I recast Identify to make sure I would understand their words fully. ¡°You havee from the ce of the Darker Dark, Metal Giant. You do not belong here, for you trespass on the territory of the Stone. All must respect the Stone. I say, go back from where you came!¡± the leader stated, waving a club studded with teeth and ws. For added effect, he puffed out his chest, attempting vainly to somehow look down at me despite the disparity between our height. Smiling within my helm, I pointed calmly at him with my sword, the smooth motion a juxtaposition against his erratic movements. Metal Giant, he said. I never considered myself to be exceptionally tall, but here I felt like an adult among infants. He looked at me worriedly, fearing a challenge. I lowered my de to point at the sk I noticed at his hip. Hopefully, it was full of life-giving water. Apprehension danced across his face. It was followed by incredulity, before finally changing into curiosity. Slowly, he understood my meaning and reached for the sk with his free hand, his club finally stopping its motion. Likewise, the others of the group, of whom seven I could see, also stopped waving their primitive weapons. ¡°You want water? Then you will go back?¡± he asked, catingly. Thest threads of my spell slowly faded, and the rest of his meaning escaped me. I found a small tick of anger begin to take root in me, for I found the sounds that served as hisnguage offensive to my cultured ears. Instead of responding, I decided that silence would be the more menacing answer. What came next was a series of nonsensical grunts. No, that was a lie. The grunts were a part of theirnguage. Thinking myself their superior, I had been closing my mind off to actually learning theirnguage. As my mind puzzled over their gestures, their tone of voice, and the lines of their bodies, I was beginning to understand them. Truly understand. With a new cast of Identify, I regained my boosted state of greater rity. Their leader, Glod, took a water skin from one of his group and offered it to me, which I epted. Noticing that his water skin looked a little fancier than the one I had received, I pointed again to it, gesturing for him to hand it over. ¡°Give you my Zlesh Viper water skin? But why¡­? You have the water you want,¡± he asked, looking flummoxed. I did not appreciate being talked back to or second-guessed. ¡°No, Glod! Don¡¯t do it. It is just ying with you, grow a backbone,¡± one of their numbermented. For the life of me, I could not tell if the speaker had been male or female. ¡°Many of us. One of him¡­¡± a more belligerent member opined, swinging a crude sling. A ranged attack might be worrying¡­ ¡°Fool! What if he can¡­¡± a more even-headed member chastised. My precious time was being wasted and my patience was being sorely tested as they refused to give in to my demands. I longed to vent my frustrations on something that was weaker than me. I was severely outnumbered, but from my magical analysis of their leader, I was far from outssed. In this narrow tunnel, the advantage that they had in numbers would be difficult to bring to bear. Annoyed, I decided to change the conditions of our little deal. ¡°All,¡± I barked in my deepest voice. With luck, my Charisma would be high enough to intimidate these pathetic creatures. The leader, Glod, addressed me again, a little patronizingly, ¡°Alright, alright! All of our water skins¡­ but first, we need you to help us. There is a Metal Restless One, wandering close to our homes. Perhaps if you¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± was my sharp reply. A natural response to this stupid overture. These pathetic worms were merely wasting my time. Their problems were not mine, and I was under no obligation to help them. Stubbornly, I did however still want all of their water skins. It was the principle of the matter. I walked up to Glod and loomed over him. I could almost taste his fear. ¡°All,¡± I repeated. I definitely did not like repeating myself. I flipped the weapon in my hand, causing them all to take a step back, and I smashed the hammer¡¯s head against the wall. The force of the blow sent sparks, splinters and fragments of stone flying. There was silence as I pointed once again to Glod¡¯s precious water skin, before slicing it off the crude thing that served as his belt. Then, I pointed to them each in turn with my sword, gesturing at the skins at their hips before pointing downwards with my free hand. ¡°All,¡± I repeated yet again. If they still refused me I would cut them down to a man. The message was clear, for almost all of them threw their water skins down. Slowly they started to back away. Wanting to expedite matters, I smashed my weapon against the wall again, causing fresh sparks to fly. Terrified, they all started to flee. In a moment of rare inspiration, I used Dash and grabbed one of them, a smaller individual, by its long dirty, and matted hair, causing it to scream in abject terror. Completely abandoning theirrade, the rest of them continued to flee back to the ce from which they hade. The fading echoes of their flight served as a testament to their haste. The one I had captured continued to gibber nonsense, most of it howls and grunts interspersed with entreaties for me to spare its little life. It spoke to their strength of character, that they chose to leave one of their own behind, I chuckled to myself. Or perhaps it was simply because their fear of me was just so great? I lifted the creature I had captured off the ground with one hand. Raising it by the hair to eye level caused it to emit fresh new screams and I could not help but grin. My own Strength surprised me, as a feat such as this would have been impossible not long before. The thing continued to bleat out nonsense, causing me to realize that the magic of my spell, Identify, had faded. Recasting the spell yet again, I focused on the troglodyte in front of me. ¡°Please! No! No! I have a family! My brothers and sisters will go hungry without me! After many turns, I finally became a Scout! To end like this¡­¡± the Troglodyte continued to beg. I felt an uncharacteristic shard of sympathy lodge itself in my heart before I mercilessly excised it. Perhaps, a side-effect from my constant use of Identify? Listening intently to the meaning of its words, I began the task absorbing its random therings and let my magic do its work. It was almost as if I was downloading raw data, and the magic of the spell was acting as a sort of key that lifted the encryption. Remembering my time in a cell in Ansan, a brief shiver overcame me. Luckily, my cell had a barred window that gave me a tiny view of a nearby market. There in that cage, I learned the Tradenguage, absorbing words and ideas while behind bars. Inparison to those early days, mynguage learning skills were improving, of that there was no doubt. For the sake ofpletion, I cast another Identify, not on its words, but this time on the prisoner itself, giving me a vague understanding of its physical and mental capabilities. Z - Troglodyte Scout (Human lvl.9) Health: 121/137 Stamina: 32/41 Mana: 10/10 Z the Troglodyte Scout was a non-threat, slightly weaker than Glod, but probably substantially more intelligent than him. If Z¡¯s and Glod¡¯s attributes were anything to go by, they were both generally weak. Perhaps things would have been simpler if I had just rendered them all down for the experience? No, that would not do. A man had to live by the rules that he set for himself. They gave me what I wanted, so I let them live for another day. Sometimes Z would grow quiet. The stream of information from the spell would pause until I violently shook the humanoid, causing it to go on a fresh desperate rant. In this way, and over the course of a few experimental hours, I learned their primitivenguage. Well, at least, I gained a semnce of understanding. The world itself seemed to congratte me. You have learned Identify (lvl.4) You have gained 1 Intelligence Finally, a reward for my efforts. Though no improvements to my maximum Mana, at least not yet, I could already feel the gears within my mind turning that little smidgen faster. I discovered that the troglodyte''snguage was a tonal one. The inflections on certain grunts that served as words changed the meaning of them. From my improved intellect and my magic, I concluded that the Troglodytenguage was also highly contextual. Various ¡®words¡¯ had very different meanings depending on the situation in which they were spoken. In short, it was a very difficultnguage. Odd, indeed, for such a primitive group of people. When I thought I had learned enough of their cave speak, I waited for my prisoner to quiet down before taking a quick nce at my Status. I had only about a third of my Mana left. I ripped off the creature¡¯s cloth shade and looked into its ever-widening eyes which were doing their very best to look away. Taking a deep breath, I spoke to the creature thus in my mostmanding voice, ¡°Z, you will take us to the surface.¡± Book 3: Chapter 7: The Guide Book 3: Chapter 7: The Guide Often I had wondered how my friend had such a firm grasp of strategy and tactics, and ostensibly without any formal training at that. It was games from his childhood, of all things, that had schooled him thus, or so he said. But what sort of games were they from hisnd, that could teach the principles of logistics, battle lines, the correct order of battle, the importance of morale, and so on and so forth? At times, he would speak with profound depth, though in his delivery I could tell that perhaps the words were not his. Yet, in all of my own studies, I have yet to find a single work that could have been his source of wisdom. - From the diary of Damien de Savant. A lifetime of grime and dirt covered the troglodyte, who I could see at such a close remove, was female. Dirty crude skins covered her important parts and small bones jingled in her matted hair, giving her a primitive, and now, dejected aspect. So ugly was she, that were it not for the fact that I had already identified this dweller of the dark as human, I would have seriously considered trying to use my Monster Taming skill on it. One saving grace to all of this was that the creature had stopped struggling. ¡°Take me to the surface,¡± Imanded tly in their simple tongue, infusing my voice with as much menace as I could muster. Her Confusion struggled with her terror for a second. However, it was her curiosity that won out. ¡°Surface?¡± she questioned, eyes growing wide with the unfamiliar word. Oddly innocent, like a child speaking its parent¡¯s name for the first time. ¡°Yes,¡± I responded, drawing out the single syble before pointing upwards. ¡°The ce of the Bright Bright?¡± she eximed, eyes growing even wider in incredulity. Now that she knew that I wanted something from her, she realized that her life was in no danger.. With her fear lessening, she was slowly wing back a semnce of control and confidence. ¡°If that is what you people call it,¡± was my t reply. I decided to not expand upon my answer. Hopefully, she would expand upon this Bright Bright thing for me. ¡°But that,¡± she gulped as if for dramatic effect before continuing, ¡°That is the ce of the fire that always burns, and the winds that cut like des. No, no, no, only demons walk on this surface, ever since the bad times. So it said,¡± she blurted, shaking her head. Annoyed. Irritated. How these emotions could grow. Why was it that they had to talk in riddles? Was it in a pathetic attempt to stir interest in their little lives? Before I knew it, I had wrapped my hands around her throat and was squeezing hard. I noticed that my shield had disappeared to wherever it hade from. I remembered summoning it before my encounter with the Troglodytes, but when had I dismissed it? Damn, this world and its total sted disregard for the naturalws of the universe. Z was choking and spluttering as she feebly struggled. I lessened my grip, letting her take a strangled breath. It would not serve my cause for me to kill my only source of information for this ce. Going forward, perhaps I could curb my slightly homicidal tendencies, if I spoke out the creature¡¯s name. ¡°Z¡± I demanded, themand echoing down into the deep beyond. Z stilled her pointless spluttering. Trembling, she continued on for a while, muttering unintelligible sounds that grated on my ears. I realized that my Identify spell had run out and cast the spell anew, allowing me to catch the tail end of her exnation, ¡°No one goes to the surface, the ce of the deadly Bright. If you go there, metal man, even you will enter the Lonely Dream.¡± This drew a snort from me. I deigned to grace her with an exnation. ¡°From the surface, I havee, and to the surface, I will return. Show me the way, Lonely Dream or not,¡± I said firmly. Hopefully, exasperation had not infected my attempt at being menacing. Was the fool simply prevaricating, buying time while the rest of her people marshaled more of their forces against me? The voices within agreed that it was so, but more to the point, I could feel them urging me to leave this ce. I decided that this little interview had gone on long enough. It was time to expedite things. ¡°Z, take me to the surface, or I will skin and gut you. Slowly.¡± * This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Ten steps became a hundred, and a hundred became a thousand. My guide had been most talkative until we had walked a few thousand more. Her throat parched, Z begged me for water and rest. Even the threat of death could be ovee by the body¡¯s demands. Graciously, I allowed her to drink from one of my recently acquired skins, noting that, at the very least, the water was not poisoned. Not that I would have cared, with my ridiculously high Constitution attribute. Z had spoken of many things. She shifted from entreating me to turn back, to speaking about her family, no doubt in an attempt to win some sympathy, to the asional useful tidbit about the flora and fauna. To all of this, I simply answered with nomittal grunts and the simple tersemand, ¡°Keep moving.¡± Deciding that a break was in order, I took the time to chew on some of my own rations. The Scout ate some of her own before curling into a fetal ball, whimpering for a few seconds before sleep took her. Seeing her like this made me start to think of her as a person, and not just a potential source of information and experience. Like this, I built the foundation of the walls that would allow me to curb my darker impulses. At least, until we reached the surface. I did not rest in the traditional sense. Clearing my mind, or making my best attempt at it, I settled back against the wall into a dazed state of semi-watchfulness. It was not true sleep, but thanks to this, my Stamina and Mana were recovering and ticking steadily upward, albeit at a much-reduced rate. After an indeterminable amount of time, I was granted a reward. You have learned Rest (lvl.4) This disrupted my almost trance-like state, and not a moment too soon, as I heard the slithering sound of smooth scales wandering upon stone. Taking my sword in hand, I kicked Z, causing her to squawk and jump up with fright. Stealth was never an option here, not with the glow of my Holy Aura. Z, in the interest of self-preservation, immediately scuttled behind me. A forked tongue entered my halo of light, followedzily by a scaly diamond-shaped head that would not have been out of ce on arge dinosaur. The head was soon followed by a pale sinuous body, about two doors wide, and so long that it seemed to stretch endlessly into the passage beyond. This new creature had sharp bony ridges along its snout and its eyes were blind unseeing orbs of milky-grey. The rest of its body was dull white, the color of bone left under the summer sun. I heard a muttered mention of Zlesh, the word sounding vaguely familiar to my ears. I needed to know the scope of the threat. There was more to it than this. It was a thirst that went beyond just simple curiosity. Gripping my weapon tightly, I cast an Identify on the monster before me. Zlesh Viper - [Reptile lvl.22] Health: 528/528 Stamina: 47/51 Mana: 5/5 It had a full ten levels on me, and truly represented a real threat. Unlike the joke that was Iasis¡¯ trial, this beast was a real and present danger. Slowly, I backed away, identally bumping into Z. I had note this far to die here. I would cast Drain on the creature, weakening it, and hope that it slowed enough that I would have a fighting chance. There was a reason that humanity stood at the top of the food chain, after all. But Something made me stop. Perhaps it was the way that the creature did not immediately attack, or it could have simply been primal instinct, but something of this world told me that for some mysterious reason, the animal in front of me was not a threat to me. For now, at least. I stilled myself, as the creature came within striking distance, its tongue constantly tasting the air. Holding my breath, I gripped my weapon, my nerves strung taut, as an obnoxious notification yed across my vision. You have gained 1 Luck. Sinuously, the ridged head passed me, followed by its smooth undting body. It was a gigantic serpent. At around ten heartbeatster, I saw arge bulge in its midsection that caused me to breathe a mental sigh of relief. It seemed that the Zlesh had fed recently, and unlike man, or for that matter felines, it would not engage in killing for sport. And then a small part of me felt somewhat belittled that it did not view me as a threat. Once I could no longer hear its slithering movements, I breathed out a true sigh of relief and felt the stress of the moment leave me. Behind me, Z was a trembling wreck, but I soon corrected that situation by cuffing her across the head and kicking her back into gear. Whimpering, she continued walking. The encounter with the Zlesh was a lesson. The powerful did not need to fear the weak. Book 3: Chapter 8: Bread & Water Book 3: Chapter 8: Bread & Water To be a good man is to live with virtue and integrity on the hardest of roads. - A Quassian aphorism. The path ahead curved upwards, bing also more natural in its formation. Here and there, stctites and stgmites grew from the floor and ceiling, asionally meeting to form pirs. Glowing purple lines threaded through the rock here, making the formations look like living blood vessels. It was a sign, as good as any, that this ce was most ancient in its origin. Z was ahead of me, scampering this way and that, chirping the asionalment about our local environs and sniffing the air. After a few moments, she helped to confirm my suspicion that we were close to a source of water. And where there was water, there was food. I was used to privation, but I could no longer ignore the hunger pangs that a few strips of jerky could simply not assuage. ¡°We are close to fresh water. It will taste more like blood as we get closer to the Bright. They say it is because a sky-god bled here once,¡± she informed me, her eyes focused downward, subserviently. ¡°Good. Find it, and we will drink,¡± I returned simply, d that we could refill our skins. Regretfully, not all of the skins had been filled with water. Some had filled with noxious liquid that burned my throat and set my limbs afire. In short, it gave me wings. I would have kept the energizing liquid, but it caused me to sweat a river and left me even thirstier. Regrettably, over half of the skins were of extremely poor quality, fashioned from fragile animal dders that ruptured when their former owners discarded them hastily before taking flight. I had to discard them, as they were unusable. Between us, we had six usable containers, of which three were about half full. Things were not desperate, not yet, but I knew enough to n a few steps ahead. Also, without a way to gauge how much longer it would take to reach the surface, this news was a godsend to me. The ¡®blood taste¡¯ description might be these primitives¡¯ allusion to the heavy metal content in the water. The thought of drinking water with actual blood in it, was on some level, a little repulsive. I pointed at her to go ahead. ¡°Go. Scout out ahead. If you do not return I will find and gut you,¡± Imanded. Gulping, she nodded her head a few times before and she scampered off. Ever since the encounter with the fearsome Zlesh Viper, I felt that she saw me as something of a protector. Those who were weak would always take shelter behind the strong, it was the way of the world. She was used to taking orders. Z returned to my side, with a worried look on her face. ¡°Water, a small watering ce. Clean, I think. But there is one problem¡­¡± ¡°Spit it out,¡± I barked. I kept my responses short as, despite my magical ability to learnnguages quickly, I still only had a very basic grasp of their undergroundnguage. With that in mind, I surreptitiously cast an Identify. ¡°Yes, yes,¡± she continued, surprisingly unfazed, as if she was expecting this response, ¡°There are other things at the water. No big ones, like the Zlesh. We were lucky with the Zlesh, you were wise for not moving. No doubt you saw that it was sated and slowed. The Zlesh are known to move faster than a thrown spear. I saw some Ghostwalker Crabs. They are, of course, no threat to one as mighty as yourself but¡­¡± There was always a but, ¡°They have begun their courtship dances and they will be most territorial.¡± I waited for a few moments, to really absorb her words. Every word was being added to my lexicon as my mind digested them. Having learned onenguage already, the acquisition process had be much easier for me. It turned out that my teachers had been right, up until now, I had just beenzy all along. When your survival depended on it, one picked things up quickly. Finally, I formted a response, ¡°The Crabs, they can be eaten?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± she piped, perking up almost immediately. ¡°They are most delicious. We used to¡­¡± She grew silent as I ended my Holy Aura, the darkness returning as the golden light withdrew. The golden song that had been ying faded, and with it my righteous sense of purpose. For some reason, I felt less sure. The reality of the task of returning to the surface somehow felt like it was bing an impossibility. I rolled my shoulders, cutting off such nihilistic thoughts as my eyes grew ustomed to the dull gloom. My light extinguished, I noticed now that the area we had entered was brighter than where we hade from, with more of the luminous rocks casting their glow. Here the darkness was, by an order of magnitude, far less stifling. Looking in Z¡¯s direction with an appraising eye, I could see that her choice of attire was actually less primitive than I had originally thought. Now, I could see that instead of being a haphazard mix, her ensemble seemed to be a deliberate selection for our current environment. Here in this poor visibility, her garb did a good job of breaking up her outline, its texture and lines rendering her as just part of the background rock. I realized I had overlooked something rather basic. ¡°You. How long before we reach this Bright?¡± I demanded. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it She shifted, seemingly startled. She looked down and to the left before she nervously gave an answer, ¡°The Bright¡­ I would guess four dreams, no eight¡­ eight!¡± I could almost taste the deception in her words. Not only was she lying, but I could only discern the vaguest of ideas regarding how long it would take. I was going on the assumption that a ¡®dream¡¯ was their equivalent to a day, for there was no sun to mark the time here. And here in the dark, my light was her sun. She had, at some point,e to ept that the light of my aura, that had once caused her difort, was actually a sort of shield that protected her from the creatures of the dark. In a way, it did, as it was healing the minor hurts she had acquired along the way. It was not so long ago that she could not look directly at me without squinting her eyes. Though the jury was still out on whether I actually counted her as a person. My stomach rumbled, catching me off guard. ¡°The crabs, I assume you people hunt them, yes?¡± I asked my prisoner. ¡°Yes¡­but¡± she began worriedly. ¡°But nothing. If pathetic creatures like you can kill them, then I can kill them. I will kill them. All of them. Then we will drink from this water. If you are lying or preparing treachery, you know what wille to you,¡± I interrupted, growling in my most threatening voice and causing her to just fearfully nod. Why did going down to get some water have to be so difficult? Why did everything in this world have to be difficult? ¡°Well? What are you waiting for? Show me the way, and be quick about it,¡± Imanded, and I swore she almost jumped to attention before heading off to heed mymand. Scuttling in front of me, she led the way, surefooted in her stride. I, on the other hand, was a textbook example of clumsiness, almost tripping over every rock that I came across. This drew a worried look from my long-suffering guide, so I decided to be a little more careful in my step. Soon enough, the path, or tunnel, opened up into a cavernous area. Here, the purple glow of the ceiling was perhaps fifty meters high. After the ustrophobic space of the tunnels,ing here was almost a wee relief. After an indeterminate amount of time, she gestured for quiet and pointed. Creeping as best as I could, I squinted in that direction, straining my eyes. My ears informed me before my eyes did. What I heard was a roiling crush of heavy bodies colliding, followed by the crash of disced water. Finally, my eyes beheld arge pond, or smallke, of liquid twilight, filled with creatures, dozens strong, that looked like they hade from the darkest part of the ocean. In the center of theke was a pir formed from centuries of redeposited minerals. Alien chittering and clicking noises apanied the sight, the sound akin to that of a deranged maracas. I had found new prey. They, as far as my eyes could tell, fit their name of Ghostwalker Crab almost perfectly. In the half-light, their carapaces were a ghastly pale gray and their many-limbed shadows stretched across the cold stone. They had no eyes, but were instead crowned with four long antennae. The bony sensory organs flicked and waved aggressively, as if tasting the air itself. The giant crustaceans fought against each other in a grotesque disy of dominance and desire, an erratic dance as they circled one another, grasping for purchase or already locked in a deadly embrace. They danced upon the ancient weathered rock of the shore, and in the dark water of theke. Where a chitinous carapace was pierced, sludge and viscera oozed from the wounds. Would the water be potable after such a violentpetition? The monsters'' attention focused solely on their duels. We were able to get a little closer and, hiding behind an outcropping of rocks, we continued to observe them. Holding my breath, I tried to judge the distance between us and the battling Ghostwalkers. My earlier bravado had disappeared like smoke before a stiff breeze, and I scrambled to think of some sort of n to deal with these monsters. Going over my options, I remembered the Kari, that fearsome beast of the Sainba forest. If I could stay hidden, at this range, I could begin to pick them off slowly. I would just have to pray that they did not have a means of detecting the magic I cast on them. ¡°We remain here, I will deal with them,¡± I whispered to my local guide. Z looked at me, perplexed, as I started to prepare a spell. Identify came first, and I cast it like a over one of thergest males, giving me a rough overview of their rtive power. Ghostwalker Crab - [Crustacean lvl.16] Health: 276/332 Stamina: 23/51 Mana: 1/1 Seeing a specimen broken down into numbers was a relief, for, in terms of raw statistics, it was a far cry from the Zlesh, though, still worryingly, a little above my level. More importantly, they had extremely low Mana, which was a sign of low intellect, making them like normal crustaceans. Essentially, they were stupid. Relieved, I prepared to cast my only real direct damage spell. It had been a while, or at least I believed it to be quite a while, for time here under the earth was most fluid, since I hadst cast Drain. Here in the shadowed cavern beneath the earth, a darker shadow formed within and was let loose. Like eager hounds, the lines of power sought their prey, attaching themselves to the nearest source of life energy. I prepared to run, only to put aside such thoughts, as the vibrant song of life filled me with its energy. The voices, my true friends, rejoiced for me. Running was for cowards and weak men. I could see that the spell had substantially improved. The rate at which the creature sped towards its untimely death hastened, as I was empowered. With this magic, I had be invincible. I wanted to fight, to glory in the thrill of the melee. At times like this, I was d to have heavy steel about my head. Its solid weight settled me in some sort of strange way. It also covered what I assumed to be a face consumed by my baser pleasures. I knew that I was not, in fact, as invulnerable as my feelings sometimes led me to believe. These emotions I recognized now to be the influence of my magic, a subtle thing that could deceive by degrees. And this was no time for a ze of savage passion along the knife-edge ofbat, to indulge my base desires, no matter how satisfying that would be. It was a time to deal cold calcted death, slow as that might be. Perhaps if they were human¡­ their screams would be more satisfying to my ears. No, no, these thoughts too were not my own. I would stay here where it was safe, and kill all of them. One by bloody one. Book 3: Chapter 9: Slow & Steady Book 3: Chapter 9: Slow & Steady In the rich tapestry of Al-Lazars Shareholder Houses, the House of Alim stands uniquely storied. Their ancestral tales whisper of a figure, known only as the Shield, a traveler from a realm distant and mystic. Beyond even the burning, treacherous waves of the ss Fire Sea, the people of the long ago im that her origins lie across a sea of the stars. On a world where mankind blossomed in the time of the ancients. Legend suggests that this enigmatic woman, a ve, was a foundational pir of Al-Lazar, instilling her otherworldly resilience into the bedrock of its inception. A truly flightful fancy, but House Alimmands respect and awe amongst its peerage. Every generation has produced formidable warriors that echo their legendary ancestor''s might. - The Fanciful Travels of Beron de Laney 376 AC. Patience was a good a tool as any. A sharp de, it was often mistaken for prevarication and hesitation. I was armed with patience-a-plenty. I was trying to keep perfectly still and the symphony of stolen energies continued to fill me. My spell had changed, improved and evolved. The deeper darkness of its tendrils, which only I could see, would on asion, alsotch onto hostiles near my initial target. Like the tendrils of a carnivorous nt, it spread and drained them of their essence. In short, it had a random area-of-effect now. This was important, as the monster crabs themselves had only one point of Mana. With Drain using twice that, a single crab could not fuel another crabs demise, which meant that I had to rely on my natural rate of regeneration. Despite my Mana Regeneration skill, the whole process was still painfully slow. Foolishly, I was indiscriminate in my use of the spell, and soon enough, some of the badly wounded crabs began to fall. Stupidly, the males continued to battle each other, but now some of the smaller specimens, perhaps the females, pulled their corpses to the shores of the undergroundke and began to devour their remains. One of the males, weakened by my magic, had grown lethargic, his movementszy and leaden. His opponent, a smaller but faster crustacean, saw that his strength was gging, and moved to pin him down with both of his fearsome ws. Somehow, the defeated monster signaled submission, causing the victor to release him. It was not natures way to kill in contests such as these. If contests such as this resulted in death then it would be an overall loss for the species. No, thesepetitions were merely disys of strength, designed to attract females and to produce strong spawn. but neither I nor my magic cared anything for that. The loser was consumed by my dark magic and I received my experience, fueling my progress. Without any drama or fanfare, I earned my next level, driving me to level thirteen. A most auspicious number. Needing a boost in my magical abilities, I ced all my attribute points into Intelligence and the single skill point into the Mana Regeneration. This resulted in a clear result of an extra two points of Mana, but it would be difficult for me to measure the exact effect of my improved Mana Regeneration. Still, it was just what I needed. Idly, I regretted not bringing my potions on my outing. However, knowing my Luck, and the general unfairness of this world, had I done so, they would have probably been ruined in my descent to this dark ce. ncing at Z, I saw that, like me, she was perfectly still, blending almost perfectly with the rocky environs. I surmised that as a Scout, she would be used to long periods of inaction. Since beginning my slow one-man-war against the chitinous terrors, I hadpletely lost track of time. I felt no tiredness, and with no sun, nor any other heavenly body to mark the passage of time, the only thing I could rely on was my slowly depleting reserves of Mana to measure it out. While I wrecked slow corruption upon this generations shelled youth, I found myself thinking about the fate of my realpanions. The goddess had mentioned that they were making their way to my location, but where was this exactly? And how far had we traveled from Iasis temple? What of Laes and the people of the caravan? It would be most inconvenient for me should the worm have attacked them. Certainly, the nights would be a little colder if this hade to pass. But these were thoughts for another day, as yet another monster fell and gifted me yet more empowering experience. Z turned her head to face me. Her expression was unclear, but I imagined the thoughts that must be going through her head. I had not touched them, yet the Ghostwalker were falling one by one. To her, who could not see the ck energies of my spell, it must have seemed that a curse was wrecking slow disaster through their ranks. Good, I thought to myself. Let her know fear, and that this would be her fate should she try betrayal. It was, after all, better to be feared than loved. As I was doing my best impression of a statue for such a long time, I thought I would have developed a cramp, but the constant invigoration made that possible fate a lie. Everything felt so clear, and the world was at a higher resolution. I could even smell the metallic content of the water, for it was stained with fresh blood. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. Stupid as these creatures were, even they came to understand that this area was dangerous. Aggression, mixed with the savage urge to reproduce, was a most dangerous cocktail. The deaths, rather than dulling their instinct to mate, drove the remaining males to greater heights. The smaller surviving males, to be exact, for I had made it a point to specifically target therger ones first. I waited there, as insidious and as imcable as cancer, keeping five Mana in reserve and casting a new Drain whenever I could. A part of my mind drifted here and there, sifting through scattered memories of a different time. Of a different ce. Even with my improved Intelligence, it was as if a heavy veil had been ced over certain parts of my recollections. Certain details I could view with greater rity, but others floated just out of grasp. That was what time in a barbaric world would do to you. It would try to reduce you to being one of them. Hours passed, or at least that was how it felt, and I could see that the strain was wearing on Z. I had done enough with my magic, it was time to finish things in the old-fashioned way. Truth be told, I longed to take a more direct and physical approach. I stood up surprisingly smoothly and broke cover. My dark silhouette must have been in to see, for a few of the crabs'' antennae waved spasmodically in my direction. Too engaged with their activities, they barely paid me any notice. Z, a little less sure on her feet, took position behind me as I strode forth. The crabs that were left were far smaller creatures, only waist high and the diameter of their carapaces only about a meter and a half. As I drew closer to them, they began to click their ws and chitter in warning as their feeble brains finally began to register the threat. I weaved the song threads of my Holy Aura, casting it in a burst of golden radiance. The light scattered across the darkke, refracting in a kaleidoscope of color. But these creatures did not care one whit, for they were blind and could not see, and thus could not truly appreciate the dread future that was descending upon them. My new shield formed on my left, taking the shape of a small round wooden targe, the edges of which were ted in metal. The Azag-Gishban, I held as a hammer, itsforting weight an assurance. Sidling up to me, some of the Ghostwalkers waved their ws threateningly. Unfortunately for them, the time for threats had long past. All that was left was the struggle, the conflict, the harvest of experience. I started to jog, swatting aside a w of one of the crabs. Using the momentum of my parry, I then smashed where the roots of its antennae met its carapace, a simple Power Strike enhancing the force of the blow. Chitin was no match against forged steel and there was an explosion of green-tinged viscera as its shell was rent asunder. I kicked at the pathetic thing, knocking it away, its legs still thrashing, as its body still had not registered its own death. I felt a heavy strike across my left cuisse that only served to annoy me. The damage caused was only five Health points and was absolutely insignificant. Hope filled me, a glorious thing that I drank deeply of. I was strong here, stronger than a normal man had the right to be. But then again I was more than a normal man, Swiveling smoothly, a maneuver that Cordelia taught me, I moved to deal with the monster that had the temerity to strike me. It was no different from its peers, and like its peers, it would meet a simr fate. Unfortunately, it was backed by others of its kind. Something whispered to me then, to try something different. Instead of my usual bread and butter Power Strike, I surrendered myself to one of my newer skills, Frenzied Strikes. What followed next was a haze of craze-filled violence. Catastrophe was my weapon, and none were spared my wrath. Again and again, I used the skill, each use of it more tempting than thest. Every wave of unleashed rage was a cathartic release against this very world. I shed, smashed, stabbed, punched and kicked. Again and again, my body following the rhythm of wrath, as more and more monsters fell. Caring nothing for my defense, I was struck countless times, the shield in my hand nothing more than just another bludgeoning tool. Another of the creatures caught me in a vice-like grip around the ankle, I knelt and smashed the offending pincer with my hammer. Yet another monster crab drew me close, its horrible limbs trying to squeeze the life out of me. Experimentally, I used Rush Strike, and at such close remove, it simply resulted in the creature flying off me with its shell cracked in several ces, its w arm ripped from its socket. Distracted by myst opponent, I allowed a strong-shelled limb to smack into my back, sending me reeling from the impact. A spike of pain red as something found its way through the weak points of my cuisse, burrowing through the mail. My Stamina was draining rapidly, and I realized, so too was my Health, as the remaining creatures swarmed me, inflicting a deluge of minor hurts. But at the end of the day, they were only minor hurts, trivial things that barely stung at all. Perhaps it was because of the new mark that granted me minor regeneration, my ridiculously high Constitution, or my new armor, but I was weathering this storm. Though they were damaging me slightly faster than I could heal naturally, at the rate I was mowing them down, their fate was all but sealed. However, I am not a man to leave things to chance, no matter how deep I had drunk from battles cup. Hubris had always been a fatal w of the powerful. In a single cognizant moment of rity, the eye of the storm, I unleashed a Drain spell on a more distant creature to bnce the equation even more in my favor. The questing dark found it, a few tendrils of spell finding other targets in the crowd. Their life energy, along with Holy Aura, would help fuel my cull. The new energy lent me strength, and like a carpenter knocking down rebellious nails, my weapon rose and fell, rose and fell. And how the experience flowed. Book 3: Chapter 10: Unforced Errors Book 3: Chapter 10: Unforced Errors Cowardice? Is it simply the absence of bravery, or a symptom of simple human failing? No, it is not, for I believe it to be something deeper. Along the long path of human history, great men have risen and fallen. Wars have been won and lost, and tales of heroism and cowardice have been woven into our shared heritage. The shadow of cowardice hasin across the path of those who falter in the face of seemingly great adversity. Those who put down their arms when faced with a greater foe, or those with whom fear has gripped so utterly that they fail to act. Across most of the civilized world, cowardice is considered to be a deep moral failing in the main. Some of Philosophers of Quas believe it is rooted in the self, the absolute need to preserve ones own current state. This could be ones economic or social standing, or even ones life. Oftentimes, such is the will to preserve this state that people will instinctually override concerns such as morality or ethical concerns. I believe that, like all human traits, it is aplex thing and more than just a diametric opposition to bravery. It is the failure to ovee insecurities and certain fears. In my own humble opinion, I put forth to you, that ultimately cowardice is the betrayal of our ideal sense of self, the potential of what we could be. - The Human Question by Gideon de Svia 378 AC. The waters were stilled, my rage quenched. All that was left were the corpses of the simple creatures that had decided to oppose me. I felt irritated that even the simplest tasks had me putting in far more effort than I should. Z! I called out into the darkness, a hollow echo was the only reply. Where was she? Damn her eyes! I would run her down and kill her if she had betrayed me at such a juncture. I searched around the area, my holy light a torch in the darkness. Then I found her, or what was left of her, anyway. Among the broken corpses was a shabby and lifeless figure, her head pitifully caved in. I quickly scanned my notifications, and there among them was evidence of mytest blunder, You have in a Human. At least her death would not be in vain, for her life essence would evermore be, in some way, a part of me. There was, however, a silver lining to the whole debacle. My Frenzied Strikes and Endure both improved by one level. In addition, I had gained another point in Strength and Constitution. Perhaps in another level or two, I would exceed four hundred Health. Overall then, not aplete loss. That being said, I had still lost my guide, and I now found myself in a little bit of a predicament. Oh, Z, even at the end you were an inconvenience, leaving me now to find my own way to the surface. Useless NPCs. However, I had learned that using Frenzied Strikes when nearpanions was not perhaps the best of ideas. Oh well, you live and you learn. I searched among her things, keeping important items and discarding the rest from her bag. Things like a few pieces of questionable dried meat, a length of fibrous rope, and a stone, which I suspected to be flint, I kept. Useless to me, as I did not know how to start a fire, but I held on to it, all the same. Laden with another bag, I felt like an armored pack mule. Unsure of relying only on Drain to replenish my internal reserves, I heartily began eating some freshly cracked crab flesh. Its slimy texture left a lot to be desired, but I found it filling, if not ptable. I made sure to scarf down as much as I could, leaving the rest. I took a moment for myself, enjoying the silence, while I waited for my Health and Stamina to creep back up. The eternal question remained, what on earth do I do now? With my head in my hands, I indulged in a moment of self-pity. The smallest hint of a breeze threaded its way through my hair as I looked up at the purple-threaded veins that ran through the rock ceiling. I took a moment to dunk my face into theke, holding myself under for a few extended seconds. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. As I raised my head out of the water, I vigorously shook like a dog, more to clear my thoughts than anything else. It was then that I felt it again, that faint hint of moving air caressing my damp face. A surge of realization washed over me. That was it! I was saved! I had found my elusive way out. Just like it was in the mines of Ansan. In that gentle breeze, I had found my way to escape. Gathering my things, I held my helm in the crook of my arm, moving in the direction of the breeze. I walked at a brisk pace. One that I could maintain for hours, if need be. A quick look back revealed that nature would not be so quick to give up its bounty to simple decay. Naked of fur, and long of tooth, six-legged rat-like creatures descended upon the banquet I had left behind for them, the scavengers of this realm. Purpose lent speed and determination to my stride, and I barely noticed the creatures that hastily stepped out of my way. They probably smelled the death stench that was upon me. All except one monster, who decided to test its luck, thinking me easy prey. A giant scorpion analog stood in my path for a few moments. Like the giant crabs, it was a pale white, and possessed thick natural armor. Its mandibles clicked against each other in warning before itunched an attack. On any other day, I would have considered it a threat, but so intent was I on the singr goal of getting out of this ce, and so drunk on my recent victories that I barely gave it half a mind as I dropped my helm and prepared to do battle. A protective barrier, my new shield, formed in less than a heartbeat, and automatically absorbed a vicious strike from its tail. The scorpions stinger blocked, it could do nothing more than pump venom ineffectually into the wood. Then I rushed into the dead space between its ws with a Dash to give my next blow greater force. In perfect striking distance to its head, I began to smash my weapon repeatedly into it, working my way up to its thorax with Frenzied Strikes. After ast, sickening crunch, as my hammer caved in the chitin armor, the monster finally gave up the ghost, feeding me with more experience and improving my Critical Hit Mastery Skill. It would have been a waste of Mana to identify, so I simply sat on the scorpions pale corpse as I waited for my Stamina to recover. I could not see them clearly, but I heard the scuttle of the creatures of this realm giving me a wide berth. With the little grace given to me, I perused through my Status, confirming the gains, and was mildly surprised to see that my new partner, the Entropic Mimic, had lost a few points of Health. I surmised that it most likely had been damaged by the scorpions attack, its Health points taking the ce of Durability. Of passing note was that it had actually gained in maximum Health, lending me to think that it could also grow in power alongside me. Aforting, if also a little disquieting, thought. The wind was growing stronger, its voice now a quiet susurration instead of a ghost of a whisper. With a new spring in my step, buoyed by new-found hope, I picked up my helm from the stone floor and marched on. Atst, the expanse of the cavern started to constrict, gradually leading me toward awork of intersecting paths. These were predominantly rugged and uneven tunnels that branched off in various directions from the main cavern. I waited for the guiding breeze to lead me, to give me some hint as to where to go. The air was still for long moments, the silence broken only by the skittering movements of the local animals. There was the distant buzzing or the p of leathery wings. I heard, far beyond the circle of my light, the chattering cries of creatures calling out to each other. At one point I fancied I saw a pair of orbs, golden with reflected light, looking straight back at me. Then I felt that errant breeze, the promise of sky, originating from one of the narrow paths leading upward. With nothing for it, I went down this path that angled and twisted ever upwards. As I progressed, the walls becameced with more than just the purple mineral veins, but now also sported splotches of a dull glowing green. Closer inspection revealed it to be a sort of bioluminescent lichen. Curiosity, that rascal of a friend, urged me to use Identify on it. With some Mana to spare, I simply thought, why not? Beron''s Dream Health 4/4 Curiosity joined avarice in whispering suggestions in my ear. Perhaps I could bring some with me to the surface? I reached to touch the strange lichen and felt a small tingle, even through my gauntlets. Strange, I thought to myself. Noticing no negative change to my Health, I decided to gather some of the specimens, scraping them off the rock with my knife and stuffing them into a side pocket of Zs bag. At the very least, I would have a source of light aside from my Holy Aura and a way to conserve some Mana. I almost began to whistle, sure that my fortunes had finally changed, but stopped myself. It would not do to attract unwanted attention here. The thought of another encounter with a Zlesh Viper sent a shiver through my spine. Book 3: Chapter 11: Finish Line Book 3: Chapter 11: Finish Line Just as water holds greater value than gold for a thirsty man, so too does silence in a world filled with incessant noise. Cultivate your silence, contemte deep thoughts, and you will be able to hear more. To observe without distraction. - The Living Sword by Fen Vaigorus circa 520 AC. Continuing onwards at a rapid clip, uncaring of stealth, or the better part of caution, I made my way, ever upwards, with the nk and jangle of metal echoing my footsteps. No adversary presented itself to me, giving me time to review recent events. Thest encounter with the giant scorpion worried me. Perhaps more than it should have. Not that it was a close call, or anything of that matter, rather, it was myck of self-control. It was not ingrained reflex, born from conflict, or intense training that had moved my arm to block the giant scorpion''s stinger, rather it had been something else. My arm had moved of its own volition, admittedly to defend me, angling my shield perfectly, blocking the scorpion''s attackpletely. However, it was still most worrying nheless. Was I willing to cede a little control in order to have an automatic means of defense? Where would it end? Was I slowly being taken over? The voices soothed me. Promising that all was well. I always had ultimate control, whether it was with my magic or my fate. It was important to think positively, especially in dire circumstances. Perhaps I should just think of this as an upgrade of sorts. The Mimic, after all, had no will of its own, so the voices now told me, whispering their assurances. However, it still functioned at a very basic level with its instincts for self-preservation very much intact. It was still programmed on an instinctual level to protect itself, and by extension, me. Wanting to confirm the promise of the voices, I moved my shield arm, making sure that I hadplete control. Summoning and dismissing my shield multiple times, I reaffirmed that it was indeed I who was ultimately in control. Like always, it was a disturbing sight, to see tendrils of matter grow out of my arm before forming a construction of thick wood and hard metal. Was it my imagination, or did the shield look a little more hefty, a little more solid in its constructions? I tried to initiate mentalmunication with the Mimic, the alien creature that had bonded with me. I expected an attack of some sort, but was instead met only with silence. No words or alien impressions assaulted my senses, nomunication. Though the power and convenience it brought were wee, it was a relief to not have another voice to contend with in the halls of my mind. So relieved was I that my feet stopped their onward progression, and I had to shake myself out of the fugue that had settled onto me. The thing was dead, truly dead, in the way that counted most, at least. I had confirmed what the voices had told me, the thing was basically in a vegetative state. Therefore, it was mine to control, and not the other way round. Who knows what it nned for me, had we joined together in mentalmunion? Which led me to consider, if we had indeed bonded, would I have remained essentially me? Was that not, in a way, a form of death? With so many things pulling me this way and that, I counted this as a victory. An act of defiance against Iasis herself, and, by proxy, the gods of this world. Resuming my onward march, I was determined to not be sidetracked and defeated by negative thoughts and to focus on my singr goal of getting out of here. Philosophizing on the nature of self and so forth could wait until after I had returned to surfacends, the Bright, as the recently departed Z had quaintly put it. More of the lichen had grown here, and the purples in the walls were being overrun with the greens of it. The type of creature I began to encounter started to change. Instead of them all being universally blind, some of them hadrge disc-like eyes that glowed in the dark. For some reason, I decided to take this as a positive sign that I was getting closer to my goal, the surface. The wind, the guide that had picked up Zs torch, was growing stronger too, another positive sign. In the overall ledger of my current circumstance, ounts were slowly being bnced toward the ck. Stolen novel; please report. Feeling that I had made decent progress, I sat down on the hard stone floor, cing my helm to my side. Although I felt my body was far from tired, my mind was reaching its limit. I searched for a state as free from conscious thought as possible, but failed abysmally. I had made a promise to myself to not be sidetracked by negative thoughts, but the reality was that my mind was too cluttered by a myriad of concerns and worries to make good decisions. Taking a quick break, I decided that slowly unpacking them now would be the better option, while I could. It turned out that digesting events and putting things into order helped me to rx. I idly traced an armored hand through some of the green glowing lichen, Berons Dream, as this world deigned to name it. The tingling sensation returned, vaguely pleasant in that it helped to break up the general monotony and served to distract my mind. How easy it would be to fall asleep here, I wondered. Shaking my head, I quickly dismissed that disastrous thought! Was that thought even my own? Was even the lichen working against me? A sudden spike of paranoia red hot as I scrambled to my feet. I stilled myself, slowly forcing my breathing to resume its natural pace as my heart pumped wildly in my chest. Berons Dream indeed! I debated whether I should dispose of my collected samples, then decided it would make no difference, surrounded as I was by the ominous lichen. They might make for a valuable alchemical ingredient on the surface, as I doubted anyone, apart from the local Troglodytes I had encountered, ventured into this deep realm. At the very least, I decided to refrain from physical contact with the lichen. Time to move on. Adjusting my bevor, which had begun to loosen, I rolled my shoulders and started up once again. One foot in front of another, I walked at a steady pace that ate up the distance until I finally came to fork. From the left, I could feel the flowing air caress my cheek and from the right I swore I heard the echo of cats fighting? A ridiculous thought. Still, the goddess had suggested that I should choose the left path. Despite my suspicions of Iasis words, it was still the clear and obvious choice. Choosing the left, I continued my slow ascent from this surreal and alien realm, my way lit now by more than just the light of my Holy Aura. A part of me almost missed Zs inane chatter, and apanying this thought came a small twinge of guilt. No doubt she would have warned me of the dangers of Berons Dream, not that I would have chosen a different path. Almost imperceptibly, as step followed step, the strange purple and green glows began to disappear as the path inclined ever upwards. Air was moving faster now, more than just the ghost of a breeze, cool against my face as it blew past me. Without the mineral and lichen glow, the ambience outside my circle of light was reduced to a dark gray. Dull colored crystal growths began to appear as sharp thin squarish blocks with odd spikes, lining the walls. Milky white, they sullenly refracted my emitted light. A quick Identifyter revealed them to be simple salt crystals, but the how and why of their formation here was a mystery to me. I smashed one out of the wall with a stiff kick, to keep as a souvenir and seasoning forter. I resumed my march uphill through this dark pathway. Was it me, or was it that the air in this ce, where the salt crystals bloomed, had begun to lighten, making the atmosphere less oppressive? The path grew wider, finally giving me enough room to swing the proverbial cat. There was a whistle now to the wind, bringing with it, I hoped, the promise of potential sunlight and sky. Soon, stone gave way to familiar white sand and I knew that I had almost escaped my dark hell. There, ahead of me, was a patch of lightened gray that I rushed to with a new joy. The gray had been refracted light from the minerals embedded in the rocky walls, however, when I looked to my left I was finally gifted with the first hints that the light was not my own. A singr speck, a glorious speck, of blessed natural light shone gloriously like a faraway star. I continued on, at a fast jog, as the speck grew everrger. Creatures moved away from me, small things that looked like desert rats withrge elephantine ears. They chirped in annoyance at having to give way to me, an interloper in their kingdom. Natural light, a soft silver, contested with my Aura in providing illumination. With the singr goal of escape, I kept on walking, until there was no more ceiling, just the vast expanse of starlit heavens. No longer was I treading the ancient darkness within the bowels of the earth, but the pleasant dark of the old night. I knelt in the cool sands of the Whispering Wastes, feeling a certain sense of dry relief. Then the reality of it all hit me. I had, atst, emerged. Book 3: Chapter 12: In the Shadow of the Peacock Throne Book 3: Chapter 12: In the Shadow of the Peacock Throne One can not engage in debate without first understanding your opponent''s exact position. - A Quassian Aphorism. The woman who looked back at her through the ss was not the same girl who had left for the Grieving Lands months ago. It felt like centuries to her. They said that time did not touch the First Children, but they, of course, were lying. It was in her eyes, she noted, a shadow within that held the signs of the passage of the years. The truth of time''s toll was etched deep within her gaze, a haunted hollow that no sunny day or joyful song could truly fill. Nor could wine for that matter, she mused with a bitter twist of her lips as she put down a goblet encrusted with fine opal. She toyed with a blonde curl, twirling it absently around her finger, as her handmaidens fussed over her. It was a nervous habit from her childhood that she could never quite grow out of. Her thoughts were snared by what was toe. She had been summoned to stand before the throne, and a summon in the wake of failure could mean only one thing. Punishment. Lady Arimea of the ancient house of Lostariot was worried. Very worried, indeed. Arimea entertained the idea of fleeing to the far and deep woods, to truly live with the trees, as her more rustic cousins had a penchant for doing. After all, she could hear the song of Mana. How different could it be from hearing the voice of Wood, the tune of sap and sunlight? Not too different, if her reading of the old texts was correct. But there was a shadow, a long and terrible shadow, that cast itself on such a choice. For if she chose such a path, the Immortals of the Eternal Court, the kings personal guard and faithful hounds, would pursue her. And should they ever catch her, her end would be a grim one, indeed. No, fleeing was not an option. As with many of life''s quandaries, the solutiony not in running away. Her pride and dignity would not allow her to. She stood up and spread her arms to allow herdies to apply thest adjustments to her formal dress. When she saw that they were finished, she shooed them off. The next part was something she wanted to do for herself. The young elven woman, youthful at least by the standards of her race, took up a finely made sword sheathed in Sea Serpent leather scabbard. She drew it, taking a moment to appreciate the wavey forms that ran along the curved de. A single-edged de that ended in a deadly, razor-sharp tip. Among the lesser races of the world, the art of sword adornment varied greatly. A gold-adorned hilt, a finely decorated scabbard, or the splendor of a jeweled pommel were, more often than not, the mostmon embellishments. Conversely, the elven artisans devoted their mastery to the de''s inherent beauty. Although held perfectly still in her hand, the de looked as if it was the perfect metaphor for flow, the temper lines mirroring the waves of a cutting sea. Arimea never had an affinity for the sword, and the weapon was merely part of her social costume. For most of her life, its solid weight at her hip was nothing more than a reassurance. What use had she of learning how to fight with long bits of sharp metal? However, she had been taught a lesson in the foreignnds. Perhaps I should do the weapon the honor of learning its use someday? she whispered to herself, hoisting the baldric over her shoulder. In honor of the craftsmans efforts if nothing else. Also, if truth be told, she enjoyed the idle titters it caused at court, the martial statement it made at her hip was a contrast to her otherwise very feminine and proper appearance. Arimea made thest adjustments, tightening a few straps and buckles in the way that Lorsan had taught her years ago. She had witnessed swordmasters inbat, their movements more akin to a dance than a true battle. The bearers of the Mantis Mark, the mark of one who had truly mastered his weapon, were rare, and to observe two such masters of their craft in a duel was a rarer event still. She had seen Lorsan test a challenger for the Mark once, shing des with one of the new generation to see if he was worthy. Even to her, the her who had once looked down at such martial disys, it had been a thing of grace and beauty. Arima hade back from the Grieving Lands wreathed in shame and failure, for she had been unable to fulfill her holy mission to end the life of an ursed half-blood child. The childs very existence was an insult to her people, and the prophecies of old and elven society demanded her death. Still, it was a simple quest. How difficult could it be to take the life of a child? The unexpected had happened. The abomination had had a guardian, a protector of sublime skill and ancient power. Even though she was a mongrel, the Hero had taken the half-blood under his protection. She had been made to realize that the test for the Mantis Mark had been nothing more than the yfighting of children aping adults. The old Alchemist Hamsa had taught her such. Of the entourage that had journeyed with her to the Grieving Lands, only Lorsan remained. Humility, ever a bitter draught, had be all the more unptable when poured by the hands of one''s foes. Even in this age, the humans, the pitiable day spawn, as they were called by the true elves, still had the foolish habit of spending what little time they were allotted on frustrating her people. Still, in the end, it was she who had in the champion of the day spawn, the ancient enemy of her kind. To her knowledge, only he, the sum of all men, had ovee deaths shadow. For him, and him alone, that dark spectre was nothing more than interlude. He was an existence that woulde back again and again, like some persistent, loathsome mold. A soul that refused to pass across the Shallow River and into the Long Dream. It was a feat that none of the First Children had been able to replicate. To all intents and purposes, it had been the crowning triumph of her life, marred only by her failure to kill the half-blood. She had called to the spirits and they had answered her. She had formed the spirit of winter into a spear of ice, smashing through his frail heart and ending the day spawns life. Almost as if answering a terrible sphemy, the Alchemist''s shop erupted in a massive explosion that sted her off her feet. But for all of her efforts, if the legends were true, were for naught. The human Hero would return. She touched the burn marks along her bare left arm, her marble skin blemished in several ces with ugly scars that no amount of Elven sorcery could heal. Damn the humans and their pointless defiance. Could they not see that the First Children worked to stop another Cataclysm? Ever since that fateful day, and for mysterious reasons unknown, she felt that her connection to the elemental spirits of thend had grown stronger. She could summon the spirits faster and guide and direct them with even greater precision. Through thismunion, she felt that she hade closer to finding the true meaning behind the song of the spirits, the song of Mana, or simply magic as the lesser races called it. It gave some credence to the old theory that the gods rewarded great deeds. But these were oldints and best left for another time. She could dy the direct summons no longer and she needed to focus on the now. She departed her chambers, making her way through the summer pce, the train of her formal dress unfurling a crimson wake behind her. Sunlight filtered through high-arched windows, acting almost like beacons that guided her steps. No one would meet her gaze, not Lady nor Lord, nor master or servant. All eyes were downcast in her presence. They all had, of course, had heard of her. The chittering whispers exchanged behind delicate fans that followed her passage were proof of that. Finally, she reached the oaken doors that led to the Court of the Ancestor Trees. Trees, as she had been told when she was young, by one of her tutors, were the only things that elves had any real affinity for. For only the stoic giants of the forest could hope tost as long as the First Children. But why not then the long-lived Dragons, why do the elves feel no affinity for the scaled tyrants of the skies? Why was their mark not on any elven design or heraldry? Her inquiry had earned her a casual p for her impiety. The elves had no affinity with the dragons, and that was that. Further pursuit of the subject was met with cold stony silence at best and violent deflection at worst. If youe across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. She had felt that the answer had been a poor one, and the delivery poorer still, in itsck of respect for her station. Yearster she had set matters right. Arimea smiled at the memory, savoring it like fine wine. Her vengeance had been a subtle one. A few well-ced rumors here, and a few pieces of evidence ced there, resulted in her former teacher being used and then judged guilty of trading in Witchwood with the humans. A most cardinal sin and crime. She had enjoyed watching him break under exquisite torture. As to breaking, it seemed the insolent guards lining the door to the Court were in dire need of it. They regarded her with disdain, their eyes passing over her as though she were naught but a fleck of dust, utterly unworthy of even a modicum of respect befitting her station. A woman of high birth such as herself should have been met with bows and deferential gestures, yet they stood unmoved, defying the very order and decorum upon which elven society thrived. It was yet another insult she was forced to bear. Just as she thought ofunching a scathing verbal attack, the guards, d in intricately crafted armor of spelled bronze, finally parted the heavy oaken doors. Ignoring thempletely, she stepped forward into the kings court. It almost seemed as though she had stepped into a great de of an ancient forest. The elven court spread out before her, a space that dwarfed even the grandest of human cathedrals. At the far edges of the de, giants stood sentinel, their bark and trunks conjoining to form the boundaries of the elven court. They were of the Witchwood, ancient magical trees, that seemed to almost bleed Mana, infusing the air with their pure energies. Above her, great leafy boughs arched and formed a canopy. Adorned with a mosaic of vivid fabrics, they cast dappled shadows upon the assembly below. Long banners hung from the lower branches, each representing one of the noble families. The very roots of the Witchwood twisted into seats for the court''s esteemed members, while between them, a lush carpet of emerald grass sprawled. A mixture of naturally and patiently guided growth, the heart of her peoples realm, never failed to impress her. Then a great hush fell upon the court as the assembly noticed her presence, snuffing out any lingering murmurs of gossip. She was like a gust of wind, extinguishing a feeble candle''s me. A man was waiting for her. A man who once had been straight, tall, and unblemished. Now he was scarred and hunched. Lorsan, the once-swordmaster of the court and former tutor of the kings children himself, hobbled towards her on a cane, ostensibly to give her support. He, who had once been a living legend, had been reduced to this. Lady Arimea, he offered in greeting, giving her a small deferential nod of his head. A weak escort, but an escort nheless. She would take any support she could get in this den of vipers. Lorsan, she returned curtly, for her attention was arrested by the sight before her. It was as spectacr now as it was when she first had the honor to be presented here. Moving deeper into the court, Arimea could hear the Witchwoods song. It was a steady symphony born from the trees, more felt than truly heard, as the trees gathered the melody of sunlight, turning it into life and energy. But how exactly the trees drew sustenance from the light was a process that, to this day, confounded the wisest of Elven sages. A shaft of sunlight shone on a raised dais, focusing Arimeas attention to a grand structure that overlooked all before it. The eternal seat of power of the elves, the Peacock Throne. It looked to be carved from the Witchwood, but no metal des had been allowed to touch the sacred wood. Instead, it had been coaxed into being, shaped by the ancient songs of elven craftsmen who once wielded the arcane words of creation. Formed into the shape of a peacock''s splendid fan, its myriad eyes seemed ever vignt, eternally on the watch for the faintest whisper of treachery. And upon that throne sat their king, a being thatmanded no small modicum of respect. All feared the king and his vitriol. He was quick to anger and slow to forget, for the years upon the throne had lent him great power. Through his long reign, his list of achievements almost rivaled the list of his former, now broken, enemies. He was a being filled with an almost raw masculine energy, yet surprisingly slight and supple of form. His hair and eyes were the iron gray of storm clouds, a sign of his great and venerable age. A proud and unlined face, taught with a tapestry of long-buried emotions and memories, looked coldly down at all before him. Watching for signs only he knew to look for. Like all the elves, Arimea feared their king. A herald announced her presence, listing off the meaningless titles that she had acquired over the years, ripping her away from her observations. The elfs monotone voice somehow seemed to make all of her achievements seem so small and mundane. With Lorsan at her side, she made her way to pay her obeisance before the Peacock throne. With each step, the air grew heavier with an ominous, almost palpable pressure. It felt like a funeral procession, or the final steps to the headsmans gallows. Finally, she reached the foot of the throne and, together with Lorsan, nted her head on the floor. Lady Arimea, Lorsan, you may rise, boomed the voice from the throne. If she was not mistaken, there was a hint of something odd in his tone. Slowly, she looked up to gaze upon her king. Yes, it was not just imagination, his voice tinged with something other than expected anger. There was a note of amusement and his ancient ageless face had hints of a boyish smile. It was disturbing. You have failed us, came the immediate judgment from the ancient elf. There was sound as the whole court drew an intake of breath. She would haveughed had the matter not been so serious. Yes, my king, she answered honestly, doing her best to keep her voice steady. Excuses and other social machinations would not work before him. The eyes of the throne knew all. Yet, in apletely different matter, you have seeded beyond expectations. To y the Hwanda Heveni, the sum of all men, is no small achievement. Humans and their ridiculous titles. The wiles of fate and destiny are as capricious as they are cruel, are they not Lorsan? To think that the greatest sword master of our generation crossed des with the Dragon yer, and prevailed no less. The king turned the full force of his gaze upon Arimea. Surely, you would think that Lorsan would look a bit happier, despite being somewhat diminished, the leader of the elven nationmented wryly in a clear voice that both expected and demanded agreement. Nervously Arimea looked to Lorsan, meeting his eyes and giving him a small nod. It is as you say, my king, the elven swordmaster responded neutrally in Arimeas stead, his eyes firmly fixed on the living carpet of green before the throne. So, it would seem that I must both reward and punish you? And Lorsan too, by association. That is what they would have done in times of old, no? the ancient king stated, the mirth coloring his voice iner for her ears to see. Still, the feeling of dread did not leave her. The pressure both within and without grew. This was a crossroads, an intersection of a nned fate. She could feel it in the song of Mana. My king? What is it that you wish of us? croaked Arimea, failing finally to keep an even keel. Still, not even a hint of an apology? You will not beg forgiveness from us? You are proud Arimea, like your mother, and her mothers mother. Too proud by far. Shame Lorsan could not impart upon you a fraction of his humility, the ancient one rejoined without answering her question. We have begun the rite of the Summoning. We will call forth our own Hero from the Distant World. We will have an Elven Champion of our own. Like in the times of yore, announced the King with great aplomb. Like a wave rippling across a tranquilke, a great gasp took the assembly. A gasp that soon turned into panicked natterings. As the gathered nobles reached a crescendo of worry, the king raised a single hand and the court fell once again into silence. Our seers will call forth one that they have seen in their visions. He wille from the Kingdom of the Lonely Star and his soul shines as one of the mightiest of warriors and generals of his world, the old one announced to the gathered elves. And I have chosen the pair of you to be his guide. You will show him our ways. You will instruct him to fight, using only our ways. You will be the bond that glues him to the First Children. Especially you, Arimea. wed as your beauty might be, you will serve him in both body and soul. Your remaining charm will have to serve to bind him to us, the ancient King stated with an almost lecherous smile. But I am promised to another! I will be no Arimea protested. She looked around for her promised one. She caught his eyes for a moment, but in that moment he looked down, guiltily. Of course, with her reputation in tatters, she was damaged goods now. The king looked down at her as if she was just a cross child. You will serve your people and you will thank us for the honor of it, he dered simply, silencing her. "But your Majesty," Lorsan asked, clearly puzzled, "teaching someone our ways takes centuries. Just as trees cannot be forced to grow, can a worthy warrior truly be made in such a short time? Augh resounded from up on the throne. Lorsan, I have been told that a Champion, when summoned to our world, will learn very quickly. It is simply about preparing the correct conditions for growth. The Kings words were like a river, washing away all chance and challenge of a response. By your will, they both acquiesced with nothing to add, pressing their heads to soft green. Any furtherment in such a public arena would only serve as a direct insult to the thrones authority. Stoic as she had thought she had be, Arimea could not help but to allow a single hidden tear to track its way down her face. Soon it was lost into countless green des beneath her. And when he is ready, we will sail once more across the seas with our armies. We will call our satrapies to war and im what belongs to us, stated the King, as cheers took the court like a rapturous fire. Book 3: Chapter 13: Return Book 3: Chapter 13: Return On the fairest of morns, mariners whisper of glimpsing Heaven''s Pir across the shimmering expanse of the ss Fire Sea. I have beheld it with my own eyes. During a voyage to document the courage of those seafarers who dare the perilous waves, I saw it rise up from beyond the horizon. Truly, it stands as a shadowy column, stretching toward the heavens, as its namesake suggests. It is doubtful that nature alone sculpted such a wonder, yet its origin remains shrouded in mystery - perhaps it is a creation of the gods themselves or simply created by the hands of men? Its true essence remains unknown, for to date, no soul has traversed the ss Fire and returned to tell the tale. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. Being alone with nopanions, under an alien sky, brought with it a minor spell of agoraphobia, as my world expanded with the heavens above. It took me a few moments to gather myself as I took in the breathtaking view. Under the midnight stars, I started the mental maintenance of sorting out the tangled knot of my emotions and taking general stock. Looking across the dunes of Wastes, I saw a familiar straight, dark line, cutting across the silver sands in the distance. It was the Samasutum, the Green Road, the only familiarndmark in the desert, and the only hope of reuniting with mypanions. I have never been great with judging distance, as the trantion from abstract measurements to a good approximation was a difficult task for me. Even so, I estimated the distance to the river to be around half a days walk. With the greater part of my reserves of Stamina remaining, my body was willing, but my mind sought rest, stretched to the limit as it was. I longed for the healing void that only true slumber could bring. However, to sleep so close to the gates of my personal hell would be a fools choice, and night would be the best time to travel. With an almost full moon high in the sky, it would be easy to navigate across the sands. And so, with a mental prod, I began my tiring trek. I was driven by a will to live, and a fear of death, and underlying all of that, an ambition to be something more. After all, I was brought to this world for a reason, but it would be up to me to find my destiny. Or to create one, free from the meddling of those more powerful than I. So I plodded on, up and down the dunes, while the shifting sands under my feet sapped my Stamina at a greater rate than I had thought it would. Climbing a particrly difficult dune, I spent a minute or so just getting my breath back. It was no doubt cold, but my exertions fuelled an inner fire that kept me warm. A wondrous, if a little worrying, sight filled my eyes as I looked across the vast expanse before me. In the pale light, I spied a group of creatures cutting through the air, a meter or so above the sands. Diamond-shaped bodies that were t and thin made, and twin tails, whisking through the air, resembling a school of manta rays. The expanse yed merry havoc with my already poor sense of distance, so I could not truly judge the size of the manta ray analogues correctly. Also, they were well beyond the range of my Identify, not that it would have given me any useful insights. Still, it would have served to satisfy some of my curiosity and, at the very least, would give a name to these creatures. Once they had disappeared far over the dune, I resumed my plodding walk toward the Green Road. Careful not to stumble, I made my descent down the slope of the dune before making another climb up the next. This pattern repeated itself until the first light broke over the horizon to the east. The silver of the Green Road changed into a yellowish orange and the stars of the night sky were dispelled with the new pastel dawn. As time passed, these colors, in turn, gave way to a clean azure blue as the sun made her presence known. Even at this early hour, the cold of the night was swiftly being ovee. I was grateful for the scraps that remained of my tatty robe, for they would provide some protection from the suns rays. However, with my high Constitution, I was pretty sure I could survive, even in a furnace, for a good amount of time. The dry desert heat did, however, sap what moisture I had, and I had to drink often and deeply from my supplies. The water I had acquired from the undergroundke tasted acrid and unpleasant, the metallic notes reminding me of the taste of old blood. Then I noticed something odd as I drank a mouthful of stale, leathery water. I observed a thin, wavy line that reached up into the sky. Initially, I believed it to be a mirage, a deception of the eyes on the brain. However, unlike a mirage, as I got closer, the vision remained. It was a column of smoke, and here in the Whispering Wastes, it could mean only one thing, the presence of people. Encouraged with new purpose, my stride lengthened as I walked towards the source of the smoke. An hour passed, or it could have been two, and my eyes were greeted with a shing glint of something reflecting the suns light. A minute or soter, there was another glint, this time closer. I thought that this could be the sh of metal, and here on the sands of this desert, the presence of metal meant the presence of people. Worried now, I paced myself and watched my Stamina. I wanted to be able to face whoever it was, and have the ability to swing my weapon a few times. I yed with the idea of simply stopping and observing to conserve my Stamina. However, this thought was born from my old way of life. My soft way of life. An excuse to procrastinate when facing a difficult or delicate situation. My Stamina was a non-factor, as a quick nce at my Status confirmed. At around three-quarters full, there was plenty of gas in the tank, so to speak. I would act and investigate. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. Perhaps it was my Endure skill, but I felt the extreme temperatures of the desert much less. In full armor, no less. Another hour passed, and I saw dots moving towards me on an intercept course, and the glint of exposed metal shed again, this time markedly closer. Long hours passed, and the dots resolved into indistinct figures. Wait, was one of them waving at me? I squinted my eyes, trying to confirm what I suspected. Was the heatwave over the sands ying tricks with my eyes? Should I even wave back? The figures were growing clearer, as if bing a higher resolution. I fancied I saw a familiar blonde on an even more familiar frame. After a good while, therger figure detached itself from the group,ing at me at a loping run that ate up the distance between us. It could have only been Kidu, as he whooped and hollered in a booming voice that could have only belonged to my oldpanion. Exhausted, both mentally and physically, I could not return his enthusiasm. I could only plod on, drawing to the next fated moment, my mind a whirl with the fact of the reality before me. Eventually, we made our way to each other across the scalding sands. By the blood of the gods! It is you! eximed the wild man, running up to me and sping my shoulder. He was almost quivering with joy and excitement. Like a dog that had been too long without its master. My voice betrayed me, a stutter I did not know I had, stopping me from formting a response. I simply nodded in acknowledgment before forcing out a reply. H how long has it been? The weakness in my voice was a surprise, even to me. five days and four nights since the Earth Dragon came Just as the warnder woman dreamed, began Kidu in a rumbling voice that was cut off suddenly by a childish squeal of delight. I told you! Its Gil! an annoying high-pitched voice eximed, a voice that could have only belonged to Larynda. You will have to tell me allter, I panted, before taking thest swig of water from one of my recently acquired water skins. I looked at Larynda, who was almost bouncing with enthusiasm, pointing at me and whispering to Cordelia, her energy almost infectious. Cordelia met my eyes, with a beatific grace, before she went down on bended knee in the hot sand. It is just like the vision, praise be the Goddess, she intoned in an uncharacteristically quiet voice, as if she doubted the reality before her. That, more than anything, stirred a little phantom of worry in my gut. A zealot doubting their faith was as dangerous as one in the throes of religious experience. Even now, was Avaria still pulling at the threads, like a spider at the center of its web? Would it be best if I ended Cordelia here and now? Yes, it would be a waste but for the better part of the day we rode the great worm before, exhausted, it sought the deeper sands. For the first time in my life, I was lost Kidu continued with his exnation. But thanks to me, I led us back to the river! I got water for us when we got all hot and thirsty! Then then chirped Larynda, in what she probably thought of as a helpful manner. We thought that you would head back to the Green Road. We found Pakum there, along with Elwin. By the grace of the Goddess, none of them were injured, apart from a few minor hurts. Truly a miracle. Now, the pair wait for us with nary a scratch on them, with the main part of our supplies, closer to the Samasutum. It was Kidu who ordered them to keep a signal fire lit at all times, the warrior woman rified, giving a nod of respect and acknowledgment to therge man. After rejoining the caravan for supply, we spent the next day searching for you. In a moment of weakness, I feared you lost. Then that same night, in my most troubled sleep, Avaria gave me a vision of you fighting the dread minions of the underworld. I saw you walking here along the sands, and so as Avaria showed me, it hase to pass. Cordelia had been receiving visions, again? I could not help but feel worried. Did this put me into Avarias debt? A being that I truly despised, and the source of all of my troubles. Minions of the underworld!? Hah! If that is true, you go to ces where no normal mortal may walk. Your legend only grows. If only I could have been with you not that riding a Guardian is not also worthy of song. If only I had learned more of the womanly arts, I could make an epic of our deeds! guffawed Kidu, hisugh throaty. I will tell you all about it, but I would feel better if I did it in a setting that was a touch morefortable. I inserted, hoping that they got my drift. I still needed a little time to process and digest this little reunion. Sensing my intent, Cordelia was quick to support me. Of course, Hera Gilgamesh. Come now, let us be on our way. There will be time enough for your ountter, she said, her voice filled with new authority. What were the chances? To be attacked by a great worm, only to be separated from mypanions, and then to reunite with them in this vast expanse? A part of me almost expected a gain in my Luck attribute, such were the odds against this fortuitous turn of events. It all seemed so very scripted, like I was indeed part of a game. It all seemed, well, rather convenient. This could only be Divine intervention, again. Looking back, the whole encounter with Iasis had a certain element of theatre to it bordering on pantomime. It had been orchestrated. Only through the strength of my arms, my magical might, and my own good fortune did I prevail. Or, so I liked to believe. Though ultimately d that things had turned out the way they did, I could not quite shake off a feeling of dread. Beneficial, or not, there was the question of free will against the greater powers. It was a dangerous thing when the eyes of the gods were upon you. Book 3: Chapter 14: Excuses Book 3: Chapter 14: Excuses The Festival of the Undrawn, also known as the Contest of the Saints, is an annual event held in the City of Dust, Al-Lazar. Warriors from all over the continent, and asionally from beyond, travel here to test their mettle against each other. From this pool of brave fighters, the Shareholder families of the great city frequently select their guards and entourage. In the fabled times of yore, it is whispered that certain noble families ventured beyond the confines of tradition, choosing their consorts from among these gant fighters to fortify their dynasties. Various businesses of the city often sponsor a fighter to bring these minor houses of trade some measure of prestige. Winning the tournament is a tremendous honor. Yet, for the Shareholder families, the triumph of a fighter they have chosen is more than a mere victory. It is an investment of prestige that pays dividends in influence at the citys Council, giving their voice greater weight, especially in matters of war. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. In a rare moment of introspection, my thoughts danced across the fading memories of my old world, as together, we walked on warming sands. At this juncture of my life, no doubt many of my old circle of friends would falselybel me a sociopath, others would hit closer to the mark of a psychopath, and the even less imaginative would call me a narcissist. I would prefer to think of myself as something far more noble, I was a survivor. Evidence to this fact, I had survived all of the ridiculous trials and tribtions that this game had thrown at me. Who cared about those fair-weather friends anyway? I doubt any of them would have been of any use to me in this world, I thought to myself, eyes focusing to the front. Kidu led the way ahead of us, his long stride eating up the distance. Every now and again he would stop and wait for us to catch up, a vague tic of annoyance asionally ying about on his rocky features. Worried, he had offered me a Healing potion. I refused his offer as politely as I could, my magic more than enough to see to my well-being. Shrugging his massive shoulders, he exined to me that they had made a temporary camp while they had searched for me. ording to him, the caravan was a days travel ahead, and Laes had agreed to wait only for a week before he would have to resume travel. It was lucky that they had found me when they did. Along the way, Cordelia had whispered prayers over and over, eyes closed as she offered her supplication to her goddess. I felt a tingle of radiance, holy energy, wash over me. It was a simr sensation to my own Heal spell, but there was no holy song nor angelic light. Out of a corner of one eye, I saw Larynda try and copy Cordelia, only topletely fail. This drew a beatific smile from the Temple Knight, satisfied as she was that her goddess had answered her prayer. It was more than the words of a chant that gave one control of magic, I concluded. An hour or two passed, and the distinctive shape of a huge Xaruar was now clear to see. Another hour and we were close enough that I could hear the river. We had arrived at mypanions temporary camp. A man wrapped out in a collection of loose flowing cloth walked out with a sauntering gait to meet us. Well well if it isnt the man blessed by the luck of all the gods. Avarias tits, you really did survive getting gobbled down by a Guardian! Not that I doubted for a moment! Elwin half-shouted in obvious joy, before he ran thest few paces to give me an ufortable hug. I had never beenfortable with public disys of affection, preferring to keep an appropriate social and physical distance away from people. Whats with your attire? I almost didnt recognize you I inquired once he was done with his public outburst. Holding up his arms to disy his new garments, he began to exin. These a bit hot now around these parts. The Raven folk started wearing em, and I thought why not? They looked a bit hot, but surely they cant be worse than a thick padded jacket. In fact, surprisingly cool. Course, you look as if a giant sandworm swallowed you up and spat you out! he added with a grin. Unable to think of a witty rejoinder, I just gave him a weak smile in response. I took a quick nce at what was left of my brown robe, my garment that had survived encounters with monsters and gods. It was definitely on itsst legs. Elwin, I knew, was speaking the truth, I really did look a mess. As for the Rogue, he was wearing garb that was a close approximation to the desert clothes of Bedouin tribes of Earth. The loose-fitting cloth helped the air to circte, hence keeping the body cool. These clothes also protected people from the hot winds and dust storms. I would have to see about acquiring some once we rejoined the Ravens. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Still, a part of me could not help but feel that it looked a little silly on him. He looked, at least to my eyes, like a tourist trying on the local costume. As for Larynda, it seemed that the heat did not touch her in the slightest. No doubt due to her recent mastery of the element of water. Cordelia, as always, looked beautiful, despite being in full armor. Only a single line of sweat on her delicate brow was the evidence of the heat or physical exertion. It was actually the stolid Kidu that worried me the most. He was sweating buckets, his dreadlocks drenched. The heat was most definitely taking its toll on him. Larynda offered him a water sk, which he proceeded to gulp down. It was to his great credit that he did not offer a word ofint, and inside I found myself respecting his stoicism. Or was it simply a form of youthful bravado? Hopefully, he would not suffer from heatstroke. Obsequiously, Pakum walked up to me and offered a bow. Wee back, Honored One, he offered in a nasal voice, bowing deeply. He held both his hands out, and for a stupid moment, I thought that he was waiting for a tip. An awkward few secondster, I realized he wanted to relieve me of the silly amount of water skins and bags I had about my person. Gratefully, I fulfilled his wish. What was surprising was that I barely felt the difference. Had I turned into the human variant of a pack mule? Much lighter of spirit, I started towards the river to ssh my face, only to spy Patches staked down next to Pakums sleeping Xaruar and our mounts. A stab of guilt spiked through my heart, for I had barely spared a thought to my equinepanion. Walking down to check on her, my hand unconsciously reached for treats inside my pack that werent there. Shaking my head at my old man moment, I settled for giving her a good stroke. Delighted, she gave my gauntlets a good licking. Forgive me, Master Gilgamesh, but the caravan waits for us upriver. I fear that it is best that we rejoin with them, suggested Cordelia from behind me. Though I longed to just simply rest, I had an image to maintain. If Kidu could endure the heat then I could deal with a ride. **** Up on my mount, I relished the vista before me. In the time I had spent under the earth, the desert had bloomed. Expanding from beyond the banks of the straight river was an explosion of life. The bleached sands had given way to lush a carpet of grass, andrge horsetails that rivaled trees had sprung up. Thend was so vibrant with life and raw vitality that every nce revealed movement. Animals had awoken from their annual slumber, frolicking among the greenery. Were it not for the endless expanse of barren sand at the edge of my vision, it would have made a mockery of the name, The Whispering Wastes. Cordelia and Elwin rode ahead of us, and I rode alongside Kidu and Pakum on their Xaruar. Behind therge proto-dragon, Larynda rode on Patches, a big smile on her face. Pakum had erected arge covering over the Xaruar, supported by poles attached to the saddle or howdah of the creature. This provided both him and our Hunter a measure of refuge against the sun. Curious to the reasons for my salvation, I decided to ask Pakum a question, Why did you not search for me while riding? Surely, that would have been the best way to go about it? And, just how were you able to find me anyways? It was then that the Xaruar decided to pause for a moment as if it was considering my question before chomping down on some new greenery. Pakum, annoyed, idly tapped his riding cane against therge creature''s head, causing it to give up its snack. With all respect, Honored One, the sands where they found you, in that direction from the Samasutum, are treacherous. Not t and hard like they are along the river. Uncle Abas says it is because of the roots of the old growth that the sand is different there. The sands beyond the rivers im is different. Some is soft, some hard. Rocky in ces, others not. The mounts would be more a liability than anything in the Wastes proper. In the Wastes, the sands are always shifting, making it difficult for horses to maintain their footing, exhausting them, or leading them to injury. Let alone one with a rider. Ramal here, more so, he answered, pointing affectionately to the big lizard. Your people would have been forced to walk them. Also, I would be beaten for risking the animals so. I hope that answers your first question to your satisfaction. It was a miracle that we were able to find you. I prayed for you every day, he added withplete earnestness. I had suspected something along those lines. Walking across the sands had indeed been a slog. The undting dunes, rocky and gravelly at times, had been difficult, even for me, to traverse. This sort of terrain would have been difficult for the horses. And to your second question. Lady Dazerac, she had a revtion that you were alive and well. She told us where to look for you. Not that I doubted, of course. Ankhsets apprentice would also have been able to sense you, too, of this I am sure, he answered with a straightforward solemnity. I found myself liking the kid. He answered directly, and there was nary a hint of deception or obfuscation about his manner. However, his answer to my second question was troubling, confirming Cordelias ramblings to be more than the exmation of a believer going through a religious experience. It was indeed worrying that my salvation had been due to powers outside of my control. But, had it been more Cordelia or Larynda? Larynda, at the cost of some of my pride, I could stomach. Cordelia, on the other hand, meant that still, the goddess was pulling invisible strings as part of some inscrutable n. For a moment, it looked as though Larynda had something to add, but I turned away, pretending not to notice... I simply could not deal with anything else at the moment. I needed time to unwind and dpress. Also, I was sure that she would find a way to tell me whatever was on her mindter anyway, as was the annoying nature of children. Book 3: Chapter 15: Back on the Road Book 3: Chapter 15: Back on the Road War is the result of a quandary to which no solution can be found. - From the diary of Damien de Savant. The air was moist, a juxtaposition to the dry desert breeze that came from the west. The new growth that had taken over this part of the sands could notpletely hide the passage of the Ravenss wagons. My new Tracking skill, low level as it was, gave me a greater rity in my interpretation of thend. Little things that I had never noticed before, or paid little attention to, came to a stark focus as my eyes roved over them. Browning grass showed where a Xaruar hadin for the night, creating its bed from the crush of leaves. Broken stems here and hoofprints there told me of where the horses had been staked down for the night. Theres jus a bit further downright! eximed Larynda, a bright and innocent smile brightening her features. The young half-elf looked carefree and I could see that a little of the permanent darkness and tension that had been about her was now gone. I was just about to grunt a reply when I saw something moving under the folds of her loose clothes. For a moment, I thought that some new and alien horror would burst out of the little girl. I was to be partially right. Brown beady eyes popped out, looking out at the world from just under the little girls chin. A whiskered nose on a soft-furred face sniffed at the air. Its nose turned in my direction and its little eyes caught sight of me. The rodent, sensing a dangerous presence, retreated under the folds of her clothes. It was the Whispermews, Laryndas new pet. Stop that, Bubbles! Stay still, already! chided Larynda,ughing gently as she did so. I see you are taking care of my gift, Imented, rolling my shoulders to let loose a little of the tension. Yeah, hes great! Stop that, you. Not you I mean, she continued. I think hes just scared. Hes a really good boy and doesnt usually act like this. And thanks for Bubbles, he really is the best! Take good care of it him. All life is important, I returnedmely, wanting to end our conversation. I looked towards the other members of my little team, Kidu and Pakum, but they both seemed to just ignore our little exchange. The boy''s eyes were fixed on the path upriver, guiding his charge with his stick. Kidu was nibbling on a piece of jerky to while away the time, looking much like a man who was enjoying a pleasant safari. I had told mypanions a very highly edited version of my time beneath the earth. Something in the back of my mind told me that giving them the full uncensored version would not have been the wisest of choices. Noticing Elwins typical reaction to some of my ounts, I did not need much convincing. There had been no encounter with a fell goddess, nor the harrowing divine ordeal that hade with that. It was one of those circumstances where the truth was far far less believable than a convenient lie. No, the tale I gave them simply involved me finding my way to the surface, fighting through an underground cave system filled with monsters and bloody-thirsty locals. With the exception of Cordelia and Kidu, they received my ount with various degrees of skepticism. However, for the most part, It was ddening that they had looked for me. It almost gave me back my faith in this worlds people. Almost. * It was early morning when we finally rejoined the caravan. Along the sandy banks of the Green Road, a thin mist was struggling feebly against the rising desert sun. The vehicles of the train were arranged into a circr formation on the left bank of the river, a plume rising from arge cooking fire at its center. One of the scouts let out a cry, causing the caravan to bestir itself like an anthill under attack. Once themotion had died down, Laes and Khm rode out to meet us, an equal mix of relief and disbelief. I had already yed out this encounter a few times in my mind, and I was of two minds as to how I would deal with the Ravens. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the vition. I was under the impression that Laes had wanted to continue on to Al-Lazar, taking Larynda with him to fulfill his promise to Hamsa. However, against his wishes, the small half-elf had been most obstinate, and her protestations had been backed up by a mountain of a man, a former, presumed, assassin, and a warrior-knight of the Goddess herself. In the end, apromise was reached. The caravan would wait a little way upriver, and mypanions had been given a week to search for me. Anything more than a week would have meant that the sands had truly imed me. It was a cold calction, but an understandable one. Overall, I found myself respecting his choice. Still, a small part of it did not sit well with me. It was very different when one being affected was you, and not some stranger who was half a world away. Master Gilgamesh, by the Goddess you have returned. I must confess that I harbored certain doubts. Rare are those who survive an encounter with a Guardian, he studied my face, searching for answers. Rarer still for one of them toe from so close to the Green Road. This year the Green Road has been especially strong and, running water, it is an anathema to them. What could have made a Sand Father What indeed? the old Guard Master Khm added a little acerbically, giving me a knowing look. I say that we Enough!manded Laes, his usual veneer of restraint and control vanishing like the morning mist. Must you shame me so! We have talked enough of this. Enough, I say! But Laes, my duty is to the train Khm began to blurt like a child. And I am its leader. You would do well to not forget whose coin you take? And what of signs!? You know I learned a little from my brother of the River Gods Pattern. It was how I rose high in the ranks. Nothing but misfortune dogs our trail and, Caravan Master Laes, you know well the reason why, retorted the old man, bristling. Must you bring this up again, it is unseemly, hissed Laes, growing ever more upset. I could see why. He was losing face in front of, what basically was, the hired help. Gripping his reins tightly, Khm seethed like a boy who had been censored by his teacher, but he held back a reply, instead shooting me another scathing re. I had always felt that the snake had borne a simmering resentment towards me, and this just cemented those feelings into fact. By the blessing of the Goddess, we have returned, Master Laes, Master Khm. As it was foreordained, interjected Cordelia cooly. Almost immediately the heat left Khm, leaving him unbnced. Mistress de Aserac, with all due respect he began before I decided to add my piece. I have it on good authority that the Guardians will not bother us, I stated simply, causing the old Guard Masters perpetual frown to deepen. The man really needed to learn to let things go. On what authority would you presume that the Laes ced a hand on Khms shoulder, and didnt say a word. His touch was not particrly heavy, nor violent in its nature, but it was finally enough to shut him up. I relished my next words, On the authority of the Goddess herself, I stated simply as if I was making a note of the weather. It was a fact after all. This caused everyone to pause for a moment. No doubt,ing from anyone else, these would be the words of a madman touched by the desert sun. These were, however, the words of a man touched by the Goddess, though which Goddess I had opted not to divulge. It felt good to turn the natives backward thinking against them. Laes gave his second a quick look before he bowed slightly. If Master Gilgamesh says it is so who are we to doubt the benevolence of the Goddess. Understand that as you ce your trust in the Goddess, my people trust in me. I have a duty to them. I could wait no longer than a week. I hope you can understand this, confessed the horse-faced man. Had I not needed him and his people to get me to Al-Lazar, to my silly quest, I would have cut him from neck to navel, a feat I was sure that, with my current physical prowess, I could achieve. Your disy of faith is most heartwarming, replied Cordelia cooly, taking his near-sphemy in her stride. Wee Master Gilgamesh. Like me, there are others who are d of your return, finished the caravan master, gesturing to some familiar shapes that had started to walk out to meet us from the circle of caravans. The familiar figures bridged the gap between us. Each face, etched with relief and palpable joy, belonged to people I knew well. Among them, one sight stood out, soothing the pain I endured. A pretty woman, eyes alight with happiness, covered her mouth in a joyful shriek before sprinting towards me. Book 3: Chapter 16: Falsehood Book 3: Chapter 16: Falsehood The pursuit of the ultimate, perfect justice, above all, will simply lead to just more injustice. - The Human Question by Gideon de Svia 378 AC. It was an emotional reunion. Abas Yar ran up to Pakum and gave him a gruff hug before ruffling his head proudly. Seeing this, I had to stop myself from doing the same to Dumuzis mop of hair as he, too, ran up to me. A secondter, Catalina threw herself at me, disregarding the dirt and smell, and crushing herself against me. Relief filled me then, and almost for a moment, it felt like I hade home. Youre back I always knew you would be back, Catalina whispered passionately in my ear. For some reason, her words brought me back to the reality of my situation. That I was stuck in this barbaric world, forced to fight, to risk my life for what? Bitterness found its way, seeping in through the cracks of my heart and staining the happiness of this moment. A bitterness that I could feel growing into a sharper, more deadly emotion. Hate. * Optimism. It ran irresponsibly through the air of the train, infecting all of the workers with renewed vigor. People moved a touch faster, carried a little more, and all without Laes haranguing them to greater effort. To survive an encounter with a Guardian was a heroic feat, to ride one, a thing of legends. Men looked at mypanions and I with new respect, bordering now on awe. If there had been any doubt that I was a servant of the Goddess before, it had beenid to rest now. From the general mood and snippets of conversation I overheard, my return was overwhelmingly viewed in a positive light. Except for some obvious outliers, it had convinced most of the Ravens that the gods were watching over us. I liked to convince myself that, had Laes decided to press on and abandon me, he would have faced a mutiny. In theing days, I would have much time to mull over this, the thought stewing in my mind. * The next day the caravan set off, with two of therger bull Xaruar at the front to trample down the new growth of giant cottontail and ferns that had seemingly sprung up overnight. The going was slower now as the lead animals were rotated, and therger obstacles were moved aside to allow for easier passage. Where the Xaruar failed to trample, white five-petalled flowers had begun to bloom along vines that ran across the ground. If one strayed too close to these blossoms they would explode in a burst of pollen, staining ones clothes with yellow powder. Apart from being a source of mirth for the children, these flowers were uncharacteristically harmless. The name of these flowers was False-Dusters, for they resembled the fabled Dust Flowers of the city of Al-Lazar. Indeed, every now and again an enterprising merchant would take samples of these nts and try to grow them with some measure of sess. However, unlike the real Dust Flowers of Al-Lazar, their pollen produced no lucid dreams, and in fact, had no real alchemical properties at all. Still, it did not stop some of the more unscrupulous from trying to pass it off as real Dust. All of this I heard from the people of the Ravens. They came to me now, with greetings and snippets from their little unimportant lives. I weed them all with a false smile and a few words of wisdom, stolen from my old world. This was enough to satisfy them for now, but I found the incessant interactions grating at times and it was a sore test for my patience. Catalina, too, had begun to test me. Her attachment to me had be clear, and she no longer made a show of hiding it. Indeed, she made a little show of it, using it to gain social standing with the other womenfolk of the caravan. This, in turn, made her bedtime ramblings a little longer, her questions trickier, as if she was seeking a form ofmitment, trying to trap me. I hated it when people tried to force me down a path I did not travel. Hopefully, she would warm my bed until Al-Lazar, at least, but until then I had to simply put up with it. Now, I finally understood the universalints of men who just wanted a simple life. When I grew tired of spending the evenings with her, I would make an excuse that it was, in fact, my duty to patrol. Using this gifted time, I would instead spend it with the men of the guard, ying cards and gambling with dice. Initially, I of course avoided the poisonous alcoholic beverage arag whenever possible, only drinking the foul stuff when forced to. This tale has been uwfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. However, as time passed, I found myself drinking it anyway as a form of escape. Was this a simtion of married life? A nagging harpy waiting in my bed and a child that was not mine? I was far too young, of course, to be thinking about these things. The night patrols were uneventful, and I was often paired up with one of mypanions. I took this time to learn a little more about them, in particr, what they could do. Elwin, was a dab hand at gray arts, what this world called the art of the assassination. He knew his way around most weapons, and more importantly, he knew ways of dealing with armored opponents. Where to run a knife to cut a leather strap, and the weak points of certain styles of armor. He told me of the blindspots, the restricted movements that te, scale, or splint mail gave its users, and how a man might unhorse another. He reminded me that it was still a difficult feat, demonstrating the various techniques on me. They were at times painful lessons, but the knowledge that he imparted to me was valuable nheless. So valuable, in fact, that it caused my Heavy Armor skill to evolve into Improved Heavy Armor and gave me an additional point into Medium Armor. A most wee bonus. Since we could not stop for a good length of time, I had to settle for the Ravens smith, Garven, to cold hammer out the dents as best as he could. More importantly, however, I was able to acquire a new quiver for my fancy crossbow and a new supply of iron bolts. He asked if I wanted a recement for my lost shield, to which I refused, causing him to simply shrug. I had taken to wearing my mace-il, Tsengelt-tum, on my hip in addition to my dagger. With my new toy, I spent quite a few of my evenings firing off and experimenting with one of my new abilities, Inferno Bolts, at the innocent wildlife, burning a few of them into charred husks. Testing revealed that it served like a sort of magical shortcut for using Rust on a projectile weapon. I could hold a throwing spear with an iron tip, cast the spell, and unlike Rust which activated immediately, the exothermic reaction would only start when it left my hand. Likewise, when cast on a crossbow bolt it did not begin to burn until it wasunched. Once, I even nervously passed my fancy crossbow, after casting the spell, to Elwin. The bolt released did not undergo a fiery reaction, which I found to be odd. It looked like I would not be able to make a living from imbuing weapons with magical properties. Knowing how the magic worked now, the bolts flew from my crossbow like tracer rounds, lighting up the darkness with their incandescence. Regrettably, I was not able to hit as many as I would have liked. Most likely because I was relying on the added functionality of my Identify spell tracking my targets and my low-level Blind Fighting to even have, as they say, a shot in the dark. This was, however, a rather expensive hobby, and it was eating into my funds. Also, thanks to my pyrotechnic disy, the local fauna was learning to stay clear from the presence of the train. However, a long Sandgorger had been slow on the uptake, and the lone bull attacked one of the guards. An Inferno Bolt through the monsters left eye made sure that we were eating frog that evening. Despite the Ravens chef adding a lot of spice to the meal, I could not help but feel that it could have done with a bit more punch. It would have been boorish of me to havemented such, and I held my silence. The meal was still filling and good, and by the looks of satisfaction on mypanions faces, a cut above the normal fare that we were used to. It was a shame that the bolt also caused the guard, a man called Khasim, a few second and third-degree burns. Once I was sure there were no other easy targets, I decided to heal the man. I found myself in a good mood, for I had gained a point in both Inferno Bolt and Blind Fighting. Smirking to myself, I absently wondered that, were my Charisma higher, would it have been possible for me to even charge the man for my services in this gamified world? One might argue that it might have been partially the guards fault for getting in the way of my bolt, after all. As always, the people of the Raven just took this all in with awe, my near-mythic status, and by proxy mypanions, growing even more. Could I say that I had finally maxed out my reputation? Khm, as always, was sour-faced and dour, giving me the worst shifts, the middle watch. I could not me him, as I would have done the same in his position. Still, it was a little petty. However, to bnce this, I was not without supporters among the Ravens. One particrly vocal example was Abas Yar, who walked now with new dignity and authority. The mark of my divine healing was clear for all to see. He was a walking monument to the grace of my blessing, and he would often sing my praises and proselytize my cause. More importantly, I think that he could, with his wealth of experience and social standing, actually rece Laes and Khm if push came to shove. A new original notion that had a certain appeal to it. After all, I owed Laes next to nothing. For the moment it remained simply a hypothetical. For the moment, at least. The encounter with the Sandgorger was an ever-present reminder of the danger of hidden enemies. To this end, whenever I was paired with Kidu, I would always seek his advice and question why he did what did, and what he observed. It was rather educational, but due to Kidus taciturn nature, much more difficult to elicit. Larynda, being a child, would, of course, not join us. Her time was spent studying the deeper mysteries of her element from the old witch, Ankhset. Any free time she had during the day, either Elwin, Kidu, or Cordelia would train her how to defend herself. That, or she would y with the other children, which in itself, was a form of training. The childish games of long ago were more violent than the typical things we enjoy in our modern times, and these games resembled a barbaric throwback to such times. Children would, and did, get hurt. However, pain is a swift teacher, and I could see that Larynda was growing faster, if not just a little stronger. On asion, Cordelia would bless us with herpany. A wee thing indeed, for she was strong and skilled. A rare thing for a woman in this world, or myst one. Her sword, when she had asion to draw it, flowed with efficiency and grace that were at odds with her youthful appearance. They were moves that one would associate with a master at the peak of their craft. It was more than the magic de that she wielded, it was something that was intrinsically her. There was nothing in our path that she could not cut down, and she did so with neither anger nor joy staining the clean movements of her blows. It was a beautiful thing to watch. Book 3: Chapter 17: Al-Lazar Book 3: Chapter 17: Al-Lazar Why do we regain our essence, our well of energy, our inner Mana, more rapidly when we rest? The time when consciousness fades and we walk upon thend of the dream. And why is it that the most intellectually capable of us are able tomand greater reserves of arcane power? Is it because of rote practice, technique, or a deeper understanding of our element that allows us to perform greater feats of magic, like the writings of the ancients suggest? Perhaps it is both. Perhaps it is neither, and our capacity for mastery of the arcane is decided at birth. Some of my peers posit it is because only a greater intellect can ponder, can visualize, the higher truth of the universe. To understand concepts that go beyond mere space and time and to touch, in a limited way, the face of the divine. I have heard some argue that it is only when we are free from conscious thought that we can allow our minds to fly unshackled from the misguided preconceptions of things that we view as real. And in doing so, we allow for a greater connection to the world, and to god-gift Mana itself. Perhaps, it is in thend of the dreams that the answers to the greater mysteries of this universe can be found. - Notes found in the quarters of Master Bertrand of the University of Quas. By their blessing, or perhaps they were simply distracted, the other gods of this world did not turn their eyes upon us. As for Iasis, though I never gave the words of the gods much weight, it seemed that she had kept her promise. There were no further attacks by the great Guardians, nor any other monster or savage desert tribes. The rest of the journey was blessedly uneventful. What would the people of the Ravens and the Crows think if they knew that it was the blessing of a very different goddess that had guaranteed their safety? Time passed, a slow inexorable advance as one day bled into the next. Not counting the nearly incessant nagging, the only constants were the pervasive heat of the day and the icy chill of the desert night. Like Elwin, and now the rest of mypanions, I had taken to wearing the flowing clothes of the desert over my armor. This fusion of attire conjured images of the crusaders in the Palestine, a blend of medieval European armor with the traditional desert garb. It did somewhat help to mitigate some of the heat and cold, but then again with my high Constitution, the boiling heat of the sun and the freezing night were minor diforts at worst. If anything, I did it for the simple human need to just fit in. For nearly two whole moons, we traveled along the Green Road. I had spent all of that time throwing myself at physical tasks like cutting obstinate proto-trees that even the Xaruar had difficulty removing from the path. On a day much like any other, a wagon wheel snapped and broke. Wishing to test my Strength, I dug my heels into the soft sand and tried to lift the vehicle before it overturned. Kidu, trying to be helpful, or perhaps viewing this as a sort of challenge, rushed to my aid. We both strained together in a weird sort of contest. For our Heean effort, I earned a point in Strength, a growing rarity, as the numbers got higher. I had even taken to ying games with the children. Not that I enjoyed theirpany, but it gave me an excuse to practice the use of my Stealth skill as we yed this worlds variant of hide-and-seek. They were even able to persuade me to shed my armor as, no matter how hard I tried, it was impossible to garner even a modicum of stealth when d in a suit of steel. Thanks to these fun and games, I was able to raise my Stealth skill to level two. Though by no means a ghost in the night, I was learning to move with a certain economy of movement that lent me a quieter stride. It was progress. It was with a little regret that one of the children had gone missing, and we were only able to find his shriveled corpse inside a monstrousrge pitcher nt analog. Desi was his name, and he was perhaps not the sharpest tool in the shed, but his passing cast a pall on further games. The funeral was a rushed affair, no doubt due to Laes wanting to reach Alzar as soon as possible. At times the man had no respect formon human decency. Across the evening meals, I heard the tale of the worm riders, of how mypanions rode one of the great Guardians. With every retelling, the tale gradually grew with embellishments until now it was a thing of living legend. Up until the present, the people of the Ravens thought, in their ignorance, that the Guardians breathed the sand as if it were air. However, Kidu had doubted this, thinking that the worms of the desert were like the whales and porpoises of the frozen seas of his home. The Hunter intuited that the Guardians breathed air and not sand, and in a stroke of natural genius, he forced one of the spiracles open with his spear. These organs, the holes running along the sides of the monster, were what the creature used to breathe. Like the blowholes of the cetaceans on Earth, it needed to close them before burrowing beneath the sand. Unable to dive beneath the dunes, the Guardian was forced to travel across the surface, until finally, exhausted, it stilled, allowing mypanions to dismount safely. There were now other variations of the tale. One such divergence was that it was Kidu himself and his great bulk that kept the spiracle open. Yet another was that Cordelia prayed to Avaria, and the Goddess herself interceded. It was interesting to see the truth so easily twisted in such a short span of time. * If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The mist would often form along the river in the early hours of the morning, making the line of vehicles ahead of our wagon look like ghosts. The only substance they had to them was their sound, calls that echoed far. The movement of the caravan was, by far, not a quiet affair. It was on one such morning that I was gifted with my first vision of the great city of Al-Lazar. There, in the far distance, I mistook it for a heatwave or a mirage, but a glint of gold shed. Next to this sh, was a thin line of iron gray, the Blister Sea as I was told. That sparkle of gold was the Dome of Bing, the tallest monument in the city of Dust, ording to Laes and the other people of the Raven. Now Laes, despite my doubts, had been true to his word. He had paid me the agreed upon silver every month. Half of which, however, went to sundry costs. But with the city so near now, those ounts would soon be closed. The city in the distance also represented freedom, an escape from chains. And an escape from the incessant nagging that had been guing me ofte. When had Catalina turned into such a fishwife? When she was notining, she was generally pleasantpany, but any further entanglement presented only a series of problems. I tried to imagine a life with her, and simply could not do it. The rtionship had, unfortunately, run its course. Also, the single mothers of this world, like in my old one, had their fair share of problems that, quite frankly, I did not wish to deal with any longer. I wanted to see more of this world, and thest thing I needed was a premade family to hold me back. Though how I would be able to bid farewell without causing a scene would be another matter. I would lose too much face if I left in the middle of the night Perhaps it would be better to discuss things with Laes, nip this problem in the bud as it were. Laes would make a killing on this trip, exchanging his goods for the raremodity that was the Dust. More importantly, he could probably leverage some of the information from the outside world to gain favors within the city. I would have to make sure that he did not mention me or mypanions to any relevant parties that might be interested. It called for a pointed discussion, a very pointed discussion. Our destination was so close at hand, that I felt, keenly, the urge to pad my purse with more money. There was no longer a need to lose on purpose when gambling, for I was no longer trying to milk the games for Luck gains. Instead, I began to win steadily, but not at a rate that I could be used of rigging or cheating. Indeed, it would have taken a brave man to put forth such an usation. Still, there was no point in killing the golden goose. While I kept ying out simtions of betrayal, I also made sure to n for the future. Here and there, I pumped the people of the Raven for all they knew of the city, and most of them were happy to tell me what I wanted. The citys governance, inparison to the rest of the world, was, in my opinion, a little different from the standard I hade to expect. Al-Lazar was controlled, essentially, by a group ofpanies who exerted control and influence over the politics of the city. These organizations in turn could vote on various edicts and policies of the city. Members of suchpanies were called Shareholders, as they shared directly in the vast profits of thepanies. They were essentially the lords anddies of the city, just under different names. There was no corporate meritocracy here, as power was handed down through familial lines. However, it hardly mattered, as even an ipetent person could reap the vast profits that were made from the annual harvest of the Dust. Despite the natural barriers of the Wastes, and the ongoing blockade of its sea routes, trade groups and caravans still found their way here to deal in the most precious of substances. Approximately three hundred miles or so to the north was the port town of Narilmu. There, a trickle of trade came in by sea from those willing to brave sporadic raids from the Mer and was supplemented by another ovend trade route from the North. These trade groups would then make the rest of the way south to the city of Al-Lazar, hiring adventurers or mercenaries for their escort. It was a far cry from the trading heyday of Al-Lazar before their war with the people of the sea, but it was a lifeline nheless. What was worrying was the strong presence of the Church of Her Divine Radiance, the followers of the hateful Avaria, in the port town. If She had followers in the region, it represented a potential threat. I learned from Cordelia that, banned in Al-Lazar, they instead ran a collection of almshouses, orphanages, hospitals, and other charitable works in Narilmu. It was a well-known fact that the majority of the dock workers, porters, and generalborers were of Aranthian stock or devout followers of the Church. All of this gave the Church great influence in Narilmu, and indirectly Al-Lazar itself. I decided it would be best to avoid the ce as much as possible. From Abas Yar, I learned that thend route to the north was as perilous as crossing the Whispering Wastes. Further north, you could travel until the desert became a jungle. Through this primordial jungle was a road made in ancient times fromrge blocks of white marble stone. You would think that this would be a safe thing to travel, but green skins had made their homes in the jungle. Barbaric tribes and ns of Orcs and Goblins fought each other under the dark canopies of the trees. The savages often fought each other as much as they attacked the merchant caravans. Of some note, the Ravens and the Crows would be stopping at Narilmu before traveling this route. Al-Lazar was ostensibly a city at war and under economic siege, its sea routes blockaded by the Mer. However, between the Adventurers and Mercenary Guilds'' strong presence within the city, along with their private armies, the city was well defended. Between the city of Narilmu, and the other ovend routes, and despite the dangers of those routes, the city was well supplied. Indeed, the raids of the Mer had long ago been relegated to minor nuisances, as the war, for the most part, prevented marine travel into the city. Indeed there had been talk of suing for peace, but this had been vetoed at every turn. There were rumors that many of the guilds of the city did not wish for peace and that the current status quo served them well. There was also talk of a tournament that would soon be held in the city, and this certainly piqued my interest. These sorts of events in games were always fun and were a good way to raise ones influence and earn rich rewards. Looking at mypanions, I was pretty sure that even if I could not win it, perhaps one of them could. Sitting high in my saddle, I saw a group of horsemen,ing from the direction of Al-Lazar. Laes seemed unusually calm, relieved almost, as if he had been expecting them. Was this the moment he had been waiting for? He would be the first to fall, if he was nning treachery. Book 3: Chapter 18: A Sticky Situation Book 3: Chapter 18: A Sticky Situation Death is but a path that we must all walk to its inevitable conclusion. - The Human Question by Gideon de Svia 378 AC. At a distance, where the human eye could still discern shape, walls of yellow sandstone rose against a backdrop of an iron gray sea. Before me was my journeys goal, the fabled city of Al-Lazar and the symbol of my freedom. A symbol of a new life. The horsemen from yesterday were soldiers of the city of the Dust, sent to escort and guide us there. ording to them, the frequency of Mer sightings in recent days had increased, a prelude to a new period of conflict. Our new escorts, for the most part, all bore uniform equipment. Each of them had ance or lengthy spear, a bundle of jarids, and a long curved de that was typical of cavalry. Their armor was notable. The fronts and backs of the soldiers were guarded byrge, solid discs, connected by chain links of iron or steel. Around their open-faced helms, they wore keffiyehs checkered in ck and white. They all had a disciplined and professional air about them. Yet, a closer inspection revealed something amiss, their gazes were oddly unfocused, eyes slightly zed, betraying a subtle disconnect from their surroundings. Laes offered them the hospitality of the camp, which they surprisingly rejected, instead preferring to set themselves a hundred yards away from us. It seemed that they were serious about their business. We would arrive in the city tomorrow, or the day after, by my own rough guess. Preparing my things as best as I could, I was surprised when a young boy, obsequious in his manner, gave me a summons to Laes wagon. Interrupted, I could not help a small spark of annoyance light up in my gut, a spark I soon smothered with a smile. I informed the boy that I would be in the caravan masterspany shortly. Something told me, a gut instinct perhaps, that I should not go to the caravan master alone. I looked over the current upants of the wagon, looking for the perfect escort. Kidu was whittling away at a small block of wood, unlocking the secret shape it had hidden within. I did not take him for the artistic type, but then again everyone needs a hobby to while away the time. Kidu would be too imposing, more likely to threaten violence than settle for negotiation. Searching inside of myself, I did not have the reserves of patience to restrain him. In truth, I needed someone to act as a possible restraint on my own actions, a calm head, as you will. As for Elwin, he was busy mixing and grinding away to make a paste, with the help of Larynda. What he was making eluded me, and several attempts at Identify just gave me the name of the various ingredients in the mixture. If I wanted to know the name of whatever it was he was making, I would have to ask him or wait for him to finish. I decided to wait. He was busy, and I doubted that Laes, or anyone in the caravan really, held him in high regard. His words would be as wind. Larynda of course, charming as she could be at times, was, of course, off the table. That left Cordelia, the Temple Knight who was currently saying evening prayers to a faraway Goddess. Cordelia would be perfect. Her piety and holiness held great sway here among the believers, notwithstanding her own social rank and station. She would also act as a ward against my baser impulses, but at the same time, strong enough to back me in the worst of possible situations. I found her outside of her wagon, on her knees, her eyes shut in devotion. She was imploring her Goddess for guidance, a deep need etched in every word. It was a prayer, perhaps, or maybe a hymn, flowing from her in a melodic rhythm, her lilting voice weaving a tapestry of sound that was hauntingly beautiful. Once she finished, she brushed the grass off her clothes, a few stubborn des remaining, despite her efforts. She greeted me with her beatific smile, an expression that was so serene that it gave a measure of sce to my heart. Sure in my choice, I informed her that Laes requested mypany and that I wished for her to join me. Unarmored, she epted with a simple nod of her head, slinging on her magic longsword. Unlike Kidu, her strength was understated. I finally understood why people hired female bodyguards. Together we made our way through the camp to Laes wagon, finding Laes at his bolted-down desk and a grim-faced Khm hovering beside him. Once again, my eyes were drawn to the pair of delicate swords hanging over somerge horns, before I focused on the pair before me. Greetings Master Gilgamesh, I hope I did not unduly disturb you, started the caravan master in a neutral voice. We will arrive at our destination soon, my obligation to Master Alchemist Hamsa fulfilled. Now there are two matters we must see to, he continued, running a hand through a length of knotted cord, the knots a tally and ledger. First, thest of your pay. I have included a little bonus for services rendered. It is, of course, much appreciated. Were it not for yourpany, our fates might have been different, said the horse-faced man, his ugly face looking to Khm forment as he ced a small cloth purse on his desk. Khm''s face was all hard lines and tension, but still, he gave a grudging nod. Without me, Laes and his people would have been doomed. However, an argument could be made that it was because of me and my little package that the Ravens had been in danger in the first ce, but I digress. Internally quibbling over minutiae never amounted to anything. I reached over to take my well-deserved pay, cing it into my tough satchel made of boiled leather tes. Reading the room, I decided it would be rude if I did not count out the money. Khm has brought to my attention another matter that needs to be settled before you leave us, added Laes, lines of worry adding their presence to his already uely appearance. The matter of your rtionship with one of our recently widowed, Catalina Kalkassin. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I kept an impassive expression on my face, hoping that the fool would get on with whatever usation that he was going to make. I do not like to get involved with peoples private matters, much less a man who is obviously watched over by the Goddess herself, but there are matters of propriety that must be observed, fussed the Caravan matter. Your point being? I almost bared in annoyance, breaking my stony facade. I had gotten what I wanted and now just wished to make an exit as soon as was feasibly possible. You may not know our ways ounder, but for a man to lie with a woman whose husband has passed this mortal coil is a statement that he is willing to take responsibility. It is a heavy honor and duty, cut in Khm, breaking his silence. I was not aware I began, only to be interrupted by the irate Guard Master. You were not aware! seethed the older man, his hands clenching into fists. Indeed, I was not, I half-shouted, the only way I could get a word in. Did Catalina know all along, that I had no knowledge of this custom, this foisting of responsibility after a simple tumble? Paranoid thoughts rushed through a mind that was searching for past hints. Had she been in cahoots with Laes all along? Had Laes been whoring her out to keep a useful asset with the Ravens? My mind whipped through various tangents, even considering a strange plot with Gelgor, the master of the Crows. Had my dreams been prophetic in nature? Will you do the honorable thing Master Gilgamesh? She is a mother with a young child, said Laes, his voice calm and level. It was clear to me then what their goal was, they wanted me to marry the woman. For me, she was nothing more than a bedwarmer, something to keep the otherwise tiresome journey interesting. I justified it as a transactional rtionship, after all, she did owe me her life. The least she could do was spread her legs every now and again, and it was not like she did not enjoy the experience herself. It takes two to tango, or perhaps she was just a better actress than I gave her credit for. It would serve me well to remember that in this world, general attitudes were far more conservative, extremely so, than they had been in my more advanced and civilized society. So backward were these barbarians. But even this small pleasure had been tempered somewhat by her incessant nagging that I hadpletely ignored. Nagging that had increased as we got closer to our destination. Let me make this clear to the pair of you, I have no intent of marrying the woman. Nor did I seduce the woman, I was invited, I stated matter-of-factly. Sighing to himself as if he had been expecting it, Laes steepled his fingers before giving out his secondary n. Then you will need to pay her bride price, is it the least you can do. Understand, that as Master here I must maintain my authority, even in the face of Divine providence. Divine providence you say? That is riching from a man who would seek to shackle and control the Herald of the Goddess herself. Know your ce, voiced Cordelia with a saints patience and authority. You would dare!? You owe your life to Laes grace, temple witch, spat out Khm, the old mans face heating with emotion. A temple witch, you say? Perhaps, if a Knight of the Penitent Heart can be one. But you would do well to remember that I am also the daughter of Duke Everard de Aserac. Your words could be taken not only as a direct insult to myself, but as an insult to my house and the Duke himself, she replied quietly, like a teacher dealing with a fractious child. As far as I was concerned, this was all theater. The Ravens could not force my hand. Theycked the power to back up their demands. Still, a part of me wished to salvage the situation. We had, in the end, been travelingpanions and it would do me no good if we ended up on bad terms. I sensed that Khm was being overly emotional for some reason, there was more to this than met the eye. Laes, on the other hand, might be more sympathetic to my predicament. Cordelia however decided to go on the offensive. You speak of bride price? she snorted, giving out a weak derisiveugh. I speak often with the women of the Ravens. It is a well-known fact that she boasts of receiving a good deal of money from the Herald, in his charity, she paused for a moment, before delivering the final blow. I daresay, I was not raised in roughpany, but what is it that you call a woman who receives money from a man who visits her at night? And what would the bride price be of such a woman? she finished lightly with a provocative smile. Until that moment, I did not believe the human face could reach such heights of barely repressed confusion, outrage, and outright anger. It was quite the picture painted on the old warriors expression, and I saw his hand reach for the weapon at his hip. If he wanted violence, he was more than wee toe at me. I would end him as I had ended all that had attacked me. Laes, on the other hand, lookedpletely nonplussed, an expression that he quickly covered in the next two breaths. He was a professional, this one. A merchant through and through. The man probably thought this not as an insult, but instead a negotiation and bargaining tactic. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, before looking me straight in the eye. Then what would you have me do, Master Gilgamesh? he inquired with a forlorn sigh. Laes, you cant possibly started Khm again childishly, his words and immature action throughout this whole exchange belying his advancing years. What would you have me do? he asked again softly,pletely ignoring his second. I will not let it be said that I am an unkind man. True, it is partly my fault that I was ignorant of your ways. Still, it could also be said that she seduced me, I paused for a beat, trying to search their faces for clues. Laes gave away nothing. I will give the poordy, in my charity, some money. Let me make this clear, however, this will not be the bride price, I suggested, hoping that I did not sound overly pompous. This option afforded me a way out of this mess. A mess that my innocent ignorance had birthed. My suggestion allowed for Laes to save face. It also meant that I could keep rtionships with the Ravens neutral at least, at the cost of some coin. In all choices it seemed, however, there was a price. Book 3: Chapter 19: Sweet Sorrow Book 3: Chapter 19: Sweet Sorrow It is always hard for those who stand on the right side of the events of history. It is a heavy mantle that I have no joy in bearing. - Gilgamesh of Uruk. The new days sun brought soft pastel colors that wouldter fade to a strict uniform azure. This close to the iron gray ocean, the wind brought with it the first hints of a salty tang, notes of the sea. The Green Road, that oddly spear-straight river, finished as strangely as it had begun. Its waters disappeared into a pool ringed by high prehistoric horsetails. At the base of these nts was thick thorny briar that writhed with alien and jealous intent, forming a natural wall that prevented all from entering. The end of the Green Road marked the end of my time with the people of Ravens. Tomorrow would be a time for farewells, but also new beginnings. A new chapter of my adventures, yet unwritten. Our camp was set up a mere stone''s throw from the city''s walls, just outside the main gates. Our mounted escort had told us of new tariffs and certain new forms that needed to be filled in before they headed back into the city. Before they left, the guards offered to expedite the process for a fee, pointedly warning him that outside the walls was not safe. However, Laes, in his miserly stubbornness, did not want to enter the city with the train until he had confirmed the truth of these new changes. To the north of us, extensive, irrigated crop fields stretched out, the breadbasket of the city. There, numerous workers, donning wide-brimmed hats to shield themselves from the sun''s harsh re,bored diligently. I assumed them to be free men, for I had yet to see or hear the verssh. Al-Lazar was a city, after all, that prided itself on being a free city. Surrounding the fields was a natural barricade ofrge rocks, hardy nts, and trees, which served to keep the encroaching desert sands at bay. Across the beaches, was a very different sort of agriculture. Great flowering vines that looked like the green tentacles of a giant slumbering sea creature wove their way across the bleach bone sand, creating a vivid tapestry of color and life amidst the sand and sea. Among the nts, workers toiled with a manic frenzy, harvesting the flowers intorge baskets. These were the famous Dust fields of the Al-Lazar, the primary source of the citys wealth. The source of the narcotic Dust. Encircling the city itself were towering walls, constructed from thick, heavy blocks of yellow sandstone. The men patrolling atop these fortifications, d in bronze and iron armor, moved in perfect lockstep behind the crented battlements. Strategically ced along the walls were machictions, sinister structures designed to let defenders rain down a variety of deadly materials onto the attackers below. Portions of the battlements were covered, sheltering what must have been ballistae, their fearsome spear bolts leaning over the walls with deadly promise. Parts of other siege engines, like the arms of catapults or trebuchets, peaked over strategic sections of the wall. High and formidable towers, like fortified minarets, stood at the corners, overseeing andpleting the city''s imposing defensive structure. Rising above even the high walls of the city, a magnificent dome was visible, its gold ting reflecting the sun''s rays with a resplendent brilliance. This was the renowned Puhru Bitu, the Council Chambers, or the Dome of Bing, and it was the seat of power for the Shareholder families, as well as the heart of governance in the city. A short distance from the eastern wall, I witnessed a scene most unusual unfold before my very eyes. A small group of cavalry was riding hard. In the midst of their ranks, was a figure astride a creature that could only be described as gracefully monstrous. At least a head taller than the horses, this six-limbed lizard ran with a fluid, loping gait. It propelled itself on four of its limbs, while the front pair had three sickle ws each that seemed capable of effortlessly tearing through both flesh and bone. The creature''s head and long tail boasted a striking disy of feathers and plumes, all shimmering in shades of purple and red, loosely reminiscent of the velociraptors of Earths ancient past. The small contingent of mounted soldiers appeared to be herding a group of odd, pearly blue humanoids, twenty strong, toward the sea. The soldiers of the city were not all riding ordinary mounts. No, they were harrying them, I realized, as they hurled spears at the retreating figures. They cut across the Dust fields, as the cavalry, barely sparing the panicked workers any attention, almost ran them down in their chase of the strangely colored men. Unable to navigate a path through therge vines, a horse gave out a shrill whinny as it tripped and fell, tossing its rider to the carpeted ground. In a desperate move, one of the green creatures tossed an odd device at the horsemen, which exploded into a burst of translucent slime, impeding their pursuit. Seizing this opportunity, the pursued group, instead of continuing along the white sands of the beach, started to wade into the iron-gray sea before disappearing beneath the waves. The cavalry, once they extricated themselves from the slime, raised their weapons and gave out ulting cries that celebrated their victory. Their mission aplished, they picked up their fallenpanion, euthanized his horse, and began their ride back to the city. If I was not mistaken, and from the descriptions I had heard from the Ravens, the people or creatures that had retreated into the sea were the Mer, a party of them sent to scout out the surface-dwellers realm. The people of the sea often initiated their assaults with probing missions, much like the one I had witnessed, setting the stage for arger attack. A massive, amphibious onught aimed at capturing the city. Vast numbers of the sea-dwellers, along with their formidable war beasts of the deeps, would emerge from the ocean depths,unching themselves at the city walls in a frenzied, often suicidal, attack. These ferocious assaults were typically repelled through thebined efforts of the city''s defenders, bolstered by the hired hands of the Adventurer''s and Mercenary''s Guild. Despite these defenses, the city walls had once been breached, leading to intense, bloodybat within the city itself. This harrowing incident spurred the city-state''s governing body into action, prompting them to strengthen and modernize their fortifications in an immense public works project. Were we safe, outside the city walls? True, the defenders of the city had made short work of the rather pathetic scouting party of the Mer, but still, I could not help but feel that the caravan was taking unnecessary risks. By the looks of things, we were the first of the trading groups to cross the desert and should have been more than wee in the city. Surely, the man could have used that to his advantage? Perhaps, this was another tactic of Laes to influence the price of his goods one way or another. However, my concerns for the caravan would soon be neither here nor there. Yesterday, I finally negotiated through a potentially rather messy situation. It revealed to me, like some Eastern cultures of my old world, that theirs was, at its core, a very transactional one. It was a little off-putting, barbaric almost, but also had a stark simplicity that did away with a lot of meaningless nonsense. One gold was a simple, and rtively small amount of money, all things considered, for services rendered. It would mean that I would not be leaving enemies behind. ***** Lying on a hard bed, with barely enough space for two, I stared up at the wooden ceiling of Catalinas wagon, the legacy of herte husband. Light began to filter in through the gaps of the heavy shutters, telling me that a new day was now upon me. Putting off what I knew I must do, I took a moment to review my current Status. [STATUS] Calling: Gilgamesh lvl.13 Pdin/Reaver Strength: 32 Dexterity: 26 Constitution: 42 Intelligence: 25 Wisdom: 22 Charisma: 14 Luck: 23 Entropic Mimic [Creature of Entropy - lvl.24] Health: 474/474 Stamina: 60/60 Mana: 1/1 Adaptive Defense (lvl.2) Shield Form (lvl.2) SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.3) Power Strike (lvl.4) 10 Endure (lvl.5) Stealth (lvl.2) Rest (lvl.4) This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.3) Dual Wield (lvl.2) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.4) Improved Unarmed Combat (lvl.1) Hammers (lvl.4) ils (lvl.3) Maces (lvl.3) Shields (lvl.3) Medium Armor (lvl.4) Improved Heavy Armor (lvl.5) Axes (lvl.2) Daggers (lvl.4) Throwing Weapons (lvl.2) Double Throw (lvl.1) 5 Shield Bash (lvl.2) 10 Riding (lvl.2) Dash (lvl.1) Swords (lvl.3) Crossbows (lvl.4) Blind-Fighting (lvl.2) Rush Strike (lvl.1) Tracking (lvl.1) Trap Detection (lvl.1) Frenzied Strikes (lvl.2) 30 Monster Taming (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) 5 Rust (lvl.4) 2 Identify (lvl.3) 1 Silent Casting (lvl.2) Mana Regeneration (lvl.2) Purify (lvl.2) 3 Greater Heal (lvl.2) 10 Holy Aura (lvl.3) 2 Decay (lvl.1) 1 Drain (lvl.5) 2 Entropic Aura (lvl.3) 2 Inferno Bolts (lvl.2) 2 GIFTS Curse of Entropy: -20% to all starting attributes. Mark of the Pdin: 10% resistance to Dark/Holy magic. 5% resistance to Physical. Touch of the Void: 10% reduced resistance to Holy/Fire magic, 20% resistance to Mental Effects, 15% immunity to Mental Effects. Mark of the Adaptive Helix: 5% resistance to Physical, Minor Regeneration Experience to next level 167/1069 Health383/383 Stamina71/72 Mana18/18 General improvements across the board, with even my passenger improving its skills. It was time to bite the bullet. Steeling myself, I prepared for what I had to say. Today, I am leaving, I began, whispering to the woman lying next to me. Catalina was not beautiful, not objectively in the sense that, lets say, Cordelia was. But she had a pretty face and full figure backed up by a certain enthusiasm that added a lot of spice to our nocturnal activities. I had asked her to do certain things, acts I had only seen in the media, things that I never had the guts to ask of a girl before. She did them all willingly, with minimum coercion. The next man who enjoyed her basically owed me a favor for opening up her horizons. It had been a liberating experience for both of us. Today would be an end to all of that. She started to cry, though whether this was sadness from the thought of our parting, or my slightly rough treatment of herst night, only the gods knew. I can not take you with me, you know this right? I stated simply in a soft voice. She only sniffled pathetically in response, her back to me. Where I go is dangerous, and my enemies follow me, even now. I could not endanger you. Think, too, of your son, I added, more to convince myself than to assuage her feelings. Finally, she turned to me, her voice hollow, No, it is not because you cant, it is simply because you wont. There is always a way for those who want it. Young I may be, but I know well enough a soft-spoken lie. I am not lying I tried to counter. She plowed on, disregarding my excuses, At the start, I was lonely, too drunk with the grief of my loss. Too soon, the other women said, but who are they to know of the empty ces of the heart? I saw you there, surrounded by such merriment, yet alone. Pausing for a moment, a squall of repressed emotion clouded her features, I thought we were perhaps alike. Do noty all the me at my feet. It takes two to I started again, only to be cut off. I must have failed a Charisma check or something, as this conversation was not going as I had nned. A testament to the unpredictability of the fairer sex. And I am sorry that I saw something that never was. I knew, but still, I had hoped. I wanted to make you happy, in any way that I could. You must think me a foolish, easy woman, she said bitterly, recrimination present in all of her words. She continued with her monologue, every word steeped with emotion. Truly, you are a great one. Everyone, screams of your holiness. Even Abas Yar, that bitter excuse for an old man, sings your praises. That you are a hero, that the Goddess herself watches you. You are not holy, or Avaria is a jealous bitch that can not share her chosen with this mortal woman. I did not bother with a rebuttal as I got dressed, leaving her to wallow in her misery and ignoring the rest of her tirade. Guilt pricked at me as I left her wagon. However, this feeling was soon erased as I felt an impact at the nape of my neck as I began to close the door behind me. The woman had decided to stupidly throw the coin purse I had left behind for her. The amount I had agreed with Laes. With a shrug of my shoulders, I left it where it had fallen. She would see reason soon enough. It seemed, however, that the old adage was right, there was no pleasing everyone. I passed by Dumuzi, not meeting his eyes, I just decided to ruffle his hair as I walked past. He had been a goodd. Soft, though. I could feel his usatory gaze following me for a good while. ***** Catalinas recriminations were still ying in my mind, her words, what I remembered of them anyway, on an endless loop. It was a bad habit of mine, reviewing the past in search of an optimal answer. Elwin and Kidu sorted out our things, loading the bulk of our belongings onto Patches, while Cordelia and Larynda paid their respects to Ankhset, the Water Mage of the Ravens. It was during this strange time that I received a summons from a boy, a mere slip of a youth. His face and manner were unknown to me, but he was polite in the way of these people and came before and bowed at the hip. Master Gilgamesh, Gelgor of the Crows would appreciate your help in matters regarding his health. He believes that you may be able to render assistance, and that you will be wellpensated, he finished bowing low as he waited for my response. After my wages from guarding the caravan, gambling, odd jobs, clearing my inventory, donations for healing, Catalinas settlement and other misceneous expenses, I had on my person around two gold in various denominations. While I was not destitute, my financial situation was precarious, especially considering the high cost of city life. Despite Khm''s earlier warnings to avoid Gelgor, this close to my goal, I felt emboldened to disregard his advice. The rebellious part of me actually took pleasure in this defiance. With a mischievous smile, I conveyed my reply, Inform Master Gelgor of my interest. I will meet with him within the hour. Book 3: Chapter 20: Temptation Book 3: Chapter 20: Temptation The workers of the Dust fields are, for the most part, wretched addicts hooked on the pleasure that only the Dust Dreams can give. Lost in fantasies of their making, they slowlye to detest the waking world and all of its imperfections. Famously, there are no ves in the free city of Al-Lazar, but still, it exists there in all but name. The lost, the forlorn, and the desperate often find themselves targeted by unscrupulous individuals who coerce them into signing away their lives on pieces of paper. These are the indentured workers of Al-Lazar who toil away in the fields under the hot desert sun. The workers of the Dust fields are, for the most part, trapped wretches such as these. Addicts hooked on the pleasure that only the Dust Dreams can give. Pushed into a corner by the weight of their addiction, their only salvation is to ve away in the Dust fields. Theirs are the cheapest of contracts and their terms the longest, for this is a fate that many of them happily ept. For, to work the fields, is to breathe in raw Dust. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. The thick, swirling tendrils of smoke hung heavily within Gelgor''s expansive wagon and obscured the resplendence thaty within. The furniture gleamed with opulence, adorned with a profusion of gemstones and glistening gold. The carpet was of a deep crimson and a fine, thick weave. On one wall, a masterpiece of unparalleled artistrymanded attention, a vivid tableau of a fearsome azure dragon locked inbat with winged humanoid adversaries. Reclining amidst the decadence, Gelgor rested upon a sumptuous bed of soft satin pillows. Inhaling deeply from a water pipe, the smoke billowed around him like a shroud. In his attendance, a youthful servile maiden, her attire a delicatebination of misty gauze and silk, almost stole my breath away. The curves of her shapely form, entuated by the translucent fabric, was a tantalizing vision. I could not help but cast longing nces towards her. ck hair was tied in a braid that fell to her narrow waist like a line of midnight. Tilted red eyes, a shade deeper than even the carpet, contrasted beautifully with her warm, soft chocte skin. Red eyes? What manner of eye color was that? These fleeting thoughts were quickly overshadowed by a pang of jealousy that gripped my heart as I watched her offer the corpulent man a morsel of freshly cut fruit. Gelgor''s possessive hand slid along her thigh as she did so, a smirk dancing upon his lips. Atst, he diverted his attention to me with a wide smile. "Wee! Wee! I''ve long anticipated the meeting with the renowned Gilgamesh, the hero and guardian of the Ravens!" The morbidly obese man greeted me, his jowls quivering with feigned mirth. Momentster, he pounded his chest. The reclined position he held seemed to disagree with the fruit he had just consumed. The man spluttered briefly before his pretty attendant quickly dabbed his face with a small cloth. I noticed that it was stained crimson. Troubling. "Thank you Zariyah, my dear. A dreadful habit, the pipe, but one I picked up in my youth and am reluctant to relinquish, even in my advancing age. A man is often defined by his ws, and the weaknesses of the flesh have been mine. Unlike my former brother-inw and others, I won''t conceal them. Life it is to be lived," he exined, his grin supporting his unapologetic disposition. "Now,e,e. Enjoy my hospitality before we get into matters of business. Eat, eat!" hemanded, gesturing toward a low tableden with an assortment of finger food. It was to my credit that the heavy smoke did not cause me to cough or splutter, for with my Constitution I barely noticed the effects of the strangely apple-scented fumes. I did, however, start to experience a growing sense of rxation, the tension in my shoulders gradually easing. Taking off my gloves, I fixed a polite smile on my face. Well, as you insist, I acquiesced, sitting cross-legged before the sumptuous spread. Washing my hands in a scented bowl first, I began to partake of some of the dishes. However, my tongue barely registered their vor, as my mind was too caught up in pondering Gelgors intent. The predatory gleam in his eyes, a constant presence throughout the meal, left no room for doubt that he expected something from me. Inquiries as to how I found life among the traveling people and other bits of such small talk were spread over the course of the meal. They felt like probing actions, meant to take my measure. As I slowly cleared the tes, the questions became even more incisive. This content has been uwfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. In my time with the Ravens, I had learned that it was customary to leave a bit of food on the final dish to indicate satisfaction with the host''s hospitality. More evidence of this worlds backward way of thinking, but, I did not wish to be rude so I did as was expected. My thanks to you Master Gelgor, for providing a most sumptuous feast, I offered formally. Not at all. Now, you will forgive me, but I must get to the heart of the matter. I need your help. What puzzles me is that from the way your eyes linger on Zariyah, and other things, I can see that you are no true man of the cloth. The deep followers of the Goddess are all essentially prudes, wishing to prescribe just exactly how one must act in the bedroom. If they could, they would sap all pleasure from it. Repressed individuals, but you are not quite cut from the same dogmatic cloth, no? he asked, searching my face for my reaction as he took another puff from his pipe. I could not help but notice that his attendant Zariyah looked at him with genuine worry in her eyes every time he did so. There was something more here than just a master-servant rtionship. Giving him a tight smile I tried to give a witty response, Perhaps not, but still sheared from the same sheep. As are we all, I returned, clumsily continuing the metaphor. Gelgor just smiled at this, waving it off. But can you truly perform healing akin to what the great temples offer? Traveling with one who bears one of Her des lends credence to the rumors, but I must know the truth, he insisted. But just as Gelgor was searching for answers, so too, was I observing him. Realizing that sitting on the floor to eat had inadvertently caused me to slouch, I sat up straight and bolstered my smile. Although he had initially put up a facade ofnguid indifference, this was now reced by a new, almost palpable emotion, desperation. Something told me, a whisper of an ominous truth, that using Identify here would not be wise. The voices within concurred, reinforcing this conclusion. Besides, something about using it on such a gracious host felt oddly rude. Then you have heard only the truth, though I know not why I have been gifted so by the Goddess. Perhaps, it is all part of Her great and divine n? I returned, deciding to answer him directly rather than to toy with him and y games. He smiled at me, an expression that one would usually associate with snakes and other cold-blooded creatures. The desperate beggar hid himself in the background, while the merchant moved to the fore and center of the stage. But perhaps it is that you know of only the minor blessings, the magics that can do little more than heal the most minor of afflictions? he left his sentence hanging, both as a question and challenge. No doubt he wished to goad me into a demonstration. As you say, Master Gelgor, perhaps it is so. I myself have never witnessed the magic that you speak. I know only that I have some gift in the healing arts, if you do not require my services, then I must thank you for your hospi I goaded in turn with a smile, making as if to get up. Come,e now. Forgive me if I have caused offense, and please stay a while. I am not a manpletely without faith, he smiled, looking flustered and holding out his hands in protestation. I had no reason to refuse him as this was simply a negotiation tactic on my part. I had enjoyed the meal, light as it was, and to be honest, was warming to him a lot more than I did with Laes, who had never done me the service of even offering me simple tea. It was a stark contrast indeed. So I remained sitting, taking a moment to appreciate his ingratiating smile. Zariyah, sitting next to him, did not move a muscle, looking to the world like an exquisite frozen statue. I have an ailment that has no known name, but nheless hangs about me like the most unwanted of friends. It is a condition that I feel eating away at me from within, robbing me of my once virile strength, he dered, before pausing dramatically as if allowing the words to settle before his eyes roved over, looking for something. Perplexed at my utterck of reaction he continued. Most would be buried at least, fearing an infection spread about from the bad humors. I would have been cast out, had not my father suffered from the very same illness. It is something that is passed down through the blood, not the air or waters of the body. Yet, I could not help but notice that you did not bat an eyelid at the mention of my affliction. Either you are one of the bravest of men, have the constitution of the ogre, or even, hopefully, a truly skilled user of the god-gift of healing. All of course as rare as a dragons smile, he observed with a chortle. Mine is nomon mdy. A miracle, they say it would take, to cure me of my ills. And no alchemics have worked, nor minor blessings. Some of my people have even said that it is caused by an affliction of the soul, not of the body, and that I have been cursed because I have not weed Her into my heart. Nonsense. What need has a merchant for the scales of false justice? Gold, and gold alone, have been my swords of judgment and vengeance, he scoffed, temporarily losing himself to an anger well worn with the passage of time. The pipe is the only thing that provides me with some relief, and I find myself at times wondering if it is time to surrender myself to a Dust dream. A temptation that grows stronger as the seasons pass. I mulled over my options as I formted a response. After all, with thetest debacle with the Ravens, the whole song and dance over the Catalina problem, it would do me no harm to have more friends in a different camp. I pondered over what to do. I had Gelgor where I wanted him, but I did not know how hard I could squeeze. I knew nothing of how the great temples conducted their healing, or what they even charged, only that it was an exorbitant fee. To name a price outside an expected amount would make me look a fool and I would lose face. Therefore, I decided not to name a price at all. The value of my healing abilities would be determined by Gelgor, the beneficiary. Judging by the opulence before me, it seemed likely that he was not as frugal as Laes. Very well, I can but try, Master Gelgor. May the gods look upon us favorably on this day. It is not in my nature to bargain for the price of a miracle, for that is only a thing that the scales of the soul may weigh and judge, I said ,ying the part of the holy man. The man wanted a miracle, and I could deliver. Book 3: Chapter 21: Offering Book 3: Chapter 21: Offering In the hearts of men, there exists a profound emptiness, a hole that yearns to be filled. If not filled with faith in something transcendent, it bes fertile ground for something dark. In the absence of true belief, the allure of false deities and the seductive promises of Dust take root, offering illusory dreams and deceptiveforts. - The Human Question by Gideon de Svia 378 AC. And the gods would strike down a man if he would churlishly offer only monies to his guest who bring great gifts to their host. And, as I said before, too crass by far. A lesson that my former brother-inw, to this day, still fails to acknowledge, he said, his tone mockingly solemn as he steepled his hands in calction. He sat up fully now, straightening his back and shifting his prodigious girth. Mine has been a lifetime spent understanding, and catering for, the desires of people. Forgive my bluntness, but you, young master Gilgamesh, one can read as an open book, he exined. I felt a spike of anger, sensing a game at y, and struggled to hide my annoyance. Never had I enjoyed word games. No, no, do not take this the wrong way, he said, holding up his hands to show that he meant no insult. I find it best to deal with honest men. And a mans desire is the most honest part of him. And, gifted as I am with this insight, perhaps I can make a suitable offering for the Goddess grace. A votive offering for you, He continued in a voice as smooth and slick as oil on stone. Tell me what do you know of Hazigadami, the people of the red gaze? he asked,pletely changing tack and throwing me off bnce. It was a minuscule thing, a slight tightening of the jaw, but I imagined that his attendant looked ufortable. In truth. Master Gelgor I began, only to be soon cut off. The fat man, it seemed, did not require my answer. Please, call me Gelgor. Though it may be presumptuous of me, I would like to consider myself your friend, the fat man interjected, bulldozing through my attempt at a reply. I would hazard a guess from your reaction, not much at all, no? I could only nod mutely,pletely caught up in his pace, and oblivious to where he was leading me. The Hazigadam, children of an ancient civilization lost to the fires of the Cataclysm. Punished by the gods for daring to touch that which no mortal should seek, or so the legends say. For their hubris, many believe that they brought doom to Gesthe. The Cataclysm that destroyed much of the world in ages past, with the long night brought about by their profanity, the man exined, pausing for dramatic effect. Still, others say, in whispered voices in the darkest of corners, that they are demon-spawn, their features, the stigmata of their curse. Doomed they are to wander thends with no home. He continued with his little spiel, eyes lighting up like a vige storyteller reveling at the sound of his own voice. "Until, of course, the Empire benevolently ''gifted'' them a barren strip ofnd that nobody else desired," he remarked with a sardonic edge. I wasn''t in the mood for a history lesson on the lore of this world, and my annoyance was probably as clear as day on my face. The one nugget of insight I managed to pick up was that, even in this realm, the all-too-human tendency to discriminate against those slightly different was thriving. My curiosity about Gelgor''s promised extra gift was the only thing keeping me here. Otherwise, I would have been getting ready to give a polite refusal and went about my way. "Of course, that''s beside the point. Hazigadam make excellent servants, loyal to a fault. They honor their contracts and spoken promises with unwavering dedication, much like our reverence for surahs of our sacred texts. It''s often said that they never tell a falsehood, though in my experience, they simply avoid lying to conceal the truth. Perhaps that''s why some liken them to devils. You know, those imaginative tales where devils adhere strictly to the terms of a deal, if not its underlying intention," Gelgor pondered, shaking his head with a hint of regret. "Furthermore, they are a misguided people. Even when witnessing a miracle, Zariyah would never humble herself to believe in the Divines. Her people, however, hold firm to the belief that there is one God. Isn''t that right, my dear?" he added with a tone steeped in long-standing exasperation. Zariyah turned her head away from us, but whether this was from embarrassment or anger, I did not know. Finally, I managed to weave together the threads of the conversation, grasping Gelgor''s idea of a gift. How naive I was, even after all I had been through. To someone of my supposed civilization, the idea of trading a person was fundamentally barbaric. Of course, I had to find the notion totally abhorrent. But the city of Al-Lazar is a free city and suffers no ves within its walls, I protested, hoping to sway Gelgor into a different form ofpensation. "Your words wound me deeply. Would I, Gelgor, present you with a ve as a guest gift? Such an offense!" he eximed with mock seriousness, cing a hand over his heart. However, his eyes betrayed him, retaining their earlier light. Mockingly so. "Indeed, as you correctly point out, the City of Dust neither trades in nor permits very within its walls. It would be an affront to offer you the services of a mere ve," he began to exin, his voice tinged with no small amount of pride. "Instead, I present to you Zariyah''s contract. Rest assured, all her documents have been properly witnessed and stamped. The remaining term of her contract is..." the morbidly obese man paused, his gaze shifting upward as he calcted the precise duration. "I believe it to be the next forty-seven years and four months, if my memory serves me correctly," he concluded, as if we were discussing the trade of a horse or cow. Finally, there was a clear reaction from his attendant Zariyah, who decided to finally interject. Shaking her head, her fingers moved in a series of movements too precise and ordered to be anything other than a form of signnguage. Yes, yes, my dear. I know that, but perhaps this would be a better fate by far for you. Trust me on this. Also, perhaps the Herald would be even so kind as to allow you to visit your parents in the city, he said pointedly in my direction, before whispering an oldint under his breath. He must have noted my consternation at the exchange for he decided to exin further, You would think I would foist upon you a simple body servant? Of course not, I would be a thoughtless and inconsiderate host if I did that, yes? I could only mutely nod, my earlier protestations flying out of the window at the thought of possessing such a delightful creature. "As my cupbearer, Zariyah, treasure of my heart, possesses a keen ability to detect poisons... and she is also adept at their concoction. Furthermore, she has an iron strength to her, which is indispensable on the perilous road. In her current state, she would be a valuable addition to your... entourage, indeed," he smiled as if he had stumbled upon something rather valuable. "But, there is the spark in her. It is almost poetic that I return a miracle with her magic, like in the tales of old. Fitting. She possesses the Gift of controlling the lesser element of Air, a modest talent, really. I dare say it''s not nearly as valuable as the price she paid for it, the sweetness of her voice," he chuckled, emitting a small guffaw. Zariyah looked at Gelgor, her eyes shing daggers with unconcealed anger, her fists clenched at her sides. She began to rise, but in the endpelled herself to stay seated. Something told me that Gelgor had shared something too private,id bare for all to see, a thing that should have been at the discretion of the soul to give. I did not me her for taking umbrage. Yes, and she is local born. She knows this city well. A fitting gift, do you not think, Master Herald? smiled Gelgor with his mocking gaze and serpents smile. What was I to do? To reject a hosts gift in this culture would be a most grievous insult, more so than even the debacle with Catalina considering the differences between their status. My mind ran through circles trying to get around the scruples of mymon sense of decency. Perhaps this was the time for a less judgmental answer. After all, I could, and most definitely would, release her from her contract once she had rendered unto me certain services. For instance, like guiding me around the city, of course. But then again, who was I to cling to the morals of my own world? There was no one here to judge me, so why not take what was freely given? Very well, Master Gelgor, you have me. I must ept this gift most graciously given, I nodded in his direction. The fat mans eyes lit up with a new fire, as if possessed something. A part of me felt the heavy hand of fates touch at work here. Excellent, most excellent, he eximed, pping his hands in satisfaction. I will also gift to you her things, and they are of some value. Oh, and a word of advice, a Master must see to the well-being of those beneath them. Please know that the gift I have presented to you is in the best of conditions. Go now and prepare yourself Zariyah, you must be excited to return to your home city! He pped his hands again inmand. If youe across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. At his orders, she rose to her feet, a muted huff of displeasure escaping her lips as she cast a sharp, resentful nce his way. My gaze lingered on her, captivated by the rhythmic sway of her hips and the melodic jingle of her bracelets, as she gracefully made her way towards a curtained partition of the wagon. It hit me then, what the meaning of Master had for these people. My subconscious finally pieced together all the little clues that had been left for me here and there. A Master, for the purpose of this world, was someone who had ves, or their close cousins, indentured servants, beneath them. Or at the very least, I surmised that Gelgors added inflection meant as such. Had I heard Laes referred to in such a manner? If so, just how many of Laes employees were nothing more than contracted ves? No doubt the people of the caravan must have thought mypanions my retainers, my chattel. I found myself despising these people even more for trapping me within the little rules and games of their culture. Now that gifts have been exchanged, let us talk like men, over tea. Tell me of yourself, and off thends you hail from. Yours is an interesting tale, of that I am sure. One wonders indeed how one can be blessed with gifts of the Goddess, he said as began, with surprising adroitness, pouring fresh tea into dainty cups. I must confess that you, Master Gilgamesh, have made a believer of me. I have, quite literally, seen the light. Heavy were my sins,I feel, now that the shroud of ignorance has been lifted. And many were the years of my life spent in sphemous words and actions. I hope that my offering goes a small way towards bncing Her scales, he bemoaned, sighing and reaching for a teapot. It was a sigh that only the weight of wasted years could produce. The teapot itself was exquisitely shaped in the form of an elegant serpent, its body and handle formed by the creature''s entwined coils. The spout, designed as the snake''s extended neck, allowed the light amber tea to flow from its open mouth. But one, of course, must be careful, for the light can also blind as much as it reveals, he added a little ruefully, cing the teapot down. * For the better part of an hour, or so it seemed to me, I wove a tapestry of half-truths and fabrications, crafting a tale for Gelgor that was both digestible and credible. I meticulously omitted any elements that might seem too ''fantastical'' for the sensibilities of this world''s primitive people. Instead, I spun a narrative grounded in the mundane, tales of family and the like. Skillfully, I sidestepped the details of how Avaria had chosen me, and my dark patron remained an unspoken shadow. In turn, Gelgor unfurled the tapestry of his own past, regaling me with tales of his youth. The stories revealed a man driven by a deep, unquenchable thirst. His was a fusion of greed and the curiosity of an adventurer. As our dialogue meandered, it became apparent that Gelgor''s attachment was not in the material aspect that wealth provided, like jewels, fine things, and so forth. Nor was he particrly interested in the social status that wealth provided. Rather, he looked at it as a means to satiate his desires. A hedonist to his core, a failing that often afflicted the atheist. In him, I found an unexpected kindred spirit, a contrast to the ever-dour Laes. Just as our conversation began to circle back to earlier themes, as discussions are often wont to do, Zariyah interrupted us. She had shed her revealing attire for a flowing garb that, while covering everything, suggested much beneath. Around her shoulders was a small satchel, no doubt filled with her meager belongings. Her half-veil obscured her eyes, crimson eyes that caught and held my appreciative gaze as I rose to greet her, nearly upsetting the table in my haste. She gave me a wan smile, a forced silent eptance of her new destiny. With a slight bow at the hip, she extended a roll of parchment with both hands towards me. Unraveling it, I observed it was inscribed in the Tradenguage,plete with stamps and official-looking notarization. Skimming the document confirmed Gelgor''s earlier deration. She was indeed the property of the parchment''s holder, bound to serve for an additional forty-seven years and four months. Zariyah was now mine, tomand as I deemed fit. Exiting the caravan master''svishly adorned wagon, I heaved open the weighty door, allowing Zariyah to pass first, as manners demanded. She cast a puzzled nce as if I hadmitted a social mishap before proceeding. I lingered momentarily, turning back to offer a final farewell to Gelgor. My thanks for your gracious hospitality, Mas Gelgor, I said, nodding my head at him. Most odd that you allow the servant before the master, truly, you are a curious fellow, the fat man remarked, not getting up from the bed of pillows. No, no, you have my thanks. The gift I have received is more precious than pearls or gems. Go with the gods, Gilgamesh of Uruk, but may their gaze rest lightly upon you. I simply acknowledged this with another nod and closed the heavy door behind me. The clean afternoon air greeted me, free of the pungent smoke that had been almost like a living thing in the wagon. Taking a deep breath, I took a moment to roll my shoulders to free them from the tension that unknowingly built up. There was now the matter of Zariyah, and how I would deal with her. Casting my Identify spell on her, I took the first step in understanding her. Zariyah Al''Abadi - Wind Mage (Human lvl.14) Health: 192/192 Stamina: 37/39 Mana: 15/15 She was exactly as Gelgor had promised. The almost two hundred points of Health was what the fat man must have meant when he was going on about her iron strength. Zariyah turned around to look at me quizzically, expectantly almost. Behind this was a tautness, a tight expression that marred the lines of her exotic face. In her mind, I imagined that she must be feeling cast adrift, discarded like something unwanted. Like a heavy sea, fate had cast her on new unknown shores. The silence stretched out ufortably, its duration bing almost painfully awkward. Zariyah started to sign toward me, her movements elegant and swift. But, I could only respond with a look of incredulity and confusion, her intended meaningpletely eluding me. Observing my bewilderment, she abandoned the servility she had shown to Gelgor and rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. It was clear that I was being looked down upon, and there was no mistaking it. I could discern that she was possessed of the same groundless pride I had encountered from those in servitude. I had witnessed it when interacting with the underpaid, their expressions of disdain silently conveying my unworthiness of their time, as if they would rather be anywhere else but doing their job. If this was the measure of Gelgor''s gift, then I felt a strong inclination to return her. Yet, something held me back, perhaps thest vestige of my misced chivalry. To send her back now would be seen as a grave insult, and if I were to offer an exnation for such a decision mere minutes after receiving the gift, I had no doubt that her fate would be an exceedingly bleak one. I felt almost swindled. But, perhaps, we had simply started off on the wrong foot. I was a forgiving man, and everyone deserves a second chance. In truth, I was also a little sympathetic toward her plight. Do it again, that thing you did with your hands. The thing you use as a substitute for proper speech, I said tly, in a calm and even voice. I too had my pride, childish though it was. All my life I had been taught that although we were all different, we were all, no matter our differences, essentially of equal value. That everyone was deserving and worthy of respect. However, this world sorely tested the limits of my indoctrination. How dare she... this woman. No, that wasn''t quite right. I searched my mind for a word and concept unfamiliar to me. Inferior, the voices suggested in a shadowy whisper. This one was beneath me. At first, I was shocked at this alien thought, but in a way, it also made startling sense. This was the truth of the world. As there were inferior and barbaric cultures, so too must there be inferior people. It was the only logical conclusion. Looking at it through this lens made much more sense. Yes, how dare this inferior treat me in such a manner? Even as I was reaching this conclusion, she continued with her signing and gave me a challenging smile, or rather, a smirk, if I were to be honest. Her fingers wove words that shed with her demeanor and attire, phrases moremonly heard in the roughest of taverns. You will find that my manhood is more than adequate for what I must do next, I stated in a voice as cold as the first frosts. The magic of my Identify spell had taught me the meaning of her words, her taunts and insults now clear as if written in bold print. A blush slowly crept over her delicate features as she realized that I had understood her and a single hand went over her mouth, which had formed into arge O. "I''m unsure of what constitutes an appropriate punishment for such brazen disrespect. You are fortunate, as it is frowned upon in my culture for a man to strike a woman," I remarked, my voice rising slightly, relishing the fear I sensed emanating from her. Around us, people began to take notice, stealing quick nces before resuming their activities. Some, however, lingered, intrigued by what would unfold. "However, if you see me as an animal, then I shall act ordingly. ce your hands on the steps and bend over," Imanded. She regarded me with a regal disdain, then turned and surprisinglyplied with my directive, showing no hesitation or resistance. Zariyah maintained herposure, but a subtle quiver betrayed her emotions. While she knew I had the authority to issue such orders, she most likely never dreamed I would go about doing such a thing in a public ce. Our growing audienceprised individuals she had journeyed with, people who knew her, conversed with her, perhaps even counted her as a friend or acquaintance. Servants, to some extent, shared in their master''s status, and I imagined she had enjoyed some measure of that prestige in this group. Zariyah''s pride was her vulnerability, and humiliation was her Achilles'' heel. I stood behind her, lightly cing a hand on the small of her back. Overwhelmed, she began to cry, the emotional flood breaking through like a dam bursting. Taking a step back, I met her gaze firmly before speaking. Get up, there''s no need for this. Consider this a lesson, a lesson I will only teach once, treat others as you wish to be treated. I know you are intelligent enough to understand this, and pretending otherwise won''t serve you well. You may be mute, but you''re not dumb, I said in a husky voice. She looked down in muted response. Now, it''s time for you to meet the rest of my entourage, and I must bid farewell to the Ravens before we enter the City of Dust, Imanded, without looking back to check if she followed. It was almost scary how limatized I had be to this culture. Book 3: Chapter 21: Intervention Book 3: Chapter 21: Intervention The greatest of rivers is formed from the smallest of streams. - A Quassian Aphorism. Gelgor''s eyes narrowed briefly, losing their cordiality before he skillfully masked it again. He likely mistook my response for hesitation, assuming I was a chatan trying to salvage dignity before my deceptions were exposed as mere lies. I couldn''t help but think with a touch of sarcasm, Oh ye of little faith. I now realized thatmon human ailments like disease, injury, and frailty no longer concerned me. Why fear broken bones, shattered limbs, or deadly poisons when I could heal with spells? As long as I had enough Mana, I was immune to these troubles. Such mortal concerns of the human condition were beyond me now. It felt liberating and, were it not for the fact that I was trapped on a barbaric world filled with uncultured savages, most wee. As matters stood, it seemed to be just the bare minimum required for a man such as myself to get by. No matter, I would use what I was given. If this world had taught me anything, it was that there is no use in bemoaning ones lot. Rising with a clear sense of purpose, I approached Gelgor. Zariyah, his attendant, nced at me, her lovely features tensing as she reached behind her back, only to seem confused momentster. Gelgor, with a dismissive wave of his plump hand,manded her to be at ease. He adjusted his hefty frame into a semnce of a seated posture as I knelt beside him. There was a look to him as this fateful moment grew close. Like the first few licks of the me at a campfire, a desperate need began to grow steadily across his face, eating away at his mask of control. Fear not Gelgor, salvation is at hand. What must I do? he questioned, his voice tight and controlled. Believe, Imanded simply as I gathered the mystical energy of this world, forming it into the shape of my magic. Not wanting to be stingy, I elected to go all out with my Greater Heal spell. The familiar song of angels thrummed to a holy cadence, its glory only matched by its divine mystery, threading its golden way through the wagons interior. I took a moment to regard the pairs awestruck faces before I focusedpletely on Gelgor andid my hands upon him. Like a conductor of a most exquisite symphony, I guided the course of the energy through me into him. It filled the man, infusing his very being with the ardent light of the Divine. There was more to its auric majesty now, flecks of silver sparkled here and there among the golds, shing like fish just beneath the rivers surface. Something resisted me, a stubborn error or w within the man that needed to be corrected. I poured more of the energy in, redirecting the flow with a more singr purpose against this aberration. It dawned on a jealous part of me, the dark part of me, that this magic was doing more than just simply healing Gelgor. How I would have killed for a fraction of this power in my old world. To touch the face of something that was more. For the tiniest sliver of a moment, I could feel the magic remaking him, bringing him closer to the realm of the sublime. Zariyah could only look on, her exotic features frozen in wonder as the light of a false dawn shone. Her features looked rapt as she bore witness, like a prophet having a rapturous revtion. But even the light of the gods will fade eventually, and faster still when channeled by mortal and imperfect hands. The light of Gelgors salvation subsided, bringing with it the echo of divine epiphany and leaving behind a lingering regret. The natural light of the soft afternoon sun began to filter through It was wee, if not a little anticlimactic, that a notification appeared across my minds eye. Acknowledging the boon, I looked to see what my magic had wrought. You have learned Greater Heal (lvl.3) The caravan masters rotund form was wracked by the seizures from the touch of the Divine. It would be almostical, except that this was the first time my healing had produced such a response. Worrying, indeed. Zariyah snapped out of it and simply clenched her fists by her side in worry and frustration. Good, she knew better than to intervene. There was, after all, nothing that she could do. The man was quivering like jelly, but on his bed of soft feather pillows, he was no danger to himself. Now, all we could do was wait for his episode to pass. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition. I mused to myself that even the mighty magics of the gods couldn''t cure his severe obesity. There really is no substitute for human effort and discipline. Once his shaking ceased, Zariyah quickly dabbed at the corners of his mouth with a damp cloth, her concern unmistakable. As the man regained consciousness, she offered him a small cup of a deep red liquid, which I initially mistook for wine. He declined it, gathering himself with a deep breath. "No more alchemics, my dear," he dered, his voice quivering with newfound emotion. "No more, I think." His attendant silently returned to her position beside him. Gelgor thumped his chest expectantly, but no cough followed. "By the Gods, I''ve never felt so invigorated," he eximed with unbridled joy. "Everything seems so vibrant and alive. I feel as though I could run for miles without fatigue. What did you do?" he eximed, more a statement of wonder than a real question. We both know what happened here and now, I said as solemnly as I could, trying to draw an air of mysticism around me. Gelgor looked troubled, his irreverent and incorrigible expression gave way to something rather new, humility. There was a heavy, pregnant pause filled with the weight of the moment and I could almost see the cogs in his mind whirl away as he began to do a mental ount. For now came the matter of reciprocation and the question of the worth of a godly miracle. Finally he drew himself up, like a walrus about to bark a challenge. I am saved. By the grace of the gods I am saved. This is no mummers trick, but a deep magic only found in the great temples, and then only reserved for the highborn, he stated simply, his voice coarse with emotion. I was not worthy, and I can not give you an offering of even near like value to what I have just been blessed with. For if the words of scripture are true, then I have witnessed the healing light of Her mercy, he continued, jowls quivering with religious rapture. I hid a sh of irritation. hoping that I masked it well. You fool, of course you can not, but at the very least you can hand over a bit of gold that you must have saved up over the years. Moreover, this was worrying, was the man trying weasel out on paying me? Had I been too clever for my own good? "The servants of the gods do not demand payment," I decided to add, keeping my voice even and doing my best not to grit my teeth. "But they cherish gratitude and offerings within ones own means. My honey rose, be a dear and get theHerald the hemanded the girl, finishing his sentence with a meaningful look and a nod of his head toward one of the corners of the interior. She simply nodded once, my eyes following her form as she rose and went off to fulfill his wish. He turned to me. By Her light, forgive me, for my offering is but a trivial thing, he said with no small amount of reverence as Zariyah returned with a small case. ncing hesitantly at me, she opened and presented the contents to me. I had been expecting a small number of gold coins, but inside, of all things, was a small stack of paper. Upon the surface of the paper was the image of the sun rising behind the petals of an otherworldly bloom, printed in painstaking detail. The tendrils of the alien nt unfurled across the edges of the paper, their running lines framing the captured vision art. At the top corner of each piece were concentric circles, a watermark if I was not mistaken. Intriguing, I thought to myself. These were most certainly the promissory notes of the famed Al-Lazar, for what other use was a watermark than to prevent counterfeiting? Still, I did myself credit by performing my due diligence. Lazarian Silver Promissory Note [Paper] Durability 13/13 Still focused on Gelgor, my magic nheless returned to me the information I sought for the measly cost of one Mana. Intent and clear focus, I was slowly learning, was one of the cornerstones of performing the mystical arts correctly, at least for the NPCs of the world. This was a small mental trick I had taught myself, to focus with my minds eye on whom I wanted my spell to target. Or perhaps this was simply the result of upgrading the spell? It didnt matter in the slightest, it just meant I just had to picture something in my mind that I had recently seen. Recently, of course, being the operative word. The spell failed when cast on something that I had seen only an hour away but was no longer in my line of sight. Perhaps, it was because the rity of a mental image, as with all things, faded with time? I would need to engage in further experimentation. More to the point, the sum before me represented a considerable sum of, at my estimation, ten gold pieces. Almost three years of dangerous caravan work. Gelgor cast his eyes downward, a fleeting difort crossing his countenance. "I understand that it may seem crass to offer mere worldly scraps of paper, to ce a value on the grace of the Goddess," he began anew, his gaze shifting to Zariyah. "But perhaps, since you have managed to fulfill one of my most cherished desires, then I may in turn fulfill one of yours," he insisted, ncing once more in the direction of his attendant. The mask of the oily merchant returned, any semnce of the humility I had witnessed evaporating like spit on a hot stone in the desert. It was almost refreshing to see human nature in its purest form. Book 3: Chapter 22: Offering Book 3: Chapter 22: Offering In the hearts of men, there exists a profound emptiness, a hole that yearns to be filled. If not filled with faith in something transcendent, it bes fertile ground for something dark. In the absence of true belief, the allure of false deities and the seductive promises of Dust take root, offering illusory dreams and deceptiveforts. - The Human Question by Gideon de Svia 378 AC. And the gods would strike down a man if he would churlishly offer only monies to his guest who bring great gifts to their host. And, as I said before, too crass by far. A lesson that my former brother-inw, to this day, still fails to acknowledge, he said, his tone mockingly solemn as he steepled his hands in calction. He sat up fully now, straightening his back and shifting his prodigious girth. Mine has been a lifetime spent understanding, and catering for, the desires of people. Forgive my bluntness, but you, young master Gilgamesh, one can read as an open book, he exined. I felt a spike of anger, sensing a game at y, and struggled to hide my annoyance. Never had I enjoyed word games. No, no, do not take this the wrong way, he said, holding up his hands to show that he meant no insult. I find it best to deal with honest men. And a mans desire is the most honest part of him. And, gifted as I am with this insight, perhaps I can make a suitable offering for the Goddess grace. A votive offering for you, He continued in a voice as smooth and slick as oil on stone. Tell me what do you know of Hazigadami, the people of the red gaze? he asked,pletely changing tack and throwing me off bnce. It was a minuscule thing, a slight tightening of the jaw, but I imagined that his attendant looked ufortable. In truth. Master Gelgor I began, only to be soon cut off. The fat man, it seemed, did not require my answer. Please, call me Gelgor. Though it may be presumptuous of me, I would like to consider myself your friend, the fat man interjected, bulldozing through my attempt at a reply. I would hazard a guess from your reaction, not much at all, no? I could only nod mutely,pletely caught up in his pace, and oblivious to where he was leading me. The Hazigadam, children of an ancient civilization lost to the fires of the Cataclysm. Punished by the gods for daring to touch that which no mortal should seek, or so the legends say. For their hubris, many believe that they brought doom to Gesthe. The Cataclysm that destroyed much of the world in ages past, with the long night brought about by their profanity, the man exined, pausing for dramatic effect. Still, others say, in whispered voices in the darkest of corners, that they are demon-spawn, their features, the stigmata of their curse. Doomed they are to wander thends with no home. He continued with his little spiel, eyes lighting up like a vige storyteller reveling at the sound of his own voice. "Until, of course, the Empire benevolently ''gifted'' them a barren strip ofnd that nobody else desired," he remarked with a sardonic edge. I wasn''t in the mood for a history lesson on the lore of this world, and my annoyance was probably as clear as day on my face. The one nugget of insight I managed to pick up was that, even in this realm, the all-too-human tendency to discriminate against those slightly different was thriving. My curiosity about Gelgor''s promised extra gift was the only thing keeping me here. Otherwise, I would have been getting ready to give a polite refusal and went about my way. "Of course, that''s beside the point. Hazigadam make excellent servants, loyal to a fault. They honor their contracts and spoken promises with unwavering dedication, much like our reverence for surahs of our sacred texts. It''s often said that they never tell a falsehood, though in my experience, they simply avoid lying to conceal the truth. Perhaps that''s why some liken them to devils. You know, those imaginative tales where devils adhere strictly to the terms of a deal, if not its underlying intention," Gelgor pondered, shaking his head with a hint of regret. "Furthermore, they are a misguided people. Even when witnessing a miracle, Zariyah would never humble herself to believe in the Divines. Her people, however, hold firm to the belief that there is one God. Isn''t that right, my dear?" he added with a tone steeped in long-standing exasperation. Zariyah turned her head away from us, but whether this was from embarrassment or anger, I did not know. Finally, I managed to weave together the threads of the conversation, grasping Gelgor''s idea of a gift. How naive I was, even after all I had been through. To someone of my supposed civilization, the idea of trading a person was fundamentally barbaric. Of course, I had to find the notion totally abhorrent. But the city of Al-Lazar is a free city and suffers no ves within its walls, I protested, hoping to sway Gelgor into a different form ofpensation. "Your words wound me deeply. Would I, Gelgor, present you with a ve as a guest gift? Such an offense!" he eximed with mock seriousness, cing a hand over his heart. However, his eyes betrayed him, retaining their earlier light. Mockingly so. "Indeed, as you correctly point out, the City of Dust neither trades in nor permits very within its walls. It would be an affront to offer you the services of a mere ve," he began to exin, his voice tinged with no small amount of pride. "Instead, I present to you Zariyah''s contract. Rest assured, all her documents have been properly witnessed and stamped. The remaining term of her contract is..." the morbidly obese man paused, his gaze shifting upward as he calcted the precise duration. "I believe it to be the next forty-seven years and four months, if my memory serves me correctly," he concluded, as if we were discussing the trade of a horse or cow. Finally, there was a clear reaction from his attendant Zariyah, who decided to finally interject. Shaking her head, her fingers moved in a series of movements too precise and ordered to be anything other than a form of signnguage. Yes, yes, my dear. I know that, but perhaps this would be a better fate by far for you. Trust me on this. Also, perhaps the Herald would be even so kind as to allow you to visit your parents in the city, he said pointedly in my direction, before whispering an oldint under his breath. He must have noted my consternation at the exchange for he decided to exin further, You would think I would foist upon you a simple body servant? Of course not, I would be a thoughtless and inconsiderate host if I did that, yes? I could only mutely nod, my earlier protestations flying out of the window at the thought of possessing such a delightful creature. "As my cupbearer, Zariyah, treasure of my heart, possesses a keen ability to detect poisons... and she is also adept at their concoction. Furthermore, she has an iron strength to her, which is indispensable on the perilous road. In her current state, she would be a valuable addition to your... entourage, indeed," he smiled as if he had stumbled upon something rather valuable. "But, there is the spark in her. It is almost poetic that I return a miracle with her magic, like in the tales of old. Fitting. She possesses the Gift of controlling the lesser element of Air, a modest talent, really. I dare say it''s not nearly as valuable as the price she paid for it, the sweetness of her voice," he chuckled, emitting a small guffaw. Zariyah looked at Gelgor, her eyes shing daggers with unconcealed anger, her fists clenched at her sides. She began to rise, but in the endpelled herself to stay seated. Something told me that Gelgor had shared something too private,id bare for all to see, a thing that should have been at the discretion of the soul to give. I did not me her for taking umbrage. Yes, and she is local born. She knows this city well. A fitting gift, do you not think, Master Herald? smiled Gelgor with his mocking gaze and serpents smile. What was I to do? To reject a hosts gift in this culture would be a most grievous insult, more so than even the debacle with Catalina considering the differences between their status. My mind ran through circles trying to get around the scruples of mymon sense of decency. Perhaps this was the time for a less judgmental answer. After all, I could, and most definitely would, release her from her contract once she had rendered unto me certain services. For instance, like guiding me around the city, of course. But then again, who was I to cling to the morals of my own world? There was no one here to judge me, so why not take what was freely given? Very well, Master Gelgor, you have me. I must ept this gift most graciously given, I nodded in his direction. The fat mans eyes lit up with a new fire, as if possessed something. A part of me felt the heavy hand of fates touch at work here. Excellent, most excellent, he eximed, pping his hands in satisfaction. I will also gift to you her things, and they are of some value. Oh, and a word of advice, a Master must see to the well-being of those beneath them. Please know that the gift I have presented to you is in the best of conditions. Go now and prepare yourself Zariyah, you must be excited to return to your home city! He pped his hands again inmand. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the vition. At his orders, she rose to her feet, a muted huff of displeasure escaping her lips as she cast a sharp, resentful nce his way. My gaze lingered on her, captivated by the rhythmic sway of her hips and the melodic jingle of her bracelets, as she gracefully made her way towards a curtained partition of the wagon. It hit me then, what the meaning of Master had for these people. My subconscious finally pieced together all the little clues that had been left for me here and there. A Master, for the purpose of this world, was someone who had ves, or their close cousins, indentured servants, beneath them. Or at the very least, I surmised that Gelgors added inflection meant as such. Had I heard Laes referred to in such a manner? If so, just how many of Laes employees were nothing more than contracted ves? No doubt the people of the caravan must have thought mypanions my retainers, my chattel. I found myself despising these people even more for trapping me within the little rules and games of their culture. Now that gifts have been exchanged, let us talk like men, over tea. Tell me of yourself, and off thends you hail from. Yours is an interesting tale, of that I am sure. One wonders indeed how one can be blessed with gifts of the Goddess, he said as began, with surprising adroitness, pouring fresh tea into dainty cups. I must confess that you, Master Gilgamesh, have made a believer of me. I have, quite literally, seen the light. Heavy were my sins,I feel, now that the shroud of ignorance has been lifted. And many were the years of my life spent in sphemous words and actions. I hope that my offering goes a small way towards bncing Her scales, he bemoaned, sighing and reaching for a teapot. It was a sigh that only the weight of wasted years could produce. The teapot itself was exquisitely shaped in the form of an elegant serpent, its body and handle formed by the creature''s entwined coils. The spout, designed as the snake''s extended neck, allowed the light amber tea to flow from its open mouth. But one, of course, must be careful, for the light can also blind as much as it reveals, he added a little ruefully, cing the teapot down. * For the better part of an hour, or so it seemed to me, I wove a tapestry of half-truths and fabrications, crafting a tale for Gelgor that was both digestible and credible. I meticulously omitted any elements that might seem too ''fantastical'' for the sensibilities of this world''s primitive people. Instead, I spun a narrative grounded in the mundane, tales of family and the like. Skillfully, I sidestepped the details of how Avaria had chosen me, and my dark patron remained an unspoken shadow. In turn, Gelgor unfurled the tapestry of his own past, regaling me with tales of his youth. The stories revealed a man driven by a deep, unquenchable thirst. His was a fusion of greed and the curiosity of an adventurer. As our dialogue meandered, it became apparent that Gelgor''s attachment was not in the material aspect that wealth provided, like jewels, fine things, and so forth. Nor was he particrly interested in the social status that wealth provided. Rather, he looked at it as a means to satiate his desires. A hedonist to his core, a failing that often afflicted the atheist. In him, I found an unexpected kindred spirit, a contrast to the ever-dour Laes. Just as our conversation began to circle back to earlier themes, as discussions are often wont to do, Zariyah interrupted us. She had shed her revealing attire for a flowing garb that, while covering everything, suggested much beneath. Around her shoulders was a small satchel, no doubt filled with her meager belongings. Her half-veil obscured her eyes, crimson eyes that caught and held my appreciative gaze as I rose to greet her, nearly upsetting the table in my haste. She gave me a wan smile, a forced silent eptance of her new destiny. With a slight bow at the hip, she extended a roll of parchment with both hands towards me. Unraveling it, I observed it was inscribed in the Tradenguage,plete with stamps and official-looking notarization. Skimming the document confirmed Gelgor''s earlier deration. She was indeed the property of the parchment''s holder, bound to serve for an additional forty-seven years and four months. Zariyah was now mine, tomand as I deemed fit. Exiting the caravan master''svishly adorned wagon, I heaved open the weighty door, allowing Zariyah to pass first, as manners demanded. She cast a puzzled nce as if I hadmitted a social mishap before proceeding. I lingered momentarily, turning back to offer a final farewell to Gelgor. My thanks for your gracious hospitality, Mas Gelgor, I said, nodding my head at him. Most odd that you allow the servant before the master, truly, you are a curious fellow, the fat man remarked, not getting up from the bed of pillows. No, no, you have my thanks. The gift I have received is more precious than pearls or gems. Go with the gods, Gilgamesh of Uruk, but may their gaze rest lightly upon you. I simply acknowledged this with another nod and closed the heavy door behind me. The clean afternoon air greeted me, free of the pungent smoke that had been almost like a living thing in the wagon. Taking a deep breath, I took a moment to roll my shoulders to free them from the tension that unknowingly built up. There was now the matter of Zariyah, and how I would deal with her. Casting my Identify spell on her, I took the first step in understanding her. Zariyah Al''Abadi - Wind Mage (Human lvl.14) Health: 192/192 Stamina: 37/39 Mana: 15/15 She was exactly as Gelgor had promised. The almost two hundred points of Health was what the fat man must have meant when he was going on about her iron strength. Zariyah turned around to look at me quizzically, expectantly almost. Behind this was a tautness, a tight expression that marred the lines of her exotic face. In her mind, I imagined that she must be feeling cast adrift, discarded like something unwanted. Like a heavy sea, fate had cast her on new unknown shores. The silence stretched out ufortably, its duration bing almost painfully awkward. Zariyah started to sign toward me, her movements elegant and swift. But, I could only respond with a look of incredulity and confusion, her intended meaningpletely eluding me. Observing my bewilderment, she abandoned the servility she had shown to Gelgor and rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. It was clear that I was being looked down upon, and there was no mistaking it. I could discern that she was possessed of the same groundless pride I had encountered from those in servitude. I had witnessed it when interacting with the underpaid, their expressions of disdain silently conveying my unworthiness of their time, as if they would rather be anywhere else but doing their job. If this was the measure of Gelgor''s gift, then I felt a strong inclination to return her. Yet, something held me back, perhaps thest vestige of my misced chivalry. To send her back now would be seen as a grave insult, and if I were to offer an exnation for such a decision mere minutes after receiving the gift, I had no doubt that her fate would be an exceedingly bleak one. I felt almost swindled. But, perhaps, we had simply started off on the wrong foot. I was a forgiving man, and everyone deserves a second chance. In truth, I was also a little sympathetic toward her plight. Do it again, that thing you did with your hands. The thing you use as a substitute for proper speech, I said tly, in a calm and even voice. I too had my pride, childish though it was. All my life I had been taught that although we were all different, we were all, no matter our differences, essentially of equal value. That everyone was deserving and worthy of respect. However, this world sorely tested the limits of my indoctrination. How dare she... this woman. No, that wasn''t quite right. I searched my mind for a word and concept unfamiliar to me. Inferior, the voices suggested in a shadowy whisper. This one was beneath me. At first, I was shocked at this alien thought, but in a way, it also made startling sense. This was the truth of the world. As there were inferior and barbaric cultures, so too must there be inferior people. It was the only logical conclusion. Looking at it through this lens made much more sense. Yes, how dare this inferior treat me in such a manner? Even as I was reaching this conclusion, she continued with her signing and gave me a challenging smile, or rather, a smirk, if I were to be honest. Her fingers wove words that shed with her demeanor and attire, phrases moremonly heard in the roughest of taverns. You will find that my manhood is more than adequate for what I must do next, I stated in a voice as cold as the first frosts. The magic of my Identify spell had taught me the meaning of her words, her taunts and insults now clear as if written in bold print. A blush slowly crept over her delicate features as she realized that I had understood her and a single hand went over her mouth, which had formed into arge O. "I''m unsure of what constitutes an appropriate punishment for such brazen disrespect. You are fortunate, as it is frowned upon in my culture for a man to strike a woman," I remarked, my voice rising slightly, relishing the fear I sensed emanating from her. Around us, people began to take notice, stealing quick nces before resuming their activities. Some, however, lingered, intrigued by what would unfold. "However, if you see me as an animal, then I shall act ordingly. ce your hands on the steps and bend over," Imanded. She regarded me with a regal disdain, then turned and surprisinglyplied with my directive, showing no hesitation or resistance. Zariyah maintained herposure, but a subtle quiver betrayed her emotions. While she knew I had the authority to issue such orders, she most likely never dreamed I would go about doing such a thing in a public ce. Our growing audienceprised individuals she had journeyed with, people who knew her, conversed with her, perhaps even counted her as a friend or acquaintance. Servants, to some extent, shared in their master''s status, and I imagined she had enjoyed some measure of that prestige in this group. Zariyah''s pride was her vulnerability, and humiliation was her Achilles'' heel. I stood behind her, lightly cing a hand on the small of her back. Overwhelmed, she began to cry, the emotional flood breaking through like a dam bursting. Taking a step back, I met her gaze firmly before speaking. Get up, there''s no need for this. Consider this a lesson, a lesson I will only teach once, treat others as you wish to be treated. I know you are intelligent enough to understand this, and pretending otherwise won''t serve you well. You may be mute, but you''re not dumb, I said in a husky voice. She looked down in muted response. Now, it''s time for you to meet the rest of my entourage, and I must bid farewell to the Ravens before we enter the City of Dust, Imanded, without looking back to check if she followed. It was almost scary how limatized I had be to this culture. Book 3: Chapter 23: The Feathered Gates Book 3: Chapter 23: The Feathered Gates The highest good is water, it nourishes all things andpetes with none. - Unknown. The desert sun had sunk a little lower in the sky but still beat down, fierce and strong. The re from the refracted light, rather than the heat itself, was more of a problem. I was forced to shield my eyes, as the white shimmering sands were almost painful to look at. I found mypanions, all of them, outside our borrowed wagon, seeing to thest of our preparations. Laes and Abas Yar, who had brought along our Donkey Patches, were waiting for me. Khm, however, was not present. Zariyah had reapplied her mask of proud stoic indifference, showing a mastery of self-control that would have been impossible for me, given the situation. However, I knew it for what it was, simply a flimsy mask. It was the paper shield of the powerless and the only thing that protected her against the reality of her situation. Elwin, with a knowing smirk, surveyed Zariyah from head to toe before offering a small wave. Kidu, ever reserved, spared her only a fleeting nce before returning to load Patches. Larynda just peeked out at the exotic woman. Her Whispermews also popped out from her clothes to take a gander. However, Cordelia''s reaction was the most startling. Initially surprised at first, her gaze on my new servant quickly shifted to one of disdain, resembling the look one gives upon discovering a stain on a pristine piece of clothing. Once he noticed our presence, Laes stopped his conversation with Abas Yar and the caravan masters eyes lit up in surprise and recognition, once he realized who I had brought in tow. If you will forgive me, Hera Gilgamesh, why do you bring one of the Hazigadami? Cordelia began in a forced voice, only to be cut off by Laes. Zariyah, why are you in thepany of Master Gilgamesh? Perhaps, on an errand for Gelgor? the horse-faced man asked her. He was worried, but he hid it well. Zariyah shook her head and pointed a delicate finger to the roll of paper in my hand, her contract of service. Cordelia narrowed her eyes in reaction, the expression marring her otherwise beautiful features. I see, but under what circumstance that Zlesh always boasted I mean, Gelgor, was always proud of possessing your err service, the man stumbled in response. Yes, Gelgor has decided that she will be traveling with us now. We needed a guide, and she will serve that function. I see. On that note, I believe I have some advice for you as this is no doubt your first time to visit Al-Lazar he offered. I simply gave him a nod in return, eager to change the subject. The man rubbed his chin before answering, Like all cities, beware the rougher parts. I am sure Zairiyah knows more about that than I. You, and yourpanions, would do well to avoid the Dust dens. Many of them prey on foreigners whoe to dream the Dust dreams, and you will pretty quickly find yourself with no coin, thrown out onto the street. Stay away from the Dust, it is a honeyed trap, a temporary escape, and nothing more, for a moment the ugly man almost looked nostalgic. But apart from the dangers of Dust, Al-Lazar has grown fat on its trade and there is much opportunity to be had. The littledy there, he added, looking at Larynda, would be most wee at the Alchemists Guild. The mortar and pestle are safer, by far, than an adventurers bronze badge. However, my duty to Hamsa, to bring her to this city, is fulfilled. Her destiny is now in her own hands, he suggested. A man as martially inclined as yourself will find easy opportunity within. Work on the walls as a guard for the council is well-paid and easy, so long as the people beneath the waves are quiet, he continued, running a hand through oily strands that served as his hair. However, there is greater opportunity for advancement and wealth by signing up with one of the Shareholder houses of the city. But, that would be difficult without an introduction from the Mercenarys Guild, the caravan master mused, unconsciously rolling his shoulders. Ah, there is also the uingpetition, the Festival of the Undrawn, held around this time of the year. The prizes, and notice of the powerful, may well be worth the effort for you to participate, though you would be testing yourself against some of the strongest fighters in thend. Still, I think you would do quite well, he added, sounding a little wistful. This is quite a lot to take in all at once, why did we not speak of this before? I interjected a little sharply. I could feel my reserves of patience wearing thin already. Yes, as for that I had I had wished for began Laes, only to be interrupted by the red-haired woman. And why must we bring one of them with us? bristled Cordelia with withering disdain, devoid now of her calm and looking quite irate. Zariyah just took these unkind words in stride. Not even batting an eyelid, her features were as untrammeled as a calmke. I had a feeling I could learn something from that. Laes turned to Cordelia, and addressed her politely, if not a little tersely, Lady de Aserac, would it not be best to trust in Gilgameshs judgment on this matter? Zariyahs value is without question, to that I can attest. Knowing that her presence causes thedy offense, I would offer to buy her contract, if I knew doing so would not offend Master Gelgor, he reproached adroitly. I think it best she joins us for the time being as we have no good knowledge of the city, do we? I asked of mypanions, and hearing no denial I continued with my reasoning, I would not trade away this advantage at this initial juncture. Also, I do not believe it is just to judge someone by their appearance or race, I added, thestment the result of years of ingrained education. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences elsewhere. I made a mental note to ask Cordelia why exactly she disliked Zariyahs people. Unlike my world, there might be a very good reason for the existence of prejudices on this one. Her presence is fine by me. Easy on the eyes and she could be useful, so she gets my vote. Dont see the harm in it either way,mented Elwin, looking at my new servant appreciatively. There was a sh of disdain that crossed Zariyahs eyes, but was soon smoothly hidden with consummate skill. To this, the big man simply snorted in reply. The man had grown used to some of the Rogues more inane and annoying remarks. Cordelia looked at the pair, and seeing no support there, instead looked to me with a plea in her eyes. The Hazigadami are unclean they are not worthy she half-begged. It was time to take a few liberties, ying the part of the holy man. Cordelia, you vowed to follow me in all things. Follow me in this. The Goddess wills this to be so think of this as a test, I implored, looking her directly in the eye. She seemed to draw a measure of calm from my words, mymand giving her zeal, new direction. She nodded to herself, taking my words in as if they were gospel. A test it is a test she whispered to herself in a voice filled with revtion. Behind her, I could see Elwin rolling his eyes. The man was incorrigible. Seeing that the matter was decided, Laes cleared his throat. To answer your earlier question, it was because, in all honesty, I had hoped that you would stay with us, but with the issue of Catalina, that is now dust in the wind. I would have still made the offer to you, but you and Khm are like two Hauntworms in a pen, he stated, giving out a long sigh. It was a sigh that had be frayed and weary over the years, more bing of a long-married and unhappy wife than a leader of a trading caravan. I will let you in on something. Khm thinks he hides it well, but everyone knows the man had a thing for Kalkassins wife, well, widow now. It did not sit well with him. And it would not have sat well with me to leave you without a word of advice before you venture forth the city. Knowledge is both a sword and shield. Pardon me for quoting an old saying, but the old words remain with us for a reason. It would serve you to arm yourself well, and you choose wisely in Zariyah. Gelgors gift is a gift well given. Perhaps one day you will tell me of his reasons, Indeed, perhaps I will. But, I believe now is the time for us to part, Master Laes. It has not been the smoothest of journeys, but it has been an educational one. If we should meet again under more peaceful circumstances, then we will speak again. As you say Master Gilgamesh, and with that I, too, bid you farewell, finished the Caravan master with a low bow and a thin smile, showing just the right amount of deference. Time with these people had slowly taught me of their ways. The Beastmaster Abas lingered for a while, watching Laes retreating shape. "The caravan master is a difficult man, yet honorable in his own way. It''s clear what gift you must have offered Gelgor to cause him to give up one of his prized treasures. Your grace deserves blessings, and may Her name be forever praised. It''sforting to know that salvation exists in this world. Meeting Her Herald has been my greatest honor. You will always be weed among us, for as long as the Ravens are guided by her light," the old man spoke with reverence, cing both palms on the back of his head. This gesture, peculiar yet meaningful, signified both gratitude and a profound apology. Such are the intricacies of these unique and backward cultures. After bidding me farewell, the old man followed after Laes, and I realized that there was something new about him. His back was straight, his stride longer and filled with pride. Abas Yar wore his newfound vigor like a badge of honor, and I silently wished him all the best in his journey ahead. My magic had done more than just heal his body, it had restored his faith in the Goddess. A false goddess. A being of great power that, nheless, I refused to ept as a divine being. However, people had a right to cling to whatever gave them hope and meaning in their little lives, misguided as they might be. The sun continued to beat down on us, relentless in its efforts. As a group, we started to make our way toward the gates, waving at the caravan behind us. Looking at my team, I could see that it was Kidu, of all people, who showed the greatest strain. Sweat stained his clothes, and the small areas where his skin was exposed to the desert light were beginning to pink and redden. Elwin and Larynda were behind me, the small girl leading Patches by the reins. Therge donkey was smart and faithful and I doubted she needed to be led, anyway. The pair of them were talking of things of little consequence, mostly trifling conversation of their respective homes nts and animals. The twodies walked together. Though Cordelia wore her beatific smile and Zariyah her stone mask, it did little to hide the thick current of tension between them. Zariyahs presence was as much a test of tolerance for Cordelia as Cordelias presence was for her. I imagined that, had my new attendant been able to speak, they would have been spitting lightning at each other. Throughout this sweltering ordeal, Kidu remained, as ever, an immovable mountain of dour silence, a steadfast rock in a river of emotional current. Arriving at the gates, I paused to appreciate their grandeur. Crafted from a natural rock formation, the gatehouse stood imposingly, with no visible bricks or mortar in most of its structure. Massive doors made of bronze were swung ajar, allowing the traffic in and out of the city. What was the most curious, however, was that many seabirds had made this ce their home. Their nests were scattered about at the higher levels and their squawks and cries could be heard clearly, above even the noiseing from the city. Curiosity piqued, I decided to use Identify and turned to Zariyah. Tell me of that, I asked, pointing at the gates of the city, before I remembered my manners and added, Please. The Feathered Gate? What do you wish to know? Tell me of their construction, as much as you know, anyway, I rified. She pursed her lips and thought before her hands delicately wove their answer. I noticed that her attitude had much improved. They were carved out of the Guidance Rock. A symbolic gesture, as it was the birds that had guided the founders of the city here. Over the long years, as Al-Lazars conflict with the people of the sea continued, the Guidance Rock was then incorporated into the defenses of the city. Despite being a part of the fortifications, it is still the foremost ce of wee where new entrants are greeted into the city before they pass under the arches. The doors of the Feathered Gates are of Dwarven make, steel coated with spelled bronze. Made by the dwarf Zarhit the Dreamer, they say that it takes only the strength of a single man to open them. Not only that, it is said, but he was the first of the mountain people to have partaken of the Dust dreams. For the first time, I saw her give a genuine smile. She looked to be happy in telling us of her home. However, the moment was soon ruined by Cordelia. Do not trust too easily the lies of a Hazigadami, interrupted Cordelia softly, the trace of a rueful smile at the corner of her lips. Yes, Hazagadami, I too know thenguage of the unspoken words. The gates were made by the Quassians under contract and there was no magic used in their construction. Men made those gates, or so history would tell you. I wonder at this ones usefulness, even as a guide, she added smoothly. A few cracks appeared on Zariyahs stoic mask, but for the most part, it held, and she kept her temper and offered Cordelia no rebuttal. Admirable discipline. I simply shrugged, as it was only a minor curiosity. History, after all, had a way of changing over the long years as memories grew dim and dull. The patina of time had a habit of covering most of the salient details. Book 3: Chapter 24: A Place of Rest Book 3: Chapter 24: A ce of Rest With just a small touch of inspiration, the wings of the imagination unfold. Each thought, a feather on these wings, carries the mind higher, soaring overndscapes of wonder and possibility. - Attributed to the ywright n di Panoli. The guards at the gate were not quite as physically imposing as I thought they were when I had first looked upon them from a distance, at least not whenpared to the giant man of the north. They were all, however, well-armed, with tall halberds being their armaments, as well as long curved knives at their waists. Under the flowing robes of their clothes, the glint of metal could be seen. Riveted chain mail, if I was not mistaken. One of their number, a ck-jawed and mean-eyed creature with a dirty ck beard was the first to greet us. A superior smirk on his face, he looked at us as if we weremon filth. May the eyes of the hallowed godsy lightly upon you, traveler, he greeted, his words impably polite, their manner anything but. What brings such a fine-looking group to the greatest of cities, Al-Lazar, he inquired, giving the women of the group a thorough scan with his eyes. I noticed that his gaze lingered on Larynda more than was proper. Adventurers,e to lend our des to the defense of the city, and to test their skill at the tournament of the drawn festival, Elwin answered for us. Showing his badge for the gate guards inspection, his feigned manner was weaselly and servile. Festival of the Undrawn, foreigner. Do they teach nothing of the culture of Al-Lazar in the farnds? Pffft, you seem to be who you say you are go through! he corrected with a smirk, ordering us in even as he began the inspection of the next group of arrivals. Well, that was easier than I thought. I gave Elwin a nod of appreciation as we made our way through the bustle of the gates. Passing underneath the stone arch, I could not help but to notice a strange feelinge over me, like a sucking pop, as if I was passing into a bubble. Odd, to say the least. When I asked if mypanions felt a simr sensation they all, with the exception of Cordelia, just looked at me strangely, as if I was touched in the head. Was this the sensation of area transition or something different? An odd detail for this game. A few momentster I was gifted with a sweltering rush of new power. I felt gifted and fulfilled. Satisfied. Quest Complete: Escort Larynda to Al-Lazar About time that damn quest finished. A part of me had been wondering just exactly what the world considered to be Al-Lazar. For instance, was it the local area, the political borders, or the sphere of influence? Turned out it was within the actual city limits itself. More importantly, however,pleting the quest gave me a thousand points of experience that easily took me over to the next level. Quickly, almost as if by automatic reflex, I assigned the attribute points into Constitution. With the timer ticking away I hurriedly assigned the bonus skill point into the Drain spell. Then it happened. My sight dimmed, swiftly eclipsed by myriad pinpricks of light. A multi-hued current, akin to a vibrant stream, unfurled before my eyes. Along its fringes, minuscule entities nibbled away at its luminous sheen, a process that felt both random and inevitable. Was this the essence of magic, revealed in its purest form? Had my gaze pierced the veil into a realm beyondprehension, a world shrouded in mystery and ineffable wonder? You have learned Greater Drain. Ello, there, Gil. You alright? Or you having another one of your moments? asked Elwin, his voice piercing through the shroud. The mysteries of the universe were about to beid bare, and this! Thismon Rogue had interrupted my epiphany. My hands were gripped in fists, heavy with the weight of my frustration. So easy would it be to smash his face in, but taking a deep breath, I mastered myself. Fine fine. Just d that we made it here, I answered him with a forced half-smile. I could see that, for some reason or other, Cordelia was mumbling a prayer. So, like, the big man was wondering where we would be staying. I, for one, would suggest somewhere a little easier on the coffers, at least until we get our bearings, he mused, before looking pointedly in Zariyahs direction, but failing to draw a reaction. Seeing the gist of his intent, I turned to Zariyah and prepared my magic. You, where would you suggest we go? The proud woman looked down before she hesitantly signed her response. I know of a ce, not far from here. If by the grace of the one god, it is still there, I would suggest that we stay at the Begonias Shade. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. It was as good a suggestion as any, and I looked to mypanions for their response. Kidu and Elwins faces were nk masks of confusion. Larynda, childishly curious, tried to ape Zariyah''s movements. Only Cordelias face showed understanding disagreement, a slight and barely perceptible elevation of her nose, the only sign that spoke of her disapproval. Then we go to this Begonias Shade. Lead on, Imanded. The Hunter and the Rogue gave me a quizzical look but did not question the exchange. Thedy can not speak. She can only speak with her hands, I exined to them, seeing their looks. Thenguage of the unspoken words, I decided to add, remembering Cordelias words from before. We followed the mute woman through the main thoroughfare. Elwin walked alongside her, throwing her the asional question, to which she just nodded or shook her head. This close to the gates, the city was bustling with activity. The press of traffic was heavy but was flowing in an orderly fashion. However, just as I was thinking this, the gods decided to be contrary. A cart overturned, its goods spilling out like the innards of a disemboweled monster, and stopped trafficing from the opposite direction. However, the guards quickly set up a small cordon, redirecting the traffic in a calm and professional manner. Just a little further into the city, I could already see the stark contrast with Ansan. People generally wore clothes of a higher cut and quality, and their speech, what little I heard anyway, seemed a little freer and less guarded. The guards within the city itself, rather than those on the walls, were equipped in a more ornate fashion, their equipment more like a badge of their office, rather than their tools of war. Their armor, resplendent in bronze gilding, at least visible where their robes parted to reveal the uniform craftsmanship, was adorned with motifs of running vines and blossoming flowers of the Dust. They wore no helms. Instead they wore keffiyehs of ck and white checks, which shielded them from the relentless overhead sun. At their side hung, not swords, but small truncheons, their tips capped in gold. A symbol of authority, rather than aggression. Along the road there were no beggars crying out for alms and the streets were, for the most part, clean of detritus and manure,mon to primitive civilizations. More importantly, I saw none of the trappings of very. No cors of iron did I see, nor did I hear the crack of the vers whip. It seemed that Al-Lazar was indeed a free city. This was a truly prosperous ce and there was a spark here that energized me. So long had I been under the open skies and endless horizons that it felt cramped to now be rubbing shoulders with the hoi polloi of Al-Lazar. The feelingsted only for a moment, though, for I had always preferred the close confines of the city, with all of its trappings of civilization. A small child bumped into me, an innocent mistake by all appearances, but I knew not to take this world lightly anymore. My hand, guided by the harsh lessons of this world, whipped out like a snake, catching the small things wrist, with the snap of breaking bone. His mouth gaped wide in a silent scream, unable to voice the pain he felt. As the horror of his situation dawned on him, all he could do was helplessly open and close his mouth. Was he another mute? No, that didn''t seem right. A quick nce around, and my eyes caught Zariyah. She was making unusual hand gestures. When our eyes met, she offered me a small, enigmatic smile. Already useful, I thought to myself. I would have to remember that she had some mastery over the wind and air itself. Panicked, the urchin desperately tried to struggle away, but my grip was iron and my mercy was in short supply. Al-Lazar was a prosperous ce but not, it seemed, free of crime, the cancer that ate away at the core of a real society. It was time to correct that. It was time to be the good that you wanted to see in the world. With Elwin''s help, we started to shake the child down, the passing guards remaining indifferent to the little one''s plight, as he was invisible to them. Together, we relieved the would-be pickpocket of a meager haul, which included some cheap jewelry, a handful of copper coins, and most importantly, one of my precious potions, which fell from the disheveled thief''s clothing. The young scamp cried silently, tears flowing, but I harbored no sympathy for someone who had attempted to steal from me. In my mind, I believed I was merely seeking fairpensation for the inconvenience they had caused. Elwin, sure that the thief had nothing left on his person, delivered a swift kick to the thief''s rear end, a smirk ying on his lips. The child swiftly vanished into a nearby alley, having received a lesson that, while harsh, was undeniably just. The penalty for theft is a hand, signed Zariyah, her expression grim. Larynda, who had observed the urchin with no small amount of sympathy, had refrained from voicing any objections about my handling of the cretin. Instead, she just shook her head, a small sigh escaping her lips and acknowledging the harsh reality of our world. We both understood that this was the unvarnished truth of our existence. Proceeding down the road after that little introduction to city life in Al-Lazar, we veered away from the main thoroughfare. Turning right at another corner, we were greeted by the sight of a fountain, its central figure a mermaid, sculpted from the same yellow stone that formed the city''s walls. Perched elegantly atop a smooth rock, her hair, intertwined with kelp strands, bestowed upon her an ethereal, almost mystical charm. From a pot nestled at her side flowed a cascade of water, its cheerful gurgle an almost melodic tune. Around the fountain, the city folk gathered, their actions reverent and measured as they filled theirrge jugs and amphorae with the life-giving water, participating in what seemed less like a daily chore and more a solemn rite. Our new Hazagadami guide, upon seeing thendmark, picked up her pace, breaking almost into a run. We chased after her, and Larynda, unable to keep up, with her heavy pack and short legs, was scooped up by Kidu. A minuteter we caught up to Zariyah with an annoyed Patches in tow. She stood breathless, in the middle of the street, as the passersby gave her a wide berth and an asional odd look. The exotic woman was looking, as if entranced, at a humble building, no different from the others, save for the multitude of potted nts of various shades that adorned the t roof and hung over the wall. It was a riot of colors, with bright yellows shing with light pinks and deep reds. Such a palette might have been considered garish on a person, but here, amidst the lush greenery, it bestowed upon the building a unique splendor. Rising above the green was a towering chimney, enshrouded in creeping vines. A Barajeel, or wind tower, I surmised. Hanging above the entrance was a wooden sign depicting begonias in full bloom, the paint a little faded from the sun. Beneath the sign were brass chimes that tinkled and danced in the gentle breeze. Humming an unknown melody, a woman with dark skin emerged from the doorway, cradling a watering can in her arms. There was something strikingly familiar about her features, which, despite bearing the gentle marks of time, were still vaguely attractive. The woman began tending to the nts near the entrance, her movements graceful and practiced. Suddenly, her eyes caught sight of Zariyah, standing solitary amidst the bustling street. A mixture of surprise and delight transformed her expression. She brought a hand to her mouth, muffling a shriek of joy that escaped her lips, and her watering can tumbled to the ground with a ng. I watched the unfolding scene with a sense of resigned anticipation. Was this to be another story event? Book 3: Chapter 25: A Mothers Love Book 3: Chapter 25: A Mother''s Love Arbitration, a weighty term for a seemingly quaint custom, is both barbaric and enlightening in equal measure. Let us look into the origins of one of the cornerstones of Al-Lazarian culture. In the days of yore, shortly after the inception of Al-Lazar and the discovery of the properties of the Dust, a river of gold flowed into the city. The Shareholder families, the opulent dynasties of Al-Lazar, driven by insatiable avarice, plunged headlong into conflicts, each vying for a greater slice of the boundless wealth. The streets ran red as the newly amassed riches were exchanged for gleaming steel. Waves of violence tore through all the districts, threatening to consume the very bones of the city, if left unchecked. More often than not, victories were costly, at best, and at worst, defeats in all but name. It was during these tumultuous times that the families, sensing the dire consequences, werepelled to seek ord. Two influential and prestigious houses, Shaem and Alim, resolved their disputes with a single representative from their respective houses. They would fight until one of them surrendered, or perished. This marked the inception of what we now know as the time-honored tradition of Arbitration, a practice universally embraced by all the Shareholder families of the venerable city of Dust. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. At first, I found myself uncharacteristically touched by the fragile glimmer of happiness that I saw. I possessed a small fortune in metal coins and scraps of paper, yet it all seemed so paltry in front of this disy. But this was not my family and I would never see my family ever again. This forsaken realm, this cruel game or whatever perverse creation it was, made me realize that I was very much alone here. Empty. The two red-eyed women embraced one another with a tear-stained intensity thatid bare the raw repressed depths of their emotions. That was the first time I saw Zariyah smile with true unbridled joy. I saw it now, their shared features that were so strikingly simr. These two were bound by blood. They could only be family, perhaps sisters, born of the same womb, or a mother and her beloved daughter. "Zari, my dear child, you have returned to us!" eximed the older woman, her voice trembling with emotion as she reluctantly released Zariyah from their tearful embrace. Zariyah''s mother then, I mused while mypanions and I maintained a respectful distance. "But how? I thought I would never see you again in this lifetime. Your contract was meant for the next... Do you have no words for your mother, Zari? What is wrong?" Zariyah''s mother continued, her smile still present, but a hint of anxious concern creeping into her voice. Zariyah shook her head forlornly, her delicate hand moving to her throat. A profound silence hung in the air, one that I feltpelled to break. "Zariyah Al¡¯Abadi is mute, though I do not know the circumstances of how this came to be," I stated neutrally. The woman regarded me with a puzzled expression, but as understanding dawned in her eyes, I could almost hear the sound of her newfound hope shattering. "You possess her contract?" she stated more as a fact than a question, her voice taking on a frosty and defiant tone. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences. ¡°Gilgamesh is indeed the Hazagadami¡¯s master,¡± answered Cordelia smugly, with no small amount of relish. ¡°Cordelia, please, there is no need for that. Yes, I currently hold her contract or whatever it is you people call it. It was sort of foisted upon me by a Gelgor of the Crows, a reward for services rendered. The tale is quite lengthy, and I would be more than willing to exin, if you could perhaps offer us shelter from the sun," I suggested diplomatically. "Of course, this way, samasa," the mother epted, with a hint of embarrassment, realizing the spectacle she had caused in public. "My name is Naira, and I am Zariyah''s mother. I also happen to be the humble innkeeper of the Begonia''s Shade. Please, follow me, and share with me the story of my daughter," she introduced herself, straightening her back, her voice now more flustered than frosty. Naira wore a light orange abaya that covered the better part of her body, cinched at the waist with a red sash. But it did little to hide her generous figure. It was easy to mistake them for sisters, for her face was almost a mirror to her daughter¡¯s, just a little more worn and well-used by time. However, their tilted eyes were the same. An arresting, distinctive crimson shade that was as intriguing as it was disturbing. She ushered us into the flowery inn, the inside noticeably cooler than outside on the streets. The inn had a high ceiling, and soft light was filtered in through opaque ss windows. Faded pictures adorned the walls, featuring a myriad of flowers I had never encountered. Pleasing to the eye, their exotic beauty was vividly captured by the artist¡¯s skill. Earthenware jugs lined the shelves on the back wall,beled with spidery flowing letters. The center of the inn¡¯s main floor was dominated by a raised wooden tform that probably served as some sort of stage. At the edges of the room, a few people sat cross-legged on pillows at low tables, separated by a simple thin cloth partition to provide a measure of privacy. They barely gave us a second nce as they were already deep in their cups, even at such an early hour. In a corner, by one of the windows, an old man yed a zither. The music, if you could call it that, sounded droning and discordant to my ears. His instrument was trimmed with gold and fancy patterns, and was most likely of high craftsmanship. Wasted on hisck of talent. Noticing the self-satisfied look on his face, I hoped that he wasn¡¯t being well paid for inflicting his music upon us. In my mind, his brazen disy of poor skill was simply another form of public masturbation. A man, thick and brutish-looking, stood behind the bar, his grim face a crisscross of scars from fights won or lost. Probably won, I thought to myself, for he looked almost wider than he was tall, with a thick paunch and beefy arms corded with muscle. Wiping a mug with a cloth, he simply nodded to us as Naira led us into a room towards the back. I couldn¡¯t help but notice the mean mace at his hip as we passed him, not that that monster needed a weapon. Bowing hurriedly, a worried-looking boy in white servant¡¯s clothes interrupted the proprietress, leaning in to whisper something in her ear and causing her to frown. She swiftly concealed this momentarypse behind a fixed smile and gestured us to follow her into one of the back rooms. The room that Naira led us to had a smooth square stone table, carved from a single b of gray rock and surrounded by sturdy wooden chairs. The innkeeper urged us to sit, a new and professional smile on her face. A pretty little serving girl knocked at the door, bringing with her an iron kettle and some cups, and depositing them onto the table before politely excusing herself with a small bow. Naira poured us tea, but a small tremble in her hand betrayed her anxiety. She sat down at the table with us, directly opposite me, and gestured for us to drink. The tea was piquant, a jasmine blend, if I was not mistaken, but I hardly had time to savor it, as Naira began her questions barely after the first sip. ¡°Now that I have shared tea with you, I can wait no longer. Please tell this mother, for she has not seen her daughter in many years,¡± she begged of me. ¡°Very well. Naira, is it?¡± I began to answer, sampling the unfamiliar name. ¡°But I think it best that you hear it from your daughter.¡± ¡°But she is¡­¡± she started, defeat edging into her voice. ¡°Indeed, which is why Cordelia will help your daughter tell her tale. She canmunicate in¡­ what is it again? Ahh, yes, the unspoken words. You will help, won¡¯t you Cordelia?¡± I asked, adjusting myself in the chair and taking another sip of the tea. Though I doubted things would get violent, I decided to err on the side of caution, keeping my Mana in reserve rather than using it on consecutive uses of Identify. ¡°As youmand, my lo¡­ Gilgamesh,¡± the red-haired warrior woman replied, casting a sidelong nce at the Hazagadami. And so aposed Zariyah recounted her tale. Book 3: Chapter 26: The Begonias Shade Book 3: Chapter 26: The Begonia''s Shade The air was tumultuous, yearning for freedom from the domain of her parents, eager to explore beyond the reach of the expansive primordial oceans and the tranquil, silent night. Distressed by this, Water and Darkness endeavored to craft both a haven and guardian for their wayward daughter, aiming to shield her from the emptiness thaty beyond. This they called the Earth. - The Birth of the Gesthe, by an unknown author. Cordelia delivered Zariyah''s tale to a half-believing Naira in a tone that was polite, if not a little clipped and curt. With Cordelia to help speed things along, I had hoped for a brief rendition before we negotiated for lodging. Unfortunately, the mute woman decided to inflict us with her story, her truth, as it were. She decided to start right at the beginning of the whole thing, without abbreviation but with all of the drama. The woman haltingly told her tale with her hands. Her fingers were jittery, a stark relief and juxtaposition to Cordelias lilting melodious voice. A voice that, although pleasant, nheless held undertones like she was constantly judging the Hazagadami Her father had been a dreamer. He had wanted to be more than a man who had married an innkeepers daughter to inherit the establishment. A path that, in part, had been chosen for him. Once Nairas parents had crossed the Shallow River, he turned to painting and art, focusing his efforts there with wild abandon. But there had been no buyers or patrons for his decidedly average works, his skill unable to portray the images within his imagination. He tried music next, thinking that something resonated within his soul that he had simply had to share with the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the rest of the world did not agree. More often than not, the regrs of the inn avoided the establishment when he was performing. It was also around this time that her father had started drinking, ostensibly to take the nervous edge off his performances. His next line of attack was perhaps more logical. He tried to brute force his way through to fame and recognition. He tried his hand at local politics, trying to ingratiate himself with the people that mattered, plying them with gifts to garner their favor. He was able to make a few fair weather friends and acquaintances, young sons of rich merchants who appreciated what he brought them. However, all this just served to strain the inns struggling finances for no good results. Throughout all of this, her mother had supported him. Believed in him. She loved him with the kind of love that could only be found in the most insipid of romance stories or love poems. They had grown up together, and he had been the only boy of her age who had been with her, who had seen past the stigma of her red eyes. He believed that beauty was a thing that should be protected and cherished, and she was the most beautiful thing of all. I had to force myself from rolling my eyes as that might have been construed as rude. In my world, her love would be seen as nothing more than enabling. The apple did not fall too far from the tree, and through the lens of her own mothers love, Zariyah, too, loved her father. Perhaps, joined in this way, the three of them could have continued to be a family. It was the friends that he made in the higher circles of Al-Lazarian society, rich sons of merchants that introduced him to the pleasures of the Dust. Like all of themon folk of the city, he had been warned of its dangerous allure, and until now he had neither the resources nor courage enough to partake of it. Just one fantasy-filled dream that was more real than the world he lived in was enough to set him down a new path. The next day, inspired, he painted new pictures, lifelike and exquisite in detail. i He needed more of the stuff to let loose his burgeoning talents. Behind closed doors, her father grew into a monster when he was denied. He vented his frustration and cruelty upon her mother, the woman who had once been the love of his life. The sharp sting of his fists and the venomous words he spat were as regr as the rising sun. Her mother''s eyes, once bright with hope, were now dulled with empty and loveless marriage. As Zariyah grew, she found sce in the quiet outside the city. She found morefort under the open endless skies than in thepany of children her own age. The winds whispered secrets of resilience and survival, if only she would venture further out into the destion. Among the shifting sands and endless horizons, she found escape, for a time, from her situation at home. But the darkness of her reality was inescapable. Her father''s debts mounted, and his desperation knew no bounds. He was willing to do anything to fuel his destructive craving for Dust. It was then that he made the ultimate betrayal, a heart-wrenching decision that would forever haunt Zariyah. One fateful night, in a haze of addiction-fueled madness, her father sold his only daughter to a contract broker. As a child, Zariyah had no choice but to obey him as he cruelly made her sign away the greater portion of her life. To save our livelihoods, he told her, the lie as bitter now as it was then. She continued with the rest of her little tale, and I gradually grew bored. It was, for the most part, an ount of ces that I did not know, of names that had no meaning, and of a time before mying to this world. Just as my attention was truly starting to drift, refreshments were brought over by one of the inns staff, small snacks of jellied fruit, nuts, and watered wine. It was a wee relief, as I was struggling to keep my interest. Then Zariyah began to recount how she came to her powers. Finally, my ears perked up and I started to pay real attention. A storm hade while they were traveling in the westernnds, a great squall that was relentless in its elemental rage. Winds with the strength of giants tore through the night. Storms like these in Aranthia were a thing of myth and legend, and it was most fortuitous that Gelgors caravan had chosen to shelter within the walls of a city that night. Though Zariyah had no real memory of it, many of the Crows had seen her walk out, as if in a trance, out onto the cobbled streets and into the howling night. They screamed at her toe back, but their voices were lost to the wind as roof tiles were torn off buildings. Fearing the wrath of the unnatural storm, no one followed her out into the tempest. They found her the next day in a farmers field outside the city walls, unharmed by the cutting winds, with not so much as a bruise upon her. It was onlyter, when she woke up on a soft feathered bed that she realized what the Wind had taken from her. Her voice. We all listened with rapt attention and without interruption. I always hungered for scraps of information involving magical power and its nature. If her ount was true, then it was most likely that the tempest had gifted, or perhaps awakened, her powers. Had there been others like the young Zariyah who had ventured out into that storm-filled night and been gifted by the Wind? Could I do the same? It was a shame that the damn woman had been so light on the details of the how of it. Unfortunately, the rest of her tale devolved into a boring ount of her life on the road with the caravan. Taking a sip of watered wine, my thoughts were instead turned inwards, to my own trials and tribtions that made Zariyahs ount of her life until now sound like a pleasant holiday. Still, it reinforced my view that this world was cruel and unforgiving. Against all the odds, and in a world that seemed set against me, I had prevailed. At least, so far. Out of a poption of billions I had been chosen, leading me to believe that I was truly special. Indeed, I had proven it, both to this world and more importantly to myself. I was more than the product of a soft society that had created me. In me were reserves of will that I never knew I had. However, for all of this, my goals had always been just about short-term survival and running away. There simply had been no room for thinking about what I wanted from this world, and what I wanted to do and achieve for myself. All of my dreams and aspirations, trivial as they had been, had turned into so much ash from the moment I had arrived in Gesthe. What was there for me to do here? The conveniences of my old world, I somberly realized, were more than just mere conveniences, but intrinsic and essential parts of living. Without them, I felt lost and adrift. You can do anything you want, be anyone you want, a voice within stated simply. Not the voices, not this time, but a rare private thought that offered a grain of hope. Something to aspire to. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. I could be powerful here, quantifiably so, as I grew in levels, skills, and experience. But this pursuit of power, for its own sake, felt aimless and empty. However, objectively speaking, it was a road that promised more satisfaction at its destination than any of my railroaded life ns in my old world. That was the dreadful and barbaric frontier beauty of this ce. However, there was a price for this power. Every step of the way, it seemed as though the gods of this world were intent on bending me to their will, singling me out to thwart my dreams and desires. But I was resolute in my refusal to yield to them. This was not a mere act of contrariness on my part, rather, I believed in the depths of my soul that acquiescing would mean trading away something essential. Ah, the damn gods. Avaria and Iasis, for all of their overwhelming power, felt human, felt wed. They were on some level rtable, and therefore not beings that could be ssified as gods. At least in the modern sense of the word. Of the three divine entities I had encountered, only one truly embodied the mantle and title of a ''god.'' Yet, even this dark and formidable power felt more like an elemental force, an inescapable truth of the universe rather than a god. The term god seemed too narrow to epass such a terrible being. Even now, the faint echoes of my encounter with Entropy, filled me with existential dread, but also an odd sense of eptance. I had, in a very limited way, be a part of the alpha and omega of the universe itself. Yet, against all evidence to the contrary, a belief that I stubbornly held onto was that gods did not exist. Could not exist. Even if they did, they should be beings so far apart from us that they should be iprehensible. After all, the true gods who were worthy of our worship were those who did not need our reverence in the first ce. For what use did a god have of the regard of a mortal? What use do we have for the ants that we crush beneath our feet? Suddenly my name was mentioned and I stopped with my internal musings. Zariyah had finallye to the part when Gelgor had gifted her to me, trading her away like so much livestock. With a fixed smile on my face, I listened in, stopping only to rify a few small points. A part of me felt grateful that Zariyah saved me the effort of having to exin why she joined me to the rest of mypanions. But, Larynda''s face grew uncharacteristically hard towards thest part. The part where Zariyahs ownership was passed over to me. Silly child, could she not see that this thing was not my fault at all? She had been foisted upon me and I had no choice but to ept her. I had no intent on keeping a ve, for that was what she was in all but name, as I thought the whole institution morally repugnant. At least until I felt familiar enough with the city. Kidu and Elwin,panions of my long and weary road, harbored a peculiar dichotomy in their view of very. To them, it was a detestable affliction when it sped about their own necks, yet they held no hate or aversion to the idea itself. The towering Kidu spoke with a disquieting calm of ''bondsmen'', prisoners from vanquished tribes who were forced to work for their conquerors for a year and a day, another barbaric custom of his primitive people. For Elwin, it had been a fate much preferable to the hangmans noose. As for Cordelia, afraid of her answer, I had never cared to find out her views on the matter. The woman, on a strange level, truly unnerved me. I had never been good around believers, true believers. It was in Larynda, in her youthful guilelessness and childish innocence, who was only lightly touched by the calloused hands of the world, that I had found a kindred soul regarding the matter of very. Over modest repast, she had blurted out that all people should be free, and that no one had the right to enve another. I counseled her gently, warning that such noble ideals demanded strength as their shield, lest they be trampled under the boots of harsher truths. It was with no small amount of satisfaction that I saw her train harder the next day with Kidu. And that is your daughters tale, I finished for Zariyah, fighting an urge to stretch. She had gone on for long enough, I felt. ...I never knew, all these years, my darling girl Zariyahs mother whispered in a hollow voice. Yes, as you can see, serendipity has a strange way of working her will. However, mypanions and I are looking for lodging and this ce came highly rmended, I said with a small smile, trying to keep things pleasant and light. Of course, she croaked automatically in response before she gathered herself. Two rooms would be a silver a night, but for bringing my daughter back to me you can stay here as long as you Of course, I intended to free Zariyah at some point, but I found it awfully rude for the woman to presume something of me. Or was it her womanly way of manipting me? I cut her off. Three rooms, and I will of course pay for our lodgings. This should be good for a while, I stated, trying to maintain the smile upon my face. I ced a gold coin on the table, resisting the urge to wince. A gold coin, was after all, a gold coin and a considerable amount of money. I was almost tempted to swallow my pride and take her up on her earlier offer. City life was expensive, and a caravan guard, it seemed, was paid next to nothing. Damn that Laes. The woman looked at the coins oddly for a moment. Is something the matter? No, not at all, it has been a while since I received a coin like that, she answered, shaking her head and scooping up the coins. What could she mean by that? The inn looked prosperous enough. Or was it perhaps because they used paper money in Al-Lazar? If so, I would have to remember to change some of my notes into smaller denominations. I will have the girl Ninurta show you to your rooms, but if it does not displease Master Gilgamesh, I would like a little more time with my daughter, she said formally, almost with an air of frigid ceremony. But of course, Mistress Naira, I acquiesced smoothly. * Ninurta, a slip of a girl in her early teens, possessed olive skin, brown eyes, and a rebellious cascade of curly dark hair. Thin and bony for her age, she was a bundle of unbridled excitement, practically bouncing off the walls with her childlike enthusiasm as she ushered us to our rooms giving us a set of bronze keys. The rooms themselves were small, but clean, and the walls were washed with a coat of white paint, lending an airy feel to the room. Using ss for the windows was a small testament to the prosperity of the ce, as the manufacture of it was an expensive process for low-technology cultures. My room was a corner room and the furthest from the stairs. Arge bed dominated the center, big enough for three or four people to share, the sight of which brought a brief smile to my face. It was a reminder of something that my world had lost with its steady advancements. Animals slept together forfort and safety, and humans were no different to them on the most basic level. But as we, as a society, became more prosperous, we began seeking to build barriers to keep away our fellow man, bing lonelier in the process. The truly rich of my old world hoarded their privacy like a dragons gold, but their souls were the poorer for it. I was, however, a product of that world and weed the privacy after having shared cramped quarters with Kidu and Elwin. Finally, I would have some time to myself. Interrupting Ninurtas ramblings with Larynda, I inquired after Patches and the Ninurta assured us that our donkey would be well taken care of. ording to the little bundle of enthusiasm, the inn had a small stable around the back, and the girl eximed that she positively loved animals and would see to her personally. We began to settle in, and the porters of the Begonias Shade helped us bring some of our things up the stairs. Finally alone for a moment, I began to shuck myself out of my armor. Just as I was removing my left pauldron, having difficulty with a rather rebellious strap, there was an energetic knock on the door to my room. Its Ninurta, sir, piped a voice from the other side of the heavy door, Ivee to show you the way to the baths if you like I brought you robes, a towel, and stuff! Annoyed, I got up and opened the door, letting the bouncing girl in. Leave it there, please. I will be done in a few moments, I stated curtly, my sanctum already invaded. I sat down and worked my way to loosen the stubborn strap. Do you need any help, sir? Ninurta squeaked eagerly. No, I will be actually yes, if you could help me here, I answered, gesturing to the annoying strap. With the brightest of smiles, the girl helped me out of my steel shell. The dents and wear in my gear were a sad and obvious reminder of mytest adventurers. I would have to see to their proper maintenanceter. There was no end to the chores. Down now to my gambeson, I asked her to wait outside the room so that I could change into the robes she had provided. The girl looked at me oddly for a moment, almost frustrated, as if leaving the job half-done. Even so, she left me alone, but not before shooting a look toward me before closing the door behind her. I quickly got changed, dumping the gambeson, along with my underclothes, into aundry basket in the corner. Opening the door, I found Ninurta singing a cheerful song as she waited for me. Please, this way! she enthused, leading me down to another room on the ground floor. The room was tiled in blue, with a pool at its center. Water flowed from a copper pipe, gurgling like a fountain. Naira had quite obviously done rather well for herself to be able to afford facilities like these for her guests. Do you need help with err washing your back? I can help with other stuff too she asked timidly. Caught off guard, I looked at her dumbfounded. It took me a while before I was finally able to register her intent. No, that will not be necessary, I said quite firmly, Please, leave us. The royal we. Was I going funny in the head? The girl gave me a bright smile, looking genuinely happy at my refusal. She was singing, her voice echoing off of the bath walls, as she left the baths with a skip in her step. Finally, I felt relieved that I had avoided a potentially awkward situation and that she was out of my hair. For all of its veneer of luxury, it seemed that this ce was just as barbaric, twisted, and morally bankrupt as Ansan. Truly, what was going on in this ce? Book 3: Chapter 27: No Harm, No Foul Book 3: Chapter 27: No Harm, No Foul The greatest of rivers is formed from the smallest of streams. - A Quassian aphorism. After washing off what felt like months of dirt and grime, I was finally able to enjoy simply soaking in the cool water of the bath. The water enveloped me, a balm for my weary soul, as I surrendered to the simple pleasure of idleness. It almost felt like I had achieved a zen-like state of emptiness. But there was still light left in the day and time was, after all, money. The gold coin I had given Naira would only pay for less than a week. Perhaps I should have been less chivalrous? Dragging myself out of the bath, I dried myself with a towel and made my way back to my room. God in heaven, it felt good to be clean again. The fairy tales never spoke of the hero¡¯s fight to maintain a certain standard of basic hygiene. I slipped into the loose, flowing garments favored by the locals in this sweltering climate and attached my sword to my waist. Yet, the sword felt awkward and unbnced without my armor, leading me to opt for a more manageable knife instead. Now, fully prepared and significantly fresher than a few hours earlier, I set out to see what the rest of my entourage was up to. ¡°Elwin, Kidu, you alright in there?¡± I inquired, knocking twice on the heavy wooden door. ¡°Come in, Gil,¡± Elwin¡¯s voice responded from within. The pair had yet to change and bathe, and my nose was made immediately and painfully aware of it. I could not hold it against them, as I, no doubt, was in a simr condition only a while ago.¡°You look better. It is good that we have reached our destination. But what is that we must do now?¡± rumbled Kidu, his giant frame making the small stool that he sat on look almostedic. Not that anyone would dareugh at him, of course. The man had stolen what I was about to say right out of my mouth. ¡°Indeed, we should try to get ay of thend?¡± I suggested. ¡°Just what I was thinking, Gil, there mate,¡± added Elwin to the mix as he adjusted a buckle at his waist. ¡°Well, then, let us see what we can see.¡± ¡°Beg, your pardon, but the kind of scouting I was thinking of doing is the type that you ain¡¯t best equipped to do. I best do this part by myself, if you don¡¯t mind me saying. Maybe find some people who know some people who know some people. Also, been cooped up with you lunks for months, and a man needs some time for himself, if you be catching my meaning. Big guy, why don¡¯t you go with Gil here, get a little taste of the city life?¡± ¡°Later. I must see to the little one,¡± he rumbled in his gravelly voice. ¡°Can¡¯t we just take her with us?¡± I suggested. ¡°She has grown, how do you warmnd people say it, be the ck? She is distracted¡­ she needs focus. She must train. I will see to it,¡± he responded simply, rolling his shoulders. ¡°Well, there¡¯s your answer then. Why don¡¯t you ask the redhead?¡± the Rogue put forth with a wink. ¡°Yes, there is that. I suppose I will do just that,¡± I epted, a little annoyed at being rebuffed. I left the pair, taking Elwin''s suggestion to heart. After all, there were arguably worse ways to spend ate afternoon than with a beautiful woman. Nearing her door, which was left slightly open due to the finickytches typical of this ce, I could hear the monotonous hum of prayers. Phrases imploring the Goddess for mercy and salvation were being repeated, first by Cordelia¡¯s fervent voice and then echoed by Larynda¡¯s reluctant tone. I wondered if the half-elven child, still so young, should be so exposed to religion. There was a part of me that felt a twinge of sympathy for her. Deciding it best not to intrude, I left the women to their prayers. Having second thoughts about inviting Cordelia, as having a religious zealous goddess-botherer apany me about the town might not be the wisest choice, I opted to leave well enough alone. So, it seemed I was to be on my own for the afternoon. Realizing I had forgotten my bag, I returned to my room to fetch it, taking care to include my Health and Mana potions. Anticipating frequent use of the spell Identify in this unfamiliar city, and possibly danger, I wanted to be thoroughly prepared. This train of thought unexpectedly brought Zariyah to mind. Perhaps it was time for her to fulfill her role and show me around. Surely, she must have finished catching up with her mother by now? But then again, women did have a habit of going on when left to their own devices. Making my way back to the ground floor, I noticed that Begonia¡¯s Shade was gradually filling up. Observing the diverse attire of the patrons, I could discern that the clientele of the inn came from a wide range of professions and social standings. There were what looked like working-ss field hands, likely wasting away their modest earnings, minor merchants draped in luxurious silks, and a group of stern-looking men in serious-looking arms and armor. The presence of these armed men made me feel particrly vulnerable without my harness. Naked almost. I found myself at the bar and took a seat. I asked the bartender where the mother-daughter pair were. "The mistress and Zari still be in the back room. They''re likely to need more time together," he exined. "I''ve been instructed to offer you anything you''d like. So, what can I get for you, samasa?" he asked, leaning across the bar with his hands spread. Up close, his distinct features and scars were even more apparent. The pronounced brow ridge gave him an almost ogre-like appearance, and his wide nose, evidently broken multiple times, contributed to his somewhat intimidating demeanor. Driven by curiosity, I decided to cast an Identify spell on the man. Laman Al-Qurashi - Soldier (Human lvl.11) Health: 203/203 Stamina: 38/43 Mana: 7/7 Despite his formidable appearance, I was surprised to find that the bartender was of a rtively low level. He posed no real threat, and I felt almost foolish for my initial apprehension. In gaming terms, he would be the equivalent of a trash mob and easily handled even without my magic. ¡°I¡¯ll have juice please, something sweet, or wine, twice watered, if you don¡¯t have any juice.¡± I answered, feeling more confident. ¡°Sure you don¡¯t want anything stronger? The mistress said to open up the good stuff if you¡­¡± he gave me a conspiratorial wink, ¡°I mean the really good stuff. Better than even the stuff we give to some of the hoity-toity types we get every now and again. Got us some Aranthian spirits. If there has ever been a time to open it, can¡¯t think of a better time than now,¡± he exined with a shrug of his shoulders. ¡°Laman Al-Qurashi, right?¡± I replied, enjoying the puzzled look that crossed the battle map of scars that served as his face. ¡°It is still a bit early in the day for me to drink, but please pour yourself something nice,¡± I offered diplomatically. ¡°You have a look about you, a military man I take it?¡± His face broke into a wide smile as he guffawed, "Well, I don''t mind if I do." He turned and reached for a dark bottle on a shelf behind him. "It''s almost a sin to just leave this beauty sitting up there," hemented. Then, as he poured the drink, he began to share his story. "And yes, I''ve served before. Got drafted into the levies, and ended up staying longer than I''d nned. Eventually, I realized that risking my life for the glory of the Empire wasn''t for me. So, I joined the Mercenary¡¯s Guild, rose to the rank of w Leader. The stories I could tell you! Some of my old mates drop by every now and then, and we exchange stories from the old days¡­" A new, cultured voice interrupted our conversation.¡°I heard that someone is offering free drinks, Aranthian spirits no less. It would be wonderful to have a taste of home,¡± said the alluring feminine voice to my right. ¡°Oh, what do we have here? I can usually tell where someone is from, but you are a mystery¡­¡± Curiously, I turned my head to see who had joined us. I It was a woman, dressed in a style that was clearly not local. She wore ck knee-high leather boots and off-white trousers, paired with a fluffy, frilled short-sleeve blouse that revealed her sun-kissed, tanned skin. Her hair, a fashionable medium length and dark oaken brown, framed her face perfectly. A silver circlet with a green gem at its center adorned her brow, giving her a regal air that contrasted with her bright, sunny smile. My gaze involuntarily drifted down to the silver badge hanging from a copper chain around her neck ¨C an Adventurer¡¯s badge. ¡°Ka,¡± muttered Laman under his breath in an almost exasperated warning. ¡°Why thank you, Laman, for introducing me,¡± she drawled, her voice a spun melody, offering me a little wave as she pulled out a stool and sat down one space away from me. The troubled barkeep shot me a questioning look as if seeking permission. I simply shrugged my shoulders before answering his silent inquiry, ¡°Why not? Pour her a ss. Today is cause for celebration, right?¡± I noticed a leather belt cinched at her waist, and hanging from it was what appeared to be a simple wand or scepter, adorned with yet another green gem at its tip. This gem provided me with some hints about her chosen profession. Intrigued by the slightly aggressive and imperious demeanor of the woman, I decided to cast another Identify spell. Stolen novel; please report. Ka de Arancrai - Enchantress (Human lvl.19) Health: 175/175 Stamina: 25/26 Mana: 14/16 The woman had a few levels on me, but her attributes were sorelycking. Unless she had some formidable spells in her arsenal that were of the dangerous sort, I could probably snap her delicate neck like a twig. With a ssbeled ¡®Enchantress¡¯, I doubted that would be likely. "Miss Arancrai, I presume?" I offered casually, only to be met with a dainty snort of amusement. Unlike Laman, she seemed hardly surprised by my little trick. She yed with a strand of her hair, not meeting my gaze. "It seems my reputation has finally caught up with me, which is only fair considering the effort I''ve put in," she said with a hint of pride. Drawing a small breath, she continued, "Yes, I am Arancrai. Ka Arancrai... And you are, of course...?" Her question hung in the air, a mix of curiosity and challenge. With practiced finesse, Laman poured the fragrant spirit into three small cups, earning a nod of appreciation from Ka. "I am Gilgamesh of Uruk," I replied, a touch tly, still uncertain about how to deal with this intriguing woman. "I can''t say I''ve heard of it. Sounds a bit rustic," she responded, raising an eyebrow. "But let''s not waste time on formalities. Cheers!" She took a small sip. ¡°Cheers!¡± echoed Laman, following suit, and I could only join him. I felt that it would be rude to point out that this was not exactly what I had ordered. The drink went down, rtively smoothly but still had quite a kick to it. Fruity notes emerged as I savored a second sip. Though I was far from a connoisseur of spirits, the quality was unmistakable, even to my untrained palette. After months of asionally resorting to swigs of arag, this was a positively delightful change. Still, I couldn''t help but wish for some simple juice. Reminding myself to live more in the moment, I decided against being one of those who whine about every little thing. As I swirled the dark liquid in my cup, preparing to finish it off, I suddenly felt a hand grasp my shoulder. "Whatcha doing talking to my woman, like, like that? Making eyes at her," an irate, slurred voice cut through the air. "Sevas..." Ka and Laman spoke simultaneously, a mix of recognition and apprehension in their tones. "It''s Sir Sevas... I was knighted by the King himself, remember that. I''ve fought in the Pale Wars. I am a knight," he dered, his words interspersed with sporadic belches. Sevas, despite his inebriated state,manded attention. His snow-white hair crowned a ruggedly handsome face, the kind belonging to a man in his youth, barely out of his early twenties. His gray eyes were the color of a misty morning, though dimmed by the excess of drink, burned with the restless energy of boyish indignation. A solitary scar that sliced diagonally across his face, marred, yet at the same time somehow enhanced his appearance, lending him a fierce aspect. I disliked him from the first, on an almost primal level. His attire, though stained at the front, was of fine craftsmanship. Like Ka, he bore a silver badge, not on a chain as hers was, but fastened to the baldric that supported a long, thin sword. A sword that made me acutely aware of my own vulnerability, armed only as I was with just a mere knife. ¡°That would have made you about ten at the time if you had fought in the wars, boy. We¡¯ve all heard it before,¡±mented Laman with a huff, rolling his eyes. ¡°An¡¯ I fought, I tell you. Waz jus¡¯ a boy in the train¡­ I was there when they came. Took up a weapon and fought ¡®em back with the men of the line. You don¡¯t be trying to distract me now so you can go back to¡­ I said look at me damn you!¡± he cried in my general direction, his gaze unfocused as he staggered about, spilling his cup and its contents onto the floor. Sevas was a perfect example of why I was averse to strong drink, really anything, that robbed you of good sense. If this was the quality of silver-ranked adventurers then it looked like it would be easy for me to get a few promotions under my belt. ¡°And for thest time, Sevas, I am not your woman,¡± hissed Ka, standing up from her stool and sounding like an exasperated teacher. ¡°Gil, from wherever you are, I am so sorry about this. He¡¯s in our party and is always like this when he gets a little deep in his cups,¡± she apologized backhandedly, looking more flustered and embarrassed than actually apologetic. Some of the clientele of the establishment had stopped in their conversation and started to look in our direction. Barely settled into my new amodation and trouble was already finding me. ¡°...But I left my home and family¡­ for you. ¡®Gether we would go onna life of excitement and adventure, newnds, and new sights, or thaz what you said¡± he whined like a beaten dog, his body starting to tremble with repressed emotion. Already my hackles had begun to rise as I prepared for a possible fight. Unfortunately, I had gone so native that a barbaric part of me actually weed the prospect. I am not a man for starting fights, but I intended to finish this one. Permanently, if need be. The man was basically offering himself to help me reach the next level and it would be rude of me to deny him. Smiling to myself, I realized I was equipped with more than just a knife, I had my magic and a good excuse for casual murder. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough,¡± said a new man in an exasperated tone long worn with repetition, standing up from his table. He was wearing civilian clothes, dull and drab, and unlike Sevas, was unarmed. He was decidedly average-looking and nondescript, both in appearance and stature. The sort that one¡¯s eyes would overlook on any given day. However, he had a way about him that spoke that he was not a stranger to violence. A fencer¡¯s grace if I was to put a word to it. Outnumbered, I began to have second thoughts about resorting to violence to resolve this situation. ¡°Sorry, Laman, for the trouble, we¡¯ll take him out of here now, see that he gets back to his room¡­¡± the man apologized, giving us an embarrassed smile as he tried to drag Sevas away. ¡°But¡­ you! You just had to ruin it! You had to ruin everything!¡±ined Sevas as he struggled against them. Ka took onest pull of her drink, draining what was left in her cup before she told the man with a sigh, ¡°Basilio, see to him. ¡±Sorry about Sevas, he is usually a reliable sort. A good boy and his heart is in the right ce,¡± she offered contritely to me. ¡°Not a boy!¡± screamed the young man childishly as he burst free from Basilio, drawing the fine de at his hip with surprising swiftness. As the de descended with the swiftness of a lightning bolt cleaving the sky, time itself appeared to slow. Instinctively, my shield arm rose of its own ord, interposing itself between me and the sharpened steel. I braced for the de''s bite, anticipating a grievous cut, deep to the bone. Yet, to my surprise, his sword nged off, as if it had encountered something other than just flesh. Was this the work of my Mimic? Convenient, to say the least. Unbnced by the sudden movement, I fell off my stool with an unmanly squawk of surprise, hitting my head against the floor. Humiliated, I reached for the knife at my waist as I struggled to get up. Hot anger fuelled by a sudden burst of adrenaline. The bastard had struck at me, and I would have satisfaction. As I began to rise, still disoriented, I looked for Sevas, but felt a sharp pressure at my throat. It was the same de that had struck me, but now wielded by Kas¡¯ crony, Basilio. I felt trepidation and fear sink their ws into me as I eyed the de and stilled. His sword was steady, as were his eyes, which were a harder gray than even the steel of the de he held, and set with professional calm that promised an ending for me. ¡°Sorry about our friend, but I don¡¯t think you will be drawing your steel,¡± he stated matter-of-factly, in a calm, superior voice that only caused me to seethe on the inside. You did not apologize with a threat. Laman''s growl cut through the tense atmosphere from behind the bar. "Basilio, there''s no need to be brandishing a de at our guests. You know the rules." Themon room plunged into an unsettling silence, broken only by the sound of a few patrons who, sensing the brewing storm, quickly left their payments on the tables and hurriedly made their exits. Having found myself in simr, if not deadlier, predicaments before, I chose to set aside my concerns. Fear had not yet left me, but it was not the sort that renders one into a state of nonaction, but rather the type that sharpens the mind and grants a desperate yet clear focus. I cast an Identify on Basilio even as I nned my next move. Basilio Sanseverino - Warrior (Human lvl.17) Health: 192/192 Stamina: 34/39 Mana: 9/9 He had amon as muck, basic ss. I would haveughed at the raw impertinence of his threat if there wasn¡¯t a sharp de at my throat. But such was life. Slowly, I got to my feet, reluctantly moving my hand from the dagger at my waist. Basilio totally ignored Laman, and the thin de followed my rise as I stood up. The group of adventurers had begun to make their exit, with Ka shooting me a wry grin and a quick wave before she left. She was helped by a newpanion, a portly man of middling height, to keep a struggling childish Sevas in tow. I remained perfectly still, counting the moments as Basilio backed away with a slow and confident stride, the tip of his sword still pointed at me. In the halls of my mind, I prepared myself, opening up to the sibnt voices that hungered, the voices that fed, and the power they represented. His eyes remained fixed on me as he crossed the threshold of the inn and stepped outside onto the street. It was the moment I had been waiting for, the moment when he was no longer protected by the guest right of this society''s culture. They had not left gifts as they should for their host as amends for breaking the peace of their roof. Thus, they had forfeited their protection, and Naira¡¯s responsibility for them. The moment they left the establishment, doubly so. I had them by the very crudews that bound them. Not to mention they had been rude. Very rude, the lot of them. Not wanting to cause trouble for Laman or the inn''s mistress, Naira, I had decided to rein in my more violent urges until this moment to adopt the local cultural norms. Realizing that I had grown as a person, I gave myself a pat on the back. The moment was upon me, and so, with savage glee, I unleashed Rust. My will sped the spell along as I directed the voracious energies at the detestable de. From the outside came a surprised shout of pain that turned into an agonized shriek. Returning my stool to its upright position, I sat down again and took another sip of my drink. I savored the moment as yet another scream rang out from outside, adding depth to the taste of my drink. It was followed up by the shout of ¡°Basilio¡± and I imagined the sudden heat released, fusing flesh to metal, as iron was superheated to an incandescent level. Life was sweet, and I could feel the silent gaze of the remaining guests upon me. Inside, I was grinning, but I made sure not to let that sweet feeling show on my face. Some things are best savored in secret. Sweet justice had been served, and I found it much to my taste. You have gained 1 Charisma. The added point to one of my more stubborn attributes only added to my smug satisfaction of a deed well done. ¡°Laman, pour us another,¡± I asked cooly, noticing his quizzical expression. He poured me another ss, his silence an unspoken question that I had no intention of answering. Book 3: Chapter 28: Illusions Book 3: Chapter 28: Illusions Be as water in nature, benefiting all things without taking orpeting with them. - A Quassian aphorism. At times, people can be sources of immense annoyance. I was relishing my drink, almost as much as the delicious moment of spite, when Sevas burst back into the inn. Ka followed in momentster, her face a mix of exasperation and anger. Was there no respite in this world for me? A wild-eyed Sevas fixed his gaze on me. ¡°You will pay for harming my man Basilio! I demand satisfaction!¡± mored the young man in a clear voice, drawing a knife from his waist and waving it at me. Round two it was, then. Laman grumbled from behind the bar, "If you lot continue this way, I''ll have to call the guard." He appeared on the verge of spitting on the floor but, recalling his surroundings, halted midway, swallowed, and adjusted the front of his clothing instead. I took a moment to evaluate Sevas, weighing my options. There was a new violent fire in his eyes, and his voice was now devoid of its slurred dance. His face held a sneer, the kind belonging to someone who had found a lesser to unleash their frustrations upon. This air of superiority, however, was slightly marred as he daintily swiped at a faint green smear at the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. Remarkably, the man appeared to have shaken off the influence of his early drinking. Even as my eyes took him in, my magic gave me a clearer gauge of the threat before me. Identify, as always, was a wonderful utility spell. Sevas Soranzo - Spellsword (Human lvl.16) Health: 223/232 Stamina: 27/42 Mana: 8/9 Sevas, for the most part, hadparable parameters to Basilio. However, it was his ss, or calling, as this world called it, that set him slightly apart from the rest. It almost brought a smile to my face with its novelty. I looked around the room, as the guests who had yet to make their escape made themselves smaller, hunching in on themselves, assiduously looking away from me. There would be no help from that quarter, not that I had been expecting any. ¡°What is going on here, Laman? I pay you and your guild a small fortune to keep the peace¡­¡± came the voice of the owner of the inn. ¡°Aye, mistress Naira, but these lot be with the Adventurer¡¯s. Silver ranked too, an¡¯ the Mirage of the Sand¡¯s party no less. They looked to me like they were set on leaving all peaceful like, too,¡± exined the veteran and former soldier. He sounded to me like a schoolchild caught doing something bad. With a resigned air, he drew the mean mace at his waist, more for show than anything else. Naira, it seemed, had very good reason to be annoyed. ¡°Apologies, but Sevas here was a bit drunk and started something with one of your guests, Gilmamess here,¡± offered Ka with a thin-lipped smile, pointing at Sevas in exnation. Then suddenly, Sevas began waving his knife about as heunched a series of sudden stabs at the¡­ air. It was most odd. His face was a mask of bleak concentration as he fought invisible opponents, ducking and weaving through non-existent blows with a dancer¡¯s grace. Suddenly a look of feral delight overcame him and actinic energies started to run across the de of his weapon. With a bright grin, he impressively swung ineffectually at nothing, leaving the air tinged with the smell of ozone. ¡°Just letting Sev blow off some steam, saves him from bearing a grudge. I tell you, he does not enjoy losing one whit. It has been a problem in the past, but I guess that is just a part of him. Right now, Sev here is having an epic struggle with you, one in which he will eventually win,¡± exined Ka in a long-suffering voice as she gave me a tight smile. I felt as if someone had thrown a gauze on my perception and my eyes drifted away from her to focus instead on Sevas. The Spellsword''s martial demonstration, though somewhatical, served as a stark reminder of the threat he posed. I had to stop from getting ahead of myself. His energy-infused strike had been of particr note. The energies unleashed had certainly looked dangerous and destructive. Yet, even more insidious was the Enchantress'' subtle disy of power. From both her words and ss, I imagined that she was somehow manipting the Spellsword. It was undeniably impressive, if not downright horrifying and evil. ¡°I would appreciate it if you would do your witchery outside, it is disturbing our guests,¡± the proprietress interjected archly. ¡°You need¡¯nt worry about a thing, I ced a Sleep spell on him too,¡± she continued, in a tired voice that came from exining the same fact for the umpteenth time, ¡°It should take effect once he has worn himself out a just a bit more.¡± Ka seemed to be in front of me, yet for some reason, the disy of her Status was floating a half-step to my right. Another note of worry that for the moment I did not fully understand. If youe across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll be taking these if you don¡¯t mind. Your treatment of Basilio, though not entirely unwarranted, was well a bit much,¡± she dered saucily, waving¡­ my potions in front of me! Damn the pilfering wench! Possessed by anger, I instinctively moved forward but halted mid-step. Something in my subconscious, an instinct or some sort of mystical sense, warned me of the folly of this simple action. Heeding this subtle warning, I instead snapped out my arm towards where I sensed the Enchantress'' presence. My hand grasped at what my eyes told me was only air, yet the soft yielding warmth that my hand felt told me that this was a lie. I started to squeeze with feral delight, my fingers sinking deeper into pliant flesh. Suddenly, as if a veil had been lifted, the illusion shattered and my eyes saw Ka where she truly was, choking as my hand squeezed about her neck. ¡°Your little spells will not work on me,¡± I announced with grim satisfaction. ¡°Now give me back what is mine,¡± I demanded, lifting her up from off the floor as I continued to choke the life out of her. The heat had left me, instead I felt powerful and liberated. Feebly she reached out, offering me back the two vials that she had stolen from me. With my free hand, I ced them back into my bag and was about to let the woman go when I felt the unmistakable pressure of yet another de at my throat. ¡°Now, you got your little potions back. Now, let Ka go,¡± rasped a voice from behind me. ¡°Will you all please, stop this nonsense!¡± shouted Naira, hermand doing nothing but adding to the confusion of an already very messy situation. In the media of my old world, the act of choking a life out was often portrayed as a swift, almost effortless deed. The reality was far more brutal. Ka features were a twisted tapestry of pathetic struggle as she fought back with everything she had, ineffectually kicking at me and wing at the hand that gripped her throat. She really should have put a few more points into Strength. I did not release Ka, and in response the de dug against my skin, meeting subtle resistance until I could finally feel it drawing blood. Then, I felt it. An almost too subtle discement of air. Ka¡¯s eyes widened further, almost like teacups, as I felt the kiss of the de leave, and heard the knife nging to the floor. ¡°Can¡¯t leave you for a moment, can I? This how you deal with all of your disagreements?¡± came a familiar voice from behind. I chuckled for a moment at the absurdity of the situation. The tables had indeed been turned. The body of mytest assanty on the ground behind me. ¡°My thanks Elwin, good to know that you are at my back, as always. I can, however, assure you that I am very much the aggrieved party here,¡± I replied with a little mirth, a small grin stealing its way across my face. The man who had taken me unaware had been sneaky, but the Rogue had been sneakier still. ¡°Ah, of course. Only that in my experience it¡¯s usually about two men fighting over a woman when they have been drinking a bit too much. First time I seen it where one of the men ended up choking out the girl. This how you impress the girls from wherever it is you are from? A courting ritual? Nothing to get the old juices going like a quick bit of strangtion?¡± hemented sarcastically, kicking at what I presumed to be the unconscious form of the man who had had a knife to my throat. I nced from the still struggling woman in my grip, to Sevas, the remaining threat. The Spellsword seemed to be tiring, his movements growing slower as he wound down, his exertions taking their toll. Almost a mirror to Ka¡¯s own struggles. ¡°I am thinking about a more permanent solution for this lot,¡± I put forth bluntly. ¡°I would rather you did not, samasa,¡± stated Naira politely, if not a little too sharply. ¡°Having deaths under one¡¯s roof can be bad for my reputation and business. We have quite a few from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild thate here, and I would look at it as a personal favor to me if you would show mercy,¡± she requested, bowing formally at the hip, her palms pressed to the back of her head. ¡°Yeah, killing women. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth,¡± advised Elwin, muttering something else as he stood next to Ka. ¡°Would be a waste¡­¡± ¡°Please Master Gilgamesh,¡± pleaded Naira again. Almost as if in response to this, Laman sidled up from behind the bar to stand with his employer. Or rather, stood behind. A coward through and through, I thought to myself. For all that she had done, I did not feel like killing Ka. It didn¡¯t feel right. So just like that, I rxed my grip and let her go. She fell unceremoniously to the floor, gasping for air with the desperation of a fish out of water. It was a pitiful sight. ¡°But is it not written in the surahs? There can be no mercy without justice,¡± came Cordelia¡¯s lilting voice, cold as the first winds of winter. Great, I thought to myself, anotherplication. People with their damn timing, I needed her a few minutes ago, not now adding her own little piece. Cordelia had Larynda in tow, both of them wearing local ¡®civilian¡¯ clothing. Yet, despite this, the warrior woman seemed to exude a sense of danger, her words and manner strengthened by the power of her faith. Larynda, on the other hand, seemed to draw into herself, looking furtive and small. ¡°I believepensation is due, as is custom in this city, to the aggrieved. Without which we would be forced to take this matter to the courts. Brazen theft, in broad daylight no less, with a whole inn full of witnesses. I believe the ultimate price, should we take these to the courts, would be a hand¡­ and as a servant of the Goddess herself, my testimony would be given great weight,¡± the red-haired woman stated matter-of-factly, her posture ramrod straight and unyielding. ¡°And assault and attempted murder,¡± I added coldly in a t voice. ¡°Fine¡­ fine¡­ just leave us alone,¡± whined the woman on the floor between breaths. It wasn¡¯t quite the voice of someone who hadpletely lost. I noticed that the screams from outside had subsided, instead turning into pathetic sobs. As if these were the sounds that heralded the final stages of total surrender, Ka dejectedly reached for her waist, and threw a jangling coin purse at Naira¡¯s feet. ¡°For your troubles¡­ Mistress¡­ Naira¡­ the take from ourst job. Aranthian coin, gold, and not your worthless paper money¡­¡± wheezed Ka, still not fully recovered. ¡°The mark of Al-Lazar, in certain ces, is trusted more than gold, foreigner. And I care not for the money. Just get out of my inn, now! And rest assured I will be making a formalint to the Guild.¡± With Elwin giving it a few encouraging kicks, the body at my feet began to stir. Ka half-crawled to him, bringing a vial to his lips. After a minute he got to his feet, a little wide-eyed, but nheless mobile. A quick look around confirmed for him how the encounter had gone. Ka gently whispered a few words in Sevas¡¯ ear, stilling his iling motions. She shot me a look, a nce, that was surprisingly without venom or hurt. In silence, Ka and her unnamedpanion dragged a now unresisting Sevas from the inn. ¡°Free drinks for everyone!¡± shouted Naira to the silent crowd, a weak whoop of joy following the deration, only to be swallowed by the silence. Now there was the matter of mypensation. Surely, I was due something for my troubles? Book 3: Chapter 29: Liberation Book 3: Chapter 29: Liberation Like the regr armies of thend, there are ranks within the Mercenary¡¯s Guild. Unlike the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, which bases its ranks on metals, the Mercenary¡¯s Guild adopts a more novel approach. The guild is organized into so-called greatpanies, each a formidable force split into two Wings, each Wingprising of five hundred warriors. These Wings are further divided into ws, with each w numbering a hundred souls, and these, in turn, are divided into Scales, the smallest unit, consisting of ten fighters. Wing Leaders, w Leaders, and Scale Leaders serve asmissioned officers, and their ranks are reflected in the authority and respect theymand within the guild outside of a campaign. The nomenture chosen by the guild is steeped in ancient legend and warrior mystique. A full assembly of a greatpany is also known as a ''Dragon''. It is said that in the ages before the Cataclysm, it took a full thousand men to y one of the dreaded tyrants of the sky. - In Search of the Dragons, by Captain Fiore Haldane. Checking my belongings, I made sure that nothing else had been taken from me by the poor excuses of ¡®adventurers.¡¯ I needed to get out of the inn for a while, sooner rather thanter if at all possible. There were a few chores on my list that needed doing and it would be good to explore the city. I ordered some juice and left thest dregs of my drink at the bar. Sitting at a table in the corner, I idly waited for half a turn of the clock. Zariyah¡¯s mother, after settling a few ruffled feathers of her clients, joined me. I then spent a few minutes of my life exining, in almost excruciating detail, what had just happened in her establishment. Elwin decided to join us, giving small nods at the right moments to affirm my narrative while quietly downing a warm ale. He soon wandered off in search of the bathroom, but Cordelia stayed seated by my side, her hands resting demurely in herp. Naira had been sympathetic. By all witnesses ounts I had been the victim. However, she still looked obviously worried, her hands shifting ufortably every now and again. ¡°Perhaps it would have been better if you had killed the lot of them. Simpler, at least,¡± she concluded shockingly. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± I spluttered in my mug, almostically choking.¡°I see your people have notpletely forgotten their murderous ways,¡±mented Cordelia snidely, looking fixedly at the older woman. ¡°The Mirage is a known troublemaking foreigner,¡± she exined, ignoring Cordelia¡¯s barb. ¡°Foreigners have a way of causing trouble, and the gods know they have a habit of dying. They bring their feuds with them to Al-Lazar, bundling them in their hearts and nting them fresh on new soil, wherever they go,¡± she paused for a moment, as if sifting through a past memory. I could see Cordelia almost bristling at this. ¡°But now, there are three of them, silver-ranked of the Guild, no less, who will feel themselves aggrieved by you. Fear will soon turn to thoughts of what could have been. It will fester away and turn to thoughts of petty vengeance. Such is the way of foolish men¡¯s pride,¡± she warned as she adjusted a loose strand of dark hair. ¡°They did not seem so formidable to me, and their leader, if my recollection serves me well, was a woman. And if that is the quality of the Silver rank in this city, then my Copper, and the Copper of my friends, will be shield enough,¡± I boasted, cing my own badge on the table. ¡°Samasa, forgive me, but you must let me point out that this is Al-Lazar. One does not rise to the Silver without making friends and allies along the way. The Mirage is a troublemaker, but she is tolerated for a reason. Powerful as you might personally be, copper still makes for a poor shield. Please, you must try and understand your predicament,¡± she stated, her tone skirting the edges of patronizing. ¡°It is perhaps you who does not quite understand the true power that I hold. Rest assured, and fear not overly for me,¡± I returned confidently, stretching out a kink in my shoulder. ¡°It is not you that I worry most for, but those that are near you. When the summoned stormes, the tall tree may stand strong, but those around are never unscathed,¡± she rejoined with a little heat entering her voice. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Irritated, I looked around, wanting an escape now from this interaction. Daylight was wasting away and I had other things that demanded my attention. ¡°I will not quibble words with you. Let me remind you, this was not a fight of my choosing. I am the victim here. Please, I urge that you speak your meaning in,¡± I stated, letting my emotions bleed into my voice. The Aranthian woman looked at Naira with eyes filled with the embers of a long-held resentment. ¡°Yes, you lot have always had the penchant for twisting things to suit your ends. I sense you attempting to lead Gilgamesh down a thorny path,¡± muttered Cordelia with no small amount of contempt. ¡°Have I affronted you in some way? You are a guest here. Does your Goddess not teach you to love and offer at least a minimum of respect to your neighbors? Or have the scriptures been yet again changed?¡± responded Naira archly. ¡°Yes, please, Cordelia. A modicum of decorum and manners would be appreciated. Remember we are guests and foreigners in thisnd,¡± I added, with a tired sigh. The woman warrior looked like she had something to add, but decided against it. Crossing her arms, she decided to instead re at the older woman. What was the source of her anger? Was it simply unfounded racism, or was it something more? Some of herments¡­ had been troubling. However, I decided that it had no real bearing in the current moment. ¡°Thank you, Cordelia,¡± I said politely, earning a small nod from the warrior woman. ¡°Since you are a guest under my roof, I seek to warn you. Do not underestimate these people. Please take this without insult, for I know that you are still oh so very young, but you should not use arrogance in confidence¡¯s stead. As for my worries, I have many but I worry most for Zari.¡± ¡°I see now the gist of your words. Forgive me for being dull. You worry that she would suffer from some sort of reprisal, for being associated with me,¡± I conceded, rubbing my chin and noting theck of stubble. My avatar had not changed one whit since being summoned to thisnd. ¡°Yes, and if you would allow me, I would like to buy her contract from you. The inn has done well, and I have put aside some money. The amount may be insulting, but¡­ she is my daughter. I may also have a solution for your current predicament.¡± ¡°A most wonderful solution,¡± muttered Cordelia. Sulking as she was, I realized then that it did little to detract from her cold, marble, almost divine beauty. Attractive people were thus blessed. I nced up away from the conversation to see the object of our current discussion making her way towards me, eyes filled with silent reproach. As worrisome as an approaching storm. In the manner of men all over the world, stupidly and inappropriately timed as it was, I found myselfparing the three women before me. A stark contrast to Cordelia¡¯s bleak marble perfection, Zariyah had a dark beauty. And, if I waspletely honest, it was the sort of beauty that felt much more attainable. Naira was an attractive woman in her own right, but Zariyah, bluntly speaking, was a younger, more attractive version of her mother. For some reason or other, I noticed that she had taken off the kohl and whatever cosmetics she used to enhance her natural beauty. It suited her. Without her painted face, she looked younger still, and I judged her to be younger than even myself. I could feel my heart quickening, my eyes lingering upon the mute woman. For a moment I entertained thoughts as to the possible sounds she would make in the bedroom. Giving in to the throes of passion, would her affliction force her to remain silent? As she drew closer, I felt an urge to score a few points and impress. ¡°Then you have misjudged me, and poorly at that. I have always intended to release your daughter. I simply required a guide for the city. Yet at every turn, events conspire to vex me. And I will not ept your money. Where Ie from we do not deal in ves like barbarians.¡± ¡°There is no very in Al-Lazar,¡± came Naira¡¯s automatic response, as her daughter sat quietly next to her. ¡°You may paint over rot, but the rot remains. It is my firm belief that very, in all of its forms, is a great evil that needs to be expunged, wherever it is found,¡± I responded as smoothly as possible. I noticed that Cordelia looked at me as if I was exining some sort of cosmic truth, her lips moving to silently repeat my words. Surely those were inspirational words? Perhaps I needed to add some more conviction. I noticed that Zariyah looked as if she wished to say something, the strain of holding something back drawing her features tight. ¡°Is there something you would like to add?¡± I inquired politely. She looked at me then, not quite meeting my eyes. She shook her head and looked away. I was given to the study of her profile, the delicate arch of her nose, and the tilt of her eyes. I felt an urge to trace the line of her cheek, but I quashed it. Buried it beneathyers of decorum and doubt. Was it disappointment that had flickered across her face? Had my words fallen short? In the court of a woman¡¯s feelings, had I, unwittingly, yed the fool? Had I failed an unseen roll of the dice? And for all that, not even a gain of Charisma. Did this world not reward doing good? Book 3: Chapter 30: Cats & Dogs Book 3: Chapter 30: Cats & Dogs To the simple andmon man, it must seem that the most puissant and powerful all wear the most monstrous of masks. - Attributed to the ywright n di Panoli. ¡°Your daughter is free. I do not keep chattel. I find it unseemly and unworthy,¡± I eximed with a smug smile. ¡°And you would state such before a magistrate?¡± ¡°Of course. Your daughter¡¯s freedom was never mine to possess. That being said, I would still much appreciate it if Zariyah showed me some of the basic sights of the city. I have some alchemical samples that may be of some mary value that I will need to sell, and the gear of mypanions and I are in sore need of maintenance.¡± ¡°Might I suggest that you leave such matters with me? A foreigner unversed in the ways of the city may notmand the mostpetitive price. I will send one of the boys to have these small matters seen to. It is the least I can do,¡± Naira offered, her voice almost breaking with emotion as she drew an unprotesting Zariyah to her. Wiping away a loose strand of her hair from her daughter''s face, she looked at Zariyah with eyes full of a mother¡¯s love. ¡°Take Master Gilgamesh to the Grand Bazaar and the Artificer¡¯s Quarter. Show him the wonders of our home,¡± Naira paused for a moment, pursing her lips in thought. ¡°You are a man of your letters, I presume?¡± ¡°I can certainly read, much better than I can write. In mynd I would be considered somewhat of a schr,¡± I replied casually. ¡°Then Schr¡¯s Row may be of some interest to you. Zari, take him there, but be sure to stay away from the Dust Dens.¡± Zariyah simply nodded, no words needed for her part of eptance as she yed the part of the obedient child. ¡°With your permission, I will send the gear of you and yourpanions to a trusted armorer thates rmended from the Guild. Also, when you return, there is something I must speak to you about. Another service that I can perhaps do for you, is to make the most of the predicament that you find yourself in.¡± While I appreciated the offer of a small tour and being relieved from the drudgery of a minor chore, I could not help but feel that I was getting the worse end of the deal. ¡°Well then, since this matter is sorted, I would like to see the city now,¡± I said perhaps a little brusquely. ¡°As you wish, Samasa,¡± was in turn her curt reply. Zariyah rose and inclined her head towards me, gesturing that it was finally time to see the rest of the city. ¡°Oh, and Zari, you had best wear the veil when you are outside. We have had far more foreignerse in this year and there is no need to provoke them. Along with other¡­ less desirable sorts and riff raff,¡± Naira added almost offhandedly. Zariyah stiffened slightly in protest, her fingers about to sign her displeasure, but she stopped herself. It must be a tough thing to learn that the prejudices of yesterday followed us to the present. I could contain myself no longer. ¡°It must be boorish of me, no doubt of that, but why is it that your people are hated so?¡± I asked with a frown. Both women bristled at the inquiry, but it was the mother that decided to answer. ¡°Master Gilgamesh, you must be fromnds further away than most to not know of our people and the feud that others have against us. There are those that me our people for the Cataclysm, the event that once broke the world,¡± she answered, looking away with a long sigh. ¡°I will not go into the history or theological debate that those not of the Hazagadam justify their cruelty. Just let it be simply said that they believe, because we worship only the One God, our so-called sins brought about that dark event.¡± ¡°I am no stranger to cruelty and prejudice. It can be found in ces high and low. Amon affliction of the human condition, we don¡¯t need many reasons to learn to hate,¡± I responded, perhaps a little too vehemently. ¡°But there is more to it than that, isn¡¯t there? There is a reason that the children of the Hazagadam must bear the price of their parent¡¯s sins, no?¡± added Cordelia cooly, in almost a half-whisper. They both looked taken aback, the daughter oddly looking more confused than the mother. ¡°Perhaps you are right. I only know I was not born in the time of the Cataclysm, and neither were my parents nor my daughter. We had no responsibility for the breaking of the world,¡± Naira responded, her eyes shing with fire. ¡°Cordelia¡­¡± I said through gritted teeth Thedy knight nodded at this, giving out a radiant smile but holding her tongue. Truly, the woman did not learn and needed to be kept on a shorter leash. Why did she always deem it proper to obnoxiously add fuel to the mes? Perhaps it was time for a different approach. ¡°We really must be on our way. Cordelia will, of course, see to my equipment and Larynda¡¯s care. And keep the north man in check. I trust you above all to see to things in my absence,¡± I said catingly, finally standing up. ¡°Naira,¡± I added, in a brief goodbye. Cordelia stood up and gave me a deep bow as if she were receiving themand of a king or lord. ¡°By your will,¡± she epted most meekly, presenting an attitude at odds with her earlier disys and snidements. Without looking back, I finally exited the inn, drawing in deep the questionable city air. There was a hint of salt to it, under the scents of a pressed humanity. Still, it was rtively clean whenpared to the barbaric squalor of Ansan. I barely walked three paces out into the street when I felt a small tap on my shoulder. Turning around I saw a somewhat bemused Zariyah with an expression between a frown and a thoughtful smile. She had me wait while she adjusted a veil around her face, covering her eyes. Her fingers shed at me, their meaning only vaguely understandable until I remembered to use my Identify spell. Again, will you be ying the part of the guide or shall I? her delicate fingers slowing to a more understandable pace. ¡°Ahh, of course, lead on. I just wanted an escape from well¡­ all of that,¡± I answered, growing a little hot under my cor. ¡°The Grand Bazaar, right?¡± I added with a weak smile, wanting to change the subject. Her expression turned to one of bemusement. Yes, it is not too far from here.You had best follow and be sure to keep up, her hands messaged me. As she turned away to take the lead, there was a ghost of sad smile on her lips. With a sigh, I eagerly followed her, and together we navigated our way through the afternoon throng. She walked with a casual grace that would put most dancers to shame. Sure and confident, she adroitly avoided the various obstacles in her path. Inparison, I could only bumble along, my eyes overly distracted by the slight sway of her hips. As we continued, the streets began to change. The buildings were of a finer cut of stone, marble in ces, and seemed to press closer together and reached several stories higher. By my reckoning, some of the domed buildings were about seven floors high. Incongruous to this, lines of rope burdened withundry reached over the streets between them. When a light salt wind blew, an errant drop from above sshed on my face as I looked up. Slowly, I could feel that there was a more feverish buzz in the air. I could hear shouts as, somewhere up in the distance, hawkers cried out the price of their wares. In reaction, I couldn¡¯t help but sp Zariyah¡¯s shoulder to stop her progress as she almost disappeared into the crowd. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Where are we now? Where is this?¡± I asked. She looked at me, opening her mouth as if tough before quickly covering it with a hand. Uncovering her mouth, her lips began to move but no sound came forth. Looking embarrassed for some odd reason, she answered me instead with her hands. We are now in the Merchant¡¯s Quarter, and we will soon be at the Grand Bazaar, her fingers told, a polite and deferential smile on her face. Her eyes darkened as she saw something frightful behind me. ¡°Move your behind, or I will move it for you, you fool!¡± came a deep and throaty growl that could not belong to any man. Disturbed, I turned around to confirm. Before me, a figure loomed, bearing a rough resemnce to a man. d only in loosely fitting trousers of local design, his presence was undeniably imposing. Despite being unclothed from the waist up, he was far from naked. Light brown fur covered a broad torso that rippled with bs of lean muscle. Atop wide shoulders sat arge, maned leonine head with a maw parted to reveal formidable fangs that seemed on the brink of a roar. His hands and feet had ws that looked wickedly sharp. A tail swished behind him, signaling his animosity. Behind this daunting figure, three somewhat simr creatures stood, a mix of man and beast, though less formidable in stature. They were wed and furred, but they possessed a leaner build and their faces were of distinctly lupine aspect. They snickered, yapping like feral dogs. These were the beastmen of your typical fantasy. A line of sweat ran down my back, and I saw the man-lion smirk, his feline eyes sparkling in delight with my difort. Thankfully mybat reflexes came to the fore, as I automatically cast an Identify on the leonine figure. Hashmal the Fang of the Storm - w Savage (Beastkin lvl.9) Health: 177/177 Stamina: 49/50 Mana: 7/7 As the spell returned to me with the information it had gathered, the leonine Beastkin pushed past me along with his wolfman posse. It was then that I burst outughing, releasing all of the tension that had been building up within me. Like a burst dam, theughter left me in a flood. I vented great peals ofughter that could not be ignored. The situation was truly absurd. These Beastmen, their leader at least, were nothing more than low-level trash and not worthy of regard. The fact that he came with a grand sobriquet just added to the hrity. Fang of the Storm, indeed! Hasmal stopped in his tracks, quivering with a new rage. ¡°You dare to mock me, feeble human!¡± Hashmal screamed in a primal challenge, his golden feline eyes ring at me. ¡°No, not at all. It¡¯s just that¡­ not every day one can witness a domesticated house cat walk about on two legs,¡± I answered, uncaring of the consequences. Zariyah shot me a worried look as she unconsciously grasped my sleeve. Truly enraged, the lion like Beastkin let loose a deafening roar. I let the sound flow over me and through me. For that was all it was, just sound. The crowd scattered and shied away from us. Zariyah looked at me shocked as if I had sprouted horns. ¡°Wait, Hashmal. The naked ones are usually all weak, but this one¡­ He might be one of them. There is no fear scent on him,¡± one of his pack warned. ¡°Yes, we don¡¯t need human trouble. We are just here for the tournament, ¡®member?¡± another one of them whined. Yet, their warnings fell on deaf ears, For I continued tough, and the sound tinged with madness drew their leader Hashmal into a reckless charge. His ws, sharp as razors,shed out with lethal intent. As it did with Sevas, the arm in which my mimic resided blocked an oing flurry of blows with almost consummate ease. Hashmal was not fighting one, but two entities. The Beastkin was, no doubt, objectively fast, but I had fought things that were faster and far stronger. Still, I was not invincible, and neither was my resident. The Mimics Health was slowly being chipped away with each sessfully deflected blow. My vision narrowed to focus only on the leonine Beastkin and the world around us seemed to slow, every motion exaggerated, every detail crystal clear. Out of my heavy armor, I found that I could move with even greater speed. Hashmal had bitten off far more than he could chew. It was time to get some experience points. Through the continuing flurry of blows, Iunched an attack of my own, a Power Strike aimed at his center of mass. My closed fist flew like a rocket, smashing into flesh with a satisfying thunk. I needed to end this quickly. Though there was still lingering indecision in their posture, his friends looked like they soon would join in the fray. With a grunt of pain, he tried to create some distance between us. It was, however, toote, as my other hand was now grasping him with an iron grip. My fingers had sunk deep through to the rough skin beneath, denying the lionman his escape. I saw his expression change from surprise to worry, all in the blink of an eye. In response, Hashmalshed out with his foot, desperately striking me for a measly ten points of damage. I grimaced more out of surprise than anything else. Again he kicked out at me, his ws inflicting this time only eight points of damage. This would simply not do. With a measured strike, I delivered a blow to Hashmal''s stomach. He doubled over, clutching his abdomen and copsed to the ground, gasping for air. The pack, seeing their leader falter, surged toward me. Vaulting over the wheezing Hashmal, one lunged for my throat. My Mimic arm acted swiftly, shielding me, and the creature''s jaws mped down on it, unable to pierce my skin, due to my passenger¡¯s protection. I was quickly learning how to fight with the Mimic and found it best to leave my defense to it. It was a simple matter of releasing conscious thought of the arm, the Mimic would do the rest. If I had any sense of fair y left in me I might have considered it cheating. Meanwhile, another pack member seized my leg, its teeth sinking into the flesh of my calf. But before it could rip away muscle and flesh, I dropped my stance and neutralized it with another Power Strike. My hand, swift as a de, struck a precise hammer blow to the nape of its neck. With the threat neutralized, I thrust my foot forward, sending the stunned beast tumbling. When you fight someone, truly fight, there is a strange part of you that hesitates. It¡¯s the part of you that hesitates to strike at the groin, the throat, the eyes, or other vulnerability. This is the part of us that feels sympathy. We do not do it not out of a sense of misced honor, but because we feel the pain that we inflict. A truly selfish, and very human, thing. I felt none of that here. It is odd how we can lose focus at the strangest of times. Sudden movements at my periphery demanded my attention. Thest of the pack I saw out of the corner of my eye. He looked worried as he cautiously circled us. His eyes darted and flickered about, looking for an opening. Although he snarled in my direction, a subsequent soft whine betrayed him. The wolf Beastkin gnawing at my arm shed at me with his free ws, causing minor damage to my Health and, more irritatingly, to my clothing. I strained against him, trying to throw him off, but with his longer limbs, greater height, and weight, he had the leverage. His jaws mped on tighter with desperation and I could see my Mimic¡¯s Health being eroded. We struggled like this, in a poor and pathetic disy, my Health being whittled down by the second as he scratched and wed at me, refusing to let me go. Stumbling and trying to trip each other, we tried to throw each other down to the floor as we grappled. Desperate, I started instead to strike at him, but again, this close, Icked the distance to give my blows any real force or power. However, after a good amount of struggle, I was able to deliver a blow to his ribs, causing him to yelp in pain. His sudden cry caused him to release me, and I followed up with another punch to his nose, stunning him cold. Enough of this mindless brawl, and damned be the consequences of it, it was time to use my magic. The dark spells within me screamed in agreement, but these thoughts would soon be shattered like brittle ss. ¡°Stop!¡± came a halting voice, weak with defeat but strong enough to cut through to me. ¡°Stop, or she dies!¡± thest Beastkin threatened, drawing a w near Zariyah¡¯s neck. The damn beast had got around me while I had been busy with his mates. Zariyah, caught in his grasp, could only offer a silent plea through her wide, frightened eyes. I looked at the wolf-man, saw the fear in his dog-eyes and his tail drooping between his legs. His eyes met mine, and what he saw reflected in my gaze must have frightened him further, for he looked as if he wanted to break out into a run as I took a step towards him. As I was looking around for something to use to distract the wolf-man or to y for time, I saw tall bronze halberds above the heads of a panicking crowd. Rapidly, they pushed and parted the gaggle of people. With a scramble of metal and leather, they coalesced into a formation of armored men, just under a score strong. At their front, their leader, no doubt, was a man d and armored in bronze and misty-blue steel. Elegant runic inscriptions adorned his armor and weapons, while a helm topped with a white plume sat upon his head. ¡°Stop! Stop! Stop in the name of the City Guard!¡± the plumed soldier demanded, in a clear voice that was just a touch away from a shout or scream. He looked at me, then at the kneeling, and still spluttering, Hashmal, his fallen Beastkin friends, and finally at Zariyah being held hostage. His eyes sucked in all the details as they narrowed in focus. ¡°By the tits of the great Goddess, what in the heavens is going on here!?¡± he barked, his gray eyes alighting upon me. His stern gaze demanded nothing less than a truthful and concise answer. It seemed that trouble had once again found me at the most difficult of times. I could almost hear the dice of fate rolling as I prepared a suitable response. Book 3: Chapter 31: Scripted Events Book 3: Chapter 31: Scripted Events The flowers of war are at their most beautiful when they blossom in spectacr disarray. - Unknown. I stood tall, drawing myself up to my full height, straightening my shoulders. As I did so, I couldn''t help but to remember, ¡®He who shouts first, shouts loudest¡¯. It was an old adage, half-remembered and probably incorrect, from a different time and a different ce. With a deep breath, I mustered as much confidence as I could, "Please, allow me to exin¡­" The City Guard officer narrowed his eyes and stepped closer towards me. With a mere flick of his hand, he set his men into motion. On his silentmand, he had ten guards encircle the Beastkin who held Zariyah hostage, their polearms poised to strike. Meanwhile, a crowd had gathered, obstructing the flow of traffic. "Move along! Move along," the officermanded sharply, a hand on the jeweled sword at his hip, his order cutting through the buzz of the crowd. His men started to shepherd the city''s busy inhabitants around the scene, gently but firmly pushing away the onlookers. With thinly veiled annoyance he shouted, ¡°You there, Beastkin! Stinking savages, the lot of you!¡± He almost spat, his face twisting in disgust. ¡°Go on, I dare you. Kill her, see if I care. It¡¯s what your kind love doing. But the moment you finish having your little bit of fun, I¡¯ll have you all strung up from the gates,¡± he warned, with all the authority of his office. The wolf Beastkin looked around him and, seeing no new avenue of escape, released Zariyah with a defeated look. Some of the City Guards stepped aside to allow her through but kept the points of their weapons at Beastkin¡¯s neck. The girl hurriedly pushed the guards to stand by my side. With the immediate situation more or less diffused, he turned his attention back to me. The officer''s expression was one of sharp inquiry. "What is going on here? And who might you be?" he demanded sharply of Zariyah, prodding at her chest in a manner that was both rude and dismissive. Her reply was, of course, nothing but a prolonged silence, her expression set in defiance. Frustrated by her apparent reluctance to speak, he lifted his armored hand in a threatening gesture. A sneer crossed his face when he noticed her flinch.¡°Thank the Goddess you are here! These horrid beasts attacked us!¡± I blurted out to divert his attention. ¡°I am just a simple adventurer, still new to this great city. I was drawn here by the promise of wealth and renown. I was making my way to the Grand Bazaar with mypanion¡­¡± I paused, nodding to Zariyah who had her eyes closed, expecting the worst. ¡°When suddenly these animals¡­¡± I started, only to be silenced by the officer. ¡°Attacked you, you say? But even Beastkin would not be so stupid as to start violence within the walls without provocation¡­¡± the officer stated, removing his white-plumed helm. ¡°The man-thing threw scorn at us! You all here saw! Yes!? Yes!?¡± exined a half-recovered Hashmal, spluttering. A murmur ran through the members of the building crowd. ¡°That would indeed be a provocation for your kind. Still¡­¡± drawled the officer, as if he was enjoying the proceedings. Enjoying the petty power he held over us. ¡°I saw that savage animal start it, I did! Swiped at the man with those long sharp ws of his for no reason, he did. ¡®Haps they got the crazy disease, their brains go to jelly before they go even more beast-like¡­¡± came an oddly familiar voice from the crowd. It was a voice that I could not quite ce. Hashmal gave out another roar but was silenced by one of the City Guards, who whacked him across the face with a heavy truncheon, smashing out a long white canine. ¡°I will have to add disturbing the peace to your crimes, animal,¡± the officermented, nodding to the subordinate who had disciplined the lion Beastkin. One of his men who had been shepherding the crowd approached and saluted him. After a brief nce around, he leaned in to whisper something into the officer''s ear. Damnation, thest thing I needed was to be in trouble with thew. I had best y things safe. Even without using an Identify spell, I could tell that these men were a cut above the usual rabble. ¡°As I said before, I was just walking down to the Bazaar when these animals osted me. They threatened us. You know how violent these things can get. Animals, aren¡¯t they?,¡± I offered in exnation. ¡°There is more, no?¡± the officer addedzily. ¡°Yes,¡± I stated with a nod. I needed toy this on thick. Silently I thanked the voice in the crowd who had spoken out in my defense, before continuing, ¡°We were just on our way when these things threatened and osted us for no good reason. They grabbed mypanion and I defended myself to the best of my ability, but there were four of them¡­ and then you blessedly arrived before they could continue¡­¡± He looked at me thoughtfully as he sifted through my words, searching for lies, but found none. As always the truth was on my side. ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen and heard enough. The simplest of exnations are almost always correct. The Beastkin wanted a little fun with yourdy friend, and of course, being the chivalrous and generous gentlemen you are, you stepped in and defended her honor,¡± the officer dered, causing the wolf Beastkin to give out another whine in protest. ¡°But what I can¡¯t understand is how you pummelled three of them, by the looks of things at least, all by yourself?¡± I looked him evenly in the eye, ¡°I had a just cause on my side.¡± ¡°How I see it, using nothing more than your fists, at that. Perhaps the next Festival will be interesting. That nothing more than a decoration?¡± he observed, noticing the dagger at my side. I looked at him quizzically for a moment. He mused aloud as if to no one in particr, ¡°Still, both parties have disrupted the city''s peace... I wonder what the penalty for that would be?¡± ¡°Perhaps, I can make some amends for taking up the precious time of the City Guard on such a trivial matter,¡± I suggested in a soft voice without batting an eyelid. I smirked inside. He had barely given the Beastkin a chance to defend themselves and had all but given me a shakedown. The upholders ofw and order were as corrupt in this world as they were in mine. It was best that I stay on the right side of those who held some power over you. ¡°Yes, perhaps you can,¡± the officer replied with a superior smirk. Slowly, I drew a single silver coin from my purse which only caused the man to raise an eyebrow. With a small sigh, I produced another coin. ¡°Most generous. Most generous, indeed. You truly must be new to Al-Lazar to donate such an amount in hard coin,¡± he guffawed, causing his men to chuckle with him nervously. ¡°The name is Ahmed Rafiq¡­ would you give me your name? For the record, of course.¡± Had I misjudged him? Had the raised eyebrow been nothing more than signaling his surprise at being paid in real solid silver? Either way, it was toote now. I drew a breath to calm myself. ¡°Gilgamesh of Uruk,¡± I responded tly, but politely. Even as I gave my name, I gathered the threads of Mana within and sent them questing to gauge the man before me and confirm the truth of his words. Identify was working hard, this day. Ahmed Alim - Council Guard (Human lvl.17) Health: 195/195 Stamina: 27/33 Mana: 9/9 "An unfamiliar name, but one I shall endeavor to remember. Making a friend of the City Guard is a wise move indeed. Should you find yourself in any trouble in Al-Lazar, I might be inclined to assist, provided your generosity continues," he said, his eyes gleaming with avarice. With a sharp barked-outmand, Ahmed directed his men, "You lot, round up these creatures and lock them in the cages where they belong!" The guards saluted briskly before descending on the Beastkin. They subdued any remaining resistance in them with the truncheons and clubs at their hips, secured them in irons, and then frog-marched them away, parting the crowd as they went. Ahmed, following his men briefly, stopped a momentter to offer me parting words. "Adventurer Gilgamesh of Uruk, savoring a job well done is a rare pleasure indeed. I wish you and yourpanion a good day." He then added, with a cautionary tone but a sly smile, "A word to the wise, fraternizing with a crimson whore invites trouble. Not that I can me you," he said, his smile turning rakish. I turned over his words and unfamiliar nomenture, thinking that he had insulted me in some way. Understanding came a few heartbeatster when I realized that I was not out on my own. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Indeed, Ahmed Alim,¡± I blurted, my wordsing out faster than I intended. ¡°I have heard such advice before in regards to your sister, but that has not stopped the long line of men who vie for her attentions. You would also do your best to mind your manners around my friends. Especially those of the fairer sex,¡± I said in my most friendly and false voice. It was a poor rejoinder, but it was the best I could do at the time in anguage that was not my mother tongue. He paused for a moment, giving me an odd look and I smirked in response. Ahmed looked as if he wanted to say something, but stopped himself. Simply turning around, he gave a dismissive yet casual wave and rejoined his men. Soon he was lost in the crowd. The tall polearms of the City Guard, bobbing above the heads of the general public, gradually disappeared from view. You have gained 1 Charisma As I read the notification, I could not help the thin smile that crept its way across my face. I would consider two silver coins a good bargain for a permanent increase to one of my attributes. That and a sprinkling of experience points from throwing down hands with the Beastkin. My fists were clenched tightly at my sides, and I noticed I was shaking. Was I shaking because of frustration, fear, or anger? Perhaps relief, a quieter voice inside of me suggested. Maybe it was a blend of all four. Taking a deep breath, I stilled myself to take stock of the situation, now that the danger had passed. Part of me wanted to scream out in protest at the waste of money. A different, darker part of me felt frustration that I had not ughtered the lot of them, consequences be damned. Still, they had certainly got what they deserved. The irons suited them. Could have done with a few more points of experience though. Zariyah and I drifted off to the side of the street to let the growing traffic pass. ¡°Are you alright,¡± I asked softly. She simply nodded, looking spooked. We were both likely still processing the whirlwind of events that had just unfolded. In my life, excitement had a peculiar way of arriving. All at once, overwhelming and without warning. ¡°Do you want to go back?¡± To this, she surprisingly responded by shaking her head weakly. She gave me a weak smile. This is life in the city of Dust. I did not expect you to be the center of so much trouble on your first day here. Your friends were right to say that you attract trouble as honey does flies. But, you possess a rare strength, I think. I can see how the others are drawn to you. You treat those of the Silver like they were children and the savage Beastkin as if they were unruly pets. You choose violence when silence would serve you better. And when youugh, I hear the echo of the Winds¡¯ madness in your voice. You are troubling. This was her reply, her finger¡¯s movements straight, crisp, and sure. I crossed my arms and replied archly, ¡°Should I be taking this as apliment or aint against my character?¡± Take it however you wish, her hands messaged, as her usual thorny mask reasserted itself. With a small huff, she started off back down the road, giving me no choice but to follow her. Women, as always, were as inscrutable as the faraway stars. Unlike women in general, and Zariyah in particr, the ¡®game system¡¯, or whatever it was I had been given, was moreprehensible. My condition, broken down into numbers, could be understood at a nce and I saw that, already, my Health was steadily ticking back up, due to my Minor Regeneration. Iasis¡¯ blessing was most useful indeed, but what would be the price of it? That aside, it would do nothing for my clothing, torn now in ces, but that was a minor annoyance at worst. Moving together with the flow of the city, we arrived at the Grand Bazaar, a spectacle of raw capitalism at y. The air was filled with the cacophony of merchants, their voices slicing through the noise, boasting of their goods as though narrating epic tales. Amidst this, men and women engaged in spirited haggling over exotic goods, their exchanges resembling a yful pantomime. Money changed hands, sealing deals where the line between victor and vanquished was blurred. The Bazaar also unleashed a barrage of scents upon me; the heady mix of incense, spices, and the unmistakable presence of animals and humans. A potent blend that threatened to overwhelm my senses. Immediately I was mobbed by a gaggle of children, pulling at my sleeves. They entreated me to visit this stall or that, promising, of course, the best of prices. I shooed them all off like the annoying tenacious gnats they were. Please, for the love of the heavens, try not to cause any trouble here. And be careful of your purse, there are pickpockets and thieves here on asion. An obvious foreigner like you would make for an easy mark, Zariyah advised, turning to me and disying a hint of a grin. ¡°Quite,¡± was my simple sardonic response. Escaping the mob of children, we ventured forth into the Bazaar proper. The people were garbed in all manner of clothes. Vivid hues jostled with somber cks and resplendent whites in a tapestry of visual discord. There was no organization to the Grand Bazaar, no rhyme or reason. Beside a stall brimming with exotic fruit and vegetables, a jeweler disyed his wares. A gemstone, set in a filigree of silver chained to the stall, shone like a captive star. A few paces further in, a book stall sat next to a disy of weapons of various quality. Each merchant, a lord of their small domain,peted for our gaze and coin with cries and enticements. I had no need of more weapons to cut, bludgeon, and maim with. Instead, it was the collections of paper, papyrus, vellums, and parchments for sale that drew me. I gazed over the disy of books and scrolls, ignoring the merchant until my eyes alighted on a leather-bound tome. The old book was worn with age and the stain of time, but the title could still be clearly read, ¡®The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney¡¯. Beron, I had seen or heard that name before¡­ The book caught my interest, and I was in dire need of new reading material. I gestured for the bookseller toe over, and tapped the book. ¡°I see you have an excellent eye and impable taste. That fine volume is a rare treasure, indeed. One and a half shekels, silver, for you samasa,¡± the book merchant proposed in a reedy voice. He was an old man, his beard mostly gray going white. His face was pitted and lined, and he looked to be of the same age as some of the ancient books that he sold. Long,nk hair fell from the edges of a small bright red hat, simr to a Moran Fez. As he took off his spectacles, I saw that his eyes were rheumy and unfocused. More to the point, I was happy that he made noment about my somewhat shambolic appearance. ¡°I saw another copy at another stall for half the price,¡± I countered smoothly. ¡°Bah, then you would have been better off throwing your money into the sea. This is a genuine, printed from the presses of Quas. Look, see here,¡± boasted the old man, tapping at a small mark on the spine. ¡°But at half the price, surely the contents would be the same?¡± I ventured. ¡°Those copies be made by hand, and prone to error more than not. A misspelled word here, a different turn of phrase there, and a new part added to satisfy a calligrapher¡¯s vanity. You would be better with a genuine article. Still, they might make for a prettier piece, but a book made by the presses is a more perfect copy of Laney¡¯s original words. One and a half shekels is more than a fair price for his wisdom,¡± insisted the old man. I looked at him bemused, for it was odd that a mass-printed book was worth more than a hand-copied one. What sort of logic did this world operate on? In ordance with local custom, I handed over a promissory note worth ten silver coins. I was almost surprised when he handed back to me the correct amount of change. It was a first for me, and I did my best to hide my surprise as wepleted the transaction. We parted ways with a small formal bow to each other, Zariyah mirroring me soon after, and walked further in. A seller who traded in all manner of animals bade us look at his stock. All of them were colorful creatures of paradise, of feather and scale. Birds with long plumed feathers, and frilled and maned lizards whose scales shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow. It would have been a wondrous sight, but I saw the frustration and mncholy in their eyes. Trapped in cages and robbed of their freedom, their futures were bleak, at best, and this turn of thought robbed the experience of its wonder. Pressing on a little past, we saw that there was a section exclusively devoted to the sale of beasts. A strong animal scent filled the air, and the cries of a variety of animals both familiar and unknown could be heard. The whinny of horses, the barks of dogs, and the rumble and hiss of lizards all mixed into a chaotic cacophony. All manner of beasts can be found in the Grand Bazaar of Al-Lazar, Zariyah shared with me. The smell in this section is most pungent, I hope you are not nning to take a closer look, she inquired, curling her nose in distaste. In response, I raised my hand, just scanning the area for beasts I had yet to encounter before. I smiled when I saw a creature reminiscent of the Ceratopsians of Earth¡¯s past. However, this specimen boasted six legs and was sheathed in a far more formidable armor. Thick, bony knobs and tes adorned its back and nks forming an almost solid shell. It dragged behind it a tail that ended in a fearsome array of solid bone spikes. Upon closer inspection, it bore a striking resemnce to a gigantic tortoise, though it possessed a bony frill and a single horn jutted proudly from its snout. A bony ridge, or cervical, extended just behind its thick frill, where a boy with a serious demeanor rode atop the creature. Burly men, bare-chested, gently prodded the creature''s nk with long poles, guiding it toward the gate of its pen. With a bit more urging, the beast moved forward, issuing a low, mournful bellow that seemed to resonate with a sense of resigned eptance. ¡°What manner of creature is that?¡± I asked, trying to keep my voice even. It had been an awesome sight. Brave, indeed, must have been the first men to tame such a beast. You have never seen Lumashitu before? ¡°No, but we have creatures somewhat vaguely simr to it, though nothing close its size. A rhino, or perhaps a small elephant, would be the closest modern analog. Though there are precious few of them now. An ignorant people believe that their horns hold medicinal properties so they have been hunted to near extinction. There is about as much magic and medicine in their horns as there are in my fingernails,¡± Imented, a bit of bitterness edging into my tone. I see, of course, you haven¡¯t. Well, these creaturese from the jungles north of here. Remarkably resilient creatures, they are asfortable working the farm fields as they are charging across the battlefields. Theymand a hefty price, yet despite this, the Council of Al-Lazar boasts a unit of Lumashitu cavalry. Their charge is legendary, said to be unstoppable, came her exnation, a small bit of pride coloring her manner. That one, by its size, is a female, she finished, pointing at the docile Lumashitu. Her nose wrinkled as if she had found something distasteful. Offering her a wry grin, I was unable to resist a yful tease, "Is that so? No wonder it was so stubborn about doing what it was told." Yes, yes, but please can we go now? she beseeched, almost pouting in resignation. ¡°Yes, as thedymands,¡± I stated, giving her an exaggerated bow. Surprisingly, instead of rolling her eyes as I expected, she gave me a formal curtsy in response. More importantly, she smiled at me, and I felt my heart beat just a little faster. Book 3: Chapter 32: Ups & Downs Book 3: Chapter 32: Ups & Downs ¡®There are things that not even coin can buy¡¯ is the mantra of the destitute. - Unknown. With renewed enthusiasm and a new skip to my step, I wandered through the Grand Bazaar, Zariyah at my side. Meandering past merchants peddling expensive, aromatic spices, she shared the names of those she recognized, detailing their origins and uses. However, I found my attention drifting. I was more captivated by the subtle smile curving her lips and the spark in her eyes than her shared knowledge. Despite this, her silent exnations brought the world around me to life as no lesson or lecture ever could. Focusedpletely on her, I did not see the changing numbers at the corner of my vision. In those moments I could almost believe that I was not trapped in the hellish dimension of a game. Could one truly have feelings for a character from a game? If countless girls could tumble head over heels for someone who existed solely within the pages of a book, then surely the same could be said for a digital creation. Troubling, but in a sort of good way. It might be just an illusion, but the feelings I held were real. As she concluded another exnation, her gaze fell gently. Thank you, she seemed to murmur with her fingers sketching a rare gesture of gratitude. "For what, exactly?" I queried, a touch of confusion in my voice. For everything, she replied, her eyes diverting, avoiding mine. When Gelgor transferred my contract to you, I feared the worst. I anticipated harsh treatment, to be ravaged like a¡­ She paused, the bloom of a blush coloring her face. "I would never," I started to protest, but she continued over me.Please, let me finish. This hasn''t been an easy transition. Living in fear, only to find the reality so starkly different... It''s like being adrift in a tiny boat amidst a tempest, at the mercy of the surging waves. You''ve looked upon me with almost open lust in your eyes, yet you''ve scarcelyid a hand on me. Despite having every right, given I was all but your property. Why? Surely, you find me attractive... "Indeed, I could have imed you. But that would have meant not truly having you, the real you," I responded. The words felt clich¨¦d as they left my mouth, yet she seemed to take them to heart. Her smile then, yful and teasing, lit up her eyes. You nearly convince me that I''m a nobledy from the tales of old, not a despised Hazagadam. Despite knowing what I am, you treat me with such kindness. We hardly know each other, yet you ord me respect as if I hold some great worth. She paused, her lips pursed in thought before she carefully added, And... you''re the first to ever defend me in such a manner¡­ against a captain of the City Guard, no less. I can''t fathom why. "Maybe it''s simply in my nature," I replied with a hint of yfulness, gently lifting her chin to meet her gaze. You im to be a man of your word, and thus I am a free woman. If I am to believe you, then please, do not touch me like that in public again, she stated firmly after she pushed me away. The moment of tenderness evaporated, and her thorny defensive side swiftly returned. Where on earth did I go wrong there? The Hazagadami woman led me next to a different part of the Bazaar. Here all manner of oddities and trinkets were being sold. Things like a magical bracelet that could help improve your insight could be found next to a tube of farseeing, a device I recognized to be some sort of telescope. Of the magical items, the greater majority of them were fraudulent, and the ones that I identified to have some modicum of magic were exorbitantly expensive. Most interesting of all was a wooden mask. Its seller advertised it as a good luck charm at the reasonable price of four gold, but my magic determined that it was really a cursed item. Mask ¡®Voice of the Flood¡¯ [Magic][Cursed][Witchwood] Durability 259/260 A rather ominous name, I thought to myself. Now that I knew it to be cursed, I could almost feel the malevolence being emanated by the mask. Either that, or I had a rather active imagination. Curiosity tugged at me, tempting me to uncover the nature of the curse. However, prudence advised against such an inquiry, suggesting that some mysteries are better left unexplored. I told the red-eyed girl of my findings, but she merely just shrugged her shoulders. All manners of things are sold here, was her simple and curt reply. How could I fix the current tension? I much preferred the woman when she smiled. ¡°Zariyah, you know of a ce where I can sell some rare alchemical materials?¡± I asked, breaking the silence. Here of course, if we find a potion peddler. And perhaps also on Schr¡¯s Row. I have not been here for a long time so¡­ Perhaps you can ask one of the merchants here? she answered, shrugging nomittally. It was a start at least. Looking around, I saw a merchant at his stall selling what looked to berge umbres. Odd, I thought initially, for this region looked to be a dry area and the rains were said to be rare here. Telling Zariyah of my curiosity, she looked at me oddly but nheless followed me as I approached the stall. Sitting on a small wooden stool, the merchant was a diminutive figure, his skin a deep, dark swarthy olive. Dressed in garish, tight pink attire, he waspletely bald,cking even the slightest hint of facial hair. His arms, bare from the shoulder down, were smooth and unblemished, mirroring the hairlessness of his face. Slender and lean, his physique suggested ack of muscle. When he spoke to us, his voice carried a high tenor that was both effete and slightly off-putting. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the vition. ¡°You wish to purchase a parasol for thedy,¡± he inquired, sidling up to us like a greedy crab. ¡°Yes, a red one. It will go well with thedy¡¯s eyes,¡± I agreed with a fixed smile. His expression froze for a moment, ufortably, before he recovered his professional mien. Zariyah looked away ufortably, her fingers trailing across a dark green colored bolt of cloth. Please, I am sorry if I was short with you. Please, can we just move on? her fingers begged. I chose to pointedly ignore her. ¡°Of course, samasa, I have such a thing,¡± he said smoothly, producing an item for inspection. ¡°A beautiful item, Qisnian silk and a wonderful shade of crimson¡­ to¡­ go well with thedy¡¯s eyes, as you say.¡± I epted. ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°Excellent, sir. Now that will be¡­¡± ¡°A single silver piece,¡± was my monotone offer. ¡°Heaven¡¯s forfend, samasa. The lowest I can part with such a piece of art would be three!¡± he shrieked almost girlishly. If he was acting, then it was a good performance for a few idle passersby who turned to look in our direction. ¡°Then two silver it is,¡± I countered, gauging his reaction. He was difficult to read, but I could tell I could probably get away with this price. I waited a moment, looking for telltale fractures of weakness, and found none. Perhaps three silver was a reasonable price. Also, there was something that I valued more than just saving a single silver piece. ¡°Very well, three then, if you can tell me of an Alchemist willing to buy rare herbs for a good price,¡± I offered, cing some notes on his counter. ¡°Very well, then,¡± he sighed as if he was doing me a great favor. ¡°I know of such a man. Vincenzio of Schr¡¯s Row is always in need of nts for his experiments. You will find his ce of business in the basement of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild,¡± he sniffed, counting out the money. Once he was certain of the amount, he offered the parasol to Zariyah with a bright smile. Sheepishly she epted, unfolding the parasol. It was a truly beautiful piece, a deep crimson with gold floral motifs that ran along the edges. Around the tip were the petals of a different flower, a flower I recognized now to be almost synonymous with the city. The Asixum, the flower and source of the Dust. I found it fitting, in a way. The purchase must have agreed with Zariyah, for a hesitant smile yed about her features and lit up her eyes. She twirled her new present about, the patterns on the parasol lost in a blur as we walked on. ¡°I am d that you like it, but you might hit someone with that,¡± I gently chided. She paused for a moment, stilling. Zariyah looked confused, as if undecided as to what to say next. Robbed of her voice, her mouth uttered a quiet, no.. silent, thank you to me. Then she smiled, and for me, that was thanks enough. Internally, I shook my head. The woman¡¯s, or girl¡¯s, rather, mood was as changeable as the weather in autumn. ¡°You are, of course, very wee. Next, we must be off to this Schr¡¯s Row, on our quest to find this Vincenzio!¡± I eximed, touching her elbow lightly. I could not help that she shivered at my touch, almost as if recoiling from me. That moment stung perhaps a bit more than it should have. Creating some distance from me, she gave a fixed and polite smile. That is an interesting way of bargaining, shemented with her hands. Was it me, or was I bing adept enough at signnguage to notice a hint of sarcasm in her motions? ¡°It is the only way to bargain when one does not have any true leverage. First, you must find their limit. Then you see what more you can get without costing the other side anything, withoutpromising your position,¡± I replied none too proudly. Funny. To me it looked like something else. A form of clumsy extortion without actually extorting anything from the other side. Or, a way to save face from a bargain poorly struck, she replied with a shrug. I was beginning to reach my limit. Evenmunicating with her was slowly bing a waste of good Mana. ¡°Must you always be sobative? Can I do no right in your eyes? You saw how that merchant reacted, do you in all honesty think you could have gotten a better price? You being, what you are and all,¡± I added sarcastically, regretting my words almost as quickly as they came out of my mouth. Her eyes shed fire at me. Me being what I am. Thank you for reminding me.For a moment I thought you were different. ¡°I¡­ I apologize if I have offended,¡± I offered cautiously, attempting a retreat. How could you have caused offense? You were only saying the truth as you saw it. A truth I see every day, and that others havemented on nearly every day of my life, was her sharp response. Looking around, I was d that she had no voice to cause me embarrassment. It made disys such as these at least vaguely tolerable. There was no point arguing here, I had to just take my lumps and grin and bear it. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry, alright. There, I am sorry. Let¡¯s leave it at that and just try to enjoy the rest of¡­ whatever this is,¡± I suggested, trying not to grit my teeth. She sighed a long sigh, no doubt ming me for all the ills in the world. Leaving the Grand Bazaar behind, she guided me towards Schr¡¯s Row. Entering the quarter was almost like entering a different country. Paved streets transitioned to cobblestones, while the architectural uniformity of the buildings dissolved into an eclectic mix of designs and sizes. Squat, gray structures neighbored slender, yellow towers. At one juncture, an arch spanned the street, serving as a bridge that linked two residences. To me, Schr¡¯s Row presented itself as carefully orchestrated architectural chaos. Zariyah paused and leaned down tomunicate with someone I initially mistook for a small ugly child. However, upon closer inspection, it became clear they possessed distinctly adult features. The individual had bushy orange eyebrows and a beard. He had a face that appeared unusuallypact as if the y of his features had been squeezed roughly together by an overenthusiastic potter. Her words were very formal and she used the honorifics at all times. From what I could gather through their conversation this area of the city had seen quite a lot of change. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild was one of the victims of an urban redevelopment policy and had moved to arger site. Almost apologetically, she asked the little man thing for directions to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Tersely, he gave a quick reply, his expression one of someone who had just been forced to do an unpleasant chore. With a huff he excused himself, once he answered her question, stomping off to whatever business we had interrupted. Zariyah remained bowing until he was out of sight. Noticing my somewhat incredulous look, she decided to exin. He was of the Giants, as they call themselves. They do not speak with their voices with others not of their kind. I could not help giving a flippant reply, ¡°Giants, you say? There was nothing particrly giant about him.¡¯ Not for their stature are they so named, but for their creations. In the times before the Cataclysm, the wise say they built the Green Road. In the modern age, they made the walls that protect the city and the deep wells that sustain us. That is why they are known as Giants. They are worthy of deep and great respect and you should be careful how you address them, she warned. She pursed her lips in thought, It is good that you know thenguage of the flowing hands¡­ The Giant told me that the Guild has moved to a different building. This way. Book 3: Chapter 33: The Al-Lazar Branch Book 3: Chapter 33: The Al-Lazar Branch For the average man, the concept of free will is the grandest illusion. Yet, this misconception is dwarfed by the more profound and enveloping deception experienced by those touched by Mana. Forces whose natural state is one of indefinite paradox. Those blessed, or perhaps cursed, by Mana operate under the belief that their choices are their own. However, their actions are manipted by Mana, a pattern as old as the universe. This deception is so deeply ingrained within the fabric of their souls that they never think to question its reality as they are slowly molded into something other. What remnants of free will they might possess are slowly traded for new invisible shackles on their souls. This is the reason for their madness as they progress down their ¡®path¡¯. But there is a force even more constraining than this. The notice of the gods. Once their gaze is upon you, and their voice reaches your ears, you are irrevocably transformed into a mere extension of their divine will. Gone now is the illusion and all pretext that man¡¯s choices are his own. - Attributed to the Wrack Witch before her execution circa 245 AC. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild was not what I expected it to be. A walled and sprawling edifice of shing Western and Eastern architectural styles, it was a fortress in miniature. A blue and white tiled mosaic of the Guild¡¯s symbol, a sword crossed over a burning torch, was disyed proudly above arge arch that opened thepound to the busy public. Through this, I could see arge squat keep, past a courtyard of graveled stone. The keep seemed to be more a hodgepodge collection of cut yellow stone than a proper construction. Behind this crude construction, a wooden pagoda with golden tiles rose elegantly upwards toward the sky. A small group of three, of what I assumed to be adventurers, stood just outside the threshold and seemed to be having a heated discussion. ¡°That is thest time I¡¯m doing a job in the sewers, this is not what I signed up for,¡± moaned a rather vexed diminutive woman, with her hands on her hips. Freckled and pale inplexion, her face was stained with the color of emotion. ¡°If I wanted to trudge through muck, I would have stayed at the farm! Heavens, even though I spent half a day washing I can still smell it!¡±Garbed in dull gray robes and a wide broad-brimmed hat, she had a long wooden staff, festooned with fetishes and gems. A magic user, if I were to make a guess. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. I told you before, Tally, and for the umpteenth time, we need to do jobs like these to get some sess under our belt. Look right, we knock out a few more easy jobs, talk to Aylin, then we do better stuff once we get the Bronze. You know how things is¡­¡± replied a middle-aged and dejected-looking man, his voice frayed with annoyance born from a long-time association. His stained rust-splotched coat-of-te and notched weaponry gave him a decidedly disheveled appearance. In stark contrast, he wore a ne featuring arge red gem. A ruby, at my best guess, that hung prominently at his front. Although roughly cut, the gem was clearly valuable, showcased on a fine chain of untarnished silver. It seemed wasted on him, like fine jewels on a pig, and for a moment, the temptation to rip it from his neck was almost overwhelming. A tall man, whipcord thin, suggested in a reedy voice, ¡°I¡¯m with Tally on this one, Gers, I¡¯d rather ride out a bit into the Wastes than mess about in the sewers. It¡¯s that time of year, right? They say the Alchemist in the basement always wants those horns and offers good money for ¡®em.¡± ¡°Hiring mounts¡¯ll cost us a pretty penny. More trouble than it¡¯s worth, hunting those three-eyed freaks. Finding ¡®em is also half the problem. Can¡¯t read the sands like I can the forests of home. Remember Del and his crew? They went out like yesterday, came back empty-handed, the lot of ¡®em. I say keep things steady, keep things slow. It ain¡¯t the best job, but it''s safe, if not a little dirty,¡± exined Gers, sighing as he bore the weight of the world upon his shoulders. ¡°Tell me, where is the man who promised me the good and easy life in the City of Gold, eh? Tell me¡­¡± shrilled the one called Tally, inint. ¡°Not for that promise did you follow Gers, Tally¡­¡± started the tall, thin man. "Excuse me," I chose to interject, shing my most convincing, fabricated smile. "Is this the Adventurer''s Guild?" "What tipped you off? The massive, ring crossed sword and torch?" the small woman retorted, directing her annoyance squarely at me. "Tally..." Gers cautioned, rubbing at a spot behind his neck. Ignoring the woman, I decided to instead focus on the mercenary pauper. ¡°The name is Gilgamesh, a fellow adventurer. If you would be so kind, could you tell me where I can find the job board? I am still new to this city¡­¡± Taking off a beaten spangenhelm that had seen better days, he addressed me. ¡°Pleasure to meetcha. Names Gersal. Over there in that building is where you can find the copper and bronze rank jobs,¡± exined Gersal, pointing at the squat yellow keep. ¡°I don¡¯t think you are of the Iron or Silver, but just¡¯n case, the Tower of Triumph is where you can find the higher-ranked requests. Bloody self-aggrandizing name if you ask me though¡­¡± he added, pointing at the Pagoda. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Gersal looked like he was about to say something else, but he was beaten to it by the other member of the group. ¡°What happened to you? Looks like you got in a fight with a pack of animals. I thought we had it bad with sewer work¡­ bloody giant rats¡­¡± the tall onemented. ¡°Indeed. I had a run-in with a few violent animals, the bipedal sort. Anyway, thank you for answering my questions. It is most appreciated,¡± I said grinning. Giving them all a small formal bow, I moved off. Behind me, Zariyah hurriedly mimicked my actions and chased after me. There was a crunch of gravel underfoot as we crossed the courtyard. We passed by several groups, much like Gersal¡¯s, on the way to the yellow keep, their equipment andposition as varied as the flowers in the field. Some seemed to be veterans of campaigns and adventurers long forgotten, grizzled men holding old weapons and donning utilitarian and well-maintained armor. Others were younger, their gear freshly forged and newly bought. The weapons at their waists they wore awkwardly, the tools of their trade looking more the part of a costume. The assortment did not end there, for several parties featured eclectic mixes of species. Dwarves and Beastkin, even a dark-skinned elf, were peppered about here and there. It was quite the tapestry of diversity. I was tempted to use Identify on the more interesting individuals, but with my magical reserves at about half, I decided against it. Stepping through the open doors into the main hall designated for lower-ranked adventurers brought a wee surprise. The hall''s interior offered a refreshing coolness, a stark contrast to the outside''s balmy heat, and was alive with the sound of bustling activity. Along the hall''s length, long tables and benches provided spaces for various adventurers to exchange tales, enjoy refreshments, or simply unwind. The serving staff, dressed in white shirts with billowing sleeves and necklines,plemented by ck waistcoats, moved through the throng, attentive and efficient. At the hall''s far end, pink marble counters staffed by the Guild¡¯s personnel dealt with a neatly formed queue of people waiting patiently for their turn. Each person handed a misceny of items to the Guild staff, including nts - root, stem, and flower, rocks, an ancient y pot, and body parts wrapped in rough cloth. In exchange, they received money and a polite smile. To the right, a considerable gathering clustered around arge notice board that dominated its corner. This must be, of course, the job board. I contemted checking out thetest postings, but the crowd''s size, which seemed to swell by the moment, dissuaded me from this course. Moreover, after a brief reflection, I concluded that it wouldn''t be appropriate to select jobs without consulting mypanions first for their input. Even though the group was not run by a majority vote, I knew well enough that people appreciated being consulted. It made them feel important. Instead, opting for a moment¡¯s pause, I decided to take a seat. I sat with Zariyah next to me. An awkward silence grew between us, creating a wall. Seeking to keep my hands busy, I took a te tablet that I assumed to be today¡¯s menu. Strange symbols, curved and boxy were inscribed upon it, their meaning unclear to me. Without looking at me directly, Zariyah broke the silence without disturbing it. Her fingers moved in a pattern I could decipher now without the age of magic, Can you read it? I never had the chance to learn, my own fingers waggled clumsily in reply. She looked at me in puzzlement, and I went through the motions again. You are terrible, she smiled, biting down on her lower lip to stop the expression from spreading. Of course, you never had the chance to learn. I¡¯ll read it for you. This world¡¯s signnguage was mainly phic, with only a few words baked into specific gestures, making it easier to learn. I had observed her in our time together, drinking deep of her detail. I never truly could forget the details that Identify revealed to me. It was a growing catalog of memories, magically seared into my mind, ranging from the most trivial items to the mightiest foes I had faced. The information remained as clear in the present as it was the first time I cast the spell. However, I would have to agree with her that my execution must have been rather bad. No need, just order something for you and me. Something light, was my halting response. Or rather you tell me what I should order, I added a little clumsily. In the end, it had taken me three tries to actually convey my meaning. I could have just spoken to her, she was mute, not deaf, but a part of me did not want to break the silence. It was a shared moment, an ind for two in the noise of the busy establishment. I¡¯ll have the day¡¯s set and you should do the same. Watered wine if it pleases you, was her reply. A server came, a young girl with curly orange hair and a wide beaming smile. ¡°What will you two be having then,¡± was her cheerful inquiry that broke our private moment. Her infectious expression caused me to smile back in reflex. ¡°Two of the day¡¯s set, and watered wine for the both of us, if you would be so kind,¡± I ordered. Acknowledging and repeating my order she gave us another sunny smile and started to move away. ¡°A moment please¡­¡± I stopped, grabbing her lower arm. This time the smile she sent my way was forced. ¡°Can I get you anything else,¡± she asked primly, looking at my hand as if it were a venomous snake. ¡°Apologies,¡± I said as catingly as possible, slowly releasing her arm. ¡°But where might I find a certain Vincenzio the Alchemist?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find Vince in the basement, over there, down the stairs,¡± the serving girl answered in almost a huff. ¡°Now, if you will excuse me,¡± she finished, turning up her nose in annoyance as she made her exit. I looked at Zariyah, seeing the hint of a barely repressed mocking smile at the corner of her lips. ¡°Not a word,¡± I warned irritably. Book 3: Chapter 34: Beron鈥檚 Dream Book 3: Chapter 34: Beron¡¯s Dream Puissant indeed are the priests of the River. When touched by their God, they are given the power to pierce the veil of what is yet toe and to peer into the mists of the forgotten past. Unlike their God, they are mortal, and thus wed. Their vision crude, their memories stained by imperfect minds, means what they see requires wisdom to interpret correctly. These mortal advocates of the River can not see the Source, the start of all things, nor can they see the sea of infinity into which time flows. Many say they are the guardians of order that protect our world against theing of the next Cataclysm. I know that for a lie. They are the servants of a cage that binds mortal free will and even I will never let them have me. - Attributed to the Wrack Witch before her execution circa 245 AC. Paying for the meal, we found the service to be efficient, though hardly weing. This didn''t detract from the food''s quality, which was outstanding, albeit somewhatcking in vor. Zariyah had warned me of its spiciness, but I found myself disagreeing. It seemed she had a more sensitive pte, as evidenced by her frequent sips of water to tame the dish''s supposed heat. After our meal, we cleansed our hands in bowls of lemon-scented water, and I offered my thanks to the server whose name I hadn''t taken the trouble to learn. It was not custom, but I left a few tattered bills as a tip, drawing a puzzled nce from Zariyah. As we made our way to their of the resident Alchemist, I could not help but notice the odd looks that were directed my way, likely a reaction to my disheveled appearance. However, these were merely fleeting, stolen nces, and none bore a hint of challenge. And rightly so, I thought to myself. A set of stairs, wide and carved from the local yellowstone, led to the basement. There was no handrail, but the steps were rtively shallow and the gradient gentle. Glowing purple Zajasite set at uniform intervals provided adequate, but not great, lighting. Intrepidly we descended. A man passed us, robed and cowled in crimson cloth. He made no greeting, and I offered none. A smell, familiar yet different, slowly crept upon us as we continued our descent. Unguents and preservatives, burned herbs, and long-hidden rot mixed into a strange mnge that stole upon the senses. Zariyah wrinkled her nose signaling her difort. You know the best ces to take a girl, she cried out with her fingers. The whinyint was writ clear in her difiture. ¡°Wait for me above, if this is unpleasant for you. I will try to conclude my business as quickly as possible,¡± was my considerate suggestion. By your leave, she replied formally, before scurrying back up. I continued my descent into the bowels of the Guild, the smell growing ever stronger. At one point I swore that my Health had even dropped a point, only soon to be regenerated. At the bottom of the stairs was a ck wooden door banded with iron. For some reason, or another, I felt like there would be a significant encounter beyond that door. I needed to be prepared, as well prepared as I could be. I reached into my pack, rooting around until I found the cheaper Mana potions. I looked at the blue liquid for a moment, unstoppered the ss vial, and swigged down its contents. It tasted like purified and distilled water, liquid nothing, as it slipped down my throat. I grimaced as I drank it down, more at the potential waste of money than its vor. Secondster, starting in the pit of my stomach, a tingling sensation came over me, spreading. It felt as if all the pores of my body had opened and that something electric and unnatural was filling me. That I was sucking something in, strange and alien. This must be Mana. I was feeling Mana itselfing to me. I observed my Mana bar in the corner of my vision. Slowly it rose as I waited before the threshold, trepidation and caution stopping my entry. Wanting an excuse to waste time, I went briefly over my character sheet and Status. Health: 418/434 Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences. Stamina: 66/75 Mana: 14/18 When my Mana had returned to over three-quarters, I could no longer make the excuse to myself that I was just being cautious. I knew fear for what it was. I could defeat it. With this thought, I ced both my hands on the door, felt the very grains of the dark stained wood, and pushed. The door opened inward and I was immediately greeted by a hammer blow upon my senses. The stench, an almost palpable thing, was pungent and thick. Just breathing it in felt as if my lungs were being clogged up. So distracted was I that I barely noticed the chimes that tinkled, signaling my arrival. The room I found myself in was exceptionally well-lit. The crystal Zajasite lights that hung from copper chains from the ceiling were almost as bright as any modern equivalent. Various specimens trapped in ss, animal and nt in origin, lined wooden shelves like alien soldiers on parade. ¡°Hello, Vincenzio?¡± I called out from the entrance. There was no reply. I took a cautious step into the room and called out again. This time there was a rustle of movement. A curtain parted at the end of the room, and a thin sallow cadaver of man walked into sight. His eyes were sunken hollows, his skin the waxy pale shade of a drowned corpse. Brown robes, splotched and stained in many ces, hung about him a skeletal frame, just this side of the grave. I was so taken aback by his appearance that I could not help but cast an Identify on him to confirm if the thing in front of me was human. Vincenzio Utnapishtim Barbierri - Necromancer (Human lvl.32) Health: 272/272 Stamina: 24/24 Mana: 16/16 My recent encounters with the locals had led me to believe that I was perhaps a little over-levelled for this zone. However, looking at this I might be proven wrong, either that or Mr. Barbierri was a sort of secret hidden boss. In a voice, rasping and throaty, Vincenzio the Necromancer was the first to break the silence. ¡°Ha, it has been many years since one has felt the touch of Sage¡¯s Eye. You are too young to be in possession of such a magic,¡± he observed. I was rather shocked, for it was one of the first times my staple spell had been detected by one of the denizens of this world, I found myself hesitant in my response. His level was worrying, even if his attributes were not. How many had this man killed to reach such height? ¡°Gilgamesh,¡± I began, ¡°and you are Vincenzio Utnapishtim Barbierri the Alchemist, I presume?¡± He crossed his arms, his pale hands lost in the fabric of his robes. ¡°Very much so, young man, the very one. Though, one has not heard my family name in many long years, nor do I remember telling anyone in the Guild. Bravo, you even know the name my mother gave me, the legacy of her people. Your Sage¡¯s Eye must be powerful, and thorough, indeed to know of these things,¡± he replied with a dark smile, his eyes focused on a space behind my head. ¡°And what is your business with thest scion of a long-forgotten Qisnian house, young master Gilgamesh?¡± ¡°Beron¡¯s Vision. I have heard that there is a market for it and that you were a potential buyer,¡± I offered, waiting for the expected correction. It was always good to make sure the other side felt superior to you. ¡°Beron¡¯s Dream, is themonyman¡¯s term these days,¡± he corrected with a sniff. ¡°Isurru Sutu wasits original name before it was ¡®discovered¡¯ by the insufferable Laney. Still, one doubts you would have any interest in that. I promise to pay well for it.¡± I reached into my bag, producing the sample for his inspection. Reverently he took it, unwrapping it from its leafy container and cing it onto a small silver tter. The lichen had lost some of its luster, but it still glowed a weak green. ¡°Fantastic, a rtively fresh specimen and decently preserved,¡± Vincenzio observed, taking out a looking ss with his index finger and thumb. He brought my proffered sample up towards his face for his closer inspection, held it up to the light and muttered in appreciation. ¡°You did well to wrap it in a leaf and keep it in the dark. Ignoramuses would just throw it in a ss sk and call it a day. Like you, young man, your work is surprising.¡± He put down both ss and lichen and fixed on me with the dark hollows that served as his eyes. ¡°Three gold, twenty if you can tell me where you found it,¡± was his t statement, but underneath were the faint undertones of a very mortal greed. As I was about to ept, a very rude and obnoxious notification shed before my eyes, stopping my reply. A reminder that I was just ying a twisted game. New Quest: Acquire the Animate Dead scroll from the Necromancer. A sly grin crossed my face. It seemed that the world was shaping itself to see to my needs. My wants. Very well then, game, I will y you. ¡°YourManzaza Shiptu, the birth seed of the magic that has touched you. A scroll that imparts the new magic. For that, and not just the luster of gold, will I tell you where this lichen grows. Necromancer,¡± I replied. A pronouncement with the weight of an undeniable fate and destiny behind it. Book 3: Chapter 35: The Accord Book 3: Chapter 35: The ord Alchemy revolves around extracting and enhancing the natural properties of materials to achieve a specific oue. This process is fundamentally powered by the alchemist''s own Mana, which dictates the final characteristics of the concoction. Materials with a stronger innate magic are more malleable and responsive in this process. However, the quality of the end product relies more on the Alchemist''s skill and belief in his process than on the materials themselves. Instead of relying on chants and rituals, alchemy uses precise recipes and measurements, though the essence of the practice with its use of Mana remains deeply rooted in spellcraft. The act of creating a magical potion is simply a spell construct in a liquid form. Therefore, hypothetically, a true master can achieve wonders, such as creating a healing potion from mere water, provided they possess sufficient talent, enormous Mana reserves, and an unwavering belief in their method. A highly unlikely proposition, as the whole art is steeped in esoteric nonsense. - A Study of Alchemics by Vincenzio Barbierri. In my arrogance, I had made a grave error in judgment. Whips of segmented bone flowed like liquid lightning from the Necromancer without warning, striking at me with fierce suddenness. The Mimic within formed a shield almost as swiftly, a thin barrier of false wood and iron against the storm. Where sharp white bone met flesh, a dull cold blossomed, eating away at my Health as they drew fresh blood. In response to the cold, a familiar emotion grew in the pit of my belly. Sparked twice already in a single day, it was not hard to stoke the remaining embers of anger into a new me. In answer to that anger, the dark part of my magic begged¡­ no, demanded, for release. A release I willingly granted. Entropic Aura burst from me in a seething pulse, an echo of the final death knell. Ivory bone began to turn gray as the waves of raw entropy crashed against bone whips that shed at me. Seven were their number, heads of a relentless hydra made of engraved bone. Mystic sigils red briefly about the tendrils of bone, tiny motes of ck eroding its arcane nature. What attacks that struck through my automatic guard now bruised instead of drawing blood. ¡°You must be quite powerful for a Visitor,¡± snarled Vincenzio the Necromancer. I took in his words as I stepped away, trying to get some distance as I drew the dagger at my waist. ¡°You are indeed powerful, but you will find one to be no easy prey,¡± he continued in a t clinical tone, the barrage of bone tentacles on my person unceasing.Game theory dictated that the correct response to an attack was to initiate an overwhelming counter-attack of one¡¯s own. It was the only logical choice. However, my need toplete my new quest stayed my hand from following this obvious course. ¡°I have no quarrel with you,¡± I shouted as I dodged a snake-like length of bone. A crashing tinkle of ss soon followed as it smashed into a row of beakers, vials, and alembics behind me. Liquid spilled from them, and an acrid stench filled the room like rotten fruit plucked toote from the vine. This was definitely not how I expected a Necromancer to fight. But then again, outside of video games and fantasy, what did I know of Necromancers? ¡°But one has quarrel with you, feckless servant of the hated gods. The stench of their blessings is upon you. The reason for youring can be no other than one¡¯s demise. One is not so feeble of mind to believe in coincidence,¡± he answered, blind hatred staining his words with passion, and twisting his expression. Another whip of segmented bone came down, as if in thunderous judgment. ¡°Do you know not of the hundreds that are caught up in the wake of your kind?¡± he spat as I barely dodged his attack. ¡°The suffering that you people bring to this world!?¡± "All of youck free will, no more free than the pitiful zombies one mastered in youth. You''re merely another puppet in their grand, foolish game. Ignorance being, perhaps, your only defense. Exterminating your sort has ever been a most mundane and odious task. Like weeds in the garden, you sprout where you are not wee. One will pluck you out, as one has ended the others." He began chanting in a t, mechanical monotone, each syble echoing softly. A glowing circle materialized, expanding into a series of concentric and intertwining rings. These rings spun slowly, with archaic and mystical symbols shing and revolving around the center. A sickly green hue, the mystical spell construct, seemed to bleed unnatural magic. It was in to see that if he finished whatever spell he was casting, my immediate future would not be a bright one. Greater Drain, my only offensive magical option, whispered seductively in my ear. Too long had it been, it whispered sibnt and sure. Still, I was hesitant to attack. There had to be another way. Even as I was weighing up my options, my shield blocked two more, almost simultaneous, blows of hard bone. My unnatural shield provided an impressive defense, but it was not perfect. Each sessive blow against the Mimic shield chipped away at its Health. A few more blows snaked through its guard, bruising and cutting where they impacted against my flesh. The Necromancer''s voice surged, rising to a tumultuous mor with echoes from beyond the veil of death. Oddly, I heard the faint tinkling of bells and shuddered as the air grew unnaturally cold and a chill crept over me. ¡°I am free. My freedom bought with agony and suffering. Damn the gods and their ilk! Who are you to judge me so? What do you know of me?¡± I dered in defiance, my cries almost feeling cathartic in their expression. A flicker of hesitation passed over his face, and in his corpse-wax features I saw something hinting at a burgeoning seed of doubt. His relentless assault halted, the whirling ils of sharpened bone freezing in ce. "You dare to speak against the gods... Such defiance would be unthinkable for one in their power. Do you not fear the punishment of heaven?" He regarded me with a mix of suspicion and wonder, as if I had suddenly sprouted wings and horns. "Or is this a ruse? Yes, it must be a trick!" I felt I was close. This encounter, this story event, could be solved with something other than violence. Just a little more, one final push. ¡°Vincenzo! I have offered you no harm, and have only defended myself. A Visitor you say, what is this? I fear there is a hidden meaning in such a word. I offer you this; I am not of this world, if that is your meaning, but I swear upon my mother¡¯s grave that I am no friend of the gods,¡± I confessed as sincerely as I could. My mother, to the best of my knowledge, was probably still very much alive but the lie came easily to my lips for the added dramatic effect. Stretched across a few agonizing seconds, silence reigned supreme here, in their of the Necromancer. However, it was soon shattered by the growing heavy thud of many boots descending the stairs. The bone growths disappeared, slinking back into the Necromancer¡¯s voluminous robes. Hastily, I sheathed my knife, my shield bing a tangle of wormy threads, then disappearing into my arm. A good thing too, for a group of well-armed men burst into the basement room, scant secondster. Armored in ensorcelled heavy te and chain, they could have been mistaken for automata golems. With weapons drawn, they scanned the scene before them through the grills of their helmets. "What is the meaning of this?" demanded one of them, his voice deep and strong, yet somewhat muffled by his heavy helmet. His presence exuded a menace, like that of a faceless and uncaring machine. Vincenzio stood motionless, like a statue. "One was being assisted by a Copper in one of one¡¯s experiments, Es. Unfortunately, an ident urred," he replied slowly, his eyes not quite meeting those of his questioner. It seemed to me that his gaze was fixed on a point just beyond Es'' head. "And if I were to go upstairs to verify, would I find that such a request was indeed made? That your experiment has received the necessary approval?" Es''s voice rose sharply in rm, his tone verging on the edge of irritation. ¡°One has never been one to just go along with epted societal norms,¡± The Necromancer shrugged nonchntly, a gesture that seemed out of ce with my image of him. He let out a raspy sigh and shook his head, subtly dismissing the question. The armored man approached Vincenzio with heavy, metal-d steps, towering over him. Yet, despite his imposing stature, he did not seem to overshadow the Necromancer. Removing his great helm and tucking it under his arm, he revealed his features. Beneath, a padded mail coif struggled to contain the curls that peeked out from its edges. Yet, it was his face that was of note, dispelling much of the dread and mystery. With homely, rounded features, he resembled perhaps a benign vige baker. A face far from menacing, but strikingly ordinary and harmless. "You intellectuals all think alike, believing you''re governed by a different set of rules. No respect for the established order. You''re supposed to make your requests through official channels, without trying to bypass the Guild. Am I making myself clear?" he insisted, his deep voice sounding much clearer now. Watching the scene unfold, I realized what Vincenzio was doing. He was masking a greater sin with a lesser one. It was an impressive performance, worthy of a prize. Had I not known better, I would have believed him as well. Suddenly and without warning, the armored man Es turned, the full force of his gaze bearing down upon me. I had to stopper a grin, suppressing it deep within. The whole situation bordered on theical and absurd. Still obviously irked, he demanded, almost hissing, ¡°Your name¡­¡± he paused for a moment as if unsure. ¡°Copper ranker? I have not seen your face before.¡± Before I could give an answer, a wave of entropy brushed against the armored brute, causing runes on his armor to re in warning before dying down. ¡°And this? What is the meaning of this, pray tell?¡± he asked sarcastically, turning to the Necromancer. He had found his spoor again. This novel''s true home is a different tform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°As one has said, a minor ident has urred. One would advise you and your men leave us, for one can not guarantee their safety, Should you choose to interfere more. Rest assured, one will see to dealing with any lingering magical effects in good time,¡± he stated calmly, shooting me a look, heavy with meaning. ¡°And what exactly were you working on?¡± he continued stubbornly. A hint of worry threaded his voice as he cast nces at various points across the room. The dark master of magic looked at Es with reserved contempt. ¡°A magister¡¯s secret is his own, one is under no obligation to tell you the steps of one¡¯s path. You know full well that one has been given a broad remit to do as one likes here. One dares add, it is thanks to one¡¯s research that many of your brothers and sisters have been saved from crossing the River too soon,¡± Vincenzio replied haughtily. With a mocking smile, Es raised a hand,manding his men to begin a search. Initially undaunted by Vincenzio¡¯s warning, the group spread out to investigate. However, mere meters in, they entered my Entropic Aura and, much like what had happened with Es, the arcane sigils on their armor red. rmed by this unexpected reaction, they stopped in their tracks muttering with one another. Annoyed, their leader ordered them back and they quickly retreated to the entrance, wisely opting not to venture further into the Necromancer''s den. With an almost foolish slowness, I pulled the energy of my Entropic Aura inward, ending the spell and feeling an odd hollow feeling of regret. Why hadn''t I done this sooner? It struck me then. Casting the spell had be as natural, a reflexive action barely noticed. Like drawing breath, maintaining it, doubly so. Just as I was wrestling with this dread proposition, a notification shed across my sight distracting me. You have learned Entropic Aura (lvl.4) ¡°Little Vince, you will write a report and submit it before the day¡¯s end. Be sure to clear this mess up, this ce stinks enough as it is,¡± he almost spat in response. An admission of defeat. I pushed aside thest notification as he looked at me, almost as if imploring me to add something else. Vincenzio gave them all a stiff formal bow, a hair¡¯s breadth away from what would be considered to be polite. It was as good as an order of dismissal. Es of the Guild shot us both onest suspicious look before he left, nking back up the stairs with his men. Vincenzio and I remained in almost contemtive silence until we heard the final echo of their departure. Without realizing it, I had held my breath in the grip of tension, and only upon their departure did I let it go. It felt as if a heavy destiny or fate was bncing on the edge, teetering between one path and another. This day had been eventful indeed, a day that was still not over. The Necromancer drew himself up proudly to his full height. ¡°You know that one is a practitioner of the forbidden, and not just a simple purveyor of potions. You could have told them of one¡¯s secret there and then, one would have done so in your ce. Tell me why you chose otherwise,¡± he insisted. It made sense, at least, that ying about with the dead was taboo. I paused, closing my eyes for a moment before replying, "That would not serve my purpose." "Your purpose?" he said hollowly. "Perhaps the purpose of all men who have tasted the first fruit. What the gods call sin, but men such as us call enlightenment and knowledge. You asked me earlier if I feared the punishment of the heavens. No, I do not, because I am to be that very punishment upon the heavens," I dered, my words fueled by a heated, seething passion. A sense of divine purpose vibrated within me, infusing my heart with correct meaning and direction. All was right with the universe. "To achieve this, I am on a quest for knowledge. For knowledge is power, and it is with this power that I intend to tear down the heavens themselves," I stated loftily, my words ringing as if they were fresh-forged gospel. Wryly, I smiled at the sallow man. ¡°And I would have you know that I am considered somewhat of a schr in my homnd. I feel that there is much we can learn from one another.¡± The words held an echo of repetition for me. ¡°Arrogance and such hubris, though one can not say that one is not guilty of the same sin. Your lofty goals and weak attempts at poetic verse and philosophizing aside, why would one do so?¡± ¡°Is not the purpose of knowledge to be spread for the betterment of all?¡± was my musing response. ¡°Please spare me rote aphorisms and titudes¡­ let us speak in.¡± I smiled, feeling more confident. I was close, I could almost smell it. He had gone from enemies to somewhat cooperative. How quickly things could change. With an internal shrug, I also registered that I had recently grown a rather devil-may-care attitude that surprised even me. ¡°Yes, indeed. Lets. Have I not proven to not be your enemy? I seek a bargain with you. Knowledge for knowledge. And, I am in the belief that the scales at the moment are ever so slightly weighted in my favor. I am in the belief that we are not so different, you and I. Still, I would have you tell me why you call me a Visitor. I believe there is more meaning behind such a word,¡± I offered with aplomb. He looked at me in the way one would look at a roach that suddenly learned speech. Disgust and interest in equal measure.¡°Such florid speech for a Visitor. Like a child with a new toy, you y withnguage thus. Strangers, not of this world, that wear the flesh of men like one wears clothes. Bound to the will of the gods, they bring only torment and suffering to this world, ¡±. ¡°Forgive me then. It is how I spoke in my own world. But then again, it is said that one thinks and acts differently in any givennguage. Bound to the will of the gods you say, that sounds like a very tragic fate indeed,¡± was my response, in all seriousness. His expression remained the same as he offered a newment, ¡°And a Visitor you are. You have that look and feel about you. But, unlike the others, there is something different.¡± ¡°You would make a young maiden blush with such words. Different you say? You have encountered others?¡± I answered, attempting to lighten the mood. ¡°Your attempts at weak humor are not necessary. Indeed, encountered and ended, one has offered more than a few Visitors swift passage across the Shallow River,¡± was the pale man¡¯s boorish response. By his negative reaction, I must have failed an invisible check against my Charisma of sorts. Oh well, it was my lowest attribute so it was to be expected. More seriously now I asked him, ¡°Why? For what ends?¡± ¡°By what obligation does one have to exin my reasons to a stranger?¡± he rasped. The man was like a woman. Hot and cold, my patience was being worn away slowly but surely. ¡°Are we not to speak inly? I am indeed, as you say, a stranger, but one you know you can trust. Perhaps a Visitor as you call it. As another offering of trust, I will tell you of myself. I am from a different world, a world called the Earth.¡± ¡°A rather nd name for a world. Too nd to be anything but the truth. Then, yes you are a Visitor. A being summoned from another world for the Divines¡¯ inscrutable purpose. But not you. You are not, or it seems, themon sort of Visitor. What is different about you is that you seem to be in fullmand of your faculties. No thrall are you, and one would be able to detect the heavy mark of their yoke upon you. Perhaps, it is as you say, that you are free?¡± There was a hint of something else in his voice. Was that eagerness? ¡°A moment,¡± he ordered, a tentacle of bone flowing out of his robes to grasp an old tome from a shelf. The appendage plopped the hidebound text on a research counter in a small explosion of dust. ¡°One must not let hope undo caution. This is a holy text of Kaes-Loka, the god of hearth and herd of the steppe savages. Read from it and make a mock of it.¡± I frowned, his meaning escaping me for a moment. ¡°You wish for me to read a little from this text, and ridicule it? Just to make sure, of course,¡± I said, caught off-guard. ¡°Has one not stated it as such?¡± he replied tly, nodding at the old text. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Very well, then,¡± I eded. It was a small thing to humor the man. Little did I know that it would be the first request of many. He produced many more texts of various gods, making me mock their names and ridicule the wisdom upon the pages. Religion in this world, as it was in mine, was an institution built upon silly lies draped in the garment of fairy tales. However, enough was enough. After going through a veritable pantheon of gods, I decided that I had only endured enough. I had only put up with this as much as I had because I wanted answers. ¡°What more would you have me do? How many other gods must I curse?¡± I asked in a strained voice. ¡°What more must I prove?¡± The sallow and pale man rubbed his chin in thought. He bent down to rummage through a battered chest in the corner of the room. It creaked with the squeal that set my teeth on edge. After a few moments, his questing hand emerged, clutching a rough stone. Cracks ran across it and it held a sick and weak glow of stained yellow. ¡°ce your hand on this, it is a Binding Stone. Blessed Zajasite. Simr to what the Guild uses. Swear upon that you will not speak of our conversations,¡± he offered, holding out the stone in front of him. Shrugging and wanting to get this over with, I quickly took the stone¡­ no, snatched it really, in haste. ¡°I do swear to keep the confidence of Vincenzio Barbierri. Good enough?¡± I dered. There was a quiet pause, pregnant with the heavy air portent. Vincenzio looked as if he was shouting something at me, but he seemed so distant as if he was speaking through several panes of ss. Suddenly there was a shift, and a sense of vertigo overcame me. I felt as if I was lying down instead of standing. I could see nothing save for an inky ckness. Was I blind? In panic, I drew a heavy breath. There was something around my mouth, a pressure like a mask. Distantly I heard odd beeping noises and rhythmic mechanical hissing that grew and lessened in cycles. Then a cracking sound, like ice breaking under a heavy foot. Disorientated, I was standing again. More importantly, I was free from the ustrophobic dark. I could see once again, and before me was Vincenzio, looking to be muttering and nodding to himself. Incredulously, I took an involuntary step back. Yellow sand was siftingzily through my fingers. Sound slowly returned as I came back to the here and now. Disorientated, I could only croak stupidly, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°One does believe you are responsible for breaking an almost priceless artifact,¡± he replied, pointing with a bony digit at thest of the sand falling from my fingers. ¡°What the¡­ that was no fault of mine,¡± I stated in immediate denial. The man looked at me as if I represented a profound quandary. ¡°Indeed, perhaps it is so. It seems, within you, you possess the innate ability to defy the goddess of the twin des herself. That was, as one stated before, a Binding Stone. It ces a geas of sorts on a person who gives an oath freely. It seems that you are free of even divine constraints. Both a worrying and hopeful prospect,¡± he stated calmly. ¡°It gives weight to your im of being free from divine meddling.¡± ¡°Then do we have an ord?¡± ¡°Andpensation for the Stone? ¡°That was no fault of mine. The fault lies with you.¡± ¡°One had to try. Indeed it does, one grants you that. A small price to pay. Yes, we have an ord. For the Isurru Sutu, one means Beron¡¯s Dream, and other things. Consider this a downpayment of sorts,¡± he eded, producing some dog-eared and well-worn notes from within his robes. ¡°Your scroll?¡± The man almost seemed to bristle. ¡°We will discuss that another time. A magister¡¯s Manzaza is a personal thing. A heavy matter.Unclouded by recent events and emotion, one must think and reflect for a time.¡± ¡°Very well then¡­ another time. But when exactly?¡± was my reluctant reply. I wanted more information. And sooner, rather thanter. ¡°Word will be sent in good time. Where can one find you?¡± I pursed my lips, before giving my answer, ¡°The Begonia¡¯s Shade. Do you know of it?¡± ¡°Yes, one knows of it. We will speak soon and one will send for you. Now, it is best that you be off now. Es will likely return with hisckeys soon. It''s best if he finds only the straightforward truth that his simple mind can grasp," he exined. After a brief pause, the odd man offered me a suggestion in an almost conspiratorial tone, "It would be wise for you to continue ying the part of a humble adventurer. One will post some requests for some¡­ some odds and ends. It''ll provide us with a bit of cover for any future meetings." I nodded in agreement. ¡°So be it. Stay true to your word, and I will stay true to mine, Vincenzio.¡± Book 3: Chapter 36: Jealousy Book 3: Chapter 36: Jealousy The thorn in one¡¯s foot is of greater concern than the knife in another¡¯s guts. - A Quassian Aphorism. You have gained 1 Luck. Such simple words, bound with so much meaning. It was a hint, as strong as any, that I was on the right path. The universe itself was bending over backwards for me. Or a sign that I had avoided a most unfortunate oue. Regardless, my outlook remained optimistic. I''ve always been the type to see the ss as half full. Bounding up the stairs, sometimes two or three at a time, I was on the verge of whistling, my spirits high. Despite the unsettling and bewildering moment experienced upon touching the stone, I was, on the whole, quite pleased with myself. The game seemed to have presented me with what appeared to be a chain quest. Should I manage to see it through, the rewards promised to be significant. Already quite marily rewarding, I realized, thinking on the few valuable notes I received.. In a rather tangential, yet valuable, learning experience, the Necromancer''s impromptu experiment with various holy books had shed some light on the lore of this world. In particr, I had learned something about the various gods and divine beings who vied against one another. It proved to be quite enlightening, albeit a touch perilous at the outset. The whips of bone had been intimidating, though, I believe they served more of a distraction while the Necromancer prepared a more damaging spell. I would have to learn more tact in dealing with him in the future.Fortune, the fickle whore of gamblers, was favoring me. Climbing back to the ground floor, I scanned the area for a familiar face. A sudden tap on my shoulder caused me to whirl around in surprise. It was Zariyah, her expression a blend of mild concern and yfulness. I saw a veritable armory descending the stairs and feared you might have kicked over another ho''s nest, she chided, her brows knitting together in an endearingly worrisome way. ¡°Worry not, all is well,¡± I assured her with a grin, only causing her to look even more concerned. In truth, I wanted to lift her up and spin her around in joy. Only my reserve and society¡¯s expectations stopped me. It could, however, not stop the stupid smile that was spreading wider across my face. ¡°Hey,dy¡­ who¡¯s that?¡± interrupted a voice followed by some raucous cheers. The smile froze on my face, and my few moments of joy shattered like brittle ss. A group of typical adventurers, looking as if they had stepped off the pages of a poorly written fantasy novel, sat drinking around a table. Raising cups, mugs, and tankards in raucous joy, they were singing some awful-sounding ditty. A grimace stole over me, as a red-haired female of their group drunk from a helm, with a spastic grin on her face. I would have found the scene amusing were it not for weapons at their belts, or the ones leaning against the table. They would not take no for an answer, she shot at me guiltily. Was there a hint of a smile on her lips? Of course, there was. Secondster, she had rejoined this rag-tag group, all bright-eyed and in good cheer. I hade from a struggle, my life hanging in the bnce, as I defied the gods. Now I returned, only to find the person who was supposed to be waiting for me was instead partying with a bunch of lugger louts. ¡°Come over and finish your drink! But you don¡¯t have to bring your friend!¡± a handsome blonde man with chiseled clean-cut features shouted out in our direction. ¡°Just joking and yanking your chain! You can drink with us, but buy your own! You got to be a troublemaker like to have old Es after you so soon! An¡¯ let me tell you all of that time when I fought a Watcher, single-handed and the like,¡± he eximed, pping on the table with good cheer, ignoring the chorus of forced groans from his friends. ¡°Lay orf with that worn tale, Guy!¡± a dwarf grumbled good-naturedly with no real malice. Jealousy danced with my natural aversion for the likes of Guy. People were drawn naturally to types like those. Like butterflies to beautiful flowers. The perfect ones. The lucky ones. Put on a pedestal by those who sought to worship them and, high on their own poprity, they soon learn to get exactly what they want. Every now and again they would dole out a kind word or a small deed, and, like Mana from heaven, people licked it up. Men, and women, like Guy, reveled in the natural order of society that bent itself to serve their whims. Insufferable. Was I overthinking things? Guy reached for Zariyah, grabbing her. She put up only a token of resistance as heughed and deposited her on hisp. Hate, that irrational and constant friend, red hot and high. ¡°We were just leaving,¡± I delivered tly through gritted teeth. ¡°Come now¡­ you are in thepany of friends! We could all meet our end tomorrow. Best to live it now!¡± wheedled Guy, catching my eye in challenge as he bounced Zariyah on hisp. The girl coyly covered her mouth, stifling a silent giggle. The man knew exactly what he was doing. If it was not one thing, it was another. ¡°You know better than be a causing trouble again. Your silliness has been costing us our proper ce up the ranks¡­ stuck on Bronze for far too long because of the likes of you. Leave things be an¡¯ let her go, you moon-kissed loon,¡± warned the dwarf grumbling. Thank you master dwarf, I whispered to myself. Thank you. I took the time to look over the group, trying to ingrain their features upon my memory. The temptation to use Identify was there, but I was still leery of it since my encounter with the Necromancer. It would do me well also to keep in mind that not all conflict should be solved with the simplest of methods, though tempting it was. I weighed my options. A group of five, the first was the current object of my ire, the blonde man, Guy, in a heavy coat of chain. The redhead was wearing civilian clothing, a tight yellow-stained blouse, and a pair of garish loose blue trousers. Her clothes were stained, recently doused in fresh drink, and I could see the wet cloth clinging to a rather muscr frame. If I was in a generous mood I could have admitted she was vaguely attractive. The dwarf was ck of hair, a long braided beard trailing down past his portly waist. His demeanor, typical of his race, added a certain gravity to his presence. Even garbed in thick gray robes, I still noticed the telltale hints of armor underneath. The remaining three were enigmatic, their features somon it was challenging to remember them. Perhaps siblings, they shared the same dull brown hair, dull brown eyes, and average nondescript features. I found it hard tomit them to memory. Like the sotted redhead, they were in civilian attire, garbed in dull reds with the loose clothes of the local cut. ¡°Perhaps thedy wants to stay a bit longer?¡± ventured Guy, as he downed some more of his drink with his free hand. ¡°And perhaps you would like to make an enemy of a Magister of the Guild,¡± I tried to say, coolly, of course. Before he could splutter a response, the trio decided to add their opinions on the matter. ¡°We saw¡­¡± one of them started. ¡°¡­him go down,¡± continued another. ¡°Es not soon after¡­¡± said thest one. ¡°A stormcloud of anger is Es. Scary man,¡± the first againmented. ¡°Old man Es was thunder,¡± added the second one. ¡°This one is not afraid. We think he is a friend of the dark one. Do not press. Do not,¡± they begged together, atst, their voices in disturbing harmony. Though their speech was annoying and disjointed, I still couldn¡¯t help but sneer as they made my case for me. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Oh Aye, let it be, Guy. I¡¯ll treat yadter for a tumble and turn at the best house in the Flower Quarter. S¡¯not worth it mate,¡± rumbled thepanion dwarf in warning. ¡°That is rather an insult to thedy,paring her lovelypany to amon whore. We have just met, but I certainly must say I feel a certain something for this one. The eyes are of an enchanting shade,¡± he drawled, tracing a line down her inner thigh. As his fingers sought their destination, she met my gaze with a challenging look that was most irksome. A provocative, coy smile then yed across her lips, acting like a matador''s g taunting a bull. It was clear. She was goading me, daring me to react. The woman was enjoying this. Making eye contact with me, he pantomimed a whisper loud enough for all to hear, ¡°Like the taste of something forbidden. This one doesn¡¯t make a sound. Sets the imagination on fire.¡± Faux shock yed with girlish shyness on Zariyah¡¯s features. ¡°Bit of a challenge to make this one scream. I can see why some develop a taste for the crimson sluts,¡± Guy guffawed, showing some of his true colors. The girl visibly stiffened in real shock. She had not expected this. Zariyah overyed her hand, I noted to myself with a small sense of satisfaction. My face colored with held-back rage. Despite the clear childishness on her part, he had said too much. Too much. Provocation or not, it had been a long time since I felt anger for someone other than myself. My vision narrowed to just epass Guy, and Zariyah was feebly struggling to escape his grasp. I could feel myself preparing for a fight. Anger rose in a flood. It was toote, the dam would burst. But I was saved. ¡°Stop messing around like children in the yard,¡±manded someone from behind me. A voice that cut through the hubbub. A voice I knew. I turned around slowly, taking in the presence of my savior. It was the intimidating Es, with a jovial smile on his face that was at odds with the fearsome garb of his profession. In the presence of greater power, Guy visibly shrank, pushing away Zariyah as if she were made of hot coals. ¡°Just a bit of fun Es, no need for any¡­¡± he started in exnation, the waver in his voice betraying his cowardice. Zariyah¡¯s desultory re at Guy was confirmation enough for Es. How many victims, I wondered, had fallen prey to Guy¡¯s ¡®little bit of fun.¡¯ That was the problem withing to a world, ce, or time, as socially and culturally backward as this one. I offered Es a quick spoken thanks, focusing more on my formal bow, palms pressed to the back of my head. He epted it with a small professional nod, before walking off to whatever it was that he needed to do. Despite all of this, a part of me could not help but feel that I had been betrayed in some manner or another. A sneaking shard of negativity that wormed its way through the emotional cracks as I thought about it more. Guy was muttering in his cup, his attention now focused on the Es¡¯ retreating form. I took Zariyah by the hand, escorting her out of the Guild and into the still-bright afternoon sun. The heat was almost palpable, the shimmering air above the hot stones of the courtyard evidence of the fact. The red-eyed girl shot me a dirty nce, realizing our hands were still sped. Without thinking, I offered an apology. I thought I asked you not to touch me like that in public, I''ve tolerated unwanted advances for too long, she stated clearly with her hands before crossing her arms. I sighed inwardly, seeing where this was headed as I studied her stance and expression. Even at my young age, I understood enough about women to recognize the signs. The girl was gearing up for a verbal skirmish. Preparing myself, I decided that a preemptive approach was the best strategy for handling the situation. Still, pathetic as it was, I was hurt. Her words, silent though they were, rung loud enough to cut through to the truth of the matter. I remembered her initial hidden smile with Guy, the way she had looked at him. The spark of simple attraction. I had been blind until I had been presented with aparison. It was a rejection of me, just another thing I had to cope with. Another raw deal. More than that, she had thought to use me for whatever fickle reason she had. For fun, if anything else, was my best guess. ¡°Thank you for today. I can make my own way back,¡± I said frostily. It did me no good to be led around the nose by a woman. One needed detachment. Is that so? You would have an unmarried woman walk home unescorted, she told me, her hands indignant in their motion. ¡°It is a new age for personal liberty and the ountability thates with it,¡± I snorted. The words felt hollow even as they left my mouth, nothing more than broken wind. You are trying to punish me, then. So be it, her hands stated as she sniffed at me. Turning her back to me, she unfurled her new parasol and crossed the courtyard. A part of me almost expected her to throw the gift in my face. But, she was thicker-skinned than I gave her credit for, I realized as I watched her make her escape from me. ***** I wandered aimlessly, my feet moving with the flow of the street traffic as I delved into memories of the past. Unlike positive ones, negative memories had a way of resurfacing and consuming us. It was as if humans had a masochistic tendency to dwell on their own pain, like picking at a scab, unable to resist revisiting moments of turmoil and sorrow, again and again. And, I was no different, it seemed. Still human, the emotional core of me, at least. It waste afternoon and the sun was losing its battle against the creeping encroachment of the evening. The usual bustle of the city had quieted down, leaving the air feeling stale and listless. The scents of incense and spice, once almost omnipresent, had vanished, leaving behind only the pervasive stench of densely packed humanity. The architecture here bore the marks of neglect, a stark contrast to the more affluent areas. Buildings, dpidated and worn, showed the scars of time and misuse. I saw a once grand structure, now defaced with graffiti scrawled across its grimy walls. An industrious vandal had even climbed up to deface the friezes'' carved faces. To make matters worse, an old beggar had chosen the building''s side to relieve himself. This quarter of Al-Lazary steeped in poverty, a sharp departure from the city''s general opulence. Despite being far from where I believed I should be, a curious, almost voyeuristic impulse drove me to explore deeper. For reasons I could not quite articte, there was a sense of safety here, as if, in a twisted way, this ce felt more genuine to me than anything else in this fantastical realm. Witnessing humanity at its lowest somehow lent this ce an air of authenticity. As I ventured further, the scene grew more dismal. The people here were destitute, devoid of hope, resembling walking corpses with lifeless eyes,cking even the will to beg. From descriptions I had heard, they were, for the most part, Dust addicts. Their eyes were hollow and lost to an old dream. I had expected violence in this rougher part of town, but two desperate-looking thugs saw the dried blood on my clothes, the de at my waist, and thought better of it. Two feral dogs snarled and tussled over what I initially mistook for rotten meat, only to discover it was a human limb. Grim realization hit me hard. This quarter must serve as the city''s dumping ground for human refuse. The invisible and unwanted of society. Then why did I continue to stay? Why did I choose to explore further of my own volition? Was it because I wanted to believe? Surely this ce, no matter how authentic in its depiction, was ultimately a facade. Realityy elsewhere. "Please, sir," a high-pitched voice interrupted from behind, breaking me away from these depressive thoughts. I started to turn, pausing for a moment as an inexplicable hesitation seized me. It was as though I stood at destiny''s crossroads, with the sense that my impending decision would significantly shape the unfolding narrative. The moment carried the unmistakable aura of a pivotal, perhaps scripted, event. The owner of the voice was a small grubby child, dangerously thin. Her hair cascaded in loose tangles of dull gold without luster, framing a visage marked by the rigors of want. d in the merest of rags, her form seemed more a wraith than that of a child''s, a specter of deprivation. "Good mister ser, a trifle for my mother, ill and in dire need," implored the waif, her voice a whisper, but sounding as if a cacophony. Ignore her, a voice, one of many within, warned. At worst, this is a lie, a trap, if nothing else. At best her mother is a Dust addict who deserves her fate. A harsh sentence, indeed, yet within her counsely a kernel of wisdom, bitter though it was. I looked once again at the child. Truly seeing her. Her eyes, deep pools of liquid brown, held the weight of a life unkind. In the depth of their hollow gaze, I saw an honest entreaty. ¡°This day has been long and you entreat powers beyond yourprehension, little girl. What led you to me? I am the end of oblivion itself,¡± I answered in a hollow voice that was not quite mine. ''You alright? You sure talk funny, mister ser. So, you can help, right?'' she persisted, extending her hand towards me. Here, in the heart of urban misery, I found nopelling reason to aid her. Absolutely none. Despite having grown in power, the motivations that spurred me on seemed shallow, the kind that only a naive youth might harbor. Was it to impress someone? To overpower obstacles? To prove a point? Saving her mother might seem inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. Yet, considering life''s inherent meaninglessness, sumbing to nihilism was not the solution. Could not be the solution. True power was not just the ability to vanquish foes but also the grace to save. To spare and shelter those whom I chose. Ultimately, it represented the freedom to make choices. Even in a world that might be nothing more than an intricate digital illusion, the decisions I made still shaped me. My thoughts shaded everything. What I chose to do colored my path. With this conclusion, I felt something change, like the click of a lock falling into ce or the first turning of the hand of a once broken clock. ¡°You have my attention. Take me to this mother of yours. My hand shall save,¡± I dered with bold confidence. The beggar girl could only look at me with total surprise, her eyes widening to a ridiculous degree with newfound hope. ¡°First though, what is your name child? And be quick about it. I do not have all day,¡± I requested, lowering myself to one knee to her level. ¡°Theo,¡± she responded nervously. Uncertaintyced in her voice and her eyes grew big as teacups. ¡°Very well, Theo,¡± I said in all seriousness as I took her small, grubby hand in mine. Her eyes managed to widen even further, her mouth shaping into a perfect ''O'' of surprise. Notes; Theophania Miller - Beggar (Human lvl.6) Health: 22/33 Stamina: 12/16 Mana: 10/10 Book 3: Chapter 37: Mercy Book 3: Chapter 37: Mercy The closing pages of a courtesan¡¯s are that of a withering flower. Beautiful color and fragrance are forever soon lost, with nobody caring to spare the once subtle bloom a second nce. For youth flies as fast as the fleeting clouds, and fortune passes without lingering. - The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 AC. Together, the little girl and I ventured into what seemed like abyrinthine warren, popted by a neglected segment of humanity. The buildings and streets we navigated resembled the decaying ruins of a fallen civilization rather than a part of the city where people lived. Along the way, we encountered many suffering the harsh vicissitudes of human existence. Some were blind or missing limbs, others visibly ill, and many appeared to be dead or dying. Those who were rtively hale and whole of body, like Theo, looked haunted. They carried in their eyes a weight of suffering that made me feel guilty just looking at them. I questioned why anyone would choose to be here. However, as I thought upon the manner, and ignored a few more entreaties for help, I realized that it was a foolish question. Choice had little to do with their current predicament. Rather, it was the harsh hand of fortune and circumstance that had corralled them into this forgotten corner of the city. As I waded up to my knees in the mire of these depressive thoughts, I sensed a shift in the atmosphere of the ce. Were this a forest, the sudden silence of birds and insects would have signaled the presence of a predator. I felt that same primal warning here, a sense of danger in the air. Then came a muffled cry from some distant alley. This was quickly stifled, but soon followed by another. I paused, the hackles on my neck rising as another scream came, this time closer, then another. It had the feeling of a bitter harvest, and each cry sent a shiver down my spine. Something was approaching. Where were the cries of rm? Were the people here so meek that they would just ept their fate? The streets were full of debris, human and otherwise. One could not travel them at such speeds unless¡­ A thought intruded upon me, prey hardly looked upward. I searched around, scanning upwards for the source of my disquiet. A tile fell from a nearby rooftop, smashing into fragments on the street. A heartbeatter, a slender figure, d in funereal ck leaped from what must have been three stories. Masked, long hair tied in a braid whipped behind this new mystery like a snake as itnded in front of me with almost inhuman grace.Damnit, another fight, I thought to myself as the figure leaped at me, in attack. No, not at me, I realized. It was little Theo who was in danger. The dastardly thing was targeting the weakest first. Instinctively, I positioned myself between her and the threat. The mysterious attacker¡¯s fists, encased in spiked gauntlets, hurtled toward me with sudden velocity. Reflexively, a web of worm-like threads knitted together to form my Mimic shield, my primary defense. The Mimic intercepted a heavy punch, but that was not without cost. Bits of the Mimic¡¯s false wood and metal exterior were sheared off by the blow and its Health dropped significantly. What''s more, these fragments soon melted into a grayish goo. Stone sizzled and hissed where this matter met the stone of the pavement. A few drops found themselves on my opponent''s upper arm, melting ck cloth to reveal a fine dark silver mesh beneath. Suddenly, with my shield obstructing my view, I lost sight of my assant and found myself swept off my feet, crashing to the hard stone ground. She had taken my legs from under me with a sweeping blow and was even now spinning into thebination''s next move. Reflex, or perhaps the Dodge skill, made me immediately roll to my left as a heel came crashing down that would have smashed my skull. By some miracle, I was able to rise lightly to my feet in the same motion. My attacker had the air of someone who was performing a necessary, but unwee, task. No battle cry or challenge came forth. The blows kept oning, but there was no anger or emotion behind the strikes. He, or she, just seemed to be, almost ying with me. Drawing the dagger at my side, I tried to weave in a few attacks of my own, but my small de found only air. With the fluid movements, my attacker dodged the sharp edge of my weapon and delivered a rising kick that snapped my head back, jarring my brain. She flipped away, leaving me staggering as my vision blurred momentarily. ¡°You should be dead,¡± remarked my attacker in a t feminine voice. A woman then. Of course, it would be. I would be taking no joy in this. I wiped some blood off my chin, grinning to myself as I felt the wound already starting to slowly close. ¡°It speaks,¡± I spat back. Thatst attack, in truth, had been dangerous, taking off about forty points of my Health. Unluckily for her, my Health was already slowly recovering and my Mana was basically full. Stamina, too, was also just over three-quarters. If this became a battle of attrition, my victory would be all but certain. I had a feeling that this represented something deeper, but I had to deal with the here and now. To add to my problems, my Mimic¡¯s Health had been worn down to just a little over half. All the while, Theo looked on, stock still, gobsmacked and helpless at our exchange. I was tempted to warn her to run, but that would make finding herter difficult. Another chore I did not need. It was time to stack the deck in my favor. She must have noticed something different about me and I could not help but to let a smirk make its way across my face. I called Entropic Aura to me and the magic red to life with a great pulse. Waves of it emanated off me and I could feel the dark echo that was the mark of my magic. Caution now colored the mysterious figure''s stance. Rust, too, heeded my call, the sibnt spell forming itself before I sent it out at the masked woman. Almost simultaneously with the spell''spletion, she lunged at me again. The silver on the exposed part of her arm momentarily glimmered as vines of ck lightning from the spell attempted to corrode the metal. Even emboldened by my Entropic Aura, the spell could find no soil to take root. Utterly confounded by this failure, I was left with no choice but to endure the subsequent barrage of blows that steadily depleted my Health. As the spell withered and faded away, my surprise and dismay impaired my responses. I had been certain the spell would have sealed her doom. A heavy blownded, an open palm strike of all things, that smashed against my sternum and caused my heart to skip a beat. Tasting the copper-iron of blood, a system message obnoxiously popped up, which I soon dismissed, as my Health dropped even further. Almost as if in response, my Mimic shield smashed itself against her side, causing her to let out a grunt of pain. Still disoriented, I employed Dash and managed to put some distance between us. A part of me seethed at the realization that I was being bested in closebat. My opponent was swift, significantly faster than me, even without the encumbrance of my armor. My mind raced. Unlike the others I had encountered up to this point, she posed a genuine threat. Then, something whizzed past me, twin slivers of metal going in the general direction of the woman. However, I heard only the sound of metal scraping and careening off stone. Was I saved? Or did I face yet another foe? Distracted, I looked to find the source of the flying metal but found only an empty alley behind me. When I turned around again, ready to re-engage, my mysterious enemy had disappeared. Where had my attacker, or attackers, gone? I continued scanning around as I cast Heal on myself, cursing the seconds it took toplete as I ignored its holy song of purity. With My health more or less restored, I searched for her,unching a few Identifies in random directions, but only received useless exnations for buildings and old rubbish. Cursing to myself, I gathered up an unresisting Theo and quickly left. ***** We ran for a few minutes before continuing at a controlled ambling pace. To go at a run in a ce such as this would be inviting trouble. Predators had a habit of being drawn to running prey and it would draw attention to us. Though the encounter with the hateful woman had yielded few gains in experience, I had received a point in Constitution for surviving what probably were two near-fatal blows. Who would have known? Perhaps I had made a mistake in focusing on just being able to absorb damage. All it meant was that I would just die slower, I thought bitterly. I resolved to invest some points in some of the more offensive attributes on my next level up. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Eventually, we reached what a somewhat shaken Theo referred to as home. It was a makeshift structure, cobbled together from random pieces of wood and assorted debris, barely resembling a lean-to shack. ¡°So¡­ thanks for earlier mister ser. For saving me! That was a fight like the stories!¡± the small girl piped. She continued to bber on for a bit in incredulous thanks, but I simply nodded in return. I wanted this day over with. ¡°Before I go in, who, or what, was that?¡± I breathed. ¡°That¡¯s prolly the Monster¡­ they say you don¡¯t see her and get to live,¡± she answered fearfully. I could even hear the distinct capitalization. ¡°Say, like, it kills the unfortunate. Some folk ¡®round here have been calling it Mercy on because that it¡¯s like a mercy if you¡­ or something.¡± ¡°If that was Mercy¡­ then I am Justice,¡± I proimed, trying tofort her. Even as the words left my lips, I couldn¡¯t help but cringe. Very off-brand. Oddly, I sort of felt responsible for her and though the words were in half-jest, they felt sort of right. Something approved. The shelter seemed precarious, as if it might copse at any moment. Yet, when little Theo pulled aside a piece of cloth that served as the door, she gestured grandly for me to enter, her smile beaming with misced pride. ¡°Theo¡­¡± a woman¡¯s weak voice called from within. ¡°I brought help, Mama,¡± the little girl offered back. Thest dregs of an early evening¡¯s sun filtered through the many holes and cracks of the shelter, creating a sort of half-gloom. The stench of disease, stewed for too long, hung in the air like the notes of an overyed song. Lying on the pallet was a woman ravaged by what I assumed to be disease. I drew a sharp breath in disgust. Sores and pustules ran across her arms and face, and her eyes were rheumy and almost unseeing. Seeing my reaction, she smiled sadly. For all of her disfigurements, when she smiled I saw the clear familial resemnce to Theo. The woman lifted an arm, pointing to their collection of meager things. ¡°Theophania, remember¡­ your manners, give our¡­ guest some water at least,¡± she said faintly, a hint of stern iron in her voice. I saw in her the pride of the poor. ¡°Yes, Mama!¡± Theophania eximed, whizzing off happily. In almost record time she produced a dirty and chipped cup and a vase full of dubious water. With a certain seriousness, Theo poured water into the cup as if it were the finest of wines. When she finished, she bowed in a courtly manner and offered me the cup. The moves were rehearsed, like a stage y. ¡°My thanks to you for your hospitality,¡± I replied in turn, giving her a curt nod. In the formal way, I held the cup in both hands and raised it to my lips, pretending to drink from it. ¡°Leave¡­ us now, Theo. Keep a lookout in case the bad mene. The gentleman¡­ and I have things¡­ we must discuss,¡± the sick womanmanded. With onest curious look shot in my direction, she parted the cloth of the entrance and left their humble abode. ¡°Thank you¡­ stranger. My name is Elenora¡­ to whom do I speak?¡± she managed to get out, before she was overtaken by a fit of coughing. ¡°Gilgamesh is my name in thesends,¡± was my reply. Automatically, I sat down by her crude pallet to better hear her words. ¡°Your answer¡­ leads to more questions. A man of mystery. But¡­ I am growing tired. There is some money over there,¡± she pointed weakly at the corner. ¡°Not a lot¡­ but enough to see for my funeral rites. You have a look about you¡­¡± she paused, drawing a weak breath. ¡° I did not actually think that Theo would seed in finding someone willing to help. I had sent her off to find Mercy so I could be alone while I took poison. An end for both of us. We are a pitiable pair. Me, most of all, for being a coward and clinging onto this worthless life. But perhaps something can be saved from our failure. Ah, a Copper badge, you must be an Adventurer, yes?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. And you, you are a sick creature to send a child off like that.¡± She avoided my eyes, instead focusing on my badge. ¡°Who are you to judge me? That badge proims that you have killed, too, like Mercy. Every day I have prayed for deliverance. Then I¡­ ask you¡­ please end my life,¡± she pleaded. ¡°Are you sure that is your wish?¡± came my frank response. Temptation clouded my mind as my hands sought to wring out what little life was left in her, just for the experience. It was not every day that something was served up to me, meager though it might be. A twisted part of me even whispered that it would be rude not to ept. Also, it would be a form of justice for Theo. I shook my head in denial. ¡°Please¡­ Ick the strength to take even my own life,¡± she rasped, before another round of coughing overcame her. I felt angry. Anger at myself. Anger at the world. ¡°My hand will save,¡± was my stern response. In an almost sympathetic reaction, Entropic Aura burst out of me, uncontrolled. It was toote to hold it back, and I wished to experiment. It was as unstoppable as the urge thatpels someone to throw a stone into a calm pond, just to witness the disruption¡ªthe expanding ripples, the aftermath. What would happen if light intertwined with darkness? Imenced the Greater Heal spell, feeling its threads resist my call as though coerced. The pure melody of righteousness emerged. Chords of light shed with the waves of gray and funereal ck. Strands of gold managed to interweave, morphing into a new liquid bronze. The normally vibrant auric gold faded, bing as muted as the evening¡¯s light. As if inint, the textures of the world failed to load properly, morphing into strange shapes and anomalies. My vision glitched as the world turned monochrome before color returned. Was this spell bugging out the world? An error that could be exploited? For a brief moment, I believed I was on the brink of uncovering an irreverent and unholy truth. However, that insight slipped away as the spell took effect on the woman. The flesh of her body filled out as vitality flowed into her. Emaciated, skeletal limbs grew healthy and whole. The sunken areas of her face filled in, vanishing right before my eyes. Her hair and eyes shimmered with renewed vitality as magic, not quite of this world, ran rampant through her. More Mana was taken from me, sapping my strength and vitality. Far more than was normal for the spell, and my Mana dipped into the single digits. More worryingly, my Stamina, alongside my Mana, was being drained at a prodigious rate. Time itself seemed to halt and then rewind, smoothing out the traces of its passage. Yet, where her illness had marked her, an unusual phenomenon urred. The sores and cankers seared into her skin, forming intricate patterns that shifted with each pulse of entropy. Eventually, like all things must, the spell reached its conclusion, The woman before me gave a gasp of renewed breath as surprise and wonder filled the hollow ces of her soul. "That was the healing of the great temples¡­ only those sanctified by the gods themselves can perform such acts after being supplied with sufficient offerings¡­¡± she uttered in a tone now that was a surprisingly deep and pleasant timbre. Her next words sounded hollow, the echo of spent emotion. ¡°Only those sanctified by the gods themselves can perform such acts...,¡± she said, her voice imbued with disbelief. ¡°I would not have expected it... especially not here, of all ces. To think that hesitation and cowardice saved my life.¡± The woman¡¯s gaze wandered, searching, until a decision was reached. With a nod to herself, she cast aside the rags serving as her bed and rose, d only in her scant undergarments. Despite regaining her health, Elenora''s figure was slightly thinner than I preferred. However, even with the smudges of dirt on her skin, her attractiveness was undeniable. Her doe eyes met mine, challenging, as she asked for her clothes with amanding yet unfazed tone. ¡°Could you pass me those?¡± she requested archly, smiling knowingly at me and pointing at the pile of only slightly better attire. Blushing, I found myself caught in her momentum and Iplied. After passing her the clothes, I turned around. Shortly after, Theophania burst into the room, radiating joy, and leaped into her mother''s arms. They embraced, breaking the spell Elenora had cast over me with her presence. ¡°You''re walking again! You look nice! Everything can be like it was before! I just knew it!!¡± the happy girl said, bouncing in her mother¡¯s arms. ¡°No bad men this time, of course!¡± she added as an afterthought. ¡°Oh, Theo, I''m so, so sorry,¡± she whispered over and over, tenderly stroking her daughter''s hair. Tears welled in her eyes, a tumultuous blend of guilt, happiness, joy, and sorrow stirring within her. ¡°Why are you sorry, Ele? I did just fine, right?" Theo asked, confusion evident in her eyes. ¡°You did more than fine,¡± she paused, her voice almost breaking. ¡°You are the best thing that has ever happened to me,¡± she replied, embracing Theo fiercely. A cynical part of me had the feeling that those words were for more to her own doubts than anything else. ¡°And you, Master Gilgamesh¡­¡± she paused, sampling the unfamiliar sound. ¡°You, you have my heartfelt thanks. I will always be indebted to you,¡± she stated bluntly, disentangling herself from her daughter and wiping away her tears. She looked away, hissing almost through her teeth before shaking her head. Looking at me imploringly she added, ¡°I have nothing to offer you. Yet, I must ask for more help, shamelessly so.¡± ¡°Please, help me and my daughter. We cannot stay here any longer. I prayed for only death, and you appeared. There must be some meaning in that. Perhaps, I am being rewarded for a past life more virtuously lived than this one,'' she half-mused, looking away momentarily before her gaze returned, filled with steely resolve. ''If you leave us now, we will only die here. Your gracious actions will have been nothing more than a stay of execution. Please, help us. I beg of you. I feel that there is a link between you and I,¡± she begged, bowing deeply and guiding her daughter to do the same with her free hand. I did not need this responsibility. There was no benefit for me. Silent, I waited, almost expecting the world to signal a new quest to provide justification for what my conscience impelled me to do. No such sign came. Yet, despite all of this, my mouth formed the next words as naturally as breathing, ¡°Very well.¡± The answer had with it an air of finality that served to irk me no end. ¡°A thousand thanks, samasa,¡± came Elenora¡¯s reply, which was echoed shortly after by her daughter. ¡°You are also too trusting¡­ what if I am some kind of monster seeking to take advantage of you?¡± ¡°Take advantage of someone who has nothing? I do not think that would be the question a monster would be asking. Besides, if you wanted to kill us or have your way with us there was, and is, nothing stopping you,¡± she replied blithely. Joy beamed about Theo¡¯s face for salvation found, a path out of this mire. Book 3: Chapter 38: Save Point Book 3: Chapter 38: Save Point Fearing the things that are alien to us is a sign of our insignificance. - The Human Question by Gideon de Svia 378 AC. Thankfully, extricating ourselves out of the dump was rtively simple and uneventful. ording to Elenora and Theo, their former home was ironically called the Silk Quarter. Alzar had fought back the encroachment of night with a host of artificial lights, both magical and mundane. The mark of a higher civilization. The Dome of Bing, the tallest monument, glowed almost as brightly, its majesty barely challenged. Not so for the poor Silk Quarter, for their night hadnded truly, causing me to be cautious almost to the extreme. I was fearful, not for myself, but for my charges. Every shadow held a potential threat, every wayward nce in our direction a warning. It was like one of those hated escort quests that had always annoyed me. I tried badgering Theo¡¯s mother about their past, but for the most part, I had received only evasive answers. Not wanting to be rude, I decided not to push further. Theophania, on the other hand, was a never-ending stream of questions, her curiosity seemingly unaffected by the day''s earlier dangers. More oddly, I found that Elenora had forbidden Theo from calling her mother. When pressed, she simply stated that it made her feel old. We arrived tired and bedraggled at the Begonia¡¯s Shade. The day had been long and hard, anding back here gave me a certain sense of closure. As if this inn acted as a central hub where I could save my game and so forth. It was a shame that I could not save the game. The first sight to greet me was that of Kidu in themon room, hisrge presence drawing the eye. Unlike the barbarian I expected him to be, I saw him eating delicately at his meal with the correct utensils. Larynda, sitting next to him, was devouring a side of mutton in a manner more fitting of my initial expectations of the northern savage, creating a striking contrast. Today was full of surprises. And of Elwin, there was still no sign. The man could be a ghost at times. ¡°Gilgamesh of Uruk! You look like you were in a fight with something out of the storm. And lost,¡± Kidumented,ughing between mouthfuls. I responded with a dry, ¡°Thank you, as always,¡± while the pair behind me offered polite bows. Naira, the innkeeper, approached after attending to another table, her gaze assessing. ¡°I presume a bath is in order? I¡¯ll prepare the room and water for,¡± her eyes briefly settled on Elenora and her daughter before returning to me, ¡°three.¡± ¡°That would be perfect, along with a change of clothes for me. My harness and gambeson?¡± ¡°Ready in two days. Tomorrow evening, if he does not drink this evening.¡± A pleasant surprise, if not a curious answer. ¡°Very good. And, of course, the Lady Zariyah?¡± Amused by the title, Naira smiled. ¡°Thedy is in my room, resting. She mentioned that today''s excitement was too much. It seems too much excitement can unsettle both heart and soul.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more. These are Theophania and her mother, Elenora. For now, could you please attend to their needs?¡± ***** After giving the smiling serving girl Ninurta the remains of my bloodstained and torn clothing outside the inn¡¯s baths, I informed her that I would be taking my evening meal in my room. I was able to enjoy a moment of peace, free from violence. Taking a moment to unwind, I looked over my body and tested it, moving my limbs and testing their range and movement. Miraculously, it seemed my magic had prevented anysting damage. There was a fleeting concern about potential internal injuries, but it quickly dissipated, likely a mere shadow cast by the stress I had endured, washed away by the warmth of the water. Dressing in clean clothes afterward felt extraordinarily luxurious, a simple pleasure magnified by the day''s trials. Going to my room, I made sure to put on my sword, fashion and convenience be damned. I just sat on the edge of my bed and reviewed my character sheet. [STATUS] Calling: Gilgamesh lvl.14 Pdin/Reaver Strength: 32 Dexterity: 26 Constitution: 47 Intelligence: 25 Wisdom: 22 Charisma: 16 Luck: 24 Entropic Mimic [Creature of Entropy - lvl.25] Health: 387/537 Stamina: 26/65 Mana: 1/1 Adaptive Defense (lvl.2) Shield Form (lvl.2) SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Pain Nullification (lvl.3) Power Strike (lvl.4) 10 Endure (lvl.5) Stealth (lvl.2) Rest (lvl.4) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.3) Dual Wield (lvl.2) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.4) Improved Unarmed Combat (lvl.1) Hammers (lvl.4) ils (lvl.3) Maces (lvl.3) Shields (lvl.3) Medium Armour (lvl.4) Improved Heavy Armour (lvl.1) Axes (lvl.2) Daggers (lvl.4) Throwing Weapons (lvl.2) Double Throw (lvl.1) 5 Shield Bash (lvl.2) 10 Riding (lvl.2) Dash (lvl.1) 10 Swords (lvl.3) Crossbows (lvl.4) Blind-Fighting (lvl.2) Rush Strike (lvl.1) 20 Tracking (lvl.1) Trap Detection (lvl.1) Frenzied Strikes (lvl.2) 30 Monster Taming (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.5) 5 Rust (lvl.4) 2 Identify (lvl.3) 1 Silent Casting (lvl.2) Mana Regeneration (lvl.2) Purify (lvl.2) 3 Greater Heal (lvl.2) 10 Holy Aura (lvl.3) 2 Decay (lvl.1) 1 Drain (lvl.5) 2 Entropic Aura (lvl.3) 2 Inferno Bolts (lvl.2) 2 GIFTS Curse of Entropy: -20% to all starting attributes. Mark of the Pdin: 10% resistance to Dark/Holy magic. 5% resistance to Physical. Touch of the Void: 10% reduced resistance to Holy/Fire magic, 20% resistance to Mental Effects, 15% immunity to Mental Effects. Mark of the Adaptive Helix: 5% resistance to Physical, Minor Regeneration. Experience to next level 208/1283 Health: 404/441 Stamina: 42/76 Mana: 4/18 A few points of experience frombat and four points of ¡®organic¡¯ attribute gains were not a bad haul for a single day. Still, it was notmensurate to the amount of effort I had exerted, nor the suffering I had to go through body and mind. Didn¡¯t games like this tend to have a reverse difficulty curve? Weren¡¯t things meant to get easier as I progressed? I thought I had a solid build¡­ More interestingly, my Mimic had grown along with me, as it had gained a level with the subsequent increase in attributes. Also, its skills had risen which meant that, like me, it experienced organic growth. There was a small knock on the door. ¡°Sir, your meal,¡± came Ninurta¡¯s small voice. ¡°Come in,¡± I replied brusquely and she opened the door. A smell of curried meat wafted in with the serving girl and my eyes feasted on the evening meal. Until then, I had not realized just exactly how hungry I was. Along with the meal, Elwin sauntered in with a look somewhere between knowing amusement and genuine worry. ¡°You were up to a lot today. Mind if I join you for a bite or two?¡± I took a small breath before fixing a polite expression. ¡°Not at all. Ninurta, if you please, a little more food and wine for my guest.¡± ¡°As you wish, samasa,¡± the girl answered seriously, skittering out of the room after cing down the meal and drinks on the low table of the room. ¡°The big man seems to be enjoying real civilization, can¡¯t me him for it. Been a long hard trip on the road with not really much in the way of anything. We should all have a talk, jus¡¯ the three of us, you know. The original crew that fate has taken down this merry road,¡± he exined casually, shrugging his shoulders. I looked him over, searching for anything casual observation might have missed. ¡°Are you in a maudlin mood, Elwin, or is there something else you wish to say?¡± I asked, not much in the mood for anything. Company, even Elwin¡¯spany, might be a betterpanion than stewing myself in my own thoughts. ¡°Now¡­ let me just get a quick sip. Throat¡¯s mighty parched as I¡¯ve heard that a certain someone has been busy in the great city of Al-Lazar,¡± he replied saucily before sitting down cross-legged on the carpet. Wishing he would just get to it, I nheless joined him. Not that I had much choice. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Picking fights with the furries. Oh, and consorting with probably practitioners of the dark arts, more picking fights, saving some random women in the slums from the depths of poverty for no reason, and you guessed it¡­ more fights. Thest one, by the look of it, she would have had you if I didn¡¯t put my best foot forward. Took me ages to find my des after that¡­ Yes, you can thank the magnificent Elwin for that. Took one good look at me and thought better of it!¡± he answered smugly, helping himself to some of my evening repast. ¡°Cowards that prey on the weak and vulnerable often turn tail at the first sign of real resistance,¡± I remarked blithely, cracking my neck. Curried meat of unknown originsy before me on a bed of saffron-yellow rice. The aroma of it tantalized me, coaxing a fresh hunger to gnaw at my belly. A part of me suddenly regretted allowing Elwin to join me, as I sat down cross-legged, opposite him. ¡°Right random it all is. Pretty long list for a day¡¯s activities. Wonder where you find the time for it all? And why for that matter,¡± hemented between mouthfuls. Taking a moment to savor the first bite of the meal, I idled in my response. How had he known? Perhaps he had spoken with Zariyah and Elenora, but hisstments suggested that he had witnessed things firsthand. ¡°You followed me?¡± ¡°That I did. ¡®I saw that savage animal start it, I did!¡¯ sound familiar? Always got your back I do! And, I can tell you, it seems that I have not lost my touch. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re worthy of respect or just in stupid at times. What¡¯s the word the big man always uses, god-touched right?¡± ¡°That was all you then¡­¡± I replied a little sourly. Still, I was in no mood to chastise anyone and still a little mentally exhausted. ¡°If you want to help, just make it a bit more obvious next time. ¡°So?¡± he insisted, gesturing with his hands for me to exin. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Why you do it? All of that?¡± he insisted again. ¡°Because it felt like the right thing to do? Do I need any other reasons?¡± was my arch reply. ¡°It¡¯s just that, now don¡¯t take offense here, but you just don¡¯t seem to be that type. As I said before, it just seems so very random,¡± he continued catingly, pouring a ss of watered wine for him and me. With a grin that I hoped annoyed, I gave my blithe answer, ¡°Perhaps, it is because the fates and the gods will it? Praise be to the goddess and all of that.¡± I enjoyed his expression as I finally enjoyed my evening meal, nd though it tasted. Book 3: Chapter 39: New Purpose Book 3: Chapter 39: New Purpose There is nothing more contemptible and pitiful than the bravery of the weak and powerless. - The Human Question by Gideon de Svia 378 AC. A night filled with dreams of familiar horrors that, by now, felt almost cartoonish in their extravagance. I awoke, shaking off the dread of the night with a casual yawn. It was nothing short of amazing how swiftly one could grow inured to even the strangest of things. Still, life was filled with surprises. That morning, Kidu brought breakfast, the tray of food looking almostically small in his giant hands. ¡°It is time we talk,¡± he stated simply, setting the table. "Very well, my friend, what''s on your mind?" I responded with a smile, ready to engage in conversation. "No¡­ first we eat, then we talk. It''s best to settle the stomach before settling other matters," he replied gruffly, setting the tone for our interaction. With that, we shared a slightly awkward breakfast of gruel mixed with fresh fruit and honey. While it wasn''t the year''s highlight, it was decently ptable. "We do not open our mouths and speak as much as those from the warmnds. I believe words should be sparingly used, only to enhance the silence. Yet, there are words that need to be said," he started in exnation, his wordsing out as if almost forced.¡°And so, first, I must thank you Gilgamesh of Uruk. I have never truly said it. By your actions, I was freed. And not just from the iron chains,¡± he stated without reserve. I shifted a little embarrassed by the praise, well-deserving though it was. ¡°No thanks are necessary. We were all in the same boat, as it were, and we all did what was necessary. Nothing more and nothing less,¡± I replied,ughing weakly. This whole exchange, for Kidu at least, was quite possibly a version of verbal diarrhea. I wonder what had suddenly brought it on? He looked me directly in the eyes. ¡°There''s no need for the kind of humility that disappears with the spring thaw... I''ve learned a great deal from you." He paused to take a deep breath, his broad chest expanding as if he were a great bellows, then exhaled slowly. Therge man interlocked his fingers, rubbing his hands together as he prepared himself. "I have a confession to make...¡± My spoon stopped halfway to my lips. ¡°I hated violence. Always hated it,¡± he said. What had I been expecting? The world, of course, did not revolve around me, I thought to myself wryly. Was I already suffering some sort of main character syndrome? I felt a profound sense of relief. Despite my progressive beliefs, which include the eptance of homosexuality, I preferred to keep such matters at a distance from my personal life. While the notion might be ttering in a detached sense, it could undeniably introduce significant awkwardness into our rtionship. ¡°I have never told anyone this, not even my sister Aruru. It would have made me weak. Yet it had gnawed at me. Violence, I had always believed, was the worst thing you could do to another being¡­¡± he breathed, desperate to let it all out at once. Was Kidu going into a philosophizing mode? It was like watching a sheep sprout wings and start breathing fire. Kidu abhorred violence? He looked away as if living a distant memory. ¡°The taking of life¡­ I could not stand it. My spear would often fly with an aim to miss its mark, my arrows without purpose. Even fighting against others in the deep months of winter, I sought to impair and to intimidate, rather than to kill. But, kill I did, and the grief and guilt weighed about me like a heavy stone. And¡­ and¡­ I got better at it. If just to end things quicker. I built about me a shell of lies that grew with each year until they changed into something resembling truth¡± ¡°It was a weakness. You have shown me otherwise. You have shown me the joy one can take from it. You have shown me the truth of it. Thank you. It is thanks to you that I was able to grow to be a better person,¡± he confessed. I had mixed feelings about receiving apliment such as this. At the very least, I think, I might have made him a more decisive person. ¡°Good for you, Kidu¡­ err,¡± I replied awkwardly between another bite. ¡°And Larynda, how has she been? I am sorry to have foisted her off on you and Cordelia, but I have been busy with other matters.¡± ¡°The little one is well. She progresses quickly, well quickly for a girl. There are limits.¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Perhaps you should not say that, in quite those words, when Cordelia is around¡± ¡°Perhaps so. There is wisdom in those words.¡± he guffawed, pping the table. ¡°But best you impart some of your wisdom on the little one. She pesters me constantly with questions I can not answer.¡± ¡°I think I will do just that.¡± ***** In my conversation with Kidu, I realized that I could potentially deeply influence those around me, although the specifics of how I could do so remained unclear. For instance, what event or dialogue choices were necessary to get the desired result? Fulfilling my promise, I spent some time sharing the knowledge of my world with Larynda. For some reason, she showed a peculiar interest in the human circtory system and the mechanics of blood flow. To satisfy her curiosity, I sketched a basic diagram on a rough piece of paper, detailing the functions of the heart, veins, and arteries. This initiative eventually led me to exin respiration, though I encountered some difficulties. Laryndacked the foundational knowledge to grasp some of the concepts fully. Elwin, who joined uster, seemed to find the information quite enlightening, murmuring to himself as he listened. More rewarding than all of this was the message from the world, telling me that I was on the right path. You have gained 1 Wisdom. This experience made me wonder if this was how the first missionaries felt. However, unlike them, I was spreading scientific enlightenment instead of religious misinformation, which I found liberating. Yet, this sparked a series of selfish and dark thoughts as I shared a simple lunch with Cordelia. Staring at me with a convert¡¯s fervor, her next words intruded, ¡°You are in contemtion?¡± ¡°Yes, one could say that. I am pondering on the nature of reality. If this, all of this, the world itself that we live in, is nothing more than something like a dream?¡± I spected, throwing out a well-worn point. Her response was almost chillingly like that of the conclusion that greater minds than I hade up with. ¡°Yes, it is themon curse of man to seek exnation for simple truths that are, of course, self-evident. We think, do we not? To question our very capacity for thought and the agency thates with it, to acknowledge these simple truths, or to deny our role in a n or purpose leads us only down a path of nihilism and existential despair.¡± ¡°And what of the n your Goddess has for me?¡± ¡°That is something only She can know. But rest assured, you are ying a part in it. You are the very embodiment of her will. Your existence gives meaning and order to all around you. Your words are her words. Her will is your will. That is simply how things are. To doubt that is to doubt that water is wet,¡± she stated with deep conviction, the fire of faith in her eyes burning bright. If only she knew half of the truth of the matter. I had thrown off her shackles even beforeing to this world. Cordelia¡¯s words, now instead of filling me with dread, became the seed of a grand n. I spoke with the voice of the Goddess behind me. That could be used. What if I used religion to my advantage? Cordelia revered me almost as a Messianic figure sent from her Goddess, which, in a manner, I was. Just her very presence next to me, a Temple Knight wielding a holy de of the Goddess lent great credence to my position. But this led me to question the morality of exploiting religion in such a way. Was it right to inflict religion in such a manner on these unsuspecting natives? Was it right to draw deep from that well of lies? More importantly, what inspiration could I draw from the falsehoods of my own world? If my Charisma was high enough, would it be possible? Around and around these thoughts whirled, their future forms still indistinct, hidden thick by the mists of time. These thoughts swirled in my mind, their future shapes blurred and obscured by the mists of uncertainty. I awaited guidance, a sign from beyond to illuminate my path. Yet, no such message arrived. This silence, in its own way, provided the rity I sought. The decision was mine to make and mine alone. I would keep it in reserve for now, a card I could y once I had grown more fully into my power. ¡°Perhaps you should spend a little time with the young Larynda. It is often in the innocence of children that we can find answers to once simple questions, now clouded by worldly sensibilities,¡± the beautiful woman advised, cing down her utensils with almost religious reference. I stopped an exasperated sigh from making its escape at thest moment. Was this the world''s answer? Spend more time with the half-elven child? ***** The rest of the day was spent in idle contemtion and in rest. I was quickly learning that all the skills and magic in the world did little for simple mental fatigue. The next morning, I spent a little time dilly-dallying here and there in the early hours. For reasons that I knew nothing about, Zariyah had left early. I took the time instead to check on Patches, seeing her contentedly lying down on a bed of hay. Rather remarkable, I thought to myself, apliment to the stablehands. Donkeys and horses onlyy down in areas where they felt safe. Bravo. Upon feeding Patches a local purple fruit, for which she showed scant gratitude, I decided it was time to review my finances with the owner of the Begonia¡¯s Shade. It didn¡¯t take long for me to realize that my expenses were steadily draining my purse. Purchases here and there, meals, drinks,undry services, and so on, were all adding up. During the conversation with Naira, I broached the subject of possibly finding some form of employment for Elenora. If anything, it might help curb some of my bleeding. I chose to defer the matter of the mother-daughter pair that I had picked up untilter. Going through the kitchens, back into the inn proper, I espied Larynda stealing a honeyed snack with her sticky fingers. I stopped her, my hands shooting out faster than I expected. I dragged her outside. Her eyes grew as wide as moons in surprise, but almost in reflex an excuse was already making its way out of her lips. ¡°Dun¡¯t mean nothing. Cook said I could have it, like¡­¡± she blurted. I looked at her, caring nothing for the act ofrceny that I had just witnessed. ¡°Just don¡¯t steal from me. And, if you are going to do it, best not do it so close to home, eh? Now, get your things and help me into my armor?¡± ¡°Where we going?¡± she asked, confused. ¡°You wanted to be an Adventurer, right?¡± Book 3: Chapter 40: Sewer Rats Book 3: Chapter 40: Sewer Rats When dragons fight, it is the trees that are burned. - A Quassian aphorism. Through a raised visor, I munched on someverbread, the vor almost an afterthought for me. Encased in solid steel, I felt more confident and safe. Skipping beside me, Larynda was her usual whirlwind of effervescence. She had decided to wear a dagger at her waist and took with her one of the wooden practice staves I had bought for her long ago. The staff looked a little different now, strange symbols were carved upon it, in the design of animals and nts. Kidu¡¯s work, if I was not mistaken. Words continued to spill forth from her mouth in a cascade of curiosity and praise. In the midst of her relentless inquiries and scatteredpliments, my mind drifted to the events that had led to my current predicament. A task that I would take no pleasure in. ***** It all started as she had helped me into my te harness. Whoever Naira hadmissioned to repair my armor had done a good job. The thoughtful innkeeper had also acquired for me some iron bolts for my crossbow without any prompting. Free of charge, I hoped. As we slowly put on my armored skin, I remembered the fight I had with the masked woman in the Silk Quarter. With sufficient levels and points invested into my attributes, I was sure I could eventually match her skill and speed. That was, after all, the nature of the game. What I could not match, at least not yet, were her lithe and flexible motions. An inkling of an idea on how to rectify this formed in the back of my mind. I would require Kidu¡¯s help. I found the wild man in themon area, drinking already, despite the early hour. His deepugh was infectious, his brash ribaldry causing some of the female staff to blush. However, some had chosen to linger a touch closer, and a touch longer, than would be expected. ¡°Morning to you, Kidu! I see this morning finds you well!¡± I called out. ¡°Yes, this city life. It agrees with me much. No hunting for five hours in the snow. I can see how the warmnders grow soft! Though this ce is hot, not warm!¡± ¡°Just so! I havee to ask a favor from you. It requires your great strength,¡± ¡°Ask,¡± he returned gruffly, looking away as he swallowed another bite of his breakfast. ***** The experience had been surprising and, admittedly, a bit costly in terms of Mana. Larynda watched on in astonishment as I began to instruct Kidu. Ensuring I was at full Health, I had him force my body to stretch, tearing away unsuspecting ligaments and muscles. I then cast Heal on myself each time to mend the inflicted damage. Larynda winced painfully at the sight, but it was important to demonstrate that some achievements require sacrifice. After all, as the saying goes, ¡®No pain, no gain.¡¯ Fortunately, in this world, I could conveniently do away with most of the pain if I was careful. Thus, I became more flexible and limber in movement than I had ever been before. ¡°It is as Elwin speaks. You are an odd duck,¡± stated Kidu a little unbelievingly, his usual deep voice a shocked octave higher. ¡°No, it was as you said. God-touched, yes? Without them, I would not have been able to do this. I just decided to use their blessings a little creatively,¡± I stated simply. The small half-elf looked at me as if I were a loon. ¡°Why you have to go that far, though? I know you didn¡¯t cry out, which was scary an¡¯ all, but it still musta really really hurt like¡­ So why?¡± interrupted the small half-elven child. I thought about the encounter with the masked woman again, remembering being bested. Searching for an answer, the real reason was just experimentation. Primarily, it was to see if I could, and to do what was necessary to improve the state of my body, to get whatever small advantage I could get. However, I doubted that would be a satisfying answer for the child. Remembering the guards¡¯ of the caravan therings, I decided to make that the answer. ¡°The Festival. I intend to enter. It will be a good test of might and will require a small degree of flexibility, no?¡± I answered glibly. ¡°I guess so,¡± she replied weakly. ¡°If Gilgamesh of Uruk is entering this Festival, then so too is Kidu of the Three Bears! These warmnders will learn how real men do things!¡± roared Kidu in deration. ¡°If Kidu is doing it, it must be fun. So I might too!¡± bubbled the little girl as she stood a bit taller, getting caught up in the flow. I quickly turned my sneer into a smile and shrugged my shoulders at the tall man, realizing that my eyes barely reached his chest. ¡°But before that, a little training is required, no? I have always believed that to learn by doing is usually the best. Larynda and I were going to do some tasks for the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Will you join us?¡± ¡°Pah! Not unless I have to¡­ I must do my own training. This Festival is a test of might with no weapons, yes?¡± Larynda visibly paled at Kidu¡¯s words. ¡°Just so,¡± I sinctly answered. ¡°No matter. Suit yourself, son of the Three Bears. Come now Larynda, we must register you with the Guild. This was your dream, right?¡± ***** Registering Larynda at the Al-Lazar branch of the Guild had been a rtively simple, if not expensive affair, at six silver. More surprising than the cost was that it was allowed at all. Such contrivances that we all took for granted, such as childborws, simply did not exist in this world. The woman who had taken down her details was a timid creature, too pale by far for this part of the world, and her skin was paying the price. Freckles had invaded and taken over much of her face. Still, she was efficient, and that was all that mattered in the end. Her name was Aldina, if I remember correctly. She led the little girl upstairs to meet with the Guildmaster, no doubt to touch the Bonding Crystal and say the oath or whatever initiation rituals the Guild required. I waited on the ground floor, availing myself of the services provided. Purchasing a Health and Mana Potion, I could not help but think that the prices were, of course, horrendous. But that was the price you paid for convenience. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. Like a miser checking over his hoard, I kept on checking my Mana. I willed it to rise, debating whether or not to consume my recently bought Mana potion. In the end, thrift won out and Larynda came back with a new copper badge and even more skip to her step. Should I check on the Necromancer Vincenzio? No, I decided. The man had said he would send word, so wait I would. I would be amply awarded for my patience so I decided to let the matter rest for a bit longer. Now was the matter of getting a job. Walking over to therge board, only a few scraps were left, even at this time of the day. The inconvenient, impossible, or simply loathsome requests were all that were left behind. I ground my teeth in frustration, ripping out one of the notice requests. y 20 Sewer Rats (Tails Required) - 8 Silver, the notice read. A hollowugh escaped from my lips as I registered the contrived silliness of it all. Receiving a few odd looks and I worried frown from Larynda, I simply had to admit to myself one thing. If this wasn¡¯t proof that this world was nothing more than a game, then I do not know what would. It was almost as if the universe itself was mocking my earlier resolution to take this world more seriously. ***** The walk to the nearest entrance of the Perfumery, the city''s sewerwork, was rtively uneventful, despite its location in the Silk Quarter. As I passed by the rough tanneries and rougher dwellings, a disheveled individual, a desperate Dust addict with zed, wild eyes, osted me. He begged for a few coins, but my response was a quick kick, sending him on his way. As expected, the city folk around us didn''t spare a single nce in our direction. ¡°Whatever you do, don¡¯t grow up to be like one of those,¡± I suggested to Larynda. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me twice. That¡¯s exactly what I don¡¯t want to be like!¡± was her surprisingly mature response. I had expected an entreaty to be kinder. Turning a corner, I stopped suddenly. Larynda skidded to a halt behind me, bumping into my back. I stood in front of some serious-looking gates guarded by some very mean and rough sorts. The construction was decorated with hellish imagery, the dark wood banded with steel. Before the gates, were what I assumed to be the Perfumers, the maintenance workers and de facto guards of the sewers. The greater part of them wore heavy armor of varying quality, type, and styles and only a few of them were in civilian clothing. However, they all wore the same uniformntern at their hips. A sour stench, just a hint of it, for the time being, emanated sinisterly from beyond. We had arrived at our destination, the entrance to the sewers of Al-Lazar. To supply a city as dense in poption as the City of Dust with water was a monumental proposition and ensuring its sanitation with the limited advancements of this world, doubly so. Along with the briefest of exnations, the receptionist had provided me with a rough map of the sewerwork, and from my cursory study of it, it truly was almost as impressive a feat of engineering as the city above. The maintenance of such a sanitarywork alone would cost a fortune daily. And thus it was the Perfumed Men, the sewage workers of the city, that this humble duty fell upon. Funded by the Council of Al-Lazar, they were essentially an arm of the local government, and like most things run by governments, woefully inefficient and ineffective. It was the Guild of Adventurers that took up the ck, culling the multitude of things that bred in the dark depths of the sewers. It was an example of outsourcing, thezyst resort of failed administrators. ¡°You one of the new ones? Copper rankers, right?¡± arge bulky man asked, stepping up to me and not-so-subtly blocking my way. I looked at him square in the eyes, willing my expression to be a pleasant one. On a basic human level, I found it to be difficult to treat such an ugly person in a pleasant manner. A scraggly beard did little to hide a face that had never recovered from its war with e, and his eyes looked in different directions like a crazed chameleon. Despite his horrid excuse for a face, this man was more muscle than fat, if the thick exposed neck above his armor and wide shoulders were anything to go by. ¡°Aren¡¯t the pair of you¡­ well a little scrawny and young to be going into the Perfumery? Ain¡¯t exactly the ce fer¡­¡± he continued, nattering on like an old woman. ¡°I am stronger than I look. Likely more so than you. And the girl, she can probably kill everyone here with a few words. We are here on a ridiculous quest to kill twenty Sewer Rats. Now step aside and let us in,¡± Imanded, still in my most pleasant voice. Larynda stuck out her tongue at him. ¡°Ho! Ho!¡± heughed off my im, ¡°The brazen balls on this one!¡± His toothlessrades chuckled alongside him. ¡°Be our guest. Just thought of giving you a piece of advice. People have died down there, is all. Lost a few mates over the years. You can¡¯t be careless down there,¡± he answered catingly. I noticed there was an edge of nervousness in his voice. ¡°Mate, just you know you ain¡¯t the first to be going down today. Another groups has been down there since yesterday evening. One of you lot,¡± hemented. ¡°Also, likes, you should probably be at least taking a torch orntern down there. We can rent you one out at a reasonable price¡­ All of you be needing one if you want to go down.¡± ¡°We will be alright, but thank you,¡± I stated tightly, ¡°Perhaps, you don¡¯t get it. You be needing one to go down, and the price of a rental goes up the longer I¡¯m talking,¡± he stated no-so-subtly. ¡°As I said, we will be alright,¡± I replied firmly, unwrapping a cloth bundle from my boiled leather satchel. A bright piece of Zajasite answered his suggestion. He wiped his forehead with an armored forearm, the gesture more symbolic than anything else. ¡°Well I¡¯ll be, that¡¯s a stone from the Travelling People. They don¡¯t give ¡®em out or sell them to outsiders,¡± he said awestruck, the me of avarice burning brightly in his odious features. ¡°They don¡¯t. Now, may I enter, or must I make a formalint to the Guild? Step aside,¡± was my simple and t response. He looked around nervously, probably thinking to make light of the situation. I looked at him with eyes, dead in their seriousness, willing him to say anything out of order so I could have the merest of excuses to end him. ¡°Yeah, can we go in now or do I have to kill ''em all like you said, Gil?¡± Larynda cut in with childish innocence, drawing worried nces from the men around them. ¡°Mate, no need for any o¡¯ that now. Is the rules that you have to pay us for the service,¡± he answered worriedly. Something was afoot here, the receptionist at the Guild had made no mention of this. This whole thing, truly, stank of simple corruption. ¡°No. No, you were not. I know your type. You were trying to threaten me. Now you are probably wondering how you can rob me. See this stone? Take it from me if you can. I invite you to it,¡± I offered, giving them each a confident smile. ¡°I dare you all.¡± The big man looked for support from the men behind him but found none. Perfect. ¡°Likes I said, now, there be no need for that. That stone be more than enough to pay fer going in for a year¡­¡± he said, nodding to himself as he came closer. I answered him with an armored backhand that knocked him almost spinning to the ground. He reached for a round mace at his waist as he tried to regain his feet, but I simply kicked at it with a steel boot, knocking it out of his grip. ¡°You¡­ can¡¯t be doing this,¡± he wheezed, a bloodied and broken nose adding to his beauty. ¡°I¡¯ll be reporting this to the City Guard and your Guild I will!¡± I noticed his friends looking in different directions, slowly edging away from him at an appropriately cautious speed. ¡°The contemptible therings of the weak. You will do no such thing, because if you do¡­ well you won¡¯t be able to do much after. Let¡¯s leave it at that. Oh,e to think of it, you have wasted quite a bit of my time on what should have been a rtively simple procedure.¡± ¡°Was a shakedown if you ask me, Gil,¡±mented the little girl, her childish voice at odds with the content of her words. ¡°Yes, you are most likely correct. That it was. Here I was thinking for a moment that this city was meant to be civilized. Disappointment, it follows me wherever I go,¡± Imentedically, as I sent out my searching spell. A trick I had learned to keep people off bnce. Arif Rashid - Sewage Worker (Human lvl.12) Health: 101/147 Stamina: 28/31 Mana: 7/7 ¡°Don¡¯t you think I deserve a token of apology for this heinous waste of time? Arif Rashid,¡± I demanded. I had grown to love Identify, for its utility in breaking down a person¡¯s worth into objective numbers. Book 3: Chapter 41: Small World Book 3: Chapter 41: Small World The sewers of Al-Lazar, ofttimes ironically dubbed as the ¡®Perfumery¡¯ by the locals of the city, is a vast undergroundwork of tunnels that funnel out the wastewater of the city. Over the generations, strange creatures havee to call the ce home. Cunning rodents the size of wolves, and in sufficient numbers almost as fearsome, des of reptilia and chitinous horrors live alongside each other. Strangest of all are the gtinous things that stalk that underground realm, the Quiverings. Translucent slimy entities that move silently along the damp corridors and walkways of the sewers are they. The Quiverings feed on any organic matter they encounter, dissolving it with their secretions. Legend has it that these creatures are not merely mutations or residents by chance. Rather, they are said to be the living manifestations of the city''s sins, umted over the countless centuries. As if aware of their own origins, they avoid the light, thriving in the darkest recesses of the sewers. asionally, they merge intorger, more formidable masses when threatened, making them a perilous challenge for even the most seasoned sewer explorers. - Monsters of the Mortal Realms by K. D. Fidditch. A stone staircase, well-worn and smoothed by the countless many before us, spiraled down into the depths. Larynda and I, a most unlikely pair, descended slowly into this new mire. I extended my Zajasite, its dim light faintly revealing the ancient friezes and carvings etched into the rock. These relics bore the marks of time. Some of the damage was idental, others clearly intentional. Here, a figure''s face was obliterated; there, limbs were gouged out with rough tools by uncaring hands. I inwardly hissed at whoever had done such an unthinkable thing. As we descended, the stench grew, the clear smell of the products of the human condition. Larynda was visibly wilting under the nasal assault, but despite this, her face was set with lines with determination. Against that, I had no excuse for a humiliating retreat back up to the surface. That, and the fact I would be aughingstock for those above until I had finished my mission down here. My pride would not allow it. ¡°You know¡­ just a thought an¡¯ all, but you ever thought it might have worked better¡­ if you, well, tried to be nice?¡± she asked weakly.I paused in my descent, trying to think of a clever response. Turning around to look at her, I instead saw to my horror that something was writhing underneath her clothes. ¡°In a world defined by violence, what betternguage to speak than.. What¡­ What is that? There is something there¡­¡± I eximed aghast. She looked bemusedly at me before she put two and two together. ¡°Oh this, this is just Bubbles!¡± she answered in good cheer, producing a wriggling bundle of fur from under her clothes. The creature was the Whispermews that I had gifted the girl after killing quite a few of its rtives after the rains. Unlike me, it had not forgotten those moments when I had held its life in my hands. It quivered in fear under my gaze, squirming until it escaped into the rtive safety of Larynda¡¯s garments. ¡°Stop that Bubbles! That tickles¡­ it¡¯s just Gil! Remember him right!?¡± sheughed, the sound echoing down before it was swallowed up by dark and soft susurration of flowing water. ¡°It seems that Bubbles has not taken a liking to me,¡± Imented dryly. ¡°Nah! Bubbles likes everyone. He¡¯s just a bit shy, that¡¯s all!¡± she answered in her enthusiasm, the sound just a little too loud for the atmosphere of the ce. ¡°You know why we are here, right?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. Killing Sewer Rats!¡± ¡°Exactly. Which is why we should probably be a little quieter. Because if we wish to kill these things, first we must catch them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that''s gonna be a problem. We need twenty tails, right? Well, some of the other people at the Guild told me that they are like all scaredy when they are alone, but if you get a bunch of ¡®em together that they¡¯ll be finding you. Like wolves they are.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s just fantastic. So you are basically saying that we should announce ourselves?¡± came my acerbic response. ¡°We don¡¯t want to be spending all day down here, right? We can handle ourselves, right? You¡¯re meant to be the blessed champion of the gods, right? Plus, we¡¯vee down this far and I¡¯m already wanting a bath.¡± ¡°Your point is well taken. That would probably be an option, but first, let¡¯s have a look at they of thend, as it were,¡± I smiled, pleased that she was a good judge of a person¡¯s worth, but unwilling to go ahead so easily with her foolish suggestion. ¡°Suit yourself,¡± she replied with an exaggerated shrug of her shoulders. With that discussion out of the way, we continued, finally reaching the bottom of the steps and entering the vast underground sewer system proper. Uniformly cut stone walkways lined the flow of effluence of ck sewage water and were wide enough for five men to walk abreast. The walkway I was on wascking a rail, and no doubt failing modern safety standards, but there would be little chance of me falling into the dirty water. However, the thought of getting any of that on me caused me to shudder. It was not a pleasant environment at all. Not in the slightest. We walked on for a good hour, careful to note down our path on the map. Fatigue, at least fatigue of the senses, had already begun to set in. So overpowering had been the stench that my nose had almost shut down in self-defense. Added to this, irritation still perched itself upon my shoulder, whether that be from having to do this most generic of tasks or the fact that I had not been able to vent satisfactorily. This world was teaching me new things about myself that I had never known before. Who would have thought that a quiet bookworm like myself would have the propensity for such violence? All it took was the removal of the trappings and the veneer of civilization to reveal the animal that we all were beneath. I clicked my teeth in annoyance, and so too did my ward, as if mimicking me, causing yet another small spike of irritation. We had yet to encounter any Sewer Rats, or anything for that matter, which prompted Larynda¡¯s earlier suggestion to y about in mind. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I gritted my teeth. ¡°Alright, you win.¡± ¡°Win what? A prize? Do I get any money?¡± she asked with a mix of curious insolence and innocent greed. I sighed at the unfairness of life in general. She would probably never forget this for as long as she drew breath. ¡°Let¡¯s do it your way,¡± I acquiesced. ¡°So, like lots of banging and shouting?¡± ¡°Well, if I am going to have to be listening to a racket, it might as well be a pleasant one. You remember the tune and the words from that song I taught you?¡± She nodded mutely, trying to hide a smile that snuck upon her. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°Well some of the words, like, they don¡¯t have much meaning. No matter how many times you exin ¡®em to me I just can''t understand, like¡­ so I, errmm, changed them.¡± ¡°Fine, whatever. Just sing it. Loudly.¡± ¡°Alright! And you justplimented me just now dincha?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I did. Did I?¡± ¡°You mus¡¯ be getting old if you don¡¯t remember. Haha!¡± Before I could offer a further rebuttal or a well-timed rebuke, she began to sing. And sing she did. Her voice carried a song from my own world, transformed into something both new and familiar. It soared above the noise of the flowing dirty water, its crystal clear notes cutting through the murkiness. It was more than mere music, it resonated with the very air, and the deep darkness at the edges of my light seemed to lessen in its intensity. If anything else, the girl had a gift. The innocent rity of the notes, so subtly different, called forth memories of a happier ce and a simpler happier time. It was all very distracting. So much so, that I almost fell victim to that most quiet of killers,cency. The receptionist did exin that there would be areas of the sewers that had been trapped by the Perfurmed Men. This was, at least on the surface, an effort to passively reduce the number of the critters that dwelt below. Marked, the areas would be, but I was lost in Larynda¡¯s song and the poor light, and I had almost missed it. However, perhaps it was due to my Trap Detection skill, or even just to my paranoid nature, but there to my left, just below eye level, were markings that I had missed before. But just as I was about three paces away, my eyes were drawn to those odd markings that I, at first, did not recognize. ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t Move!¡± I shouted, grabbing Larynda¡¯s shoulder and cutting off her song. ¡°Alright! Alright!¡± came her surprisedint. I quickly scanned the edges of my vision, hesitantly moving ever so slightly closer to get a clearer view. It turned out to be the symbol of the crudentern of the Perfumers. Once painted yellow, grime and time had caused the color to run and fade. In addition to this, it was defaced by the torch and sword of Adventurer¡¯s Guild, making it even harder to make out what it was. Once a clear warning that aheady a trap, was now barely visible due to a cruel prank. If ever I found the miscreant that had done this, I swore to make them pay a most terrible price. ¡°Traps here,¡± I exined simply, still looking around as I pulled the small child back. ¡°These markings are a warning for adventurers like us. Lend me that for a moment,¡± I requested, pointing at her staff. ¡°Alright¡­ just for a bit, right?¡± I nodded, before taking it from her. Cautiously, I poked and prodded on the cut stone segments in front of me. This state of affairs continued for a good half an hour and we made painful progress¡­ ¡°So¡­ you like want me to start singing again?¡± ¡°What sort of question is that¡­ can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m looking for traps? In this light, it is not the easiest thing.¡± She pointed at something in the darkness, ¡°You mean that stone bit over there? Looks a bit different from all the others?¡± ¡°What? You can see¡­ wait¡­ what do you mean?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a bit of stone over that¡¯s brighter than all the others,¡± ¡°Here take this, and follow me,¡± Imanded, passing her the precious glowing Zajasite as I headed off to where she had directed. Sure enough, my eyes alighted on a painted tile of stone. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be¡­¡± You have learned Trap Detection (lvl.2) ¡°Told ya, din¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You certainly have better eyes than me. That looks to be the trigger te,¡± Imented. The voices within sighed in agreement as a message confirmed it. ¡°Let¡¯s continue on, but let¡¯s mark it down on the map.¡± ¡°Where exactly?¡± she answered, eyes crossing in confusion as she ced the bright stone in the crook of her arm. She unfurled the map from her pack and studied it. Upside down, mind. ¡°Give that here¡­ we are here,¡± I said, pointing at a ce on the map. ¡°Weren¡¯t you paying attention to a word I was saying?¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty smart of you remembering where we are! Looks jus¡¯ like a bunch of straight and squiggly lines to me.¡± There had been a time when I was much like her, finding maps utterly mystifying. Now, however, thanks to my enhanced intellectual abilities and memory, I could easily interpret the information they present. Additionally, my sense of direction had significantly improved after spending a considerable amount of time underground. ¡°Well, if you says we are there then I guess we are¡­ so where do we go from now?¡± she asked with the smallest hint of annoyance. ¡°For the moment, one direction is as good as any,¡± I paused for a moment as I thought things over and consulted the map. I decided to amend my statement, ¡°Actually, let¡¯s continue this way until the next intersection¡­ then we can head to this exit, and back up to the surface,¡± I stated, stabbing at the map. ¡°Give it another hour or two before calling it a day.¡± I was more than ready to chalk up today¡¯s expedition as a failure. As if punctuating my statement, the girl dropped the glowing Zajasite, causing it to roll away. With a viper¡¯s swiftness, I dashed forward and scooped it up before it was lost in the dark slurry of the city¡¯s wastewater. I was about to offer some words of chastisement when I saw Larynda nervously pointing at something. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked, the pitch of her voice suddenly changing mid-question as if in vibrato. Here we go again. ¡°What¡¯s what?¡± I asked her, holding the stone in front of me. A figure, as if in deep repose,y against the wall. Armored from head to foot in iron and steel, he looked like a guardian sentry plucked out from a digital game. The sort that expected you to suddenly burst into life as you approached. Expecting a fight, I handed the Zajasite back to Larynda, drawing my sword even as I started to form my opening attack spell. Hungry tentacles of deep darkness spread out from me, seeking its life. Life that was not there. Too soon they faded, faded back to the abyss from which I had summoned them. My Drain spell had failed, which meant that whoever, or whatever, it was had already departed from this mortal coil. A waste of two points of Mana. Flummoxed and annoyed, I was initially hesitant to cast an Identify. It felt like throwing good money after bad. However, I did so anyway, revealing the truth of the figure before me. Gersal Levy - Bulwark Sentinel [Human lvl.14] Health: 0/238 Stamina: 0/42 Mana: 0/10 Book 3: Chapter 42: Traps Book 3: Chapter 42: Traps Reflect carefully upon your memories, for when we gaze upon them at our convenience, they are oft inclined to present themselves in a manner most ttering to our own desires. - From the Analects on Quassian Discourse. I gingerly prodded the remains of Gersal with my weapon to make sure things were absolutely safe before I approached for closer inspection. Most of the soft parts of the corpse, the unprotected ces, had been eaten, leaving behind a rotted thing best ced in the realms of horror. Time, the damp air, and scavengers had left behind a mystery as to what exactly had authored Gersal¡¯s death. And where were hispanions? Why had they left him here to die alone in the dark? In my mind, it served more as a warning than a mystery. Still, I could not help but to allow my hands to search around for anything of value. After removing his bevor, I looted his roughly cut ruby ne, with a tarnished silver chain, from around what remained of his neck. Lucky me, I thought to myself as Larynda silently assisted me with this grisly task, showing no signs of horror or disgust. This led me to believe it was not her first experience looting a corpse. Together, we found some notes and assorted coins of various denominations. I also discovered a red potion which, after confirming with my magic, turned out to be a minor Health potion. I gave Larynda the money and the potion as her share of the loot, while I kept the ne for myself. It might serve as a useful gift, or could be tradedter. Beside Gersal¡¯s corpsey a cracked and rusted sword, the de pitted and the scabbard rotted. More intriguing, however, was the massive shield next to him, which, in the dim light, I had initially mistaken for a trap door. It was a spiked tower shield, constructed from tough wood and reinforced with dark metal bands. I ran my hand over its rough surface, toying with the idea of taking it, but ultimately decided against it, since I already had my own. For a fraction of a moment, I felt something stir in recognition from within, but the sensation was fleeting and soon left me. Just as I was about to tell the girl that it was time to depart, there was the glooping sound of sludge falling somewhere in darkness beyond the sentinel light of our Zajasite. The sound repeated itself, bing a promise of something dread. The hackles of my neck rose in response, the primal part of me knowing that danger was close at hand. I had be nigh immune to environmental concerns such as heat or cold, yet I felt a single bead of sweat make its way down the nape of my neck. This could not be fear. Must not be fear. Nheless, the next few words came out of my mouth. ¡°Move back slowly. Somethinges,¡± Imanded somewhere between a hiss and a whisper, hoping that I was able to hide my momentary weakness. ¡°And when I say so, run.¡± It was not fear. Most definitely not. I was just being sensible.Behind me Larynda nodded mutely, eager to leave. With her better eyesight, undoubtedly more so perhaps than even I. Slowly we edged backwards, moving away from whatever horror was amassing beyond. ¡°We really need to be moving a little faster¡­ there¡¯s a big lumpy thing and it¡¯s getting bigger I tell you¡­ an¡¯ faster,¡± she suggested worriedly in a whisper. But this suggestion, rather than spurring me to greater efforts of flight, instead sparked a most contrary feeling. It made me realize my pathetic current reality. The great Gilgamesh, Herald of the Goddess, waltzing about in the sewers on a quest to kill mere rats. It made me irate and rebellious. I had stood before creatures of legend and prevailed, who was I to be afraid of whaty in the dark? ¡°Whatcha doing?¡± the little girl behind me hissed as I stopped, standing my ground. ¡°I would first see what stands before me before turning tail,¡± I stated with all the bravery of a youth who has been slighted. ¡°Dun¡¯t know why you can¡¯t see that oozy thing already, probably old like¡­ nah, that¡¯s not the point! We got to get out of here! Please!¡± Ignoring her, I cast Identify into the direction ahead of me, willing the magic to find what had caused me to feel anxious, and not give me some useless information on the state of a random stone tile. The voices in turn soothed me, promising me victory with their sibnt whispers. I drew a slight breath, grinning to myself as it gave me the information that I sought. Quiverings - [Slime lvl.18] Health: 351/351 Stamina: 41/41 Mana: 2/2 An eager smile yed about my lips as I drew my crossbow, cing a fresh iron bolt upon it. It would be interesting to see how this glorified slime, this Quiverings, reacted to fire damage. I swiftly cocked my weapon and fired an Inferno Bolt at the location of the Quiverings. A re of light shrieked through the darkness, illuminating an alien yet horrifyingly familiar creature for a fleeting moment. At first, I doubted my eyes, thinking they deceived me. Before us was a wall of living ooze, a quivering, tentacled blob inching towards us. The impact of my bolt on its gtinous body gouged out a sizable chunk of its Health, hissing as it burrowed its way into its mass. The monster emitted a primal screech that resonated with its fury. An extraordinary feat, considering it had no mouth. The Quiverings began to vibrate, its amorphous, slimy body rippling. Bright circles of runes emerged, slowly intertwining to form a spell construct that hinted at flow andmunion. ¡°Stay behind me!¡± I cried out to the half-elven girl as I fired another fiery bolt, determined to interrupt its arcane incantation. The quarrel of burning iron smacked against the creature, releasing its potential energy, but I had been too slow. Despite the additional damage inflicted by my fiery bolt, the odd creaturepleted its spell. Twinnces of dark, watery sludge formed, spinning rapidly before hurtling towards me with rming speed. Behind me, I felt Larynda¡¯s presence. The girl, despite having urged me to flee earlier, had obeyed mymand and was still firmly stuck by my side. Were I alone, I could easily dodge the magical sludgeing for me, but I had to protect my ward. I had to stand my ground. That was my conclusion as I knelt and summoned my Mimic shield, even as twin balls of dark water mysteriously flew past me on a course to intercept the dark sludge. In mere moments, threaded vines of organic matter flowed disturbingly from my arm, digging into the stone floor. A wall formed of thick wood, banded iron, and steel spikes that blocked my vision. A mimicry of Gersal¡¯s oversized board, a tower shield. The Mimic truly lived up to its name. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. I was grinning inanely at this discovery even as the spell smashed against the new form of my shield, a great jarring impact that rattled my bones. I had expected to have been knocked off my feet or pushed back, as thews of physics dictated before, but instead, I had merely been forced down to one knee. My shield was still firmly rooted to the ground, a strong bulwark against attack, but it blocked my vision. I needed to see what was happening. Now. Waves of confusion crashed against my consciousness as I felt something opening. For the first time, a new eye opened and the Mimic saw the world around it, and through it, so did I. Painted in blurred shades of gray, it was a stark picture of the world, no better than my own. No worse, really, even than my own sight, I realized. Almost immediately after, new notifications from the game momentarily clouded this new vision. Your Entropic Mimic has learned Adaptive Defense (lvl.3) Your Entropic Mimic has learned Shield Form (lvl.3) Your Entropic Mimic has learned Absorb (lvl.1) Your Entropic Mimic has learned Perception (lvl.1) I saw then that the Quiverings was writhing, its advance slowed as my bolts were still eating into and causing damage. Disoriented by the extra source of sensory perception, on unsteady feet I rose. The Mimic shield relinquished its grip on the floor with a crack of stone, as its roots withdrew back into itself. It was a cumbersome thing and heavy even with my enhanced Strength. I started to step slowly back, but Larynda stopped me. ¡°Behind you!¡± she wailed emphatically. I turned to see twin orbs the color of diseased yellow materializing in the darkness, just at the edge of the Zajasite''s light. What began as two quickly multiplied to four, then eight, until a multitude stared back with a foreboding hunger. They were the eyes of a verminous horde. The sound of chittering squeaks escted, gradually overpowering the background noise of flowing effluvia and the lingering echoes of the Quiverings¡¯ primal scream. Approaching us were creatures the size of wolves, but they borerge incisors and long, sinuous tails, instead of the canines and bushy tails of their very distant lupine cousins. Their bodies, covered in matted fur, carried the grime of the sewers, and their eyes reflected a bold, unwholesome hunger. As predicted by Larynda, the Sewer Rats of Al-Lazar had found us. ¡°I did not bring you down here just to sing a few tunes! Use your magic, damn you!¡± Imanded Larynda, who nodded and drew a piece of paper from her pouch, a magical Seal. She began to chant a spell of her own in a small and panicked voice. Slimes and bloody rats. Instead of fear, I felt anger and resentment, and oddly, a need to set an example. Me feelings blossomed into a rage that was echoed by the magic within. How dare they set such creatures against me? Entropic Aura beckoned to be released, the perfect spell to deal with the multitude of rodents that had snuck up upon us. I released the magic from within and let it ride upon the waves of my emotion. As the first circle of gray night spread from me, I felt oddly at peace, as if the universe and everything made sense. As if everything that was meant to be, now, simply was. The magic pulsed. The monstrouslyrge rats squealed, squeaked, and hissed in terror as they moved away from me. The Quiverings, unfortunately, was not so easily dissuaded. It continued its alien advance, activating the marked trigger te and swallowing up Gersal¡¯s remains. ded darts rained from the ceiling down onto the gtinous, tentacled blob to little effect. Its body seemed to absorb the force of the sharp metal and it suffered damage only in the single digits. Still, it writhed in ce, strange appendages striking in random directions as it searched for the source of this new attack. It was, at least for the moment, distracted. And so I turned my attention to the vermin horde, preparing to cut a path through them with de and spell. Just as I was about to cast Drain¡­ no - Greater Drain, to reduce these creatures of flesh and blood to a bundle of zeros, I heard a quiet voice, a mere whisper. Pitted with the promise of the grave, it called to me in protest, and with it a sense of rot and release, of turning and of change yed on my senses. Decay demanded attention. Surprisingly, the voices agreed in their sage wisdom. So, hooking my crossbow to my belt, I formed the rarely cast spell, my free hand running through the strange somatic gestures. The spell of rot and ruin washed over the vermin, the denizens of this terrible ce. Almost immediately, pustules grew upon the giant rats as if they had been suddenly overtaken by virulent sickness. This was soon followed by an explosion of vile liquid, leaving behind cancerous weeping sores all over the rodents¡¯ bodies. A sense of wrongness came over me, a stark contrast to my earlier feeling of tranquility. Decay, the spell at least, did not work like this. The rodents, instead of running away from us in fear and pain, drew ever closer, their number increasing by the second, even as more of their number were ovee by my spreading disease. They formed almost a living mass of their own, crawling over each others¡¯ bodies to reach us. Then suddenly, I felt a rush of diseased air as Larynda unleashed a spell of raw Chaos. ¡°Nara Sakullu,¡± she cried out in a tremulous voice that, nheless, rang out with notes of destiny. She had summoned the ck me. ck jagged lines of dark me that absorbed what little light there was, rushed upon wings of night into the giant form of the Quiverings. The slime creature gave out a baleful shriek as it felt the unnatural fire¡¯s caress. Iughed in maniacal glee, d that I had chosen to take Larynda with me. A weapon that I couldmand. The ebon fire burned at the Quiverings, filling the air with hot, newborn steam. Its health dropped suddenly, the unnatural magic of Chaos eating away at it as it was dissolved by the liquid mes. But the fires did more than just burn, for I saw that they emanated something very ancient, very ancient indeed, that resonated with a part of my soul. Primordial Chaos. Where the mes licked the stone floor and water, growths of vegetation sprouted from the stone and wastewater. Ghost-white, they wilted and died in scant moments, but as suddenly as they died new mes stoked their corpses to birth new life. Where there was death, fungus spawned in the myriad shades of life, only to soon also wilt and rot. The Quiverings itself was more dramatically affected. After the Quiverings¡¯ Health dropped, it soon rose again. Rise and fall, rise and fall. A curse of change was overtaking it, mutating its form and bending it into new and random shapes. The spell was raw Chaos indeed, as harmful as it was helpful. Our released unknowable magics mixed, and they created a warped duet that yed in constant counterpoint. In this most discordant of songs, a melody of oblivion that resonated and echoed with itself, a harmony of controlled chaos sounded. I knew in my bones that the Quiverings could not be defeated by my magic or de now. Larynda¡¯s strange magic had seen to that. A link was formed in this medley of arcane power, a link between me and the flood of vermin. And with this link came a question, a skittering mental screech repeated by a multitude of individuals. What do you wish of us? They asked, not really words, not even a true question, but more of a demand of their own. The many were seeking purpose. My next words were ripped from me, ripped as it seemed from the very fabric of my soul. I felt profoundly lessened. ¡°Be more,¡± I croaked in a voice that was not all quite mine. Such simple words, but with great and heavy meaning. Larynda looked at me in confused horror. But this was no one-way street ofmunication. As did mymand fall upon them, so too did their multitude of lives fall upon me. There came impressions of a life of darkness, of swimming through watered blight, and of days fought with tooth and w. Through our fell link, I knew now, with great intimacy, of their urge to survive and live, and knew, too, of their equal urge to rut and reproduce. Their hunger for all things. The rats listened. More importantly, they obeyed. Now they would be more in all meanings of the word. My words would be a catalyst for their great change. As if marking this moment, the game heralded me with a new message. To me, it was just a system notification, but had these low creatures been able to understand and witness them, it might have well be the start of their new gospel. You have gained 1 Wisdom. You have gained 1 Luck. You have learned Entropic Aura (lvl.5) You have learned Decay (lvl.2) You have learned Monster Taming (lvl.2) Book 3: Chapter 44: White Lies Book 3: Chapter 44: White Lies And Her Herald, peace be upon him, was the one who said: Oh people, give greetings to those you meet, and give sor to the ones in need. Give prayer before sleeping and the gates of heaven will be open to you. And Her Herald, peace be upon him, was the one who said: Oh men of this world, fear the Goddess in women. Imand you, treat them well, for they are in Her image. And Her Herald, peace be upon him, was the one who said: Oh people, the Goddess did not send me from the Distant World to teach you to curse people and hate them. Rather, I was sent to teach you the higher morals and edicts of Heaven. Do no doubt the word of Heaven, for that is a sin most grave, and your punishment will be burning hellfire. - An excerpt from the New Suras of the Edict of Heaven. The problem with echoes was that they made distance rather difficult to ascertain. As the sound of the approaching footsteps overwrote each other, numbers too were hard to judge. But here in this dark pit, surely people were a good thing? Or so I would have thought, were I still new to this world. And with that, I drew my sword, my Azag-Gishban, itsfortable weight lending me purpose. Summoning my shield to me, a massive edifice of wood and iron formed. It was a match to the one I had found beside Gersal¡¯s corpse. Like me, it seemed, my Mimic was capable of learning new things. Looking at the little girl, I gave her a nod but I couldn¡¯t help but notice that she still looked queerly at me. However, gone now was the greater part of her initial horror. ¡°If we could hear them, it is more than likely that they have heard us. Pray that whoever approaches means well, but expect the worst,¡± I whispered just loud enough to be heard. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me¡­¡± was her response, given in a tone that children reserved for nagging parents. ¡°Won¡¯t be finding me with my knickers down. Time to try something a little different,¡± she added as her expression changed to one of focused concentration.¡°Now remember what I told you¡­¡± was all that I could bleat out before she began to cast a spell. Words, quick as a rushing stream poured out of her as she grasped her staff, the markings on its wooden surface glowed dimly before disappearing. Their arcane meaning, like with other spells I had encountered, of course, eluded me. Nheless, if I can even put it into words, I was given an impression of sharp, controlled flow. It was a mystery. And a part of me reasoned on an almost instinctual level, that if I were to trulyprehend her magic, I would be well down the path of madness. For such was the price to be paid for bending thews of reality. ¡°Alright, it''s done. Ready,¡± she imed in a soft voice. ¡°And what exactly do you mean by that?¡± Annoyingly she just shook her head before pointing down the walkway. I raised my visor to give myself a better field of view. A will-o-wisps of light wereing closer, antern¡¯s glow if I was not mistaken. Being of natural me, the approaching light was a different shade and hue to the purples thrown out by my Zajasite. In short order, the two lights pushed against each other to reveal our respective parties. Facing us was an unlikely pair, a slender man and a petite woman who looked to be almost diametric opposites. The woman was wearing loose flowing robes and a wide broad-brimmed hat that tapered up into a smooth cone. At her waist was antern, and she carried a wooden staff adorned with many strange fetishes of bone and dull ss. A wizard or some sort of magic user, at a guess. I gave myself a mental pat on the back for having the foresight to down the Mana potion. The man, in contrast, was tall and lean. He wore loose, utilitarian clothing typical of the local style, and across his lower arms and legs, the dull glint of riveted mail was visible. At his hips hung antern and two swords, one long and the other short. Both of them were sleeping for the moment in curvedcquered scabbards of smooth dark wood. It was the man who addressed us, ¡°That is Gersal¡¯s shield. Where is and what have you done with him?¡± His voice was t and calm, but in his eyes red a restrained anger. ¡°Where is he!?¡± shrieked the small woman at his side almost petntly. It was the well-practiced tone of one used to getting their way through eroding the other¡¯s spirit. I looked the pair of them over, registering a vague feeling of familiarity. ¡°He is dead, and not by my hand,¡± I exined, eyes shifting from the woman to the man and back again, looking for any signs of threat. As I did so, my mind wove the threads together, giving clearer shape to the recent memory. They were members of Gersal¡¯s adventuring party. The woman¡¯s name was Tally, but the man remained a mystery to me. I was taken suddenly by an overwhelming urge to know, and against my better judgment, I had already silently formed the spell that would sate my curiosity Muram Al¡¯ Hazin - Dervish (Human lvl.15) Health: 181/255 Stamina: 36/51 Mana: 9/9 Even as the spell brought to me the information that I sought, like a faithful servant, I hissed inwardly. Had the woman detected my arcane prying? Her angry disposition remained and there was no change to the set of her face or the lines of her body. Tally had not been able to detect my secret spell, either that or she was an aplished actor. ¡°Where is he, you lying cur! I know you¡¯ve done something with him!¡± she shrilled voice warbling in near hysteria. She looked down and away for a moment. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the damn pack of rats we wouldn¡¯t have been separated. I told him, told him so many times we shouldn¡¯t have taken jobs down here¡­¡± she mumbled to herself, barely. Without warning my ward decided to add her piece. ¡°Look, we had nothing to do with him. We ran into a big blobby slimy thing, and there were rats and stuff. I think that that might have been what got ¡®im!¡± the half-elven girl eximed. Muram red at us, his anger simmering silently for several long moments before he finally exploded. "A Quiverings has not been seen in these parts for a generation. I demand you take us to him. I will see for myself the truth of your words!" His voice cracked under the strain of his emotions. Irritated by hisbative tone, I took a deep, exasperated breath and pointed in the direction we hade from. "You''ll find him back that way," I said tersely. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the vition. "You''reing with us, to verify your ims. You are hiding something¡­ not a lie, no, but not the whole of the truth," Muram insisted, his face hardening with each passing second. Maybe it was the exhaustion from a long day, or perhaps a slight drunkenness on my own sense of power, or maybe a mix of reasons I could not quite grasp, but I felt a childish urge to provoke him further. I had had enough. "The truth is, you abandoned one of your own, and now your guilt is making youy the me where it does not belong. I have told you everything I know. Do not dare tomand me. I will not waste another word on you. Don''t test me. Now,e child, we need to make our way to the surface," I said, my voice calm but firm, designed more to needle than to soothe. Suddenly, from nowhere, Larynda blurted out, "Gil, I don''t think I can hold it any longer!" Startled, I snapped, "What now?" causing both Muram and hispanion to jump. Watery sludge rose from the effluvia of the sewage, forming arge swirling conicalnce. Though only one spear of water was formed, and its form not quite as solid forck of a better word, it was an excellent approximation of the Quiverings¡¯ spell. ¡°Tally!¡± cried Muram warning, drawing his des, even as the spellunched itself at the small woman, who threw some beads upon the floor with a crack. The twisting spiral of water crashed against an invisible barrier, sshing everyone in the immediate vicinity with its horrible contents. Larynda had now inadvertently forced our hand. I dropped my bloody bundle of tails, for it seemed a fight was inevitable, but not entirely unwee. Although I hadn''t used Identify on Tally yet, I knew Muram was not in top form. A fight would likely end in their deaths, granting me more experience. Despite my attempts at a peaceful resolution, fate seemed to always steer me towards violence. No¡­ No¡­ I would not be pushed, the ghost of a guilty part of me eximed. It was time to im choice over my actions¡­ I would just use Greater Drain, to weaken them and force them to use reason. Yes¡­ that was it. That was the correct and moral solution. These thoughts and more ran at lightning pace inside my mind even as I started to cast one of my improved spells, Greater Drain. But even as I started to do so, twin shes of sharp steel flowed toward me at different angles and my oversized shield moved to meet them,pletely blocking my vision. I felt impacts at the top and midpoints of myrge shield, and my sudden movement almost ruined my concentration in forming the spell. But the voices took up the ck, continuing the chant in my mind. The Mimic¡¯s singr eye opened and showed me the current tableau in shades of mortuary gray. Having failed in his attack, Muram had taken a step back, out of measure. I saw now with my Mimic¡¯s eye that the Dervish was wielding a pair of Zulfikars, swords with two points at their tips. A poor choice for dealing with a man in full armor. What was to be his strategy, here? Greater Drain was taking much longer to cast than was usual. Was it because I was already inbat, or was it because I was trying to do two things at once? These errant thoughts whirled in my mind, even as I met Muram de to de. Disying remarkable agility, he danced around my tower shield and struck my de off-center with his shorter sword. At the same time, he aimed a thrust at my face with his main weapon. The lethal twin tips of his longer de lunged towards my face, but I ducked at thest second, turning my head to the side. The steel grazed the side of my helmet, inflicting a negligible three points of damage. I realigned myself, employing the steps that Cordelia had drummed into me to reset my stance and position, stepping sideways. Uncertain if it would work, I decided to use the Shield Bash skill. As I activated it, a familiar thrum coursed through my limbs. My heavy Mimic shield surged forward with unnatural speed, mming Muram against the passageway wall and stunning him momentarily. Filled with the fervor ofbat, I swung my sword with the full intention of cleaving him in two, momentarily forgetting my initial n to disable the pair. Despite being off-bnce, the tall man deftly parried with his offhand de, skillfully turning aside the force of my blow. Simultaneously, his other hand struck at my gauntlet, causing only a slight sting. Once again, the Dervish managed only to inflict minor chip damage. But, even as I was beginning to feel that I had the situation well in hand, I felt several shocking impacts upon my back and my eyes widened in surprise as each of them took a small chunk out of my Health. What sort of weapon would be able to pierce solid steel te with such ease? This time, even with the aid of the voices, I could not keep the spell intact. Something of arcane origin disrupted its magical formation and the Mana used to summon the spell. The Mana used withered away, lost to the ether. I turned around, keeping my massive shield between me and Muram. Its monstrous gaze kept an eye on him, and I could not help the grin that stole itself upon me as Iughed crazily. Tally had summoned three orbs of blue energy that floated around her like wisps. Tally pointed her staff at me and the orbs flew at me. In response, Larynda intercepted two of the orbs with her balls of water, and where they met was an explosion of steam and released magical energies. Thest one moved too swiftly for me to dodge, and I grunted as it impacted my shoulder. But there was something more to this arcane attack. After the initial contact, I felt something cold, yet hot, bypass the metal of my armorpletely. An ethereal knife stabbed away at bone and muscle, and this time almost twenty points of Health were stripped from me, I noticed detachedly. Still, but a few drops in the ocean. However, my patience was at the end of its tether. ¡°Stop!¡± I shouted, my lungs bellowing in an explosion of volume that I did not know I possessed. ¡°Peace! I did not kill your friend, Gersal, or whatever his name was!¡± I entreated. In a show of good faith, I sheathed my sword. Most likely knowing that the situation was against them, the skilled swordsman warily lowered his des but did not sheathe them. Likewise, the witch lowered her staff but nheless kept it pointed in my general direction. The difference in power between us was as night and day. However, I was already taking the time to cast a new spell in this small lull ofbat. In an eery raspy voice, the magicughed in the halls of my mind as it began to take ravenous form in this existence. Rust came forth, an oily invisible ck lightning that shot out with a murderous pace at Muram. It ran across his whole form as it ate into its favorite prey. Tally and Muram¡¯s eyes both widened in shocked surprise as the Dervish¡¯s armor was consumed by the unearthly magic. He fell to his knees with a pain-filled scream, dropping his swords to the ground with a ng, as he was burned by his very own armor, the exothermic energies cooking him alive. The smell of roasting pork and burning hair filled the immediate space, overpowering even the stench of the Perfumery as he thrashed about. It was so easy that it felt almost like cheating. Larynda looked dumbly on, the horrific disy turning her from abatant into a bystander. ¡°It cannot be. Fae magics, the eater of the iron weapons of men!¡± Tally shouted in surprised consternation. For a moment, she looked dumbly at me before screaming herpanion''s name. Blessedly, Muram had stopped screaming long before his Health had reached zero. A notification crossed my vision that I idly dismissed. Looking at us, and seeing that herpanion was already done, sheunched balls of energy at the pair of us before turning tail with tear-filled eyes to frantically run away. Still, in a state of shock, Larynda did not move to dodge the balls or energy and I had to block them with my spiked shield. With a small smile, though it did damage to the Mimic¡¯s Health I noticed that the faux tower shield was able to absorb the attack. Dismissing my shield, I drew my crossbow, cing a fresh bow and cocking it, and summoning new magic. Looking down its sights, I gave my target some lead before I pressed the trigger and let loose an Inferno Bolt. A small amount of Stamina and Mana drained away from me. Guided by the spell, the bolt flew for a moment before bursting into an incandescence that left dancing spots across my vision as it sped towards its intended. A scream shortly followed, confirming I had sessfully hit my target. ¡°Not Fae magic. Not in the least,¡± I stated with calm surety. Turning to Larynda, I tried to snap her out of her stupor. I ced a bloody gauntleted hand on her shoulder, squeezing slightly to give some measure of reassurance. ¡°Remember, they attacked us first. We are not at fault,¡± I asserted, hoping to assuage whatever negative feelings she might have had. It was a lie, but a well-meaning one. The poor girl nodded dumbly, taking my words for what they were worth. Book 3: Chapter 45: Rewards Book 3: Chapter 45: Rewards For five generations my family has held back the tides of disease, injury, and death. Until me, we had always ultimately lost. Now, finally, I have achieved an unsteady stalemate and those ignoramuses would have me fall upon my sword. - an excerpt from the journal of Vincenzio Barbieri. The majority of all human conflict was born from mimunication. This was my conclusion as I slung the bloody bundle of rat tails over my shoulder, sighing inwardly at the current state of affairs. Was there no such thing as a friendly, or at least neutral, interaction? Despite the recent tribtions, I was now faced with my favorite part ofbat: going over recent gains, and looting. It was with a note of pleasure that I noticed that both my Rust and Inferno Bolt had increased in level. Two hundred and twenty-five points in experience and an organic gain in Intelligence was the icing on the cake. At just over halfway to my next level, I was pleased, indeed. As for the loot situation, Muram was a smoking g heap, his armor still glowing a dull ruined red, and his equipment was unsalvageable, save for the naked Zulfikars thaty next to him. I felt no guilt at taking what I deserved, the swords would be worth a few coins, scabbards or not. Larynda and I quietly wrapped the fine curved steel, before cing them in her pack. The girl had recovered for the most part. In her, I suspected, was the iron that only a hard life could give. That, or she was simply adaptable in the way children were. Either way, it won her a pittance of my respect. Tally was a different kettle of fish. The Inferno Bolt had struck her lower back, making a cooked and cauterized mess. Her earlier screams testified to a swift, albeit painful, demise. I flipped her corpse over and turned away as I saw her face, contorted in a final cry of anguish. This was the first woman I had ever struck, much less killed. Instead of feeling satisfaction for having dealt with a threat, I felt an overwhelming emptiness. Tally had been a significant danger, more so than Muram, and I couldn''t simply let her escape. In a moment of introspection, I realized my weakness had led to her death. If I were truly strong, I wouldn¡¯t have perceived the small woman as a threat at all. It was a grim milestone. My magic hadn''t identified her, so the death notification merely stated that I had ¡®in a human¡¯ for a considerable amount of experience. Acidic bile rose in my throat as I confronted what I had done. I suppressed it with a determined effort, knowing this was no time for weakness. With a tight-lipped smile, I instructed Larynda to loot Tally for valuables. It wasn¡¯t in me to do the task myself.Though I was finding the entire episode deeply unpleasant, it no longer troubled me in the same existential way it once had. The deaths of others no longer reminded me of my own. Iasis'' words had not just taunted me¡ªthey had also given me hope and a renewed sense of purpose. I busied myself by pretending to be on the lookout for other threats. Oddly, my thoughts turned to Zariyah and I wondered at what she was doing as I was running about in the sewers. And then Kidu, Cordelia, and Elwin. No doubt the Rogue, Elwin, was up to some manner of mischief. ¡°This one was loaded, she was! Got a few bits of jewelry on ¡®er. Looks like a sapphire and a ruby ring. A silver bracelet¡­ and a bunch of these paper things. The ones you say that are money, like¡­¡± intruded Larynda onto my thoughts. I closed my eyes before I formted a response, secretly delighted at being an opportunity to educate. ¡°They have value. Their worth is derived by the trust we ce in them, and not their material value, like for instance gold. If the majority of people believe a thing to be of value then that bes the truth of it.¡± ¡°So, like, what''s to stop ¡®em from just making more then?¡± ¡°Nothing in the short term really. But in the long term, well¡­ the people would lose trust in these scraps of paper, and with their loss of trust would alsoe the loss of their value.¡± She mulled this over, rifling through the woman¡¯s corpse before handing me a few notes. Feeling generous, I refused. ¡°Keep those¡­ you¡¯ve more than earned them. And keep anything else she had on her that might be of value. Isn¡¯t that staff better than yours?¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know? Or you just testing me?¡± I shook my head in response. ¡°To her¡­ it would have been her focus. To you or me, well, it''s just a piece of wood with fancy bits on it. Least that¡¯s what the old biddy said. Ain¡¯t you got one? You can use Mana, right?¡± I was taken aback by her casual disrespect of the person who had introduced her to the mysteries of her element, but more so to her question. Would it be possible for me to craft one of my own? Or were there ss restrictions on usable equipment? ¡°I don¡¯t know how,¡± I said, feeling foolish even as the words left my lips. ¡°Well¡­ don¡¯t know if it''s the same and all, but I can tell you how I made one,ter if you like,¡± she beamed pridefully, chest puffed out and her hands proudly on her hips. I was preparing a snarky response but realized it would do me good. Swallowing my pride I responded politely, ¡°I think I would like that very much, Larynda.¡± Her smile grew even wider, and for a moment I imagined I smiled back. ***** The woman Tally had nearly a gold piece about her person and a few valuable pieces of personal jewelry. Though none of them were magical, they were pretty and, no doubt, quite valuable. Another job for Elwin. In addition, we were able to get two potions of Mana, one of which I gave to Larynda, who gave me a hollow thanks. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. She seemed a little out of sorts. Odd, I thought to myself, for the girl had killed before. How was this in any way different, and again, in self-defense no less? As we turned to leave I surreptitiously cast Decay on Tally¡¯s corpse, letting Larynda walk on a few paces ahead of me while the magic took root. If there was to be an investigation on the matter, it would help to cover our tracks. Luckily we encountered neither man nor monster for the rest of our time trudging through the dank sewers. The strain had begun to take its toll on Larynda and we had to often stop for her to catch her breath. I found this particrly annoying, as with my high Constitution, I did not feel tired in the least. Where we finally exited was quite a ways from where we had initially entered. Close to the western walls, it was an industrial area, and the smoke of its many forges and factories was most unpleasant. A saving grace was that leaving the sewers was infinitely easier than entering. This time, the Perfumed Men gave us nary a second look or even a quick word of inquiry. The bloody bundle of tails draped across my shoulders and the look in my eye might have helped in this. We next took the time to wash the worst of the sewers off at a public fountain. We exchanged only a few words with each other, our priority being to get some semnce of cleanliness, as soon as possible. The people here all but ignored us, even as the water grew dark and grimy with our umted filth. This must have been, if notmon, at least not a too rare thing for them to witness. For me, it felt like I was washing away the memories of that horrible ce. Remembering mymunion with the rats, I shuddered and inwardly and vowed to never go down there again. Except for the part where Larynda unwrapped her headscarf to give it a rinse, the people paid us little attention. Then they truly stared, but a re from me set most of them quickly about their business. Elves were a rare thing on this continent. It would be good to keep in mind that, even though here was ostensibly a safe haven for her, it would do us no favors for us to advertise her existence. Better to not stick out at all. A seed of an idea formed, though I doubted she would agree to my suggestion. Her human genes were strong, and if not for her ears, she could pass off as just another young girl. If I could use my magic and knife, I could solve this problem, albeit crudely. She would thank meter. I smiled at her as we finally washed off the worst of the muck, and she gave me a wan smile in return. The smell of ourtest adventure still lingered but a good soak in a proper bath would sort that out once we returned to the inn. Our next stop was the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Thankfully, the citizens of the city of Al-Lazar kept their distance, only giving the asional wrinkled nose and looks of disgust. Oddly, on the way, my experience rose by a single point for seemingly no reason at all. Was I gaining experience points by simply existing? Perish the thought. Arriving at our destination, we made quite an entrance as I dumped the whole bundle of tails down onto a designated marble counter with a heavy thud. Aldina, the freckled clerk who had taken down our details before and provided us with our map, looked positively anxious at the collection of tails. Apart from wrinkling her nose briefly at us, her manner was polite. ¡°Even if I had ten mouths I would have no words to say. You have already finished!¡± she squeaked in surprised disbelief. ¡°This was meant to take a few days at least¡­ no group has ever done it in a day¡­¡± ¡°I guess we were lucky,¡± I replied without missing a beat. For a woman who, but scant moments ago, professed to be tongue-tied, she was surprisingly loquacious. I could almost hear Larynda¡¯s rolling eyes. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day. Just give us our money,¡± the half-elf barked out of character. ¡°Manners. No need to be rude. The woman is just doing her job,¡± I chided the girl. Larynda simply shrugged and I had to fight an urge to¡­¡­. ¡°Of course. Of course,¡± the mousy clerk answered quickly, nodding as she counted out our payment. At nine silver pieces, it was not a bad haul for less than a day¡¯s work. ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied brusquely, returning the map of the sewers to her. ¡°And apologies for my ward¡¯s manners.¡± ¡°No matter at all¡­ I can¡¯t imagine what you must have gone through to have finished so quickly. Since you were able to do it so quickly¡­ I¡¯ve given you a bonus silver. Now, is there anything else I can help you with?¡± ¡°A quick question. Will this go some way also to improving our rank? I believe I have seeded in three tasks already with the Guild, but not exactly at this branch. At the Ansan branch, I have fulfilled several tasks already. Will that be taken into consideration? I feel that Copper does not suit a man of my caliber.¡± ¡°Oh, yes! Most certainly! I can make a request to check the records but it might take a good while. Still, keep this up and Bronze should be¡­¡± she bubbled excitedly, her enthusiasm clear for all to see. I interrupted her. ¡°Yes, but is there¡­ perhaps a faster way? A faster way for one of my potential,¡± I added, cing one of the silver notes back onto the counter. With our payment now an even number, it would be easier to split our earnings. Quick as a fish, her pale hand darted forward and the note disappeared into the folds of her puffy sleeves. Aldina pursed her lips for a moment. ¡°I will see that the proper eyes take note of this achievement,¡± she bowed graciously, before ncing at Larynda, ¡°On this girl''s first day of registration, too¡­ Hmm, if you were to officially challenge someone at least two ranks higher you could get promoted, if you were to win. You¡¯ll need an appointment with the Guild Master first though, to sort that out. But I would not rmend that, as our Silvers are exceptionally skilled¡­¡± I mentally chuckled at this description. ¡°Or you can do well in the uing Festival. That goes quite a long as it helps promote the Guild¡¯s reputation,¡± she exined. Inside, I was seething slightly as the woman didn''t quite grasp the significance of the money I had just used. Likely she just saw that it was a form of tip. I didn''t needmonly avable information; I needed to know which wheels to grease to fast-track my promotion. ¡°I see, I was nning on joining this Festival. Where can one find the rules and information for this event?¡± ¡°The Festival will be held at the square near the Dome in two weeks¡¯ time. I can register you if you like. As for the rules, you can read them here,¡± she suggested helpfully, handing over a thin wooden te inscribed with a series of characters for my perusal. ¡°If you can not read, I can have someone¡­¡± She left the offer hanging. ¡°That will not be necessary. I can read well enough,¡± I said with a tight smile. ¡°Of course. Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Larynda chimed in, ¡°There any prizes for the Festival?¡± ¡°There most certainly are! There are mary awards for those who finish in the higher brackets. And a grand prize for the winner, awarded by the Council. And the acim of doing well will go a long way toward a promotion!¡± ¡°Sounds right fancy then,¡± cooed the girl. ¡°Oh, and when are you usually on duty?¡± I inquired of Aldina as casually as I could, wanting to make the very most of my silver. I was surprised to see Larynda shooting me a dirty look. ¡°Every day, save for the Urd Saba!¡± she squeaked in reply, ying with an errant strand of hair. ¡°Oh before I forget, there is a package and missive for you, Gilgamesh, from our resident Alchemist. Master Barbierri. I shall fetch it right away. Please wait a few moments and I will be right back!¡± She beamed at me before disappearing into a backroom. I mulled over her words and felt a vague pang of pity. Urd Saba in the local nomenture was the seventh day, if I was not mistaken, and the girl was working a dreaded six-day week. Despite the freckled girl being slightly high-strung, Imended her manner, for, apart from wrinkling her nose briefly at us, she had been polite. Book 3: Chapter 46: Conundrum Book 3: Chapter 46: Conundrum Truth is only valuable to those who can bear it. - A Quassian Aphorism. I drummed armored fingers across the stone counter as we waited. If I could somehow arrange it, challenging someone seemed an easy way to get promoted to a higher rank. That was if my recent brawl with those of that esteemed rank were anything to go by. However, it would involve having to deal with this Branch¡¯s guild master, a prospect I was unsure of. We had been in luck with Larynda¡¯s registration, the ceremony of sorts performed by one of the clerks here, instead of the guild master. More importantly, if the master of this branch had interviewed us, the light would have been shone on Larynda¡¯s circumstances, which might have led to all sorts of questions being asked. Perhaps it would be best to visitter, and alone. But whaty in my hands was more promising still, an opportunity to win fame and glory. The Festival was a tournament of the purest form, without weapons or armor, it was a contest of raw unarmedbat. Here, I had an overwhelming advantage that the other contestants simply could not surpass. I was gifted with a unique form of magic. I needed no chant or incantation, nor wizard¡¯s staff or focus. My magic could be unleashed simply by me willing it to be so. Coupled with my enhanced physical abilities and my Mimic shield, it was clear that the deck was heavily stacked in my favor in such a contest. ¡°What are you grinning about? An¡¯ can we leave soon? I spent a few nights sleeping rough once but ain¡¯t never smelled this fragrant,¡± she asked in a slightly querulous voice.Almost as in answer to her childish inquiry, the doors to the backroom opened. Aldina had returned and she seemed to be struggling to carry a long bundle wrapped in dark-stained oiled leather. Redfaced, she ced it, with great effort, on the counter. ¡°This is from Vincenzio¡­ and this is the message thates with it,¡± she exined, slightly out of breath. Rummaging through her pockets she produced a length of knotted velvet string. ¡°If you don¡¯t know your knots, I can read it out for you, for a few coppers¡­¡± ¡°Thank you, but that will not be necessary,¡± I replied with a tight-lipped smile. I was annoyed, not because of her, but at myself in the main. It is human nature to hear an insult, often where there is none. I took off one of my gauntlets for show if nothing else, running my fingers across the smooth cloth as I summoned the spell that would unravel the Necromancer¡¯s message. - Openter where prying eyes will not see - A token of our cooperation - Take the request for Mnder Root and meet me on the morrow - Vincenzio - ¡°Well, that¡¯s an interesting way of reading. Never seen anyone read backwards before,¡±mented Aldina, not meeting my eyes. Larynda tried to suppress a giggle but failed, for the most part. ¡°Thank you¡­ Mistress Aldina,¡± I replied tly with a small bow, now minus the smile, and in a tone that would invite no further conversation. I looked at Larynda, ¡°Come now, we had best return.¡± ¡°You are most wee.¡± Hands in front of her, Aldina bowed at the hip. It was with some mastery of self that I seeded in fighting off embarrassment, and the temptation to open the package immediately. I was thoroughly intrigued by its heft and weight. At a guess, I imagined it to be some sort of heavy weapon. Perhaps a double-handed sword, or simr weapon? With Larynda in tow, I promised her that I would just check the board before we left for the day. Her stomach grumbled in disapproval at my suggestion. I considered grabbing a meal here, but thought better of it, as I did not want to inflict others with our distinct fragrance. Looking over the various requests, I found what I was looking for in the bottom corner. With a payout of only half a silver, it was barely worth the effort of registering the task. However, Vincenzio had instructed as such, and for the moment I saw no reason to disregard him. Ripping off the task for Mnder Root, I went back to Aldina and registered that we would be undertaking the quest. Our business concluded for the day, we departed from the Guild grounds. Though the sun had begun to set behind a cloudy sky, and the first hint of evening¡¯s chill crept in, the streets remained bustling with activity. It was only halfway back to the inn when the skies opened up and the rain began to fall, that the throngs of people thinned. The people sought shelter from the rain, but Larynda appeared utterly unfazed by the downpour. If my eyes were not deceiving me, the raindrops seemed to avoid her altogether. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the vition. The sudden rain had served an unintended purpose, as it helped to mask ourtest adventures in the bowels of the city. A saving grace when we were met by the help of the Begonia¡¯s Shade. As the rain outside beat out its chaotic tune and the serving staff fussed over me, I finally felt safe. It was amazing what a set of familiar walls and faces could do for someone. Even little Theo came out to assist, though she was more of a nuisance than of any real help. The women of the inn, alongside Theo and the serving girl Ninurta, saw to me. As they fussed and helped me out of my dirty metal shell, I spared a few words for Elenora¡¯s daughter. ¡°You are well, Theo? They treat you well here?¡± I asked, arms spread out as they undid the dirty straps of my te harness. ¡°Doing just fine, thank you kindly! The food here is really good too!¡± she answered, smiling at me before wilting slightly. ¡°Though I don¡¯t like having to do the peeling and scrubbing in the kitchens all the time¡­¡± Ninurta shot her an envious look but remained silent. Not wanting any further drama, I decided to keep my peace with an awkward silence until they finished removing my harness. I left them, once I was down to my gambeson, but I reminded them to scrub and oil my te, and gave them each a bronze coin. Taking my leave of them, I had aining Larynda take my package to my room and went to the male baths. The heavy weight of it would be good training for her, I rationalized. Before entering, I made sure to leave my foul-smelling gambeson in aundry basket to be cleanedter. In the baths, I finally had a moment of privacy. Scrubbing myself thoroughly with a coarse block of soap, I was intent on washing away the day''s travails. There was no pleasure in it; it was a task that simply had to be done. I attacked my skin again and again until the water I used to rinse myself ran clear. Lost in this ritual of purification, I was almostpletely caught off guard when someone entered. A step on a wet stone tile was the only thing that gave away their presence. Vulnerable in my nakedness, I found myself automatically in a fighting pose on the balls of my feet. It was Zariyah, wearing nothing more than a thin slip of cloth that suggested more than it hid. An enigmatic smile yed on her face, and her crimson eyes were filled with an odd intensity. Closing the door behind her, she delicately stepped toward me with open invitation. Despite being truly at a loss, I noticed something odd about her movements, like a poor actress following a hastily written script or a puppet being forced. Her loose shift fell to the floor and there was a hint of whimsy and madness echoed in her footsteps. No words were exchanged, for none could be given, and none were needed, as she ced a delicate finger on my chest, tracing a line down to my navel. ***** She was the first to leave. It had been an odd affair, as I was the only one who could give voice to their pleasure. Our coupling bore the grim shadow of an almost masturbatory act. Zariyah, for her part, offered no sign save for the subtle tightening of her eyes and a faint parting of her lips, scant evidence that she had felt anything at all during our coption. What should have sated left only a hollow echo in its wake and barren satisfaction once we were finally done. There had been no joy to it. I was at a loss as to why she had done what she had done. The timing was strange to say the least, almost as if nned or forced. And, it just seemed so random and out of the blue. Mistrustful of some hidden purpose, I went over the flow of events. Concluding with myself that she had given herself to me freely, I felt a moment¡¯s relief that soon evaporated like spit on a hot kiln. Though there had been almost no choice on my part, as it would have been downright rude to refuse her, there was still the matter of the fact that we were currently enjoying her mother¡¯s hospitality. No matter what tale I spun, I saw that the me would lie squarely on my shoulders. I was in a slight bind as rtions outside of marriage with women of quality were generally frowned upon. But was she a woman of quality? That was indeed the question, for she had been, in the not-so-distant past, a de facto body ve of two masters¡­ It had been a conundrum I had not taken into consideration until after the fact, when rity of thought returned. Still, it was better to regret doing a thing than to regret not doing it. Strangely, I thought of Elenora. I had not seen her for a while, and I found my imagination superimposing her face over the recent memories of my time with Zariyah. Shaking my head, I washed off thest of my sweat and bodily fluids. Drying myself, I threw the towels into a basket before I left the baths, in borrowed robes, only in an ever so slightly better mood than when I had entered them. Looking around the first floor, there was no sign of Zariyah, nor Elenora for that matter, which was a small mercy. I did however find Kidu and Elwin enthusiastically enjoying a repast of skewered meat and vegetables. My stomach rumbled at the inviting smell, but I still had other things to attend to first. I asked them both to join me in my room at their leisure, to which I received a few mumbled replies, between mouthfuls, that I concluded to be assent. The heavy package I had received from Vincenzioy on the bed, an ominous reminder of our ord. I undid the knots of the leather coverings to reveal a thing of most brutal purpose, which brought a grin to my face. It was a quest reward. About two paces long, the polearm rested against a backdrop of shadowed leather. Its lengthy, dark shaft was banded with ferrules of an even darker metal, providing strength and a hint of menace. A third of the way down was a simple crossguard to protect the wielder''s grip or to enhance it for forceful thrusts. At the lethal end, a short-ded spearhead gleamed dully. Below it, a sinister spike jutted out on one side, while on the other, a heavy hammerhead awaited, designed to crush the armor of any foe unfortunate enough to cross its path. My initial guess had been correct. It was a poleaxe, a Lucerne hammer if I was not mistaken. Delighted and almost jumping for joy, I cast a spell to confirm its properties. Shocksteel Lucerne ¡®Bellringer¡¯ - [Lesser Magical Weapon] Durability 600/600 Book 3: Chapter 47: Plans for Tomorrow Book 3: Chapter 47: ns for Tomorrow What use is a good bow if there are no arrows to string? - A Quassian Aphorism. I had received the first reward for a chain quest, making it feel like the holidays hade early. Immediately I felt a childish urge to wield it, to spin it about and test it. To smash it against some innocent object in an explosion of delight. But such thoughts were short-lived as Elwin and Kidu burst into my room, without even knocking. I jumped in surprise. ¡°What we got here then, Gil?¡± Elwin began, giving me a cheeky wink. Kidu¡¯s face mostly remained expressionless, but I could see from the tell-tale tightening around his lips that he was annoyed. ¡°I warned the little man that to enter another¡¯s tent with no announcement is¡­ rude,¡± the big Hunter rumbled in disapproval. To condone such behavior would be problematic, but truth be told there was little need for such privacy between us. Still, a few words of chastisement were in order. ¡°Kidu is correct,¡± I stated, though there was little force or real ire in my voice. ¡°Come now, Gil. Got to keep you on your toes, haven¡¯t I? Now what have we here?¡± he replied, stepping towards the bundle. ¡°I knew this ce was meant to be rich, but if this is what you get for bumbling about in the city¡¯s bum-hole, then count me in next time you go for a job!¡±The Rogue ran his hands across the dark shaft of the weapon, whistling in appreciation. Irrationally, I felt a small spike of jealousy. ¡°Now this ain¡¯t just any sort of whacky stick is it now, Gil?¡±mented Elwin, looking at me with an inquisitive eye. To this Kidu just snorted. Sharing a look with Kidu, I decided to share what information I had gleaned. ¡°I believe this to be a magical weapon, though of a lesser caliber than the one that Cordelia wields. Also, I have no idea in what way it is actually magical,¡± I admitted. ¡°Speaking of Cordelia, have any of you seen her as ofte?¡± ¡°Last time I saw her, she was having words with the mistress of this ce... and since it¡¯s rude to eavesdrop, I thought it best not to listen in,¡± Elwin said. ¡°Being rude has never stopped you before. Tell us what you know, Elwin,¡± I sighed, exasperated. ¡°The big man¡¯s rubbed off on you, eh?¡± Elwin remarked. Kidu cracked his knuckles in warning. ¡°Nothing meant by it, big man. Just that our wee here is growing thin. Most likely it was made out of politeness, probably didn¡¯t think we¡¯d actually take her up on it. Foreign folks like that, say one thing and mean another. God knows the big man eats enough for three, and I might have been drinking a bit more, and a bit better, than usual. But¡­ that¡¯s the thing with gratitude, is that it wears out right quick. A threat, on the other hand, stays fresh longer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a rather cynical and Machiavellian way of thinking,¡± Imented. Elwin looked puzzled for a moment before responding, ¡°Don¡¯t know about that Macky stuff, but cynical? Hardly. When you¡¯ve lived as long as I have, youe to know a thing or two about human nature.¡± Though I wanted to, I could find no words to refute him. ¡°I think you should not do things just to receive thanks. Good deeds are their own reward,¡± rumbled the Hunter in dissent. As expected, the noble savage was a font of useless wisdom. ¡°Well, I doubt they will kick us out for a week or two. It will be easy enough for us to earn some money if we can get a few jobs under our belt.¡± I paused, taking out a few pieces of loot. ¡°I got these from under the city¡­ Elwin, these might be worth a few coins, yes?¡± He nodded, his eyes glinting with avarice as he looked at the jewelry. ¡°I can get rid of these somewhere for a half-decent price where it can¡¯t be traced back to us¡­ Can¡¯t help but feel like a bit of caution is in order.¡± Kidu looked troubled by this, so I sought to cate him. A lie would serve me better here than any awkward truth. ¡°I did not steal them. A group of scoundrels tried to end Larynda and me in the sewers. A greedy bunch of thieves, but I turned the tables on them. Let¡¯s just say they won¡¯t be bothering civilized society any longer! So, yes, they are mine by battle right, but that does not mean that other concerned parties would share the same view. Humans can be, well, emotional, when ites to these things.¡± Therge man furrowed his brow in thought, ¡°If these were honorably acquired, then why must Elwin exchange them secretly just for warmnder coin?¡± As I was at a loss for a response, it was the Rogue who provided a reasonable answer for me. Oh Kidu, ever the innocent and noble savage, why did the odious task of educating you in the wiles of civilized man fall upon me? With no small amount of regret, I began my exnation. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Well, low-life scum usually have a boss, right? Chiefs, like, that they answer to, yes? What would they do if they knew I had gotten a hold of one of their tribe member¡¯s valuables? Would they not take umbrage at that? Misced pride if nothing else? Better to be cautious about these things to avoid misunderstandings.¡± eptance settled in, and the Hunter nodded in slow, reluctant agreement. Taking a quick breath I moved on to the main matter at hand, ¡°Now, to the next order of business¡­¡± I leaned forward conspiratorially. ¡°An opportunity hase my way. I would have you know that I made the acquaintance of someone who will be able to reward us most generously,¡± I half-whispered for dramatic effect. ¡°The giver of the weapon?¡± remarked Kidu. ¡°Just so, Kidu! I am to meet with him tomorrow. He will be paying me another half a silver, just for meeting him.¡± Elwin looked dubious. ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s the strings we talking about here? You an¡¯ me both know that nothings free in this world,¡± the Rogue inquired. ¡°Well, that is why we have been requested to meet with him tomorrow to find out. Rest assured that, for the moment, our goals align with his,¡± I stated confidently. Indeed our goals did align. Any enemy of the gods of this world was a friend and potential ally of mine. If I could do anything to frustrate the designs of the so-called Divines, then I would do so. Still, I would be doing myself no favors by telling mypanions of my true enemies. They might lose heart, after all. So I told them what I knew of the Necromancer, skipping the part of him being, like me, an enemy of the gods of this world. ¡°So, I was thinking that just the original crew see what Vincenzio has to offer¡­¡± I suggested. Kidu crossed his arms, his stature and expression making him look as solid and as tough as a forest oak. ¡°Why not bring the woman warrior? She wields a heaven-touched de too, yes?¡± asked the Hunter, his thick eyebrows furrowing. ¡°The big man¡¯s got a point¡­¡± chimed in Elwin. I took in their words, closing my eyes for a moment as I yed out a scenario. Indeed, Cordelia¡¯s de would be wee. The problem was the wielder of the sword. At a guess, diplomacy when dealing with a master of the dark arts would not be her forte. This led to me wondering, just as a mental exercise if it would be possible for my party to take down the Necromancer, despite the vast difference in levels between us. Elwin¡¯s voice cut into my thoughts, ¡°You there, Gil? Having another of your moments?¡± ¡°Just thinking for a moment,¡± I replied with a forced smile. The Rogue always had a habit of just pressing the wrong buttons. ¡°No, I still think it best that just us three visit Vincenzio tomorrow. Cordelia, bless her heart, is a little inflexible in her thinking,¡± I concluded. Seeing that Elwin still looked a little unsure I decided to add, ¡°And with only the three of us, means arger individual share.¡± It was almostical seeing the sudden change in the Rogue¡¯s expression. Just like Elwin, I too was learning the levers that moved a man. To me, however, the potential mary rewards were a secondary thing. More important was the information that Vicenzio the ¡®Alchemist¡¯ could furnish me with. And any other artifacts that he might have on hand. With the things looking like they were smoothly in motion, life, as it always seems to do, wanted to object. There was a delicate knock on the door, followed by a pleasant voice that I knew well, but at this very moment dreaded more than most. ¡°My Lor¡­ I mean Gilgamesh,¡± came Cordelia¡¯s voice, almost causing me to jump out of my skin. ¡°May Ie in?¡± We all shot each other guilty looks. Had we been overheard? ¡°But of course¡­ Lady Cordelia,¡± I answered awkwardly a heartbeatter. Radiance entered with a smile that could have stolen most hearts, leaving those unustomed to her charms struck dumb and mute. Cordelia, ever the vision, was the very epitome of ssical beauty, her features as finely chiseled as statues from antiquity. Yet, it was precisely her resemnce to the goddess Avaria thatid bare the terrifying scale of the foes aligned against me. Fortunately, I had managed to sway one of their agents to my cause. This day, she was garbed in a modest orange abaya, a robe-like dress of simple cut,plemented by a light blue chiffon she, a headscarf that veiled her head. The fabric framed her oval face, enhancing the vivid emerald hue of her eyes. Though her attire wasmon in make, she wore these garments with a regality that made it seem as if they had been spun and sewn solely for her form. ¡°Forgive me, Gilgamesh, I hope I am not intruding on anything,¡± she offered demurely. ¡°No¡­ err, not at all!¡± was my hasty reply. Elwin shot me a vaguely dirty look. ¡°I have heard that you have encountered a few difficulties in going about your business in the city,¡± she started to exin, a pleasant smile blossoming on her face. ¡°Though, of course, they were not so great that you would not be able to ovee them, praise be the Goddess.¡± ¡°Indeed, praise her name,¡± I said automatically, eager for her to make her point. ¡°It seems that the goddess has chosen for you the path of an adventurer. In my wish to assist you in all things, I too wished to walk this path with you,¡± she added, disying a small copper badge. ¡°However¡­ unfortunately, I will not be able to join you for a while. While registering at the Guild, I was given an invitation to assist a few others of the faith in their own aspirations¡­ and without me, their lives would surely be in peril,¡± she continued to exin, her usual veneer surety cracking for a moment. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯ll be joining a bunch of new adventurers for a while, is that right?¡± queried Elwin insightfully. His shoulders rxed ever so slightly, his expression now a touch less guarded. ¡°Quite so¡­ forgive me, but I simply could not refuse them,¡± she answered meekly. I sighed inwardly in relief. The stars had finally aligned, and luck seemed to be on my side. I nearly jumped for joy, barely able to restrain myself. The Temple Knight looked down and away, a surprisingly human gesture. "I will require ten days to assist them, so I must beg my leave of you." "That is indeed a shame," I replied in a morose tone. "We would have been d to have your sword at our side." I was careful with my words, unsure if she possessed some mystical ability to discern truth, like the Guildmaster in Ansan. I offered my best smile, a mix of encouragement and regret. "But do not be overly saddened, for this is only a temporary separation. We will be d to have you return to us in ten days. I wish you good fortune in this venture. My thoughts and prayers will be with you," I said warmly. "As will mine," she responded, her smile radiant. ¡°By your grace,¡± she added, before excusing herself and gracefully leaving. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Kidu''s expression darkening, like a gathering storm. Book 3: Chapter 49: Blossoms in the Wind Book 3: Chapter 49: Blossoms in the Wind Nurture your own strength and wisdom so that trust flows effortlessly from others to you. And when one has be powerful and wise, it will be easy to trust others. - The Human Question by Gideon de Svia 378 AC. Chains of bone and bronze bound me to four stone pirs. I stood in a wide, dusty in, beneath a gray sky, the sun a dull presence overhead. The wind blew through, stirring small tornadoes of dust that drew the eye. This ce was filled with emptiness and parched with longing. There was more here than mere Death made manifest. I had the sense that such a trite word could not fully capture the concepts that had taken shape around me. I tried to move, but I was tightly bound. The limited movements I could manage felt slow and sluggish. Helplessness overtook me. "Put aside your burden, rest," a sweet, sultry voice whispered. "Surely it is better than suffering. Embrace thefort of the end." My will began to falter, swayed by the voice. Yes, it would be easy to finally give up and rest. This was a dream, after all, was it not? Greenery started to grow around the base of the four pirs. Leafy invaders, tenacious and sudden, grasping vines that grew like snakes, tendrils of fresh life spreading across the ground to my armored feet. Yes, even in my dreams, I wore armor. For me, it seemed to be the only protection against the madness of this strange ce.Life bloomed in ardent rapture, a rebellious statement against the finality of the dreamscape. White flowers bloomed in unrestrained fever. Something formed from a blizzard of snow petals, coalescing into a form that could only be called Divine. ¡°You have escaped my attentions for too long¡­¡± she drawled, her eyes hungry, and her voice husky with desire. Iasis, Mother of Monsters, hade. I tried to speak but my tongue could summon no words. She looked at me in confusion for a moment, an expression I would not usually associate with a goddess. ¡°Oh, yes, lest I forget¡­¡± The goddess waved a delicate, naked arm, and the chains that bound suddenly disappeared as if they had never been. Against my will, and suddenly free from bondage, I found myself kneeling. With a snake¡¯s smile, she looked upon me. ¡°Much better.¡± I felt something give way, a snap of a twisted thread. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked her, relieved that some control had returned to me. However, I could not help but notice that my words sounded distant, and not quite my own. ¡°Why, checking on one of my new and interesting pets, of course,¡± she cooed. With this, I felt the familiar stirring of a forgotten anger. My voice came sharper this time. ¡°What and why are you doing this? If this is a dream, then I am the master of this realm!¡± I shouted, my voice slowly bing more my own. I scrunched up my eyes, and willed myself to wake up, only to open them momentster. The goddess was even closer now, the subtle musk and flowery scent of her threatening to overpower my senses. She drew a sharp nail across the line of my jaw. ¡°Be grateful that I grace you with my presence. There have been many who would have given their lives for such an audience,¡± she stated, looking me directly in the eye. In the dark ink of her eyes was a primal echo of a different time, a ce where one could get lost for an eternity. ¡°And you, currently, are my most favored of all. I am d that you have visited another of my temples with the mark of devotion upon your chest. For that, and the new life you have brought about, you have found even more favor with me.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I barked, my anger clouded now with confusion. ¡°Since times of yore, initiates havee to struggle against my other creations in their devotion to learning more of my mysteries. Fail and they be a sacrifice¡­¡± A scent of lcs andvender filled the air as the nts and strange vegetation erupted again suddenly, in fresh ardent bloom. A many-colored carpet coated the desert, but beneath it all lurked a few stray notes of rot. Wearing nothing more than an enigmatic smile on her sensuous lips, Iasis walked towards me. Where the Divine trod new riotous rainbows of growth leaped up to mark her passage. Kneeling before me, she traced the line of my face before looking me in the eye. Against my will, I felt drawn to her, and lust bestirred itself even here in this most strange dream. How I longed to wrap my hands around that slender neck and squeeze the life out of her¡­ How sweet it would be to get a measure of satisfaction. ¡°I skirt close to the lines of Concord in trying to help you, but then again, I have always preferred a more direct approach in my dealing with mortals. Think upon my words and your recent deeds and the meaning shall be clear to you,¡± she exined gently. ¡°Now will you be a sacrifice, or will you be more?¡± My thoughts spun, whirling before they settled and delivered the only suitable answer. ¡°The Adventurer¡¯s Guild,¡± I whispered. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the vition. The Goddess¡¯ smile of conquest was infuriating in its knowing superiority. ¡°Oh is that what you mortals call it these days¡­ how droll. Now, I wonder how much my high priests are earnest in their devotions in this age¡­¡± she mused, twirling a finger through hair of liquid ebon. Iasis frowned for a moment, disrupting the perfect symmetry of her face. ¡°Perhaps you are not yet ready to ept another of my boons. Instead, I will leave you with this little tidbit, watch the one who hears theughter of the Wind. That one is no longer bound and will soon be consumed by her essence, and form a Cmity.¡± She spoke only in senseless riddles. The woman, the thing, sought to toy with me. I would not have it. ¡°Are you here to help or hinder me!?¡± I barked, summoning all my will. I was growing tired of this. She looked at me, her yful expression changing into one of distaste. ¡°Why to help of course. How direct you are¡­ how exquisitely male of you.¡± She paused for a moment, allowing a pleasant smile to resettle upon her face before continuing, ¡°These things are a matter of timing. You will pray to me in your most desperate of hours and, unlike the others, I will answer you, mortal.¡± Resentment boiled supreme in my gut. I would wring out more answers here and now. The voices surged within and I leaped forward to tackle the Divine to the ground. The world exploded in shattered ss and there was a sensation of falling into inky ckness. My hands shot forward, grasping at nothing but air as I broke free from the dream. My heart drummed wildly in my chest as I continued to thrash for a few moments. Slowly my eyes adjusted to the gloom and I came to the realization that I was no longer in the dream, but in the waking world. A message, as incongruous as ever, shed across my inner vision. You have gained 1 Wisdom. Laughter soon won over my earlier episode and I found some measure of cathartic release. As my emotions settled, I wiped the sleep from my eyes and got up from the bed. Sshing some water on my face from an earthenware bowl at my bedside, I washed away thest dregs of sleep. Someone had conveniently left my gear freshly cleaned in one of the corners. More out of boredom and habit, rather than any real caution, I began the arduous task of donning my armor. It was a devil to do by myself and took me quite a while before I was done. I took up the hammer, testing its weight, and for a fraction of a moment, there seemed to be a buzz of energy. The weapon rested more easily in my hands, or that was at least how I felt. Perhaps, like me, the magic of the weapon had awakened. I hung it loosely from my back, the cover of the weapon acting as an ad-hoc baldric. It was heavy, of that there was no doubt, but the solid weight of it feltforting. The weapon was ideal for smashing through armor and crushing bone. Against my better judgment, I picked up the dreamcatcher and hung it by the window. As I did so, I cursed myself for being a fool and giving in to primitive customs. Still, it could do no harm, I concluded. By estimations, it was very early morning, and with nothing to do I found myself going downstairs. Despite the rather early hour, there were people already going about the business of preparing for a new day. Naira, bent over and washing down a table, paused in her task to look at me curiously. She took me in and surprise showed for just a moment on her face for I was in the gear of war. ¡°A good morning to you, Gilgamesh. Are you already expecting trouble?¡± she opened. I sat down at one of the many free tables before giving my response, cing the Lucerne across myp. ¡°Naira, I think it is still a little early in the day for that,¡± I remarked glibly. The woman sighed for a moment and continued with her task for another minute. Unexpectedly she put away the cleaning rag and wiped her hands on another cloth. Grabbing a pitcher and two mugs from the bar, the woman sat down uninvited across from me. She filled the mugs with watered wine and offered me one which I epted. Naira took a small sip. ¡°I need your help,¡± she started without ceremony. ¡°Though I understand you have no obligation to help us.¡± I wet my lips before giving my reply, ¡°While I am under your roof I have at least an obligation to hear you out.¡± She looked away and fiddled with a loose thread of her apron. In that moment, Zariyah¡¯s mother looked surprisingly girlish. ¡°Zariyah¡­ she needs your help,¡± she stated. ¡°Oh, she does, does she? Have I not helped your daughter enough?¡± came my t response. I had to stop myself from gritting my teeth. ¡°What is it this time?¡± ¡°I fear she is losing herself. Her new willfulness is not entirely her own. You may not know this, but she is gifted, blessed by Mana. But the spark of the One God that resides within her is of the Wind¡­ Those of that element, their path can lead only into madness. It is the way of unmoored freedom, without a guide orpass. Please bring her back and bind her to you. She needs an anchor and a rock.¡± ¡°What on earth are you talking about? This sounds like a lot of mindless babble to me,¡± I replied, taking anotherzy swig. ¡°I see the way you look at her. You could have taken her against her will, but instead gave her the freedom to choose¡­ A choice made in just kindness, but a choice that has perhaps doomed her,¡± she exined further, her expression strained. ¡°You care for her do you not? I am not so young as to be blind to these things.¡± There was silence, a pregnant pause as she awaited my answer. I, on the other hand, was waiting for a message from the system. When no offer of a quest came, a sneer stole across my face and my response was harsher than it should have been. ¡°You think of me as some simple lovestruck youth. Madam, I may be short in the count of years but I am not a fool. I will not chase after someone who bears me no regard. That she has shown on more than one asion.¡± The words came out almost as a hiss. ¡°Bind her to me? Nonsense, I will make no barbaric contract and perpetuate an idea that is very in all but name. This is a matter of pride for me.¡± I drew a deep breath, wanting to end the conversation on a softer note. ¡°I will help her if I can, but I will not go out of my way, nor make any promises I can not keep. I owe you both that, at least. I will never enve another being for any reason. Now then, there are many pressing matters that demand my attention. You will have to excuse me,¡± I finished, getting up All she could do was nod, knowing that she could press me no further, she decided instead to try another tact. ¡°Do you know what it is that women find most attractive?¡± Despite myself, I found myself stopping as curiosity ruled me. ¡°Status, good looks, the usual nonsense,¡± I answered with a sigh. The woman looked at me with a wane smile. ¡°No, Gilgamesh. It is devotion. Think on that, for a moment.¡± To this I snorted, thoroughly annoyed, and went back upstairs to wake mypanions. We had wasted enough time, and we had a long day ahead of us. Book 3: Chapter 50: The Dream of the Dust Book 3: Chapter 50: The Dream of the Dust A true understanding of the martial path will forever elude the one who seeks only the journey¡¯s conclusion. It is in the depths of study and the intricacy of the reasons behind each step along that path that enlightenment and mastery are truly found. - The Living Sword by Fen Vaigorus circa 520 AC. The first meal of the day was a light breakfast of fruit and lightly salted meat on saffron rice. At first, we ate in silence, our expressions dour, fueling ourselves for what was toe. But with his ever-rogueish grin, Elwin mentioned Ansan and our time together as ves. This opened a floodgate of memories. We spoke of the little things, of past adventures and shared experiences. And of vanquished foes and challenges ovee. Our words danced on the edge of bittersweet nostalgia, each tale a thread of our shared history. The conversation was a gentle stab at, and poignant reminder of, our past. It infused the space between us with a quiet, unspoken understanding. The meal made me almost feel that we were saying our goodbyes. ***** ¡°I¡¯m saying this just pretty much for the sake of saying it, but like, you sure about this?¡± Elwin asked with only the smallest of hints of nervousness.¡°I¡¯m as sure as can be. This is destiny¡­ I can feel it.¡± ¡°You know, I heard a lot of people saying this and saying that about destiny and fate and all that mrkey. Just saying, and just saying, mind you¡­ most of them ain¡¯t on this side of the Shallow River,¡± the Rogue remarked. Kidu ced a massive paw on Elwin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If Gilgamesh feels this is the best course of action, then I ce my spear with his. He has not let us on the wrong trail yet.¡± ¡°Yes, Elwin. If we wish for power we must take it!¡± ¡°Quick reminder though. Just so you know and all, that really isn¡¯t one of my wishes, if you¡¯re thinking of granting it.¡± I drew myself up, straightened my shoulders and looked him square in the eyes. ¡°Why were we made ves?¡± ¡°Got a bad roll of the dice,¡± ¡°No, Elwin. It was because we were powerless. Would you have that happen to us again?¡± ¡°But a practitioner of the dark arts an¡¯ all? Really, now?¡± Therge hunter snorted at this. ¡°There are things that the Wise Ones do that you warmnders would call dark arts. Ignorant, you are. Minds inflexible, like heartwood.¡± Thank you Kidu, perfect timing. ¡°But the little man, womanly as his words sound, may have a point. When dealing with other tribes, one must be as careful. Are they friend or foe?¡± ¡°As you say Kidu. But I have spent a lot of time thinking about this. I believe the opportunity outweighs the prevalent risks.¡± ¡°Sounds like famousst words to me,¡± Elwin cut in. Regardless of Elwin¡¯s trepidation, it was time to cross the threshold. I knocked twice on the door to the Necromancer¡¯s chambers and waited for a few moments before a voice called out that I could enter. Pushing against the dark wood, I could not help but marvel at how smoothly it opened. ¡°One sees you have broughtpany,¡± the walking cadaver of a man greeted me. Vincenzio seemed hardly off-put by the presence of Kidu and Elwin. ¡°You sure about this, Gil? I mean this looks dodgy as hell, like,¡±mented the Rogue sarcastically. I shook my head in mild consternation. ¡°Vincenzio has treated me well so far. Forgive the cliche, Elwin, but one should not judge a book by its cover.¡± ¡°Mild insults aside. Who are these two?¡± the Necromancer asked. ¡°Talking of covers, they do not look to be of the cultured sort.¡± ¡°They are mypanions and good men. They are sworn to me and I trust them with my life,¡± I stated firmly. Kidu snorted in response, that simple act more menacing than if he had drawn a weapon. ¡°More importantly, they can keep a secret,¡± I made sure to add. The sallow man looked mypanions over. ¡°Very well then. I know that Visitors have a strange habit of picking up the strangest ofpanions. It is part of their mor. Also, one supposes that a few more pairs of trusty hands can only help,¡± he remarked offhandedly, throwing me a small purse that jingled as it flew through the air. I checked its content, noting, much to my surprise, that it was filled with slightly tarnished silver coins. The Necromancer looked me steadily in the eye. ¡°Payment for your time. Excuse the coins, habit if nothing else. One still doesn¡¯t trust those slips of paper. Also, the Mnder, as you know, was an excuse,¡± he stated. I gave the purse to Elwin, who readily epted it with his greedy hands. Kidu just looked on steadily, his presence a solid rock. ¡°Your master¡­¡± the Necromancer began to exin, only to be interrupted by Kidu. ¡°Not master,¡± the giant of a man stated simply, his voice a rumble of challenge. ¡°Very well, leader then,¡± Vincenzio epted with a small smirk on his face. ¡°Requires power to ovee the challenges that await him in the future¡­¡± There was a pause, a slight rxation, as mypanions took in his words. I had almost expected the Necromancer to divulge my origins. ¡°Are you a Windspeaker that can see the path between the storms, to make such a im?¡± asked Kidu doubtfully. Vincenzio answered patiently, ¡°One does not need the gift of the River to foresee as such¡­¡± ¡°An¡¯ more importantly, what¡¯s in it for you?¡± cut in the Rogue with a sharp question. ¡°We have an ord. Amon purpose. Would it suffice to say that it is for reasons akin to revenge?¡± replied the pale man. ¡°Not really, not got any idea what you are talking about¡­¡± remarked the Rogue. ¡°I want his magic scroll to further my path,¡± I said quietly. ¡°So first, I must help him with a few things.¡± The Rogue ced his hands behind his back as he started to wander around the workshop. ¡°Sounds fair enough¡­ but these things are?¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°The death of Ka¡­ Ka de Arancrai, among a few others,¡± was Vincenzio¡¯s t response. I could not help a small grin steal across my face. ¡°What for? I have encountered that one already. It did not go well for her.¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°That should not have been a surprise. You Visitors are drawn to each other by the threads of fate. She possesses a power that none should have¡­¡± Again Elwin cut in saucily, ¡°I have a feeling that Visitor has a bit of a deeper meaning than a gal just passing through.¡± ¡°A dangerous existence. She can control the minds of others. Deceive them to make them believe things that should not be. It is a power that none should possess as it strikes against the very pir of free will!¡± Vincenzio exined in an impassioned voice, ignoring Elwin. ¡°Though one doubts she yet understands the true scope of her powers. With the correct application, one could topple kingdoms and rule empires. It is a miracle you survived an encounter with that one.¡± He took a breath and added softly, ¡°Perhaps there is yet still hope if Gilgamesh can resist her powers¡­¡± In honesty, not so much resist, but rather circumvent. Still, I knew in my bones that in a direct confrontation between the two of us, I would triumph. ¡°For all that you say of her so-called powers, I do not fear that one,¡± I eximed confidently. ¡°I will end her dly if you can find for me the opportunity, I will smash her brains in with the weapon you have so kindly provided me.¡± Kidu looked worried, his brow furrowed in thought. ¡°I am not sure about cutting the thread of an innocent.¡± I answered the wild man diplomatically, ¡°She and her cronies were the ones who attacked me under Naira¡¯s roof. She stole my possessions and is without honor. Do you still believe she is innocent?¡± ¡°I see, then, she is deserving of it. Though she is a woman, she will find her fate,¡± he growled in agreement with me. Oh, thank you noble Kidu for your support, I thought to myself, doing my best to hide my glee. ¡°However, things are slightly moreplicated than that,¡± Vincenzio sighed. ¡°She enjoys the protection of the Guildmaster of the Adventurers. That aegis is not so easily broken. The Guildmaster is a member of the Iasis Cult, that wretched order of blood and senseless death. He will need to be dealt with one day as well. Therefore, you will need the protection of a power equal to the Guild. To achieve that, he must be much more powerful, enough to attract the attention of such a formidable patron." The Guildmaster, a member of the Iasis Cult? It made sense. Iasis herself had implied as much about the Guild. It was, in essence, her modern-day church. He paused, considering the weight of his words. ¡°Bing a champion of the barbaric Festival would be one such way¡­ though that would be no easy task.¡± ¡°I am assuming you have a n for all of this? I am also wondering, you are powerful enough in your own right, why do you need our help in this?¡± I asked archly. Out of habit, he ran a hand through his non-existent hair. ¡°One does indeed, on all counts. As for Ka, the Guildmaster, and the Festival, you will need to grow more powerful to stand even a chance at sess. As for why one can not y a more direct part in all of this¡­ that is simply not one¡¯s role. I can not afford to draw the gaze of powers far greater than even myself.¡± ¡°But I can?¡± I replied sarcastically. ¡°By your very nature, yes, if that is answer enough. And, forgive me, but that is all the answer one can give you.¡± It wasn¡¯t, not by a long shot, but I had a feeling that pressing him would be just a waste of effort. Pressing mystic types such as him, was more often than not, simply unproductive. ¡°I can grow in power¡­ but that will require time,¡± I countered suspiciously, feeling irritated at all the steps that would be required of me to finish this damn quest. ¡°There is a way to grow quickly¡­ but it might be dangerous,¡± remarked the Necromancer casually. Sly dog, all of this was but the groundwork for you to say that, I observed a secondter. I chose to keep my silence, prompting Vincenzio to exin. ¡°You will have to enter a Dust Dream of a special sort¡­¡± ¡°Gil, we were well warned many times of the Dust. Those who lose themselves in it are left as nothing more than broken men. It is a temptation that gets at yer mind, body, and soul!¡± cried Elwin in warning. ¡°That may perhaps be true. But, one senses that, with Master Gilgamesh¡¯s constitution and resolve, a single dream would not be overly detrimental.¡± Vincenzio left his counter hanging in the air for a few moments before continuing. ¡°And this would be no ordinary Dust Dream, but a shared one with perhaps the greatest warriors this world has ever known...¡± Did my ears deceive me, or did I hear a note of nostalgia in the practitioner of the dark arts¡¯ voice? I cricked my neck, feeling one of the bones pop. ¡°...the Dream will give you time to hone your skills. All you will need to do is to ovee that challenge.¡± Lust for power warred withmon sense as I mulled over the Necromancer¡¯s offer. The temptationced in his words ate away at my reserve. Surely a single dose of the Dust could do me nosting harm? ¡°Very well then, Vincenzio. I ept your offer,¡± I answered determinedly. There could be no reward without risk. ¡°Gil, you¡¯re not serious. Gil¡­¡± was Elwin¡¯s shocked response. ¡°I will watch over you in this Dream, if that is what you wish,¡± said Kidu supportively. ¡°Then we are in agreement. I must make a few preparations. Take this time to gird yourself for this challenge,¡± finalized the Necromancer, his tone surprisingly anti-climactic. ***** Iy on a simple wooden bed, mypanions hovering over me like worried hens. Mysteriously, the necromancer reverently ced a chunk of Zajasite and a well-worn scabbard by my side. ¡°What are those?¡± I asked, doing my best to hide my trepidation. ¡°Tokens of an old friend. The person who will guide you on the next part of your journey. They sacrificed a part of themselves for this moment,¡± he answered somberly. Why did they always have to answer in damn riddles? No matter, as long as I gained a few levels and skills from this then putting up with the mindless waffle was a small price. The Necromancer¡¯s method made sense, I justified to myself, the brain did, after all, process things many times faster when in a dream state. Add to that the magical nature of this world, then there was a very real possibility that this would act as a shortcut to power. ¡°This can only be done once, and never again repeated. So do not think of giving up unless things are most dire. Do not wake from the dream until you have defeated its guardian. Do you understand this?¡± warned Vincenzio harshly. His words rang true to my ears. So he did want me to seed, at least. I smiled evilly at the thought. He offered me a purple concoction flecked with dashes of alien green. Sitting up, I moved it up to my lips, stopping just before making contact. ¡°Don¡¯t you wish to know where to find the Beron¡¯s Dream?¡± I inquired, testing him onest time. ¡°You can tell me when youplete your task,¡± he replied simply. He either genuinely wanted me to seed or was a very aplished liar indeed. ¡°Drink all of that down.¡± And so, I did as instructed. The fluid tasted of nothing, which was, in itself, disgusting and alien to my tongue. Forcing it down required an effort of will. A sense of rxation washed over me, as if all was well with the world. Elwin and Kidu looked anxious. Odd, I thought, for there was no ce for worry here. My eyes grew heavy, yet my soul felt, strangely, as light as a feather. Sleep called to me, in deeper notes than I had ever heard before. It entered me like water seeping into a ball of cotton. Myst thought, as I walked the path of oblivion, was that I should have brought Larynda¡¯s Dreamcatcher. ***** I awoke gently inside the dream, walking through a field of mist and ghost grass. Each step was filled with purpose and direction, and as I progressed, the world around me slowly began to take on color. The soft call of birds, lilting and musical, filled the air, mingling with the scent of pine. A few more steps. Now I could hear the gurgling of a stream, beckoning me with its cheerful song. That was the ce I needed to go. I walked on to the stream. I bent down to touch the crystal water, feeling its cool, clean touch. Above me, the sun shone, burning away thest of the mists. A house appeared, forming out of nothing, like a raw statement of existence. It was a squat construction of simple red earthen brick and a thatched roof. Smoke escaped from a chimney at its top. The door of the simple abode opened. A middle-aged woman appeared from the door, as if she were a character walking out of the pages of an old tale. Her back was straight, and she moved with a grace that would have put most dancers to shame. She wore a practical-looking light yellow tunic and a man''s trousers of an ochre hue. Her hair was cut short, for a woman at least, a chestnut brown with a few threads of gray. As she walked towards me, I saw a fierce aspect in her. A straight scar ran across her nose, just beneath hazel eyes that showed the first signs of time''s kiss. When she was three paces away, she looked at me as if I were an unwee guest in this realm. Like a nervous child fighting a stutter, I nheless found it within me to ask my question. "Who are you?" She smiled enigmatically, with only a sliver of annoyance tarnishing her expression. The woman drew a breath, looking around at this world, at me, drinking deep of the details before her. She spoke as if singing, the words flowing together in an ent I had never heard before, in anguage I had never known, yet now understood on an almost intrinsic level. "My name is Fen¡­ and it seems the world has forgotten me too soon." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!