《The Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage: Reincarnated as a Hydra》
[1] Hatching
All the man saw around him was fire. A kingdom burning, a thousand screams of agony, endless lives lost. His own blood spilled onto the ground, pouring from him like a fountain. He refused to buckle to the pain even as a blade stabbed through him, slicing into his entrails from behind. He spoke the words of power not to save himself, but to save those that cried out for a savior. Before the spell was cast, it turned dark.
Death.
The first sensation was warmth, then breath, then darkness as his eyes rolled open. Everything was muted, all sensations felt odd. That was when he noticed that he was confined in a small area. Everything in him told him he needed to move. He had to get out. He pushed at the walls with his arms and legs as hard as he could. Then with his tail¡ Wait tail?
¡°What is going on? Someone help.¡± He wanted to speak but he found he could not talk.
His mind raced as he processed an appendage he shouldn¡¯t have, or at least he thought he shouldn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t know who he was, he didn¡¯t know why he was in this box¡ or was it a box? It was more an ovoid than cuboid. The walls of his prison were not stone, or wood or steel, or at least he thought so. He wasn¡¯t even sure how he knew what those words meant, only that what he was in was not that.
He thought to himself as he continued to struggle. ¡°What am I, where am I? Why is it so hard to breathe all of a sudden? Wait, am I about to die?¡±
Panic set in as he struggled to release himself as another sensation took hold. This one was more pressing and primal. Suffocation. If he did not get out he would die. He continued to kick and scratch and bite at the walls of his ovoid jail which would soon be his crypt. That was when he felt it. A crack in the prison, a means of escape. It was so small he nearly missed it. He pushed all his might into that one point until the crack widened and he saw light.
¡°You will not be killing me today,¡± he thought to himself in triumph.
He pressed his mouth against the crack and breathed. The air felt nice but his lungs burned as if it was their first time taking in the crisp substance. After taking in a few more breaths, he continued to claw at the crack until there was an opening barely large enough for him to see through. Despite not getting much done he was tired, his body wanting to rest and his muscles aching. Something in him told him he could not rest, he needed to get out. So he struggled to widen the hole until it was large enough for him to get his head and shoulders through.
¡°Finally I can get out of here,¡± he thought as he pushed his way into the light.
Triumph in freedom was short lived as the exhaustion finally took him, and he lay down still half inside his prison. Now at least he could see what he was trapped in.
To his surprise it was an egg, and from it came a long, slimy and scaly body. It didn¡¯t seem right, but was that his body? He was sure his body was different; somehow the scales seemed new. He wondered how he could turn his head so far around, so he looked down to see his neck was long and serpentine.
¡°Am I a lizard? I thought I was something else. I think I was just born, but how do I know that if I am a lizard? Shouldn¡¯t I be all instinct and no thought? True Dragons are smart. Am I a True Dragon?¡± He looked back at his body, his long neck allowing him to examine what had so far escaped the egg. ¡°No wings, no dragon.¡±
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He finally turned to look at his surroundings. He was on a circular platform a few inches off the ground in the middle of a bedroom. It was about four feet in diameter, and had arcane carvings arranged in a geometric shape all over it. His egg was placed in the center of the platform. The room itself was nothing special; just two beds, a study area and dressers. The floors were hardwood, and the walls were painted a baby blue. His spot seemed to be the most interesting out of everything he could see.
¡°How do I know what walls, hardwood floors or beds are?¡± he thought to himself. ¡°Wasn¡¯t I just born? Is it weird to know that? I mean I am the only newborn I know, and I know it, so I guess it is normal.¡±
A new voice said abruptly, ¡°Hello, sir. It would appear everything was a success.¡±
The lizard looked around for the source of the voice. He tried to speak but all that came from him were squawks and chirps. He tried again but no luck. The only sounds he could make were all unflattering squawks and chirps.
¡°I do not believe you will be able to speak in that form, Sir. Don¡¯t worry though; I am speaking directly into your mind and I can hear your thoughts,¡± the voice responded.
¡°Where are you? Who are you?¡± the lizard thought, mainly to see if the person could indeed hear it.
¡°I am the Reincarnation System you created before your untimely demise. You named me Failsafe. You have my deepest sympathies on your death, Sir.¡±
¡°Reincarnation?¡± the lizard asked mentally.
¡°Your rebirth failsafe. Hee-hee, I just realized why you must have named me Failsafe. I believe you may be experiencing memory loss due to these unforeseen developments. You were supposed to reincarnate into a sentient humanoid race.¡±
¡°Wait, Failsafe, who am I?¡± the lizard asked. ¡°What am I?¡±
¡°I am unsure, Sir.¡± Failsafe responded. ¡°My main function is to restore your reincarnated mind and spirit back to how it was, but the amount of magic you possess in your current form is limiting my capabilities and memories as well. It must be another unforeseen happenstance due to the fact you are now a uh¡ baby long neck lizard thing, and not a human or some such race. I will run a diagnostic; please wait.¡± Failsafe was only gone for a moment before he spoke again. ¡°Ah, I see. In your current form you are wayyy less magically apt than you were at time of death.¡±
The lizard cut him off. ¡°What does that mean for me and my memory?¡±
¡°You need to gain magical strength equivalent to your previous self for me to access your memories and share them with you. I will develop a system that will aid in displaying your progress to that state. We can even set milestones for certain levels of strength,¡± Failsafe said, sounding excited at the prospect. ¡°I will need to get more information on your current capabilities first. So we can add to it as we go.¡±
¡°Uhuh¡ So what do you need?¡± the lizard asked.
¡°Right now nothing, Sir. You are exhausted from being born, so I will see how long it takes you to recover,¡± Failsafe said.
¡°Do you really not know anything about who I was or how I died?¡± the lizard questioned.
¡°All I know is that you were human before, and my creator,¡± Failsafe admitted. ¡°I am not even sure what you looked like, but you were powerful. That I know for sure.¡±
¡°Well that doesn¡¯t help much,¡± the lizard said. ¡°Maybe the best thing to do is just look around. Let''s see if I can get used to these limbs.¡±
Despite what he said, he ended up not being able to move. His strength had all but left him. The most he could do was kick at the shell that still covered half his body, freeing the last of his form. He found his body to be more dog-like than that of a lizard, aside from his neck, which was long and snake-like. His front arms, or legs, whatever they¡¯re called anatomically, had dexterous fingers. Not as adept as human hands, but they were capable of some manipulation. His hind legs, all lean muscle, looked powerful. His tail was longer than his entire body, making him look almost like a snake.
If not for the long neck he would assume he was some type of drake. He wasn¡¯t a dragon nor was he a normal lizard. With his current memory he didn¡¯t recognize what he was. Failsafe didn¡¯t know either, so there was no point in questioning it. He pushed himself back into his egg, which seemed safer than just laying on the table. Drained of all of his strength, he laid his head back down and closed his eyes.
[2] A New Name
He woke up to Failsafe buzzing in his head. He yawned, which came out as a chitter and a tongue flare. The movement seemed rather natural. That led him to think maybe he was a chimera of some kind. Maybe he was someone''s science project to combine a snake and a drake. His thoughts were interrupted by the continuous buzzing in his head, so he decided to turn his attention to Failsafe.
¡°I have completed your analysis,¡± Failsafe said, his voice full of pride. ¡°Until we know what you are and what you are capable of some places are blank, buuut,¡± he held the last word for a while and paused for suspense. ¡°Ta-daa, look at this.¡±
A square menu appeared in the lizard''s vision, causing him to jolt awake. It was magic. Somehow he recognized the sensation and understood that only he would be able to see this. It was a mental projection, but he didn¡¯t know how he knew that. He wanted to understand how it worked and how Failsafe managed to do this without it taking what little mana he had. He was so intrigued it took nearly five minutes before he even looked at the words.
Name: ???
Species: Unknown
Level: 0.01
Vitality: 1
Restoration:1
Constitution: 1
Strength: 1
Dexterity: 1
Stamina: 1
Magic: 1
Magic Regeneration: 2
Page 1 of 2
¡°Well, good job but what is that level?¡± the lizard asked.
¡°Ah, so while I don¡¯t know much about who you were, I have a good feeling about how powerful you were,¡± Failsafe said cheerily. ¡°So I divided that hypothetical magical strength into 500 milestones. I didn¡¯t like how milestone sounded, so I called them levels instead.¡± He started to sound less confident. ¡°You know, it is like you¡¯re¡ I don¡¯t know, rising up. You know, leveling up¡ on a new level of power.¡± He paused. ¡°I mean it sounded better in my head but now that I am saying it out loud¡¡± He coughed nervously. ¡°I can change it, it-its not set in stone or anything.¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant, it¡¯s fine,¡± the lizard assured him. ¡°I just didn¡¯t know what the term meant in this context. So essentially according to your gut feeling, which is all I have to go on, I am about, hmmm, lets see¡ 0.002 percent as powerful as I was when I died. Huh.¡±
¡°W-well, yeah but I was trying to make it sound nicer,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°Did you take a look at the second page yet?¡±
¡°No, I was getting to it. First, why out of five hundred instead of one hundred?¡±
¡°Well by my calculation, at each level you should gain enough magical energy for me to access more of your locked memories. So, each level requires twice the power of the previous to unlock. It doesn¡¯t mean you would be twice as strong though. The unlocking of the memories is the main reason for the number of levels.¡±
¡°Are the other statistics like magic and vitality based off of the 500 rule?¡± the lizard asked.
¡°No, those don¡¯t technically have a limit, just kind of a general observation,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°Ignore them for now. I need more observation data and something to compare you to. But you know what I don''t need more data for? Page two. You should look at it.¡±
¡°Okay-okay.¡±
Skills Analysis
Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic construct and your best friend that has your back no matter what!
Venomous Bite
Magic Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs.
Poison Puff
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.Magic Cost: 1
You can mix your venom into the air using magic, creating a small area of poisonous gas. This gas will reduce the health of those inside the area. The wider the area of effect, the less effective the poison.
Poison Scratch
Magic Cost: 1
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even small scratches fatal overtime.
Mysterious Magic Connection
Magic Cost: -1?
You are connected to an outside entity which is feeding you power. More study needed.
Page 2 of 2
¡°Skills, does that mean what I think it does?¡± the lizard asked.
Failsafe said with pride, ¡°Yep, in fact...¡±
Failsafe was cut off by the sound of someone entering the room. Everything seemed to stop for a moment as what sounded like two girls chatting in an unfamiliar language drew closer. Then without warning a high pitched squeal rang out. If it was of excitement or terror, the lizard did not know. He peeked his head from the now sizable hole in his egg. Staring back at him were two faces, both flush with excitement. They spoke with one another, still staring at him, until one quickly dashed out of the room.
Something about the girl that stayed resonated with the lizard. It was something the lizard could not quite place. An aura, an attraction¡ no, it was more like an arcane compulsion. Something about the girl''s presence felt right. It was like he was supposed to be near her, protect her, befriend her, even raise her as his own daughter.
It was odd to feel such a strong paternal instinct towards a stranger. For some reason in her presence he felt stronger and less tired. He had so much renewed energy that he uncurled from his hiding spot in the egg and started to emerge. The girl held out her hand, a smile stretched across her face.
The girl seemed to only grow more excited as the lizard drew closer, stumbling over himself a few times as his muscles adjusted to carrying his weight. He didn¡¯t notice before, but he didn¡¯t know what the girl¡¯s race was. She looked humanoid, sure, but not quite human. She had a human face; young with brown unblemished skin and large circular glasses. Her hair was raven black. Most striking were her antlers, a feature humans most certainly did not share. They were small and barely peeked out of her hair, but something told the lizard they were going to grow as she aged.
¡°Bjorn,¡± the girl said as if calling him by name. ¡°Bjorn.¡±
Somehow the lizard knew that this was his new name. As he reached the girl he stretched out his paw. The girl took his paw, then suddenly wrapped herself around him in an embrace, tears rolling down her face. She did this while saying something in the language he did not understand.
¡°Soooo, don¡¯t want to interrupt, but I think I know what that Mysterious Magic Connection is now,¡± Failsafe said in Bjorn¡¯s mind. ¡°It would appear you are a familiar and you just received a name, so, congratulations? Bjorn?¡±
¡°We will go with that name for now. It¡¯s not like I can remember my actual name. Can you understand them?¡± Bjorn asked mentally.
¡°I will after I hear them talk for maybe an hour or two,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°I got a few words down so far but not enough to translate anything meaningful. Good news though, the magic connection between you two seems to be rejuvenating you at an accelerated rate. The familiar contract you are under is symbiotic.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°You two are connected through a magical link,¡± Failsafe stated, obviously proud of his deduction skills. ¡°That link shares magic between you. Her magic is stabilized and amplified by being around you, while at the same time you get a steady supply of that new excess mana.¡±
The girl finally stopped crying and picked Bjorn up by the armpits. She held him in the air for a moment, spinning around before placing him back on the ground and sitting down beside him. Now that Bjorn had a human-ish girl to compare to, he was about the height of a medium sized dog, but a lot longer because of his serpent neck and prehensile tail. Bjorn took the opportunity to look around and get used to his new legs, now that he was strong enough to walk thanks to the girl. Walking on all fours felt right but at the same time different. Every few seconds he flicked his tongue, which he realized was automatic. He noticed that he could literally taste the world around him, including magic. Now that was unexpected.
It didn¡¯t take long before the first girl returned with a plate of meat cut into small chunks and a young man that looked to be about the same age as the girls. Probably around sixteen or seventeen. Most interestingly, the two newcomers were human, fully human. The boy''s blue eyes were striking, as if he could see into the soul, and the girl had a mane of red locks with tribal beads and feathers. They stopped at the doorway when they saw Bjorn walking about. While Bjorn could not understand them, he could literally taste their concern.
As the group conversed, he noticed they didn¡¯t walk any closer. The girl he was bonded to was called Freja by the human girl, who in turn was called Julie. The boy was called Mat. It appeared Freja had to demonstrate that Bjorn wasn¡¯t going to bite them by picking him up again, which he offered no resistance to. She placed him back on the platform near his egg. It wasn¡¯t until Bjorn tried to step off the platform that the runes and symbols carved on it started to glow. A barrier of light prevented him from stepping off without Freja¡¯s assistance. Mat and Julie finally entered, and Julie presented the grilled meat for Bjorn to eat.
[3] Lord Father
Daylight entered through the window, which is what woke Bjorn. He found himself still in the body of some unknown monster. He had discovered little about himself or his species over the course of the night. Freja and her friends spent most of the time watching him and ensuring he ate and drank. Failsafe underestimated how long it would take him to translate the language. However, he claimed that throughout the night he would make a new magic framework that would allow him to understand it in real time. Unfortunately he won¡¯t be able to read it until he learns the old fashion way. Speaking the language was impossible given the vocal cords he possessed.
He stands up and proceeds to stretch when he notices Freja standing over him. She was wearing the same thing as yesterday a black sweater vest over a white dress shirt, black and white striped tie, and a skirt. She picked him up and he notices the barrier that kept him from leaving the platform dissipated. He can taste the magic in the air and given enough time he is confident he can identify what exactly is being used to make the barrier. He expects Freja to let him back down but instead she heads for the door.
As it turns out he is in a dormitory of some kind. They are in a long hallway which has doors intermittent on each side. The spicy taste of cinnamon incense assaulted his greatly enhanced senses. The dorm had an oddly sterile look, no pictures or plants or colors beside the natural hues of the wooden floors and brick walls. Freja seemed to be nervous as she carried him hurriedly down the stairs and into the main hall.
An older woman was there waiting for them and she looked surprised at Bjorn. The woman was a halfling, a full head shorter than Freja, with a motherly demeanor. She and Freja talked for a few minutes and she even pointed at Bjorn a few times and especially at his back. Bjorn wished he knew what they were saying but could only shrug off the talks.
¡°Hey, Failsafe you got that translation thing done yet?¡± Bjorn asked mentally.
¡°Almost. I just need a bit longer. I am trying to optimize it as much as possible given your low magic ability.¡± Failsafe responded aptly.
Bjorn sighed. ¡°Well can you just tell me what they are talking about?¡±
¡°Sure thing.¡± Failsafe said. ¡°The older halfling woman¡¯s name is Dimii. She is trying to figure out what you are. She thought you might be a dragon but no wings, so that was out. She is also upset that Freja took you out of the containment field. I am assuming that is the platform in Freja¡¯s room. Apparently, you are supposed to stay in it for a few days to ensure you don¡¯t reject the bond and attack her.¡±
It suddenly made a lot more sense why Julie and Mat didn¡¯t want to come into the room while he was free. Any bonded familiar can reject the bond and then be no different than any other wild animal. The fact no one seems to know what he is means that Freja is taking a big risk to her life, carrying him around like she is. While he has no intention of harming her if he was just another wild animal one bite and his venom could kill her.
¡°So I could reject it.¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Yes, you could cut the connection if you focused on it hard enough.¡± Failsafe stated. ¡°Oh, now the woman seems to have told Freja that her father is on the way to see her and she should stay at the dorm today.¡±
As Failsafe spoke Bjorn could taste fear in the air. He looked up at Freja and she seemed neutral but her body was giving off a strong sense of dread. Something wasn¡¯t right, why would she be afraid that her father was coming to see her. Family troubles perhaps that seemed like it might be the case.
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After the two talked for a few more minutes, several more girls around Freja¡¯s age slowly made their way down the stairs into the main hall. Each of them were wearing the same uniform as Freja and none of them were human. He saw one elf, fay and a cynocephali along with another of Freja¡¯s race. They all carried bookbags on their backs and a staff in hand or a wand at their side.
When they saw Freja and Bjorn he noticed they seemed to take a longer path around to avoid them. At the same time Freja noticeably avoided eye contact and shrunk in her demeanor. Bjorn could taste fear, embarrassment, and anxiety as the girl shrank. The halfling woman seemed to notice and said something that of course Bjorn could not understand but seemed to help Freja somewhat.
After speaking to Dimii, Freja returned to her room. Since Julie was already gone she allowed him to walk around the space freely. As with the day before he found the space to be rather barren, there were two desks, wardrobes and beds but nothing else. Freja sat at her desk while Bjorn had to jump up onto her bed to see what she was doing.
She was working with an alchemy set and some dried ingredients. She added a notebook and several textbooks open while she used her magic with some difficulty to ignite a flare jewel that was used as a bunsen burner. She worked diligently on something, occasionally looking over to Bjorn. Especially as he jumped on and off the bed to get used to his new body and find the best way to jump.
Once she finished whatever she was working on she put out the flare jewel after several failed attempts. She picked Bjorn up and placed him back on the containment platform. She grabbed her book and sat down next to him where she spent the next two hours reading out loud to him. Bjorn just listened despite not understanding a word. He had nothing better to do anyway, Failsafe was working on the new framework and he didn¡¯t want to distract him with questions and updates. He didn¡¯t really understand what Failsafe even is, judging by the description Failsafe wrote about himself in the Skills Analysis, he is some type of sentient spell. Bjorn feels like he should know what that means like it is on the tip of his tongue but he can''t quite put it together.
¡°... he is accredited as the ¡°Wandweaver Extraordinaire,¡± and it is thanks to his life long pursuit of magical knowledge and his refinement of magical wandmaking techniques that mages today can craft spells with the use of a wand.¡± Freja read which caused Bjorn to jump up in surprise which in turn caused her to stop. ¡°Are you okay Bjorn? I didn¡¯t startle you, did I, baby?¡± She pets his head.
Failsafe celebrated. ¡°Heck yeah, guess who just solved one way interspecies communication magic? Come on guess-guess.¡±
¡°Uh, you?¡± Bjorn said mentally.
¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Failsafe said proudly. ¡°Not only that but it uses ambient magic meaning you won¡¯t even have to worry about it draining you.¡±
Bjorn immediately tried to talk out loud but all that came out were the usual squawks.
¡°You hungry, baby?¡± Freja asked as she stood up. ¡°I will be right back.¡±
¡°I thought you figured this out?¡± Bjorn thought frustratedly. ¡°Why am I still squeaking?¡±
¡°It is one way.¡± Failsafe stated matter of factly. ¡°The translation is happening in your head. You can¡¯t speak, that would be sound magic or something like that.¡±
As Freja reached for the door it suddenly swung open. The taste of anger, disappointment and disgust carried in the air which caused Bjorn to immediately turn to see what was going on. He could also taste Freja¡¯s terror which put him on edge. On the other side of the door was a man who towered over Freja, his antlers adorned with rings and jewels. His skin is as dark as a starless midnight only broken up by the red suit and long shoulder cape which itself had the crest of a dragon.
Authority and mana flowed from the man like a typhoon although controlled and pressing down only on Freja. This was a tactic used to show dominance on those around you. It is not a physical nor a magical attack, just the manipulation of the mana in the air. If one can not defend against it then it will make the person feel vulnerable and underpressure as if they are standing before a superior. It is considered rude and even an insult to do but the man at the door did not seem to care.
¡°Fath¡¡± Freja stated but quickly bowed her head. ¡°I mean Lord Salstar. It is an honor that you have come to see me.¡±
The man¡¯s voice was deep and impassive. ¡°Where is it, girl?¡±
Freja notably paled her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°Right this way, Lord.¡±
[4] Goodbyes
Freja turned from the door, clasping her hands together to stop from shaking. Her terror was palpable. The girl looked as if she might burst into tears any minute.
The man, her father, Lord Salstar, walked up to the platform. With every step his anger rose. His face was full of wrath as he stared daggers at Bjorn. Without warning he spun around and slapped Freja across the face so hard she fell to the ground, blood running from her nose.
¡°What is this--this thing? You have brought even more shame to my house,¡± Lord Salstar said, his voice uncomfortably calm for how angry he appeared to be. ¡°Are you trying to embarrass us? I gave you strict instructions. Keep your head down, do not speak my name and do not embarrass the Salstar name. We are dragonkeepers. For generations our family has only summoned and tamed the mightiest of all beasts.¡± He shook his head in disbelief. ¡°And you-you failure not only have the audacity to, not only be a pathetic wizard, the only one in our family lineage, but now this?¡± He pointed to Bjorn.
Bjorn pressed himself against the barrier keeping him on the platform. He tried everything in his power to help Freja, but all he could do was claw and hiss, which of course accomplished nothing. He could not believe that the man would come here just to belittle her. Everything in Bjorn just made him want to see just how effective his venom was on that man.
Freja cried. ¡°I¡¯m sorr¡¡±
The man pulled out a wand made from black metal and inscribed with golden runes. It only took a single flick of his wrist and his magic weaved masterfully into a complex array to produce a chantless spell. In an instant a ring of soft light formed around Freja¡¯s neck, choking her. The ring slowly lifted her into the air, just high enough that she had to stand on the tips of her toes to keep from being hanged.
¡°I don¡¯t want to hear your excuses, I am sick of them,¡± Lord Salstar stated coldly. ¡°Pack your bag; you have thirty minutes, do not make me wait.¡± He dismissed the magic and Freja fell to her knees, coughing and gasping for air. ¡°Your magic hasn¡¯t improved in the four years you¡¯ve been here, and your sister isn¡¯t around to defend you anymore. Pathetic.¡±
The man turned as his wand floated back into its case at his side. He looked at the hissing Bjorn with equal disdain and hatred. He walked to the door, which opened under his magical manipulations. Julie, standing outside, bowed her head. Obviously terrified of the man, she stammered out a greeting. Lord Salstar didn¡¯t even acknowledge her before continuing on his way. As soon as he was out of sight Julie rushed into the room, checking on Freja.
¡°Are you okay? You''re bleeding,¡± Julie said as she knelt down beside the coughing girl. ¡°I¡¯ll go get a healer or Ms. Dimii.¡±
¡°No,¡± Freja said as she wiped the blood from her mouth. ¡°I have to pack. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±
¡°Are you serious? Where are you going? Not with that evil noble hopefully,¡± Julie said as she helped Freja up to sit her on her bed. ¡°He can¡¯t treat you like this just because you¡¯re a wizard and not a mage. We can get the authorities or something.¡±
Freja shook her head as she slammed her hand into her thigh. ¡°And they will do what? Arrest him, the Lord? No offense but I don¡¯t know if a human would understand. It is just now how things work here. Just leave me alone. I need to pack.¡±
Freja stood up and pulled her wand from a cylindrical hoster on her waist. The wand was a gnarled piece of faded wood that could be easily mistaken for a kindling if not for the rather comfortable leather grip. She spoke the words of power to call forth two wisps in the shape of hands. A beginner level wind spell would usually create substantial hands of wind that could interact with the world. Freja¡¯s wind hands, however, looked weak and could not move quickly without winking out. She used the hands to quietly gather her things.
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Julie helped with wind hands of her own, which were far more stable and quick. She was sure to continue her slurry of insults towards Lord Salstar. Some of which were quite creative, and others couldn¡¯t be translated yet as Failsafe didn¡¯t know what they meant. It took only five minutes for Freja and Julie to pack the meager amount of belongings the girl possessed. Most of this time was spent carefully packing up her alchemy equipment. The wind hand carried her books, while she had a single bag full of her clothing and other nicknacks.
¡°Are you ready to go, baby?¡± Freja asked as she picked up Bjorn. ¡°Guess you aren¡¯t going to be able to meet the rest of my friends after all.¡±
¡°Is it safe to carry him like that?¡± Julie asked, apprehensive to get any closer. ¡°The containment did tell us he¡¯s venomous, you know.¡±
¡°Bjorn is a good boy, he wouldn¡¯t bite anyone. Would you baby?¡± Freja asked while nuzzling Bjorn.
Bjorn let out an affirmative squawk. He didn¡¯t notice before, but while she held him he could feel the faintest flow of mana coursing through her muscles. She was augmenting her strength with mana in order to carry him, which made sense as she was a pretty petite girl. His tail still dragged on the ground so he wrapped it around her waist, which could help with the weight distribution.
The lobby was full of girls staring out into the courtyard; more and more seemed to be rushing down the stairs to see what was going on. At the top of the stairs to the main lobby Miss Dimii was ordering the girls not to do anything that would embarrass the academy. As soon as she caught sight of Freja and Julie carrying bags she hurried over to them.
¡°What is going on, Freja?¡± Dimii asked, she then saw the swelling presenting itself on her cheek. ¡°By the Divines, are you okay?¡± A gentle blue glow surrounded her hand as she touched Freja¡¯s swollen face. ¡°There.¡±
Healing magic coursed into Freja and the swelling quickly subsided.
¡°Looks like I have to go,¡± Freja responded as Dimii finished her healing. ¡°Thanks for looking after me these four years.¡±
Dimii opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a panting boy who inserted himself into their space.
¡°Freja, Julie, what is going on, why is Lord Salstar here?¡± Mat asked, trying to catch his breath. ¡°Are those bags?¡±
¡°It looks like I¡¯m leaving,¡± Freja said, choking back sadness. ¡°Lord Salstar came to take me back home I guess.¡±
¡°But you just summoned your familiar, why would he take you now?¡± Mat asked as his eyes darted between Freja and Julie. ¡°We don¡¯t even know what he is yet. Speaking of, is it safe to carry him around like that?¡±
Freja sighed. ¡°Bjorn is fine and I don¡¯t know why he chose now to get me. Probably because my sister¡¡±
¡°Oh. Yeah, didn¡¯t mean to bring that up,¡± Mat said with a frown, scratching his head.
¡°I¡¯ll be fine though, I¡¯m just going back home for a while it seems,¡± Freja said. She tried to smile but couldn¡¯t.
A crash downstairs pulled Dimii¡¯s attention, and she had to deal with a student that apparently tried to get a better view by standing on top of a coffee table. The trio was quiet for a few seconds, each of them struggling to figure out what to say next. Julie then stepped up, placing the case she was carrying on the ground; it was the one with all of Freja¡¯s alchemy equipment. Julie grabbed Mat¡¯s hand and Freja¡¯s shoulder, since Freja¡¯s hands were full with Bjorn.
¡°It¡¯s not like this is goodbye, guys,¡± the red headed girl said. ¡°If you are ever in the Mesha Kingdom come see me. I may not be from nobility or whatever, but my family knows how to cook up a feast. Also Mat has a crush on you.¡±
Mat and Freja both perked up at the last statement. Their eyes locked for a second before they both averted eye contact.
Mat stammered, ¡°Wha-Wh-what?¡± His eyes locked onto Freja, cheeks turning nearly as red as Julie''s hair. ¡°Well I¡ you see uh.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°If you''re ever in the Force Isles you''re always welcome.¡±
¡°Oh¡ That is kind of you,¡± Freja said. ¡°The invite I mean. Both of you. Thanks.¡±
After a few minutes the crowd opened when they noticed Freja and her friends making their way to the door. Outside, Freja finally saw why the crowd had gathered. A single figure clad in red was standing next to a massive lesser red dragon. The dragon was Lord Salstar¡¯s familiar, Thrand, and he had a large enclosed carrier on his back with enough room for twenty people to sit or stand comfortably. Freja steeled herself with a deep breath and squeezed Bjorn a little tighter.
[5] Dragon Repellant
The courtyard was full of spectators, both students and instructors. None approached the large lesser red dragon or Lord Salstar, the nobleman who ruled this domain. The sheer weight of Thrand, the lesser red dragon, would have crushed the bricks that made up the walkways had they not been magically reinforced. Most of the students here had never seen a lesser dragon before, and even those that had were awestruck by the majestic animal and its master.
Julie grabbed Freja¡¯s wrist, spun her around, and gave her a long emotional hug. She reached out and dragged Mat into the embrace as well.
¡°Be sure to message me and Mat,¡± Julie said as the trio released. ¡°And don¡¯t let that ass hat get his way. Promise me you¡¯ll be alright.¡±
¡°I promise. As soon as I can, you will hear from me,¡± Freja stated.
Freja¡¯s wind hands, which had been dutifully following with her books, also took the bag Julie had been carrying. She turned and approached her father.
When she was just a few feet away a figure jumped from the dragon''s back. He landed with surprising grace and looked at Freja with a self-satisfied grin. He was a few inches shorter than Freja, but was a spitting image of Lord Salstar. That was to be expected as he was the Lord¡¯s only son and Freja¡¯s younger brother; Ragnar. The boy had on a blue suit to his fathers red, and instead of a wand he wielded a staff with a large orb at its end.
¡°Ah, sister dear, it is nice to see you again,¡± Ragnar said with a vicious smile. ¡°I heard you successfully summoned your familiar.¡±
The boy sounded like he was reading from a script and Bjorn could not help but notice how staged everything seemed to be. There was something going on and Bjorn liked it less and less with each passing moment.
Freja stopped in front of Ragnar and bowed her head. ¡°Master Ragnar, the pleasure is all mine.¡±
Bjorn got the sense that Freja knew what was going on. She tensed up and Bjorn could taste the fear and shame in the air. Ragnar seemed to be displeased in Freja¡¯s response as if he was prepared for a different outcome. Bjorn got the feeling that Ragnar was prepared for Freja to stand up to him and was disappointed she didn¡¯t.
Ragnar''s smile vanished. ¡°What is with the formalities, sister? Oh, let me guess, you heard I am next in line to take over as head after dad since big sis Helga is no longer with us.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°You know what that means, right, shia? Don¡¯t worry, we are siblings, please let me see your dragon. Of course as a member of the Salstar family you summoned a dragon.¡± Performance seemed to have reached the zenith as he paced around Freja, eyeing her up and down. ¡°I mean it would be a complete shame and dishonor that a Salstar would even attempt to summon anything else, right?¡± He pretended like he just noticed Bjorn. ¡°Oh, what is this little ugly thing? Don¡¯t tell me you disobeyed father.¡±
¡°His name is Bjorn,¡± Freja whispered.
Ragnar grabbed Freja by her antlers and threw her to the ground in front of their father. Freja had to hold onto a hissing Bjorn, who was eager to fight in her defense.
¡°I am sorry, what was that?¡± Ragnar yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t talk back to me, you''re a failure. From today on you are a shia and I have taken the right to be an heir from you! I will show you what a real Salstar should be able to summon.¡± He snapped a finger. ¡°Vilja, here.¡±
A dragon pup flew down from atop the red dragon. It soared through the sky around the courtyard before landing without so much as a thud next to Ragnar. The lesser dragon was black in coloration, an indication that she was a lesser storm dragon, one of the strongest variants. While still a dragon pup she was half as tall as Ragnar, and when matured she would be larger and stronger than Thrand.
Bjorn managed to free himself from Freja¡¯s grip and he stood in defiance of the two men, inserting himself between Freja and her kin. Ragnar merely laughed at the display, seeing the small long-necked drake thing as an odd unimpressive creature. That was until his dragon saw Bjorn, and freaked out. She backed up, squawking cries of fear, even threatening to take off flying if not for Ragnar holding onto her to calm her down.
¡°What has gotten into you, Vilja?¡± Ragnar asked as she bucked him off of her. ¡°Calm down, it¡¯s just some stupid lizard.¡±
Thrand turned his attention to the group due to the commotion and looked down at the little Bjorn. He also backed up, lowering his head as if to hide behind Lord Salstar. The Lord got control of the large dragon with a simple wave of his hand, unlike Ragnar. Displeasure now turning again into anger, he looked at the scene before him. The shiagaunt would have removed the Freja properly but his son losing control of his familiar made them look weak, which was not acceptable. This was supposed to be a display of strength over the cancer in their family that was Freja. A shia that would soon be excised.
¡°Get control of your familiar, boy,¡± Lord Salstar snapped. He turned his attention to his daughter on the ground. ¡°Get up Freja, we are leaving.¡±
Freja nodded and grabbed Bjorn, this time being sure to hold him tighter so he could not escape.
¡°What did that little monster do to Vilja?¡± Ragnar screamed in outrage, the mask of his performance broken. He walked over to Freja, who was still picking herself up, and kicked her in the side, causing her to fall over. ¡°She¡¯s never acted like this before. What did your freaky little familiar do?¡±
¡°Ragnar, enough. Or do you mean to further shame yourself,¡± Lord Salstar said in a deep rumble.
¡°But it was her. She did something,¡± Ragnar protested.
¡°Excuses Ragnar? You think I want to hear them from my heir?¡± the man asked in a rhetorical tone. ¡°Take Vilja and get out of my sight. You have done enough.¡± He turned to Freja. ¡°With this the shiagaunt is complete, come.¡±
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As the two talked Freja once again stood up, her head down to hide the pain she felt. The pain that Bjorn could sense all too well. He could taste her anguish, her torture, her hatred and every ounce of her fear, and it broke his heart. If he could, he would rip those entitled pricks apart. For now at least all he could do was hiss and watch them closely, as either were more than capable of killing him in an instant.
The ride on the back of Thrand was smooth as the large dragon followed the ebb and flow of the wind. The cabin on his back was large and decorated for nobility. Gold and red interiors and upholstery in booths around the windows. Above them fancy chandeliers with magic stones lit the space. Even a couple of servants to serve the Lord and his guests, and a separate section for preparing meals.
Freja¡¯s mother Ingrid was also present, but she hadn¡¯t so much as looked at Freja. Ingrid was the same race as the rest of them but with notably lighter skin and white freckles along her neck. Bjorn guessed that she might be a different ethnicity within the race. She conversed with her son who sat next to her, going on about nothing important.
The Lord sat in a special seat near the front of the cabin at a desk. Behind him was the banner of the Salstar domain, which Bjorn had yet to find out the name of. The Lord was going over some paperwork while smoking from an ivory pipe. The servants were both elves, sisters by the look of them. They were at the beck and call of everyone other than Freja, whom they ignored completely.
Freja and Bjorn sat alone in a booth with a closed window. She gently petted Bjorn, emotions all over the place. Meanwhile Bjorn decided that, now that there was a lull, he could finally go over some things with Failsafe.
¡°So, the skills were interrupted when we were going over them,¡± Bjorn said mentally.
¡°Ah, yes!¡± Failsafe exclaimed. ¡°I actually had to make some changes, given the new information about you being a familiar and all.¡±
Bjorn opened his menus with a thought and looked over his status.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Salstar
Species: Unknown
Level: 0.02
Vitality: 1
Restoration:1
Constitution: 1
Strength: 1
Dexterity: 1
Stamina: 1
Magic: 1
Magic Regeneration: 2 (+1 from bond)
Page 1 of 2
Skills Analysis
Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic and your best friend that has your back no matter what!
Venomous Bite
Magic Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs.
Poison Puff
Magic Cost: 1
You can mix your venom into the air using magic creating a small area of poisonous gas. This gas will reduce the health of those inside. The wider the area of effect, the less effective the poison.
Poison Scratch
Magic Cost: 1
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even small scratches fatal over time.
Familiar Pact Connection
Magic Cost: -1
As a familiar you are receiving +1 to your magic regeneration
Dragon Repellant?
Passive Skill?
Dragons seem to dislike you for some reason and show hesitation and fear around you. More study needed.
Page 2 of 2
Failsafe cleared his nonexistent throat. ¡°So what I was going to tell you is that right now you can use one spell, hence you only have one point in magic. The magic cost on your spells is one point. As long as you are near Freja you should regain that point of magic once every twelve hours. Should you be separated you will lose that bonus and it will take probably twice as long.¡±
¡°That is ridiculous right? Why does it take so long?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Did you forget you were just born yesterday?¡± Failsafe responded. ¡°You are a newborn; the fact you can use magic at all is crazy.¡±
¡°So only my natural venom doesn¡¯t cost any mana. What¡¯s that Dragon Repellant thing you added?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Just an observation. Ignore it for now,¡± Failsafe stated.
¡°Do you have any idea how potent my venom actually is?¡± Bjorn asked as he stretched on Freja¡¯s lap.
¡°We won''t know until you use it,¡± Failsafe said.
¡°Some experimentation would be nice if only I could talk,¡± Bjorn sighed.
¡°Right, remind me I might have come up with a way for you to get stronger faster, but we¡¯ll need to kill something for me to test it out,¡± Failsafe said.
¡°We need to kill something? Will a bug do?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Not unless it can use magic,¡± Failsafe responded. ¡°Because I¡¯m a magical construct I can actually absorb and manipulate mana. It¡¯s not much but that¡¯s how I¡¯m able to function without draining your mana constantly. Right now I am running on free mana out in the atmosphere, also called ambient mana. But when something dies its remaining mana can be absorbed. I¡¯ll even gain some of their experiences as well as a memory or two. If I can store some of that mana I can introduce it to you in a manner your body will absorb.¡±
¡°That sounds like cultivation,¡± Bjorn said without even thinking. He then lifted his head and thought about it. ¡°How do I know what cultivation is? That is cultivation, right?¡±
¡°I believe sooo¡ or something like it. Maybe? Look-look, both of our memories are incomplete, so either it is or it isn''t and I just invented a brand new way to grow stronger,¡± Failsafe said almost dismissively. ¡°The important part is getting stronger as fast as possible so we can get our memories back.¡±
Bjorn set his head back down on Freja¡¯s lap. ¡°That reminds me. If I die before that can you reincarnate me again?¡±
¡°Once you reach level 410 I should be able to. If you die before that we¡¯re just going to be regular dead,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°However, if you hit level 410 and croak, in our next life both of us will lose all of our memories and we won''t be able to recover them. This you and the you from your first life will be dead in a sense.¡±
The smooth motion of the dragon¡¯s wings came to a stop as Thrand landed abruptly. Lord Salstar stood up from his desk, smoke pipe in hand. He walked over to Freja, standing over her, and before she could even react a soft white light ring appeared around her and Bjorn¡¯s necks. The ring dragged both of them out of the booth as they struggled against it. The door to the cabin was opened, and the two were thrown out.
[6] Broken
They rolled down Thrand¡¯s back, his massive wing creating a ramp to the rocky ground below. They were in a clearing in the middle of the forest, facing the base of a crag in the landscape. The fall was not pleasant as the rocks and speed caused them both to be rattled with pain. As soon as they came to a stop Lord Salstar released the spell, choking them while he watched from high atop Thrand.
Freja had been sure this would happen the moment she saw her brother at the school. This was a shiagaunt, the removal of a potential heir to a noble house. It made her a pariah and would serve to separate her from her house. Since her older sister died, technically she was next in line to become head of the family after their father. However, invoking a shiagaunt in front of spectators, bowing to her younger brother, and him grabbing her antlers showed that she recognized him as her superior. All that was left was for her family to abandon her. She was prepared for that outcome but hadn¡¯t thought it would come so soon.
Lord Salstar used magic to amplify his voice as he stated with disdain. ¡°Freja, for too long you have been the stain on the honor of our family. I can see I was wrong to believe a mere wizard was worthy of the name Salstar when all you did was fail again and again. I listened to your sister Helga and believed that maybe you would be useful.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Well, let''s see if you can be useful. If you have learned anything in your studies worth a damn.¡± He pointed behind her. ¡°In that cave is a troll. I assume you know what that is. It has caused problems for the people of a nearby village. Any Salstar worth their name would be able to kill it easily. Prove to me you are worth my time.¡±
Thrand''s wings flapped hard, and in seconds the dragon was far off in the skies above. Bjorn was much faster to recover than Freja, who appeared to be in shock from being left with such a dangerous creature. She knew it was true that a trained mage with battle experience could take on a troll alone, but she was not a mage nor trained in combat. Her family just left her to die. To get ripped apart brutally by some crazed beast. She was still reeling from the tumble, the choking, the slap, and now this.
Before she could even stand the world went silent as all animals in the area fled. A thunderous roar came from the cave a little over 300 feet away. The beast stepped out into the sun, irritated that some weak intruders dared step into its territory.
The brute stood over eight feet tall, its muscular form hidden under a thick hide. Its arms were long and hairy, its claws caked with the dried blood of its previous meal. Its form was oddly humanoid, but wrong and misshapen. Its mouth was full of jagged blackened incisors. It took another step out of the cave and let out another roar, this one even louder.
Bjorn once again inserted himself between Freja and danger. The young girl''s eyes were locked on what she was sure would be her death in a few more heartbeats. Fighting was suicide, Bjorn knew that, but if Freja ran maybe she could get away. Bjorn turned and bit her shirt sleeve to try to get her to move. She was so scared she couldn¡¯t even stand. The troll took another step and Bjorn could taste the creature''s anticipation; he was eager to hunt and his eyes were locked on Freja.
¡°I think we should get out of here, like yesterday, Bjorn,¡± Failsafe said, panicked.
¡°Damn-it she won¡¯t budge. She¡¯s in shock,¡± Bjorn responded.
¡°Yeah, I noticed, but we can move, we can get out of here,¡± Failsafe said.
Bjorn paused; he hadn''t even considered leaving Freja. The idea was asinine, or was it? He knew his protective instinct for the girl was because of the familiar contract. He could break that contract and run. Yes, that would mean leaving this girl to die but shouldn¡¯t he prioritize his own life? He obviously cared a lot about himself, seeing that his previous life created a return from death magic in the form of Failsafe.
He thought back to the dream he¡¯d had before waking up as this lizard thing. It was fuzzy but he knew it was how he died, his last memory. In that last moment he didn¡¯t think about saving himself. He was putting his all into a spell that would save the people of that kingdom. Bjorn would like to think that was who he was. A man who put others first. He knew he was grasping at straws and romanticizing his death like it was something noble. In truth for all he knew he caused that destruction in the dream.
The lizard took a deep breath. ¡°How do I activate one of the skills? The poison scratch one.¡±
¡°Are you seriously going to try and fight that thing?¡± Failsafe screamed in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re going to get us ki-¡±
¡°Failsafe,¡± Bjorn said in a tone reminiscent of a man ready to die. ¡°How do I do it?¡±
Failsafe was quiet for a few heart beats. ¡°Since you are an animal it should be automatic. Focus your magic on your claws with the intention of infusing your venom into them. No chanting or anything like that, it¡¯s just directing the flow of mana.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Bjorn said solemnly.
Failsafe took a long breath. ¡°Well, this was a short life but it was nice being here with you.¡±
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Poison Scratch
Magic Cost: 1
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even small scratches fatal over time.
Bjorn focused on the flow of his mana, moving it around his body. He felt his only point of mana drain from his core into his claws and they started to steam with a sickly green vapor. With the troll focused entirely on Freja he decided to run in an arc, making it first look like he was running away. The troll watched him only for a second before turning his attention back to Freja. The beast hunched over and began running on all fours like an ape.
Freja screamed as the creature drew closer, snapping her out of her frozen state. She frantically looked around for Bjorn, only to see him running away. She turned her head, knowing she was going to die alone, abandoned by her family and her own familiar. She tried to get up and get running but slipped as she tripped over herself, only managing to crawl in a pathetic mess of frantic terrified motions.
That¡¯s when she heard the troll scream in agony. It howled as the running thumps of its footsteps stopped. The sound of it wrestling with something drew her eyes back around. She saw Bjorn on the creature''s back, biting and scratching as many times as he could. The cuts were superficial at most, barely drawing any blood. Besides that, she knew trolls had an extremely fast healing factor. Cuts and bites would heal up in minutes.
¡°Bjorn, run!¡± she called out as she finally reached for her wand.
The troll thrashed his arms wildly, trying to reach the nuisance on his back. His animal intelligence didn¡¯t allow for him to think of any better strategy than wild rage. It was all he needed after all, and soon Bjorn was knocked free. The troll whirled around with speed unbefitting its size. His ape-like hands clasped tightly on Bjorn¡¯s torso while his claws dug deep into the lizard''s ribs. The monster''s other hand quickly reached for the lizard''s neck, and with a twist and a shower of blood decapitated the struggling Bjorn.
Freja chanted her spell, but when she saw the troll drop Bjorn''s body her words petered out. The spell failed, which was expected since she¡¯d never tried offensive magic before. The troll rushed Freja, and with a slash of its claw she was sent flying. Her body burned with pain as flesh tore. Her vision blurred as she breathed in a mountain of earth. She found herself face down in a muddy red pool of her own blood. She rolled onto her back but could not sit up. The troll stepped on her right leg as it approached, shooting blinding pain into her.
The creature raised both hands over its head, ready to bring them down on Freja and end her life in one quick and decisive blow. Freja looked up, past the hulking giant into the sky where Thrand circled overhead. She reached out her right arm since the other was broken; she only had one thought in her head. Through the pain. Through the sadness. Through the abuse, the torment, the years of hatred. She didn¡¯t want to die, not like this, not to this beast in this field.
Her heart darkened, and all she could think was to curse her fake fucking family. She cursed them over and over again. She screamed all of the rage she¡¯d built up over the years. Every profane thing she could think she wished upon them. Even through it all there were no more tears, not for her sad life.
That¡¯s when she noticed the beast had not brought down its hands. She turned her attention back to her executioner as he stumbled dizzily off of her pinned broken leg. The creature continued to drunkenly wobble as blood began to foam in its mouth. It spun and Freja saw that none of the wounds Bjorn had given it had healed; they all seemed to only grow more intense and bloody. After a few minutes of this the creature fell over, going into a violent seizure.
Trolls were notoriously tough creatures, their healing factors usually meant that your first strike had to be a decisive killing blow. Their bones were as tough as iron, their hide ridged leather. They could regenerate from near anything. They were resistant to poisons and venoms and even weaker magics. Freja knew all this, and could not believe what she was seeing. A troll felled by venom¡ It was unheard of, it was damn near impossible.
As the creature let out its last few death throes Thrand landed in the clearing with a tremor that shook the landscape. Moments later Lord Salstar, Lady Ingrid, Ragnar and a few servants descended the dragon¡¯s back. Ingrid still refused to look upon her daughter. Ragnar had a bemused look on his face; he hadn¡¯t expected her to survive and kill the troll. Lord Salstar, on the other hand, watched her like a hawk preparing to strike.
Lord Salstar and two of his servants approached the heavily bleeding girl. Her mother and brother were ordered to keep their distance. The servants dropped Freja¡¯s belongings on the ground in a pile before they too distanced themselves, leaving the Lord alone with his estranged child.
¡°You could not cast a single spell. You froze and got your familiar killed, and here you are, only alive because of a fluke. It is like you were born to disappoint me,¡± her father said with uncaring eyes. ¡°I can not believe Helga convinced me to keep you around for so many years, may she with the Forest Father. It looks like your mother was right all along. We should have removed you long ago. The Salstar family will be all the brighter after today.¡±
¡°Fuck you,¡± Freja said. Her mouth was dry, dirty, bloody and was barely able to speak. ¡°You tried to kill me. You killed my familiar. You ruined my life. Fuck you, Ulfar Salstar.¡±
The Lord clicked his tongue in disapproval. ¡°You are stripped of any nobility my blood would have granted you. You are no Salstar. You are trash. You are disowned, never use the Salstar name. Never return to the Salstar territory or any of our towns.¡± He bent down and placed a small potion and a silk bag on the ground. ¡°I pray you have a short life and for your sake we never meet again.¡±
It only took a few moments before her family was gone, back on Thrand and into the skies.
Freja laid there in agony and rage. She looked at the potion her father left her. A small health potion, not enough to fully heal her wounds of course, but maybe enough to set the bones and stop some of the internal bleeding. She reached for the potion and drank it in one gulp.
The girl screamed as her broken arm, ribs and leg bones reset but didn¡¯t heal. Her body grew hotter and some of the more grievous wounds stopped bleeding. The pain was quick but unforgiving, and as soon as it was over she passed out.
[7] Night is for the Monsters
It was always the same: the first sensation was warmth, then breath, then darkness as his eyes rolled open. This time, however, things seemed a little different. The sun was setting but the crag face caught the light, giving the area a few more minutes before night. Bjorn found it difficult to focus, his vision now split between four eyes.
Now that was new. The last thing he remembered was being caught in the grasp of the troll, then nothing but darkness and pain. He coughed, his throat dry and scratchy.
He tried to focus on his vision; he was still seeing double. It was starting to become more normal to him. It was less like an affliction caused by injury and more of a new natural. He rolled over onto his paws, now laying on his stomach instead of his side. His muscles were sore and felt as if he had been shredded from the inside out. That¡¯s when he noticed his neck was touching something. He turned and saw himself staring back at him.
Startled, his necks reeled back, getting a good look at what he was seeing. He was seeing himself from two different angles at the same time. He had sprouted a second head, which only made him confused. He looked around and saw the troll lying dead not too far from him. His other head also swung around and saw something concerning. It was also his head, fully detached as if ripped off.
¡°Failsafe. Failsafe?¡± Bjorn called for him mentally.
¡°Ugh¡ Damn that hurt,¡± Failsafe responded.
¡°You can feel pain?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°I feel everything you do,¡± Failsafe responded with a groan. ¡°Like the new look by the way. I¡¯m sure two heads are in style right now.¡±
¡°Was this your doing? What happened to me?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°No, it appears this is just a natural thing that you do now,¡± Failsafe responded. ¡°You got our head ripped off and man did that suck. But hey, we aren¡¯t dead. Let''s not do that again though. Getting decapitated is not conducive to a long life.¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t they just grow back?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Maybe, but probably not,¡± Failsafe continued. ¡°It took way more magic than you currently have to do this. The only reason we survived this time is because the troll died.¡± He squealed in excitement. ¡°Wait-wait, I just thought of something.¡±
Failsafe went quiet, and shortly after Bjorn¡¯s vision returned to normal. He looked at his second head, which was bobbing up and down without him doing it.
¡°Failsafe, is that you?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Yep I have a body now! Look out world,¡± Failsafe said in triumph. ¡°Well I have a head.¡±
¡°How are you doing that? Can you take control of me?¡± Bjorn asked, feeling uneasy at the development.
¡°No, the only thing I can do is take control of one of your heads, and only if you let me. We can switch if you want, or you can kick me out, but I call dibs on the right side,¡± Failsafe responded casually.
The answer was still worrying but there wasn¡¯t much they could do right now anyway. Bjorn stood up, his movements didn¡¯t seem to be impeded by Failsafe controlling the other head. Now that he was standing he could make out the crumpled form of Freja not too far from the collapsed troll. He limped over to make sure she was still alive. He could feel the familiar pact still active so she had to be breathing.
Freja was in a terrible state; blood caked the ground and stained nearly all of her shredded clothing. Well, what was left of them. It appeared all the bleeding had stopped but she still had nasty scars along her right arm and side. On the ground beside her were her belongings, which appeared to have been thrown to the ground without care for the contents. She had an empty bottle in her hand which Bjorn imagined was some kind of potion she¡¯d taken, most likely saving her life.
Now that he knew she was okay, at least for the moment, he cautiously walked towards the downed troll. He needed to confirm it was dead. The last thing he wanted was to let his guard down only for it to wake up and crush them. With each flick of his snake-like tongue he could taste death in the air. He hung his heads low, being sure to minimize his presence as much as possible, almost tiptoeing to the beast.
He walked around the completely still cadaver a few times from what he considered a safe distance. With no movement from the creature he approached its back, not confident in being able to escape if it suddenly sprung at him from the front. After scratching it with his claws and jumping back with no reaction he approached again. The creature was good and dead, but that left Bjorn with a question.
¡°Failsafe, did the cultivation thing you were talking about work? I mean we killed this thing, right?¡± Bjorn looked at the head Failsafe controlled; he was still bobbing around wonderstruck with his new freedom. ¡°Failsafe. Did you hear me?¡±
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¡°Huh, oh that, well yes and no,¡± Failsafe responded mentally. ¡°Most of our share of the energy I took from it, and I mean like 95% got used up healing us¡ and apparently growing a second head. This is so cool by the way, I never had a head before and this one can bend and twist and-¡±
Bjorn cut him off. ¡°I get it, have your fun, but you said most of the energy got used up and our share. What about the remainder?¡±
¡°So, funny story. I forgot to account for the fact that you¡¯re a familiar. So when I created your menu system Freja¡¯s magic copied it. I don''t think she¡¯s used it yet, in fact I don¡¯t think she consciously knows she has the ability, but her body is also able to create mental projection menus, stats and skill sheets.¡±
¡°You lost me, what does that have to do with my question?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Well,¡± Failsafe¡¯s eyes darted sharply away. ¡°When I developed our cultivation method her magic copied that as well, and technically you are an extension of her magic as long as you have the familiar bond.¡±
¡°So, when I kill something the reward is shared between us?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Yes so your¡ uh, let''s call it experience, got split between the two of you,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°And she now has a cultivation method.¡±
¡°Well, I guess that will be a good thing in the long run,¡± Bjorn said. ¡°It¡¯s going to start getting cold soon; let¡¯s check out the cave, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be smart to stay out here in the open.¡±
¡°True, night belongs to the monsters,¡± Failsafe agreed.
Bjorn walked over to the cave the troll had called home. He was pleased to find that his vision easily adjusted to the dark cave. His flicking tongue didn¡¯t alert him to any more unexpected trolls in the cave. The inside was lined with the bones of all sorts of animals and even other monsters. The strong musk of the troll was everywhere, which might keep them safe; other beasts would likely stay away from the troll''s territory.
He returned to Freja with the plan to drag the girl into the cave. He bit onto her shirt, careful not to nick her with his fangs, and Failsafe did the same. He didn¡¯t think moving her would be easy, but he also didn¡¯t think it would be so hard. Freja wasn¡¯t a big girl by any means, she probably weighed about a hundred ten pounds soaking wet. The struggle was real. Moving her a few feet felt like they might as well have been trying to move the troll. Ever so slowly but surely, after an hour and a half they finally managed to pull her into the cave.
The sun fully set and the temperature was dropping fast. Bjorn worried that Freja might get sick if she slept in the cold like this. He decided it would be best to look through her things on the ground. He ran back to the pile, found her travel bag and decided to leave all of the books, papers and other things. Luckily, tugging the bag along was much easier than dragging an unconscious Freja.
Once he returned to the cave he decided it was high time he got to see how dexterous his hands were. He didn¡¯t want to rip the bag because it would be useful when they traveled. His front paws looked like they were meant to grab and hold onto things with three finger-like talons and a forth that functioned kind of like a thumb. He used his hands to carefully unzip the bag.
He found that he could do simple movements with his hands, but he was never going to be a painter, not in this life at least. Once the bag was open he and Failsafe used their mouths to quickly take out all of the clothing inside, placing a layer of skirts, sweater vests and shirts on top of Freja. Once they were done with the task, they curled up beside her to share body heat. With things calmed down he finally opened his status to see what changes had been made.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Salstar
Species: Unknown
Level: 0.5
Vitality: 1
Restoration:10
Constitution: 1
Strength: 1
Dexterity: 1
Stamina: 1
Magic: 1
Magic Regeneration: 2 (+2 from bond)
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Skills Analysis
Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic construct and your best friend that has your back no matter what!
Venomous Bite
Magic Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs.
Poison Puff
Magic Cost: 1
You can mix your venom into the air using magic, creating a small area of poisonous gas. This gas will reduce the health of those inside. The wider the area of effect, the less effective the poison.
Poison Scratch
Magic Cost: 1
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even small scratches fatal over time.
Familiar Pact Connection
Magic Cost: -3
As a familiar you are receiving +3 to your magic regeneration
Dragon Repellant?
Passive Skill?
Dragons seem to dislike you for some reason and show hesitation and fear around you. More study needed.
Head Regeneration?
Magic Cost: 40-ish (Was kinda decapitated at the time so numbers may be off.)
Currently only usable if fallen beasts powers the regrowth. Major wounds including decapitation can be healed. More study needed but not recommended we try again.
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[8] Hunted
Morning came with the sound of a scream which caused Bjorn to spring awake. He looked around with both heads under his control which he soon relinquished the right one to Failsafe. Only the far wall of the cave was illuminated by the rising sun. The low light didn¡¯t matter because as Bjorn found out last night he can see in darkness quite well.
It didn¡¯t take much to discover the source of the scream Freja was awake but doesn¡¯t have the energy to sit up with her broken ribs. Her shock and joy quickly turned into confusion as she saw the now two headed Bjorn. She winced in pain as she reached out her hand, following the familiar bond that connected them with her magic. He isn¡¯t gone she couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing.
¡°Bjorn?¡± She whispered as if saying the name too loud would cause him to vanish. ¡°That is you, right?¡±
Bjorn squawked in response and the girl reached forward despite the pain by infusing her muscles with mana and embraced the lizard. She apologized for not fighting the troll and getting him hurt. The tears wouldn¡¯t stop as the pain forced her back to the ground. The pain not even allowing her to lift her arms and pet the loyal familiar.
Bjorn knew she was injured but not to what extent. It may be a few days or weeks before she will be fit to move. That means she will need food and water especially after losing so much blood. He needed to do something for her and fast.
Freja¡¯s breathing was staggered.¡°What happened to you? The second head is definitely new. Well at least now you are twice as cute.¡± Freja said with a slight chuckle but winced in pain. ¡°We have to go. My father¡ my father disowned me. He actually tried to kill us.¡± She shook her head. ¡°If Helga were alive he wouldn¡¯t¡ it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Her eyes finally darted around the cave. ¡°Did you drag me in here? Good boy. I just need to rest a little more.¡± She passed out cold.
Bjorn stayed by Freja for a few more minutes then he decided to search around the mouth of the cave. He wanted to get a good lay of the land. He decided to finish gathering the test of Freja¡¯s belongings which included her alchemy set in a rather nice leather bound case along with several notebooks and textbooks. It was a few hours from midday and aside a couple of vultures circling the dead troll not much had changed from the day prior. The clearing around the large rock face stretched out into a short grassland before transitioning to unkempt woodland.
¡°Do you think Freja can eat troll meat?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know, but you did pump it full of venom so probably not.¡± Failsafe responded.
¡°Can she not eat anything I kill with my venom?¡± Bjorn said as he found a rock that he could climb up to get a better view of the surroundings. ¡°That might be a problem. I am pretty sure I am supposed to be an ambush predator that strikes and wraps my prey up with my long body.¡±
¡°We just have to hunt something small like a bird or rabbit after we find some water.¡± Failsafe added.
Bjorns two heads swing around looking for any signs of monsters skulking around. With each tongue flare he could literally taste the decomposition of the troll along with the frustration of the vultures trying to get to the meat beneath the thick hide. He decided to watch for a few hours just to make sure nothing would show up while he left Freja alone in the cave.
He was satisfied and returned to check on the sleeping girl before he left for the grassland. She looked peaceful but he could taste the turmoil in the air. He walked over to the alchemy case and after a few tries managed to undo the latch and open it. Inside were vials, beakers, a mortar and pestle along with a host of tools, potions and ingredients. Bjorn could tell that the girl was passionate about her use of alchemy and he felt she most likely wanted to learn to cover her deficiencies as a magic caster.
Bjorn took one of the empty glass beakers in his mouth. A runic symbol at the bottom reinforced the durability making it far stronger than the thin glass made it seem. Now that he had a cup he was off to the grassland to find water. The clacking of his talons against the hard rocky ground changed into a much softer comfortable jaunt now that he had soft soil beneath his paws. The lizard decided to use his magic to tug at the familiar pact under the direction of Failsafe. He found that could feel the direction back to Freja so at least he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about getting lost.
The grass was tall or at least taller than he was meaning he had to rely on his sense of the familiar bond like a compass to know he was going in the right direction. Soon enough he reached the entrance to the forest. The canopy was thick making the passage look menacing. Bjorn wanted to test out a theory to determine a possible escape should he encounter any predators.
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He placed the glass beaker down and walked up to the closest tree and sunk his claws into the trunk in an attempt to climb. His first attempt looked more like he really just wanted to give the tree a hug. He tried again this time with a bit of a hop using his front arms to grab on then his hind legs to push up. He found that doing this he could climb pretty well and made it about twelve feet up the trunk but it was too tiring to keep trying until he found water. He used his long tail to wrap around the tree trunk as added safety as he slowly descended.
Now that he had an escape should something happen he felt confident enough to enter the forest with his glass. The darkness didn¡¯t impede his vision and he used his heightened senses to smell out the location of water. Every few minutes he would have to set the glass down and flare his tongue then continue. While he walked he noticed Failsafe chewing on something. He swallowed and looked back at him.
¡°What?¡± Failsafe asked. ¡°We stopped moving.¡±
¡°What were you eating?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°A beetle we nearly passed, tasted alright I guess.¡± Failsafe stated. ¡°I have been doing it this whole time, are you just now noticing?¡±
¡°Yes. Why are you eating bugs?¡± Bjorn asked incredulously.
¡°Uh, because we need to eat to keep up our strength. Lizards eat insects all the time.¡± Failsafe responded and his head squawked.
Bjorn hadn¡¯t considered insects as part of his diet but the magic construct wasn¡¯t wrong. This was a survival situation and if he could fill his stomach while searching for water, in this case two heads really was better than one. He continued for a half hour until he finally picked up the taste of water in the air. He tugged at the magical connection he had to Freja just to make sure he could get back home then continued.
¡°We are not too far from water now.¡± Bjorn said mentally to failsafe.
¡°Stop.¡± Failsafe responded as his head swiveled around. ¡°I think we are being hunted.¡±
Bjorn froze in place then got low to the ground as both he and Failsafe used all of their senses to observe the area. Everything looked normal, the canopy blocking most light but a thick carpet of leaves making nearly every step crunch. He didn¡¯t smell anything but the natural musk of the forest. His tongue tasted the air and sure he could pick up the faintest trace of other animals; they all seemed far away. Then something jumped out at him, the taste of magic so faint he only noticed it because he was focused so intently.
¡°Run.¡± Failsafe screamed in Bjorn¡¯s head.
Bjorn picked up the beaker in his mouth and took off running in the direction of the water just as something lunged out at them so close they felt its breath. As soon as they started running the forest erupted into life Bjorn heard the sound of several things chasing them. He didn¡¯t dare turn around; he needed absolute focus on where he was going. The last thing he needed not was to trip on a root and stumble.
¡°Shadow wolves.¡± Failsafe said he was able to turn and look around without impeding Bjorn.
¡°Go right now.¡± Failsafe said right as Bjorn narrowly avoided the jaws of the leading wolf. ¡°Left-left.¡±
Bjorn quickly changed directions again and again following Failsafe¡¯s guidance. The sound of more wolves joining in the hunt painted a grim picture especially when the sound was coming from ahead. Bjorn made a last second decision and turned to the nearest tree and jumped as high as he could. His claws sunk into the trunk as he pulled himself up as fast as he could. It wasn¡¯t fast enough as he felt one of them bite onto his tail sinking their teeth in deep and start pulling him down off the tree. The pain caused him to release the beaker which fell to the ground.
Bjorn looked back for the first time and saw a pack of at least ten pitch black wolves closing in. Their bodies were like optical camouflage changing to match the shadows round them. The one that gripped his tail was already ripping at his flesh and the pain was intense. Bjorn could feel his grip on the trunk loosening; he needed to do something now or he was dead.
¡°Failsafe, poison puff.¡± Bjorn screamed in his head. ¡°Do it now.¡±
Poison Puff
Magic Cost: 1
You can mix your venom into the air using magic creating a small area of poisonous gas. This gas will reduce the health of those inside. The wider the area of effect, the less effective the poison.
Failsafe didn¡¯t respond as Bjorn felt the single magic point he had drained from his core and into his other head. A sickly green mist escaped from between Failsafe¡¯s jaws which quickly changed black as he opened his mouth and exhaled. The mist smelled unusually sweet but roiled like a thunder cloud as the magic imbued into it crackled. The mist poured from Failsafe like a waterfall and in a far greater amount than looks like it should have been possible for such a small creature.
As soon as the mist came into contact with the wolf they heard whimpering and it released his tail. The other wolves ran it to the mist only to also start crying and retreat out. Bjorn looked around and saw the wolves back up, some of them coughing and a few already started running away. He looked out and saw they were only a few hundred feet from the water he had been tracking. It was a large bayou, the wetland cutting through the forest like a knife.
The lizard looked back down at the wolves they were still regrouping and obviously more wary of chasing him now that they saw he was a threat. He needed to make it to the water before the mist dissipated. He only had one shot and he could lose the wolves in the water. His heart beat in his chest as he weighed the pros and cons; this was life or death for him and Feja. He tugged at his familiar connection to make sure he could feel her direction and he could.
¡°Shit.¡± Bjorn said. ¡°Hope I can swim.¡±
[9] King of the Reptiles
The cloud of poison was thicker than Bjorn thought it would be but now was his chance to escape. He located the beaker in the foliage below which he had dropped when the wolf bit him. He took back control of his other head so he could use his senses and get a good count of the wolves. Now that he had both heads tasting the air he could accurately count how many wolves there were even though he could not see them.
There were twelve in total; he could taste the confusion and fear of the toxic gas radiating from those that remained. The problem was he would not be able to use his magic again for half a day according to Failsafe. That is when the air changed and he could taste death. Two of the wolves were in the middle of having seizures and twitching on the ground. He believes the first was the wolf that bit him and breathed in the poison the longest. The second must have been in the mist longer as well.
Bjorn wasted no time in sliding down into the mist which to him had a sickly sweet smell. He returned control of the right head to Failsafe as he picked up the beaker with his jaws. He had to run in between one of the shadow wolves in order to make it to the lake. The wolf was taken completely off guard as Failsafe bit its leg without even slowing down Bjorn.
The wolf howled in pain and turned to give chase. It didn¡¯t make it a few yards before it started bleeding from the eyes and mouth and collapsed against a tree. Before any of the other wolves could even react, Bjorn was already jumping into the water and diving as deep as he could as quickly as possible. Surprisingly he found swimming to be quite natural for him. His instincts took over and guided him in how to properly swim with his anatomy.
He continued to swim out until he was sure he lost the shadow wolves. He floated along the surface of the water easily enough. He basked in a mission complete now all he had to do was get back. Bjorn didn¡¯t like how close the Shadow wolves are to the troll¡¯s cave. He is only about forty five minutes walk and with the troll dead it is only a matter of time before they become another problem. Bjorn knew he was going to have to do something about the wolves but that was a problem for later.
¡°I think I am a water lizard thing of some kind.¡± Bjorn thought.
¡°Yeah, you might be right.¡± Failsafe agreed. ¡°That was a close one though let''s not do that again.¡±
¡°How did they get so close to us without us noticing them?¡± Bjorn asked. ¡°They didn¡¯t have a scent or anything.¡±
¡°Looked like shadow manipulation magic.¡± Failsafe stated. ¡°I remember the name shadow wolf so we have seen them before but I don¡¯t remember anything else about them.¡±
The duo continued to float in the bayou traveling far downstream to hopefully leave the shadow wolves territory. Bjorn noticed a bask of crocodiles, dozens of snakes and other reptiles and even frogs leaving the water as he slowly floated by. He could taste the fear of him in the air as the animals seemed to be eyeing him warily.
¡°Well that is weird.¡± Bjorn stated.
¡°I think your dragon repellent works on all reptiles and amphibians by the look of it.¡± Failsafe stated with intrigue. ¡°Hmm. I am going to have to give that skill a cooler name.¡±
Bjorn asked while counting the animals he saw at the bank. ¡°That reminds me, what about our cultivation thing, did I get anything from the wolves?¡±
¡°Yes, actually we killed four of ¡®em. I saw another collapse in the poison puff. Also good news you have a healing factor.¡± Failsafe stated as if it wasn¡¯t obvious.
¡°Well, yeah of course.¡± Bjorn shrugged. ¡°I kind of guessed that since I had my head ripped off and am still kicking. Well swimming in this case.¡±
Failsafe opened his mouth then closed as he thought about what he was going say. ¡°Right, of course¡ Some of the experience was used to heal your tail but take a look at your status. Oh and-and tell me what you think about the name change for dragon repellent. I am open to some badass suggestions. I will highlight it for you.¡± He said excitedly.
Bjorn looked back at his tail and the missing scales and torn flesh had already healed. The water washed away the remaining blood.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Salstar
Species: Unknown
Level: 0.9
Vitality: 2
Restoration: 20
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Constitution: 1
Strength: 1
Dexterity: 1
Stamina: 2
Magic: 1
Magic Regeneration: 2 (+3 from bond)
Page 1 of 2
Skills Analysis
Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic and your best friend that has your back no matter what!
Venomous Bite
Magic Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs.
Poison Puff
Magic Cost: 1
You can mix your venom into the air using magic creating a small area of poisonous gas. This gas will reduce the health of those inside. The wider the area of effect, the less effective the poison.
Poison Scratch
Magic Cost: 1
You can infuse your claws with your neurotoxic venom making even small scratches fatal overtime.
Familiar Pact Connection
Magic Cost: -3
As a familiar you are receiving +3 to your magic regeneration
King of the Reptiles (Whatcha think?)
Passive Skill
Dragons, lizards, amphibians all show hesitation and fear around you going so far as to run away from you. More study needed.
Head Regeneration?
Magic Cost: 40-ish (Was kinda decapitated at the time so numbers may be off.)
Currently only usable if fallen beasts powers the regrowth. Major wounds including decapitation can be healed. (More study needed but not recommended we try again.)
Page 2 of 2
¡°Wow a little more and we unlock more about who I was, right?¡± Bjorn stated as he looked over the status. ¡°Restoration jumped up but my vitality stayed the same?¡±
¡°The two are close in meaning but not the same. Restoration is how fast you heal while vitality is how much life energy you have. On the same note, constitution is how durable you are physically and mentally.¡± Failsafe paused for a second. ¡°Uh, actually, I should probably change that one, how does Willpower sound for mental fortitude?¡±
¡°I think it would be fine the more accurate these are the better I am assuming.¡± Bjorn states.
¡°Yeah and it is also pretty fun, right?¡± Failsafe said with a head bob. ¡°When we get stronger, probably around level ten, no, level fifteen, you should have enough mana for me to scan and calculate other people¡¯s status and skills. We¡¯ll know how strong someone is just by looking at them. Won''t that be crazy?¡±
¡°Yeah, that would be really helpful in a fight.¡± Bjorn stated as he looked over the status again. ¡°But why did the amount of mana I am getting from the familiar bond go up?¡±
¡°Huh? Oh, I didn¡¯t even notice that. Weird.¡± Failsafe admitted his head turning to look out blankly. ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe it is just how the bond works. It would make sense the more you two interact the stronger the bond would become.¡±
Bjorn thought about it. ¡°Strengthening the bond would eventually make it so I couldn¡¯t break it. The containment back at the academy was supposed to do this right?¡±
¡°Yep, I imagine there is a point of no return. I will keep an eye on it so when we reach that point you can make the decision if we are going to stay or go. So what do you think of the name of the skill?¡± Failsafe said cheerily. ¡°King of the Reptiles sounds pretty cool, right?¡±
Bjorn didn¡¯t really care about the name but thought it was a little on the nose. ¡°Well¡ it¡¯s not bad¡¡± He saw Failsafes'' expression dropping. ¡°...It¡¯s not bad, uh, because it¡¯s great, buddy. So-so cool.¡±
Failsafe lit up bouncing and bobbing his head going on about how he thought of the name. The two continued floating for a few hours before returning to land and immediately climbing a tree. Now that they had the beaker full of water he had Failsafe carry it in his mouth. Bjorn wanted to look out for the shadow wolves and now that he knew the taste of their magic he knew what to look out for and needed to be thorough. The last thing he wanted was to lead the pack to Freja.
After watching his surroundings for an hour he felt it was safe to move. He climbed down and began his walk home this time far more cautious than his arrival. It took another hour and a half for Bjorn to make it back home. He wanted to give the wolves territory as wide a berth as possible. He tasted the air as he arrived and could detect no changes aside from the increased numbers of vultures.
He arrived back at the cave and saw Freja still lying on the ground. She was crying and didn¡¯t seem to notice him until the clacking of his talons against the cave floor roused her. She turned her head with a wince and some of her worries seemed to melt with his return.
¡°Bjorn.¡± Freja said her voice was weak. ¡°You really do have two heads. I thought I might have been hallucinating that.¡±
[10] I Will Survive
Bjorn walked up to her and proceeded to set down the bayou water which of course Freja couldn¡¯t drink as it was, unless she wanted to get sick. Bjorn proceeded to go through her alchemy equipment using his talons to the best of his ability but found that simply using his mouths was far easier and quicker.
¡°Bjorn what are you doing, baby?¡± Freja said as she tried to get a better view from her spot without causing too much pain. ¡°Did you bring me water, h-how?¡±
Failsafe affirmatively squawked in Bjorn''s place as he focused on finding the bunsen burner. Once he did he quickly ran out of the cave leaving Freja confused. She saw the dirty water sitting next to her alchemy case and the majority of her equipment had been taken out and neatly organized. This just left her more confused. How did her familiar know how to do that?
¡°Is he intelligent enough to know how to boil water? Does he know I would need the water boiled?¡± Freja questioned out loud to herself. ¡°Our bond isn¡¯t even at the Iota stage yet, there is no way he has seen my memories.¡±
She continued to question what she was seeing as Bjorn returned with a few sticks in each mouth. Sure she didn¡¯t know what he was but the fact that he was this intelligent meant he might be a True¡ something. The True were from beyond this world much like the True Dragons, which had power beyond anything a mortal could comprehend unlike the lesser dragons born in this world. If Bjorn was a True then she is very lucky he didn¡¯t kill her and everyone else when he was born.
¡°Bjorn.¡± She whispered. ¡°Can you understand me?¡±
Bjorn stopped stacking the sticks he brought and turned to face her. He nodded and squawked before running out of the cave again to gather more sticks. She saw he was preparing a campfire and was going to use the bunsen burner as a lighter. That all but told her that he was special, he had knowledge that no regular animal born a few days ago would ever have.
She shifted a little and lifted her right hand to rub her face. The healing potion she drank was only enough to stop the bleeding and reset the bones in her right side ribs, arm and leg. She could feel that they were very much still fractured, possibly still broken in a few places. Bjorn seemed to be trying to keep her alive so she couldn¡¯t just lay there and cry.
Bjorn returned with more sticks and set them down and meticulously stacked them to start the fire. He held the burner and seemed frustrated. Freja called him so he put the device down and walked over to her. She petted him warmly.
¡°To turn on the burner you have to focus mana into the flare jewel.¡± She pointed at the metal burner. ¡°Can you do it?¡± Bjorn shook his head no. ¡°It¡¯s okay, bring it to me. It is an older model so it can be tricky. Miss Dimii, Julie and Mat all pitched in to buy it for my birthday two years ago.¡± Bjorn went and picked up the burner and returned to Freja, placing it next to her. ¡°I was never really all that great at magic, but alchemy¡ I thought if I got really good then maybe dad or mom would¡ I don¡¯t know. Like me. We see where that got me huh?¡±
She placed her hand near the burner and spoke the words of power expecting it to take a few tries as it always did. As she did she felt her magic core within her and stopped. She examined herself internally circulating magic in her core and felt that it had changed. Her magic had always been an unruly mess she couldn¡¯t control. Her magic core was an anomaly no one could explain so they ruled that she must just be a wizard.
When she examined her core she felt the familiar bond had grown significantly and had begun to unravel her magic in a way she had never felt. Normally she would only feel chaos but this time she felt that beneath that chaos was very pure and very malleable mana. She decided to tap into it even more and felt something click in the core of her being and all of a sudden a screen appeared in front of her.
Status Menu
Name: Freja Thundersky Salstar
Species: Wendigo
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Level: 7
Vitality:9
Restoration: 2
Constitution: 2
Willpower: 8
Strength: 2
Dexterity: 4
Stamina: 2
Magic: 16
Magic Regeneration: 25 (+3 from bond)
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Skills Analysis
Familiar Contract
You are bonded with a named familiar. You gain +3 magic regeneration.
Mystic Wind Hands
Magic cost: 3
Speak the words of power and call forth the mystic hands created from the wind. These hands can interact with the world and will act out the casters will.
Mana Manipulation
Magic cost: Variable
Manipulate the pure mana inside and around your body. Allows you to circulate your mana and use mana dependent tools.
Mana Muscle Saturation
Magic cost: 1
Push your mana into your muscles and bones to temporarily increase your physical attributes.
Page 2 of 2
Freja looked at Bjorn who watched her expectantly. She held her hand to the burner again and focused her mana and it flowed at her command in a way she has never felt before. She watched the flare stone ignite instantly and tears came to her eyes again. She had done it with ease like a normal person. Like a mage would have, like Mat or Julie or anyone else.
Bjorn¡¯s two heads watched her for a moment so she reached out her hand and petted him again.
¡°I am okay, you can start the fire. Be careful not to burn yourself.¡± She said as a pained smile graced her lips. ¡°Thank you, Bjorn.¡±
She watched as Bjorn carefully picked up the burner and stood up rather awkwardly on his hind legs as he waddled over to the sticks and lit them. He placed the beaker with the water close enough to the fire to heat up. He then returned to Freja laying down beside her and watching the fire as it crackled. They just laid there for a while listening to the sound of the fire.
¡°Bjorn.¡± Freja broke the silence. ¡°I can make a healing potion with my alchemy supplies but I will need a few things. Do you think you can get them for me if I show you what I need?¡±
One of Bjorn¡¯s heads rose and he squawked. She directed him to one of the books which is a florea and contained a large compendium of herbs and other plants. He had to help her sit up against the cave wall which was painful but she needed to endure. She was going to survive this and figure everything else out after. She went over the plants she would need with Bjorn, showing him the pictures. Fleron root, dorma bulbs and shade caps were all she would need for a basic herbal healing potion. It would take many doses over the course of a week to heal completely but she will be able to walk in a few days.
Freja was surprised at how responsive the lizard was; she could tell that there was real intelligence behind his eyes. That made her wonder even more what he could be. The summoning she performed was a basic one that should have only pulled something from their world not reached into the higher planes. If he is a True then why would he help her? He could easily break the familiar contract, kill and eat her then go off to gain power. If he isn''t, why had she never heard of his species before?
¡°Bjorn, do you know what you are? We tried to look up your species in the library but no luck.¡± Freja asked and Bjorn shook his heads no. ¡°Hmm.¡± She trembled a little at the next question. ¡°Do you hate me for summoning you here away from wherever you are from?¡± He shook his heads again and Freja took a breath she didn''t know she was holding. ¡°Thank you.¡±
Shortly after Bjorn left in search of the materials. In the meantime Freja needed to prepare; she reached for the wand she had at her side only to find it missing. She remembered when the troll attacked her she had it in her hand and must have lost it when she was nearly killed. Her wand wasn¡¯t anything special but it was the only gift she ever received from her mother before they found out she was a wizard and not a mage, before they started to treat her differently.
She focused her magic using her left hand to draw out the formula in the air while speaking the words of power for the wind hands spell. Her magic bent to her will far easier than she had ever known and without even trying she had two substantial wind hands floating above her. The mana flowed so easily she barely realized that she cast the spell at all. She examined her mana core again and could feel the framework of the spell. She directed the hands to assemble her alchemy setup properly.
¡°I will survive this.¡± Freja said to herself.
[11] Raw
Bjorn was on his second trip back to the bayou taking the longer route around the shadow wolves territory. He had the goal of hunting a few of the snakes and lizards since they would leave the water in fear of him. He also needed to find the last of the ingredients for Freja¡¯s health potions. The first two luckily grew in the grassland but the last grew closer to water sources and should be fairly common.
Before he left he had to assist Freja in making a splint for her leg. All he had to do was find appropriately sized sticks and her wind hand magic did the rest. She had to sacrifice a few garments namely her bloody outfit that was already torn to shreds by the troll. He is surprised at how well she is holding up. She was from a noble house, a lady of class, but she seemed to have dedicated herself to survival no matter what. He imagined anyone else her age in her position would have broken down and been paralyzed in grief but not his master.
He had Failsafe carry the new empty beaker Freja will need for the potions. Bjorn flicked his tongue, tasting the air for anything unusual. He was especially worried about a second run in with the wolves. He still had seven or so hours before he could use his magic again. This left him with his only options being climbing a tree or biting which was deadly but against eight wolves he doubted he could win.
¡°Freja¡¯s wind magic has gotten much stronger, did you notice?¡± Failsafe stated absently.
¡°It was an improvement from what we saw at the academy.¡± Bjorn agreed as he flicked his tongue and altered his course slightly. ¡°Why bring it up suddenly?¡±
¡°Well, I think she may have finally realized what my magic did to her.¡± Failsafe stated. ¡°While the familiar contract is helping stabilize her magic, what her body copied from me is organizing it in a way that is helping her out with control.¡±
¡°Yeah and as she grows in magic we do too.¡± Bjorn added. ¡°The more her mana is refined and amplified the more we get from her. She also seems to be okay with the fact that I can understand her.¡±
¡°I am pretty sure she may think that you are a True of some kind. I mean I would too if I were her.¡± Failsafe said while bobbing his own head in agreement.
¡°Well, as soon as we get enough magic and I can talk, we will clear all that up.¡± Bjorn responded.
¡°What if you are a True? We are going to unlock a small fragment of your memories soon. What if we find out this creature you reincarnated as is one.¡± Failsafe stated thoughtfully. ¡°When you are a few hundred years older you will literally be one of the most powerful entities in this plane. Freja will too, if she lives that long or rather if you keep the familiar contract. Both of you might be pulled into the higher planes.¡±
¡°That is thinking so far ahead it doesn¡¯t even matter.¡± Bjorn stated. ¡°Right now we need to focus on getting out of this forest alive. The shadow wolves will expand their territory now that the troll is dead and we are at least a week or two away from being able to leave.¡±
¡°Right-right. I am just excited about being that powerful. I have a vague image of you before you died but you would have been limited by the fact that you were mortal. Being a True would mean not only will we inevitably reach that level of power again but we will grow far beyond it.¡±
¡°If I am one that would make you obsolete. I will live forever so why have a reincarnation system?¡± Bjorn stated as he flicked his tongue tasting the air for the direction of the water. ¡°See, it is better to think about what we have going on right now.¡±
¡°Oh, right¡¡± Failsafe thought about it for a long while. ¡°That just means I get to hang out with you forever then so that is okay.¡±
The water came into view and Bjorn immediately went to fill the beaker then left it by a rock while he went to find the plants. As he approached the water he could see reptiles avoiding him and taste the fear in the air. He would have to focus on that later when it was time to hunt. Fleron is a small blue-green flowering plant with feathery leaves. He needed to dig some up for its roots.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
The first time he was here he was so on edge he didn¡¯t even have the time to appreciate the beauty of the wetland. Now that he wasn''t being chased he could really use his heightened senses and keen awareness to experience the world in a whole new way. While he kept a constant look out for the taste of shadow wolves¡¯ magic, he also came across a vast array of natural scents and tastes.
The muddy ground gave a little under the weight of his paws and the break in the trees allowed the area to glow with a myriad of greens and browns. A few trees grew out of the water, life magics seeped out from their branches into the ambiance of the air. Moss grew in drapes across the ancient woodland and a sense of untouched nature threatened to cause Bjorn to drop his guard and just take it all in.
After climbing over the gnarled roots of an ancient tree he finally came across the first plant that looked similar to the image Freja had shown him. His journey took him dangerously close to the shadow wolf territory but he didn¡¯t have a choice. As soon as he collected the plants he would swim back so they couldn¡¯t track his scent if they tried.
He found that digging was not his strong suit. He was working diligently to uncover his third fleron cluster and each of them had been a hassle to claw up from the mud. The roots of the plant were connected to a bulb the size of a green onion and they grew in small clusters of about four or five. While he dug Failsafe kept an eye out for any changes and he trusted that the magical construct would keep him safe. He had been at the bayou for three hours and he still had to hunt something and return with his prizes.
¡°All that is left is to find something we can catch really quick.¡± Bjorn said mentally to Failsafe as he placed the fleron cluster next to the beaker of water. ¡°This is going well.¡±
¡°What did you have in mind?¡± Failsafe stated. ¡°I have been keeping an eye on several snakes and lizards.¡±
¡°We will kill a few snakes.¡± Bjorn said thoughtfully as he turned to look at the sky. ¡°We should be able to carry them easily enough. We need to hurry though it will be getting late by the time we return.¡±
Failsafe easily guided Bjorn to a snake which he had been keeping an eye on. The coiled up brown snake was almost invisible amongst the dead vegetation and fallen leaves. If not for the strong taste of fear in the air Bjorn would have missed the creature altogether. As he approached the snake opened its mouth revealing its fangs in an attempt to dissuade him from getting any closer. Of course it didn¡¯t work and the snake continued to coil in preparation for a strike.
In the blink of an eye the snake lunged forward only for Bjorn to catch it mid strike between his jaws and bite down on its head. The iron tang of blood mixed in his mouth and the snake hung limp. He found the taste oddly pleasant even more so than the cooked meat they fed him at the academy. Something about the fresh kill and blood spoke to his instincts. Nevertheless he needed to catch a few more and would eat a couple before returning.
The cave was in sight and night was approaching fast. The rot of the troll and the still ever increasing flock of vultures meant not much had changed. The last sprinkling of light faded as they approached the cave mouth.
¡°Do we even know if Freja eats meat?¡± Failsafe stated as they entered. ¡°I mean she does have antlers like a deer, what if she is vegetarian.¡±
¡°You have a point. I don¡¯t know. Well if we bring her animal corpses she¡¯ll either cook and eat or send us to find something she can eat.¡± Bjorn responded thinking back and remembering he never saw her eat before.
Freja was asleep when he arrived but the sound of his claws clacking against the rock floor roused her awake. The fire was little more than embers but the stack of firewood had decreased. Freja must have been using wind hands to keep it going. She greets Bjorn and inquires about the fleron roots which he presents along with the beaker of water and three snake corpses. She examines the roots while Bjorn places the water near the embers and replaces the wood, restarting the fire.
¡°Bjorn, did you kill these with your venom?¡± Freja asked while looking at the snakes.
Failsafe turned around and shook his head no before turning back around to help Bjorn. He was stoking the fire when he heard crunching behind him. He turned and to his surprise Freja was eating one of the snakes raw, scales and all. He never noticed before but her teeth weren¡¯t that of a herbivore or really even an omnivore. Her teeth were sharp and she had eight canine teeth, four top and four bottom to drive the point home. Freja¡¯s species was most certainly not vegetarians. She seemed more comfortable eating the snake raw than he did.
Failsafe said mentally to Bjorn. ¡°I think we know what she eats now.¡±
Freja picked up the second snake and opened her mouth ready to bite when she noticed Bjorn watching her. She lowered it slightly embarrassed.
¡°What?¡± She said as she looked between Bjorn and the snake. ¡°Were these for you?¡±
[12] Steel Wolf Familiar
Freja could sit up without help for the first time in three days. Things had been progressing like she had hoped but the smell of the rotting troll corpse was starting to get to her. She had been successfully creating herbal healing potions and had to take them once every few hours. The added benefit to these were the fact they also numbed the pain. She was in the process of creating what felt like her hundredth potion and infusing a bit of mana into the boiling brew over the bunsen burner.
¡°By this time tomorrow I should be able to walk.¡± Freja said to herself as she gagged. ¡°For the Forest Father''s sake that smell. I can¡¯t wait until we can leave this place.¡±
While waiting for the potion to brew she decided to take another look at the changes made to her magic by the familiar contract. As she did the strange mental projection screen materialized in her vision again. The mental projection magic was unusual but not unheard of. It is mainly a trait of a starlight magic caster, same with illusion and even holy magic.
Familiar bonds do sometimes impart some of the magic of their companions on eachother but she has never heard of such a complex magic being imparted before the familiar reached Iota stage. At most their bond is a Delta but even that is questionable. The magic seemed to be a self diagnostic of some kind which was interesting but not particularly helpful. She already knew what she could do and having a status menu didn¡¯t change that. All in all it just left her with more questions. If this was something she got from her bond now what would she get once Bjorn became an Delta class familiar in a few months or an Iota in five years?
Bjorn was watching the area from his favorite perch atop a rock near the cave entrance. He was getting ready to go on his daily walk to the bayou for more water and hunt a few more small prey. However, something about today seemed off and his instincts told him he needed to be here. The smell of the death and decay from the troll made it difficult for him to pick out any other scent or tastes in the air. So he had to rely on his vision for the most part.
That was until he tasted a familiar magic in the air which was nearly bleached by the taste of death. Failsafe, who inhabited his other head also seemed to be more alert as he flicked his tongue. The two headed lizard stood up looking for any signs of the shadow wolves nearby. The taste was faint but he was not sure if that was because it was being overpowered by the corpse or if they were actually far away.
¡°We need to get out of sight.¡± Bjorn stated as he hurriedly stood up and ran to the cave mouth.
¡°Yeah. This will be bad if they corner us here.¡± Failsafe stated.
Inside Freja was standing with the assistance of her wind hands. She could walk but needed to hold onto them as a sort of floating crutch. Her recovery had been going smoothly but she would not be ready to leave until tomorrow from what Bjorn could deduce. Since she seemed to be fine he squawked to get her attention and hunkered down in the cave near the entrance. He pressed himself against the wall so he could not be spotted from the outside.
His hope is that the strong musk of the troll in the cave would dissuade any shadow wolf from investigating. Freja seemed to notice his tense body language and also got down after positioning herself in a space that would allow her to see out without being seen. The cave still had the fire which should also make the space less appetizing for any beast.
Between the musk, the smoke and the rotten body, Bjorn and Failsafe were completely blind to any changes in taste or smell. It didn¡¯t take long however before they saw a wolf peek out from the grasslands. Freja gasped when she saw two more follow behind the first, then three, then four as the numbers kept growing until eight wolves were visible.
Bjorn could finally see why they were able to sneak up on him so easily before. The grass barely moved, almost shifting silently out of their way. The shadows seemed to twist around them curving unnaturally in the air and hiding them in a way that made them almost appear translucent. It was a trick of the shadow magic manipulation they were known and feared for.
¡°Shadow wolves?¡± Freja questioned then covered her mouth.
A ninth wolf stepped out of the grassland, this one far too large to be hidden by the tall grass or the shadows. Instead of having the grayish translucence of the other wolves, this one had almost shiny and metallic fur. The other wolves seemed to be submissive to the large wolf which was nearly twice the size. The pack ran up to the carcass, scaring away the vultures and claiming their prize.
After the large wolf took a large piece of meat from the dead troll the others ripped into the remains of the fallen beast. It seemed to be less of a challenge for them to rip and tear than the vultures. Lucky for Bjorn and Freja they hadn¡¯t seemed to notice or care for the cave although Freja was several shades lighter as the color drained from her face.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
¡°Any idea what that big one is?¡± Bjorn said mentally.
¡°I have no idea but we are dead if it sees us.¡± Failsafe responded at a whisper despite speaking directly into Bjorn¡¯s mind.
¡°I figured as much.¡± Bjorn thought back.
As the wolves ate their fill some started looking around the area. Bjorn pulled himself back from the mouth of the cave a few more feet. One of the wolves walked up to the cave and sniffed around the entrance. Either the smell of the troll¡¯s musk or the fire or a combination caused the wolf to back up and continue its meandering elsewhere. Bjorn breathed a sigh of relief from a breath he didn¡¯t even know he was holding.
A tense few hours passed as the wolves hung around. It wasn¡¯t until the larger wolf finally decided to return to the forest that the others began dragging the corpse away most likely to wherever their den is located to feed their young. Even after the wolves had vanished from sight no one moved. Bjorn and Freja felt exhausted after being on alert for so long and there was no way to fully know if the threat had passed.
¡°That was a steel wolf, a druid''s familiar.¡± Freja broke the silence but only barely above a whisper. ¡°What is it doing this far in the country? We have to get out of here, Bjorn, are you okay?¡± She used the wall to stand up. ¡°I am sure druid soldiers are actually behind the attacks on my fathe¡ Ulfar¡¯s lands. The troll was a diversion¡ or happenstance. The war is far to the east, how did they get here?¡± She thought for a minute. ¡°Sabotage, they want to disrupt the farmers and supplies?¡± She thinks about if for a second struggling with the decision to tell someone or just leave. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, he told me never to return so we are going to do just that.¡±
¡°War?¡± Bjorn thought.
¡°It is the first I am hearing about it too.¡± Failsafe responded. ¡°But as it would seem this country is at war with whatever druids are. Freja mentioned her sister died. Do you think this is related to the war?¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter for now.¡± Bjorn said as he stood up. ¡°Freja is right, we gotta get out of here, they come back or their master finds out we killed a few of their pets and we are wolf food.¡±
¡°She is still injured. I am not sure how far we can get if she is limping. Let''s say they find us then what? She can¡¯t run and she won''t be able to create more potions. We can¡¯t use poison puff or the gas may kill her, so we will be reduced to bites and poison scratch. I doubt we will be able to take out eight shadow wolves and a steel wolf half the size of a horse like that.¡±
¡°So what do you suggest?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°We somehow convince her to finish her treatment.¡± Failsafe states seriously. ¡°She can¡¯t have more than a day left at this rate and she has enough water for the last few potions. She heals up and we stand a better chance because I have big doubts you will abandon her if she lags behind.¡±
¡°And if they come back tonight?¡± Bjorn asked.
Failsafe nearly rolled his eyes out of his sockets with that strawman excuse. ¡°It isn¡¯t perfect but here we can funnel the wolves. Out there they can come from anywhere and it''s going to be night in a few hours. This cave has only one way in and out. So we get Freja to stand at the far end of the cave and let poison puff go and hope it is enough to drive them away again.¡±
Bjorn sighed. ¡°Okay, you convinced me but now we need to convince our master.¡±
Freja was in the middle of using her newly summoned wind hands to collect her belongings when Bjorn ran into the fray. He started taking out the alchemy equipment the hand put up. Hissing and squawking to get her to stop. Freja tried to work around him now that her wind magic control was far better; she could move the hands with far greater speed.
¡°Bjorn stop, bad boy. We need to go.¡± Freja said, panicking at the prospect of staying here any longer. ¡°Those wolves come back, we are dead.¡±
The hands continued to pack up the equipment only for Bjorn to unpack it just as quickly. Frustration turned into anger as Freja walked over to him towering over the familiar. Her splint made walking difficult and the pain in her arm and leg was still very much there.
She felt like she should slap him to get him to understand. It was an intrusive thought she knew was a remnant of her father in her. She buried that thought and decided to try to understand why her familiar was so dead set on unpacking. Staying here was death plain and simple.
¡°I know you can understand me. Stop. Just stop.¡± She started crying and wiping her face with her left hand. ¡°She was the strongest, kindest person I knew and she couldn¡¯t even survive the war with those tree fucking bastards. Helga. She didn¡¯t. What chance do I have? Let me pack up so we can leave. You understand?¡±
Bjorn was caught off guard by the sudden admission, but it did confirm that her sister was killed in the war. Freja was terrified not only of the wolves but also of the people that killed her sister. Rightfully so, if the Salstars all make familiar contracts with lesser dragons the battle that killed her sister had to be intense. Failsafe reached into the alchemy case with his mouth and took out one of the herbal potions. Bjorn walked over to Freja and placed it at her feet with a huff.
¡°We don¡¯t have time for that.¡± Freja screamed. ¡°I can walk.¡±
Bjorn simply turned his head to the side and Failsafe mirrored him.
Freja looked down at the pup then to her leg which was ringing with pain in just the short time she had been walking. She took in a deep breath and exhaled through her mouth then again and again until her heart calmed a little. She eased herself to the floor and picked up the potion Bjorn had brought her.
¡°Twelve hours and I will be able to run.¡± She said calmly but Bjorn could taste her apprehension. ¡°You will need to help. I am going to brew a lesser health potion instead of the herbal one and it is going to require much tighter tolerances. If I do that will you let me pack up so we can leave?¡±
Bjorn squawked in affirmation, bobbing his head.
¡°Then let''s get to work.¡± Freja said while cracking her neck.
[13] One Evil SOB
Freja is a few hours into making the new potions which is something she has made countless times but in the comfort of her own room or in a lab as part of her education. Freja found comfort in the fact that she could rely on her skills despite the dire situation. Having Bjorn there definitely helped her to calm her nerves. If she¡¯d been on her own, had that troll really killed him, she too would have died. Whether it was by thirst, starvation or the shadow wolves.
She looked at the familiar as he dutifully guarded her from the entrance of the cave. His tongues tasting the air while both heads on a swivel looking out into the darkness. She could not help but smile at the fact that someone cared about her so much that they would literally jump onto the back of a troll for her.
She then realized that Bjorn must be confused as to what is going on. He is intelligent and she just mentioned a war and really only talked vaguely about herself and what was going on. She wanted to vent and for him to understand their situation.
¡°The war has been going on for the better part of three millenia.¡± Freja said while using her mortar and pestle on the ingredients for the last potion. ¡°It changes in intensity from small skirmishes to large city busting battles with years of nothing in between. It is mainly focused around the Diredian Forest. The druids and the wendigo share a common ancestral home. Of course the druid claim to that land is false. Our True, the Forest Father, descended upon the mortal plane in Diredian and made us, his real children, the wendigo, in his image. The savages of that land, the druids, used their wild magics to steal the image of the Forest Father and claimed our home for their own.
¡°Because of that a war for control of Diredian repeats over and over. We have held the holy land for two hundred years now but they recently attacked and reignited it all over again. Helga, she was my older sister, she believed that she could make a difference in the war. She was the prodigy, the golden daughter, the next in line of the Salstar house. A starlight mage without peers, whose talent far outstript even my¡ eh-hmm¡ Ulfar Salstar.¡±
Freja emptied the finely crushed content of the mortar into a beaker. It would be enough for two lesser health potions, one she would take to heal right away and the other as a backup. She used her wind hand magic to carefully place it on the bunsen burner. The potions would be done after the arduous distilling process which will require Freja to regulate mana in the brew every few minutes.
Freja worked all throughout the night to refine the herbal health potion into a lesser health potion. The mana infusion process is the most sensitive to failure. Up until recently she would have had to have a professor or classmate assist her in this part because her magic was so unstable. Thanks to the familiar contract and this new magic that she was given, she can do it on her own. It felt quite surreal to, after years of failure, be able to actually create the lesser potion on her own. If she had better ingredients she could have probably made a petty potion but one could dream.
Freja guesstimated that they only had a few hours before sunrise and they would have to sleep for at least a few hours before heading out. Shadow wolves are deadly creatures and the last thing they need is to be caught off guard and exhausted. She watched the potion heat and pushed a little mana into it and its color shifted slightly. This was going to take a while. She looked at Bjorn who had been dutifully standing watch at the cave mouth for the past few hours. One of his heads would turn around and look at her every few minutes just to see what she was doing.
¡°When we leave we have to go west. I doubt we could climb the cliff face and even if we did we¡¯d be going back into the Salstar domain.¡± Freja said as she pushed more mana into the brew. ¡°Can you get us around the wolves territory?¡± Bjorn squawked in response so Freja continued. ¡°Okay then, take a nap for a few hours. When I get done with the potion I will wake you and you can be my cute guard again.¡±
The potion was finally done and Freja managed to make two doses of the now crimson liquid. The light of the morning sun only barely peeked into the cave as she corked the second vial. She had been waiting until both were done before taking one of them just in case it knocked her out, which was possible with the level of injury she had. She called Bjorn a few times and the familiar roused from his sleep easily enough, both heads yawning wide showing off his rows of teeth and large fangs. Freja thought it was the most adorable thing she had ever seen.
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Now that he was awake she told him to wake her in three hours and took the potion. It didn¡¯t have a taste but the effects were immediate and painful. She felt her body heat up, her muscles tense and her bones force themselves to heal. The pain was numbed as the process continued but still sucked. As she expected she soon passed out.
¡°Wendigo, druids, the Forest Father? Do any of those sound familiar?¡± Bjorn asked mentally.
¡°No, but the races can¡¯t be more than three thousand years old. After all this Forest Father guy is a True Wendigo that descended to this plane and created them according to her.¡± Failsafe responded with a yawn that Bjorn heard in his mind. ¡°But we don¡¯t have enough information or your memories to come to anything conclusive.¡±
Bjorn looked at his other head which Failsafe inhabited. ¡°D-did you just mentally yawn? Never mind. You knew what shadow wolves were which means we know this region but not the people that lived here. I am pretty sure that means I was alive before the Forest Father descended and created Freja¡¯s race.¡±
¡°If that is true then finding out more information about you will be more difficult.¡± Failsafe agreed, he thought for a second. ¡°Well, we will get a little bit more answers after you level up.¡±
Bjorn looked at Freja for a long moment. ¡°I hope so, but for now let''s focus on getting out of here.¡±
Bjorn gave Freja four hours to rest. She woke up groggy but fully healed and ready to go. The young woman was so ecstatic to finally not have any pain that she picked up Bjorn and spun him around in a hug. The moment of course couldn¡¯t last as they had to pack up. The first thing was her alchemy kit; it had already proven its worth and would be going wherever she would. The leather bound case wasn¡¯t too heavy and she could easily carry it. In her backpack was only her unsoiled clothing as she would be leaving the bloody ones here. She also had a few toiletries, and her notebooks on alchemy and one textbook. Everything else was staying.
As they were walking out of the cave Freja noticed the small silk bag her father left her when he gave her the health potion. She had all but forgotten about it and part of her wanted to just say fuck it and leave it unopened. However her rational mind would not let her disregard a potentially helpful item despite who it was from.
She knelt down and picked up the bag that was once white but had been dirtied by the ground and appeared to be dingy gray. The jingle of the content told her what to expect even before she opened the bag. Still the contents surprised her as she saw sixteen golden coins. She was expecting bronze or possible silver at the highest but gold?
According to the tradition of the shiagaunt the family that has removed an heir should give them a coin for every year of life so they may start over. However, her family left her in a position they no doubt thought she would die. In fact she should by all accounts be dead, why would he waste so much money on her? A gold coin is worth three months¡¯ wage for most people.
She wanted to throw up, they spent more money for her to rot in a field broken and alone then they ever have as their daughter. Her father gave her a fucking lesser health potion knowing full well that at most it would prolong her suffering. Allow her to starve to death or be eaten alive by scavengers instead of bleeding out. She bet that she was supposed to find the silk bag and open it just to give herself hope only to realize she was dead regardless.
She chuckled to herself in disbelief. ¡°What an evil son of a bitch.¡± She tossed the coins into her book bag. ¡°You ready to go, baby?¡±
Outside on her own feet for the first time in nearly a week she stretched out letting the morning sun¡¯s warmth baptize her. She spoke the words of power for the wind hands spell and summoned two floating hands. The maximum weight the hands could carry was twenty pounds so she looked around for a decently sized rock for each hand to carry. Now that she had much better control of her spell she could swing the rocks around with frightening speed.
The wind hands alone would disperse if they directly hit something and would barely have any impact but with the rocks they could hit hard. The down side would be that after she hit anything with the rock it would still dispel the hands and she would have to resummon them. Letting go of the stones right before impact would probably save the hands and she could simply pick up the stones back up if they were still in range. The hands had a range of about ten feet.
It was the best she could come up with as a self defense weapon since she didn¡¯t have any offensive spells. She was hopeful that she wouldn¡¯t need them at all and they could safely travel around the wolves territory. She looked at Bjorn as he was patiently waiting and watching Freja¡¯s makeshift attack magic. She liked to believe he was thoroughly impressed. She took another deep breath as she looked at the dark forest they would be traveling through.
¡°Okay, lead the way.¡± Freja said with confidence.
[14] Well Thats New
Bjorn did not like the fact they would have to travel in the general direction of the wolves territory. However, Freja was adamant that they could not go back around the cliffside in the completely opposite direction. It would take them back into the Salstar domain and she was sure that if she did that her father would have her killed. Wolves on both sides of the crag.
Bjorn was meticulous in his role as her guide; the last thing he wanted was anything that would further endanger her. He and Failsafe kept their heads on a swivel using all of their senses to their maximum. The canopy overhead kept the view largely shaded which wasn¡¯t good when you are looking out for shadow wolves.
The forest grew so dark that Freja had to hold onto Bjorn¡¯s tail. She nearly tripped multiple times on roots hidden beneath the layer of leaves and brambles. A skirt was definitely not the best thing to wear out in the middle of thick forest, not that Freja had a choice. Bjorn heard her curse a few times when something scratched against her legs.
Bjorn found it more difficult to navigate now that he no longer had his compass. He would use the connection to Freja in the cave as a means to point him in the right direction. He didn¡¯t realize how much he had been relying on that to keep away from the wolves'' territory. The forest looked the same in every direction so he had to follow the scent of water to hopefully make it to the bayou.
¡°Can you tell where we are?¡± Bjorn asked mentally.
¡°Kind of but there isn¡¯t much in the way of landmarks.¡± Failsafe stated. ¡°Maybe that is a future design for our system, a mental map or something. Oh, no, that would require divination magic¡ or would it? Remind me to come back to this subject later.¡±
¡°Yeah, definitely that sounds incredibly useful.¡± Bjorn thought but heard the snap of a twig. ¡°Shh.¡±
He stopped which caused Freja to nearly run into him. She knelt down beside him when she noticed he was looking around even more furiously. The air grew tense, almost hard to breathe when Bjorn noticed there were no birds chirping or the scents of other animals nearby. That is when he saw a large silver wolf observing him in the distance. There was no scent, no trace of magic, no sound accompanying the beast. It was simply out of his range and watching him down wind.
Bjorn hissed which caused Freja to look around for any sign of danger. She didn¡¯t see anything between the brush but knew there were shadow wolves and probably wouldn¡¯t until it was too late. Bjorn started walking and she followed closely behind still holding on to his tail. He slowly picked up speed and she had to circulate her mana throughout her muscles, a common trait of the wendigo. Which caused her to think about the mental projection of her skills for a heartbeat.
Mana Muscle Saturation
Magic cost: 1
Push your mana into your muscles and bones to temporarily increase your physical attributes.
She never considered mana muscle saturation a spell as it was just a natural ability of her people. Julie and Mat were amazed at how strong her people were. However because her body had a chaotic magic core she could not keep up with others of her own species. Her magic would only allow her physicality to increase by a small margin.
All of that had changed thanks to Bjorn and the familiar contract. As she circulated the refined mana into herself from her core she felt every one of her senses increase by an order of magnitude. The forest was no longer dark, she could hear the pattering of feet in the distance. She could smell the aromas of different beasts closing in around her.
She could tell Bjorn wasn¡¯t running at his top speed, most likely trying not to leave her behind. She felt lighter than air running while through the forest. Her confidence told her she could keep up with him and in fact she was probably faster than him. She turned and saw what had Bjorn panicking, the steel wolf was following them from far off in the distance. It didn¡¯t seem to want to get closer but was definitely herding them towards something.
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¡°Bjorn run I can keep up.¡± Freja yelled.
Bjorn obliged and increased his speed considerably. He was surprised at Freja¡¯s, speed and reflexes; she navigated the forest side by side with him like she was a professional nature survivalist. Bjorn had to focus on the taste of water in the air. They were still very far off at least thirty minutes away. That is when he tasted shadow wolf magic and it was dangerously close.
¡°Bjorn ahead of us.¡± Failsafe yelled.
Bjorn saw the wolf waiting in ambush right as Failsafe alerted him. The fur of the creature blended it into the shadows near flawlessly. He had mere moments to react and no time to alert Freja. He had to act and do it quickly. Time seemed to slow down as he saw the beast lunge forward not at him but towards Freja. Bjorn jumped into the air, catching a tree trunk and jumping off changing his trajectory in an instant.
Blood and pain erupted as Bjorn crashed into the wolf nearly twice his size. The jaws of the wolf only missing Freja¡¯s neck by inches. The creature was caught completely off guard but it¡¯s instincts were sharp and it snapped and clawed as Bjorn wrapped his body around the wolf and they fell to the ground. Bjorn bit the creature over and over but his venom isn¡¯t instant. Freja directs one of the twenty pound stones into the wolf''s head which popped like a watermelon under a hammer. In her haste she forgot to let go of the stone with the wind hand causing it to disperse.
¡°Fuck, Bjorn are you okay?¡± Freja said as she picked the dead wolf up off of him so he could crawl out.
Bjorn squawked as Freja frantically resummoned the wind hand and picked up the now bloody stone. As soon as she was done Bjorn started running again, Freja right behind him. The fight had been short but he didn¡¯t get out of it unscathed. He had several lacerations along his body but adrenaline and his healing factor kept him going. He knew that the most important thing to do now was to keep going.
The shadow wolf magic was everywhere now and the steel wolf was drawing closer. Bjorn knew the steel wolf was also a familiar thanks to Freja and it seemed to have some intelligence in its organization of the other wolves. That surprise attack was meant to kill Freja who between the two of them could be a bigger threat given she is a magic caster. He also believed that might be the reason it is staying back and corralling them towards something.
¡°Shit-shit, Bjorn, ahead of us.¡± Freja exclaimed.
Two more wolves were waiting ahead of them, not even using their magic to conceal themselves. They didn¡¯t get any closer and instead stood there growling and baring their teeth. They were there to stop them from running towards the water and with the steel wolf now charging towards them they had no choice but to turn and go deeper into the wolves territory.
¡°They are leading us somewhere.¡± Failsafe stated.
¡°Yes-yes, I know.¡± Bjorn responded.
¡°Well what are we going to do once we get there?¡± Failsafe asked.
¡°Poison puff.¡± Bjorn stated. ¡°We get Freja to climb up a tree or something out of the reach of the¡¡±
Searing pain is all the familiar felt as he was lifted into the air. Everything went silent for a second as in the next second he was picking himself off the ground. His blood escaped him in pools as he struggled to understand what just happened. He looked around to take stock of the situation and saw the steel wolf was standing over him although it jumped back as a rock flew by in the place it was a moment prior.
It had caught up to them and bit down on his body and lifted him in the air before getting hit in the side by one of Freja¡¯s stones. She just saved his life but he was no longer in a condition to run. Freja ran to him spinning the stones around herself in a fast orbit to dissuade any sudden attacks. The entire remaining pack was now standing in an angry growling semicircle around the pair. Freja was saying something but Bjorn could not hear anything.
It was now or never and with some struggle he managed to stand. Freja tried to stop him but he whipped at her with his long tail to keep her back. He pulled the mana from his core and realized this was going to be his first time using this magic. The first time Failsafe performed poison puff while he kept them firmly clasped onto the tree.
The sensation wasn¡¯t what he imagined it would be. His mouth and throat felt hot as the mana continued to react and change. The familiar took in a deep breath as the heat became a pain that burned with every heartbeat. Then he released and from his mouth didn¡¯t come the poison puff like he had expected. No, instead came a sickly green fire which flowed from his mouth in a wide bloom. The raging inferno shifted in coloration to a somber purple as his magic cracked within it like violet lightning.
Bjorn, Failsafe and Freja all exclaimed at the same time. ¡°What the fuck?¡±
[15] Delta Familiars
Freja watched as the steel wolf bared down on Bjorn, its massive jaws biting onto his back and sides. Her familiars were scales no match for the ferocity of the massive wolf. It lifted him into the air as Freja turned around digging her nails into the ground to stop her momentum. She rushed at the beast not concerned at all with the other wolves which were slowly surrounding them. Her eyes were locked onto the druid familiar that was currently hurting her Bjorn.
As soon as she was in range one of the wind hands flung forward with all of the speed she could muster. The stone it was carrying smashing right into the head of the steel wolf with a loud crash. Steel wolves were tough, pretty obvious given the name but their ability is to harden themselves against kinetic attacks. The wolf was more surprised than injured as it dropped Bjorn and backed off before the second stone could land its strike.
Luckily this time she had remembered to have the hands let go right before impact and didn¡¯t have to resummon them. She ran to Bjorn while using the wind hands to orbit her in a makeshift shield to keep the wolves at bay. Bjorn was bleeding heavily; his sides were a wreck of torn flesh and even exposed ribs.
¡°Bjorn, baby, you''re going to be okay.¡± Freja said, trying to keep her voice calm. ¡°We are going to get out of here.¡±
As she got closer Bjorn started to whip at her with his tail to keep her away. He struggled to stand as he faced the steel wolf and its pack. Nine of them in all. Freja wanted to believe that they could get out of this alive and that someone would save them. That her surviving the troll meant something, that her life meant something, that Bjorn¡¯s trust in her meant something.
She couldn¡¯t see a way out of this situation, sure Bjorn killed the troll but that was one monster, one stupid lumbering thing. The druid¡¯s familiar wasn¡¯t dumb, it had some intelligence and was well trained. It was fast and had a pack at its disposal. She looked down at her familiar as he continued to walk closer to the semicircle of wolves.
She realized she didn¡¯t need anyone to save them; she had Bjorn and that was all she needed. She felt like she could trust whatever he was planning. That is when she felt a swell of magic and heat erupted from in front of her. A wave of green fire that shifted as magic permeated throughout the blaze. What was at first an unruly plume of fire quickly shifted into an unnatural purple stream of heat that sparkled with violet lightning. The wolves were completely engulfed in moments as howls and cries echoed throughout the forest.
¡°What the fuck?¡± Freja exclaimed as the display caused her to fall backwards on her butt.
Waves of fire stopped spewing from Bjorn as the familiar toppled over to his side. Freja wasted no time crawling over to him to get him away from the now raging forest fire he had caused. Several wolves stumbled out of the fire only to start convulsing and spewing blood while burning alive. Freja realized the flames were toxic; they infected whomever touched them with the same venom that killed the troll. She needed to get them away from this place and quickly.
She allowed one of the wind hands to drop the stone it was carrying and pick up her alchemy case while she carried the unconscious Bjorn. As soon as she did, the steel wolf burst out of the fire with half of its fur burned away, exposing bleeding blackened skin beneath. It snapped at her half heartedly as it whimpered and started to limp away in a sad jaunt. She could tell it was going back to its master.
Rage filled her heart as she thought about how some druid fuck was out here in her country targeting her people and trying to kill her. She couldn¡¯t just leave knowing that whomever was out in the forest was just going to heal this familiar who has killed who knows how many people. Most of all she wanted the wolf and whoever sent it to pay for hurting Bjorn. She knew it wasn¡¯t the smartest move . It was most likely a trained soldier or even a cell of druid terrorists. Even so she wanted blood.
She kept at a safe distance but didn¡¯t have to follow the wolf for longer than twenty minutes before it collapsed. It tried to continue crawling but soon after that the seizures started. It continued to whine and howl so Freja didn¡¯t approach as it could have been trying to alert its master. She knelt behind a tree and placed Bjorn on the ground to look at his wounds only to find light scars and new scales quickly growing in to replace the ones he lost.
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She felt the familiar bond reach out to her and she examined her core again. The bond had grown by an order of magnitude. What would normally take months happened in only a few days. Bjorn was now a delta class familiar. The delta was the first class which meant that their bond was far more stable. She could feel his emotions and vice versa. More importantly the bond was harder to break and more of her mana could be stabilized.
Status Menu
Name: Freja Thundersky Salstar
Species: Wendigo
Level: 8
Vitality: 9
Restoration: 2
Constitution: 2
Willpower: 8
Strength: 2
Dexterity: 4
Stamina: 2
Magic: 16
Magic Regeneration: 25 (+100 from bond)
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Skills Analysis
Delta Familiar Contract
You are bonded with a delta class familiar. You gain +100 to magic regeneration. Your bond has grown allowing you to convey your emotions though your bond. Your bond is more resilient to outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties. Your familiar¡¯s life expectancy is extended by five years.
Mystic Wind Hands
Magic cost: 3
Speak the words of power and call forth the mystic hands created from the wind. These hands can interact with the world and will act out the casters will.
Mana Manipulation
Magic cost: Variable
Manipulate the pure mana inside and around your body. Allows you to circulate your mana and use mana dependent tools.
Mana Muscle Saturation
Magic cost: 1
Push your mana into your muscles and bones to temporarily increase your physical attributes.
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She blinked at the information, finally seeing the benefit in the mental projection magic. Before she could close the window a second one appeared which caused her to open her eyes wide at the implications.
Unassigned Cultivation Points Distribution
You have 10 UCP
Please assign all UCP within 10 days or it will be automatically assigned.
Assign [yes/no]
She was a cultivator now, how did that happen? She needed more time to think and her mind was frazzled as it was. She closed all of the menus and put her mind back on the situation at hand. She was in enemy territory after all and she needed to focus.
She felt the magic before she ever saw the man. It was a knotted twisting of the natural world which caused her to feel unsettled to the core. She had never felt this particular type of magic of course but had heard it described plenty of times in textbooks and by veterans of the war. It was eerie how accurate the descriptions were to the feel of druidic magic. It was almost like it spoke to her instincts as something that should not exist.
She peeked out from behind the tree and what she saw was not what she expected. The druid man was definitely a soldier, his mossy green combat robes attested to his allegiances. Well what was left of his uniform and of him. His outfit was torn to shreds and dried blood, dirt and only the Forest Father knows what else clung to him. One of his antlers was broken.
His body was no better, his magic was holding him together like a marionette doll. Right arm, left leg, most of his side, neck and face were living wood prosthetics rushed together in a desperate attempt to keep him on life support. He smelled of rot and festering wounds like a living corpse. As he walked he had to prop himself up with his staff each step causing old wounds to reopen and fresh blood to drip.
¡°Gordo. Gordo buddy no-no no.¡± The druid screamed. ¡°Stay with me. I will get you healed, okay?¡±
The man''s anguish and appearance was almost disarming. At the core of things druids and wendigo look similar; both of them have the form of the Forest Father. The most striking traits to tell them apart are their antlers and teeth. A druid''s antlers can be more accurately described as those of a moose, large and flat while the wendigo have those of deer. The druids are herbivores that can only eat plants while the wendigo are obligate carnivores that only eat meat.
¡°Where are you? You fucking cannibal savage.¡± The druid screamed enraged. ¡°I can feel your cursed fucking magic. I know you are there. Get out here coward, savage, look at what you have done. Fuck, Gordo don¡¯t close your eyes.¡±
[16] Why Does It Still Hurt?
The druid was not what Freja imagined but at the same time he is an enemy that has been attacking people. His familiar was hunting them and had hurt Bjorn. It didn¡¯t work out for him so tough shit his wolves died. He looked like he had one foot in the grave already. So, Freja wondered what she was going to do. She never killed anyone. Was she going to attack him? Her life had been relatively peaceful, of course her family was the worst but she didn¡¯t live with them, she lived at the academy. She never even got in a fight before now and the top of her worries were about grades and fitting in.
Up until the troll and the shadow wolves attack she had never even considered learning combat magic or getting into a fight. For all intent and purpose she was a normal girl placed in a shitty situation. The druid was already on death¡¯s door. In a few more days his magic would no longer be able to hold himself together. She hated him because his people killed her sister, because he attacked but she was not sure she actually had the resolve to kill another person.
She looked at the unconscious Bjorn curled up on the ground. He looked peaceful, it was hard to believe that just a few minutes ago he was grievously wounded. He fought to protect her tooth and nail and was unafraid even in the face of that steel wolf. He had the resolve to kill to survive, shouldn¡¯t she? What if the druid doesn¡¯t die and he goes off to kill more people and attacks indiscriminately just because she didn¡¯t want to take him out.
¡°No.¡± She pet Bjorn¡¯s two heads and stood up. ¡°He dies.¡±
She steps out from her hiding spot behind the tree locking eyes with the druid whose attention snapped to her. Well he had one eye, the other was missing and covered by the living wood prosthetics. For a moment he was in disbelief as an array of emotion washed over him before once again landing on determination and rage.
¡°You did this to him? You fucking killed my familiar.¡± The druid said.
¡°Well he tried to kill me first and he hurt my familiar.¡± Freja said with equal resolve.
¡°You don¡¯t matter, you and your cursed fucking people deserve nothing more than to be fertilizer for the forest.¡± The man stated with spital escaping his lips. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for those trolls wiping out my squad you would be hung from the branches of a hundred trees. Your entrails splayed for all to see¡ It wasn¡¯t supposed to be this way.¡± He looked down at the steel wolf as it gave up the ghost and finally went still.
¡°You got what you deserved tree fucker.¡± Freja said with just as much rage.
¡°And you will get what you deserve, trust me, savage.¡± he said as he stood up.
The druid rushed toward Freja with surprising speed. He was no athlete anymore but the fact he could run at all with his injuries was shocking. He reached her in a few heartbeats and swung at her with his staff. The wind hand holding her alchemy case intercepted the blow. The force carried through anyway, dispelling the wind hand and knocking her back and the alchemy case into the brush. Everything was ringing for a moment as Freja tried to recover her balance only for the druid''s staff to sweep her legs out from under her.
The air was knocked out of her as her back hit the ground. She only had moments to regain her bearings and see that the druid was swinging his staff towards her head. She rolled to her side and she heard the clunk of the staff hitting the ground where her head was a moment earlier. She continued to roll as again and again the staff hit the ground. She directed the second wind hand to strike with the stone and it crashed into him with a hardy thunk.
She was so flustered she forgot to have the hand to release the stone leading it to be dispelled on impact. The druid was on the ground. His staff having been dropped when he was hit. Freja realized that he couldn¡¯t use any of his magic while he was holding himself together. Every ounce of his strength was being used to keep himself alive. Freja wasted no time in standing up; she needed to capitalize on his injuries.
She found his staff a fusion of wood and metal which twisted together in artistic but military elegance. The staff was heavy and obviously used by a war mage who needed practicality over form. The druid wormed in pain on the ground as blood rushed from his side, her blow having reopened several wounds. Freja didn¡¯t care, she needed to end it and fast.
She lifted the staff above her head and brought it down using every bit of her strength. She hit him in the head and felt as well as heard the sickening crunch. He wasn¡¯t dead though and he kept squirming. Wood started to grow over the new injury and protect his head. He lashed out with his arms and legs, one lucky kick with his wooden leg catching Freja in the stomach. She stumbled backwards using the staff as support.
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¡°Forest Father help me. Deliver me from this savage.¡± The druid called out as he attempted to crawl away realizing this was a losing battle. ¡°Curse her, strike her dead. Father.¡±
Freja regained her composure and runs over to the crawling man; she lifted the staff again aiming for his head and neck. She struck him again and again until he finally stopped moving. Then she continued letting all of her rage, sadness, grief go as she screamed herself hoarse. She then looked at what she had done. He was dead, his mind spilled across the ground. Blood and gore caked her hands, the staff and sprayed her clothing.
She backed up, her mind spinning and the forest seemed to become darker and more constricting. She turned around from the body and dry heaved until she threw up bile as there wasn¡¯t much in her stomach. Tears came to her eyes but she didn¡¯t understand why. He deserved it. He had to die. It was her or him or some other innocents would probably be killed. Why would she cry for an evil druid soldier that wanted to kill her?
She continued to try and rationalize it but it came back around to the fact she just killed someone. A real person. Justified or not she killed him. A cold wind caused her to shiver as she attempted to wipe some of the blood and tears from her face. She tugged on the connection to Bjorn with her magic and found him shortly after, still unconscious where she had left him.
Freja dropped the war mage staff and sat down beside the sleeping familiar, picking him up and placing him in her lap. They survived, they won, and they killed an evil-evil man. The world went wobbly as tears again formed. She petted the sleeping lizard with a bitter smile across her face.
¡°He was going to kill us. His people are the enemy, right? So, why does it still hurt?¡± Freja asked, her voice trembling. ¡°All of the veterans always talked about it like it was a good thing to kill a druid. Honorable. But that? Honorable?¡± She balled her fist and hit the ground beside her. ¡°I should feel vindicated. I killed one of those¡ I mean they killed my sister.¡±
She couldn¡¯t think about it anymore so she turned her attention back to her magic. More so an escape than actual curiosity. It only took a moment for the mental projection of her status to reappear.
Status Menu
Name: Freja Thundersky Salstar
Species: Wendigo
Level: 9
Vitality: 9
Restoration: 2
Constitution: 2
Willpower: 8
Strength: 2
Dexterity: 4
Stamina: 2
Magic: 16
Magic Regeneration: 25 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 2
She had risen another level although she didn¡¯t really know what that meant. Until the second pop-up appeared.
Unassigned Cultivation Points Distribution
You have leveled up again before assigning your UCP.
You have 20 UCP
Please assign all UCP within 5 days or it will be automatically assigned.
Assign [yes/no]
¡°So, level has something to do with how powerful I am or at least how many points I can use. I get points by killing things? The number of days I have dropped in half too.¡± Freja wondered out loud. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about cultivators but I am pretty sure my great-great grandfather was one.¡± She thought about it for a little while. ¡°Yes.¡±
The status menu reopened this time there were little plus icons next to each of her stats. She thought about the possibilities. Right now her main goal is to leave the country. She doesn¡¯t want to entertain the possibility of running into her family again. As long as she is in Yuhia there is always the risk. She just wants to start over and actually learn magic now that she can. She wanted to increase her knowledge and travel the world. Hope filled her for the first time in a long while. She had options.
She placed her stat points with a focus on magic but with an understanding she was going to be walking a lot. So some strength and stamina was a given. She looked at her new stats and confirmed the changes.
Status Menu
Name: Freja Thundersky Salstar
Species: Wendigo
Level: 9
Vitality: 10
Restoration: 4
Constitution: 2
Willpower: 8
Strength: 5
Dexterity: 4
Stamina: 8
Magic: 24
Magic Regeneration: 25 (+100 from bond)
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Part 2
Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage: Reincarnated as a Hydra
Blood and Purpose Arc
Freja Thundersky Salstar was living in the dorms of the prominent Dorsehal Academy when she performed the summoning and binding ritual for a familiar. She successfully hatched and formed a contract with her very own familiar she would name Bjorn. None of the people talked to and none of the books in their library could identify the creature but she was happy she finally had a familiar of her own.
Unbeknownst to the young girl, Bjorn was a reincarnated mage from times long passed. He only had echoes of memories from his previous life. He also had a companion in the form of a sentient spell, the Reincarnation Failsafe. Together the two created a plan to regain his memories and find out more about the world.
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Everything changed abruptly when Freja¡¯s father, the lord of the domain, Ulfar Salstar decided to perform a shaigaunt and remove her from the family. She was humiliated, stripped of her nobility, beaten and disowned. She was forced to fight a troll that nearly killed her and was only felled by Bjorn¡¯s venom at the cost of having his head removed.
Bjorn would survive and in fact he not only regrew his head but also a second one. He would devote himself to caring for Freja until she could create a potion to heal herself. As things were starting to look up Bjorn encountered the illusive and dangerous shadow wolves. The beasts were under the control of a steel wolf which itself was the familiar of a druid soldier.
[17] The Gate
The breeze was gentle, the floral smell of flowers and the warmth of the suns overhead kissed the boy''s skin. The rustling of the grass was calming and the sound of the creek trickling with water only added to the ambiance. The boy was no older than twelve with curly sandy brown hair opened his eyes which looked like diamonds sparkling in the light. He saw the aether wisp in the air singing its unheard song which held everything together like great stings from the sky.
¡°Hey guys he¡¯s over here.¡± A familiar voice called and the pattering of feet soon drew closer.
The boy smiled and the aether vanished, his eyes returning their normal dark brown. He sat up and saw his friends rushing down the riverbank to join him. Martin, the oldest by two years and often the leader of their group. Pavel the son of the baker and most well dressed, his linen garb being the only in the group with colorful beads. Jiri is his best friend who would stand out of a crowd because of his red hair, the only one in the village beside his dad with the odd color.
¡°I told you I knew where he was.¡± Jiri said as he ran.
Jiri tripped and started tumbling only to fall into the resting boy. The two almost fell into the creek if not for the quick actions of Martin who held out his hand causing the wind to catch the two boys. They hovered right above the water and slowly floated back to the shore where they were abruptly dropped.
¡°Wow, you have gotten really good.¡± Pavel said.
Martin puffed out his chest a little. ¡°Yeah, that was really good wasn¡¯t it? My dad is the town magecrafter so it only makes sense I would be able to do it too.¡± He approached the two boys on the ground. ¡°Are you two okay?¡±
The boy with sandy brown hair sat up untangling himself from Jiri with sparkles in his eye. ¡°Can you do that again, Martin?¡±
¡°Yeah. I was floating for a minute.¡± Jiri agreed.
¡°I can¡¯t, we will need magecraft to do you know what today.¡± Martin stated.
¡°Oh yeah.¡± The boy with the sandy brown hair responded.
Pavel looked unsure. ¡°Are you guys really sure about this? The grown ups always said¡¡±
Martin cut him off. ¡°You don¡¯t have to come if you don¡¯t want to. You can go back to the bakery and if anyone is looking for us just tell them we are down at the creek.¡±
Pavel looked towards the boy with the sandy brown hair, no doubt looking for backup in saying it was a bad idea. However the boy with the sandy brown hair wanted to go see the gate for himself. It may have been outside of the village but not very far. It is not like they would get lost since he could just follow the aether back home. He thought Martin was right, Pavel could just stay here if he didn¡¯t want to go. Pavel then looked to Jiri but no luck there either.
¡°Fine, I will go but how are we going to get out of the village anyway?¡± Pavel asked.
Martin smiled and walked up to the boy with sandy brown hair and threw a hand over his shoulder.
¡°Okay, show them.¡± Martin said.
¡°You guys can¡¯t tell anyone, okay? I am serious, my mom said not to tell anyone.¡± The boy responded a little embarrassed.
His eyes changed color, the pupils and iris becoming clear jewels that looked more like a sparkling diamond than eye. Jiri and Pavel were both in awe as his eyes were the same as the divine people from the sky. The boy quickly changed his eyes back to normal and blinked a few times.
¡°I can see the aether and I know where all of the alarms are.¡± The boy with the sandy brown hair said quietly.
¡°Woah.¡± Jiri exclaimed. ¡°How long have you been able to do that?¡±
¡°That¡¯s awesome.¡± Pavel stated.
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Martin huddled everyone together so they wouldn¡¯t be speaking too loud.
¡°We already scouted out a spot we can all get through with my wind magecraft.¡± Martin continued looking at each of his friends. ¡°From there it will only take a few minutes to get to the gate. We see the gate and we come right back. No one will know. It is not like anything will go wrong. So, you guys ready?¡±
The village was small with only twenty or so families. Wheat grew in abundance year round and cows, chicken and other farm animals grazed happily on the wide pastures. The stream brought fresh water from far beyond the gate and out in the dangerous world the adults always warned about. In here was safety while out there is where the monsters hid.
Children weren¡¯t allowed outside of the village and especially not near the gate. However, that never stopped the young boys¡¯ curiosity. They all wanted to see what the gate was and waiting until they turned sixteen seemed like an eternity. It isn''t like there are any monsters inside the gate.
A stone wall encircles the village which according to the elders was built long before the divine people blessed them with the gate. The massive structure is an edifice to a time of strife and fear when people had to fight to survive. Even given its age the wall stood strong. It was thirty feet high and only one way in and out.
The boys of course could not take the proper entrance as the adults wouldn¡¯t let them. Luckily thanks to Martin¡¯s wind magic they had another way out. All they needed to do was look out for any of the magical alarms placed near the wall. Which was done easily enough since they had their own secret weapon in detecting magical traps.
The boy with the sandy brown hair could see the aether swirl around invisible nodes on the ground and along the wall. To his sight each was a kaleidoscope of power and potential that sung to him in unheard whispers. He pointed out the locations where the nodes were active; not many of them were since there was no need for them in this peaceful place.
¡°Okay, everyone hold onto me.¡± Martin said as he held out his arms. ¡°I am going to take us over.¡±
¡°That is really high guys are you all sure about this?¡± Pavel stated almost pleadingly.
Martin facepalms. ¡°Divines, Pavel, just stay here if you are chicken. Keep a look out for us.¡±
¡°Fine-fine, I¡¯ll go-I¡¯ll go, but I still think this is stupid.¡± Pavel stated.
The group huddled up close to the wall as Martin channeled his magic. It was subtle at first, the wind becoming a breeze then a gale. All at once they started to lift off the ground hanging precariously in the air by the force of the wind alone. Then they shot upward over the thirty foot wall where all they saw was a dark forest to greet them. The fall was far less controlled than the launch; immediately they hit a branch and the group split as they fell. Martin was the only one that made it to the ground, his wind magic failing in the last second causing him to fall on his butt. Everyone else was stuck in the tree.
It took everyone a few minutes to climb down but aside from a few scratches everyone was okay. From here it wouldn¡¯t take too long to reach the gate. The overgrown forest outside of the village was dark but there wasn¡¯t any reason to be afraid. There were no predators, venomous animals or monsters in the gate so the boys marched on. The most dangerous part was already over now all they had to do was see it and get back before someone noticed they were gone.
Martin led the charge through the brush using a stick he found to beat back some of the foliage. There were no paths or roads to get them to the gate but it didn¡¯t matter since they could feel it in the air. Aether saturated the world in color, bright streams of magic crackled. The gate was impossible to miss at this point and soon they saw it. The edge of the gate. It looked like a nearly clear dome of rainbows which shimmered with the celestial symbols of the divine people from the sky. Unknown aetheric formulae from the higher planes winked in and out.
¡°We made it guys.¡± Martin yelled in celebration. ¡°See, it wasn¡¯t that bad was it Pavel?¡±
Pavel didn¡¯t respond; he was wonderstruck with his mouth wide open. Jiri found a rock and threw it at the gate only for it to bounce right back and hit him in the chest. The point of impact on the gate caused waves like water to spread out in every direction.
¡°Ouch.¡± Jiri exclaimed.
¡°Oh let me try.¡± Martin said as he dropped his stick and found a rock.
Soon everyone was finding rocks and throwing them at the barrier. Even making a game of it by seeing who could do trick shots by bouncing rocks off the gate and hitting trees and sticks they set up.
¡°Think I can touch it?¡± Jiri asked as he walked up to the barrier with a stick.
Before anyone could stop him he was already poking at the barrier. He then dropped the stick after there was no reaction and reached out with his hand. This time the boy with the sandy brown hair stopped him. However now that he was so close to the gate he couldn¡¯t help but use his aetheric eyes to look more closely at it. He hadn¡¯t attempted since the aether was already so prominent here everyone could see it.
When he did he felt a compulsion to get closer and soon he was the one touching the gate. Something felt familiar like he had come into contact with this exact aether before. No, more like he had come into contact with the source of this aether. The divine person that made it the creator of the barrier. With his jewel eyes he could feel the aether bend to him, it recognized him just as much as he recognized it. He probed the gate with aether of his own and felt something inside it shift then wink out of existence. The gate vanished all at once and on the other side they didn''t see forest, they saw monsters.
[18] The Caravan
Bjorn jumped awake, hissing and confused. He needed to protect Freja from the wolves, they had to get out of there now. Why was he asleep, what happened? What about the wolves? What about the gate? He quickly looked around with both of his heads and it was darker than normal. Okay, night had already fallen. He was on Freja¡¯s lap and his sudden jostling woke her as well. He tasted the air, there was blood and death, and the faint char of smoke. Luckily magic fires don¡¯t spread like normal ones, and it seemed they were all out.
¡°Bjorn, thank the Forest Father you are awake.¡± Freja said as she nuzzled the confused lizard. ¡°It is okay, baby, the wolves are all dead. You killed them and I¡ I took out the druid. We are safe.¡± She paused for a long moment. ¡°You saved me again. I wish I knew you could breathe toxic fire earlier. The containment in the academy only marked you as venomous.¡±
Bjorn calmed down at that as Freja talked about what happened while he was unconscious. She had apparently followed the steel wolf and killed its master. He could tell that she was shaken up by the experience. For some reason he could feel her emotions intimately. The confusion, the sadness, the regret all clawed at her mind. He could feel that taking a life so brutally had left a deep scar on her heart. Bjorn wished he could speak to her and let her know it was alright and that he was with her. The desire to help her caused him to feel something in him, the familiar bond had grown exponentially.
¡°Failsafe you there?¡± Bjorn thought.
¡°Yeah. I am just organizing a few things.¡± Failsafe responded aptly. ¡°Doing some updates and running some diagnostics on your body. Before you say anything.¡± He sounded like he was guilty of a crime. ¡°I know that I may have missed a few things regarding your skills.¡±
¡°Oh, you don¡¯t say.¡± Bjorn said sarcastically. ¡°So, I breathe fire now?¡±
Failsafe responded like a kid being scolded by a parent. ¡°Toxic purple fire, yes.¡±
¡°Any explanation as to why that is and how you didn¡¯t know?¡± Bjorn asked incredulously.
¡°Okay-okay, let me explain. So, I may have been slacking off a bit on analyzing your skills ever since I got my own head. I assumed that both the left and right ones were the same so¡¡±
Bjorn pointed out. ¡°You slacked off? Aren¡¯t you a spell, how can you slack off?¡±
¡°When I am in control of one of the heads I can¡¯t monitor everything. It is like I have blinders on and I can only focus on the physical sensations.¡± Failsafe stated. ¡°From what I have discovered the right head is poison puff and the left one is toxic fire breath. Also, you leveled up, you should take a look.¡±
¡°Fine but we are going to be limiting the time you get you to control either head.¡± Bjorn stated.
¡°Fair enough.¡± Failsafe responded disappointedly.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Salstar
Species: Unknown
Level: 4
Vitality: 2
Restoration: 20
Constitution: 1
Strength: 1
Dexterity: 1
Stamina: 2
Magic: 1
Magic Regeneration: 2 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 2
Skills Analysis
Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic and your best friend that has your back no matter what!
Venomous Bite
Magic Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs.
Poison Puff
Magic Cost: 1
With your right head you can mix your venom into the air using magic creating a small area of poisonous gas. This gas will reduce the health of those inside. The wider the area of effect, the less effective the poison.
Toxic Fire Breath
Magic Cost: 1
With your left head you can breathe a plume of superheated toxin which will ignite enemies and infect them with your neurotoxin. Flames lose their toxicity with time and using this ability will also drain stamina.
Poison Scratch
Magic Cost: 1
You can infuse your claws with your neurotoxic venom making even small scratches fatal overtime.
Delta Familiar Contract
Magic Cost: -100
You are a bonded delta class familiar. You gain +100 to magic regeneration. Your bond has grown allowing you to convey your emotions though your bond. Your bond is more resilient to outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties.
King of the Reptiles
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.Passive Skill
Dragons, lizards, amphibians all show hesitation and fear around you going so far as to run away from you. More study needed.
Head Regeneration?
Magic Cost: 40-ish (Was kinda decapitated at the time so numbers may be off.)
Currently only usable if fallen beasts powers the regrowth. Major wounds including decapitation can be healed. (More study needed but not recommended we try again.)
Page 2 of 2
A second pop up covered the first screen.
Unassigned Cultivation Points Distribution
You have leveled up 4 times before assigning your UCP.
You have 40 UCP
Please assign all UCP within 1 day(s) or UCP will be automatically assigned.
Assign [yes/no]
¡°Is there any reason not to put all of this into magic?¡± Bjorn asked Failsafe.
¡°Your magic core is currently not capable of holding forty points in magic.¡± Failsafe said with some consideration. ¡°Your body is too immature right now. At most you can hold five points in magic.¡±
¡°Only five?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°You are only like a week old.¡± Failsafe responded. ¡°Six maybe, but that would be pushing it. You are currently the strongest newborn I know.¡±
¡°I guess you are right and I don¡¯t want to stress out this young body too much.¡± Bjorn stated as he thought about it. ¡°That leaves thirty five points. Do I have any other limitations on where I can place them?¡±
¡°Yes, all of them with the current amount of points you have.¡± Failsafe said.
¡°Add an automatic limiter to prevent me from being able to put more in one stat than my body can handle.¡± Bjorn stated.
Failsafe responded cheerily. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem. I will make it so the first number is your current stat and the second is the limit with your maturation. If you ever reach a point that you level faster than your maturation I can burn the extra point on maturing you faster.¡±
¡°Sounds good, and what about the Familiar Contract?¡± Bjorn responded. ¡°A hundred to my magic regeneration isn¡¯t causing any issues?¡± Bjorn asked.
Failsafe responded in a dismissive way. ¡°No, but that is only because of the contract itself. Any magic you can¡¯t absorb from it is just being recycled into the bond making it stronger over time. You still have a while before it is irreversible, but unless we get Freja talking about it, anything I say is based on observation.¡±
Bjorn selected [yes] and placed his states so he would be able to make best use of his body. He needed to be able to move faster and strike with his venom without being hit back in return. When he wrapped himself around the first shadow wolf it managed to react and claw at him.
If he had been faster he could have escaped the troll and not gotten his head ripped off. Then again he had his regeneration which could even regrow his head. For now he needed to be all around better. His pup body could not keep up and at least for now a strong foundation would be the way to go.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Salstar
Species: Unknown
Level: 4
Vitality: 7 / 20
Restoration: 25 / 50
Constitution: 8 / 15
Strength: 6 / 15
Dexterity: 7 / 20
Stamina: 7 / 15
Magic: 5 / 5
Magic Regeneration: 5 / 20 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 2
¡°There, all set.¡± Bjorn said.
¡°So¡ we gonna talk about that dream you had?¡± Failsafe asked. ¡°You know were you were a kid and all.¡±
Bjorn looked at Freja and she hadn¡¯t stopped slowly petting him since he woke up. Her eyes were hollow. She needed to get out of here. Well, that and he didn¡¯t want to talk about the memory he uncovered. Something about how it ended brought him so much shame and fear. Like he was on the precipice of doing something horrible and everything was his fault.
¡°Later.¡± Bjorn said with a breath. ¡°For now we need to focus on getting out of here.¡±
Bjorn uncurled himself from her lap, stretching his body as he did. He could immediately feel the difference in strength, flexibility and magic in his core. It wasn¡¯t overwhelmingly different but everything felt crisper, each motion slightly more deliberate.
Freja just got up and chanted the words of power to resummon her wind hands. She picked up the staff she got from killing the druid. It took a few minutes to find her alchemy case which luckily survived the assault. While she looked around for the case Bjorn examined the corpses.
He started with the druid or what was left of him. The body was being held together by his magic so when he died things started falling apart. The fact his head was smashed in only slightly added to the already grizzly scene. What Bjorn was looking for was on the man''s waist, a combat knife, the common companion to many soldiers, spell casters or not. This one was a large blade forward with a full knuckle guard and several runes that allowed it to be used as a wand if necessary.
When he rejoined Freja she took it from him. She had the wind hand that carried the rock drop it and take the blade while the other carried her alchemy case. She quietly held onto Bjorn¡¯s tail allowing him to guide her through the dark woodland. Twenty minutes later he tasted something in the air. A different aroma than the water and the natural scents of the forest. It was pack animals and someone cooking. He led Freja in that direction and after another few minutes they saw light in the distance and heard the sounds of a group of people laughing and talking.
A deep hardy voice said loudly. ¡°And you should have seen him. Swore up and down he could push the cart out of the mud then I turned around and turned back just to see him sunk in¡¡±
¡°W-wait wait. You hear that?¡± A second man said.
¡°Don¡¯t stop the story just because you''re embarrassed.¡± The first man said.
¡°No, seriously you hear that?¡± A woman¡¯s voice this time.
Bjorn and Freja got down low peeking from behind one of the bushes. They saw a small caravan, three horse-drawn carts in a semi-circle and six people huddled around a fire. They were settled in a small clearing beside a road.
¡°Aye, we know you''re out there might as well come out.¡± The woman said. ¡°Yeah, you, behind the bushes.¡±
¡°You can see whoever it is.¡± The first guy asked.
¡°They ain''t exactly masters of stealth over there.¡± The woman said.
Bjorn didn¡¯t know what to do, the people didn¡¯t seem hostile, none of them even got up from their seats. Freja took a breath and stood up Bjorn followed suit. The group all turned to face the newcomers as they walked out of the brush.
[19] A New Start
The camp was a rather eclectic mix of races, only two of which Freja recognized. The first was the small goblin woman in the group. Her green skin, tail and a beauty that would make a super model jealous was a dead give away for the lesser elf. There were also three male goblins, one older and two younger, who unlike the female were some of the ugliest creatures Freja had ever seen. However, that is what goblin females like so there is no judgment from Freja.
The second was a tall gnoll male that was roasting meat at the fire which made Freja¡¯s mouth water. His spotted fur was largely covered by fine robes. He was slouched while he watched her, his ears up and at attention. Despite sitting down Freja could tell he was the tallest out of the group. His pseudo-canine face reminded Freja of the wolves and it made her uncomfortable.
The last person was a race Freja had never seen before. He looked like a humanoid tiger and was built like a strong man. What threw her off on pinpointing his race was the four horns that grew from his head. He was the only one standing but he hadn¡¯t made any moves towards her. Instead he casually smoked with a long metal pipe and wore the finest multicolored robes she had seen on a foreigner. In fact all of them were dressed like merchants which is the reason Freja decided to reveal herself.
¡°Sabec thinks that is a child.¡± The gnoll said.
¡°Oh, I think you are right, Sabec.¡± The horned tiger man said, he then smelled the air. ¡°I smell blood. Hey, are you alright?¡± He was a bit more apprehensive. ¡°Come-come.¡±
Freja approached slowly. ¡°My name is¡¡± She froze for a second thinking if she should give them her real name. ¡°My name is Sif. I was lost and injured in the woods with my familiar. I don¡¯t mean to intrude. I heard someone talking and I¡¡± She started crying.
The wind hand spells dispersed as she lost focus and the combat knife and alchemy case fell to the ground. Everyone visibly relaxed after they saw her breaking down. A tension in the air was cut and suspicion of the mysterious blood covered wendigo girl subsided a bit. Everyone got up but only the goblin woman walked towards Freja. The others stayed back after the small woman waved them down.
¡°Oh-oh, geez.¡± The goblin woman said. ¡°My name is Helina, are you hurt anywhere? Let''s get you cleaned up and some food in you.¡± As she approached she looked at Bjorn. ¡°That is your familiar, right? They''re not going to bite, right?¡±
¡°His name is Bjorn.¡± Freja said between sniffles. ¡°He is sweet and wouldn''t hurt anyone.¡±
¡°Sabec, do you have any more meat besides what you''re cooking there?¡± Helina asked as she led Freja by the hand over to the group.
The large gnoll produced several steaks from a bag way too small for the amount he pulled out.
¡°Sabec has plenty of meat. How does the girl want it cooked?¡± The gnoll asked.
Freja was silent for a long moment. ¡°Seasoned raw.¡±
¡°Ah. Yes, Sabec also likes it that way.¡± He chuckled. ¡°But let me show you a little trick. This is good meat when you come back you will see.¡±
¡°Owen, get the tub.¡± Helina said to the oldest looking of the male goblins.
¡°Of course dear.¡± The goblin responded. ¡°Wyatt, Caleb let''s get the bath ready. Poor girl looks like she¡¯s been through alot.¡±
¡°But pa, that thing is heavy. Can¡¯t she just go down to the river.¡± The younger goblin wearing a brown fur hat said.
¡°Boy, if you don¡¯t stop complaining we are going to throw you in the river.¡± Owen responded.
The three goblins males all vanished into the back of a large wooden wagon; the sound of things being shifted around soon followed.
Freja started to say. ¡°They don¡¯t need to do that¡¡±
¡°Foolishness, I won¡¯t have you bathing in the river. Don¡¯t mind my sons, they get that laziness from their grandfather, rest his bones.¡± Helina stated as they settled in a small clearing separate from the group. ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk about anything you don¡¯t want to but I do have a few questions. How old are you, Sif, right?¡±
¡°Yes, and sixteen.¡± Freja responded.
¡°So young, are you from a village around here?¡± Helina asked.
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¡°No.¡± Freja stated.
¡°Family we can drop you off with? Or anyone looking for you?¡± Helina asked and Freja shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve been disowned. What is it called charingur, shag-serigant?¡±
¡°Shiagaunt.¡± Freja said in a whisper.
Freja avoided eye contact after that which all but confirmed that the goblin woman¡¯s guess was right. The woman shook her head and put a hand on her hip. Shortly after Owen and his sons were rolling down a wooden tub about four feet and diameter. They placed it down and left to retrieve a curtain which they hung up with a rope and stakes they drove into the ground.
When they were done Helina spoke words of power and held her hands over the tub. A single droplet of water appeared floating in the air above the center of the tub. It quickly grew in size and started steaming as it heated up. The now hot water rained into the tub filling it enough so Freja could bathe. Helina rolled up her dress and sleeves and told Freja to strip down.
It took multiple tubs of water and rounds of scrubbing to get all of the dried blood and dirt off of Freja and her dirtied uniform. They also took the time to wash Bjorn which was far easier since everything just slipped off his scales. Helina washed the staff cleaning it of blood caked on to it while Freja put on her second to last clean uniform. Helina brushed out her hair and tied it back into a short ponytail.
The goblin woman guided her back to the other members of the caravan. As soon as Owen saw the women were done he slapped one of his sons on the back of his head and pointed towards the bath. The two sons quickly got up and started packing everything away.
¡°Ah, so there is a girl under all that mud.¡± The tiger man¡¯s deep voice bellowed. ¡°I didn¡¯t introduce myself earlier. My name is Joha. I took the liberty of grabbing the things you dropped. They are over there.¡± He pointed to a chair around the fire with her alchemy case, a cup of water and the combat knife beside it. ¡°Join us and please eat.¡±
¡°Sabec has finished cooking your meal.¡± The gnoll stated as he presented Freja with skewered meat. ¡°Seasoned meat for a new friend. Eat, eat, yes?¡±
Freja hesitated to take the skewer for a second but she did so with a slight bow and thanks. The meat smelt amazing, lightly seared over the fire and spiced with seasonings Freja had never seen before. She sat down next to her things and Sabec presented Bjorn with a wooden plate of unseasoned meat.
Freja could not help but be a little disappointed that the gnoll seared the meat. She never really liked her meat cooked, but when she took a bite of the skewer her eyes opened wide at the flavor. The smoky flavor only touched the outside and combined with the spices and raw middle she was in heaven. She looked up to the gnoll who gave her a thumbs up and she returned the gesture.
¡°So, is he your pet?¡± Joha asked in between puffs of his pipe.
¡°He¡¯s a familiar.¡± Helina responded seeing that Freja¡¯s mouth was full. ¡°They are different from pets.¡±
¡°Ah, how so? They do not have familiars in my country.¡± Joha asked.
¡°It¡¯s like a wendigo and druid connection to nature thing.¡± Helina continued. ¡°Their magic casters connect to animals making them more powerful.¡±
Freja didn¡¯t feel like correcting her on how familiar contracts work and that any magic caster could perform the summoning and contracting if they knew the ritual. She was right in that wendigo and druids had a higher success rate of the contract succeeding. It is so easy for wendigo and druids that most people believe it is an innate ability for their peoples. However, it is because of their connection to the Forest Father not to nature which is a major difference. She was no more connected to nature than any of them. Probably less so because they traveled around while she spent her days mostly inside buildings. Well up until recent events.
Freja drank some of her water. ¡°Where are you from? I have never seen someone of your species before.¡±
¡°I am from a land very far from here.¡± Joha said in response after a hardy puff of his pipe. ¡°Hashvenel which lies across the sea. The land of the rakshasa, the demon shapeshifters.¡±
The smoke he breathed out seemed to grow thicker until his entire form was obscured. The smoke opened for a second and he was a young human boy with black hair and eyes. The smoke closed and opened and he was a beautiful female wendigo with bleach white antlers. The smoke closed again and he appeared as a monkey man with four arms. Then the smoke dissipated and he was again in his normal tiger form with his four horns.
The weird part of it all was Freja didn¡¯t feel any magic from Joha as he transformed. Leaving her to wonder if it was magic or something else. The tiger man laughed at her bemusement as he sat down next to the fire. Sabec handed him a meat skewer and in return Joha filled his cup with a glass of ale that appeared in his hands from the air.
¡°So where are you headed, young one?¡± Joha asked.
¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡± Freja responded with a soft voice. ¡°Just headed west for now.¡±
¡°Well, each of us are also going west.¡± Joha stated with his arms wide indicating the whole group. ¡°You are welcome to tag along.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t want to be a burden.¡± Freja responded with both hands up as if to stop him.
¡°It wouldn¡¯t be any more of a burden than my lazy sons.¡± Helina said with a smile. ¡°We aren¡¯t just going to leave a girl out in the wilderness and we can put you to work if you don¡¯t just want a ride. The next city is the fort town of Lavi and it is about a four day journey. We will be making some stops in nearby villages along the way and sell some of our wares.¡±
¡°If any of those villages suits your fancy you¡¯re free to leave the caravan.¡± Joha adds with another puff of his pipe. ¡°How does that sound?¡±
Freja looked over the group around the fire. They were doing a lot to help her already and she felt like she should return the favor. Work off the food and bath and transportation. She looked at Bjorn as his two heads tore into his meal. A small smile graced her lip and she looked back up at the group and took a deep breath.
¡°I will be in all of your care.¡± She said with a bow. ¡°I have never worked in a caravan so please be patient with me.¡±
[20] A Real Caravaneer
Freja woke up to the sound of Wyatt and Caleb, the goblin brothers, complaining about having to clean up the campsite so early in the morning. She was in a small one person tent and even had a sleeping roll lent to her by Sabec. Bjorn was curled up with her though he was already awake. She had to force him inside the tent when they went to bed as he wanted to stay up and guard her all night. She doesn¡¯t know if he actually got any rest but having him with her helped.
Now that she could feel his emotion through the familiar bond she knew he was apprehensive but not hostile to the people in the caravan. She felt about the same but mostly felt thankful they had been treating her so well. With the new perspective into his emotions he felt more like a father figure always looking to protect her. Given the fact that he had been doing that since he was born it was no wonder he felt that way. She hoped being in the caravan would allow both of them to have some normalcy for a change. She knew damn well she was ready for something normal.
She reached for her glasses pleased with the runes carved onto them that had protected them all this time. She crawled out of the tent and stretched, Bjorn did the same thing. The goblin brothers approached but not for her which she didn¡¯t mind as goblin males were not handsome. They were known for their appearance being an acquired taste to most other races. Goblin females loved every bit of their partner''s ugliness and in fact have not been known to date outside of their race.
The brothers are more easily distinguished by their hats. Wyatt always seemed to wear a brown fur hat while Caleb wore a blue leather one. They pulled out jerky from their pockets and ran over to Bjorn. They only seemed to notice Freja after he walked around her and they nearly ran into her.
¡°Oh, good morning, Sif.¡± Wyatt said. ¡°Can we give these to Bjorn?¡±
¡°Good morning, let me see it.¡± She said as she held out her hand. ¡°What is it?¡±
Wyatt handed her one of the strips, ¡°Chevon jerky.¡±
Freja smelled the jerky and bit off a small corner, her teeth easily slicing through the jerky like scissors. She then handed it back to the waiting goblin.
¡°It should be fine if he wants to eat that is.¡± Freja said.
Freja stepped aside and the two boys reached out their hands for Bjorn, each head took one of the strips. The goblins lit up with excitement, their long tails wagging in the air.
¡°He is so cool, what is he?¡± Caleb asked.
¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know.¡± Freja shrugged. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find anything on him in our bestiary. He is only about a week old though so he is probably going to get very big.¡±
The boys continued to ask questions about Bjorn. How big is he going to get, is he venomous, can he breathe fire or something, and why does he have two heads among other questions. Freja told them that he was venomous and that, yes, she found out yesterday he does in fact breathe fire. She kept the fact he grew a second head after being decapitated to herself.
¡°Since you don¡¯t know what he is, you should talk to Joha. He knows a lot about monsters.¡± Caleb says with a snap. ¡°I think he used to hunt them a long time ago.¡±
The boys wanted to ask more questions but their dad, Owen, quickly found them and told them to get back to work. Freja looked around and it seemed like everyone was already awake and packing up their campsite. She saw Joha walk off to where he tied up his horse. Freja knew she needed to get to work too, so she could ask him later. She started by disassembling her tent and folding up the cloth.
Everyone''s wagons were different. Sabec had the least impressive looking but largest standard merchant wagon. Cloth top on wooden frame but with some notable reinforcement runes carved into the wood. It would make the wagon much harder to damage and allow it to carry more cargo as long as he had the horse power. Which he did, there were two healthy chestnut colored horses.
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Joha¡¯s wagon was by far the most impressive and also the smallest. His was colorful with exaggerated lines and curves following the motif of a different culture than what Freja was used to. It was all wood and metal with a double door on one side like what she would expect on a carriage not a cargo carrier.
The goblin family had a large wagon that looked like a big wooden box on wheels. It was all natural colors, fully business and no pleasure. Freja knew they were all merchants but realized she didn¡¯t know what any of them sold. She would have to ask about it later, for now she summoned her wind hands to help her carry everything to Sabec¡¯s wagon. The large gnoll was in the process of hooking up his horses when she approached.
¡°Ah, good morning, miss Sif.¡± Sabec says. ¡°How did you sleep, hmm?¡±
¡°Best sleep I have had in days honestly.¡± Freja responded. ¡°Where do I put this stuff and I am ready to help.¡±
¡°Sabec will show you, yes?¡± He said as he finished tightening the straps on the horse. ¡°Come with Sabec and watch your step.¡± He said as they walked along the side of his cart.
¡°I know you all are merchants, what do you all sell?¡± Freja asked.
¡°Sabec sells tools. Wood, iron, steel, and orichalcum for any need. All orichalcum tools are enchanted.¡± He noted Freja perk up a bit at the orichalcum. ¡°Wendigo loves enchanted tools. They have a large population of those who can use magic, yes?¡± Freja nodded and Sabec chuckled to himself. ¡°Joha sells spices from his homeland. You liked the food yesterday, it is because of some of his spices. The goblins, they sell a little bit of everything. Sabec doubts all of it is legally acquired goods so watch your things. They have not stolen from Sabec, but I catch their scent around my cart time to time.¡±
¡°They are thieves?¡± Freja asked as she looked over to her bag that she left out in the open.
¡°Sabec is not sure these are only observations.¡± He said dismissively. ¡°Children are curious are they not? The goblins have two and they like to snoop.¡±
She believed Bjorn must have picked up on her concern through their bond because he ran over to her stuff and inspected it. She turned her attention back to Sabec as he opened the back of the transport. Inside was filled with shelves stocked everything from hammers and nails to saws, anvils, and farming equipment. He jumped up the four or so feet in a single bound and Freja had to use her mana muscle saturation to do the same.
Mana Muscle Saturation
Magic cost: 1
Push your mana into your muscles and bones to temporarily increase your physical attributes.
¡°You will be riding with Sabec on our journey.¡± He says as he points out a space for Freja to place the folded up tent. ¡°Sabec is the only one with space for an additional rider. Go bring your things, we will store them now.¡±
Helina was cooking breakfast over the fire for her family. It was a mixture of sausage, potatoes and manchet bread. Bjorn laid down across from her, angling himself so he could see Freja and Sabec and react quickly if he needed to. He felt like he was just being cautious about meeting such nice people out on the road. Owen walked up and kissed Helina on the cheek.
¡°Almost ready?¡± He asked.
¡°Only a few more minutes dear.¡± Helina stated.
¡°What did you find out about our new guests?¡± Owen inquired.
¡°Wait, shh.¡± Helina stated. ¡°Her familiar is right there.¡±
¡°He''s delta at the most.¡± Owen with a dismissive chuckle. ¡°No different from a regular pet right now.¡±
Helina looks at Bjorn for a long moment then sighs. ¡°She is definitely on the run, at first I thought thief, or common criminal. Her staff and knife are druid made and I think she killed someone to get them.¡±
¡°Hmm¡ That could be trouble.¡± Owen said in a long breath. ¡°You think she is a deserter from that war they''re fighting again?¡±
¡°Does she look like a fighter to you?¡± Helina asked sarcastically. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know how she got the weapons but she definitely used them on someone or something recently. I think it was her first time too. I¡¯ve seen eyes like hers when she first arrived.¡±
¡°Yeah, I was worried about that.¡± Owen said as he got much closer to his wife.
She playfully nudged him with her tail. ¡°More importantly I remember that uniform she is wearing. Some magic academy in the Salstar domain. She said she was kicked out of her family, the shiagaunt thing they do to failures or whatever.¡±
¡°Hmm. It''s a shame they do that to their own like that, but it does mean no one is looking for her.¡± Owen said as he rubbed his chin. ¡°Let¡¯s see what she can do. She just survived a harrowing experience after all. We can let her see what it is like to be a real caravaneer. No reason to rush things.¡±
Bjorn continued to lay there acting as if he could not understand them. The two goblin¡¯s conversation quickly shifted to bedroom fun as they got a little too frisky for Bjorn¡¯s liking. He chose a time in which Freja was walking around to get up and leave inconspicuously. He knew he was going to have to watch the goblins a little closer now.
[21] Start of Something Normal
The caravan was finally on the move, Bjorn sat in the slightly jostling cargo hold of Sabec¡¯s wagon. The curtain was open so he could see Freja on the box seat with Sabec. He could feel her turmoil as Sabec gave her the reins to teach her how to drive.
¡°You have ridden a horse before, yes?¡± Sabec stated with a laugh. ¡°Good, good, than this will be easy.¡±
¡°Sabec, this isn¡¯t funny what do I do?¡± Freja responded almost shell shocked at the turn of events.
¡°Miss Sif must breathe, breathe. Sabec will show you.¡±
The first village was largely a farming community only about six hours away. The landscape had long since changed from thick forest to open fields. For the wendigo all farming outside of animal husbandry and textiles were cash crops since they didn¡¯t eat any plants. The land in the kingdom of Yuhia was some of the most fertile on the continent only second to the blest lands of the Diredian Forest. It was harvest season so farmers, farmhands and work animals were out in force. These were Sabec¡¯s main clientele so he was excited to sell.
The gnoll showed Freja how to stop and told her to watch the carriage while he jumped around back over Bjorn and rummaged through his things. He then hopped out the back with a couple of harvesting tools. Joha and the goblins continued around them on to the heart of the village. Bjorn could not help but watch the goblins suspiciously, but was stopped when Freja lightly thumped his snout.
¡°Don¡¯t stare, it''s rude.¡± Freja said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so suspicious. I know I was worried earlier but Sabec said he hasn¡¯t seen them do anything. They haven¡¯t stolen anything and they helped us.¡±
Bjorn was confused for a second how she knew he was suspicious of them but quickly remembered the delta familiar contract meant she could feel his emotions. He could do the same with hers but could also choose not to if he wanted. She was a torrent of warring thoughts and feelings. On the outside she was reserved now but it was a facade, Bjorn could feel her desire to just ball up and cry for a couple of hours.
The pair turned their attention to Sabec who now had a crowd. He showed off an orichalcum hand scythe that cut through stalks of wheat like a hot knife through butter. The crowd was thoroughly impressed as he continued to demonstrate other tools. After a few minutes he returned to the wagon assuring people he would be set up for a few hours in the village.
The village of Vatnaby itself was situated close to a lake. The village square was just a larger than normal dirt road with a well in its center. Curious villagers had already congregated around the quickly setting up Joha and the goblins who were all setting up stalls to show off their wares. Sabec quickly found a spot to park his wagon and jumped in the back. Freja followed him this time summoning her wind hands to help carry as much as possible.
Before they could even step out of the wagon there were already men from the field surrounding them. Sabec put on his friendliest face and directed Freja to which boxes to get while he jumped down with a crate of his own. Freja found the boxes she needed and soon followed. Bjorn on the other hand stayed in the wagon as there was nothing he could do to help.
¡°Failsafe.¡± Bjorn said.
¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten anything else with your abilities. I double checked.¡± Failsafe responded defensively.
¡°No, not that. The dream, did you find anything I didn¡¯t?¡± Bjorn asked.
Failsafe perked up.¡°Oh, plenty I¡¯m sure, are you ready to talk about it?¡±
Bjorn was quiet for a moment then in an airy breath responded. ¡°Just one thing really, what was the gate?¡±
¡°Ah, so that is tricky. It was higher plane magic called aether. I can''t make out much more about it then that. Some entities they call the divine sky people made it to protect them by the looks of it.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t think they mean True Humans do you?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Your guess is as good as mine. We don¡¯t even know what True Humans are.¡± Failsafe stated. ¡°If you grew up in a dome it makes sense that you wouldn¡¯t know what wendigo are¡¡±
Bjorn had a sick feeling. ¡°I am pretty sure we saw the end of my life in that place.¡±
¡°Oh, right, the dome vanished¡ so, there has been something I have been wondering about and it has to do with your magic.¡± Failsafe stated.
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¡°What is it?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°You won¡¯t be able to answer this, it has just been on my mind. Your magic is extremely potent, far greater than it should be. A spell that requires one point of magic shouldn¡¯t be able to do what you can with it. I thought it was because of whatever you are now. But if you could manipulate aether in your past life it could explain some things.¡±
¡°So, can I manipulate aether now?¡±
¡°Well, thanks to your memories, I know what aether feels like. For now you can¡¯t, but your magic remembers what aether was like and is trying to replicate it.¡± Failsafe said after some thought. ¡°You still have a very long way before you will be able to use aether again¡ if at all.¡±
Bjorn sat up. ¡°Wait, my magic remembers?¡±
¡°You have the same magic core, just much younger.¡± Failsafe stated. ¡°But remember when I said Freja¡¯s core is copying your magic. Well with the new delta bond, I can feel her core more clearly. Honestly, it is a chaotic mess. I am surprised she can use magic at all, but it seems to be correcting itself by using your core as a blueprint.¡±
¡°My core¡ my core that is trying to replicate aether?¡± Bjorn said thoughtfully. ¡°So, eventually one or both of us may have the ability to use aether?¡±
Failsafe said in a self satisfied way. ¡°Wishful thinking, but at the very least she is going to be one hell of a powerful mage one day. The Salstars really missed out on that girl. But again this is¡¡±
¡°All based on observation. Yeah I know.¡± Bjorn said.
Bjorn felt Freja¡¯s distress through the bond and decided to check on things. The girl looked nervous standing to the right of Sabec as he showed off some of his tools. He decided to jump down out of the wagon which caused some heads to turn his way. Bjorn walked over to Freja and sat at her side. He could feel her nerves settle a bit and thanks pass through their bond.
On the road a few hours west of Vatnaby, Freja could finally enjoy the ride without being forced to drive. Even though she felt far more comfortable doing it she was too emotionally spent to try now. She looked up at the large gnoll who was more than satisfied with the sales in the village. She even got to help with some of the transactions and was physically spent.
¡°So, Sabec, what brought you to Yuhia anyway?¡± Freja asked.
The hyena man chuckled. ¡°I am here because of my mate, Losi. She is a mercenary, and her company was hired by your king to assist in the war. She is a strong and powerful warrior, and Sabec is proud to be her mate, indeed.¡±
Freja paused at that. ¡°Can you fight?¡±
¡°All gnolls can fight, but none like gnoll females.¡± Sabec said with a smile. ¡°Have you ever seen our women, hmm?¡±
¡°You are the first of your race I have met in person.¡± Freja said.
¡°Ah, yes, gnoll females are bigger than males. They love to fight and war. Some males like it too, but none are as adept as they are. My mate is pregnant and currently home away from the war. So, Sabec must make more money to support her and my child now.¡±
¡°Your mate is taller than you?¡± Freja asked with surprise.
¡°Sabec¡¯s mate is taller, yes.¡± He laughed. ¡°Wendigo are different, your men are big and women are small. Sabec finds this funny.¡± He looked at Freja and pointed at her arms. ¡°With your tiny arms and frame, how will you attract a mate? Men like strong women, stronger than themselves, yes?¡±
¡°I think that is a gnoll thing, Sabec.¡± Freja said, then flexed her arm a bit. ¡°But when it is time for me to find a mate I will keep it in mind.¡±
Night approached and everyone was setting up camp a few hours west of Vatnaby. Freja was exhausted physically and emotionally; she didn¡¯t realize traveling in a merchant convoy would be so demanding. Still she felt like she didn¡¯t do much but help unpack a few tools here and there and drive the wagon. She still felt uneasy about driving but Sabec was a good teacher.
While she was trying to figure out how to set up the tent the sound of a startled horse followed by a scream rang across the camp. Everyone''s head snapped to the sound of the commotion. The whinnying of the distressed horse tied to a tree quickly allowed them to find them.
Freja ran over and by the time she had gotten there Sabec was calming down the horse while the goblins were all around Wyatt who was on the ground unconscious. He was bleeding from the head and mouth which wasn¡¯t good. Joha grabbed a garden snake in the bushes near the horse that must have startled the creature causing it to kick the young goblin. Helina was hysterical and Owen wasn¡¯t much better.
¡°I have a potion I will be right back.¡± Freja yelled.
She used her mana muscle saturation to move much faster as she ran her belongings near her uncompleted tent. She rummaged around in her bag for the lesser health potion. On a goblin it would be more than enough to heal him completely.
¡°Damn where did I put it?¡± She said as she panicked. ¡°Oh, I found it.¡±
She ran back to the group potion in hand. Owen had to pull his wife away so Freja could get to Wyatt. Joha knelt down beside her as she uncorked the potion. He held out his hand to stop her.
¡°He will choke if you try to get him to drink.¡± Joha said in a deep bellowing voice. ¡°Hand it to me.¡±
Freja handed the potion to him and the liquid inside turned into a mist which he directed around the nose and mouth of the unconscious boy. As Wyatt breathed the mist would enter his body and soon he opened his eyes. Joha directed him to take deep breaths as the last of the mist entered his nose. Joha and Freja stood up seeing that the potion worked. The boy sat up only for his mother to nearly tackle him in a hug.
Freja was happy at the scene but looked up at the large tiger man who merely winked at her. He then threw the dead snake to Bjorn who snapped his jaws on it out of the air. This was the second time she has seen him use his magic but felt no mana at all, something that shouldn¡¯t be possible. He walked off and Freja continued to watch him until Helina grabbed on to her, ugly crying onto her shirt and thanking her for saving her son.
[22] The Village by the River
Emotions were high for most of the evening although the two goblin boys were up and getting into who knows what like nothing had ever happened. Freja returned to her tent to try and finish setting it up. Sabec showed her how the night before and she felt like it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to do. It was just ropes, poles, cloth and stakes. After struggling for a few minutes she heard footsteps approaching.
¡°Sif, do you need help?¡± Owen asked as he grabbed one of the poles to stop it from falling over. ¡°You aren''t going to get it to stay up like that.¡±
Freja was slightly hesitant with her answer. ¡°Uh, yes, thank you.¡±
¡°Look, I wanted to thank you for what you did for my boy.¡± Owen said as he secured his side of the tent. ¡°I know lesser potions aren¡¯t cheap, so how much?¡± Freja opened her mouth to respond but he raised his hand to stop her. ¡°And I don¡¯t want to hear it was free or anything like that.¡±
Freja opened then closed her mouth then said. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what the going rate is for lesser health potions. I made that one for an emergency so I don¡¯t want to charge you.¡±
¡°You made it?¡± Owen asked as he placed the last stake in the ground. ¡°Hold that there, while I tighten this.¡± He pointed to the second pole.
¡°Like this?¡± Freja asked. ¡°And yes I know how to make many different types of potions.¡±
¡°What? Are you an alchemist?¡± Owen asked, completely dumbfounded. ¡°Why were you disowned?¡± He thought about his words. ¡°Sorry, that was insensitive. Helina told me about the shiagaunt, but an alchemist?¡±
¡°My family''s expectations were elsewhere.¡± Freja said solemnly.
¡°If they didn¡¯t see the value in their daughter or in an alchemist, fuck¡¯em.¡± Owen said. ¡°Sounds like a bunch of stuck up shits.¡±
Freja laughed. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±
¡°I will pay you a silver for the potion and saving my son and for my wife getting snot all over your skirt earlier. She was crying so much you would swear she is the one that got kicked.¡± Owen said as he dusted off his hands and reached into his coin purse. ¡°Won¡¯t take no for an answer.¡± He held out the coin. ¡°And your tent is all set up.¡±
¡°This is way too much, right?¡± Freja asked.
¡°The normal price for a lesser health potion is half a silver, fifty copper.¡± Owen said, running the calculation in his head. ¡°For a greater, five silvers would be fair. A grand, you¡¯d be looking for a gold or two and a supreme maybe five or six hundred platinum, probably more but never seen one, shit can bring you back from damn near death, regrow limbs, restore memories and any other miracles you want.¡±
¡°So it is too much.¡± Freja said.
¡°No, it isn¡¯t. Oh, and Helina and the boys are taking back out the tub for you if you want another hot bath.¡± Owen said as he started to walk off. ¡°They want to thank you too. Have a good night, Sif.¡±
Freja looked at the coin for a long moment. It was the first time she had ever made money. As a Salstar she was prohibited from working jobs as she had to keep up the family image. All that did was make her reliant on her parents'' money which they only gave her the bare minimum to maintain her appearance, buy her textbooks and eat, nothing else.
She quickly went back to her book bag looking for the silk bag with the gold coins from her father. The thought of using her fathers money was sickening but she wasn¡¯t going to throw them away, she needed to survive. She hadn''t even considered selling potions but if anyone could teach her how she was in the right place. This was a caravan with a bunch of professional merchants. She felt like she at least had a direction now and that brought her some relief.
¡°Bjorn, you ready for another bath?¡± She asked the familiar.
Freja looked along the roadside for any signs of usable plants. She already informed Sabec that she may jump out if she finds something but the wagons aren¡¯t moving fast and she could easily walk to catch up. The gnoll man seemed less talkative than the day before but Freja didn¡¯t feel she had the right to pry. She gasped when she saw a blue flower growing in the field they were riding along. She hopped out of the wagon and Bjorn followed her like usual.
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¡°It is a northern blue moon.¡± Freja said happily as she looked through her florea book. ¡°If I find a few more ingredients, I can make a lot of different potions with this.¡± She picks the flower carefully and turns to Bjorn. ¡°Oh, that reminded me I will need some of your venom to run tests on it. You killed a troll young man, you don¡¯t know how rare that is with venom.¡±
By the time the caravan finally reached the next village, this one on a river, Freja had already found a large stockpile of various useful plants. She still needed to prepare them for use but she told herself she would do that after work. She wanted to learn as much as possible on how to sell things as she would need to be able to provide for herself at some point. This village seemed to be more affluent than the first. The wendigo that lived there were artisans.
There are multiple ethnicities of wendigo. The black nighthand, like Freja¡¯s father, whose skin ranged from ashen to as dark as coal and were generally larger. The snowfallen like her mother, which have light skin and often white freckles and thin frames. Finally the woodentail, they are the mixed children of the two much like Freja and her sibling. This village consisted of mainly snowfallen women, the men were most likely either drafted for the war or working in Lavi a few days'' journey away.
Needless to say Sabec didn¡¯t have as much luck in this town as in the first. Joha on the other hand needed help so Freja would finally have some time to talk with the enigmatic tiger demon. She wanted to ask him about his magic and if he knew anything about Bjorn but she didn¡¯t have the time between learning different spices and salesman techniques. Most of her time was spent watching the large tigerman in action and processing transactions after being told how much different ingredients sold for.
¡°Oh, do you go to Dorsehal Academy, a young mage in the making?¡± One of the women asked Freja after the rush subsided. ¡°My son was also accepted.¡±
¡°I-I, um.¡± Freja stuttered as she looked to Joha for support.
¡°Oh, well I am sure you know how expensive the academy is ma¡¯am.¡± Joha interjected. ¡°Sif here has big aspirations and if you would like to support her, some of the proceeds from today''s sales will go to her tuition.¡±
The woman sighs. ¡°I wish my son was as driven as you to go to that school young lady. Do study hard.¡±
Joha finished talking with the lady and ended up selling several different spices to her. Things calmed down after that a few people came and went, nothing anyone couldn¡¯t handle on their own. Joha let Freja go off on her own so she could collect more plants she needed for her potions. The main thing she wanted was fleron root, one of the main ingredients for herbal and lesser health potions. She took her bookbag and the combat knife that she can use for digging or pruning leaves.
¡°Bjorn, do you remember what the fleron root looks like?¡± Freja asked, and he affirmatively squawked in response. ¡°Good I will check this side of the river and you can do the oth...¡±
Freja stopped in her tracks as she and Bjorn both felt a familiar mage in the air. To Freja it felt wrong, like an affront to everything she believed. A sacrilege to the Forest Father and the distinct magic of the druids. An explosion set off in the village and screams could be heard as smoke started its ascent into the sky. Freja froze for a moment. This isn¡¯t right, what are druids doing here? They are hundreds of miles from the frontlines on the opposite side of the country.
Suddenly Bjorn bit her skirt and pulled her to the ground as a stream of water sliced the air where her head was a moment before. Bjorn quickly took point in front of Freja hissing as a man walked out of the water twenty feet down stream. The water was not disturbed by him walking through it, not even a ripple as he stepped onto land completely dry.
He had the mossy green armored robes of the druid military. The twisted wood and metal staff in his hand and combat knife at his side. The man laughed as he saw the village on fire, completely ignoring Freja and Bjorn as he basked in the distant screams. He then turned to Freja, his smile vanished as he locked eyes on her.
¡°They get all the fun while I get the scraps at the shore.¡± The druid said. ¡°Pehid, kill the lizard.¡±
Bjorn was suddenly and unceremoniously picked up by a massive bird Freja had never seen before. Bjorn struggled in the birds grasp, its talons tearing deep into his sides and one of his necks. He wrapped his body around the bird''s legs as much as he could and activated poison scratch. His claws began to glow with a green smoke as he bit and scratched at the bird as much as he could.
The bird immediately started to kick him off, its sharp talons slicing him with every strike. He was nearly gutted before he fell into the river, a bloody mess. Red stained the water and he didn¡¯t resurface so the bird let out a cry as it returned to the druid and landed with a surprising thump instead of a graceful descent.
¡°That is a nasty venom.¡± The druid said as he touched the bird and spoke a word of power.
The bird spat out green sludge and a little blood and quickly recovered. It flapped its wings in triumph as it stood next to its master.
¡°Remind me to get that creature''s body when this is over. I want to dissect it.¡± The druid said. ¡°And don¡¯t get bit next time we fight an obviously venomous creature.¡± He turned his attention to Freja. ¡°Now, for the little cannibal savage. I will be sending you to see your familiar now.¡±
[23] How to Kill a Mage
Freja could feel Bjorn¡¯s connection and his emotions, there wasn¡¯t a hint of quit in him even as he fell into the water. She looked at the bloodied pool, the familiar bond telling her he was still very much in the fight. She readied herself using his emotions to bolster her own survival instincts and suppress her fear. This was one of the main purposes of the delta familiar emotion sharing. They could strengthen each other''s resolve in the face of any odds.
She had no reservations that this was a losing battle. This was a real druid war mage and his delta familiar, nothing like the dying one she killed in the forest that was more dead than alive. She had no offensive magic, nothing that could even come close to an actual war mage''s power. However, she would do whatever it took to survive.
She reached into her book bag and took out the combat knife charging herself with mana and letting it permeate every fiber of her muscles, every tendon and bone. She heightened her senses to the limits of her current capability and stood up facing the druid with determination. If she was going to die she was going to die standing.
¡°Bring it tree fucker.¡± Freja said.
The druid laughed, raising his staff as water condensed around him forming three orbs. The druid''s magic reacted without even needing to speak words of power. Freja dodged to her side narrowly avoiding a stream of water aimed for her head. She had to jump again immediately after to avoid more streams which struck the ground behind her with enough force to dig holes through rock.
¡°Maybe this will be fun after all.¡± The druid said with a smile stretched across his face.
The druid spoke words of power and Freja was lifted into the air by a gust of wind; she didn¡¯t even have time to react as she was pulled towards the druid in seconds. He spun his staff around his body with practiced grace and as soon as she was in range he hit her square in the chest with a baseball swing. Freja''s trajectory was instantly stopped as she flew backward from the mage, the blow having sent shockwaves of pain through her body as she skittered to a stop unmoving.
¡°Or maybe not. Is that all she had?¡± The druid question. ¡°Here you were getting my hopes up, savage.¡±
Freja felt something in her bond as she struggled to breathe, the wind having been completely knocked out of her as she laid on her back. She looked at the river and saw Bjorn had made it to the shore only about six or so feet from the druid while going completely unnoticed. His mouth was open and magic gathered as visible heat.
Freja turned away and balled herself up to make herself smaller. Heat erupted from the injured Bjorn as green fire lit up the area slowly concentrating and becoming purple as it crackled with magical energy. The wave of fire was stopped as a blast of air split the flaming torrent striking Bjorn and sending him flying across the river where he only stopped after hitting a tree.
The druid laughed as his familiar was interposed between him and the flames, wind magic circulating around the beast. Its magic is what protected the druid and sent Bjorn flying.
¡°Bjorn.¡± Freja screamed as she turned back around.
¡°Kill it this time.¡± The druid said to his familiar. ¡°As for you, don¡¯t worry you¡¯ll both be dead soon.¡±
The bird opened its wings to fly but before it could, a red mist surrounded them. No one had noticed because of the fire but now it became more prevalent. The mist was thick and didn¡¯t react to the wind but also didn¡¯t have any magic within it. A clawed hand reached out of the mist and grabbed the head of the bird. Before the bird, the druid or Freja even processed what was going on, the hand squeezed and the bird''s head popped. Feathers, blood, bone and gore sprayed the air as the bird''s body fell to the ground.
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The druid screamed. ¡°What the fu¡¡±
The same hand that killed the bird balled into a fist pulled back and hit the druid so hard in the ribs he was lifted up into the air. Then a second hand appeared, grabbed the druid before he was too high, pulled him back down as the first fist reared back again then came crashing down. It struck the druid''s head this time sending him into the ground. The soil and mud gave in beneath him as he struggled to retain consciousness.
Tendrils of water flew from the river and wrapped around the druid. The tendrils threw him out of the mist giving him distance from the assault. They then whipped fruitlessly at the mist before they all were destroyed by the unknown assailant obscured in the mist. The druid landed on his feet but instantly fell to his knees, spit up blood and struggled to breath. The mist cleared revealing Joha standing there eyeing the elemental mage with unbridled rage.
¡°Are you okay, Sif?¡± Joha asked.
Freja had to do a mental check on herself. She was in pain sure but thanks to her mana saturation it was mainly bruises with nothing broken.
¡°I will be fine but Bjorn, he is injured.¡± She responded.
¡°Okay, stay there.¡± Joha said.
¡°W-who the fuck ar¡¡±
¡°Shut your filthy mouth.¡± Joha said with a deep growl. ¡°In my country any one that attacks civilians is trash not deserving of speech.¡±
The red mist again started to form each time Joha exhaled until his body was completely obscured. The druid raised his staff and stood, having recovered enough to speak his words of power. The orbs of water formed, this time seven of them with many more in the process of formation. Streams of water shot out each one vanishing in the mist and continuing on cutting up the landscape behind it.
Joha ran out of the mist making a beeline for the druid. His appearance had changed and he was much thinner and younger looking. His fur was midnight black, his fangs exaggerated and jagged, his four horns became six and each one sparked with demonic energy Freja could still not sense. He did not slow as he dodge and weaved between the now ten, no eleven shots of water each happening one after the other.
Joha closed the distance and the mage prepared himself with his war staff to defend. The tiger demon continued to dodge several streams and the staff as he punched the druid in the face. He jumped and twisted in the air kicking several of the water orbs destroying them before landing. The red mist escaped his mouth as his form changed to that of a monkey-man with four arms. The druid panicked as he spun his staff in hopes to gain some distance. Joha with two of his arms grabbed the weapon and with the other two drove his fist through it breaking the magical implement.
The now monkey-man jumped over the druid to dodge several shots from the remaining water orbs. Joha¡¯s tail wrapped around the druid''s neck as he focused on the rest of the orbs. He destroyed all of the remaining ones with a flurry of punches and kicks before landing. As soon as his feet touched the ground he threw the druid by the neck with his tail. The druid landed on his back a few feet in front of Joha with a crash.
¡°Forest Father deliver me.¡± The druid said as he rolled over onto his side.
The druid stood getting into a fighting stance of his own, desperation clearly visible on his face. He reached for his combat knife. The item identical to the one Freja got from the other druid soldier she had killed. When it comes to mages they are harder to kill than normal people. The mana in their bodies becomes so dense that even previously grievous wounds on a normal person may heal over time. The druid Freja killed was only alive because his mana was trying to turn him into a lesser druid, the treant. There is only one way to ensure a mage is dead and not coming back.
The red mist again surrounded Joha as he rushed the druid. The knife sliced into the mist only for his hand to be caught by Joha¡¯s massive clawed hand as he returned to his normal large tiger form. A swift hit from Joha¡¯s free fist broke the druid''s arm, the crack of the break resounding so loud even Freja heard it from thirty feet away. The druid didn¡¯t get a chance to scream in pain. Joha used the druid''s own knife and hand to stab him in the throat and slice outward, nearly decapitating the man.
The druid fell to the ground with a wet splat, his blood pooled under him. Joha put one foot on the druid''s back and reached down and with a tug ripped off the druid''s head tossing it away from the body. The only way to ensure a mage is truly dead is to decapitate them and burn the remains. The body suddenly caught fire as the tiger demon stepped away, turning his attention to the shocked Freja.
[24] Why?
Joha quickly ran to Freja who just stared at him wide eyed. He had killed the druid elemental mage so easily using his abilities and martial prowess. It looked so effortless that he might as well have been playing with the guy. She remembered what Caleb told her about how he thought Joha might have hunted monsters in the past. Well shit, he was definitely right.
The demon tiger knelt down beside Freja. ¡°Sif, are you alright? I got here as soon as I could.¡±
She turned away from him as soon as the shock wore off. She reached for the familiar bond with her magic and locked on to Bjorn on the other side of the river. She stood up, seeing the unmoving familiar more clearly.
¡°Bjorn.¡± She screamed as she ran to the riverside.
She jumped in the water without hesitation and swam as best she could to the other side. Joha jumped nearly thirty feet in a single bound and joined her on the other side. They found Bjorn injured but awake and unable to move. Freja felt relief flow through the delta bond as soon as the familiar saw her unharmed. His cuts were already healing but much slower than when he killed the wolves.
¡°Bjorn, baby, it will be okay.¡± Freja said as she fell to her knees next to him. ¡°I am fine, you will be fine, okay baby?¡±
¡°He will make it. We can take him back to the village.¡± Joha stated as he placed a hand on Freja¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We already dealt with the other attackers. But Sif, can you make more health potions? A lot of people were injured, and the village healer was targeted first.¡±
¡°W-what? Why were druids here? I thought that the one I killed¡¡± She closed her mouth and clinched her jaw.
¡°One you killed?¡± Joha questioned but continued anyway. ¡°I don¡¯t know why they are here, but we captured one of them and the rest are dead. We will figure all of that out later. What do you need to make lesser health potions?¡±
Freja pet Bjorn gently as she forced herself to focus. They would find out why this happened later, for now she had an injured familiar and an unknown number of wounded people that needed help. She took a deep breath and held it for a moment then exhaled out the last of her nerves. She had the resolve to face that druid even if she would have died, so she will have the resolve to save lives now.
¡°I will need mainly fleron root. I have everything else.¡± Freja said as she closed her eyes and nodded. ¡°It will take a few hours to make a single dose though so if you can find me pots and pans or if they have an alchemy set up, I can make it much quicker.¡± She opened her eyes and looked at Joha. ¡°Take him back to the village. I will find the last ingredient.¡±
¡°I will take him and come right back.¡± Joha said in response. ¡°I will have Owen and Helina see what we can do about your setup.¡±
Joha slowly and carefully picked up Bjorn who chirped in pain but didn¡¯t resist. In moments the tiger demon was off, jumped the river and ran towards the village. Freja didn¡¯t have the time to think, she needed to act and focus on what she could do in the moment. She swam back across the river and began her search. A few minutes later Joha rejoined her with three of the villagers two about her age and one older woman to aid in finding the plants.
The villagers¡¯ eyes were wet with tears and looked like they were in shock. However, they had determination and they knew their actions could save lives. It took only a few minutes before they found the first cluster. Freja showed them what to look for and how to dig them up. After that she needed to get started making the potions. She left Joha with her book and showed him the three plants she needed for the potions, telling him more about each, where they typically grow, and how to harvest them. He agreed to find more and she left for the village.
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Up until a few days ago Freja had only ever seen a dead body at her grandfather''s funeral when she was a child. Her sister¡¯s body was never recovered. Now not only had she seen bodies, but she killed someone with her own hands. However, what she saw in the remains of the village sickened her. Villagers slaughtered with needlessly brutal magic. Some were covered with sheets reddened with blood. Others had yet to be veiled for some dignity in death. Most of the bodies were not whole, torn apart by summoned roots that slowly withered now without the magic that made them or speared with ice magic that still hummed with cursed druidic magic. Craters littered the village from explosive magics that were used to deadly effect.
¡°Why would they do this?¡± Freja said to herself.
¡°Sif, over here.¡± Owen yelled out for her as she approached the village square.
The wagons all looked to be intact but two of the horses had run off. Sabec was talking to one of the few men in the village. The gnoll man had a large bardiche with runes that ran up and down both the shaft and orichalcum blade while the man had a sword at his hip. Both of them were injured but looked to have minor cuts here and there. At their feet was the captured druid Joha mentioned earlier. He was tied up and Sabec rested his weapon on the man''s shoulder with the blade inches from his neck.
Freja turned her attention back to Owen who was beckoning to her. She ran over to him, and he led her into one of the few intact buildings which appeared to be someone''s home. Helina ran up and hugged her then led her further inside. She spoke some words of power and Freja¡¯s soaking wet clothing dried.
¡°I am glad you are alright, dear.¡± Helina said. ¡°Bjorn is here, he is sleeping upstairs.¡±
The house was a common wendigo design with practicality over form. Everything was natural colors from the brick walls to the hardwood floor. The living room was the most opulent with glowstone lights along the walls and imported comfortable looking furniture. The house was not free of damage; one of the walls had a large hole that looked like it had been ripped out by magic. The contents of the room were thrown outside in a broken heap. Freja saw blood in that debris and turned away. The owner of the house was probably dead.
¡°What about you, where is Wyatt and Caleb?¡± Freja asked.
¡°Everyone is fine, I got a few scrapes but nothing to worry about.¡± Helina said.
¡°We¡¯re tougher than we look.¡± Owen added.
Freja noticed that both goblins had a machete at their side and there was a pair of spears in the corner of the room. Goblins were elves after all and were just as magically and combatively capable as their taller brethren. Even if the two groups did not consider themselves as related to the other. She followed the familiar bond and felt Bjorn upstairs. She didn¡¯t have time to check on him, but his emotions were calm meaning he was probably asleep.
¡°I am glad to hear, I need to get started right away.¡± Freja said. ¡°Did you get my alchemy case from Sabec¡¯s wagon?¡±
¡°He brought it over, but we did you one better.¡± Owen said as he waved her into the kitchen. ¡°Luckily we hadn¡¯t sold all of this yet, so we still have it.¡±
The kitchen was fully converted into an alchemy lab that put her supplies to shame. More importantly it meant she could produce more of the potions at once. To her surprise the same woman who said she had a son at the academy was standing in the kitchen boiling water over the stove. Her eyes were hollow as well and she looked like she wanted to cry but she held strong.
¡°I am glad you are alright dear. How long will it take?¡± The snowfallen woman asked, her voice soft. ¡°To make the potions I mean.¡±
¡°Probably three hours per batch.¡± Freja said. ¡°How many do we need?¡±
¡°As many as possible. T-they killed¡ they killed Brynhild. She was our only healer.¡± She took a long breath. ¡°We have thirteen injured and a few of them will need more than one potion.¡±
¡°Okay, okay. We will get started right away.¡± Freja said.
Helina and the woman whose name turned out to be Unn were immediately recruited into helping crush up the material now that they had multiple mortars and pestles. Owen was on guard duty and stood outside with his spear. Freja had to take a look at her new equipment which was sizable.
While the ingredients were being prepared, she rearranged what the goblins had set up to make it more efficient. It was clear that they had no idea how to set up an alchemy lab and just brought everything they had. She ran through a couple of calculations then double, triple, quadruple and even quintuple checked her work. This would be the largest supply of potions she ever produced at once. She only hoped her skills were up to the task.
[25] Resolve
Hours of brewing and mana manipulation slowly crawled by as the third and final batch of potions were finally ready. They were out of ingredients and the potion crew consisting of Freja, Helina and Unn, the owner of the home, were all exhausted. Making lesser health potions required constant monitoring and mana manipulation throughout various processes. The number of potions they were making at once meant they were always diligently working at one point of the process or the other.
Freja kept two of the lesser potions as a backup for herself and Bjorn. Her familiar had a healing factor, but she never wanted him to be hurt if she could help it. Freja hoped that the twenty potions would be enough. It would have to be as there wasn¡¯t any way they could brew anymore.
¡°Good job ladies.¡± Helina said as Freja bottled the last potion. ¡°I am going to check on things.¡±
¡°I will come too.¡± Freja said.
Freja placed the last of the potions carefully into a basket which Unn picked up. She had been the transporter every time a batch had been completed.
¡°I will take these and see if they will be needed.¡± Unn said as she bowed deeply to Freja. ¡°Thank you for everything you have done. You have saved lives today.¡± She turned to Helina. ¡°Thank you for risking your life in defense of our home. You could have taken your family and fled but you stayed, and I am eternally grateful.¡±
Bjorn woke up, his body still sore but nothing seemed broken. He was lying on a pile of blankets on the floor of a dark room which didn¡¯t matter since he could see in the dark. He searched his familiar bond and felt Freja directly under him meaning he was on the second floor. He looked around, it was the living space of maybe a young man, but he didn¡¯t care to investigate further.
¡°Finally, you''re awake.¡± Failsafe said in Bjorn¡¯s head. ¡°Can you pick a fight we can actually win without getting brutally ripped apart, bitten, clawed or gutted for once. Higher Planes above seriously.¡±
¡°You are acting like I have a choice.¡± Bjorn responded mentally. ¡°And don¡¯t you say I could just run away and leave Freja to die. You know that is not going to happen. She is my only connection to this world, otherwise I am just a roaming monster someone will kill first and ask questions later.¡±
¡°Well, it still sucks. Can¡¯t we for once fight something on our level.¡± Failsafe said with a sigh.
¡°The fact we are alive means the druid is dead. Did we gain any levels?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°No.¡± Failsafe stated.
¡°Why is that?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°It means Freja didn¡¯t kill them.¡± Failsafe responded.
Bjorn stood up and stretched. ¡°But all you do is steal the remaining magic and such, right? If she killed them or not, shouldn¡¯t you be able to?¡±
¡°All I can say is that magic is complicated and that is not how it works.¡± Failsafe said.
¡°Meaning you don¡¯t know either.¡± Bjorn pointed out.
¡°I-I just need more data.¡± Failsafe responded.
¡°Well, that is good to know.¡± Bjorn stated with some thought. ¡°It means we can''t just sit outside of a battlefield and take all of the experience of everyone that died in combat.¡±
Bjorn found the door cracked open and opened it easily enough with a boop from his snout. He tasted the air with flicks of his tongues. The aroma of potion brewing mixed with the scents of Owen, Freja, Helina and some other people he didn¡¯t know. He also tasted blood and death, but it was faint, most likely from outside. He stepped into the hallway and an overturned plant and several downed paintings were all that was there to greet him.
¡°Wait a moment, let me check on Bjorn.¡± Freja¡¯s voice called out from downstairs.
Bjorn followed the voice and soon found the staircase right as Freja stepped up the last step.
¡°Bjorn.¡± She said as she sat down. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be up.¡±
The young girl looked exhausted, but her emotions calmed a bit once she saw him. She patted her lap and Bjorn laid across. Freja took the time to look over his injuries; they were little more than scars by this point, but the scales hadn¡¯t fully grown back yet. Bjorn felt guilt flowing through the bond as Freja touched the largest scar on his stomach. The one that nearly gutted him when the bird familiar kicked him free.
¡°You did all the fighting again. You keep getting hurt for me. Because I am so weak, because I am not a good master, I can''t even protect you.¡± She hugged Bjorn. ¡°You''re only a few days old, barely over a week and you felt so much pain because of me. I swear this will never happen again, baby. You will never have to fight alone because I am weak.¡± She had resolve in her voice.
¡°Are you ready, Sif?¡± Helina called.
¡°You wanna come, Bjorn?¡± Freja asked and Bjorn squawked affirmatively. ¡°I am coming.¡±
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Darkness did little to hide the devastation in the town; most of the survivors had gathered in the square where pyres were constructed to send off those who died. One for each person with the exception of the druids who were all thrown into a pit, their bodies cut into pieces to prevent the possibility of them becoming undead.
Helina led them around the mass funeral to another house where a guard was posted outside. The man was a villager armed with a sword and in his prime, since Bjorn didn¡¯t know how long wendigo lived, he could have been in his thirties or seventies for all he knew. The man looked at the group and bowed slightly before opening the door.
Inside Sabec and Owen were sitting in the living room styled much the same as the house Bjorn just left. Joha was in the corner smoking his usual long metal pipe. There was an elder with a long white beard and decorative wooden cane alongside eight other men Bjorn had not yet seen before in the room. The druid was also tied up on the floor he looked to have been beaten to near death. Freja nearly stopped when all eyes shifted to the group as they entered.
¡°This is the young lady?¡± The elder asked.
¡°Yes, father.¡± The man beside him said.
The man beside the elder had silver strands hanging from his long antlers. A fashion choice Bjorn hadn¡¯t seen although he thought it looked rather nice.
The elder made a dismissive gesture to the druid. ¡°Please remove that filth from here. We have esteemed guests.¡± Several men grabbed the druid that was too beaten to even resist and they roughly dragged him out. ¡°Please ladies, enter.¡±
Helina walked over to Owen where he had saved her a seat. The man beside the elder made one of the other men stand so Freja would have a place to sit down as well. The elder looked at Freja and Bjorn for a long moment as he stroked his beard. To Freja¡¯s surprise everyone bowed as she sat down and picked Bjorn up to sit in her lap.
¡°We have already given thanks to your comrades, young lady.¡± The elder said still bowed. ¡°We are thankful to all of you for defending our town and to you for the work you have done to save those injured in the attack. You saved not only my life but also that of my grandson and many others that would not have survived without your potions.¡±
¡°I-I, there is no need to bow elder.¡± Freja said in shock.
¡°There is need to do much than just bow.¡± The elder said as he lifted his head. ¡°My name is Kolbein, I am the Elder of this village. On behalf of everyone, I offer you this.¡±
The man, his son with the silver strands, stood up, head still bowed and knelt in front of Freja; he held out his hand with a small red bag. Freja hesitantly took the bag and opened it. Inside were three gold coins and sixteen silver. Freja gasped even accounting for all of the potions she made; it would only equate to ten silver at most.
¡°This is too much elder Kolbein.¡± Freja stated.
¡°Does anyone believe three gold sixteen silver to be too much for what this young lady has done?¡± The elder asked out loud.
¡°No.¡± Everyone said in unison.
The man knelt in front of Freja lifted his head. ¡°My name is Hrolf; your potion saved my father and my son. I would give more if I could.¡± He stood and everyone lifted their heads.
Hrolf stood in front of everyone taking the floor where the Druid once laid.
¡°Now, it is time we decide.¡± Hrolf stated as he looked over each of the men. ¡°Our village is in ruin and if what the druid said is to be believed more of them will come. We need to warn the other villages and get our people to Lavi.¡±
Another man, this one with a missing antler stood up. ¡°And abandon our homes to these tree fuckers.¡±
¡°What would you have us do? If not for our visitors, we would all be dead.¡± Hrolf said. ¡°I don¡¯t believe we should risk the lives of our families on pride or on brick and mortar that can be rebuilt.¡±
¡°They caught us off guard, but we will be ready next time.¡± The man with the missing antler said. ¡°I refuse to let them have my home.¡±
Hrolf pointed to the window and spoke a word of power which caused a wind to blow the blinds open.
Hrolf spoke with anger and loss. ¡°Look at the pyres. Look. Those are who we lost. Do you want more? Was this not enough?¡± He walked over to the man with one antler he stared unblinkingly at the man. ¡°Fight? How many of us fought? I remember the gnoll killed one and captured one, the goblins killed one and the tiger-man killed the others.¡±
The elder stomped his cane. ¡°That is enough. We are not going to tell any of you what to do. You all heard what the druid said. More are coming. Do what you believe best for your families but those that want to leave be ready at first light. Tonight, honor and grieve your loss.¡±
There was grumbling amongst the crowd but one by one the men dispersed heading out to the pyres or to find their families. The elder was helped up to his feet by Hrolf the two of them bowed to Freja again before they too left leaving only the merchants inside. Freja walked over to one of the other couches to get closer to the group.
¡°Well, what do you all think?¡± Joha said as he walked over from his corner.
¡°Sabec will travel to Lavi then head east to the frontlines for Sabec¡¯s mate.¡± The gnoll stated. ¡°Sabec is here because of the war so this changes little, yes?¡±
¡°We are also going to Lavi.¡± Owen said as he grabbed his wife''s hand. ¡°Then probably north, we need to get our boys out of this as soon as possible.¡±
¡°Sif, you are free to come with us.¡± Helina stated.
¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡± Freja said.
¡°You don¡¯t have to make a decision right away.¡± Helina responded seeing the conflict on Freja''s face. ¡°We still have a few days before we make it to Lavi.¡±
¡°Thank you, Helina.¡± Freja stated. ¡°But Joha what are you going to do?¡±
¡°I will leave the country after Lavi, head west.¡± Joha said after a deep puff of his pipe. ¡°I have no intention of being in a country at war when there are much more peaceful places out there.¡±
Bjorn could feel Freja''s conflicting emotion at the answer; it wasn''t what she expected. There was a brief moment of fear, uncertainty then resolve. She stood up, placing Bjorn on the ground as she walked to Joha and bowed her head.
¡°Thank you for saving me.¡± She started to cry. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t showed up, I would be dead. Bjorn would be dead and there was nothing I would have been able to do. I am weak. I am scared, but every time I am in danger Bjorn is the one that is hurt. He is the one that fights.¡±
¡°So, what do you want, Sif?¡± Joha asked, his voice calming.
¡°I want to fight like you did.¡± Freja said with conviction. ¡°I want someone that can teach me how to defend myself. So, the next time I can be the one that protects Bjorn.¡±
Joha kneeled down. ¡°Any student of mine can¡¯t also be lying to me. Who are you? You mentioned you killed a druid before. Your staff and knife are the same as theirs. Why?¡±
Freja looked up at the tiger demon, his eyes were locked onto her.
¡°My name is Freja Thundersky.¡± Freja looked into the demon''s eyes with equal resolve. ¡°I was removed from the Salstar Noble House, stripped of nobility and left for dead...¡±
[26] Am I a demon now?
Freja told the group everything from pseudo-banishment to Dorsehal Academy. The death of her sister and the shiagaunt that disowned and embarrassed her as a result. The fight with the troll that nearly killed her and left her crippled in a cave for nearly a week. She told them about the shadow wolves and the steel wolf familiar. She ended her story with the druid she killed, the first and only life she had taken only hours before she met them.
Freja did not waver even once in her retelling of the events. She looked the tiger demon in the eyes with resolve as she spoke. She was done being weak, she was done being pushed around and looked down on. She wanted to show herself that she was worth it. Compared to what she had already faced telling Joha and the rest of the merchants who she was felt freeing.
There was a silence in the air as she finished her story. Helina wanted to run up and hug her but was stopped by Owen. Joha just looked Freja up and down giving her an assessing look. He smirked as he stood from his kneeling position.
¡°You are aware I am leaving this country. Do you not want to fight for your homeland?¡± Joha asked pointedly.
¡°I have nothing here. Bjorn and me, that is it.¡± Freja said without skipping a beat. ¡°The war has been going on for thousands of years, they won''t miss one girl.¡±
¡°I will expect you to earn your keep.¡± Joha said.
¡°I made three gold sixteen silver today.¡± Freja said.
Joha laughed. ¡°That you did.¡± He placed his hands on his hips. ¡°I will tell you now, I cannot teach you how to wield magic, only how to sharpen your instincts, train your body and fight with martial skills. My kind does not use magic, or rather, cannot use magic. Do you still want to learn from me with that knowledge?¡±
¡°I have never been that good at magic anyway.¡± Freja responded.
¡°Well as my disciple you will be renamed as is tradition in the way of the rakshasa.¡± Joha stated as a second pipe appeared in his hand. ¡°Freja Thundersky is the name of the girl that died to the troll. You are Tanisha Scalebound, disciple of the rakshasa tiger demon Joha Bhatia.¡± He lowered the second smoking pipe and gestured for the girl to take it which she did. ¡°Your new name Tanisha means ambition and signifies the determination to pursue your dream. Scalebound from your familiar to whom you owe your life. Speak your new name and smoke.¡±
¡°Tanisha Scalebound.¡± She said as she put the pipe to her lips.
She breathed in the red smoke and let the smoke fill her lungs but as she started to exhale, she coughed the smoke turned blue. The smoke burned her throat and mouth. Joha laughed and patted her back as she continued to cough.
¡°And now we have a new follower of the path. Welcome sister.¡± Joha said happily.
Tanisha tried to hand Joha back the pipe, but he refused and told her to try smoking it again. Helina finally broke free of Owen and wrapped herself around Tanisha in the biggest bear hug the three-and-a-half-foot tall woman could manage. Tears ran down her face and wet Tanisha¡¯s shirt. Causing her to cough all over again.
¡°You poor girl, if I ever see your former family, I¡¯ll kill¡¯em.¡± Helina stated.
Sabec joined the crowd pulling out a couple fresh steaks from his bag. ¡°Sabec thinks we should have a little celebration for Tanisha¡¯s new name, yes?¡±
¡°I think that is in order.¡± Owen said. ¡°I will go get the boys.¡±
Morning came fast as Tanisha woke up in the bedroom of Unn¡¯s son who was away at the Academy, she attended only a few days ago. Things were so different from back then. She used to be a burden to everyone she knew. Her family, her friends and even her familiar. Left to die out in the woods she never would have thought that she would wake up with a new name. She saved the lives of thirteen people that would have died without her of all people.
She threw the comforter off scooted to the edge of the bed. She watched Bjorn as he slept on a pile of comforters on the floor for a few moments. She then reached for the nightstand where she left the metal smoking pipe she got from Joha. It was beautifully crafted depicting a field of flowers on fire with ghostly flames.
She put the pipe to her lips and breathed in and exhaled blue smoke that had a small amount of magic in it. She didn¡¯t know how it worked. There wasn¡¯t anything inside of the long thin multi-colored smoking pipe. However anytime she put it to her lips it would have the same blue smoke effect.
She didn¡¯t cough any more, at least, Joha showed her how to do it properly during the celebration last night. It still burned but a lot less and she felt better afterwards, stronger and less fatigued. She reached for her glasses and next put them on and continued to smoke for a little while longer. She decided to see if there were any changes to her magic. The mental projection of her status appeared.
Status Menu
Name: Tanisha Scalebound
Species: Demon-Wendigo
Level: 9
Vitality: 10
Restoration: 4
Constitution: 2
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.Willpower: 8
Strength: 5
Dexterity: 4
Stamina: 8
Magic: 24
Magic Regeneration: 25 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 2
Tanisha choked loudly as soon as she saw that her species had changed. Her name yeah, of course, but her species? Demon-wendigo? She¡¯s never heard of that before. Yes, demons are known to have weird powers, but she¡¯s never heard of one changing someone¡¯s biology. When she became his disciple did she enter into a demonic pact? She would have to ask him what this all means. She looked at the pipe in her hands with more suspicion now. She opened the second page to see if her skills had changed.
Skills Analysis
Pedagogue Demonic Pact
You are under the direct tutelage of a demon patron and as long as this pact is enacted your magic possesses demonic qualities. This pact is voluntary and can be revoked at any time by either party of the pact. This pact is that of a student and teacher and will dissipate on its own after you have completed all requirements of your patron and deemed adequate. This pact does not affect any other contracts or pacts you have made.
Delta Familiar Contract
You are bonded with a delta class familiar. You gain +100 to magic regeneration. Your bond has grown allowing you to convey your emotions though your bond. Your bond is more resilient to outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties. Your familiar¡¯s life expectancy is extended by five years.
Mystic Wind Hands
Magic cost: 3
Speak the words of power and call forth the mystic hands created from the wind. These hands can interact with the world and will act out the casters will.
Mana Manipulation
Magic cost: Variable
Manipulate the pure mana inside and around your body. Allows you to circulate your mana and use mana dependent tools.
Mana Muscle Saturation
Magic cost: 1
Push your mana into your muscles and bones to temporarily increase your physical attributes.
Page 2 of 2
Well, she wouldn¡¯t have to ask if she was in a demon pact now, but she felt like she should still bring it up. She was less worried about it now that she knew what it was at least. The Pedagogue Demonic Pact seemed fine, she could leave it at any time, but did it mean that her magic had demonic properties? She reached up and touched her antlers to see if she sprouted any more horns while she slept. Nope, still just the two.
She spoke words of power to summon the wind hands and on her command they formed. However instead of the mist-like form they normally take it was her breath that became blue and formed the hands. Other than the coloration she saw no other difference. It wasn¡¯t like Joha¡¯s mist either; she could feel and sense her magic within the hands and the mist she exhaled.
¡°Weird.¡± Tanisha said as she stood up. ¡°Wonder if I have enough time for a bath.¡±
The morning dew was still fresh on the ground as the first of the sun¡¯s rays just barely broke the horizon. The smell of the embers of the burning pyres last night still hung in the air. The villagers in the square were all waiting and ready to go. There was gloom and desperation shared by most of the people as they had to abandon their homes. Once they left this place, they were officially war refugees.
The village was a little over fifty people when Tanisha arrived before the attacks. Those numbers were whittled down to thirty-seven in the attack and would have been twenty-four if not for her potions. Many of the men had weapons and would be walking while the women, old and young were piled into a few carts and wagons. The merchants didn¡¯t seem to be sharing their rides however, which of course was totally within their rights.
¡°Tanisha.¡± Joha said. ¡°You will be walking today. We need to strengthen your body.¡±
¡°Wait Joha, am I a demon now?¡± Tanisha responded.
¡°Planes above no.¡± Joha responded with a laugh. ¡°You must mean the pact. I am now your patron, so you gain glimpses of demonic power.¡±
¡°I thought you can¡¯t use magic?¡± Tanisha said. ¡°I have never sensed you using it before either.¡±
¡°That is true. No demon can use magic.¡± He thought about it for a moment. ¡°Well, lesser demons can, the cambions I mean. All other demons draw power from the higher planes. The Infernal Realm to be exact.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Your True the Forest Father came here to make you. He made your people from the Lower Plane and therefore you share its property. If you ever travel to another realm, you would be like me, but you would draw your magic from this world. Like a tether home. Demons were not made here, our Trues, the Devils, never descended realms. We were cast out, for what reason I do not know or care. But the tether home is still strong for us. In a few hundred generations a demon may be able to use magic, but I will be long dead by then.¡±
Tanisha snapped her finger. ¡°That is why I could not sense your magic even when I saw it in front of me.¡±
¡°Demons call it maya, most others call it demonic energy, but yes.¡± Joha said as he took a puff of his pipe. ¡°Now for your training. You will also need to carry this.¡± A large bag appeared in his hands; it was nearly the same height as Tanisha herself.
¡°W-what? Why?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°I was told wendigo were stronger than they look.¡± Joha set the bag down. ¡°You need to be challenged. Carry this and keep up with the group.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s shoulders were hurting just looking at the new bag, but this was what she wanted, and she wasn¡¯t going to start complaining now.
¡°Oh, there was something I have wanted to ask you for a while.¡± Tanisha said as she pointed to Bjorn. ¡°Do you know what he is? Have you ever seen anything like him in your country or anything?¡±
¡°No, is he not a creature from here? I assumed since you are his master, he was another beast of this country.¡± Joha stated. ¡°Two headed monsters are rare though.¡±
¡°Did I not tell you last night? He had one head when he was born.¡± Tanisha said she put a hand on her hip. ¡°The troll decapitated him and then the next time I saw him, surprise, he was twice as cute.¡±
¡°W-wait. Are you sure of that?¡± Joha said his demeanor changed and he stared at Bjorn.
Tanisha is taken back. ¡°Yeah, is something wrong?¡±
¡°Lernaean? No-no, that is not possible.¡± Joha said as he turned back to Tanisha, his deep voice serious. ¡°Do not tell anyone of your familiar¡¯s ability, especially no other demon. I will look into his origin on our journey.¡±
¡°O-okay, thank you.¡± Tanisha said even more confused.
[27] Not the Time or the Place
The caravan had grown considerably now that they were traveling alongside the villagers. It also meant they were moving considerably slower since many of them had to walk, including Tanisha. She was already falling behind after only a short while of having to carry her bookbag, alchemy case, the additional bag Joha gave her, the druid staff and combat knife.
Bjorn stayed with her as she struggled but she also noticed the occasional eye of one of the young village men. He looked to be a few years older than her, probably eighteen. He had a short sword and she assumed he was one of the village guards. He looked very similar to Hrolf just with a goatee and obviously much younger. When she started to lag behind reaching the last rows of travelers he slowed down and approached her.
¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± The young man said. ¡°I can take some of that for you.¡±
¡°N-no. I got it.¡± Freja said between labored breaths. ¡°It is part of my training.¡±
¡°Okay.¡± He looked down at Bjorn who didn¡¯t seem bothered by him, so he walked alongside them. ¡°Well, my name is Tyr, you saved my and my granddad¡¯s life with your potions. I mean, thank you for that.¡± He paused to consider his words and hesitated a few times before settling on something. ¡°My dad is the village leader Hrolf by the way. Oh, not bragging or anything just so you know.¡± He scratched his head. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to take some of that?¡±
She slowed down a little more. ¡°Yes, I am sure. It is nice to meet you, Tyr. My name is Tanisha. That is Bjorn.¡±
¡°Uh, what are you training for?¡± Tyr asked. ¡°I thought you were a mage or alchemist.¡±
¡°I am the apprentice of Joha, the demon tiger guy.¡± Tanisha stated. ¡°He is going to teach me how to fight like him.¡±
¡°Woah really? I saw him fighting, kind of. It was insane.¡± Tyr said, looking up at the colorful wagon Joha drove. ¡°I mean all of them can fight but between him and the gnoll I think he is the best.¡± He looked down at the sword at his hip. ¡°If I was stronger maybe I could have saved some of the people we¡¡± He took a deep breath.
¡°You''re a warrior?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Mystic swordsman in training, my dad was teaching me the way of the sword passed down through our family.¡± Tyr said as he patted the hilt of his sword. ¡°It is called Hrior af Brotnum Isi or Storm of Shattered Ice. I didn¡¯t even get a chance to use it. The attack happened so fast, one second everything was normal, the next I was on the ground bleeding and explosions were going off. It wasn¡¯t what I expected a real battle to be, you know?¡± He paused for half a minute. ¡°Your master was the first to act, everyone else was, I don¡¯t know, frozen, in shock.¡±
¡°What about your dad?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°He was away when the attack started, out hunting I think.¡± Tyr sighed. ¡°I was supposed to protect the village while he was gone. He arrived sometime during and helped the gnoll capture one of the druids. I was unconscious at the time and would have died if not for you.¡±
The two were silent for a long moment and as they continued to walk. Tyr matched her pace as she continued to slow down. He didn¡¯t offer to take her things anymore but instead started to cheer her on. Telling her she could do it and to keep pushing. It was a long few hours and finally at midday the convoy took their first break. It took Tanisha and Tyr an additional thirty minutes to catch up to the rest site.
¡°There. I made it.¡± Tanisha said as she threw up her hands and fell into the soft grass.
¡°I¡¯ll get you some water.¡± Tyr said as he ran off.
She had a canteen of her own, but he ran off before she could tell him. Tanisha rolled onto her side taking off the heavy bag. Then rolled again onto her back now free of all the extra weight.
¡°Bjorn, can you carry me the rest of the way?¡± Tanisha said with an exhausted groan as she petted him. ¡°Everything hurts already.¡±
¡°There you are.¡± Joha¡¯s deep voice bellowed. ¡°We will be here for another hour or two judging by the group. It will be a good place to see if you can find more ingredients for your potions.¡± A plate of seasoned meat appeared in his hand. ¡°Be sure to eat slowly.¡±
Tanisha sat up as Joha handed her the plate. There was more than she would normally eat but it smelled delicious. She was going to give Bjorn some, but Joha had already produced a second plate for him. She happily dug into the meal, feeling more ravenous than usual.
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Joha petted Bjorn before he continued. ¡°Training your body will require more food. I suggest you have Bjorn hunt in the future. It will sharpen his instincts and provide ample meat.¡±
¡°He is venomous.¡± Tanisha responded.
¡°Ah, that will make it easier for him to take down larger prey.¡± Joha nodded approvingly.
Tanisha shook her head. ¡°No, I mean, we can¡¯t eat what he kills?¡± She said it like a question.
¡°So, he is poisonous?¡± Joha asked.
¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± Tanisha said as she tilted her head. ¡°He has poisoned fire though.¡±
¡°Have you ever seen something else eat what he has killed with his venom before?¡± Joha asked as he sat down in the lotus position.
¡°Vultures were eating parts of the troll¡ and the wolves now that I think about it.¡± Tanisha agreed.
¡°Did they die?¡± Joha asked.
Tanisha thought about the vultures and the wolves. None of them seemed sick or died from eating the troll meat. The wolves were all well enough to chase them when they tried to leave the forest. She hadn¡¯t thought about that fact.
¡°No.¡± She responded.
Joha rubbed his chin. ¡°Venomous bite, poisonous breath. The bite is natural venom; he can most likely enhance it with magic temporarily. There is a creature in my country called a basilisk, they are terribly venomous and have similar abilities. Venom must be injected to work. Poison, well poison does not. Breathe it, eat it, let it come into contact with your skin, depending on the type, any or all of these could work.
¡°It is important to know the strengths and limitations you have. For you, that is knowing your own and your familiar¡¯s, what is safe around him and what isn¡¯t. Even the venom of the basilisk could be drunk like fine wine. I wouldn¡¯t recommend it but that is the difference between venom and poison. He can kill your meals with or without the venom and you will be fine. I recommend cooking the meat to be safe.¡±
¡°What about the poisonous fire?¡± Tanisha asked between bites of her food.
¡°More than likely, it is magic infused into the blaze.¡± Joha responded. ¡°He is essentially a toxin mage. Once the magic has run its course the toxin dissipates. Whatever he kills will be safe to eat. Safer even than what he kills with his venom. You won¡¯t even have to cook it if you don¡¯t want to.¡±
Tyr ran back up with a canteen in his hand. He bowed to Joha who nodded in response.
¡°You are the son of Hrolf, right?¡± Joha asked.
¡°Y-yes sir.¡± The young man responded. ¡°My name is Tyr.¡±
Joha looked between Tanisha and Tyr and smirked. ¡°Thank you for looking after my apprentice, if she is any trouble let me know.¡± He looked at Tanisha who had already finished her food. ¡°Be sure to use the pipe I gave you. We will continue your training tonight once we stop for the evening. Until then do your best to keep up with the group.¡±
¡°There is going to be more? Today?¡± Tanisha asked with a tired groan.
¡°This is the warmup.¡± Joha said with a wink as he stood up.
¡°What does the pipe do exactly?¡± Tanisha asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to have anything inside of it.¡±
Joha opened his mouth, stopped himself then asked.¡°If you don¡¯t know what the pipe is, why did you ask if you were a demon?¡±
Tanisha sat up a little straighter at his response. ¡°I have mental projection magic. I think it came from my familiar bond with Bjorn. I can see my status and skills.¡±
Bjorn perked up at that and Joha watched the lizard with renewed interest.
¡°Interesting but I cannot speak on the ways of your magic. Especially with familiar bonds, demons cannot form them, and I know little about magic.¡± Joha said with some thought. ¡°I will ask Helina to assist in assessing your magical abilities. As for your training, this discovery will help in monitoring your progress.¡± The tiger demon smiled. ¡°The smoking pipe is attuning you to the maya. You gain maya from me as your patron, but those energies would be useless if you cannot attune your body to them. We will go over more tonight.¡±
The demon tiger left, and the plates Tanisha and Bjorn ate on disappeared in a puff of red smoke without warning. Tyr handed her the canteen, but she didn¡¯t need it. She thought about it and instead of dashing his goodwill she thanked him and drank.
The two talked for a while but not about much, the road, weather, how much longer they would be traveling that day, which would be about another five hours. Tanisha groaned at that but accepted her fate carrying the heavy bags. At some point Bjorn had wandered off and Tanisha thought that she might as well look around for any useful herbs. Tyr seemed like he wanted to go with her but was called for guard duty.
¡°Well, he¡¯s nice.¡± Tanisha said as she waved him off.
She couldn¡¯t help but think of Mat, her human friend from the academy. They looked nothing alike of course Tyr being a snowfallen wendigo and Mat being a human. They weren¡¯t even built the same, snowfallen were naturally lean and Tyr was in better shape and quite muscular. She thought to herself why did she think about Mat just then? She then remembered Julie told her that Mat had a crush on her, and he didn¡¯t deny it.
Tanisha patted her face with both hands. ¡°Not the time or the place, Tanisha.¡± She stood up and took out her pipe. ¡°Let''s look for some herbs while I have the chance.¡±
She smoked letting blue smoke escape her lips. The smoke didn¡¯t burn anymore, it just felt numbing and kind of nice. She could feel the magic within it as usual but for a moment she swore she felt something else. Something darker but just as quickly as she felt it the sensation was gone. She wondered if she felt anything at all. The smoking seemed to be revitalizing her and making her less sore and giving her more energy. Knowing now that it was attuning her to maya, an energy from the higher planes, was intriguing to say the least.
[28] Maya Channels
¡°And pounce now.¡± Failsafe said in Bjorn¡¯s head.
The lizard jumped from a bush at an unsuspecting rabbit he had been tracking for half an hour. The little fur ball jumped back in surprise and zigged when Bjorn zagged. His two heads crashed into one another, and he went tumbling into another bush. Things were easier when he hunted reptiles, at least they would be too scared to run.
¡°Rabbit five, Bjorn zero.¡± Failsafe stated.
¡°Shut up.¡± Bjorn said as he uncoiled himself. ¡°The tiger was right. I am still not used to this body because I haven¡¯t been hunting. I think I am still thinking like a mage most of the time despite not having most of my memories.¡±
¡°You have to use every part of the beast.¡± Failsafe stated.
¡°Sooo, Frej-Tanisha is definitely a cultivator like I predicted.¡± Failsafe stated.
¡°We know she has mental projection magic, not that she is a cultivator.¡± Bjorn stated.
¡°If her magic copied part of the magic I made it most likely didn¡¯t skip the most important part.¡± Failsafe responded.
¡°So, she is being attuned to demon magic. Will that affect us as well?¡± Bjorn asked.
Failsafe is quiet for a long time.
¡°Uhhh¡ I don¡¯t know.¡± Failsafe sounded embarrassed. ¡°We just found out about aether like two days ago and I am still trying to figure that out. Maybe True Humans, or whatever trapped the kid version of you in that dome used aether, True Demons use maya and every reality within the Higher Planes uses some new flavor of magic. Or aether is maya just a different name for it or application of it. Not to mention we have no idea what a demon pact is.¡±
¡°Hmmph.¡± Bjorn sighed. ¡°Well, one mystery at a time. For now, I will focus on getting more used to this body.¡±
Bjorn tasted the air with his tongue flares. There were plenty of rabbits around so he would find another one that wouldn¡¯t be so on guard. Ever since he leveled up, he has had an easier time moving about, motions felt crisper his magic felt more tangible but at the same time it still felt like he wasn¡¯t himself. He had been playing the part of whatever he was but not actually trying to figure out any more about his body or capabilities.
Sure, he had Failsafe, but he had already proven he can miss things. Not to mention there were things he just didn¡¯t note in his skills at all. His night vision, sense of smell and taste were absent from his skills analysis despite being just as part of him as his venom. So, what else could the spell have missed? He hadn¡¯t let Failsafe control either of his heads since he found out he could breathe fire. It seemed like it would have been a distraction from his other duties.
After the attack with the bird familiar, he is reconsidering. He was too focused on the mage to even think to look for another familiar. Failsafe might have spotted it before it attacked and they would have been ready. What if the bird went after Tanisha and not him, its talons and magic would have made killing her child''s play. The second head gave him a new perspective, but he found it difficult to focus on two different tasks at the same time.
¡°You can have the right head on this next one.¡± Bjorn said as he relinquished control to the spell. ¡°It is temporary. I am still upset about the fire breathing thing.¡±
Failsafe immediately started bobbing with the other head and looking all around. His joy at having the other head made Bjorn want to reconsider his choice. However, in combat maybe it would be better to have him control it. He thought back to their first encounter with the shadow wolves, Failsafe was able to direct him from being stuck. It wasn¡¯t a bad trade off but only during combat, he thought.
¡°Okay, let''s hunt.¡± Bjorn said.
¡°Let¡¯s go right.¡± Failsafe responded. ¡°There is one over there.¡±
The sun was low in the distance as Tanisha finally made it to the campsite with the others in the caravan. Tyr and Bjorn along with her but neither were as tired. Well she did have to lug around twice her weight in equipment. Tyr had been more of a encouragement kind of help. She was also thankful he was there to making sure she didn¡¯t pass out somewhere. It took the trio an additional two hours to finally make it to the campsite, but Tanisha was not going to give up.
The group walked through the campsite; where many tents were already erected while others were in the process of being put together. The villager and the merchants¡¯ campsites were separated, but to get to the merchants'' side the group had to walk around the villager camp. When Hrolf saw his son, he urged him to hurry up as he was needed elsewhere.
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¡°I can make it the rest of the way, Tyr.¡± Tanisha said as she leaned as much of her weight as possible against her staff. ¡°Not like I have much further to go.¡±
Tyr looked back and forth between his dad and Tanisha, his mouth open and he wagged his finger like he had some rebuttal on the tip of his tongue. He reluctantly nodded in agreement and closed his hanging mouth.
¡°Yeah-yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Tyr said as he patted his hip. ¡°Uh, I guess I better get going then.¡±
¡°Thanks for walking with me. Have a good night.¡± Tanisha said.
¡°You, you too. And see you tomorrow?¡± Tyr said the last part like a question.
¡°If I can still walk after today.¡± Tanisha laughed.
Tyr pet Bjorn and waved as he took a few steps back, nearly tripped on a rock, caught himself and finally turned around to run to his father. Tanisha found herself watching him run a little longer than she meant to and looked down at Bjorn. She swore that he was giving her a look.
¡°What? I just made a new friend.¡± Tanisha said as she looked away from the familiar. ¡°Gah, let''s go.¡±
The merchant camp is much smaller and quieter than that of the villager refugees. The three wagons made a semicircle around a campsite and chairs had been set up around the fire. All but one occupied which she presumed to be hers was occupied. There were not any tents out, only a few goblin-sized sleeping sacks near the fire. Sabec looked to be cooking a few skewers of something that made Tanisha¡¯s stomach rumble.
Everyone cheered at her arrival but she only had one thing on her mind, rest. She dropped her bags, alchemy case and everything else but her clothing. She found her chair and sat down next to Joha. Everything hurt or at least everything that mattered. She was low on mana since her mana muscle saturation was active the whole day. Her muscles screamed and she would like nothing more than to just curl up and sleep for a week straight.
¡°Good job on your first day.¡± Joha said with a laugh. ¡°Before you eat, we need to begin. How are you feeling?¡±
¡°Like I was carrying a bag of rocks all day.¡± Tanisha stated.
¡°Really, you need to start now? It looks like the poor girl is going to pass out.¡± Helina stated.
¡°It needs to be done while her mana is low, and her body exhausted.¡± Joha stated calmly.
Sabec took two of the skewers away from the fire. ¡°Sabec will save these for Tanisha for when her training is complete.¡±
¡°Good, thank you Sabec.¡± Joha nodded. ¡°And how much mana do you have left?¡±
Tanisha closed her eyes and looked inwardly examining her mana core. Most of her core was still unruly, it was like a knotted mess she could not control. She instead followed the familiar contract and found something else there as well. It did not interfere with the contract but instead stayed localized within the pure mana that she could use. It was another tether of power. This one was far weaker than her own mana and the familiar bond. She noted that none of the new power she saw interacted with the bond whatsoever.
She refocused her effort into identifying how much mana she could still use. She was surprised to find that maybe she could have used mana muscle once more but she was pretty much out of mana entirely. She told Joha as much and the tiger demon smiled and clapped his hands together.
¡°That is great news.¡± Joha said happily. ¡°Can you stand?¡±
Tanisha thought the question was rhetorical until she tried to stand up. Her legs would not respond as if she used every ounce of strength to get to that chair and had nothing else to give.
¡°No.¡± Tanisha said, slightly embarrassed.
¡°It is fine.¡± Joha stood up and walked over to her. ¡°I am going to increase the presence of maya in your body. It will root inside of your mana core but will be expelled by your body''s natural defenses against foreign magics. When that happens, it will coalesce into the new maya veins the smoking pipe has created in your lungs and throat.¡± He held up his hand to stop Tanisha from asking any questions. ¡°The burning sensation you were feeling when you first started breathing in maya. That was the beginning of the process to create new maya channels. Maya is breath and how you utilize that breath will determine how strong you become.
¡°Without a patron you would not have been able to access maya to create these channels. It is for that same reason that you need a patron to continue to utilize maya. You are connected to me, and I, the Infernal Planes. The process will not be pleasant but should be over relatively quickly. When the maya is expelled from your core and first enters the new mana channels you will feel the Infernal Planes for a moment. They are not pleasant places and remember that no matter what you see or hear, just know you are safe. We are all here right beside you.¡± He knelt down placing a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Are you ready?¡±
¡°Wait, how will this effect Bjorn or the Familiar bond?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°It shouldn¡¯t have any bearing on either.¡± Joha stated confidently. ¡°Once the maya is expelled from your core it won¡¯t travel into the bond you have with anyone. I am not a patron of Bjorn, nor has he used the smoking pipe to create the proper maya channels. The only way it would affect him at all would be if he already had the proper channels for Higher Plane energies.¡±
Tanisha centered herself, took a deep breath and looked directly into the tiger demon''s eyes.
¡°I am ready.¡± Tanisha stated.
As soon as Tanisha spoke those words Joha placed his hand on her heart. Black smoke escaped his mouth with every breath. The pungent odor of burning embers surrounded her. The smoke continued to flow faster until everything was dark. Strangely Joha himself remained visible as the only clear image she could see in the darkness.
The temperature rose hotter and hotter to the point it felt as though she was on fire. Her insides felt as though they were boiling. She stopped breathing as the air in her lungs felt more like coal. She heard whispers in her mind of secrets she shouldn¡¯t know or understand. She felt clawed fingers ripping at her flesh starting at the neck but leaving no part of her unmolested, untainted and without pain.
Then just as suddenly as it started it was over. The pain, the heat, the secrets, all of it vanished. She looked around and no one was looking at her. Instead, all heads were turned, and she followed their gaze.
[29] Monsters
Bjorn watched as the tiger demon knelt in front of Tanisha. Everyone seemed to have some reverence for what was going on. Even the sound of the fire seemed to grow quieter in anticipation for what was to come. Tanisha looked to have some reservation now that it was time to choose. Bjorn could see the conflict play out across her tired face, but she never broke eye contact with the demon.
Tanisha bit her lip then asked. ¡°Wait, how will this effect Bjorn or the Familiar Bond?¡±
Joha seemed to smile at that. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t have any bearing on either. Once the maya is expelled from your core it won¡¯t travel into the bond you have with anyone. I am not a patron of Bjorn, nor has he used the smoking pipe to create the proper maya channels. The only way it would affect him at all would be if he already had the proper channels for Higher Plane energies.¡±
¡°Bjorn.¡± Failsafe stated in a panicked tone in Bjorn¡¯s head. ¡°Break the familiar contract.¡±
¡°What? Why?¡± Bjorn asked as he looked at his other head.
¡°Bjorn your core has been trying to imitate Higher Plane energy since you were born.¡± Failsafe screamed. ¡°Break the contract.¡±
¡°Wait but that was aether this is a completely different type of energy, right?¡± Bjorn questioned.
Bjorn looked at Tanisha who was taking a deep breath. She sat up straighter and he could tell she had come to a decision.
¡°Bjorn. Cut the bond.¡± Failsafe screamed.
¡°If I do what will happen to Tanisha?¡± Bjorn asked. ¡°Our bond is stabilizing her mana, right? If I cut it and he introduces maya into her chaotic core, will it cause problems?¡±
Failsafe is quiet for a single heartbeat. ¡°It might kill her.¡± He said softly. ¡°But if that stuff is introduced into you while your mana core is as it is now, it will kill us. Bjorn, we are a long way from level 410. If we die, that¡¯s it.¡±
Bjorn looked at Tanisha; the scene played out in slow motion as adrenaline coursed through his body. He felt the familiar bond and its connection to Tanisha. It would be so easy to cut and to let her die so he could live. He felt the bond with his mana, the trust, the emotions, the pride and the love Tanisha put into it and to him.
All he could think about was the last memory he felt in his first life. He was a mage of incomprehensible power and he wept for a kingdom burning and even for his enemies all around. Yet in those final moments he chanted a spell that would have saved those too weak to save themselves. He failed, he died, and he had his chance to live again. He wouldn¡¯t kill Tanisha to save himself not now, not ever.
¡°I am ready.¡± Tanisha stated.
Failsafe screamed. ¡°Bjo¡¡±
Everything went dark.
¡°What happened? Run. Everyone run.¡± Martin screamed.
The gate was gone and beyond it was not more forest, there was no blue sky, or rivers. The land was dead as far as the eye could see. The sky was broken, fractured like a stained-glass window as lightning, that was frozen in place, hummed with perverse power.
Worst of all was the monster that stared back at them with furious alien eyes. Its long body suspended on many multi jointed legs each ending in a knife-like point. Its jaws clicked as it screeched in an unholy chorus. The boy with sandy brown hair saw it only for a moment before he turned to flee. He ran into Jiri who was frozen in place and the two tumbled to the ground. The creature drew closer, and Martin quickly ran to them and helped them up to their feet.
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¡°What are you two doing? Let''s go.¡± Martin yelled.
Pavel was already ahead of them, and they didn¡¯t have more than a heartbeat before the monster would be upon them. Its many jointed legs sliced into the forest after the boys. It thumped and clicked as it drew closer. The only reason it hadn¡¯t caught up was because it was hard for it to find big enough paths for it to fit between the trees.
The boys ran as fast as they could and quickly caught up to and passed Pavel who was the slowest and grew tired the fastest. He tripped on a root and plummeted to the ground in a heap.
¡°Keep going.¡± Martin yelled as he stopped.
The boy with sandy brown hair and Jiri listened to him and kept going. The boys only looked back for a second and saw not one, not two, but now dozens of monsters crawling through the brush. No two monsters were the same species and each one was a terrifying amalgam of nightmare and flesh, chittering carapaces, claws and limbs too short or too long.
Howls, cries and screams rang throughout the forest in a cascade of death. The boys broke through the last bush thinking they had made it only to realize the wall lay before them. Impossible to climb and too late to run around, all they could do is wait for the monsters to come. The bushes rustled and they closed their eyes and held out their hands in surrender.
¡°Guys hold on to me.¡± Martin yelled.
Jiri and the boy with sandy brown hair opened their eyes, tears streamed down their faces in both relief and panic. Martin held one of Pavel¡¯s arms over his shoulders and helped him run. The two other boys quickly ran into the huddle as Martin spoke the words of power for his wind magecraft.
The chattering sound of the long-bodied monster drew closer, and it broke past the last tree with renewed vigor as if it knew what was about to happen. It closed the distance on the boys in less than a heartbeat right as Martin finished his last incantation. The creature raised its forward most scythe-like arm and swung right as the wind lifted the boys off the ground.
The boys flew up over the wall and landed softly on the other side; they all fell to the ground, exhaustion finally taking the last of their strength. The boy with sandy brown hair looked up at the sky, his eyes no longer saw the aether, only the fractured sky above. It looked more like a festering wound than the clear blue he saw less than ten minutes earlier. It was all a facade, the peaceful world he thought he knew was a manufactured by the gate.
It took a few minutes for him to notice anything beside the sound of his own heartbeat in his ears. There was a scream from one of his friends. He looked up at the wall expecting to see something up there staring back at them.
Could the creature climb? Did they need to run more? Where would they go, this was it. The boy thought to himself.
He didn¡¯t see anything, so he sat up and saw crimson fluid paint the ground. Martin was bleeding and losing a lot of blood. The boys didn¡¯t know what to do. They needed to get him to the healer and quickly. The last swipe of the long-bodied monster did find its mark and cut off one of Martin¡¯s legs at the shin and halfway through the other.
¡°We have to carry him, get the other arm.¡± Jiri said.
¡°R-right.¡± The boy with sandy brown hair responded.
¡°Pavel, go find the healer.¡± Jiri yelled.
Pavel ran off and the two boys hoisted Martin over their shoulders as best they could. The screams of the monsters on the other side of the wall acted as a constant reminder that they weren¡¯t safe. The alarm''s spell began to blare, and the sound of panicking villagers soon filled the air. It wouldn¡¯t even be fifteen minutes before the sound of fighting inside the village started.
Martin was barely lucid by the time they made it to the creek. The two boys had to hold on tight to their friend as he started to slip down. As they crossed the bridge they saw a monster, this one spider-like but covered in porcupine quills. It was as big as a house and in the middle of combat with Petr, Martin¡¯s dad and the town''s magecrafter.
Aetheric symbols slowly came into being orbiting in the air around Patr as the aether warped to his will. Blades of wind followed his hands as he swiped at the air. Each blade shot outward slicing into the monster but failing to penetrate deeply enough into the tough exoskeleton to cause fatal damage. Patr used aether and wind to move around the battlefield as he dodged the blade-like arms of the massive spider creature.
¡°Boys get inside.¡± A voice called from one of the nearby buildings. ¡°Quickly.¡±
An explosion of aether shot off into the sky as the string of floating symbols around Patr finally finished forming. Patr pointed his hand at the monster and screamed in angry triumph as the world shuttered under the weight of his aether. A bright light tore through the spider monster, and it roared its final time before it slumped to the ground.
The man in the building rushed out and grabbed the boys. He was one of the farmers and a dear family friend like most people in the village. He easily carried the three boys and ran back to his house. The monsters were still coming and the sound of more aether, more combat and more monsters never stopped.
¡°What did I do?¡± The boy with sandy brown hair said to himself.
[30] Look Up To the Sky
The fight in the town seemed to go on without ending. The air felt electrified as the defenders called upon the aether to smite the endless hordes. The man that carried the boys into his home was Lukas. He and his wife were treating Martin''s wounds by wrapping the limbs. They were in shock but ran on instinct to save the boy.
Now that Martin was getting treated, the boy with sandy brown hair thought about his mother. She would be alone in all of this. What if something happened to her because of him? The thought of it made him sick, the thought of anyone dying because of him made him sick. Why did he touch the gate, why didn¡¯t he just listen to Pavel when he said it wasn¡¯t a good idea to see the gate?
¡°I have to see if my mom is okay.¡± The boy said.
¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± Lukas stated. ¡°It is dangerous outside.¡±
¡°I have to make sure my mom is okay.¡± The boy stated as he ran outside.
He didn¡¯t turn around to see if anyone was following; he only had one thing on his mind. He had to get home and make sure his mother was alright. Martin was with adults, he would be fine, right? Jiri would stay with them so he would be safe too. The boy''s mother, however, lived alone, it was just the two of them since he never met his father.
The village was all stone and shaped by magecraft. Each home and business were crafted with care and attention to detail. The once vibrant colors that painted the town were washed out by the reddened sky. The sound of battle replaced the everyday goings on of the people. The world shook under the weight of the aether being summoned and controlled by those that took up arms to defend the town.
The boy had to duck into an alley as a monster turned the next corner down. It had rows and rows of teeth and a large bulbous body. He was unsure if it saw him, but he was not going to wait around and find out. He ran down the alleyway and into the main street on the other side. The dead spider monster was here, a large hole having removed most of its rotting form.
There were the bodies of people and monsters all over the main street. The boy with sandy brown hair froze at the sight. He couldn''t move a single muscle as he saw what he had caused. He recognized every corpse, he could remember their last conversations, their voices, their families and it was all his fault.
An explosion of force lifted the boy off his feet as a man slammed into a building across the street. The stone nearly collapsed on top of him but the aether wrapped around the structure repairing it just as quickly as it was damaged. The man stood up rubbing his head. In his other hand was a warhammer glowing with aetheric symbols and equations.
Moments later the large monster with rows of teeth ran towards the man. Its mouth poised to eat the warrior only for it to be impaled by hundreds of molten hot stone spikes that rose from the ground with a single swing of the hammer.
Another monster, this one thin and nimble and undeterred by the death of the first, quickly ran around the spikes. The warrior prepared his warhammer but the aetheric symbols were dim as it had not gathered enough aether to perform the devastating strike a second time. The warrior was undeterred, his resolve absolute as he charged the creature in turn.
The boy finally tore his attention away from the battle and started running again. Screeches from above caused him to look up and see flying bat-like monsters descending into the town like a plague of locusts. The creatures were about the size of a flying fox with a long-spiked tail. A group landed on the dead monsters and people, stripping bone from flesh in a mere moment.
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Hurricane winds started to pull the boy off his feet and into the air. He had to grab onto the building beside him for dear life. Hundreds of the bats were pulled into a swirling vortex of aetheric winds. The creatures were shredded as they fell into the black singularity at the center of the winds. A woman was floating in the air within the winds chanting the formulae to stabilize the spell.
After a moment the spell ended and countless of the bats were dead. However, hundreds more were still coming and looking for their next meal. The woman continued to fight using less costly fire aether blooms from her hands and mouth to keep from getting overwhelmed. Dead bats rained from the sky as the battle continued.
The boy ran and did not stop, then finally he could see his house at the end of the street. Then he heard a familiar clicking. He turned around and saw the long-bodied monster exiting an alley with hundreds of bladed legs. Its front two legs were as long as scythes and still had the blood of his friend. The monster looked directly at him, clicking its jaws as it prepared to charge. The boy screamed and redoubled his efforts to make it to his home.
Despite the sound of battle, the sound of aether reshaping the land and sky, the only thing the boy heard was the sound of hundreds of legs chasing after him. His house was a yellow three story stone townhome. The house seemed so close yet so far away. It felt like every step took him half the distance it should have. Maybe it was adrenaline, fear or a mixture of both, but he could feel the creature right behind him, breathing down his neck, raising the blade to cut him in half.
However, he made it to the house and banged on the door calling for his mother. The door flew open, and arms pulled him inside and slammed right behind him. The blade of the monster sliced into the heavy wooden door, nearly cutting it in twain. The frantic mother screamed and grabbed her son by the wrist leading him to the stairs as a second blade slammed into the door.
Another two strikes and the creature forced its way into the house. The mother and son ran up the stairs as the creature curled its long body inside. It needed to reorient itself to fit into the small space. Its knife-like legs dug into the floor and cut through furniture. As soon as it saw its prey escaping it gave chase, squeezing through the stairwell after them.
The mother and son ran into her room where she started barricading the door with anything she could find. A dresser, her bed, the nightstand, anything at all that could be placed against the door. She then ran to her son looking him over for injuries. Tears streamed as she held his face then hugged him.
¡°I thought you were lost to me.¡± The mother stated. ¡°I thought you were gone.¡±
The boy curled into his mother¡¯s embrace. He was unable to say anything as he just wept uncontrollably. Then they heard the sound of the monster using his scythe arms on the door. There was less space in the hall for it to swing so the blade only barely pierced the door. The sound of the creature clicking impatiently and swinging again and again became constant.
The mother wiped the boy''s tears and picked him up. She placed him in the corner of the room and covered him in as many blankets and random items as she could to make it so the monster would think she was the only one in the room.
¡°Stay quiet.¡± She placed a finger on her lips. ¡°When things get dark, when all seems lost always look up to the sky. The Divine Ones will always save us. Your father will save us.¡±
¡°Mom. It is my fault.¡± The boy with sandy brown hair cried. ¡°It''s all my fault.¡±
The boy''s mother rushed to the door which was falling apart more and more. The blades were cutting into the barricade and in only a few more swings everything would fall apart. The mother held onto the barricade pushing it up against the door with all of her strength. Thunk, thunk, thunk! Each strike led further into the inevitability of death.
The mother screamed as the scythe sliced through the door and into her shoulder. The scent of blood filled the room, but the mother held strong. She used her body weight to deny the creature entry. To deny the creature her son. Another angry strike, another deep laceration on the mother but still she stood in defiance refusing to let it step even one of its many legs into the room.
[31] Emotional Rollercoaster
Everyone in the camp was looking at Bjorn, his form shaking violently on the ground. Black wisps of maya escaped from three heads. Tanisha had to do a double take and count, one, two¡ three? His blue scales were shedding quickly only to be replaced by new dark green ones. His body seemed to be elongating, growing sturdier and bigger.
His skin was splitting along his back and necks as sharp-looking spines protruded outward. Webbed skin connected each spike all the way down to his tail, which ended in a small, four spiked thagomizer. Antlers started to grow from his heads, each one creating what wendigo would consider a beautiful crown. There was little blood in the transformation, but the convulsions looked painful and didn¡¯t stop.
¡°Bjorn, what''s wrong with him? Bjorn, Bjorn?¡± Tanisha panicked but couldn¡¯t move. ¡°I thought you said nothing would happen. Bjorn, I¡¯m here.¡±
She tried with all her might to shift her body to reach her familiar. Through the bond she felt he was afraid, no, terrified, his emotions were all over the place. She couldn¡¯t even lift her arms; her body felt like she had run a few marathons and wouldn¡¯t respond.
¡°Stop moving, Tanisha.¡± Joha said with force. ¡°Your core is unstable right now, if you move too much it may cause more issues.¡±
Bjorn continued to grow, going from about the height of a medium sized dog to the point where his shoulders would reach half of Tanisha¡¯s hips. From snout to the tip of his tail he was nine feet long. He shed more scales as he grew, only for those to be replaced with fewer larger and stronger-looking ones. The black mist maya he exhaled was absorbed by the new scales, darkening them to a greenish-gray.
It kept going for a few minutes; he lost claws only for them to come back larger and stronger, he lost his baby teeth and fangs for new terrifyingly sharp rows of teeth to replace them. As time went on the black maya subsided and Bjorn continued to lay there, unconscious. His emotions calmed as did his breathing.
¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Tanisha screamed. ¡°You said¡ I thought he would be unaffected.¡±
Joha nodded and took his hand from her heart. ¡°This should not have happened. Do not move, the maya is still settling in your lungs. I will check on¡¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you fucking touch him!¡± Tanisha yelled, blue maya escaped her mouth as she did. ¡°Not until you tell me what happened.¡±
¡°I think everyone should calm down,¡± Helina said. ¡°Tanisha, you really shouldn¡¯t move much right now.¡±
¡°He lied,¡± Tanisha stated.
¡°I miscalculated,¡± Joha said.
¡°You think? You¡¯re a bit calm for someone that almost killed my familiar.¡± Tanisha shook her head in disbelief. ¡°You know what he is don¡¯t you? This was a possibility wasn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°He is a hydra, the Killer of Serpents, the Poisoner of Worlds, the Consumer of Dragons.¡± Joha took a deep breath. ¡°I thought he might be a lesser hydra. They have no connection to the Higher Planes, like any other beast of this world. Now that I have seen this, I believe he may be a son of the Lernaean Hydra. The True Hydra and Queen of a Thousand Heads.¡±
¡°So, Bjorn is a True?¡± Tanisha asked, her eyes narrowed on the tiger demon.
¡°He is a True?¡± Owen questioned. ¡°What?¡±
¡°Sabec finds that hard to believe,¡± the gnoll stated. ¡°Sure Bjorn is an unusual creature, but no more unusual than any monster, yes?¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, he is my friend,¡± Tanisha stated.
¡°I am going to suggest something, and you are not going to like it,¡± Joha said as he stood to his full height. ¡°Break the contract with Bjorn.¡±
Tanisha was flabbergasted by the audacity. He would tell her to abandon him, what the fuck was that? She forced what little mana she had left into her muscles and gritted her teeth when the maya in her body protested.
¡°Stop, Tanisha,¡± Joha said. ¡°Listen to me.¡±
Tanisha stood up despite the aching in her body. Despite the world spinning around her. Despite the maya¡¯s opposition to every move and every muscle.
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¡°I will never abandon my familiar. Bjorn is mine.¡± She never broke eye contact with the demon. ¡°They took everything from me and succeeded. He is all I have left. So you better have a pretty good damn reason you said that.¡±
Joha chuckled and shook his head disbelievingly. ¡°A child of the Queen of a Thousand Heads, here in this Plane.¡± He closed his eyes and hung his head for a moment to compose himself. ¡°You have no idea what is going to happen because of him. People are going to come after him. Beings from the Higher Planes, too. Assassins, kings, Trues, mages, demons, those that crave power and secrets and know what he is.¡±
¡°So what, you want him for yourself?¡± Tanisha asked pointedly.
Joha¡¯s tone was sad and somewhat longing. ¡°No. I am done with wanting power.¡± He looked at her. ¡°You are not ready for what is to come¡ for who is going to come after him.¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be teaching me? Get me ready,¡± Tanisha demanded. ¡°I am not going to stay weak.¡±
Joha sighed. ¡°Very well. Please sit down. I would hate for any further damage to take place because of my¡ because of this oversight.¡±
Tanisha fell back into her chair, her body going limp as the last of her magic ran out.
¡°I will make you as strong as I can,¡± Joha continued. ¡°But what you will face is beyond me. Keep this in mind as Bjorn grows in power. If your bond does not grow in kind, there will be nothing stopping him from being one of those threats that is after your life.¡±
Tanisha had no more energy to argue, so she merely slumped back in her chair. Joha walked over to Bjorn and placed a hand on his back. For the first time, Tanisha realized she could sense the maya, the connection to the Infernal Planes, and dark power within it. She was surprised at how complex the maya was. She could see Joha performing an unknown formula. Unlike mana however, the maya moved to his breathing and followed his intent.
Joha suddenly turned back to Tanisha with confusion on his face.
¡°Did you break the Pedagogue Demonic Pact?¡± Joha asked, and watched as Tanisha shook her head. ¡°How, did? What?¡±
Tanisha decided to open her status to see what Joha was talking about.
Status Menu
Name: Tanisha Scalebound
Species: Lernaean-Wendigo
Level: 10
Vitality: 10
Restoration: 4
Constitution: 2
Willpower: 8
Strength: 5
Dexterity: 4
Stamina: 8
Maya: 3
Magic: 24
Magic Regeneration: 25 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 2
She had leveled up again, but what took center stage in her mind was her race. Her eyes opened wide at that change. Lernaean-Wendigo, how did she become that? She quickly looked at the second page to see what changes were made.
Skills Analysis
Pact of the Lernaean Hydra
You are under the direct protection of a Lernaean Hydra. You are now connected to the Infernal Planes through your new Patron. Maya is yours to command as long as your patron deems you fit to wield this infernal power.
Delta Familiar Contract
You are bonded with a delta class familiar. You gain +100 to magic regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions though your bond. Your bond is resilient against outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties. Your familiar¡¯s life expectancy is extended by five years.
Mystic Wind Hands
Magic cost: 3
Speak the words of power and call forth the mystic hands created from the wind. These hands can interact with the world and act out the caster¡¯s will. (II) Infernal Hands, Maya cost: 1, Infuse mystic wind hands with the breath of the Infernal Planes. These hands will burn any that oppose you.
Mana Manipulation
Magic cost: Variable
Manipulate the pure mana inside and around your body. Allows you to circulate your mana and use mana dependent tools.
Mana Muscle Saturation
Magic cost: 1
Push mana into your muscles and bones to temporarily increase your physical attributes.
Page 2 of 2
¡°Pact of the Lernaean Hydra,¡± Tanisha said in a whisper when she read the change. ¡°Bjorn is my patron now? Well, either him or his mom, I guess.¡±
Unassigned Cultivation Points Distribution
You have leveled up 1 time(s) before assigning your UCP.
You have 10 UCP
Please assign all UCP within 7 day(s) or UCP will be automatically assigned.
Assign [yes/no]
Tanisha dismissed the window because she didn¡¯t want to think about where to place the points just yet. Between the exercise, the emotional rollercoaster and the maya, she was totally spent. Her eyes felt heavy, and she fainted.
[32] Trying to Grab the Wind
The morning started like any other just noisier with the addition of the refugees. Tanisha woke up with a start and hit her head on a low hanging shelf. The objects on that shelf rattled but were ultimately unfazed. The young girl, however, cursed as she rubbed her head. When she did, she realized her antlers had grown out quite a bit.
The day before, they¡¯d barely broken through her hair. Now they were nearly seven inches long, the average length for a fully mature wendigo female¡¯s tiara. Male¡¯s antlers typically grew large in what was called a crown. Both male and female antlers usually fully grew in at twenty years old. Tanisha was sixteen, and while the growth of her antlers had been slow it was not abnormal. This was.
She looked around and saw she was in a fully decorated carriage. The inside was compact but seemed to have everything someone would need to live, aside for a bathroom. There was a bed which folded into a box seat, a sink, food storage, and even a small cooking station which used flare stones to cook meals.
¡°Bjorn,¡± Tanisha called.
She reached for the bond with her magic and quickly felt Bjorn not too far away. His turbulent emotions reminded her of the night prior. She threw off the blanket and found that she was in entirely new clothing. These were tan robes with blue highlights more akin to martial arts clothing. She moved that to the back of her mind as she had more important things to get to the bottom of.
There was only one way out of the carriage. The double door had a small curtain, but it was pulled back just enough to tell Tanisha she was moving. She opened the door and sure enough, the convoy was on the move. She was in Joha''s carriage near the front of the pack. They were traveling at a walker''s pace, so she stepped down and closed the door behind her.
Her body felt good, as if the rest had completely rejuvenated her. She didn¡¯t even have soreness as she ran towards Sabec¡¯s wagon in the lead. That was where she felt the connection to Bjorn so she hoped he was fine.
Joha called out to her. ¡°Tanisha, good morning.¡±
She looked back to the tiger demon driving his carriage. Now that she had seen the inside of his vehicle, she wondered where he stored all his goods. It didn¡¯t matter for now; she returned the gesture but didn¡¯t slow down as she ran to Sabec¡¯s wagon. She jumped up, grabbing onto the tailgate, and pulled herself inside. Sabec turned around when he heard the disturbance in the back of his wagon.
¡°Ah, miss Tanisha, Sabec is pleased to see you are well, yes?¡± The gnoll asked.
¡°Thank you, and good morning,¡± Tanisha responded hurriedly.
¡°Morning? You were asleep for a full day,¡± Sabec stated with clear concern in his voice as he turned back around to watch the road. ¡°Bjorn has not woken up yet. He sleeps peacefully, though.¡±
The now large hydra was curled up in the middle of the wagon. The gray-green being had grown in not just the number of heads but also size. His body was now long and agile like a jungle cat, with the addition of a powerful tail and who knew what other abilities. Tanisha sat down next to the familiar and pet one of his heads lovingly. She felt his emotions calm a little through the bond, which made her smile.
Tanisha''s hand froze in the air. ¡°Wait, did you say I have been asleep for a day?¡±
¡°Yes. Joha said you may be asleep for the remaining duration of the trip since you stood up when he said not to,¡± Sabec stated as he turned back around. ¡°He also said you would want to see your familiar as soon as you woke up, but it would be best if he didn¡¯t have him. The goblins are untrustworthy so Sabec took him. How do you feel, hmm?¡±
Tanisha looked down at Bjorn. ¡°Honestly I feel great physically, but emotionally I¡¯m still putting everything together. What do you think about all this?¡±
¡°Ah, Sabec believes Joha had good intentions but not all the information. There was no reason to believe Bjorn is a True, a Hydra, perhaps, I have never heard of such a creature.¡± Sabec looked down at the sleeping form of Bjorn. ¡°He sleeps and eats and bleeds, yes? He is like us, not like the True. Greater maybe, not True.¡±
¡°You are upset he said Bjorn may be a True?¡± Tanisha asked.
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¡°Sabec is not upset. Sabec only respects the True with reverence.¡± The gnoll man nodded to himself. ¡°The Queen of Riots is the True of the gnoll. She, like all True, are divine and unlike us. Joha is right about one thing though, Bjorn is special, and many will want him. You need strength to protect yourself and him from those that want him. Even those in this convoy will covet what they now know you possess, yes?¡±
¡°You mean the goblins don¡¯t you?¡± Tanisha asked. ¡°They have been nothing but nice to me.¡±
¡°Yes, but Sabec saw them covet you from the beginning,¡± Sabec said as he turned to face the road for a second. ¡°You ruined their plan when you chose Joha over them. Now they want Bjorn. Sabec saw it in Owen¡¯s eyes.¡±
Tanisha thought about it for a long moment. She couldn¡¯t think of a single time they had been suspicious. She couldn¡¯t help but think they were nice and helpful. Helina was the first to help her, Owen had been nothing but nice, even paid more for her potion than necessary when she helped their son. Caleb and Wyatt were fast friends with Bjorn. She just couldn¡¯t see them as the thieving conniving bunch Sabec said they were.
¡°I will keep that in mind,¡± Tanisha said half heartedly.
Tanisha stayed with Bjorn for a few more hours. She hoped he would wake up during that time but there was no luck. The silver lining was that he seemed both physically and emotionally peaceful. She finally ate; she hadn¡¯t realized how ravenous she was until Sabec handed her a perfectly seasoned and lightly seared steak from his bag.
During the first rest stop, however, Joha came to the wagon to retrieve her for training. She had slept an entire day and would not be let off the hook now that she was better, nor did she want to be. Luckily they were in the flat grasslands so there was plenty of space for whatever they were going to do. Tanisha was still upset with the demon, but she needed power for herself and Bjorn. Joha was the start of that path and she would walk it to completion.
¡°Before we get started, are there any abilities you have that I should know about?¡± Joha asked between puffs of his pipe.
Tanisha decided now was the best time to tell him about the Lernaean Hydra Pact and the fact that she was a cultivator. She told him her stats, and that she had ten points to assign from leveling up. The tiger man was not taken back by the news and simply nodded his head. He suggested she tried placing points into maya to see if she could. When she opened the menu to try, every stat had a plus sign for her to add points except maya. Tanisha explained as much to the demon, and he sighed.
¡°As expected,¡± The tiger demon said thoughtfully. ¡°Unlike the other stats, maya is not a natural part of you. To grow with it you must continue to use the smoking pipe and master your body. The more maya channels you have, the more you will be able to use.¡± He thought for a moment. ¡°The way of the Rakshasa is the way of fist but sometimes we use weapons. I am quite familiar with many. You have the knife and staff. We will implement those into your training. Place five points in constitution, and five in dexterity. The next time you level do the same.¡±
Tanisha did as Joha suggested but asked, ¡°Why so much in constitution?¡±
Status Menu
Name: Tanisha Scalebound
Species: Lernaean-Wendigo
Level: 10
Vitality: 10
Restoration: 4
Constitution: 7
Willpower: 8
Strength: 5
Dexterity: 9
Stamina: 8
Maya: 3
Magic: 24
Magic Regeneration: 25 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 2
Joha seemed amused by the question. ¡°If your stats are to be believed, constitution will be your body''s general condition and sturdiness. Those with weak bodies can not follow the way of the Rakshasa. Even if you had a hundred in strength, if your constitution was low you could not take advantage of that power. Right now we need to build up your foundations. This will be a good start. We will begin with simple stretching and basic movements. Watch me.¡±
Joha showed her a series of flexibility exercises, none of which seemed overly complicated until he did a standing leg split. From there the stretches became a series of increasingly difficult motions requiring perfect balance and the use of maya. Now that she could sense maya Tanisha saw how it interacted with his breathing even when it was not visible as red smoke.
Maya coursed through his body in the same way as her mana when her Mana Muscles Saturation was active. While she watched, she wondered if she would be able to do the same with maya and push it into her body somehow. Maya felt wholly different from mana, which remained in her core until she needed it. Maya was fluid, and ran like blood through the new channels it dug in her. She could focus on those channels and feel the maya¡¯s power but grabbing that power felt like trying to grab the wind.
¡°Okay, now we will begin,¡± Joha stated. ¡°I want you to try each motion, and I will correct you as we go.¡±
[33] Bless the Forest Father
Tanisha originally thought she had decent flexibility. Her confidence in that quickly changed as the exercise continued. She never thought that stretching would tire her out. However these stretches required balance and proper placing of every limb. Not to mention her breathing, which Joha had to correct what felt like every other breath. Slow, deep and controlled breathing was an important focus of each position.
There was a fluidity to the motions that Tanisha could see herself one day enjoying. That day was far off, as today she struggled to keep her breathing under control while also focusing on balance and placement. She felt like Joha had made her run several miles by the end of the hour and a half they trained.
¡°That will be all for now,¡± Joha said as he corrected her posture on the last position. ¡°We will start basic combat form this afternoon. For now¡¡± He held out his hand. ¡°Helina.¡±
Tanisha hadn¡¯t even noticed the small goblin woman until Joha drew attention to her. She plopped down onto her butt as soon as Joha said she was done. She lost control of her breathing as she leaned backward on her arms, looking up at the sky for a moment before closing her eyes.
¡°Oh, my she looks tired,¡± Helina said as her soft footsteps drew closer. ¡°You didn¡¯t go easy on her at all.¡±
¡°All we did was light stretching. She is fine,¡± Joha responded. ¡°Are you able to test her magic aptitude?¡±
¡°Yes, but it won''t be as accurate as what I am sure her academy did,¡± Helina stated, sitting down in front of Tanisha. ¡°This is more like a goblin way to go about it.¡±
Tanisha sat up and saw that Helina held six orbs, each with a different color. She tried to copy Helina¡¯s lotus sitting position as best she could, failed, and went for legs crossed instead. Tanisha was actually already familiar with this version of the test. Each orb represented one of the six magical disciplines; nature, starlight, darkness, elemental, spellcraft and anti-magic.
A mage would have a strong affinity towards one of the magical disciplines, causing that orb to float and glow. They would be able to master that discipline to its apex if given the proper training and time to explore it. A wizard, on the other hand, wouldn¡¯t have any affinities and would find all disciplines equally as difficult to learn and impossible to master.
¡°Everything alright?¡± Helina asked.
Tanisha was caught off guard by the question and realized she had been staring at the orbs in Helina¡¯s hand for a full minute without speaking.
¡°Wh-huh? Yes, sorry I have seen this test before. I didn¡¯t have an affinity,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°After I failed the test Salstar¡¯s patriarch put me through he had me tested in every way imaginable.¡±
¡°Oh, I see. Well, this time we are just trying to see the best way to train you,¡± Helina stated.
Tanisha responded in an airy breath. ¡°I know.¡±
Helina handed Tanisha the orbs, each one about the size of a grape and made from colored glass. There were fine ridges along the outside of each one, creating a magic diagram along the surfaces. Tanisha rolled the six orbs in her hand and waited for instruction.
¡°Okay, make your hand a cup with all six in the center.¡± Helena explained, and waited for Tanisha to comply. ¡°Good, now focus mana into your hands. There is no need for incantations with this one.¡±
¡°Like this?¡± Tanisha asked as her mana flowed.
The orbs rattled in her hands for a moment, then stopped with no further reaction. Tanisha sighed and lowered her head, reaching out to hand Helina back the orbs. She knew nothing would happen. Yes, casting wind hand and using her mana was easier but she wasn¡¯t a mage after all. She swallowed her disappointment but it was expected.
Helina pushed her hands away. ¡°More mana this time, try again.¡±
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Tanisha¡¯s shoulders drooped as she looked at the colored marbles, but she took another breath. She wanted to just drop them and walk away. She knew it wouldn''t work; why try again when she was going to get the same result? She wasn¡¯t a mage even if she wanted to be. That wasn¡¯t how it works. You were born a mage or you weren¡¯t. In the same way you could use magic or you couldn¡¯t.
Well, whatever, once more with more mana then we can put his whole thing behind us, Tanisha thought to herself.
She focused more mana from her core into her hands, this time saturating the orbs with it. The orbs rattled, faster this time, then one by one they stopped; white, purple, clear, black. However blue and green kept moving; the ridges of blue started to glow, and it rose a few inches above the others. Tanisha froze, her eyes open wide in shock, amazement, fear, she didn¡¯t know what she felt in that moment. She was a mage, she was a mage! She couldn¡¯t believe it.
¡°Blue-blue, blue! Helina, what does that mean?¡± Tanisha asked, bouncing up and down.
¡°Blue is¡ wait.¡± Helina stopped her explanation as she stared down at the orbs.
Tanisha looked down at the marbles, and after a few seconds the ridges of the green one started to glow. It too rose in the air. The green and blue marbles spun around each other as if orbiting an invisible sun in the middle of her hand. Tanisha stopped the flow of her magic and they dropped.
¡°What does that mean?¡± Tanisha asked.
Helina hastily took the orbs from her hand and in a moment the blue one rose in the air. Tanisha could tell that Helina was using far more mana than she had. The orb stopped floating, and she examined each one for something. After a few minutes of this she handed the orbs back to Tanisha and told her to try again.
Tanisha was confused but did exactly as she was told. This time she put even more of her mana into her hand, and the blue and green rose together almost immediately. Helina observed, but she seemed almost mad at the result. She snatched the orbs out of the air then the remaining four from her hands.
¡°What the fuck?¡± Helina asked as she looked at the orbs.
¡°Huh?¡± Tanisha questioned.
Joha bent down. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±
¡°What does that mean?¡± Tanisha asked. ¡°Am I a mage or what?¡±
¡°No one can have two affinities. Blue is nature magic and green is elemental. White, starlight; purple, spellcraft; clear, anti-magic; black, darkness.¡±
¡°Two rose, what does that mean?¡± Joha asked. ¡°Two affinities?¡±
¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Tanisha laughed. ¡°No one can have two affinities. That¡¯s only talked about in myths and legends.¡±
¡°Why can¡¯t someone have two?¡± Joha pressed.
Helina spoke while she again used the orbs herself. ¡°A person¡¯s magic core is uniform. It can grow in size, it can be manipulated, but you can¡¯t change its nature any more than you can change the color of the sun. That is why it is difficult to impossible for someone with one affinity to learn magic in another discipline. The magics just aren¡¯t compatible that way.¡±
¡°What would it take for someone to have two affinities then?¡± Joha asked.
Helina stopped manipulating her mana and looked at the orbs in her hand.
¡°I am not a magic scholar or anything, but someone with more than one affinity would have a core that is so chaotic it would be a miracle to¡ use magic at all.¡± Helina looked Tanisha in the eyes. ¡°May I see your magic core.¡±
¡°Uhhh, yeah sure,¡± Tanisha stated. ¡°I¡¯ve always had a chaotic core.¡±
The goblin woman stood up and placed a hand on Tanisha¡¯s chest over her heart. Her other hand touched the center of Tanisha¡¯s forehead. She closed her eyes, then after a second she gasped and stepped back.
¡°Wh-what? How can you use magic at all with that core?¡± Helina looked dumbfounded.
¡°I always had a hard time with it. That¡¯s why I was disowned,¡± Tanisha responded quickly. ¡°It was only after I formed a contract with Bjorn could I use magic like I can now.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s not say anything official yet,¡± Helina said as she pocketed the orbs. ¡°I will ask some of the other wendigo to try the orbs. Maybe it is because of some difference in our species. These orbs were meant to test goblins after all.¡±
Helina quickly walked off towards the camp, leaving Joha and Tanisha in the field. Tanisha looked down at her hands. The test may have been off but she still raised the orbs, meaning she had an affinity. She was a mage, she couldn¡¯t believe it. She was a mage, finally, after all this time and pain and rejection and ridicule, she was a mage.
¡°Bless the Forest Father!¡± she exclaimed as she jumped to her feet.
¡°Hmm. You still have so much energy?¡± Joha asked with a smirk.
The large, heavy bag she had to carry on her first day appeared in a puff of red mist.
¡°No.¡± Tanisha slumped. ¡°I can¡¯t just celebrate a little?¡±
Joha laughed, his deep voice sounded like rolling thunder, ¡°We will have delicious meat for lunch to celebrate, but you missed a day. This will make up for it.¡±
[34] The Third Form
Tanisha was struggling with the large and heavy bag in the back of the caravan. She was getting more heads turned her way this time. She was becoming anxious about why when an older woman in one of the carts complemented her tiara. Tanisha instinctively reached up and touched her antlers with her free hand; the other was holding her warstaff. She was so overwhelmed with Bjorn, the training, and becoming a mage she had forgotten that she now had a fully grown tiara.
In wendigo culture once a woman fully grows out her tiara she decorates it with colored beads, flowers, feathers and other natural accessories. Males sometimes cover theirs in metals, but more as a status symbol. Tanisha panicked inside, as having her tiara bare meant she was looking for a mate or courtship. A suitor would add something colorful to her antlers to show they were interested.
The older woman beckoned to her. ¡°Here young lady.¡±
She untied a blue feather on a short velvet ribbon from her own antlers and held it out.
¡°I couldn¡¯t take that, elder,¡± Tanisha stated.
¡°Ah, poppycock. I have plenty, see?¡± The older woman turned her head showing off the many bands, ribbons and feathers on her antlers. ¡°It is thanks to you that I still have my Snorri here.¡± She patted the hand of an equally old looking man who nodded. ¡°Your potion saved him.¡±
¡°Got my hip feeling better too,¡± the older man added.
¡°You honor me elder,¡± Tanisha said with a curt bow.
¡°So polite, just call me Solveig,¡± she said as Tanisha finally took the gift. ¡°The last time I saw you, your tiara was not so full.¡±
¡°Magic,¡± Tanisha joked.
The older couple laughed their understanding. Tanisha wasn¡¯t wrong; learning magic could have effects on the body like this, so while it was a joke it was one they would take at face value. Tanisha bowed to the couple again, then tucked the staff under her arm and quickly tied the first accessory to her left antler.
She was grateful to the older couple, but at the same time felt somewhat sad. Normally it would have been her mother or sister that would have given her the first accessory. She had even heard many families would go out together to find a feather and make the accessories. Her former family, being nobles, didn¡¯t do that. They¡¯d just bought the one for her sister, and it had been beautiful.
Tanisha continued her walk, and while she did get the occasional glance now they weren¡¯t as invasive. She could focus on walking, and while she could keep up the pace with everyone else this time, it still sucked. She tried to follow the breathing techniques Joha showed her during the stretches, but that fell through after about an hour.
She noticed that ever since placing points into constitution and dexterity her body felt sturdier and more balanced. She didn¡¯t have to lean on her staff as much as she did the first day, which was also a plus. It made her wonder how much easier it would be if she placed points into strength instead of dexterity.
Another hour in and Tyr saw her. He joined her on her walk. Without Bjorn things felt more awkward around him; or maybe Tanisha was just more aware that she had a full tiara now. She found herself wondering what he thought about it.
¡°A feather,¡± Tyr said, his face reddening. ¡°Looks good on you.¡±
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¡°Thanks,¡± Tanisha responded with a voice smaller than she intended.
The two were quiet for a few minutes until Tyr asked what happened to her. She gave him a heavily censored version of the previous day''s events. She was careful not to mention anything about Bjorn being the child of a True Hydra, or the Lernaean Hydra Pact, or the faulty magic affinity test. In fact there was so much she had to cut out she was pretty sure he thought she was avoiding answering at all.
¡°Learning to control maya, the demon¡¯s equivalent to mana, will knock you out for a day apparently,¡± Tanisha said with a nervous laugh. ¡°Anything new with you?¡±
¡°No, not really just¡ I don¡¯t know, taking it all in really,¡± Tyr said as he looked over the people in front of them. ¡°It is weird, you know, we¡¯re leaving our village due to this war. I know we don¡¯t have a choice, but that was home.¡± He rubbed the hilt of his sword. ¡°If I was stronger than maybe we wouldn¡¯t have had to leave in the first place.¡±
¡°Your father is a warrior, right? Is he teaching you?¡±
Tyr sighed and bore a complicated expression. ¡°Yeah, me and many others as well. I will have to take up the mantle in a dozen decades or so. Most of his students volunteered to join the army in the frontlines when the war started. Not to mention he sent fifteen swordsmen to guard a convoy of our goods and taxes to Lavi a week ago. In case of bandits or monsters. They¡¯re supposed to be back next week. If we hadn¡¯t sent them I am sure we could have held off the attackers.¡±
¡°Do you want to be in the war?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°I have a duty to my village first.¡± Tyr looked over the convoy. ¡°The war over the holy land is important but I am needed here with my people. If I see one of those tree-fuckers, though, I won¡¯t hesitate to cut them down.¡± He made a cutting motion with his hand. ¡°What about you?¡±
¡°No, I am going with my master out of Yuhia after we leave the fort city,¡± Tanisha said with a labored breath.
¡°You¡¯re leaving the country? Where are you going?¡± Tyr asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know yet, but it''s just me and Bjorn now, so wherever Joha goes I guess,¡± Tanisha responded with an attempt at a shrug. The weight of the bag made it look more like a head bob. ¡°He hasn¡¯t really said yet, I just know we are leaving. He doesn''t want to be in a country at war if he doesn''t have to be.¡±
The sun was setting in the distance as the evening camps were being constructed. The merchants again pitched their tents away from refugees in an area they cleared out for themselves. Tyr was called away by his father to help secure the area while Tanisha joined her camp. Tanisha checked on Bjorn, who was still asleep, then started a firepit while the others prepared their wagons and horses for the night.
There was a notable difference in attitude from the goblins since this morning. They seemed more standoffish even assembling their camp a little further away than normal. No one else seemed to draw attention to it so Tanisha didn¡¯t mention it either. It isn¡¯t like there were any rules about where they have to sleep.
¡°Tanisha come.¡± Joha called.
Tanisha quickly lit the fire with her flare stone bunsen burner, picked up her warstaff and combat knife, then chased after Joha as he walked out into the grassland away from the campsite. He exhaled maya that, instead of its normal red hue, was glowing brightly. It floated around him then expanded out, creating a dome of light around their practice area.
Joha helped her through some of the stretching exercises and breathing techniques from that morning. After that she was finally ready to begin.
¡°There are six unarmed forms of the Way of the Rakshasa,¡± Joha said as he centered himself. ¡°We will practice the third form: AgniKavach, the Fire Armor form.¡±
¡°Why are we skipping?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°The forms are numbered, yes, but the order you learn does not matter. This form will allow you to draw the maya into your muscle and bone for a short time. It is my understanding that wendigo do this naturally with their mana. When this is done with maya¡¡±
He turned around and took a deep breath, then moved into a fighting stance and punched. A shockwave of air blasted out and hit a tree over thirty yards away. The tree was split in half, most of it turning into pulp and splinters.
The tiger demon continued his explanation, ¡°...The effect allows you to utilize maya to further enhance your body. You can also manipulate the world around you to a limited degree. Where the third form shines is in the use as a defensive form. Magic, maya and physical attacks will have a harder time hurting you. Are you ready to begin?¡±
[35] The Misunderstanding
Tanisha counted her punches out loud while Joha closely monitored her form and breathing. He was extremely particular on the breathing aspect. Maya is breath, became a mantra of sorts as she tried to maintain the same intensity with every punch.
She could feel mana circulate around her body from her core. The maya, on the other hand, remained unmoving to her desire. Anytime she tried to focus too much on moving the maya she would end up messing up her form or breathing. Joha would scold her and correct her form, then she would start all over again.
After strikes came movement training. A major part of the AgniKavach form was defense; avoiding and enduring damage. It was all about how one moved and took advantage of every single opening. This form was the one Joha had used to kill the druid at the riverfront. The movements required quick and deliberate motion, and a level of bodily control Tanisha simply did not have yet.
¡°I can go again,¡± Tanisha said between labored breaths.
¡°Again then. This time move your hips into the motion.¡± Joha demonstrated with a lunging low step. ¡°Breathe in on the step, let the maya move within you.¡±
The two continued practicing the basic punches, kicks, stances and breathing well into the night. Joha was adequately impressed with her dedication and the resilience of the wendigo people. While they looked quite like humans with antlers, they were definitely naturally sturdier beings. Joha believed that in physical strength, Tanisha would already be a decent threat to a human twice her size.
¡°That will be all for tonight,¡± Joha said with a clap. ¡°Be sure to use the pipe tonight, and try it with the breathing techniques I showed you. I will prepare dinner.¡±
Tanisha threw her arms up in triumph and fell on her butt from her low fighting stance.
¡°Oh, thank the Forest Father,¡± Tanisha stated in a long airy breath.
¡°Should I carry you back?¡± Joha asked.
¡°No, no I will be fine,¡± Tanisha responded. ¡°I will walk to the camp in a minute.¡±
Joha chuckled. ¡°See that you do. Dont be out too long, though. We will be arriving at the fort city tomorrow evening. Traveling with such a large group didn¡¯t slow us down as much as I thought it would.¡±
¡°Finally out of the wilderness,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°Oh, I wanted to know where these clothes came from.¡±
¡°Helina donated them, but I infused the garments with maya to change their appearance a bit,¡± The tiger demon stated.
¡°You can do that with maya?¡± Tanisha asked.
Joha laughed. ¡°Maybe one day I will show you, but it is not a skill that will help you gain strength.¡±
¡°No-no please show me,¡± Tanisha said excitedly.
¡°Very well. When we get to maya manipulation we will add it to your training,¡± Joha stated. ¡°Also, the rakshasa don¡¯t have a similar custom for our horns but I did want to give you this for your antlers.¡± He held out an orange ribbon.
Tanisha panicked as her heart nearly beat out of her chest. ¡°Wha-what but I already have an accessory and you are my master.¡± She turned her head so he could see the ribbon and feather. ¡°I-I, I don¡¯t think that would be appropriate, and I am not looking for that right now.¡±
¡°Oh, I was told that teachers give their students something for their antlers,¡± Joha stated.
¡°Uhh¡ I think you misheard.¡± Tanisha¡¯s voice cracked in embarrassment.
The tiger demon was confused. ¡°Oh, did I? What does it mean?¡±
¡°If a male gives me a decoration for my tiara then¡¡± Tanisha got quieter. ¡°They want to¡ court me.¡±
The tiger demon looked at the ribbon in his hand and withdrew the offering immediately.
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He coughed. ¡°Yeah, sorry, I see I did misunderstand.¡±
¡°It is okay, I know you didn¡¯t know,¡± Tanisha giggled in a harmonic melody. ¡°There is a tradition for some apprentices to get a bracelet though. Usually it would be something to show that they are training under a master.¡±
¡°Ah, so this would be more appropriate?¡± The tiger demon opened his palm again and a leather bound bracelet appeared in his hand. ¡°They are loh stones from my homeland.¡±
Tanisha stood and looked at the gift. It was a braided leather cord with three smooth stones, each of which was a different variety of colors and patterns. She had never seen such colorful stones before.
Tanisha bowed her head. ¡°I would be honored to take such a gift, master.¡±
Tanisha sat alone in the grassy fields for an hour. With each puff of her maya pipe, wisps of contemplation intertwined with the cool night air, gently caressing her senses. The cool night air was refreshing against her skin. The crescent moon cast down little light but under it¡¯s glow she could see dark wilderness in the distance. The soft sway of the grass somewhat tickled. The merchant camp looked quiet but the refugees were still up and about.
Tanisha opened her Status Menu to see if anything changed.
Status Menu
Name: Tanisha Scalebound
Species: Lernaean-Wendigo
Level: 10
Vitality: 10
Restoration: 4
Constitution: 7
Willpower: 8
Strength: 5
Dexterity: 9
Stamina: 8
Maya: 4
Magic: 24
Magic Regeneration: 25 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 2
¡°Wait. Maya went up by one. Is it because of all of the training?¡± Tanisha asked herself as she exhaled blue maya.
The sound of someone walking in the grass snapped Tanisha from her reverie. The vestige of a curvaceous goblin pushing her way through the grass caught Tanisha¡¯s attention. A ball of what looked like glowing water floated above Helina¡¯s outstretched hand.
¡°There you are,¡± Helina said. ¡°You¡¯ve been out here for a while, is everything okay?¡±
Tanisha couldn¡¯t help but be a little apprehensive after her talk with Sabec. However, being suspicious about someone that had shown her nothing but kindness didn¡¯t feel right. She tried to push those feelings to the back of her mind.
¡°Yeah, just looking up at the stars,¡± Tanisha responded. ¡°It¡¯s been a crazy few days. Bjorn still hasn¡¯t woken up. The magic test this morning. And the attack on the village. Just seems like just one crazy thing after another.¡±
Helina sat down next to Tanisha, long tail wrapping around her waist in a goblins equivalent of a reassuring hug.
¡°Yeah, it has definitely been a trip and a half, this one,¡± Helina said with a sigh. ¡°Wish it could have been a little happier for you than the shitshow it turned out to be.¡± She paused for a moment then smiled devilishly. ¡°Well, did you like your gift from Joha?¡±
¡°How did you know about that--did you set him up?¡± Tanisha questioned.
¡°What, little old me, never,¡± Helina lied with a laugh. ¡°Wish he would have done it in the camp so I could have seen it. I bet you were panicking, right?¡±
¡°That was a cruel joke, Helina,¡± Tanisha pouted.
Helina laughed even more, ¡°I know, right?¡± She stood up. ¡°Now come on. You stink, I prepared a bath for us. After you are cleaned up we will retest your magic.¡±
As Tanisha dried off, Helina used her hydromancy to quickly wash their clothing. The tub and privacy curtains weren¡¯t too far from where Tanisha had been sitting in the field. It took only moments for her new garb to be cleaned and smell fresh. The goblin mother then dried the clothing with her magic just as quickly.
Tanisha could not see the small goblin woman as someone who was secretly trying to do nefarious things to her and Bjorn. She had obviously been in Yuhia long enough to understand Wendigo culture; it had to have been either her or Owen who explained things to Sabec and Joha. They acted more like they wanted her as a daughter than something uncouth.
¡°Helina, I am sorry I didn¡¯t choose your family when you asked me to join you all,¡± Tanisha stated. ¡°I just¡¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to worry your sweet little head about that, hunny,¡± Helina said as she handed Tanisha her dried clothing. ¡°You have to carve your own path. You made the choice that you believe to be the best for you. I won¡¯t lie and say I wasn¡¯t sad, but given what we know now about Bjorn, I think the demon is the best choice too. I can get by in a scrap with my magic, but neither me or Owen are warriors.¡±
¡°Still, thank you,¡± Tanisha bowed her head.
¡°Oh, come on,¡± Helina said with a sigh. She smacked Tanisha¡¯s butt with a whip-like motion of her tail which caused the unprepared girl to squeal.
¡°Ouch, what was that for?¡± Tanisha questioned, rubbing the affected area.
¡°No reason to be all formal with me,¡± Helina said with hands on her hips. ¡°I¡¯m not a noble or anything. When we get to the fort city we will have a celebration, all of us. Shame you aren¡¯t old enough to drink yet. So get dressed and let''s see those magical affinities.¡±
[36] The Servant of Riots
Tanisha and Helina sat facing each other across the now empty wooden tub. Small, glowing water droplets, controlled by Helina, levitated around the pair. Helina held out the colored orbs for testing someone''s magical affinity. She pushed her magic into them, and the green orb lifted into the air. It glowed brightly along the intricate carved ridges in the sphere. This indicated she was an elemental mage, which was no surprise to anyone.
¡°Okay, I had a few of the wendigo give it a try. They don¡¯t have any mages in their number, but I did get a better sense of wendigo magic,¡± Helina said as she reached out her hand for Tanisha.
Tanisha took the orbs and with a breath said, ¡°Same as last time I am assuming.¡± She watched Helina nod. ¡°Well, here we go.¡±
She focused mana into her cupped hands and, just like that morning, both the green and blue marbles rose into the air. They glowed with the same intensity as Helina¡¯s own test, and began to orbit around an imaginary point over the center of Tanisha¡¯s cupped hands.
The other orbs rattled in her hands as if they wanted to float up too, but none of them did, no matter how much mana Tanisha put into it. Tanisha stopped the flow of mana and the orbs indicating elemental and nature magic fell back into her hands. Helina looked confused, then concerned at the same result.
¡°So what does this mean?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Do you know the different types of magic casters?¡± Helina asked in return.
Tanisha furrowed her brow, wondering where she was going with her question. She cleared her throat. ¡°Wizards, which can tap into magic but have no affinity. Then there are mages who can use magic. They have an affinity to one of the disciplines and can master that discipline to its apotheosis. Then there are sorcerers that have magic tied to their blood, but they can¡¯t use any other magic beside that. Finally there are those like Joha that get power from higher planes.¡±
¡°Yes, those are the basics. And people like Joha are called arcanists,¡± Helina corrected. ¡°There is another one, though, that you didn¡¯t mention.¡±
Tanisha raised an eyebrow at that. There were only the four types of magic casters; at least that was what she had been told her entire life. She ran through the list in her head just to make sure she said all four.
¡°I think you are mistaken. Wizard, mage, sorcerer and arcanist,¡± Tanisha counted on her fingers. ¡°We are just talking about magic and not chakra, life-force, prana or ki users, right?¡±
Helina chuckled at that, ¡°An argument can be made that those are also magic casters but no, not them.¡±
¡°Then what did I miss?¡± Tanisha questioned.
¡°The magic casters that make magical disciplines; the creators of how we know magic today,¡± Helina said with some excitement in her voice.
¡°Oh, you are talking about myths now,¡± Tanisha said with a nod.
¡°Yes and no.¡± Helina took a breath. ¡°I believe you are the fifth type of magic caster, a sage.¡±
¡°Sages don¡¯t exist,¡± Tanisha laughed, expecting Helina to start as well. ¡°You already got me with your prank on Joha earlier but I¡¯m not falling for another one.¡±
Helina¡¯s expression was serious. ¡°I am not joking, no one has more than one affinity. No one except for you and the sages from legends. You aren¡¯t a mage; you are something entirely different. That is the reason I wanted to do this away from everyone else, especially Sabec¡¡±
¡°What, why?¡± Tanisha was more apprehensive now that she mentioned Sabec.
¡°The gnoll trades in more than just his tools. He¡¯s a war merchant and follower of the Queen of Riots. They sell anything valuable, including people with unique magic. He has been Infernal Planes bent on keeping Bjorn in his wagon. He wanted you too, but Joha stepped up as your master and Sabec stepped down.¡±
Tanisha thought about it for a long while. It didn¡¯t make sense; someone was lying about the other, or both of them were just suspicious of each other. Helina and Sabec were both really nice to her and seemed like good people. Sabec just wanted to provide for his wife and child; Helina and Owen wanted much the same for their sons.
¡°I doubt Joha will know what being a sage means for you, but if Bjorn has a target on his back because of what he is, so do you,¡± Helina said as she held Tanisha''s hands in her own. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t tell anyone about your dual affinities. Choose one and only claim to be a mage of that.¡± She snorted a little. ¡°Tanisha Scalebound the Sage, hmm¡ The Scalebound Sage sounds better but Scalebound is your last name. They don¡¯t call me Helina the Jaraldson Water Mage.¡±
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¡°I-I need to get some air,¡± Tanisha said. She gave Helina the orbs and walked off.
Tanisha walked back into the field aimlessly. Sage, her? That¡¯s ridiculous, but was it? She was someone with an unusually chaotic magic core. Hjalmar, the Sage of Nidavellir and mythical wendigo hero, was the Father of the Darkness Discipline of magic. He was a man of honor and action, but started out ridiculed and enslaved by the druids when they held the Diredian Forest. He fought his way to power and could wield multiple magics.
The girl looked up at the sky and again tugged at the magical connection she had to Bjorn. He was still asleep, just like he had been for several days now. She looked back at the merchant camp from her position. She couldn¡¯t see the fire but the outline of the wagons let her know where it was. She looked at Sabec¡¯s wagon, directly where the bond told her Bjorn was.
She turned her head to the side; something was off. Sabec¡¯s horses were hitched to his wagon. Tanisha was getting a bad feeling, maybe a mixture of what Helina told her about him and the unusual sight. She knew frightfully little about gnoll war merchants, or really gnolls in general. She didn¡¯t want to believe he had any ill intentions, but why would he hitch his horses at night unless he was getting ready to bolt.
Tanisha ran over to where she left Helina at the bath site. As soon as she opened the privacy curtain she saw Helina was face down on the ground bleeding from her side. She looked to still be breathing but there was a lot of blood. Tanisha tried to scream but a large clawed hand grabbed her by the throat.
Tanisha¡¯s eye traced the form of her assailant, a large gnoll warrior she¡¯d never seen before. They were taller than the six-foot Sabec by at least four feet. The warrior was clad head to toe in armor, and had a beautiful khopesh that hummed with enchantments at their side. The gnoll was staring daggers into Tanisha while they growled and bore their teeth.
¡°You are Tanisha, yes?¡± The voice was female. ¡°You match the description. Scream, use magic or maya and I kill that one.¡± She placed her clawed foot on Helina¡¯s neck. ¡°Do you understand?¡±
Tanisha nodded feverishly.
¡°Good, good.¡± She let go of Tanisha¡¯s neck. ¡°Go to Sabec¡¯s wagon and goblin lives. Understood, yes?¡±
¡°Who are you?¡± Tanisha asked.
The gnoll woman punched her in the side, causing her to topple over but not doing much damage. The adrenaline running through Tanisha caused Mana Muscle Saturation to strengthen her body. The points in constitution once again prove their worth.
¡°No questions,¡± the gnoll warrior growled. ¡°Now go.¡±
Tanisha was scared, yes, but she couldn¡¯t leave Helina with the warrior. The gnoll warrior was another Ulfar Salstar, another troll, another steel wolf, another druid, another insurmountable monster here to beat and humiliate her. What could she do? The gnoll was trained and deadly. She could snap Helina¡¯s neck with a thought.
Tanisha¡¯s mind raced for a solution. She thought about maya and its application. Everytime she had used it so far it was visible as blue smoke. However, she had seen Joha use the maya while it was invisible to the eye. She saw the formulae despite how complex they were. She doubted the gnoll could sense maya; one would have to be connected to the Infernal Planes to do so. She thought about her wind hands; the last time she used them maya had responded to help form them. What if she did so again, and this time cloaked her mana deep inside the maya to be undetectable?
The gnoll warrior growled again. ¡°Did you not hear? Go now.¡±
Tanisha mouthed the words to the spell, creating the formula for the magic but this time allowing maya to flow and interact with the forming spell. She felt maya and magic flow out of her, creating the two constructs.
Mystic Wind Hands
Magic cost: 3
Speak the words of power and call forth the mystic hands created from the wind. These hands can interact with the world and act out the caster¡¯s will. (II) Infernal Hands, Maya cost: 1, Infuse mystic wind hands with the breath of the Infernal Planes. These hands will burn any that oppose you.
The Infernal Hands were invisible to the eye and to magic perception. She stood up and looked the beast of a woman in the eye. Tanisha directed them; one to grab the gnolls feet and the other her face in hopes of blinding her. The gnoll woman reached for her khopesh when she saw Tanisha was not following directions. An intense heat at her feet caused her to recoil back from the captured goblin woman. She drew her sword, prepared to kill Helina and remove a limb or two from Tanisha.
Then the same blinding pain grabbed her face. She screamed as the invisible thing burned with no fire or magic. She felt her eyes boil and her face blister as she pulled her sword and swung in the direction she remembered the wendigo girl being. When she felt no impact she swung all around in anger and pain.
¡°Intruder, intruder! Someone help!¡± Tanisha screamed.
¡°Fuck,¡± the gnoll woman muttered as she took out a health potion and drank.
Her sight returned, and she saw Tanisha running away with the bleeding goblin in her arms. More and more of the wendigo warriors were already converging. It would be difficult to kill them all alone, but not impossible. Her main concern would be the Rakshasa. She¡¯d wanted to take him later, but now was as good a time as any. She licked her lips in anticipation then howled into the night. More howls joined in from all around the camp. Sabec¡¯s wagon sped off with half of their prize; at least the other half would die tonight.
The gnoll warrior bared her teeth, ¡°Queen of Riots smile upon Losi tonight. Let Losi¡¯s hunt be bloody.¡±
[37] Father
The door was nearly carved to pieces. Each swing of the long scythe-like appendages crashed into the portal with angry determination. The monster clicked, its body writhing in anticipation and taking up nearly all of the hallway beyond and stretching into the lower floor. With the wood offering no more resistance the blades began slicing at flesh.
The mother held the door and makeshift barricade with all of her might. A finger gone with one strike, an ear with another, one of her eyes gouged, slashes across her breasts and stomach. Her right arm right above the elbow fell to the ground with a sickening thud. It didn¡¯t matter to her; all she knew was that she would not let this creature have her son. Not as long as she had breath. It would not get even one step closer.
The boy with sandy brown hair cried from beneath the pile of items his mother placed over him to keep him hidden. Clothing, mattress, comforters, anything that would obscure his form from the eyes of the monster. He could see her through the smallest opening in the pile, and prayed they would be saved. That the divine people his mother believed in so adamantly would come to their rescue.
All the boy could hear were the screams of the monster inside and the others flooding into the city. The crashing of aether against an endless wave of abominations. Finally the sound of his mother as she screamed in pain and defiance at the creature that would soon be the death of them both.
Then, abruptly, it all stopped. The creature¡¯s scythe arm hung loosely in the last spot it penetrated. The world was completely quiet, as if someone had simply turned off the sound. Aether so thick it nearly choked the boy permeated the surrounding world in a constant pulse.
Heavy unknown objects hit the roof and road with a dull thud, one after the other like rain. It continued for a few minutes. The boy¡¯s mother seemed undeterred, and continued to hold the barricade with her battered body just in case the creature on the other side resumed its assault.
The heavy objects stopped falling, and after a few more minutes the mother collapsed. The boy frantically dislodged himself from his hiding spot. Unable to stand, he crawled towards his mother on all fours. She was breathing despite all of the damage to her form. The aether seemed to be slowly repairing her body.
The boy cried out. ¡°Ma¡¡±
He stopped as the roof and the entire third story above them was peeled back and crashed to the ground behind the building. Aether became even thicker as the world thrummed with power. A person descended into the room from the sky, which was again blue and peaceful. The gate was active again, sealing out the hordes.
The visitor was tall, easily ten feet with a skin that looked more like marquina marble than flesh. He wore odd, skintight metal that shimmered like liquid with cloth interwoven throughout. Holographic screens around his head appeared to be neither magic or aether but technology of some kind. The aether warped around him, creating a halo behind his head that seemed to crystalize the light itself. Behind him were six wings of various colors; none seemed to be required for flight as all were folded as he floated down.
The man looked at the woman on the ground for a long time. He pressed something on his arm, and the screens around his head vanished. He finally reached the floor, his metal shoes not making a sound as if he were weightless. He walked towards the pair, eyes never leaving the woman''s form. The boy with sandy brown hair stood between the figure and his mother. He stretched out his hands and stood tall and defiant.
¡°You can¡¯t have my mom!¡± The boy yelled.
¡°Isin,¡± the man spoke, and his voice resonated in the aether like a gentle melody. ¡°It is alright, my son.¡±
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The man¡¯s eyes looked like jewels glimmering in the sunlight as they focused on Isin. He walked to the boy and knelt down. He had a sorrowful smile across his face as he reached out to touch Isin¡¯s hair.
¡°You have grown so much in such a short time,¡± the man said. ¡°I am sorry I couldn¡¯t be here sooner.¡±
Isin could feel the aether as the man touched him. His own aether reacted as if remembering him. His eyes opened wide. This was a divine person from the sky. The same one that made the gate; the one his mother believed in and loved. The one that was his¡
¡°Father?¡± Isin questioned.
¡°We will talk soon, son,¡± the man said as he stood up.
He walked around Isin as the holographic screens reappeared. Seventeen metal orbs materialized, each with a small black glass which shot out a green light that scanned the unconscious woman on the ground. Once again Isin saw not aether or magic but something totally different. After the woman was scanned, she was lifted into the air with aether. The blood on the ground as well as all of the severed body parts were picked up with her. The blood entered one of the orbs which connected to a tube in the woman''s chest.
The aether, following the will of the man, placed the severed limbs and skin back in place while metal arms reattached each one. They rebuilt her lost eye and closed every wound. In a matter of seconds she opened her eyes, coughing up blood which was also collected by the orbs. The woman looked around frantically for a second, and when she saw her son tears formed. She then looked up at the man and covered her mouth with her hands.
¡°Bazaath?¡± she questioned softly, as if saying it too loud would cause him to disappear.
The woman was slowly lowered to her feet. Isin ran up to hug her and she held him for a long time.
¡°I am home, Eliska,¡± Bazaath responded.
He shrunk in size, going from a ten foot tall behemoth into a more reasonable six foot tall man. His wings vanished and his skin became a deep bronze. Eliska embraced Bazaath and the two shared a kiss. As they did the roof and the third floor were reformed. In the blink of an eye the room they were in was back to normal; everything in its proper place. The door was open and the monster in the hall was gone without a trace.
¡°Are you here for good my love?¡± Eliska asked.
¡°No, things have gotten worse up north. We will talk about that later,¡± Bazaath said as he caressed Eliska. ¡°But I can stay for a while this time.¡±
The two turned to Isin, and Eliska motioned for him to step closer. She got on her knees so they could talk face to face.
¡°Isin, this is your father Bazaath. He is an angel, the Divine that created us,¡± Eliska said with joyful tears. ¡°He loves us, and I am so happy you finally get to meet him.¡±
¡°I may have been gone for a long time, son, but I was never too far¡ I will have to leave again soon but I am with you always.¡±
¡°My dad is a Divine?¡± Isin asked.
Bazaath stepped forward. ¡°I am, and you are something special, Isin. Everyone here is special, but you are even more so. You are my son, you are nephilim, greater human. In time you will know what that means, but for now there are many that need my help. Would you like to come?¡±
Isin looked to his mother for confirmation, which she gave with a nod.
¡°Y-yes,¡± Isin said.
The family followed Bazaath as he walked out of the room, down the stairs, and opened the front door. Outside they saw the bowed heads of David the heavily armored warrior with an aetheric hammer, Veronika the female wind magecrafter, and Patr the greatest magecrafter. All around the town were thousands of dead bat monsters, each with a single hole through their head in the same exact spot. Every monster that made it into the town and through the gate were slain.
¡°Lord Bazaath,¡± they proclaimed.
¡°Find the injured and bring them to me quickly,¡± Bazaath said, his voice stern. ¡°Prioritize the critical ones. If anyone is too injured to move, mark them with aether. I will go to them.¡±
Isin immediately thought of Martin and hoped he was still alive.
¡°Da-father.¡± Isin hesitated. ¡°My friend was injured, he lost his leg and was bleeding a lot. I know where he is. Can you help him?¡±
¡°Take me to him,¡± Bazaath said without hesitation.
[38] Not Without a Fight
Blood ran down Tanisha¡¯s arm as she carried the injured Helina, screaming for help. Helina looked pale and barely cognitive; she needed a healing potion yesterday. She winced in pain with every step Tanisha took.
The warriors in the refugee camp were quick to react; Tanisha could see one person running towards her. Sabec¡¯s wagon was gone before she even made it to the camp. Her heart sank when she realized they just abducted Bjorn. She had to focus, though, Helina was dying in her arms and she wasn¡¯t going to let that happen.
Joha appeared next to her as she entered the merchant camp. His eyes were focused elsewhere in the darkness as the maya circulated around him like a typhoon. There were four howls that broke the night, each from a different direction encircling both camps.
¡°Helina, Helina sweetie!¡± Owen yelled as soon as he saw the bleeding woman. ¡°What happened? Higher Planes above wh-what, what happened?¡±
Tanisha put her down carefully as Owen ran to her and grabbed Helina¡¯s hand.
¡°I have healing potions. I will be right back!¡± Tanisha yelled.
Tanisha ran into Joha¡¯s carriage and found her bag. She dumped the contents on the ground, not bothering to dig through it. She found her last two lesser healing potions. Helina would only need one given the size of her body. She left the other in an easily accessible spot just in case, but didn¡¯t want to risk breaking it if she were attacked.
She ran to the downed goblin woman; her family had surrounded her. They all looked at Tanisha expectantly, eyes wet with tears. Tanisha prayed fervently to the Forest Father that her potion would work as the boys backed away so she could take their place at Helina¡¯s side. She gently lifted Helina¡¯s head, pulled the stopper of the potion with her teeth and spat it to the side.
¡°Helina, can you hear me? This is a potion, drink it slowly,¡± Tanisha said.
Helina didn¡¯t respond but her eyes showed she had some fight still in her. Tanisha put the potion to her lips and poured a small amount of the bottle at a time. She saw Helina struggle to drink the potion so she went even slower, giving the goblin woman time to breathe between sips. Color returned to her green skin after a few minutes, then her breathing finally normalized and the bleeding stopped. The woman winced as organs mended, but relief washed over her face once she could sit up on her own.
¡°Sweety,¡± Owen said as he hugged his wife.
¡°Mom,¡± Caleb and Wyatt both said as they joined in the bear hug.
¡°We are still in danger, get the children inside your wagon.¡± Joha spoke as his eyes continued to focus out into the distance.
Tanisha followed his gaze and saw the gnoll woman standing in the field, watching them. As she went to stand she felt a small hand grab hers. She looked down and saw Helina staring up at her.
¡°Thank you,¡± Helina said. ¡°You saved me. Thank you.¡±
¡°Of course; we still have to celebrate when we get to the fort city, right?¡± Tanisha responded.
The goblins retreated to their wagon and took their sons to secure them inside. Tanisha noticed that Tyr was there. He was the man she¡¯d seen running towards her when she called for help. She had been so focused on saving Helina she hadn¡¯t even realized he showed up.
¡°Tyr?¡± Tanisha questioned.
¡°Glad you¡¯re okay. What is going on? Druids?¡± Tyr asked.
¡°Gnolls. I think Sabec is working with them. They took Bjorn,¡± Tanisha stated.
¡°Damn-it,¡± Tyr said.
¡°Get ready; they are coming,¡± Joha said, his voice cold and decisive. ¡°We will get Bjorn back after I kill these ones. Stay here Tanisha.¡±
Tyr brandished his blade, a thin double edged sword with runes running up and down the fuller, as two figures stepped into the camp from opposite directions. The one facing Joha was the female that had attacked Helina. The shorter one wore light armor and had two sickles gripped tightly,ready to charge. Tyr stood in front of Tanisha, ready to spring into action at the slightest motion.
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Tanisha pulled out her combat knife, which thankfully she kept on her person. She had to leave her war staff at the tub when she fled with Helina. She prepared to resummon her Infernal Hands when she felt the connection to them in her magic core. The normal Mystic Wind Hands would have been destroyed when she attacked, but these seemed far more durable. She could also tell that their range had increased. Before their max range had been ten feet, now it was twenty. Those changes, coupled with the fact they were invisible to the eye and magic senses, meant she could be a real threat.
¡°Rakshasa, Losi does not wish to ruin her prize. Come quietly and Losi will not hurt you or the wendigo girl bonded with the hydra,¡± the taller gnoll said.
¡°Bring Bjorn back and fuck off and I will let you live,¡± Joha responded in a growl. Maya escaped him with every word. ¡°Anything else and you die tonight, dog.¡±
The gnoll warrior laughed. ¡°You talk big, demon. Losi will find many buyers for you.¡± She howled. ¡°Kill them all. I will take the Rakshasa.¡±
Both gnolls exploded into action faster than Tanisha could even register; wait, no, actually she saw the motions clearly. They were fast, yes, but Tanisha could follow the movement. She had to focus on the sickle wielder as she knew Joha could take care of himself. It took less than a heartbeat for the sickle wielder to dash the twenty feet to Tyr, both implements swung in a wide arc, closing in like scissors.
Tyr''s forearms glowed as lines of power flowed from him into his sword. It wasn¡¯t magic but instead chakra from his training as a mystic swordsman. Energy flowed into the blade, connecting him and the weapon, making it an extension of himself. The temperature around him dropped as he dodged low under the swinging sickles then jabbed forward.
The gnoll pivoted and turned her body, dodging the stab and swinging her blades back around to catch the swordsman in the side. Pain suddenly erupted in her arm as she felt heat; her wrist was burning due to some unseen force that felt like it had latched on. Her instincts screamed at her to dodge to the side, which she did, throwing her attack off course and giving the swordsman time to evade.
The gnoll dodged again, to her left this time, and slashed at Tyr. The speed of her attack was also amplified by her use of chakra. Tyr avoided the wild swing, only for the gnoll to kick him in the side, causing him to fly back a few feet. He hit the ground once and flipped, still carrying the backwards momentum.
The gnoll focused on Tanisha, who continued to try to grab her with the invisible Infernal Hands. The burns were not insignificant, but she couldn¡¯t hold on to any part of the gnoll¡¯s body for long enough to cause lasting damage. The warrior''s instincts prevented Tanisha from grabbing her face as she dodged and weaved.
The sickle wielder closed the distance between them in an instant. She swung one of her weapons around to remove Tanisha from the equation so she could focus on the swordsman. Tanisha made a split second decision to jump forward between the gnoll¡¯s legs. The sickle whistled through the air where her neck had been a moment before. Tanisha latched both of the Infernal Hands onto the warrior¡¯s legs.
¡°You fucking mage! Fuei will kill you!¡± The gnoll screamed as she whipped around.
She tried to stomp Tanisha, who rolled out of the way. Fuei then had to turn her attention back to Tyr, who used a skill to increase his speed and re-engaged in the blink of an eye. The swordsman was outclassed in strength and experience, but not in ability. Each time his blade met with his opponent¡¯s, the icy chill of his mystic swordsman¡¯s technique crawled deeper into the gnoll¡¯s form.
¡°You okay?¡± Tanisha questioned.
¡°I am, stay back but keep doing whatever you¡¯re doing,¡± Tyr responded.
Tanisha had to keep her distance as the two fought. The last thing she needed was to get too close when her best attack right now was her maya. The gnoll was now used to her interference and could dodge the invisible Infernal Hands with instinct alone.
The tide changed abruptly as she channeled chakra, causing her sickles to glow with a burning heat which countered all of the effects Tyr had managed to place on her throughout the fight. She knew his style now and was ruthlessly punishing every opening with a cut or slash. None were deep but the heat seared his skin. The only reason he wasn¡¯t dead was because of his reflexes, honed to a knife''s edge through training. He was slowing down as damage stacked up, and one decisive strike was incoming.
One of Fuei¡¯s sickles whistled through the air as ice and fire clashed. Tyr moved to dodge only for the feint to leave him open; Fuei¡¯s other weapon was too close to evade and was aimed right for his torso. The weapon stopped inches from puncturing his heart as a spear humming with magic flew between them and stuck into the ground.
Fuei jumped to the side using speed to her advantage, reassessing the situation. Owen collected his spear, the goblin now in leather armor with a steel helmet. Fuei wasn¡¯t a mindless beast she needed to size up her opponents and strategize her next move.
¡°Looks like I made it back in time,¡± Owen said. ¡°You two alright?¡±
¡°Yeah, thanks,¡± Tyr said. ¡°I would have been a goner.¡±
¡°Thank me after we kill them and get out of this alive,¡± Owen responded. ¡°Tanisha, what about you?¡±
¡°Wish I could help more, but I am fine. I really need more offensive spells,¡± Tanisha responded. ¡°I am here for support though.¡±
The gnoll warrior laughed. ¡°Fuei get three of you now? It is Fuei¡¯s lucky day to spill so much blood.¡±
¡°You are not spilling any blood today. Not without a fight,¡± Tyr snarled.
The gnoll licked her lips. ¡°Fuei is counting on it, wendigo boy.¡±
[39] The Slave Race
The days after the Gate was restored were hard. Families lost loved ones to the horde, and many people were confused and scared. Time went on as it always does after tragedy. People carried the mantles of the ones lost. Grief became resolved as everyone moved forward as a community. Soon days became weeks, became months, and finally years.
Isin never thought life could return back to normal; not after what he did, but the seventeen year old found that people moved on. He was unsure if anyone really knew why it happened, besides his father, Bazaath and his friends who were there, but if they did no one talked about it. No one shunned or cursed or banished them from the town. It was as if everyone was apathetic to the cause of the invasion or simply didn¡¯t care. Everyone beside Isin himself.
Since that day his father had come and gone multiple times. No one reacted to him or questioned where he went, or how he left. His mother knew he was a Divine but no one else seemed to. It was as if the information would just slip out of their heads the moment he was gone. Isin didn¡¯t have time to think about it too much, though. His days were spent shepherding goats and working fields.
His father had been vague about some conflict in the north regarding the Divine Dragons and some other Divine monsters. He would never elaborate much further than that. It left Isin to wonder what dragons were and how they would even be a problem for the angels.
¡°Hey, move your hands. Am I supposed to be harvesting all by myself or what?¡± Jiri complained.
The two young men were in a field of wheat, scythes in hand, while a group behind them collected the cut stalks. Isin had stopped amid his ruminations. With a huff he continued to swing the farming implement.
¡°You were doing such a good job I thought you didn¡¯t need my help,¡± Isin responded.
¡°Don¡¯t be a jackass,¡± Jiri said with a smirk.
Isin swung the farming tool with practiced efficiency. ¡°I¡¯m not. I was just in awe of your work eth¡¡± He stopped and looked up when the aether began to quiver. ¡°What in the name of the Divines?¡±
The gate wobbled, the clear blue sky slowly transforming into a hellish nightmare of frozen lightning burning the atmosphere. The smell of ozone singed his nose and the feeling of aether so thick it felt like gravity increased pushed down on everyone. The gate was gone. Everyone panicked; they needed to get inside. Monsters were surely on their way, but why?
¡°We have to go now,¡± Isin said.
¡°Everyone to the farm house. Now!¡± Another man screamed.
The farmers all dropped what they were doing and ran to the closest farmhouse. The stone structure stood adjacent to the harvested field. The shepherds farther afield rushed their animals to the nearest barn. They had much farther to go but were making good time.
Isin could not help but think of the horrors the last time the gate had vanished. The bodies in the street, the terrifying monsters that had nearly killed him, his friends and mother. The tears shed for those lost as they lit the send off pyres.
He shook the thoughts from his head. Right now what was important was survival; his father showed up last time, so surely he would come again.
As the first man reached the farmhouse and touched the door he split in half. Blood sprayed the men standing next to him. Isin saw a thin tendril of aether cut up the ground where the man had stood before it vanished. Everyone stopped where they were and looked up.
A woman in a suit Isin had come to recognize as the technology of the Divine descended from the sky. The skin tight armor she wore glistened in the radiance of her aether, the cloth gave a modicum of modesty to her curves. Her six wings opened wide as metal spheres orbited around her, each of them moving in unpredictable patterns as they weaved in and out of existence.
¡°An enclave of the slave race here?¡± the woman spat. Her voice traveled through the aether itself. ¡°I told you I sensed something in the region ages ago. Is this not proof that Bazaath is conspiring against us?¡±
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A second angel, this one a man nearly twice the size of the woman, appeared suddenly. Instead of a single halo of crystallized light he had three, each of larger size than the last.
¡°Hasmanuel, do not speak out of turn. I will give Bazaath the chance to explain himself.¡± The man spoke calmly but his voice rolled like thunder through the aether, nearly deafening everyone with its magnitude. ¡°As for the slave race, we will decide what to do with them when he arrives.¡±
Hasmanuel hissed her discontent. ¡°You are giving him the benefit of the doubt? I have brought you proof of his betrayal.¡± She made a gesture towards the expanse of the village. ¡°Bazaath deserves nothing but death, as do these slaves. Grand General, you favor him too much; this goes against our way.¡±
¡°I have made my decision. Gather them there,¡± The grand general said and vanished, his presence in the aether gone with him.
The woman screamed and looked out over the village.
¡°Slaves of Bazaath: hear the voice of your creators and obey!¡± Hasmanuel screamed angrily. ¡°Go to the fields and wait for slaughter. Those that do not move die now. Enter one of these hovels and die. Disobey and die.¡±
After a second a beam shot from one of the orbs into the town, then another, then at one of the men in the field near Isin. The beams hit their target in the head, burning a hole clean through as the bodies fell limp and lifeless to the ground. Panic again broke out as a second man tried to make it into the barn to hide, but as soon as he touched the door he fell over dead.
¡°Wh-what is this?¡± Jiri asked. ¡°Is that a Divine? I thought they were protectors?¡±
Isin took his friend''s hand and dragged him in the direction of the fields.
¡°Everyone, do what she says if you don¡¯t want to die!¡± Isin yelled. ¡°To the field!¡±
Everyone that survived the beams of the crazy Divine woman met in the largest pasture between the walls and farmland. Isin found his mother, relieved that she was alive. Jiri, Pavel and Martin, along with the surviving members of their families, were there as well. Everyone huddled silently together in fear that speaking would bring the scorn of the angel above.
She descended into the pasture without provocation, landing on the ground with surprising grace as her wings folded. Her skin looked like brass and her hair was fire. She towered over everyone at eight feet tall. Her gaze was full of disdain like she wanted to kill everyone there, and the only thing holding her back was the orders from the Grand General.
¡°Let¡¯s get a closer look,¡± Hasmanuel said as a plethora of holographic screens appeared around her head.
One of the balls that orbited the angel flew into the crowd and chose someone at random to float around. Aether flowed from the metal sphere, wrapping around the man. It started to drag him towards the angel with him screaming for it to let go. He struggled but it wasn¡¯t any use. A second orb floated to the man and shot a beam into his throat, which destroyed his vocal cords and prevented him from screaming further.
¡°That is better,¡± Hasmanuel said as the man was lifted up next to her. ¡°Definitely, the slave race, but it doesn¡¯t have behavioral implants.¡± She opens the man¡¯s mouth with aether and looked in. ¡°Minor changes to physiology. Memory alterations detected as well.¡±
Patr the town magecrafter, alongside the wind sorceress and the warrior, sprang into action as soon as it seemed the angel was focused elsewhere. The warrior rushed over and grabbed the man with speed enhanced by the use of aether. Patr spoke the words of power, which created aetheric patterns in the air around him as the spell formed. Meanwhile the sorceress flew up into the air, raining down a bloom of white hot aetheric fire which engulfed the angel unrelentingly. Finally Patr¡¯s spell finished, and a blinding light radiated from his hand, causing an explosion as soon as it struck.
A barrier surrounded the crowd of townsmen, protecting them from the heat and shockwave that shook the landscape. The field was reduced to a smoking crater as rock was vaporized under the might of the spell.
¡°Everyone get back,¡± Patr said as he stood before the crater. ¡°Go hide somewhere; we will hol¨C¡±
A single beam of light penetrated the barrier and struck Patr in the head. He was dead before his body hit the ground. The sorceress too suddenly fell from the sky, lifeless. The dust and smoke were cleared away by a gust of wind and aetheric might. Hasmanuel was uninjured but intensely more annoyed.
¡°Humans that can use aether. What a fucking joke,¡± Hasmanuel said as she turned to the warrior.
One of the orbs shot him dead where he stood, and then continued to shoot the body as the angel''s rage increased. She turned back to the crowd, anger twisting her face as the orb prepared to fire, ready to kill everyone.
A new melodic voice shook the aether. ¡°Oh my, oh my, looks like she was right.¡±
Three more angels descended, Bazaath amongst them in golden chains. One of the other angels was a woman with white marble skin, and the last was a man the color of steel that held the other end of the chains. Their appearance seemed to calm Hasmanuel, and seeing Bazaath in chains caused a grin to spread across her face.
¡°It took you two long enough,¡± Hasmanuel said.
[40] Beast
Sabec¡¯s wagon sped down the dirt road. The night seemed calm for the slaughter that was sure to come. He wished Tanisha would have made it to the wagon before he was given the signal by his mate to leave. She would have fetched a high price, being the discarded daughter of a noble family. Bjorn was the real trophy, though, and he was happy to have such a prize. All that was left for his mate was to kill Tanisha and break the familiar bond between the two.
The open grassland was quickly swallowed by dark forest. The light of a lantern off the path waved back and forth, signaling the gnoll to stop. The horses whinied their relief when Sabec brought his cart to a halt. He smiled as several familiar faces walked out of the shadows. A pack of gnoll males, all of them dressed in fine merchant robes, cheering a job well done.
Sabec turned his wagon off the main road, following the cheering group to a campsite hidden in the brush. Six other identical wagons and several carriages and carts lined a small clearing. The campsite was large and no space went unused. There were stolen goods, empty cages for captives, and large tents for long term inhabitation. An older gnoll jumped up onto Sabec¡¯s box seat.
¡°You did well, Sabec. Now show Deit the hydra,¡± the older gnoll said. ¡°We must place the collar on it before it wakes up.¡± He raised a thick iron collar covered in runes into the air so everyone could see. ¡°Then we drink to the return of Losi''s mate and to a good hunt, yes?¡±
Everyone howled and cheered. Once the wendigo were dead they would have a rakshasa slave, not to mention many goods and riches from the caravan and the refugees. If Losi didn¡¯t kill them all they would even have wendigo slaves of decent quality to sell or use. Bjorn was first, his unconsciousness had made him easy to capture but should he wake the collar would seal any magic.
Sabec stood up and led the older man inside. ¡°You are right, but be careful of its jaws. It is venomous, hmm?¡±
¡°Ruz, Mekorr and Irot, help Sabec carry him out once the collar is placed.¡± Sabec yelled so they could hear him.
Three gnolls walked around to the back of the wagon and lowered the tailgate. They climbed in as the old gnoll and Sabec walked around the unconscious Bjorn. Sabec grabbed Bjorn¡¯s middle head by the antlers and lifted it up to expose his neck.
¡°Does it matter which head, Deit?¡± Sabec asked.
The older gnoll whispered a spell, and the inscriptions on the collar began to glow with a soft light. It then clicked and popped open. The other gnolls all piled around them to get a good look at the unusual three-headed creature.
¡°No,¡± Deit said with a smile as he placed the collar on Bjorn. ¡°It is done. Now let us take it and celebrate.¡±
Bjorn¡¯s eyes shot open as soon as the collar was placed on him. His heads came to life and snapped at everyone close to him. Sabec threw Bjorn back just in time to keep himself and Deit from being bit. Bjorn¡¯s middle head immediately started spewing out black maya. All he felt was anger, his mind lost to instinct and reason, corrupted by the energy of the Infernal Planes.
Error: Skill Not Found
Maya Cost: ???
The energies of the Infernal Planes escape from your mouth uncontrollably. An entity from the Higher Planes has connected directly to you.
¡°Bjorn, Bjorn you''re finally awake,¡± Failsafe said in Bjorn¡¯s head to no response. ¡°Hey, can you hear me?¡±
Bjorn was not home. The infernal energies had uncontested control of his body and reason while his magic core was sealed by the collar. Scales once again started shedding as he continued to grow larger. Each of his heads locked on the gnolls around him as he bared his teeth. The hydra was far more threatening now thanks to his increasing size.
Sabec took an uneasy step forward. ¡°Bjorn, it is Sabec, do you not remember? Sabec will take you to Tanisha, yes?¡±
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Bjorn¡¯s right and left heads began to breathe in the maya that poured from the middle like a fountain.
Error: Skill Not Found
Maya Cost: ???
Supplement your breath attacks with the power of the Infernal Planes. Breathe in the maya and let it fuel you. An entity from the Higher Planes has connected directly to you.
¡°He can¡¯t use magic, yes? Sabec question.
¡°We need to get out of here now,¡± Deit responded as the group ran out of the wagon.
A black flame erupted from Bjorn¡¯s left head; it was crackling with infernal power as it concentrated into a plume that incinerated the back end of the wagon. Fire continued out like a wave, crashing into the forest and much of their camp. Remains of the wagon were covered in flames too tall to see if Bjorn had survived.
Deit and one other gnoll were caught in the flame as Sabec pushed them out of his way to escape. The black flames quickly spread light; an oxymoron to its dark appearance. The flame¡¯s unusual properties washed everything in monochrome as the black fire continued to spread uncontrolled. Magic fire wouldn¡¯t normally spread like this, but this wasn¡¯t magic, this was something far darker.
Deit and the other gnoll managed to pull themselves from the fire, only to start throwing up blood moments later. Their skin rotted and boiled even after the fire on them was extinguished. In seconds Deit was dead and the other gnoll was no better off.
Error: Skill Not Found
Maya Cost: ???
The maya courses through your every muscle. Enchant your claws with the venom infused with the breath of the Infernal Planes.
Bjorn jumped from the shadowy fire and tackled an unsuspecting gnoll, who was too distracted by his injured friend and dead comrade to evade. Bjorn¡¯s heads bit the man over and over, delivering lethal doses of venom. Meanwhile, his claws were enchanted with an infernal variant of his poison scratch. It wasn¡¯t needed, but in his mindless state all he wanted was to kill; efficiency be damned.
¡°Everyone! Get your weapons!¡± Sabec screamed.
Bjorn¡¯s left head released a gas that expanded rapidly; Sabec and the two other surviving gnolls had to run to escape the radius. One gnoll tripped and was enveloped in the ominous gas. His screams told of an agonizing but short death as they were silenced by the sound of crunching and the tearing of flesh. Bjorn had gotten to him before the gas could do its job.
Sabec looked over the camp from the edges of the gas. Everyone was dead, and the camp was almost entirely on fire or covered in the gas. There was no way to get to their weapons; the only option was to flee and hope they were faster than the beast they unleashed. Sabec saw one of Bjorn¡¯s heads lift up over the gas; its mouth still exhaling thick maya as it locked eyes with him.
Sabec and the other gnoll turned and ran in complete terror. There was nothing they could do, and if they stayed they would die. Sabec split off from his pack mate, outrunning him and going in a different direction to make himself a less appealing target for the beastly familiar.
¡°Bjorn, buddy, listen to me,¡± Failsafe said in Bjorn¡¯s mind. ¡°You got to get a hold of yourself. I think we are killing Sabec¡¯s family here, man. I don¡¯t think we should be doing that because he is a good guy, remember?¡±
Bjorn only continued to rip and tear at the dead gnoll beneath him. His left and right heads continued to breathe in the maya that poured endlessly from the middle head. It only seemed to fuel his growth and his anger. Bjorn suddenly fell off the corpse and writhed on the ground in pain as he rapidly grew in size again.
¡°Bjorn, if you don¡¯t stop, this is going to kill us.¡± Failsafe pleaded this time. ¡°Your magic core can¡¯t take the strain. I¡¯m having to force your body to mature with Infernal Plane energies. I have no idea what this is going to do to us. Bjorn, stop for the love of the Higher Planes.¡±
After ten minutes the scales reformed. Bjorn got back up, now as large as one of the horses that pulled Sabec¡¯s wagons. As his left and right heads tasted the air for more prey, he turned and ran. His motion started off rough as he got used to his new size and weight. Instinct took over, and his berserker rage refused to let him quit as he chased down the first of his prey.
In moments a gnoll in blue garb came into view. He turned around at the last second and attempted to put his hand up in self-defense. He clawed Bjorn and even managed to prevent the hydra¡¯s first strike from landing. However, he failed to stop the second and third heads from biting into him with ease. Bjorn tore the gnoll to pieces, his venom not having a chance to act before his prey was little more than gore and bone.
There was only one gnoll left now. Sabec was much faster than the other. Bjorn readied himself for the chase when he felt Tanisha''s distress through their bond. She was in danger, and instinct mixed with the familiar contract told him he had to go and protect her. He had to kill her enemies; he needed to rip and tear. He turned in the direction the bond led him and started running.
[41] Beginning of a Prodigy
The night was filled with the sound of weapons clashing. The air was electrified as maya, magic and chakra battle for supremacy. Tanisha, Tyr and Owen faced off against Fuei, the sickle wielding gnoll. Fuei¡¯s skill and experience honed her body into a weapon. She laughed with glee as she tightened her grip on her sickles.
Tanisha had limited knowledge on material users, which are those who use either chakra, prana, life-force or ki. Material users were less common than magic casters in wendigo and druid society, as most of them have magic. Choosing to be a material user would make it impossible to learn magic. Tanisha didn¡¯t know the reason why, since she¡¯d never had a reason to study the material users. Now that she was in the heat of battle with a material user, she felt that was a failing on her part.
The simple runes on Fuei¡¯s boots flashed red for a moment, and she was instantly in front of Tyr. It was Flash Step, a short range burst of speed. Tyr narrowly dodged the first sickle, and the second was deflected by Owen¡¯s spear. The gnoll locked weapons with Owen and kneed Tyr in the chest. His injuries were getting to him, and the gnoll knew it. She was targeting him.
Owen untangled his spear and repeatedly thrust the polearm to force her focus onto him. Tyr recovered and used Flash Step to get behind the gnoll. Before he could even strike a sickle was already swinging around to decapitate him. He raised his sword just in time to save himself, but the overwhelming strength of the gnoll clotheslined him and sent him to the ground hard.
¡°Tyr!¡± Tanisha yelled.
The young mystic swordsman didn¡¯t move.
¡°Focus, Tanisha!¡± Owen said between strikes.
Owen was hard for the gnoll to pin down. He was definitely a material user but Tanisha didn¡¯t know which one. He moved the spear with skill, interweaving feints with thrusts and slashes. His high mobility was his deadliest attribute. Anytime Fuei started to catch on to his pattern he would add more acrobatics, switching between aggressive jabs and wide slashes aimed at joints in her armor.
Tanisha continued to harass the gnoll with the Infernal Hands as best she could. Fuei simply dodged them or would shake them off between clashes with Owen. The goblin was proving to be a foe she needed to place more of her attention on. In the blink of an eye she used her Flash Step to back out of Owen¡¯s range. She swung her sickles in a seemingly blank space. Tanisha felt the destruction of both of the Infernal Hands as the gnoll looked at her with a smirk.
¡°Tanisha, run!¡± Owen screamed. He had his spear in a throwing position.
Tanisha became painfully aware of how far she had strayed from her vanguard. Tyr was unconscious and Owen too far away to keep the gnoll at bay. There was glint in the runes on Fuei¡¯s boots, and in a blink of an eye she was standing over Tanisha. The warrior¡¯s right sickle scraped the ground from a low hand slash as it swung upward. There wasn¡¯t any time to think; Tanisha had to act. She held her combat knife to intercept the attack, one hand on the handle, the other bracing the spine.
The impact was instant, as was the pain that rattled her arms and chest. Tanisha felt weightlessness for a moment, and she realized she was in the air. She was lifted off the ground, momentum carrying her backward. She tucked her head as she hit the ground and rolled until she unceremoniously slammed into a tree.
Owen threw his spear, which whistled through the air. It passed through the location the gnoll had been a moment before. She dodged onto all fours and rushed for Owen. The goblin opened his palm, and the spear flew back with just as much speed as it had been thrown. The gnoll noticed in the last possible second and twisted her body mid-air to avoid being struck in the side. She landed with a spin and kicked Owen across the face. The goblin fell to the ground, Fuei howling over him.
Tanisha used the tree to help herself stand up. The combat knife was broken, snapped in the impact with the gnoll. She threw the weapon away and took a deep breath, the way Joha had shown her. She did so again and again until the maya started to swirl within her. She was not going to lay down, she was done with being weak and frail. Fuck that.
¡°I am not down yet, bitch!¡± Tanisha yelled.
Fuei turned around, looking at the overly confident mage girl. She smiled if she managed to keep all of her prey alive they would sell well. Losi might even promote her for a job well done and delivering high quality slaves. Well, the other two were high quality. The girl was okay but females sold well anywhere. They could find a buyer for her, but was a mage worth the trouble? She could be a problem if she knew how to use magic effectively. It would be better to remove a limb or two and reattach them later. If she died before that it wasn¡¯t her problem.
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Tanisha got into the stance she remembered Joha getting into when he fought the druid. The same stance he¡¯d taught her a few hours ago. She focused on her breath, on her body movements, on the tensions of her muscles as mana coursed through them. She replayed the feeling of maya interacting with mana to produce the Infernal Hands. She followed that feeling, but this time with the Mana Muscle Saturation.
Mana Muscle Saturation
Magic cost: 1
Push mana into your muscles and bones to temporarily increase your physical attributes. (II) Armor of the Infernal, Maya Cost: 3, the power of the Infernal Planes scrapes your soul and infuses itself into your muscles and bones. Manipulate the maya in your body to either increase resistance to physical, spiritual, or mental attacks, or release gathered maya in a single devastating strike.
Fuei activated her Flash Step and was in front of Tenisha in a single heartbeat. Her sickle aimed at the wendigo¡¯s legs. Tanisha copied Joha¡¯s movements when he¡¯d shown her the power of the AgniKavach. The raw power that destroyed a tree from thirty feet away with a single punch. The complex movements of the maya she sensed around him.
Maya is breath, she thought to herself as she punched forward.
A shockwave of power left Tanisha¡¯s form as the maya rushed from her fist. Fuei was pushed back as the ribs broke in her chest with audible snaps. She dropped her sickles as she fell to her knees, trying to inhale through the pain and blood filling her lungs. Tanisha couldn¡¯t move a single muscle; every tendon in her body ached with a dull pain. All of her maya exhausted in one move, and the only reason she still stood was her refusal to fall.
Tyr finally snapped awake, sat up and grabbed his sword. He didn¡¯t know what had happened and his body didn¡¯t want to listen as he forced it to stand. The gnoll was on her knees and Tanisha stood near a tree in a low fighting stance. Owen was down, dead or unconscious he didn¡¯t know, but he didn¡¯t have time to find out. Gripping his sword, he gathered his chakra.
A figure rushed into the clearing; long and black as the night itself. Tyr couldn¡¯t tell what it was as it beelined for Tanisha. It trailed black smoke which further obscured its form. A triad of echos roared and the smoke cleared somewhat, revealing the long drake-like body, spiked tail and three heads of a massive Bjorn. He had grown larger than the size of a stallion, his scales thrumming with infernal energies.
He wrapped his long body around Tanisha, protecting her with his own form as his head swiveled around looking for any threats. The middle head continued to exhale black maya, staring at the gnoll warrior who had gone stiff. It didn¡¯t take much to see that the hydra was covered in blood; he stunk of death and the gnoll knew that meant one thing.
¡°What did you do?¡± Fuei screamed. ¡°Why do you smell like Grohie? What did you do to him?¡±
Bjorn hissed as he bore his teeth, recognizing her as the most obvious threat. He uncurled himself from around Tanisha and rushed at the gnoll. The warrior reached for her sickles and screamed as she swung both weapons. They hit with only a fraction of the strength she¡¯d had at the start of the fight, failing to penetrate the hydra¡¯s scales as he crashed into her.
His claws and mouths ripped into the gnoll, tearing flesh from bone in a horrifying display of primal violence. The hydra didn¡¯t stop; he just kept tearing as if driven mad with fury, spreading the gnoll''s entrails across the camp. One of the creature''s heads turned to look at Tyr; there was no recognition in his demeanor, only rage.
¡°Bjorn stop!¡± Tanisha screamed. ¡°That is Tyr. You remember Tyr, right?¡±
Bjorn stepped off the pile of gore that used to be a gnoll. His heads all focused on the mystic swordsman.
¡°Bjorn, it¡¯s me buddy,¡± Tyr said, sheathing his sword and putting his hands up. ¡°See, I am not a threat, I am a friend. Remember?¡±
Tanisha moved at the fastest walk she could manage in her state and stood directly between Bjorn and Tyr. The heads of the hydra remained focused on Tyr. Tanisha remembered what Joha had said to her about the bond needing to grow as Bjorn gained power. Otherwise he might hurt her; he might go crazy and attack people. Bjorn was still Bjorn, he was still her baby, the only one that cared so much for her that he would risk his life over and over again just to protect her.
¡°Bjorn, look at me!¡± Tanisha demanded.
She jumped up and grabbed one of his heads, forcing him to look at her. The snarling head calmed as he met her eyes. Tanisha could feel the rage roiling inside him. The maya and the connection to the Infernal Planes within him. Something was latched on to him from the other side, something powerful.
¡°Tanisha, there¡¯s an anti-magic collar on him,¡± Tyr said. ¡°Can you keep him calm enough for me to cut it off?¡±
Tanisha saw the glowing anti-magic runes on the iron collar around his middle neck.
¡°Yes. But do it quickly,¡± Tanisha responded.
She forced Bjorn¡¯s three heads to focus on her. Tyr gathered his chakra once again and with a Flash Step was in front of the collar. Bjorn was alerted by the motion and tried to rear back to strike, but Tanisha wouldn¡¯t let go of his heads. Tyr¡¯s sword sliced through the iron with ease and he used Flash Step again to escape from the enraged hydra.
As soon as the collar fell to the ground Bjorn slumped over. The black maya finally stopped coming from his middle head. In seconds he was again unconscious.
[42] Watched
It was always the same way; the first sensation was warmth, then breath, then darkness as Bjorn¡¯s eyes rolled open. Just like the time before, his vision had again split. Now he could perceive the world through six eyes.
He remembered all that happened to him while he was under the influence of the maya. He remembered every brutal death he¡¯d inflicted on the gnolls when he couldn¡¯t control himself. At the time all he saw was red.
¡°Bjorn, are you finally you again?¡± Failsafe asked in his mind.
¡°Yeah, what in the, well, Infernal Planes was that? It felt like something else was controlling me.¡± He paused for a second. ¡°You know what, tell me about it later, right now I don¡¯t think we¡¯re safe.¡±
¡°Agreed. But don¡¯t use your middle head¡¯s breath attack,¡± Failsafe said flatly. ¡°You can¡¯t handle any more maya in your system for a while. There is a lot we need to go over, but for now look at your stats. I had to speed up your maturation a lot so congratulations: you are now two weeks old going on five years.¡±
Bjorn wasted no time in opening his status to see what changes were made to him after that blood frenzy.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Unknown
Level: 21
Vitality: 30 / 75
Restoration: 70 / 120
Constitution: 30 / 80
Strength: 20 / 50
Dexterity: 25 / 30
Stamina: 20 / 40
Maya: 50 / 50 (DO NOT USE!)
Magic: 10 / 25
Magic Regeneration: 20 / 50 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 2
He had so much to take in with just the front page of his stats. He jumped from level four to level twenty-one. He was all around a brand new him, with a new head to boot. He wondered how much of it was from the gnolls he¡¯d killed and how much was the new connection to the maya.
The more he thought about the maya, the more uneasy he felt. The power that made him relive so much of his memory and caused him to kill indiscriminately came from the Infernal Planes.
Skills Analysis
Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic and your best friend who has your back no matter what!
Error: Unknown Pact
You are connected to a progenitor being from the Infernal Planes. They are watching you.
Venomous Bite
Magic Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs. (II) Bite of the King of Reptiles, Maya Cost: 10, Your venom becomes infectious and will spread to nearby targets within five feet of the injected target. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Poison Cloud
Magic Cost: 5
With your right head you can mix venom into the air using magic creating a large area of poisonous gas. This gas will rapidly reduce the health of those inside. Allies within your Poison Cloud are unaffected by the poison. (II) Breath of the Infernal One, Maya Cost: 15, Exhale a breath infused with the decay of the Infernal Planes. Targets within the cloud will rot over time as long as the effect is not cleansed.
Plague Fire Breath
Magic Cost: 6
Stamina Cost: 7
With your left head you can breathe a plume of superheated toxin which will ignite enemies and infect them with your neurotoxin. Flames retain toxicity until you release the spell. Plague Fire will spread like normal fire. (II) Infernal Fire Breath, Maya Cost: 20, fire will spread over non-flammable material at a reduced rate.
Hellmouth
Maya Cost: YOUR SOUL (Seriously if you use this we die!!!)
I really don¡¯t want to tell you what this is because if you use it our heart is going to explode or something, I just know it! However, your middle head can exhale all of the maya stored in your body. This maya can be breathed in by your other heads to use maya infused breath attacks. It can also enhance the durability of your scales and potency of your venom.
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Poison Claws
Magic Cost: 3
You can infuse your claws with your neurotoxic venom making even small scratches fatal. Allies are unaffected by your venom. (II) Claw¡¯s of the King of Reptiles, Maya Cost: 5, venom becomes harder to cleanse.
Infernal Scale Armor
Maya Cost: 25
Absorb maya into your scales, making them more durable and resistant to physical and magical damage.
Delta Familiar Contract
Magic Cost: -100
You are a bonded delta class familiar. You gain +100 to magic regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions though your bond. Your bond is more resilient to outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties.
King of the Reptiles
Passive Skill
Dragons, lizards and amphibians all show hesitation and fear around you, going so far as to run away. More study needed.
Head Regeneration and Random Growth!?!?!?
Magic Cost: 40-ish
(or)
Maya Cost: 150-ish
(So funny story, we grew another head, I have no idea why¡)
So bear with me here, we can convert experience into maturation, or healing major wounds including decapitation, or growing more heads I guess. Honestly I have no idea why we grew a head this time but here we are, three heads in and I am getting worried. Anyway more study is needed, but let''s not for a while, please.
Page 2 of 2
Bjorn did a double take at his skills. Most of them had changed and required more mana to utilize. He also had maya, which looked to amplify his skills even more. Everything he saw greatly improved his likelihood for survival, but he was unsettled by how quickly he came into this much power.
Maya seemed to be the natural source of power for his body but not his magic core, which was trying to recreate aether from his previous life. Memories of his family from his old life flashed through his head at the thought. He knew his old name now, his mother and father¡¯s names. He had seventeen years of memories as Isin the son of Bazaath and Eliska. In his past life he was a greater human, a nephilim, but what did that mean?
His mind was off track. He refocused and looked at the most concerning addition to his skills. The Unknown Pact; something was watching him from the Higher Planes. A progenitor being? He assumed that meant a True of some kind, but why would Failsafe word it like that? Failsafe also added several warnings about using maya and how it was a bad idea right now. Given what he had just gone through he had no intentions of using the enigmatic power any time soon.
¡°What is the deal with the Error: Unknown Pact,¡± Bjorn questioned mentally.
Failsafe responded promptly, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±
¡°The Unknown Pact, you know, the one about being connected to a progenitor and being watched,¡± Bjorn said. ¡°It is the second one on the list of skills.¡±
¡°Are you okay? The second one on the list is Venomous Bite,¡± Failsafe responded. ¡°Is this a joke? Are you trying to tell a joke?¡±
Bjorn was quiet for a long while as he looked at the list. ¡°Can you see my memories? Look at the list through my memories.¡±
¡°Huh? Okay, I will give it a shot.¡± Failsafe was quiet for a second. ¡°Looks the same. First thing on the list is yours truly, and the second thing is Venomous Bi¡¡±
¡°Are you sure? Even in my memories?¡± Bjorn asked while he stared at the error. ¡°You can¡¯t see it? That doesn¡¯t seem good because it means you didn¡¯t write it.¡±
¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t have called anything from the Higher Planes a progenitor. Maybe it¡¯s your dad, wouldn''t that be something,¡± Failsafe laughed.
¡°That wouldn¡¯t be the greatest thing in the world,¡± Bjorn said.
Failsafe was quiet for a moment. ¡°I will see if I can detect whatever it is, honestly your body changed so much it might take a little while.¡±
Bjorn lifted one of his heads, which was resting in Tanisha¡¯s lap. He had grown so much that she could only have one in her lap at a time. She was covered in the blood he had all over him.
¡°Bjorn,¡± Tanisha cried. ¡°Are you alright baby?¡±
Bjorn squawked, his voice now notably deeper and more guttural. Tanisha smiled tiredly as she grabbed his head and nuzzled him. Getting even more blood on herself.
¡°Good to have you back, baby. Well I guess I can¡¯t call you baby anymore, you are bigger than me,¡± Tanisha said.
Bjorn looked around with his other heads. Tyr and Owen were gone, it was just him and Tanisha left in the merchant camp. He flicked his tongues and could taste blood in the air, along with magic and maya. The fights in the refugee camp were still going on. The clash of battle echoed in the night.
¡°I can¡¯t move,¡± Tanisha stated. ¡°I used too much maya, I think anyway. My legs are so weak right now I can¡¯t even stand. Tyr left to fight in the other camp. Owen should be back in a second.¡±
Joha''s carriage door opened, and the goblin man stepped out with the last lesser health potion. He ran over to the pair, slightly apprehensive of the now much larger Bjorn.
¡°He¡¯s awake I see,¡± Owen said.
¡°He¡¯s not going to bite you,¡± Tanisha promised.
¡°Given how big he is, he would just swallow me whole.¡± Owen looked down at the potion. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to just take this yourself?¡±
¡°It isn¡¯t a stamina potion so it won¡¯t do me any good,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°Take it to the other camp; if it can save even one person I will feel good.¡±
Owen nodded. ¡°Okay then, let''s get you to my wagon. Helena is protecting the kids from inside; she will keep you safe if any more of those damn gnolls show up.¡± He looked to the gory pile that was the remains of the sickle-wielding gnoll. ¡°Well, if Bjorn doesn¡¯t get to the intruders first.¡±
Bjorn stood up, and one of his mouths picked Tanisha up by her martial arts robes. The girl squealed as she was lifted into the air. He placed her on his back, his webbed spine flattening so she could sit comfortably as if riding a horse. After the initial shock of the situation, her eyes opened wide at the fact that this was possible.
¡°Well, that makes things easier,¡± Owen said.
[43] Swords Master
Bjorn set Tanisha down on the tailgate of the chaotic mess that was the goblin¡¯s wagon. Neither of them had seen the inside of the vehicle, unlike the other wagons. The frame was a wooden box and was by far the largest wagon in the convoy. The inside looked to be divided into two floors, each packed to bursting with random products Owen and Helina sold.
Helina saw how large Bjorn had gotten and that Tanisha was covered in blood, and nearly fainted. ¡°Wh-what, Bjorn?¡± Helina stuttered, mouth agape.
¡°Hunny, we¡¯re dropping off Tanisha,¡± Owen said as he jumped up on the tailgate. ¡°One of the gnolls is dead. Our boy here made sure of that, but we don¡¯t know how many there are.¡±
Bjorn turned and lifted the limp Tanisha by her belt with his right mouth. The girl had no energy left to object or even sit up on her own.
Helina grabbed her, helping to rest her down comfortably. ¡°Oh Trues above is she okay? Is that blood?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it too much dear, she just used too much of her maya or something,¡± Owen said. ¡°And the blood isn¡¯t hers.¡±
¡°I am okay,¡± Tanisha said airily. ¡°Just a little tired is all.¡±
Helina looked at Bjorn. He was covered in blood and fur.
¡°Are you two going, then?¡± Helina asked as she grabbed her husband''s hand. ¡°We could just¡ I mean gnoll are¡¡± She looked conflicted. ¡°We aren¡¯t warriors¡¡±
Owen and Helina got closer, their tails intertwining. Bjorn tapped out of the conversation and looked at Tanisha. She was barely conscious by that point, but she looked at him with a warm smile.
¡°Bjorn, I forgot to tell you. I am a mage now,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°Well, something like a mage. After this I will tell you about everything¡ you¡ missed.¡± She passed out.
¡°Failsafe, can you still see her core?¡± Bjorn asked but he already knew the answer.
¡°She does seem to have more of her core stabilized, so yeah, she¡¯s probably a mage by this point,¡± Failsafe responded.
¡°Is that because her core is still copying mine?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Well that would be part of it, the familiar bond jump started something. Your magic core, the maya and the fact that she is now a cultivator¡¡± Failsafe ruminated on everything. ¡°She¡¯s a total anomaly, her power is hers and it is as odd as you are. A greater human reincarnated into whatever we are and a wendigo with one of the oddest conglomeration of powers ever.¡±
The taste of blood in the air snapped Bjorn¡¯s attention back to the situation at hand. He had one of his heads on constant lookout, but now it was time to put the rest of the gnolls down. He turned to face the other camp; the flickering of powers and clashing of swords echoed in the night.
¡°Poison Cloud, how does it know who is my ally?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°I think I know what you are planning, and yes it will work,¡± Failsafe assured him. ¡°Remember that you¡¯re an animal so magic is pretty simple for you. The effect of your magic will follow your intentions. You can give me control of the head if you don¡¯t trust yourself.¡±
¡°No. I set the target on this one,¡± Bjorn said. ¡°No offense but I just had my body possessed by otherworldly magic. Not too keen on giving up any autonomy just yet.¡±
¡°I am very offended by that. You can¡¯t go around punishing all magic constructs due to the actions of a few bad invasive interdimensional magics,¡± Failsafe said.
There were only a few casualties. The majority of refugees had gathered in a defensible position at the center of their camp. Overturned carts and wagons created makeshift barriers, each of them reinforced with magic runes of sturdiness. It was a plan Hrolf and the village leaders had prepared in case they were attacked in the middle of the night by druids.
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Hrolf was happy the plan worked to save as many as it did, but the losses were felt as three gnolls bore down on the defenders. An archer somewhere off in the forest prevented them from closing in on the other two, a mace wielder and a swordswoman. The two melee fighters were skilled but not a match for Hrolf alone; the archer was the main problem. They managed to cover every weakness of their fellow gnolls with incredible accuracy.
Hrolf was engaged with the swordswoman while the others covered the mace wielder. Hrolf moved like a ghost in a veil of frosty mist, every step calculated, every parry and dodge smooth and balanced. The fight would have been over long ago if not for the damn archer. With every opening he saw there was an arrow waiting to catch him off guard that he would have to dodge or deflect.
In a war of attrition he would win; as a wendigo he was built for drawn-out battles. However the other defenders were not as skilled; two had already fallen to feints followed by a well-placed arrow. There was no pulling back though, they were the last line of defense before the gnoll made it to the women, children and elderly.
Between a parry and a swift Flash Step to the side of the gnoll, he had to dodge an arrow then dodge the follow-up swing of the gnoll warrior¡¯s sword. He did this same song and dance three more times before Tyr rushed in and deflected an arrow for him. Hrolf had a single heartbeat to recognize that meant there was no arrow coming for him and he could strike back.
¡°Go Dad, I got you!¡± Tyr screamed as he expertly knocked two more arrows out of the sky.
Hrolf didn¡¯t have to be told; he was already swinging his weapon. The temperature dropped rapidly as his blade flashed through the air. A trail of sizzling frozen oxygen followed behind the blade. Ice mixed with blood rapidly formed from the massive cut across the gnoll¡¯s torso from hip to shoulder. The gnoll howled in pain as she attempted to use Flash Step to disengage, only to trip and fall backwards.
Another five arrows were deflected by Tyr in rapid succession. The archer was focused on them, but Hrolf was not going to let this chance go. He charged to the downed gnoll, then heard Tyr yell in pain, his sword snapped and an arrow stuck in his chest. Hrolf used every ounce of speed he had, every skill that he could use to make himself faster, every trick and then some to save his son from an onslaught of glowing arrows empowered by chakra.
The temperature continued to fall as he sliced every arrow out of the sky. Hrolf stood between his son, who had fallen backward onto the ground, and the gnoll archer. She was visible now; the glow of her chakra gave away her position. Between each arrow there was no time to check on Tyr; she wanted him dead.
The gnoll swordswoman ripped the ice from her body and took a health potion, closing up the wound. It wasn¡¯t completely healed but she could move. She smiled as she looked at the now distracted Hrolf. She could reengage, but instead she turned to the makeshift defensive wall between her and the civilians. She could kill a few, get him to drop his weapon, and have more slaves to sell.
The gnoll grabbed her sword, licking her lips as she thought of the slaughter soon to take place. She reached the first cart and started hacking away at it with her sword, each strike causing more and more villagers to scream in fear. Suddenly a sickly sweet smell arrested her movements. Something in her told her she needed to run, but she didn¡¯t know why. She noticed a mist at her feet.
At first the mist was thin and green, but it popped with magical discharges that quickly changed it black. In a second the cloud was thick and rolled over the camp like a typhoon. The swordswoman noticed something was wrong as soon as the healing potion ran its course and stopped undoing the damage the cloud was doing to her. Her skin blistered and eyes bled as she held her breath, beginning to run away. She couldn¡¯t tell where she was going. The black cloud made everything look the same.
After a few Flash Steps she was finally out. Coughing up blood and shaking uncontrollably she took out her last healing potion; her muscles barely wanted to listen to her.
Something stepped out of the cloud. The creature had three heads and gray scales, its eyes shone in the moonlight as its mouths opened.
Bjorn bit the gnoll warrior with each of his heads, then used his tail to drag the warrior back into the Poison Cloud. He left to find the next one, confident his venom would finish the job. The mace wielder was still in the toxic cloud; she was unable to escape while the wendigo kept her pinned down. Bjorn turned his attention to the archer. She noticed him and fired several arrows his way. Hrolf emerged from the black cloud and deflected the arrows.
¡°Would those have gotten through our scales?¡± Bjorn asked Failsafe.
¡°I would prefer we didn¡¯t find out, yeah?¡± Failsafe responded aptly.
Bjorn ran behind Hrolf, who was singularly focused on the archer. The air grew so cold around him that plants started to freeze as he passed by. Bjorn had to stop moving closer as the temperature was hurting him. The father screamed as he swung his weapon, deflecting one last arrow, and stabbed the archer in the chest. Ice erupted from the stab wound, and in seconds she was frozen solid.
[44] Ready For Some Normalcy
The Poison Cloud started to dissipate as the final warrior succumbed to the toxin and wendigo defenders. Hrolf ran to his son, who was lying in the destroyed camp. There was nothing Bjorn could do in that situation so he continued flicking his tongue to see if he could detect any other gnolls.
¡°So the Poison Cloud worked like intended,¡± Failsafe said.
¡°Yeah, none of the wendigo were harmed at all,¡± Bjorn said.
Owen entered the camp; Bjorn had left him behind when he came up with the plan to use Poison Cloud. Owen ran up to Hrolf, who was holding onto Tyr. The boy was still conscious despite his blood loss.
¡°I have a healing potion from Tanisha,¡± Owen said. ¡°We have to take the arrow out first.¡±
Bjorn turned away from the sight; he needed to stay vigilant in case there were more attackers around. The wendigo seemed apprehensive around him anyway, which was understandable. The last time they saw him he was the size of a big dog. Now he was larger than a horse and Tanisha was nowhere in sight. He walked around the camp, continuing his patrol, and picked up a new taste.
Maya and gnolls out in the field. He took off running in their direction to find blood and craters from explosive impacts. The grassland looked more like a warzone. It wasn¡¯t long before he found the body of a gnoll spearwoman, at least what he thought might be the remains of one, in one of the craters. The spear was broken just like the body next to it.
¡°Bjorn?¡± Joha¡¯s deep voice questioned. ¡°You have gotten¡ taller.¡±
Bjorn looked around with each of his heads, finally noticing the tiger demon standing behind him. In one hand was the head of a gnoll warrior. A different one than the dead spearwoman, who still had most of her head. Joha was thinner with black fur instead of his normal tiger coloration.
¡°They are all dead here. This was the leader,¡± He held up the head in his hand. ¡°The fact you are here instead of with Tanisha I will assume means the others are dead as well.¡± The maya shifted around him and he returned to normal. ¡°Let''s go back.¡±
The night was long and everyone including Bjorn was on high alert. He noticed that as the night progressed he shrank slightly and the gray coloration of his scales slowly diminished. The maya his scales had absorbed was slowly released in the form of purple smoke, revealing new green scales beneath. Helina used her hydromancy to rinse the blood and other remains off him as he watched over the camps. He looked over his status and skill menus again.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Unknown
Level: 21
Vitality: 30 / 75
Restoration: 70 / 120
Constitution: 30 / 80
Strength: 20 / 50
Dexterity: 25 / 30
Stamina: 20 / 40
Maya: 50 / 50 (DO NOT USE!)
Magic: 10 / 25
Magic Regeneration: 20 / 50 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 2
Skills Analysis
Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic and your best friend who has your back no matter what!
Error: Unknown Pact
You are connected to a Progenitor Being from the Infernal Planes. They are watching you.
Venomous Bite
Magic Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs. (II) Bite of the King of Reptiles, Maya Cost: 10, Your venom becomes infectious and will spread to nearby targets within five feet of the injected target. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Poison Cloud
Magic Cost: 5
With your right head you can mix venom into the air using magic creating a large area of poisonous gas. This gas will rapidly reduce the health of those inside. Allies within your Poison Cloud are unaffected by the poison. (II) Breath of the Infernal One, Maya Cost: 15, Exhale a breath infused with the decay of the Infernal Planes. Targets within the cloud will rot over time as long as the effect is not cleansed.
Plague Fire Breath
Magic Cost: 6
Stamina Cost: 7
With your left head you can breathe a plume of superheated toxin which will ignite enemies and infect them with your neurotoxin. Flames retain toxicity until you release the spell. Plague Fire will spread like normal fire. (II) Infernal Fire Breath, Maya Cost: 20, fire will spread over non-flammable material at a reduced rate.
Hellmouth
Maya Cost: YOUR SOUL (Seriously, if you use this we die!!!)
I really don¡¯t want to tell you what this is because if you use it our heart is going to explode or something, I just know it! However, your middle head can exhale all of the maya stored in your body. This maya can be breathed in by your other heads to use maya infused breath attacks. It can also enhance the durability of your scales and potency of your venom.
Poison Claws
Magic Cost: 3
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even small scratches fatal. Allies are unaffected by your venom. (II) Claws of the King of Reptiles, Maya Cost: 5, venom becomes harder to cleanse.
Infernal Scale Armor
Maya Cost: 25
Absorb maya into your scales, making them more durable and resistant to physical and magical damage.
Delta Familiar Contract
Magic Cost: -100
You are a bonded delta class familiar. You gain +100 to magic regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions though your bond. Your bond is more resistant to outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties.
King of the Reptiles
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.Passive Skill
Dragons, lizards and amphibians all show hesitation and fear around you, going so far as to run away. More study needed.
Head Regeneration and Random Growth!?!?!?
Magic Cost: 40-ish
(or)
Maya Cost: 150-ish
(So funny story, we grew another head, I have no idea why¡)
So bear with me here, we can convert experience into maturation, or healing major wounds including decapitation, or growing more heads I guess. Honestly I have no idea why we grew a head this time but here we are, three heads in and I am getting worried. Anyway more study is needed, but let''s not for a while, please.
Page 2 of 2
¡°You ready to talk about the memories of your past life as Isin?¡± Failsafe asked.
Bjorn closed the menus. ¡°Yeah, I was a nephilim, and we know what a True Human is now.¡±
¡°Do you want to go by Isin or Bjorn?¡± Failsafe asked.
Bjorn was silent for a few moments. ¡°It was a past life, I have a new name now.¡±
¡°Alright, Bjorn it is,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°True Humans; the Angels created humans as a slave race. I guess they were here building something that required more manpower than they had. They used a mixture of¡ I guess, Higher Plane technology and aether focused through it. Those orbs were essentially their version of a wand or staff. I hope you got to hold one of them at some point in your old life so I can get a better look.¡±
¡°You think it was my fault they showed up?¡± Bjorn asked softly.
¡°Huh? Oh um¡ I don¡¯t know.¡± Failsafe was caught off guard by the question. ¡°The gate seemed to be some kind of barrier to keep out the monsters, and that was years later when they showed up. So, it could have just been a matter of time before they found out what your father was doing. Well whatever your father was doing, we still don¡¯t even know what.¡±
¡°But if I didn¡¯t mess with the gate to begin with¡¡± Bjorn sighed.
¡°We don¡¯t know the limitations of the Angels or if you tampering with the gate had anything to do with them finding the enclave. What we do know is that your father made the enclave against the will of the other Angels and that he had been tampering with memories. The Angels were here for something, and they needed to create humans to do it. Hasmanual seemed surprised and upset that Patr and the others could use aether, meaning your father could have done something to them.¡±
¡°You mean like what Joha did to Tanisha and by extension us?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Yes, but with you it was different. I think you were the only nephilim there. You had a¡ uhh, aetheric core, yeah that¡¯s what we¡¯ll call it. It wasn¡¯t tied to anything external like the maya is. It was your core, that is why your magic core now is trying to recreate it.¡±
¡°So when he said I was special was it because I was the only greater human?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Your guess is as good as mine,¡± Failsafe stated.
¡°Well back to the current me, my stats and everything; what happened?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°When maya was introduced into you, your magic core freaked the fuck out!¡± Failsafe said. ¡°You went into shock and I had to convert the maya into experience and then into maturation so your body could accept the maya veins and push it out of your core. That worked for a while. You gained a lot of levels, and I had to grow your body again to keep up with the amount of maya being flooded into you.¡±
¡°Why did I lose control?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Everything was going well. Your magic core was acclimating to having maya around it and starting to direct it. I believe you would have woken up in a day with barely any more changes. Then the gnolls put a magic suppression collar on you. As soon as that happened your magic core lost control of the maya and its demonic nature overpowered your reason. If what you said about the skill I can¡¯t see is right, you have a patron in the Infernal Planes and they really want you to go berserk.¡±
¡°If someone puts another collar on me will I lose control again?¡± he questioned.
¡°No, it shouldn''t, you¡¯ve been matured to the point your reason and your core can¡¯t be overwhelmed by the maya,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°In fact right now your body is releasing all of the excess maya it built up, which is why you¡¯re getting a little smaller. You¡¯ll still be bigger than a horse when it is over. In a few weeks when the maya veins in your body have recovered you should be able to increase your size at will with the Infernal Scale Armor skill. That skill is why you are so big right now, by the way. Oh, that reminds me,¡± Failsafe said with glee. ¡°I¡¯m working on something new and you are going to love it once I¡¯m done! I should have it ready by the time we make it to the fort city.¡±
¡°What is it?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°It is a surprise,¡± Failsafe said.
¡°Then why did you tell me you were working on something?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°So you would be surprised,¡± Failsafe stated.
¡°But now I will be anticipating it,¡± Bjorn rebutted.
¡°And when you see it you will be surprised,¡± Failsafe said enthusiastically.
¡°You could have just¡ eh, nevermind,¡± Bjorn said. ¡°We get to see a wendigo city tomorrow so it will be nice for Tanisha. I am sure she is ready for some normalcy.¡±
Ingrid Salstar sat stoically in the largest banquet hall of the Nazem Noble house. Her expression was unchanging as Audun, the head of the house, driveled on and on about his successes as head of the Nazem Domain. The rotund wendigo was especially proud of the trade and commerce of Lavi. The success of the fort city was impressive, but was built on underhanded tactics and foreign capital.
Ingrid knew he had been postponing this very meeting for the past few days, no doubt to gather support from his beneficiaries. His wife and two young children sat quietly eating their meals, which Ingrid had yet to touch. The hall had tighter security than what should be necessary for a banquet with a neighboring domain¡¯s Lady.
The Salstars and the Nazems shared a border and had been rival houses for years. However, the newest head of the Nazem had not gained his position through magical ability, as was custom. He gained his position through political games and the weak practices of humans. If he were a true head he wouldn¡¯t feel the need to have so many guards. Ingrid couldn¡¯t tell what she found more disgusting: the corrupted pig of a noble that sat across from her or the poor excuse for magic she sensed around the room from his so-called elite guard.
¡°As you can see Lady Salstar, despite the current disruptions caused by the brazen druid attacks on our territory we have managed to secure our borders,¡± Audun said with a smug look. ¡°I understand the Salstar domain was also attacked, and several major trade routes have been disrupted. We will be more than happy to help with relief supplies, at a discount of course.¡±
¡°Ah, yes I am happy to see that the Nazem have managed to successfully hold the line against those disgusting druids,¡± Ingrid stated. ¡°I think that you may have assumed incorrectly about the purpose of this meeting, as the Salstar domain has had no major disruptions to trade or significant loss of life due to the recent attacks.¡±
¡°What, how¡ I mean good, that is good to hear,¡± Audun said with less confidence. ¡°If that¡¯s the case why have you come? Not that you aren¡¯t welcome here of course, but wouldn¡¯t the Lord prefer to have his Lady home?¡±
¡°Ulfar wanted to come but he is busy preparing our heir for his role,¡± Ingrid stated. ¡°As for why I am here¡¡± She locked eyes with the large wendigo. ¡°We captured every single druid fucker that entered the Salstar domain, all of them. They have been executed of course, but not before being questioned. We found some pretty interesting things in the possession of the one hundred and fifty captured men and women.¡±
Audun stood up suddenly. ¡°This sounds like something that should be discussed in private. We can go to my¡¡±
¡°Sit down Audun,¡± Ingrid demanded, her tone sharp. ¡°I think you will find this quite interesting. Especially what they said about you. Traitor, smuggler, druid sympathizer; you have built quite a reputation within their ranks.¡±
¡°Shut your mouth! The Nazem Domain has also been attacked by those savages,¡± Audun retorted. ¡°I don¡¯t like what you¡¯re implying while you are a guest in my house.¡±
¡°Tell me what was targeted here in the Nazem Domain? A few insignificant farms, a small fire at a nearly decommissioned and strategically unimportant outpost, a few missing wendigo here and there,¡± Ingrid stated, her voice just as unsettling and calm as before. ¡°Why would they be so disorganized and attack such poor targets when every attack on us has been so focused and precise, almost as if they were fed information. Incorrect information, that we leaked to your intelligence officers, which you snuck into our domain. They have been taken care of by the way.¡±
¡°Gerd, take the children and go to your rooms,¡± Audun said to his family.
Ingrid stood up, a smile stretched across her face. ¡°It is a shame really, your father was such a good man,¡± She sighed. ¡°By order of the King of Yuhia, the Nazem House is to be executed. Every member is to be put to the sword. I will be that sword today. The Fort City is now the Salstar¡¯s domain.¡±
Part 3
Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage: Reincarnated as a Hydra
The Fort City of Lavi Arc
Freja and Bjorn found themselves traveling with a caravan of merchants. Accompanying them were Joha the rakshasa, Sabec the gnoll, and Owen and Helina¡¯s family of goblins. After some initial suspicions, things seemed to be going alright as the group made their way to Lavi. Freja believed she could start over as a merchant, selling her potions to make a living and learning the trade from her new companions.
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However, after a deadly encounter with a group of druids and her feeling like she could do so little to defend herself or others, Freja decided to get stronger. She would become Joha¡¯s apprentice and learn how to fight with the infernal powers of demons. As a student of a demon she was given the name Tanisha Scalebound, abandoning the last of her connections to her old life.
Things would be shaken up again when Sabec betrayed the group. His pack would inadvertently cause Bjorn to fully lose his mind to infernal energies, which in turn caused him to kill the majority of the assailants. He was brought back to his senses after having recovered his old name and more answers about who he was before his reincarnation.
[45] Embarrassment
Tanisha woke up to a face full of notifications with her mental projection magic. Apparently she had leveled up a few times and needed to allocate her points by the end of the day or they would be automatically assigned.
Unassigned Cultivation Points Distribution
You have leveled up 7 time(s) without assigning your UCP.
You have 70 UCP
Please assign all UCP within 12 hour(s) or UCP will be automatically assigned.
Assign [yes/no]
She closed the mental projection and yawned. She needed to talk to Joha before assigning anything. That¡¯s when her eyes opened wide as flashes of the night prior played in her mind.
Tanisha sat up quickly, only to hit her head on a low shelf. She cursed under her breath, looking around. She was in the back of the goblin¡¯s wagon; the piles of miscellaneous items told her that. She rolled out from under a rather precarious shelf and walked to the back of the wagon.
She tugged on the magical connection to locate Bjorn, but didn¡¯t need to. As soon as she opened the tailgate she saw him looking at her with two of his three heads. The last was keeping watch. Her eyes opened wide when she saw the now large green hydra watching her.
¡°Bjorn, baby!¡± She jumped from the wagon and wrapped herself around him as best she could. ¡°I am so-so happy you¡¯re okay! You are okay, right?¡±
Bjorn was not prepared to be jumped on. He lost balance and fell over on his side. She stayed latched on to him for a while before finally letting go and helping him get back on his feet. She nuzzled each of his heads, being sure to show him as much affection as she could to make up for the days he had been unconscious.
¡°Now that you¡¯re so big I guess I will call you my big-man from now on, but you are still my baby, okay?¡± she said as she petted him. ¡°Now, where is everyone?¡±
There was no one in the merchant camp; she followed Bjorn¡¯s gaze to the refugee camp.
¡°Well, that makes sense.¡± She was quiet for a long while. ¡°Sabec, did you kill him?¡±
Bjorn shook his heads no.
¡°You should have. This was¡ He, why would he do this? I thought he was a friend but he-woah-woah!¡±
Tanisha let out a less than flattering screech when she was suddenly lifted off the ground by Bjorn''s long tail, which had snaked around her waist. She was placed on his back, which had a saddle she hadn¡¯t noticed until it was under her. Bjorn¡¯s heads all hissed uncontrollably in a way she had not heard before. She felt his emotions and could tell he was laughing at her.
She would have been upset if she wasn¡¯t so damn happy she had a mount. She didn¡¯t know how big Bjorn was going to be when he fully matured, but she hadn¡¯t expected she would be able to saddle him for at least five years, if ever. Her equestrian training allowed her to balance herself, and she held onto the saddle horn for greater stabilization.
¡°Okay-okay get it out of your system,¡± Tanisha said as she petted his side. ¡°Oh, we found out what you are. Apparently Joha had an idea that turned out to be true.¡±
All of Bjorn¡¯s heads turned around to face her.
¡°Oh, you aren¡¯t laughing at me now, huh?¡± She turned her nose up at him in mock hurt.
Bjorn¡¯s middle head nuzzled her, and after a second she broke character and returned the gesture.
¡°Fine-fine geez, why are you so cute my big man.¡± Tanisha tapped his snout with a finger. ¡°You are a Lernaean Hydra, either a greater or a True. If you are a True your mom is a big deal in the Higher Planes. The Queen of a Thousand Heads, he called her. I hope you don¡¯t grow that many heads.¡±
All of the survivors of the gnoll raid gathered around six pyres as the dead were sent off. The gnolls were chopped up to prevent them from becoming undead and buried somewhere out in the field. For the wendigo to be buried is to deny the soul a return to the forest, and thus the Forest Father. There was no greater disrespect to the dead than to deny them proper rest.
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Tanisha was happy to see that Joha, the goblin family, Tyr and Hrolf were alive and well. The pyres had been burning for some time so she couldn¡¯t identify any of the dead. She looked around to see if she noticed anyone missing. She saw Unn in the crowd, the woman who helped her brew the potions when the village was attacked. Unn also had a son that was attending the Dorsehal Academy in the Salstar Domain.
Tanisha looked around more and saw Snorri on his hands and knees near one of the pyres. Several people were holding on to the wendigo as he wept. His wife, Solveig, the elder who gave Tanisha her first accessory, was nowhere to be seen. Tanisha''s heart sank as she reached up and touched the only accessory tied to her tiara.
After the funeral concluded, Hrolf and the men of the village gathered to talk. They invited Tanisha and the merchants to join them in the discussion. Now that there were so few defenders they were more anxious than ever to continue. In total nine gnoll females had been killed. Three in the main camp, one at the merchant camp, and Joha alone had dispatched five including the leader.
Tanisha was shocked that Joha was able to take out so many of them by himself. For a demon that claimed to be done with chasing power he was really damn powerful. She was more shocked when they claimed she was responsible for killing three of the gnolls. The one in the merchant camp and two in the main camp. Apparently Bjorn had used some poison skill that led to their victory.
Tanisha tried to deny their praise, but any kill from her familiar was a reflection of her bond and her strength in wendigo culture. She knew that legally speaking all of Bjorn¡¯s actions were her actions; since he was her familiar for all intent and purposes she killed three gnolls. It didn¡¯t feel right taking the credit, but Bjorn didn¡¯t seem to mind.
¡°We leave as soon as everyone is ready,¡± Hrolf said, closing out the meeting. ¡°We don¡¯t stop until we arrive at Lavi. Everyone is dismissed. Tanisha, Joha, please stay.¡±
Everyone vacated except Tyr and Kolbein, and for some reason Tanisha felt as though she was in trouble. Hrolf was a figure that exuded authority; his gaze was intense. Kolbein, his father, was an elder and Tanisha had a deep respect for all elders. Then there was Tyr; she wasn¡¯t fully sure why but the fact he was there made her all the more nervous.
¡°I wanted to thank you both again personally,¡± Hrolf said with a quiver in his voice. ¡°I have failed my people twice now and would have lost it all if not for you both.¡± He composed himself. ¡°When we arrive at Lavi and meet with the rest of the village I will give you anything I can offer.¡±
¡°What a generous offer, but I feel as though it is a little misplaced. If we had not gone to your village, Sabec would not have attacked your people,¡± Joha stated.
¡°If you had not gone to our village we would have been wiped out by druids,¡± Kolbein said matter of factly. ¡°If you had not come to our village, who is to say that the gnolls would not have targeted our people returning from Lavi in a few days. No, our gratitude is not so fickle as to blame you for the actions of those mangy dogs.¡±
¡°Tanisha, it is my understanding that you are shai,¡± Hrolf stated. The word meant she had a shaigaunt performed that removed her from her family. ¡°It would normally be customary for me to ask your father, but instead I will have to ask you in the presence of your master.¡± He looked at Tyr and motioned for him to move forward. ¡°I know that you are acquainted with my son, Tyr.¡±
Tyr stepped forward, his face beet red from embarrassment as he walked up to Tanisha. He knelt down in front of her, which made Tanisha want to run as she realized what was happening.
¡°I would like to arrange a marriage between you, Tanisha Scalebound, and my son,¡± Hrolf continued. ¡°Of course the wedding will wait until you are both of the proper age.¡±
Tyr held out a white ribbon with silver in the stitching; it had several white feathers along the length and was quite possibly one of the most beautiful engagement ribbons Tanisha had ever seen. Even without touching it she could feel the mana protection enchantments within the item, preventing it from getting dirty or damaged.
¡°I-I know this, this is sudden,¡± Tyr said, somehow turning a brighter shade of red. ¡°But, I am interested in you and I swear I will make you happy and I will get strong enough to protect you and Bjorn from anything we will face. If you take this gift and place it upon your beautiful tiara I will love you until we one day join again with the great Forest Father.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s mind blanked; what in the Higher Planes was going on? She looked back and forth between Tyr, Joha, Hrolf and Kolbein. Marriage was the last thing on her mind, right now she just needed to get stronger. She looked again to Joha, who remained silent, and she could tell he didn¡¯t want to interfere in her love life even if she desperately wished he would. Fair enough, he was her master and not her parent.
¡°We do understand that this was sudden, Tanisha,¡± Hrolf said. ¡°By taking the engagement ribbon you would acknowledge Tyr and we will give you time to think it over. If you accept the engagement, simply put it on your tiara, and if you decline, return it.¡±
¡°How long will she have to think it over? After we leave Lavi we will be headed to the Mesha Kingdom,¡± Joha added.
¡°Mesha? Hmm. Before you leave will suffice,¡± Hrolf said.
¡°Then¡uh, I will hold on to your ribbon and consider your offer,¡± Tanisha said as she took the outstretched offering. ¡°I thank you all for your consideration and you, Tyr, for your feelings. Now-now, please stand up. I¡ I have to get ready to leave now.¡±
Tanisha turned and ran to Bjorn. She jumped onto the saddle and told him to go quickly before she died of embarrassment.
[46] Bodies
After breakfast the caravan was finally on the move. They had a late start but were moving with urgency. Tanisha rode on Bjorn next to Joha¡¯s wagon, and the two talked about where she should put her points. Her mind was somewhat frazzled by the sudden proposal and really she just wanted a distraction. She opened her Status Menu and read out her current stats.
Status Menu
Name: Tanisha Scalebound
Species: Lernaean-Wendigo
Level: 17
Vitality: 10
Restoration: 4
Constitution: 7
Willpower: 8
Strength: 5
Dexterity: 9
Stamina: 8
Maya: 7
Magic: 24
Magic Regeneration: 25 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 2
¡°My maya increased on its own again,¡± Tanisha stated.
¡°Yes, it should continue to grow as you utilize the breathing techniques and martial arts forms,¡± Joha responded. ¡°At this rate you should be able to utilize the maya fist in a year or two. The attack you saw me use on that tree.¡±
¡°The maya fist? I did that against the gnoll before Bjorn showed up. It is called Maya Cloak in my skills though,¡± Tanisha stated.
¡°You did what?¡± Joha asked, his mouth agape.
Tanisha read the skills for him so he could judge for himself.
Skills Analysis
Pact of the Lernaean Hydra
You are under the direct protection of a Lernaean Hydra. You are now connected to the Infernal Planes through your new Patron. Maya is yours to command as long as your patron deems you fit to wield this infernal power.
Delta Familiar Contract
You are bonded with a delta class familiar. You gain +100 to magic regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions though your bond. Your bond is resilient against outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties. Your familiar¡¯s life expectancy is extended by five years.
Mystic Wind Hands
Magic cost: 3
Speak the words of power and call forth the mystic hands created from the wind. These hands can interact with the world and act out the caster¡¯s will. (II) Infernal Hands, Maya cost: 1, infuse mystic wind hands with the breath of the Infernal Planes. These hands will burn any that oppose you.
Sage Core Manipulation
Magic cost: Variable
Manipulate the pure mana inside and around your body with greater ease. Allows you to circulate your mana and use mana dependent tools. (II) Maya is Breath, Maya Cost: variable, control the flow of maya within your body and around your for a short distance. Allows you to use maya dependent tools.
Mana Armor
Magic cost: 2
Push mana into your muscles and bones to temporarily increase your physical attributes. (II) Maya Cloak, Maya Cost: 1, the infernal energies within you surround your body greatly enhancing unarmed strikes. Unarmed punches and kicks will produce a maya shockwave increasing range of unarmed strikes a short distance.
Page 2 of 2
¡°I just did what I saw you doing and followed the formula in the maya,¡± Tanisha stated.
Joha was quiet as he rubbed his chin in contemplation. ¡°That technique took me five years to learn, and you did it the same day I showed it to you. I will have to inspect your technique, but you may be a natural with this form.¡± He looked at Bjorn for a moment. ¡°You chose a good master, Bjorn.¡± He looked back to Tanisha. ¡°As for your points, you should focus on constitution and dexterity; get those two to twenty-five, after that your focus should be strength followed by stamina. After that, divide your points on other physical attributes.¡±
She opened the UCP menu.
Unassigned Cultivation Points Distribution
You have leveled up 7 time(s) before assigning your UCP.
You have 70 UCP
Please assign all UCP within 9 hour(s) or UCP will be automatically assigned.
Assign [yes/no]
She placed the seventy points following Joha¡¯s instruction. When she was done she read off the changes to her stats.
Status Menu
Name: Tanisha Scalebound
Species: Lernaean-Wendigo
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.Level: 17
Vitality: 15
Restoration: 10
Constitution: 25
Willpower: 10
Strength: 17
Dexterity: 25
Stamina: 16
Maya: 7
Magic: 26
Magic Regeneration: 25 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 2
As soon as she confirmed the changes she felt different. Balancing on Bjorn was automatic; she didn¡¯t have to think about it at all. The world seemed fuzzier, too. She thought it was something on her glasses, but when she took them off she could see just fine. She tried them on and off, and found she saw better without them. She put them in her book bag to investigate later. She couldn¡¯t wait to see what the changes were like when she was on her own two legs.
A few minutes into the forest Bjorn stopped suddenly. His heads tasted the air and looked off the path. Tanisha followed his gaze and saw wagon tracks leaving the roadside, going off into the forest. She could tell what that was: Sabec¡¯s wagon. She pointed it out to Joha and he agreed. They informed the refugees, and soon she and Bjorn had Joha, Owen and Tyr ready to investigate the tracks. Tanisha was nervous about Tyr going, but decided she needed to focus on finding out where the tracks led.
It didn¡¯t take long to find the remains of the gnoll camp and the gnolls. They were all dead, some burned, others torn apart, and a few looked like they just died in their sleep. Most of the camp was ash, but the presence of anti-magic cages, slave collars and wendigo remains told a grim story as to what the camp was used for. A few of the tents along the edges of the camp were intact. One of which was a nursery that hadn¡¯t survived whatever Bjorn had done here.
Tanisha found that she was oddly cold to the sight. She didn¡¯t know if it was because these gnolls had it coming, or if she was being influenced by the maya to be more apathetic to people she considered her enemies. If that was the case she needed to talk to Joha about it soon, she doesn¡¯t want to lose herself to the influence of the Infernal Planes. She couldn¡¯t help but feel that if they got their way she would be dead or in one of those cages to be sold off, eaten or raped.
¡°What the fuck?¡± Tyr asked as he saw what was in the tent. ¡°Bjorn killed them all?¡±
¡°They would have done the same to us,¡± Joha said.
¡°Yeah,¡± Tyr said, but he didn¡¯t sound convinced.
Tanisha could understand the adults, yeah, they had it coming but some of them weren¡¯t adults. Tanisha grabbed his hand and led him out of the tent.
¡°Come on,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°We don¡¯t have to see that.¡±
Owen called out, ¡°Some of the wagons are still usable. We can probably hitch Bjorn up to one. There are a lot of good metals and materials here Tanisha can sell. As far as I¡¯m concerned everything here is hers.¡± Everyone turned to the goblin. ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me you wanted to leave the good material just because a couple of muts got uppity. You¡¯re going to need capital to keep yourself safe. I¡¯ll get my boys and we will load up one of the wagons. It shouldn¡¯t take too long.¡±
¡°I will go tell my father what we found,¡± Tyr let go of Tanisha''s hand. ¡°We need to cut up these bodies. The last thing we need is undead, right?¡± His eyes were grim. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±
It took nearly an hour, but after all the loot was gathered and the bodies cut up and burned they were off again. Tanisha now had her own merchant wagon and even stuff to sell. Most of it was metal tools that hadn¡¯t melted in the fires. Anti-magic prisoner collars were valuable but she didn¡¯t want anything to do with them. Tanisha decided on a trade with the goblins, the alchemy equipment they had for the collars. They were more than happy to make that deal.
The wagon was half the size of Sabec¡¯s old wagon, but any larger and Bjorn might not have been able to pull it alone. The wagon was completely enclosed with a deep brown finish which looked beautiful. As Tanisha drove she couldn¡¯t help but think of her time with Sabec. He did teach her how to drive a wagon after all. It was upsetting that she had really thought he was a friend.
The sun set after hours of traveling through the countryside. Tanisha could finally see the lights of the fort city. The road was no longer dirt but brick. The walls of the fort looked imposing even from their distance. The entire city was a massive multilayered star fortress built hundreds of years ago during a war with the humans. From each of the star¡¯s points a light shined up into the sky, dispersing into the air creating a near translucent dome. Hundreds if not thousands of magic circles made up the structure. Tanisha was in awe with the sheer size of the city.
¡°Mind if I join you?¡± Tyr asked as he walked alongside the wagon.
Tanisha hadn¡¯t expected to see him; they hadn¡¯t talked since the gnoll camp. She was nervous but nodded in agreement and scooted over for him to sit.
¡°Yeah, come on,¡± Tanisha stated as she patted the seat beside her. ¡°You¡¯ve been walking all day.¡±
He climbed up onto the box seat next to her. ¡°You look different.¡±
Tanisha didn¡¯t know how to take that, ¡°Uh, good different or¡¡±
Tyr panicked and threw his hands up in the air. ¡°Oh yes, yes it''s a good different! You aren¡¯t wearing your glasses. Did they break?¡±
¡°Oh, no I still have them, I just don¡¯t need them anymore.¡± Tanisha looked back to the city skyline. ¡°My eyesight has never been better actually. I think the maya is fixing my body or something.¡±
¡°Have you ever been to Lavi before?¡± Tyr asked.
¡°No, I never left the Salstar domain up until recently. It isn¡¯t as big as Jotunheim, but the lights¡¡± Tanisha responded. ¡°It is beautiful.¡±
¡°Yes, she is-I uh, mean it is,¡± Tyr corrected himself.
Tanisha looked back at the young man; her heart skipped a beat at his red and embarrassed face. His amber eyes looked around for something to say. She saw his mouth start and stop an idea multiple times before she realized she was staring. He noticed and the two turned away from each other, both red in the face.
¡°So, have you been there before?¡± Tanisha asked to push the conversation along.
¡°I have been here a few times, under happier circumstances of course,¡± Tyr was delighted to take the bait. ¡°After everyone settles I can show you around if you like. My mother is probably going to want to see you too¡ not because of the proposal.¡± He nervously sped up his explanation. ¡°I-I, I know you still have to think about that¡ and I am not trying to rush you.¡± He took a breath. ¡°You saved my life twice and many others in the village. I¡¯m sure she would want to thank you too, everyone would really.¡±
Tanisha laughed. ¡°When everyone gets settled, I would love for you to show me around the town.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Tyr asked. ¡°Then, may I?¡± He presented her with a small metal ring that had a single red feather. ¡°It isn¡¯t a proposal one, just one for¡ you know a-a date.¡±
Tanisha lowered her head a little, and Tyr placed the feather on her tiara.
¡°It is a date then.¡± Tanisha said.
[47] Identify
It was night by the time the caravan finally reached the outermost wall of the city. The entrance was behind one of the massive demilunes, which itself housed an entire neighborhood. The walls seemed to stretch up forever and were intimidating, and the low humming of thousands of enchantments left Tanisha and Bjorn in awe.
There was no other city in Yuhia quite like Lavi; sure there were more magically secure, but none had the same grandiosity. Aside from perhaps the capital, which Tanisha has only ever heard about. Despite how late it was into the night, there was continuous bustle at the gate. People were coming and going of all shapes, sizes and species. It was expected, Lavi being one of the wealthiest trade cities along the border.
Tanisha rode her wagon up alongside Joha¡¯s as Tyr dismounted to join his father and other refugee leaders at the front of the pack.
¡°Remember what I told you about your familiar, right?¡± Joha called.
Tanisha remembered that Bjorn was going to be a target, and the whole incident with Sabec and the gnolls proved this was true. After that experience she didn¡¯t have to be reminded that she couldn¡¯t tell anyone Bjorn was a hydra. She already planned to tell people he was a chimera. He had the features of many different species after all, and most people would accept it as a viable answer.
¡°Of course,¡± Tanisha responded.
¡°Good, good,¡± Joha muttered with a nod. ¡°Tomorrow we will be going to get all the paperwork to sell in the city.¡±
It didn¡¯t take long before the refugees and merchants were at the front of the line to enter. Tanisha, Joha and Owen were called to the guard station with the village leaders. The guards were shocked that Hrolf and his people were displaced. Apparently, Hrolf was a bigger deal than Tanisha knew, as most of the guards were second or third generation disciples of Hrior af Brotnum Isi, the fighting style he taught.
¡°I will let the guard captain know right away,¡± One of the guards said as he ran off.
¡°We will all be staying at the estate in the inner city for the time being,¡± Hrolf said to another guard. He then turned to the approaching Tanisha, Joha and Owen. ¡°Ah, there they are. These are the ones I was speaking about; if not for them we would not have survived the attacks on the village or journey here.¡±
Thanks to Hrolf, getting through the gate into the city was easy; they didn¡¯t even search the wagons. Tanisha did get a few stares as Bjorn pulled the wagon inside; it wasn¡¯t every day a three-headed familiar entered the city. Tyr joined her again as they passed into the outer city.
Lavy was divided into multiple sections; the outermost was the demilunes, which each held a small population that lived outside of the main wall. Then the outer city, which was the main district for the majority of the citizens within the main wall. Following that was the middle district, which was separated by another wall. That was where the wealthier citizens resided. There were also high end shops and goods only available to wealthier individuals. In the center of Lavi, separated by another wall, was the fort palace, home to the Nazem Noble house, lords of the territory.
Bjorn pulled their wagon behind Joha¡¯s through the city. The diversity of the city was not what he expected it would be. There were people of all walks of life here. Humans seemed to make up a large percentage of the foreigners, but he also saw elves, goblins, orcs, a group of gnomes and even another rakshasa smoking a long pipe like Joha. The streets were illuminated with floating orbs that seemed to be connected through a magic network that used ambient mana. Despite how late it was, the streets were still quite lively.
¡°I finished it!¡± Failsafe yelled in Bjorn¡¯s mind.
Bjorn¡¯s heads perked up at that. ¡°The secret thing you¡¯ve been working on?¡±
¡°Yep, I did it,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°Go ahead: look at someone and think about learning more about them. Oh and they have to be within thirty feet.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Bjorn said, confused at the response.
He selected a young man they were passing on the street to be his target. He didn¡¯t know what his species was, but he had feathered wings instead of arms and taloned feet. He only had a satchel and what looked like a skirt tied to his waist on his otherwise bare form.
Identify
Name: Aeneas Sower
Race: Harpy
Level: 5
Class: Noncombatant
¡°Woah,¡± Bjorn exclaimed at the mental projection. ¡°You made the identification ability you were talking about a while ago?¡±
¡°Impressive, right?¡± Failsafe asked with pride. ¡°Now that you have more mana circulating around you I was able to complete the basic identify function. You may praise me now.¡±
¡°Really-really impressive, Failsafe. You outdid yourself,¡± Bjorn said as he looked at several more people.
He found a level ten werewolf noncombatant, a level six wendigo teenager, and a level twenty human prana swordsman.
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¡°How does the identity know their name and level? And what is class?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°So, the skill can analyze their core from a distance. I can''t get too much information without you touching them though. All the data I got from analyzing you and Tanisha allowed me to create a baseline. As for names, since the information I get comes from their core I can obtain the purest sense of self from it. So technically if we come across anyone that truly believes they are a different species or have a different name, they could trick the identify. I should also mention, if someone is more than fifty levels higher than you identify may fail to work accurately. Their core would be too dense for the skill to analyze them.¡±
¡°So everyone on the same level should be the same strength?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Not necessarily. So, species matters too, like¡ an ant for example, if you met a level one hundred ant it¡¯s still just an ant. A human is naturally weaker and less durable than a wendigo, so if a level ten human and a level ten wendigo got into a fight the wendigo would have the advantage. Not to mention base stats.¡±
¡°What are base stats?¡± Bjorn asked. ¡°And why am I just now hearing about it?¡±
¡°Uh, I thought it was understood,¡± Failsafe responded sheepishly. ¡°Base stats are all of the status points you have before the bonuses from being a cultivator. So if you started running everyday your constitution and stamina would rise without you leveling up, or if you lifted weights you could increase your strength, or¡¡±
¡°Failsafe,¡± Bjorn said calmly.
¡°Yes?¡± Failsafe asked.
¡°How in the Infernal Planes would I know about that if you didn¡¯t tell me!¡± He screamed in his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t make the system, you did!¡±
¡°I-I, uh¡ might have let that one fly,¡± Failsafe responded.
¡°Are base stats shown in my status now?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°No,¡± Failsafe responded.
Bjorn shook his heads in disbelief. ¡°Can you add them?¡±
¡°Done,¡± Failsafe responded immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, okay? I readjusted the limits before I would have to forcefully increase your maturation. It is still the same amount difference, just higher numbers.¡±
Bjorn opened his stats and all three of his jaws hung low in disbelief. Failsafe went on to assure him that this didn¡¯t increase his strength, only showed his base stats were being shown.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Unknown
Level: 21
Vitality: 150 / 195
Restoration: 220 / 270
Constitution: 85 / 135
Strength: 100 / 130
Dexterity: 85 / 100
Stamina: 95 / 115
Maya: 50 / 50 (DO NOT USE!)
Magic: 10 / 25
Magic Regeneration: 20 / 50 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 2
¡°What about magic and maya?¡± Bjorn asked as the shock wore off.
¡°Those don¡¯t have any changes,¡± Failsafe stated.
Bjorn heads sighed in unison. ¡°What about class? Is it a social class thing?¡±
¡°It¡¯s supposed to tell us what combat ability they have. If they are a mystic swordsman like Tyr, or mage, or spearman or such.¡±
¡°Why class then? That makes no sense,¡± Bjorn said.
¡°I could call it vocation,¡± Failsafe responded, slightly deflated.
Bjorn turned around and looked at Tanisha with one of his heads.
Identify
Name: Tanisha Scalebound
Race: Lernaean-Wendigo
Level: 17
Vocation: Arcanist-Sage
Bjorn stopped the wagon, which caused Tanisha and Tyr to jerk forward. He focused all of his heads on Tanisha, then turned two of his heads to other wendigo to identify them as well.
Identify
Name: Tanisha Scalebound
Race: Lernaean-Wendigo
Level: 17
Vocation: Arcanist Sage
Identify
Name: Tyr Isi
Race: Wendigo
Level: 15
Vocation: Mystic Swordsman
Identify
Name: Gunhild Kale
Race: Wendigo
Level: 4
Vocation: Noncombatant
¡°Didn¡¯t she say I was a lernaean hydra? Why is her race changed too?¡± Bjorn asked. ¡°I remember her asking Joha if she was a demon.¡±
¡°I¡ believe Joha said that means she had a pact with him.¡± Failsafe was quiet for a while. ¡°So she has a pact with a lernaean hydra now? Uh, it¡¯s not with you though so¡ The mysterious connection you have that I can¡¯t see, it¡¯s clearer now you have a fan with a member of your kin in the Higher Planes.¡±
¡°I wonder if Tanisha knows?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°She has to,¡± Failsafe stated. ¡°She has access to the menus too, remember?¡±
¡°Bjorn, is everything alright?¡± Tanisha called out. ¡°I know it¡¯s a big city. Are you scared with so many people around, baby, I mean big man?¡± She hopped down from the box seat. ¡°I¡¯ll walk beside you, okay?¡±
Tanisha walked alongside Bjorn as he continued along with the caravan.
¡°Failsafe, what is a sage?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Failsafe responded. ¡°Must be a type of magic caster or something. It didn¡¯t exist in the memories I have of your past life as a magecrafter.¡±
¡°More questions then,¡± Bjorn said.
[48] The Fort City Lavi
They arrived at the gate to the middle district; the security was stricter there than at the entrance to outer city. Having Hrolf and Kolbein there made the process easier. However, all the carts and wagons had to be inspected for security. The guard that walked up to Tanisha¡¯s wagon looked a little hesitant when he saw Bjorn.
Identify
Name: Knut Garlfie
Race: Wendigo
Level: 20
Vocation: Mystic Swordsman
¡°Familiar?¡± Knut asked as he sped walked past Bjorn to reach Tanisha. ¡°What is he and at what stage?¡±
¡°He is a chimera, and delta,¡± Tanisha said.
Knut marked something down in a notebook. ¡°And your identification?¡±
¡°I am Tanisha Scalebound. I don¡¯t have identification any more,¡± Tanisha said.
The man looked her up and down. ¡°Are you from the village too? What happened to your papers?¡±
Tanisha broke eye contact. ¡°I am not from the village, I am shai.¡±
¡°Ah, well, that will be a problem,¡± Knut said as he rubbed the back of his head. ¡°I¡¯ll check out the wagon, and after that we will have to issue you new papers.¡± He looked at Tyr. ¡°What about you?¡±
¡°My name is Tyr Isi, my father Hrolf would have already shown my papers up front,¡± Tyr responded.
¡°Ah, you¡¯re master Hrolf and Drifa¡¯s son, I¡¯ve seen you a few times at the school here,¡± Knut said. He then sighed and looked between the two of them. ¡°Look, I heard what happened. How about this? I take a little look in the wagon and Tanisha, you come back tomorrow and we¡¯ll fill out new papers for you. There are a few others here that lost their papers too, and we will be doing the same for them. I can¡¯t waive the entry fee for carts though; it will be ten coppers.¡±
There was a notable difference in appearance between the outer city and the inner. While the outer city kept to the wendigo aesthetic of function over form, the inner city catered to the opposite. The magic lights illuminated the streets brighter, the buildings were stylized to suit humans and elves, and the streets were notably better constructed. The inner city was a quarter the size of the outer, and from the gate they could see the fort palace shining like a beacon in the night.
It didn¡¯t take long for the caravan to reach the Isi estate, which was a compound connected to their school for the Hrior af Brotnum Isi fighting style. It was a large gated compound, the main house being big enough to house half of the refugees by itself. There were also a couple of dormitories for their students, aside from training facilities and courtyards.
When they arrived a host of people were waiting at the gate. Bjorn assumed they must have heard that the caravan was coming. Tyr jumped from the box seat next to Tanisha and ran up to the gate. There was relief from some, tears from others, and Bjorn knew it was going to be a long night for many of them. It took several hours before there was any semblance of order amongst the grieving wendigo. Emotions were high and rightfully so; between the druid attack and the gnoll raid they lost seventeen people.
During the commotion one of the Isi servants directed those with vehicles where to park. Owen and Helina had to help Tanisha undo the hitch from Bjorn, as she had never done it before. Once he was free he stretched, shaking out his legs. He wasn¡¯t tired, but the straps weren¡¯t the most comfortable. He wasn¡¯t the exact shape of a horse and they¡¯d had to do some jerry-rigging for him to fit at all.
¡°While we are here, Tanisha, we will continue your training as my apprentice,¡± Joha said as he walked over from his wagon. ¡°Breathing and stretching exercises in the morning and combat training in the evening like before. Tomorrow we will get all of your paperwork in order so you can sell in the city. You will be a fine merchant and combatant.¡±
¡°Oh, let the girl rest for a day,¡± Helina said as she joined the group. ¡°Nice red feather you got there.¡± She winked.
Owen and the kids followed behind the goblin mother.
Joha looked between the women. ¡°Feather?¡± His eyes were drawn to Tanisha¡¯s antlers. ¡°Oh, I see. Well we will at least do the morning stretches and breathing exercises. I am sure Tyr can assist you in getting the proper papers.¡±
Tanisha waved her hands in the air. ¡°We don¡¯t have a day planned yet¡ so, let''s continue the regular training schedule for now. I still have to get stronger.¡±
Bjorn could feel Tanisha¡¯s embarrassment but he didn¡¯t know what they were talking about with the feathers. It wasn¡¯t like he could ask anything, so instead he decided to use his Identify on the group.
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Identify
Name: Joha of the Rakshasa
Race: Rakshasa
Level: ??
Vocation: Arcanist Pugilist
Identify
Name: Helina Jaraldson
Race: Goblin
Level: 25
Vocation: Elemental Mage
Identify
Name: Owen Jaraldson
Race: Goblin
Level: 39
Vocation: Life-force Spearman
Identify
Name: Wyatt Jaraldson
Race: Goblin
Level: 3
Vocation: Noncombatant
Identify
Name: Caleb Jaraldson
Race: Goblin
Level: 2
Vocation: Noncombatant
¡°I can¡¯t see Joha¡¯s level,¡± Bjorn thought.
¡°Yep, that means he is at least fifty levels higher than us. I have a feeling it is more than that though,¡± Failsafe responded.
¡°Why do you think that?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Well, touch him and we can get a better look,¡± Failsafe said.
Bjorn walked around the group and brushed up against Joha before returning to Tanisha¡¯s side. The group barely registered his movements as they discussed their plans. Bjorn made sure his long tail kept in contact with the tiger demon while he sat down.
Identify
Name: Joha of the Rakshasa
Race: Rakshasa
Level: 271
Vocation: Arcanist Pugilist
Highest Stat: Maya: 1566
Failsafe explained that as long as Bjorn was touching someone he could see more of their stats. Namely their level, even if they were over fifty levels higher than him, and their highest stat. Failsafe wanted to develop an ability to see their skills, but told Bjorn he was a long way off before he had that capability.
Hrolf, Tyr and a woman Bjorn had seen at the gate to the estate walked up to the group. They all bowed to the merchants. The woman turned out to be Drifa, Tyr¡¯s mom and the lady of the Isi estate. She was beautiful, the only wendigo Bjorn had seen with white hair and black antlers. Her irises and pupils were a bright red, which was also a first for Bjorn. He realized she was an albino snowfallen. Her athletic build meant she was no slouch with the swords at her sides.
Identify
Name: Tyr Isi
Race: Wendigo
Level: 15
Vocation: Mystic Swordsman
Identify
Name: Hrolf Isi
Race: Wendigo
Level: ??
Vocation: Mystic Sword Master
Identify
Name: Drifa Isi
Race: Wendigo
Level: ??
Vocation: Chakra Bladedancer
¡°You all are welcome here as long as you are in the city,¡± Drifa stated. ¡°Thank you for saving our people. Thank you for bringing my husband, son and father back to me. I wish we could reward you properly now but there is much we have to prepare. Our servants will ensure you have a place to rest your heads.¡±
Hrolf said as he motioned a group of six servants over to them, ¡°If you need anything feel free to ask anyone here for assistance.¡±
Bjorn couldn¡¯t help but notice that both Drifa and Tyr were looking at Tanisha more than anyone else. It seemed like the mother was also interested in his master. They walked off, leaving the servants to assist with unpacking. The refugees thought they would be staying in the dormitory, but instead they were given rooms in the main house.
Bjorn was surprised no one questioned him following Tanisha inside the house, and even more that it was large enough for him to fit easily. He did have to duck his heads but that was no issue. Their rooms were on the first floor. Tanisha''s room had a mezzanine with the lower floor large enough for him to sleep in his own padded space. Seeing the room, Bjorn understood why the hallways were so big; it was for wendigo and their familiars. To them a familiar was not just an animal but a member of the family, so unlike the horses he could sleep inside. Tanisha had her own space, a bed and workstation, on the upper floor. The servants carried all of her belongings there, including the new alchemy equipment she got from the goblins.
Helina and Tanisha took Bjorn to the open air bath, which might as well have been a hot spring lake given the size. Bjorn could taste the magic radiating from runes under the surface of the water. They heated and cleaned the water, along with those who bathed. It was an ingenious use of magic.
Once they were done, food was brought to their room. Steaks, chicken, sausage, goat; a full course carnivore meal for Tanisha, and two entire cow haunches for Bjorn.
[49] Worse Than a Rampaging Demon
Tanisha didn¡¯t sleep in her bed despite how comfortable it looked. She instead oped to sleep snuggling up to Bjorn on the massive familiar futon. She was tucked in her comforter against his warm belly as he curled around her. Morning came all too quick for the pair, as Joha arrived before the sun to start her training for the day.
Isi servants led them to one of the training halls. Tanisha was surprised to see that there were people up and training already; some doing various drills, katas or even meditation. She was wonderstruck, having never seen swordsmen practice before.
They got several turned heads as they walked. She didn¡¯t know if it was because they were an odd group, or if they had already heard about them. Tanisha wouldn¡¯t have long to ponder that, because as soon as they reached their training area she was distracted with pain. Despite the increases to her stats she found training just as difficult as it had been the first day. She hadn¡¯t built up the muscle memory, and focusing on moving properly, adjusting maya, and controlling her breathing was difficult.
She found herself envious of Bjorn, who had fallen asleep watching her practice. Even so, she was determined to make herself stronger. She would give every exercise, movement and breath the respect it deserved. After two hours the sun finally rose while she was in lotus position, breathing in slowly and exhaling the blue maya.
¡°We are done,¡± Joha stated.
¡°Praise the Forest Father!¡± Tanisha said as she lifted her arms in triumph then fell to her side. She was quiet for a second before she asked, ¡°Why is my maya blue when yours goes from red to black?¡±
Joha smoked his pipe. ¡°It is our connection to the Infernal Planes; I draw energy from deeper within than you do. The darker the maya, the deeper the energy is drawn from. The fact that yours is blue and not white is a good thing.¡±
¡°What if it was white?¡± Tanisha asked.
Joha smiled. ¡°I would not have taken you on as my apprentice. It is the weakest connection to the maya one could have, and means you have no talent for maya. Blue, on the other hand, is a common starting point. In fact I started there.¡±
Tanisha sat up and looked at Joha seriously. There was something that had been bugging her.
¡°Back at the gnoll camp.¡± She started almost at a whisper. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel anything when I saw those bodies. I mean I have been seeing a lot of bodies recently but¡ it was different. I had absolute apathy to what was inside of that tent. When I saw Tyr¡¯s reaction it made me feel like I should have felt the same way, but¡¡±
¡°You are wondering if the maya changes your personality?¡± Joha asked, but continued. ¡°It does if you allow it to. Maya is energy that seeks to protect those who can use it. It isn¡¯t intelligent per se, it just follows your emotions and tries to block things that hurt you. It does this physically with the form I am showing you and by strengthening your body with the maya veins inside you. It also does this emotionally and mentally in different ways. The problem lies when we don¡¯t allow ourselves to feel anything.¡±
¡°So maya will block emotions if I don¡¯t want to feel them?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Yes and no; it will block some and amplify others. That is why you must learn how to control it,¡± Joha said. ¡°Pleasure, joy, happiness; these emotions will be amplified while others like pain, depression, sadness and empathy can be diminished.¡±
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¡°Seems like you should have told me this sooner,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°Yes, I should have, but remember I have always had maya and these things come naturally to me. I have never taught someone like you before, only those of my own kind or other demons. This will be a growing experience for us both,¡± Joha said as he scratched his chin. ¡°If you want me to, I will unblock the maya from your mind. You will need to remember the sensation to control it yourself. I warn you, this will be an unpleasant experience the first time. You will feel everything the maya has suppressed, and once I start the process has to finish.¡±
Tanisha looked at the demon and took a deep breath. It was kind of scary knowing she hadn¡¯t been entirely herself, and worse, she hadn¡¯t even noticed. She was worried that her newfound courage to fight and get stronger may not have really been her decision. What if she really hadn¡¯t changed and this would break her. She remembered what happened when she killed the druid what felt like a lifetime ago. The feelings were muted now, either by time or the maya, she couldn¡¯t tell.
Bjorn walked up to the pair and his heads nuzzled against her, which she returned in kind. She looked at the tiger demon again, still scared but far more confident. She remembered that she made the decision to get stronger before she gained access to the maya. It was her choice, and it still was her choice.
¡°I will do it,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°Okay, but let us go somewhere more private. I have seen this process create quite the scene,¡± Joha responded as he stood up.
As it turned out, quite the scene was an understatement. Tanisha had never experienced such a wild thundercloud of emotions. Every one of them vivid and associated with some event she had experienced over the past few days. The loneliness and anxiety she felt when Bjorn was in a coma, the fear and confusion at the attack on the village, terror when she was targeted and Helina was fatally wounded, the sting of betrayal when Sabec rode off with Bjorn.
Worst of all there was fear in her heart. Not of the bad people, it was something that started the moment she found out Bjorn was True. No, before that, when she saw he had killed the troll, when she saw him kill the steel wolf. And it had grown when he came back larger, covered in blood, and ripped the gnoll apart in front of her. When she saw the devastation in the gnoll camp. When she saw the bodies of¡ She didn¡¯t want to think about those bodies. She was scared of Bjorn. Well, at least of what he could become if he decided to break the bond.
She locked that thought away, letting the maya have that one thing. She knew it was naive, but she didn¡¯t want to feel that way toward her Bjorn. He didn¡¯t deserve it. She could feel that he genuinely cared for her. Their bond and his actions proved that, many times over. He was not Sabec, he was not her parents, he was really hers and she would do anything for him.
She came to her senses in Joha¡¯s arms. They were back in her room. She had spent the last forty minutes trying to escape his grasp and screamed obscenities and insults at him because of the cleansing. He told her it would happen, and he would not let her go until it was done. Removing the maya from her mind was a delicate process and if he stopped the effects could be irreversible. Now that she had experienced it she felt a part of the maya she hadn¡¯t noticed before. She could recreate what he had done to her and control the effects maya had on her mind.
¡°I¡¯m fine now,¡± Tanisha said, out of breath from all of the struggling.
¡°Good. This was actually the least explosive I have seen someone be in this process,¡± Joha said as he set her down.
Tanisha was embarrassed at herself; her face wet with tears and snot from her begging, threatening and sobbing for him to put her down during the cleansing. His words felt more patronizing than comforting. He materialized a handkerchief from the maya around him and handed it to her.
¡°Really, was it not that bad?¡± Tanisha asked. ¡°And sorry for the things I said about your mother.¡±
Joha said with a chuckle. ¡°The last person I saw undergo a cleansing was a behemoth, a greater demon. He destroyed a small village before it was complete. He also helped to rebuild after and no one died. So, in comparison, this was really not that bad.¡±
Tanisha''s face was flush. ¡°So, the only person that was worse than me was a rampaging greater demon?¡±
Joha rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ¡°Well he didn¡¯t insult my mother. Sooo, maybe this was a little worse.¡±
Tanisha pouted, wiping her face with the handkerchief. ¡°I said sorry.¡±
[50] Path to Nobility
After a much needed shower Tanisha returned to her room. She needed to go through all of her belongings, especially her new alchemy equipment. She smoked while counting out her money, which had grown to a staggering nineteen gold, sixteen silver and ninety copper. Carrying around that much wasn¡¯t wise, so she stored all of her gold and kept the silver and copper out.
She¡¯d found a lot of ingredients during their travels to the fort city. In all the excitement of the past few days she¡¯d had little time to properly go through everything. If she wanted to pay her way she needed to make money, and she would do that through her potions.
Most of the things she¡¯d found could be used to make topical ointments and lotions. Tanisha had the ingredients for a hayfever cure which would sell for a few copper. For most of the mid-tier potions that would sell for a few silver she was missing one or two things. She bit her lip as she checked one of the few notebooks she kept.
The most impressive ingredient she had at the moment was the northern blue moon flower, which she had in a specimen preservation glass. As long as the flower was in the glass it wouldn¡¯t wilt, and she could keep it until she needed it. The flower could be used to make a common or even greater health potion, or any number of stamina, resistance and cure potions if she had just a few more things. It was the most valuable ingredient she had ever had, which was a little intimidating.
She moved her attention over to the recovered goods from the gnoll hideout. Everything from her cart was stacked on the lower floor of her and Bjorn¡¯s room. She needed to catalog everything, as she would need to come up with a plan to sell it all. She had no intention of being a weapon and tool saleswoman so the quicker she could get rid of it all, the better.
There were six crates full of tools for farming and construction, and a separate crat of well over a thousand nails by the look of it. She found a second smaller box amongst the crates that had ten more enchanted orichalcum tools. Moving on, she had two normal bardiches and two enchanted orichalcum variants. Those were by far her most valuable assets. Next were five scorched spear heads; the shafts had all burnt up in the fires but after being washed the heads should be good as new. She wrote everything down in her notebook and was getting ready to leave her room when she noticed a chest behind one of the crates.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Tanisha asked herself.
She walked over to the chest. It was immaculate; finely polished wood covered in magic symbols and runes. She could only make out a few of them but got the gist. They were strengthening, anti-tampering and weight reduction runes, along with a host of tracking runes which looked to have been deactivated, and others she couldn¡¯t make out.
¡°Whatever is in this they didn¡¯t want anyone to get into.¡± Tanisha scratched the back of her head and let out a sigh. ¡°I guess I need to find an arcane lock cracker. Unless¡¡± She looked over to Bjorn. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to know how to open encrypted locks would you?¡±
Tanisha didn¡¯t know what to expect from the familiar, but he got up from his futon under the mezzanine and walked over to the chest. She moved out of the way as he approached; his tail wrapped around the chest and moved it to an open spot on the floor so he could get a better look. She honestly hadn¡¯t expected him to look at it so intensely, and she couldn¡¯t help but watch him in fascination. He poked and prodded the chest with his talons as each of his heads looked at different sides at the same time.
¡°What do you think?¡± Tanisha asked.
Bjorn shook his heads no but still seemed very interested.
¡°Wait, do you know how to read?¡±
Bjorn again shook his heads.
Tanisha smiled brightly at the idea, ¡°I can show you how to read Yuia and magic script.¡± She gasped at her own idea. ¡°If I did that you would be able to communicate with me by writing. Why didn¡¯t I think of that sooner? I mean, once you¡¯re a Sigma level familiar we can communicate telepathically but that¡¯s decades away. We can start tonight after training.¡±
Tanisha watched Bjorn put the chest back in the corner with his tail. The door opened and Joha walked into the room. He was changed into his merchant attire, which meant it was time to get started for the day. They needed to get her papers and transient merchant licenses so they could sell in the city. Tanisha saddled Bjorn once they were outside, and the trio continued to the guard station.
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The inner city was far more beautiful than Tanisha had realized the night before. The street and boulevards were all paved in beautiful patterns, making use of different materials. Greenery splashed the world in color, while the buildings looked to have different cultural inspirations. Which was likely given the diversity of Lavi in trade and people.
Tanisha couldn¡¯t help but look at some of the many races she passed. She found herself staring at a person carrying boxes from a wagon into a building under construction. He had the upper body of a human but the lower body of a spider. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he was when a screen popped into her vision. It startled her; she yelped and nearly fell off Bjorn, only saved by the fact she was clutched onto the saddlehorn. The incident caused both Bjorn and Joha to look at her in confusion.
Identify
Name: Morn
Race: Jorogumo
Level: 6
Vocation: Noncombatant
¡°Everything okay up there?¡± Joha asked.
¡°Yeah, yeah I am fine,¡± Tanisha said, embarrassed. ¡°Was just startled is all.¡±
She looked back at the pop-up, her confusion turning into fascination as she looked at various people all around. She noticed that most people were around level five except for town guards, who were fifteen and up. She couldn¡¯t see Joha¡¯s level, so she turned her attention to Bjorn.
Identify
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Race: Lernaean Hydra
Level: 21
Vocation: Nature, Elemental, Maya Conduit
¡°Isin?¡± Tanisha said quietly.
Bjorn froze, his leg still in the air before the next step, as his heads turned around to look at her. Tanisha could feel a mixture of emotions from the familiar, ranging from shame to fear. Tanisha could tell she¡¯d found something that he didn¡¯t quite want her to know. Maybe he did know more about himself than he let on. Was Isin his real name? She had so many questions but right now, in the middle of the road, was not the best time. She controlled the maya in her head, letting it take away the feelings of suspicion so she could think clearly. She pet Bjorn¡¯s side and looked at his eyes that seemed to watch her expectantly.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, you big baby, we¡¯ll talk later, okay?¡± Tanisha asked, and Bjorn nodded with a low rumble from his heads.
Joha stopped with his hands on his hips. ¡°Are you two sure you¡¯re okay?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°We¡¯re coming.¡±
The entry paperwork at the guard station was easy; they conducted a short interview which seemed to be more of a formality than anything. Tanisha got the impression that the Isi family may have loosened the gears of bureaucracy a bit, as Joha mentioned the process was easier than normal. It was all but confirmed when the interviewer told them to give the Isi family his regards and condolences.
The Isi family seemed to be far more connected than Tanisha had originally thought. At first she thought they were just the leaders of a small but wealthy village, then a swordsmanship family for those looking to become material users. However, the more she learned about them the more she wondered if they were something else entirely. Their family¡¯s swordsmanship style was deeply entrenched into the guard. They had political sway and money; the only thing they lacked was magical power.
Material Users weren¡¯t on the same level socially as mages, and they couldn¡¯t become nobility. Even if they could amass wealth or gain following, own land and even get military accolades, they were still not mages. They had a higher status than wizards, sure, but nothing more than that. Unless they married their family into a mage family, but then they would lose the Isi name to the mage¡¯s family name.
Tanisha finished her thought out loud, ¡°Unless that mage was shai.¡±
Tanisha found herself in the middle of a powerplay for the Isi to become nobility. They wanted her to marry into the family so they could extend their power. They seemed like good people, and if anyone should be nobles the Isi would make good ones, but did she want to get involved with that mess? The best thing to do would be to talk to Hrolf to get to the bottom of things. This was her path back into nobility if she wanted it, but did she want it?
They arrived back at the gate to the Isi Family House, and there was an Isi maidservant waiting there. She was not like the other maidservants Tanisha had seen. She had on all white, and a veil that covered her face.
¡°Hello, Lady Scalebound, Master Bhatia, my name is ?sa,¡± the maidservant said with a curt bow of her head. ¡°I am Lady Isi¡¯s Right Hand, it is a pleasure to meet you both. The Isi family has requested I collect you and the others involved with the safe return of all the villagers. If you all would please follow me¡¡±
Tanisha looked over to Joha, who simply shrugged. She turned her attention back to ?sa and returned the bow, affirming she was ready. A Right Hand and Left Hand were considered some of the highest positions a servant could obtain. They essentially acted as the word of the person they served, and had the highest authority under the heads of the house.
[51] Gifts
The merchants all met the Isi family in an office space that looked more like a garden; it even had a water feature with fish and a few colorful birds chirping happily. There was a walkway through the office space, and a small bridge to cross the water. This followed the other building philosophy of the Wendigo, an older tradition which shows reverence to the Forest Father. Wendigo believe that they must conquer nature as the Forest Father is a conqueror of the natural world. Nature bows to him, so to worship him one must also conquer nature.
The coat of arms for the Isi family, which was a raven across a sword and shield, hung proudly behind the desk where Kolbein and an older woman sat side by side. The other members of the Isi family stood, Hrolf and Tyr to the right, while to the left Drifa was holding a toddler while another small girl hid behind her legs. The Isi family bowed their heads in respect for each of the merchants.
¡°Thank you all for coming.¡± Kolbein said. ¡°We have faced many difficulties the past few days, but we have not forgotten our manners nor the efforts you all have made to protect our people. First I wanted to introduce you to our family.¡±
Kolbein introduced everyone, starting with his wife Freyr¨ªer, then Hrolf, Drifa and Tyr. He then introduced the new faces; Eydis, the five year old girl currently hiding behind Drifa, and Lif, the toddler currently being carried by her mother. Eydis made eye contact with Tanisha, then looked at Bjorn and ran to Hrolf, who picked her up.
¡°We will be hosting a banquet in all of your honor tonight,¡± Hrolf said as Eydis buried her face in his shoulder. ¡°Anytime you are in Lavi you are welcome here. We do ask that you stay with us for a few more days, however, as we do not know when you were planning on leaving Lavi. There will be an investigation into the attacks and we will most likely be summoned to the Nazem palace to explain what happened.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about us going anywhere, not with a house like this,¡± Owen said with a whistle.
¡°We were also going to stay for a few weeks, to sell here in town,¡± Joha said. ¡°Do you know when the summons will be happening?¡±
¡°We do not know.¡± Kolbein took on a complex expression. ¡°The Nazem house has been quiet the past few days, but it is natural for the new head of their family to shirk responsibility. As for your rewards,¡± Kolbein continued. ¡°We would under normal circumstances offer you money, but with everything that has happened and the rehousing of our people I am afraid we do not have the funds. So we will offer you these instead¡¡± He motioned for someone behind them.
Tanisha turned around, and there were Isi House servants carrying chests of various sizes. A servant stopped in front of her, Joha and the goblins, each with their own chest. Tanisha¡¯s chest was a little larger than a shoebox. The servant opened it for her, and inside laying on top was a silver necklace with small arcane symbols etched into it. Under that was a pair of beautifully crafted damascus daggers; each had runes for a magic caster to use as a wand if necessary. They were of far better quality than the combat knife she¡¯d lost in the fight with the gnoll. The last thing in the chest looked to be a formal outfit, but she couldn¡¯t see it well because it was folded.
The family went on about plans for a banquet for the next few minutes, but Tanisha was transfixed on the necklace, trying to figure out what the symbols meant.
When the meeting was over Helina ran over to Drifa, wanting to see the baby. The goblin woman was a hit with the small child; Drifa let her hold Lif, and the toddler was laughing away.
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To Tanisha¡¯s surpris Eydis walked up to her, dragging her father along. She introduced herself with a curtsy and asked about Bjorn. Eydis was initially skittish as one of Bjorn¡¯s heads watched her, but when Tanisha petted him she wanted to give it a try. In no time she warmed up to the familiar, and even wanted to ride him when she found out Tanisha saddled him.
¡°Sorry about her. You can¡¯t go trying to climb peoples'' familiars,¡± Hrolf chided as he picked up the rambunctious girl. ¡°I did want to tell you more about your gift. The necklace is a dimensional storage item; we saw you carrying a lot of stuff during the journey here and thought it would lighten the load a bit.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s eye widened at that; a dimensional storage item was worth more than anything she possessed, aside from Bjorn. They worked by storing matter inside using the caster¡¯s magic. Dimensional storage crates and bags were common, they just warped the space inside to make it bigger. But jewelry could also be enchanted; it required the creation of a small pocket dimension.
¡°Oh, carrying things was part of my training,¡± Tanisha stated.
¡°See, I told you,¡± Tyr said to his father as he joined the group.
¡°I can¡¯t accept such an expensive gift,¡± Tanisha said, holding out the chest in her arms.
Hrolf refused to take it. ¡°See this girl in my hands, and the one over there makinging friends with Helina, not to mention this young man here. They are my treasures, not one necklace. If not for you I would not be here to see them again. Tyr would not be here, my father would not be here. Everything in that chest is yours.¡±
Tanisha stayed and talked for a bit longer. She found out that the daggers were an orichalcum; ice-silver led to high mana conductivity, meaning they were essentially sharp wands that amplified the magic of the wielder. The outfit was a gi, not formal wear like Tanisha first thought. It was well-made and enchanted to have greater protection than normal clothing. It was in the Isi¡¯s family colors of white, baby blue, and black.
Tyr helped her put on the necklace and showed her how to use it. She already had some understanding of storage items from when she lived in the Salstar manor, before she was sent to live in the academy. She could put things into the space by holding the item and willing it in while simultaneously pushing her mana into the necklace. The pocket dimension¡¯s storage capacity was seventy pounds.
Tanisha couldn¡¯t stay too much longer after that, as Joha wanted to get licenses to sell in the city before the banquet, and she needed to be there for the process. She also wanted to sort out her thoughts on everything. She didn¡¯t bring up the idea she had about them using her to gain nobility. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing, but they didn¡¯t know she was a Salstar before becoming shai; that might cause problems for them if they did make a push for nobility.
Being a noble could protect her, given the fact that the Isi were well connected in Lavi. She would be in one of the Salstar¡¯s biggest rival¡¯s domains, making retaliation less likely. Marriage wasn¡¯t really that big of a deal, either. Wendigo couples could spend decades apart, and some nobles stayed together just long enough to start a family and raise the next generation. Her husband would be responsible for choosing and training the heir. Once the children were adults she¡¯d be free to do whatever she wanted.
Tanisha sighed; she needed someone to talk to that could respond. Joha didn¡¯t seem interested in getting involved, and didn¡¯t really understand wendigo customs, and Bjorn couldn¡¯t talk yet. So she resolved to talk to Helina at the banquet to get her take on things.
¡°We are here,¡± Joha said as they reached a large administration building.
Tanisha had zoned out while riding on Bjorn¡¯s back, and had to look around to see where they were.
There were several administration buildings around a plaza, and a large fountain with greenery decorated the middle. The building they were in front of was the Commerce and Trade Commision of Lavi, and seeing the frankly bland building amongst all the brightly-painted ones was jarring. It followed more of the wendigo building sensibility of function over form.
¡°We will be here for a few hours,¡± Joha continued. ¡°We are going to get permits for us both; I doubt you want to be carrying around all of those tools and weapons from the gnoll camp for very long.¡±
¡°If I can sell all of them here in Lavi that would be great,¡± Tanisha agreed.
[52] Stronger
As it would turn out, the process of getting a merchant permit was tedious but not that difficult. They would have to come back the next day to finish everything, but for the most part it only took a few hours. Tanisha assumed she would finally have some time to herself to think when Joha decided this free time would be perfect for her combat training.
She wasn¡¯t sore, and all of her tiredness from the morning was gone thanks to smoking the maya pipe throughout the day. Tanisha agreed to train, although she wished she could do something else now that they were in a city. She understood the importance of keeping up with her training and had no intention of slacking.
Tanisha decided to use the gear she¡¯d received as a gift since it was so high quality. She discovered that the gift box itself was a dimensional storage space, but a weak one that only slightly increased the room inside.
As it turned out, the gi was actually a lightweight scale armor. While the outside appeared cloth it was impregnated scales in vital locations. There were even blue steel boots and gauntlets made of a highly mana-conductive material used specifically to enhance body strengthening magic. It wouldn¡¯t work with her maya, but she had plenty of mana.
The robe was enchanted for protection against physical, magical and material attacks. There were even self-repair enchantments; as long as damage wasn¡¯t too extensive, feeding the outfit with mana and materials could repair it over time. If the outfit was too badly damaged, though, she would need to take it to an armorer or artificer.
The two daggers had a belt which held them at her sides. Tanisha smiled as she put on the outfit and circulated her mana. She then remembered that the skill allowing her to manipulate mana in her body had changed. It was easier to control the mana that the Delta Pact had purified in her core. She could even slightly move some of the corrupt mana that still made up the majority of her core.
She opened her skills to read over the changes again.
Sage Core Manipulation
Magic cost: Variable
Manipulate the pure mana inside and around your body with greater ease. Allows you to circulate your mana and use mana dependent tools. (II) Maya is Breath, Maya Cost: Variable. Control the flow of maya within your body and around you for a short distance. Allows you to use maya dependent tools.
Tanisha focused on the word Sage for a while. There were still so many questions she had about that. She decided she would ask Helina to train her in elemental magic, since as it stood she only knew Mystic Wind Hands. She grabbed the warstaff, which was now the least impressive weapon in her arsenal. Not to mention the fact it was druidic. She felt as though she should buy a replacement soon and get rid of the thing.
She entered one of the large training areas with Bjorn. This one was made of rectangular stone slabs with runes etched across every square inch of their visible surfaces. Tanisha could feel ambient magic powering the symbols, which she didn¡¯t recognize other than knowing they were archaic.
Joha was in the middle of the training area, talking with ?sa when she walked up.
¡°As long as you two are in this area it should be fine,¡± ?sa responded to a question Tanisha didn¡¯t hear.
¡°Well that is excellent to hear, thank you,¡± Joha said. ¡°Ah, Tanisha, the outfit looks good.¡±
¡°Thanks, it¡¯s actually light weight armor. Figured I might as well get used to wearing it,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°What were you two talking about?¡±
¡°We were discussing the training area,¡± ?sa responded. ¡°The stones that make up the floor are enchanted to allow for people to use abilities unrestrained. The runes prevent magic from leaving the area or damaging the landscape. Joha requested the use of the area for your training. I am here to treat any injuries.¡±
¡°Uh, injuries?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°We will do some light sparring today,¡± Joha said before taking a long draw of his pipe. ¡°You managed to fight with a gnoll warrior and injure her on your own by using a technique you shouldn¡¯t have been able to master so quickly. I want to see where we can improve.¡±
¡°I will leave you to it then; I will be watching from outside the training area,¡± ?sa interjected with a bow.
Joha and Tanisha returned the bow, they then refocused.
¡°Show me the skill you developed by fusing mana and maya first,¡± Joha said.
¡°Infernal Hands?¡± Tanisha asked.
She was already forming the spell before he responded. As she exhaled blue maya escaped her mouth, forming into ghostly hands. Joha studied the constructs for a moment, walking around them.
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Joha nodded. ¡°They are well crafted maya constructs, but fragile. Are these what you fought with?¡±
Tanisha explained that she managed to turn them invisible during the fight with the gnolls. Joha was impressed by the sound of that, and told her to do the same now. It took her a few minutes to alter the spell without despelling them first. It was her first time trying but was pleased at the result. Joha was impressed, but not satisfied with the invisible hands.
¡°Is this what you fought with?¡± Joha asked again.
¡°Yes, is there a problem with them?¡± Tanisha questioned.
¡°Ah, I see. Did it work? Were you able to use these against the gnoll successfully?¡± Joha asked.
¡°I was only able to get a few strikes in,¡± Tanisha admitted. ¡°She kept dodging them even though they were invisible visually and magically.¡±
¡°As I thought.¡± Joha then turned to ?sa who was standing at the perimeter. ¡°Sorry but could you come here for a moment?¡± He yelled.
?sa sped over immediately. ¡°How may I help?¡±
¡°I need your help explaining something to my apprentice, please stay there,¡± Joha said.
Joha directed Tanisha to place the invisible infernal hands in random locations around ?sa. She did so, and then Joha asked ?sa to point them out. To Tanisha¡¯s surprise she did so with ease, even when she moved them around.
¡°Why can she still see them?¡± Tanisha asked.
Joha thanked ?sa and she retreated to the perimeter again.
¡°Invisibility is far more complex than just making something transparent, even with maya,¡± the tiger demon explained. ¡°Ambient mana is always around us, floating in the air, in the ground and the water. Where your Infernal Hands are there is no ambient mana. It would be the same as pressing a sheet of clear glass into sand; even if you can''t see the glass, you see the imprints around it. Once you lose the element of surprise they are no longer invisible. We will work on this technique as well.¡±
Tanisha thought about the encounters with the two gnolls. The one that attacked Helina she managed to strike in the face by surprise. The second at the merchant camp she tried to do the same and blind the warrior. However she had to save Tyr, which caused her to lash out at the gnoll¡¯s arms first. The warrior had been surprised then adapted, dodging the hands and even destroying them.
¡°For this exercise I want you to attack me with all you have,¡± Joha said. ¡°Then I will also spar with Bjorn. We will come up with ways you can fight together and apart. You may use all of your abilities and equipment, including Bjorn¡¯s poisons and toxins. I want to see the full force of your abilities.¡±
Bjorn backed away from the two, walked over to the perimeter and sat down close to ?sa. The veiled woman looked at him for a second and reached out her hand. Bjorn lowered one of his heads, and she pet him and called him a good boy.
Tanisha and Joha bowed, then Tanisha took a quick step back to gather her mana and maya. She forced the two to spread throughout her body, using Mana Armor and Maya Cloak. They used to be her Mana Muscle Saturation skill, but seemed to have evolved. The original skill was a natural ability of the wendigo; all wendigo could do it with the exception of the material users, who had their own version. The new skill was more potent; she felt mana pulsing in her muscles and there was a slight glow radiating from just under her skin.
Then the maya came following the same paths as the mana and dimmed the glow within. Faint wisps of blue escaped her skin and looked almost like ghostly fire, but flickered out too quickly.
Mana Armor
Magic cost: 2
Push mana into your muscles and bones to temporarily increase your physical attributes. (II) Maya Cloak, Maya Cost: 1, the infernal energies within you surround your body, greatly enhancing unarmed strikes. Unarmed punches and kicks will produce a maya shockwave, increasing range of unarmed strikes a short distance.
Joha raised an eyebrow at the control Tanisha possessed. He didn¡¯t speak, however, as Tanisha rushed at him with far greater speed than he had expected. She was far slower than a material user with Flash Step or a mage with Blink, but it was still very impressive. She reached him and swung her staff at him, which he dodged easily. The strike threw her off balance, or at least that¡¯s what Joha thought at first before he noticed the Infernal hands trying to grab him from his blind spots.
With a spin through the air he dodged both hands and Tanisha¡¯s follow up swing with the staff. The tiger demon grabbed the next swing and kicked Tanisha¡¯s legs out from under her in one motion. She fell to the ground, but caught herself with her arms and rolled to her side. She was disarmed as Joha threw the staff away.
She thought about pulling out the daggers, but she wasn¡¯t confident in using those without hurting herself. Instead she had the Infernal Hands pull out her daggers as she remembered when she¡¯d had the Mystic Hands swinging rocks around when she escaped the wolves. Infernal Hands were faster than she was, and faster than Mystic Hands by several fold. Because the hands were invisible it looked like Tanisha had two floating daggers attack on their own.
Tanisha let the daggers harass Joha, who dodged the flashes with ease as she lowered into the AgniKavach stance. She controlled her breathing, and once again followed the movements and breathing techniques Joha had taught her. The maya responded as it did the first time and a wave of energy left her form, flying towards Joha at incredible speed.
The demon used a single jab with a knife hand to split the energy, which continued outward past him before dispersing on a barrier at the edge of the training area. He closed the distance between them, dodging the daggers as he did; she threw up her guard only to be grabbed and flipped through the air. Her back hit the ground hard and after a few agonizing seconds she rolled over to pick herself up.
¡°Good,¡± Joha said as he sat on her back which pinned her to the ground.
Joha caught both of her Infernal Hands with larger red hands made from his own maya. His looked far less ghostly and more substantial. They crushed Tanisha¡¯s variant, dispelling them, and placed the daggers on the ground beside her. Tanisha groaned; she¡¯d hit the ground hard and was pretty sure the only reason nothing broke was because of the Mana Armor.
¡°Your control of maya is impressive. We will go over everything after my spar with Bjorn,¡± Joha said as he finally stood up. ¡°You have gotten stronger in a very short time.¡±
[53] Mage Teacher
Bjorn and ?sa had run to check on Tanisha as she sat up from the ground. The sparring match between her and Joha had ended only moments before. Bjorn was pleasantly surprised at Tanisha¡¯s growth in the short time he had known her. At the start of their unfortunate adventure she was a normal girl, barely able to use the magic within her body. Now she was on the path to mastering not only her magic but also the infernal forces of another reality.
?sa checked over Tanisha, and the two ladies retreated to the perimeter of the training area. Tanisha looked relatively uninjured; she was winded though. That left Bjorn and Joha facing off as they prepared for their match. Bjorn followed Joha back to the middle of the training area, the familiar mentally going over his skills and their cost on his very limited mana.
¡°Bjorn, you can use all of your abilities, do not worry if they are toxic. I will be fine,¡± Joha said.
Joha¡¯s red maya surrounded him in a thin wisp-like veil. Bjorn could tell he was taking this match a little more seriously than he had with Tanisha. It was understandable; he didn¡¯t know all of Bjorn¡¯s abilities, while at the same time was aware Bjorn had killed an entire camp of gnolls alone. However, Bjorn couldn¡¯t use his maya for a few weeks because of the changes it made to his body.
¡°Should we use our breath attacks?¡± Bjorn asked in his head.
¡°I don¡¯t see why not. He did give us the okay and I doubt we can kill him,¡± Failsafe responded.
Bjorn lowered his heads as he bared his teeth and hissed loudly. He stalked around Joha, remaining low to the ground. He wanted to get a good position and to block the tiger demon''s view of his right head until the last possible second. As soon as Bjorn made it around to the demon''s side he leapt, claws extended as a red herring.
Joha reacted by turning his body in a smooth, well practiced motion. He was surprised when the attack came up short and Bjorn was out of range. Until Bjorn''s right head opened its mouth, and a thick Poison Cloud rushed forth like a tsunami. He¡¯d held the skill in this mouth longer so it would spill out with much greater speed. In an instant the entirety of the training field was engulfed in magically infused poison. At the perimeter of the training field it stopped suddenly, as if there was a wall preventing it from spreading further.
Bjorn wasn¡¯t idle with the single attack. While he couldn¡¯t close the distance between himself and Joha with his fangs without lunging again, his tail was plenty long. He used the poison as a smoke screen as he spun around, swinging his long tail, aiming the thagomizer at Joha¡¯s position. All in all the attack took less than a second, his speed greatly increased by his new stats.
When he didn¡¯t feel an impact he located the tiger demon within the cloud by flicking his tongues, finding his scent. Now that he had three heads he could locate a target extremely quickly. He rushed in, snapping his heads at Joha, only for each strike to be redirected by an open palm with inhuman speed and accuracy.
Joha was cloaked in red maya, which didn¡¯t allow the poison to reach him. He used a maya infused equivalent of Flash Step to sidestep Bjorn¡¯s relentless attacks. Bjorn reared back to reposition and swiped his front right claws at him. Joha ducked the wild strike and laid an open palm strike on Bjorn¡¯s side.
The impact wasn¡¯t hard, but Joha¡¯s maya surged, pushing Bjorn onto his side and causing him to slide back a few feet. Bjorn could tell that Joah held back a lot, and if he was serious that attack would have blown him in half.
¡°That is enough, Bjorn,¡± Joha said.
After the cloud dissipated, Joha gathered Bjorn and Tanisha to go over their sparring matches. He was pleased with them both, but noted some room for improvements. Tanisha was too hesitant and Bjorn wasn¡¯t used to the size of his body. The problems boiled down to lack of confidence; neither were comfortable in the power they had but Joha promised that it would not be that way for long.
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¡°There is a more pressing issue with Bjorn,¡± Joha said. ¡°His maya channels are damaged, which is not surprising given how much they changed him. He is avoiding using his maya because of it.¡±
¡°How can we heal them? I can buy a health potion,¡± Tanisha asked, her voice dripping with concern. ¡°We can go right now¡¡±
Joha raised his hand to stop her. ¡°No, a health potion won¡¯t work. This is a problem with his attunement with the Infernal Planes.¡±
¡°His attunement? You mean like the pipe that I have to smoke?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Yes, the pipe helps attune your body to the Infernal Planes gradually and safely,¡± Joha said. ¡°Bjorn was exposed to an explosive amount of energy rapidly. His body will repair the damage in time, but it will take a year or two without proper rehabilitation. So, during the morning training I will also be working with Bjorn to recover his maya channels.¡±
Tanisha was a nervous wreck with the news, and kept asking more questions about if Bjorn was in pain, if he needed to change his diet, and anything else she could find out about the condition. Apparently it wasn¡¯t a big deal as long as he didn¡¯t use maya for the next few weeks. The treatment for animals consisted of the use of a Caragi, which was a large bowl that essentially filled a space with maya. The animal would breathe it in, much like she did with the pipe, and perform simple activities. Joha continued with tips on how to condense a maya construct to make them stronger.
The group kept on with combat training for the next few hours, going over forms and reinforcing habits with light sparring. By the end of their training they had accrued a small crowd. Several members of the Hrior af Brotnum Isi mystic swordsmanship style had come to watch. Once training was over Tanisha got several requests to spar when she had the time, which Joha thought would be a good idea.
After a bath Tanisha searched for Helina, and found her watching her sons as they took swordsmanship lessons from one of the instructors. She was sitting in a gazebo, eating what looked like a small cake. When she saw Tanisha and Bjorn she smiled, patting the seat beside her. Tanisha sat down, and the familiar feeling of Helina¡¯s long tail wrapping around her waist made her feel comfortable. The gesture was a goblin equivalent of a hug.
The two talked for a while about the estate and the wait time for the permits and many other inconsequential subjects. Tanisha could tell that Helina knew she was stalling but humored her anyway. After a while Tanisha sighed, deciding to get to the heart of things.
¡°Can you teach me elemental magic?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Yes, of course,¡± Helina said without missing a beat. ¡°We can start tomorrow if you like.¡±
Tanisha hurried through her defense. ¡°I know it is a time investment but I am a fast le¡¡± Tanisha paused in making her case. ¡°Wait, what? Really just like that?¡±
Helina giggled. ¡°Did you think I would turn you away? I would have taught you even before you saved my life. I assumed you were going to look into the nature discipline instead of elemental.¡±
¡°That would make sense because of my potion making, but I don¡¯t have anyone who can teach me that,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°You still look troubled though; did something else happen?¡± Helina questioned.
¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the Isi want to marry me to Tyr so they can become nobles,¡± Tanisha said in a breath.
Helina laughed loudly. She had to get a hold of herself before she could finally talk. ¡°Oh, yeah definitely that is the plan. You are the catch of a lifetime for any family like theirs. A female mage with no family connections; you are a sign from the Celestial Planes that the stars are aligning. I thought it wasn¡¯t a big deal for wendigo to marry for status, and you and Tyr seem close.¡± She pointed up at the red feather in Tanisha¡¯s tiara.
Tanisha blushed, sitting up perfectly straight. ¡°We-we decided to give courting a try is all.¡± She took a breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I want to go back to being a noble, or if it is possible given who my former family was.¡±
Helina nodded at that. ¡°Hmm¡ Yeah I imagine, given what they did to you, which I still want to wring their necks for by the way, they wouldn¡¯t be too pleased with you trying to regain your peerage.¡±
¡°What do you think I should do?¡± Tanisha asked.
Helina patted Tanisha¡¯s knee. ¡°Politics isn¡¯t really my forte, but as a Shai you don¡¯t have any ties to your old life. If it bothers you to regain nobility, it¡¯s not like you don''t have a couple hundred years ahead of you. You don¡¯t have to rush into this. I think you should talk to Kolbien because he is the patriarch; find out their intentions for the arranged marriage.¡±
Tanisha was quiet for a little while, and nodded. ¡°Yeah, I will do it after the banquet.¡±
Helina looked up at the girl. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, I will walk with you to his office and tell¡¯em to back off. If Tyr does anything funny you let mamma Helina know.¡±
¡°Mamma Helina?¡± Tanisha smiled. ¡°Okay, deal.¡±
[54] Left Hand of the Salstars
Tanisha sat facing Joha, who was explaining different salesman tactics in one of the common areas. ?sa interrupted to retrieve Tanisha, to prepare her for the banquet. It would be starting in a few hours, and they wanted to make sure she was properly dressed and prepared. They returned to Tanisha¡¯s room where three other servants were waiting.
Tanisha used her Identify on the group of ladies.
Identify
Name: Roskva Yulu
Race: Wendigo
Level: 6
Vocation: Noncombatant
Identify
Name: Hervor Faas
Race: Wendigo
Level: 5
Vocation: Noncombatant
Identify
Name: Ranveig Kole
Race: Wendigo
Level: 10
Vocation: Mystic Swordswoman
¡°Ah, and there she is,¡± Hervor said with a wide smile. ¡°She looks as cute as a flower. What a gorgeous tiara as well.¡±
The women were all snowfallen wendigo, and all introduced themselves. Shortly after, Tanisha was embarrassed as they stripped her down and took her to the bath to wash and scrub her down. They worked on her hair, and Tanisha found she was not alone. Helina was getting the same treatment and loving every minute of it.
When they returned to the room they measured and fit her for a new formal outfit. A montage of trying on various dresses, robes and accessories ensued. Tanisha could not help but think of her life before she was kicked out and lived in the academy. As a little girl the Salstar servants would dress her for events, and her older sister would always put on her accessories. A pang of sadness washed over her, knowing that her sister was gone and she was now a shai.
She also remembered her mother¡¯s Right Hand Thyra; a mean lady that would always discipline her and her siblings. Thyra believed in etiquette and manners above all else; as a lady of the Salstars, Tanisha, or as she was known then Freja, needed to exude class at all times. Tanisha remembered hearing that the woman was actually a powerful mage, although Tanisha didn¡¯t remember ever seeing her use magic.
Tanisha shook the thoughts from her head as Ranveig secured a black sash around her waist, completing the outfit. She was in a red dress with a sash around her waist tied in a big bow. Her hair was slightly shorter, as they¡¯d cut off all of the split ends. Tanisha was finally able to see herself when the ladies brought her a mirror.
¡°Wow, I look¡¡± Tanisha had a huge smile on her face as spun around to see everything. ¡°I look good¡¡±
The door to her room opened and ?sa walked in with Bjorn. Tanisha¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw her familiar, and she swore he struck a pose when she saw him. He was in a modified red cloth horse barding. His antlers were decorated in the same style as her own, with red and blue feathers. He looked at her and let out an approving growl that must have sounded threatening to everyone else because they backed away. Tanisha reached up, and he lowered one of his heads. She nuzzled him.
¡°Don¡¯t you look handsome too, my Big Man.¡± Tanisha said lovingly.
The banquet was taking place in one of the large training fields, which had been decorated in white and baby-blue. Four rows of tables were set up; each had expensive looking dishware placed on it. A stage at the far end had a band of string instruments, which gave the area the ambiance of sophistication. There were many people already there; the survivors from the village made up only about half of the attendees.
Tanisha saw many people she had not seen before, including of other races such as a kumiho couple. Their nine fox tails and long ears were a dead give away even without Identify. ?sa led Tanisha and Bjorn to a special table where Joha and the goblins were already sitting. Bjorn had his own large bowl on a separate smaller table behind them.
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Tanisha couldn¡¯t help but notice there were other bowls placed on the table for familiars that had yet to show up. Tanisha didn¡¯t get the chance to ask about them before Helina squealed in excitement and ran over to her, complementing her appearance. Female goblins were always beautiful, and Helina was no exception to that rule. She wore a black dress which sparkled with magic, giving it the effect of a tiny star in the night sky. Tanisha couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit jealous of the small woman''s beauty and curves, but that feeling was quickly taken away by maya under Tanisha¡¯s manipulation.
The small woman grabbed Tanisha¡¯s hand and happily led her to a seat between her and Joha. The tiger demon was in what Tanisha assumed was formal clothing from his homeland. He wore a silk lime-green and asymmetric sherwani with beautiful golden patterns across the outfit. A matching dupatta rested across his broad shoulders. Owen and the boys were in matching black outfits, but Tanisha couldn¡¯t get as good a look at them.
The Isi family entered the banquet area, all of them in, white, baby blue and black; the family colors. Kolbien, Hrolf and Tyr all had a shoulder cape with their coat of arms embroidered on it. They slowly made their way around, talking with everyone over the course of the next ten minutes.
When they finally made it to the merchant''s table, Tanisha caught Tyr¡¯s eyes. They didn¡¯t get time to talk beyond simple compliments on each other''s appearance before Kolbien moved the family on, finally taking seats at a table that faced everyone in the banquet. Kolbien and Hrolf took the stage, and the band stopped playing. Servants with trays of drinks quickly served everyone in the venue. The patriarch of the Isi stood proud as he opened his mouth to speak.
¡°Friends and family, ladies and gentlemen, our esteemed guests, tonight we gather to dine and to honor the courage, sacrifice and unbreakable spirit of heroes among us,¡± Kolbien said, his voice strong and confident. On que, a servant offered him and Hrolf drinks. ¡°It is with utmost gratitude that I raise my glass to Joha of the Rakshasa, Tanisha the mage and arcanist, Owen and Helina the extraordinary merchants. Their deeds have saved not only my life, but half of all here today.¡±
Tanisha could not help but glance into the faces of everyone at the banquet. Their eyes looked over the merchant''s table. The villagers knew them, but the others were studying them with newfound interest. They were especially looking at her, and Tanisha wasn¡¯t sure why. Thinking it was all in her head she turned her attention back to the patriarch on the stage, who had been continuing his speech.
He spoke on for a few more minutes then raised his glass in a cheer. Everyone cheered and drank; Tanisha¡¯s glass held flavored water but everyone of drinking age had a traditional wendigo milk-wine. Wendigo being obligate carnivores had a difficult time with other alcohols, although Tanisha saw some of the non-wendigo guests with red wine and champagne.
Once the toast was over servants rolled out large haunches of meats in various stages of cooked, from raw to well-done. They walked around and cut directly from the haunch onto the waiting plate of whomever they passed. They served the Isi family first, then the merchant table before everyone else. After them came more and more courses of meat, from beef to poultry and seafood. Tanisha saw some of the non-wendigo being served salad and vegetables.
The banquet became lively as food and drinks flowed and people conversed. Tanisha talked cheerily with her companions, really feeling like she could let her guard down. It was nice to be amongst people that she could trust again. She felt they truly had her back.
After a while people from other tables came over to speak with them. Many of the villagers paid their respects, and the other, obviously more influential guests inquired about their goods and services for networking. More than a few wendigo asked about Tanisha¡¯s mage status and if she was a noble. She waved off any talks of nobility.
¡°No-no, I am an alchemist potion maker. Joha is my arcanist teacher and Helina my magic instructor,¡± Tanisha responded.
At some point into the evening Tyr came over and requested a dance. Tanisha was nervous but accepted, and the two danced to the music along with several other couples, including Helina and Owen who were both very tipsy.
They weren¡¯t able to dance for long before the sound of wings flapping overhead arrested everyone¡¯s attention. A wyvern familiar landed in an adjacent field; worst of all Tanisha swore she recognized it. The orange and red scales were a rarity amongst wyvern, and unmistakable as a familiar.
Two figures hopped down off the back of the Wyvern; both women in the veiled uniform of a Right or Left Hand. The first woman Tanisha recognized even before her Identify confirmed it. Her uniform had the navy blue of the Salstar domain.
Identify
Name: Thyra Ilsori
Race: Wendigo
Level: ??
Vocation: Sanguine Mage
Tanisha didn¡¯t know what she wanted to do; why was Thyra here? She was the Left hand of Ingrid, Tanisha¡¯s mother, and a mage that had served their family for decades. The Hands were sent out to neighboring domains for various reasons; usually negotiation, trade or other political needs. So the fact she was there didn¡¯t mean her mother was, thankfully. Still this was a tenuous situation, and Tanisha wanted to get as far away from her as possible.
The second woman had on the green, red and white associated with the Nazem noble house. Tanisha could guess that she was one of the Hands of Nazem.
Identify
Name: Isgeror Dal
Race: Wendigo
Level: 4
Vocation: Noncombatant
[55] The Sanguine Mage
Tyr was called away by his father as Tanisha rejoined the merchants table. Joha was chatting with Unn from the village, who informed him of who all the guests were. He didn¡¯t have any visible reaction to Tanisha other than a glance at her. She could tell he understood this was a touchy moment for her even if he didn¡¯t fully grasp wendigo culture. After a few more words Unn left the master and student to talk, noticing the desperation in Tanisha¡¯s appearance.
¡°Will this be a problem for you?¡± Joha asked.
¡°I don¡¯t think so. I am following the rules of my banishment and this is not the Salstar Domain,¡± Tanisha said as she looked over to the crowd around the Hands. ¡°I don¡¯t know though. Maybe it would be better if I left; she would tell my mother I¡¯m here.¡±
Joha nodded. ¡°Well, if you believe it is for the best. I will tell them you retired for the evening if the Isi family asks. A side effect of your maya training this morning.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡± Tanisha said. ¡°Bjorn let¡¯s g¡¡±
Tanisha wasn¡¯t able to finish her statement before a loud screech arrested everyone¡¯s attention. Thyra¡¯s wyvern panicked, flapping its wings in terror when it saw Bjorn from across the venue. No one was hurt, but a few people were blown off their feet from the might of the wyvern¡¯s wings. Thyra quickly went to calm her familiar but was only able to when it could no longer see Bjorn. The Hand of the Salstar marched angrily towards the merchants table, Kolbein and Hrolf trying to calm her down.
¡°Lady Thyra, we can assure you this was not an attack on your familiar,¡± Hrolf said with haste. ¡°These are the individuals that saved our people from certain death.¡±
Tanisha turned to face Bjorn and he used his body to prevent Thyra from getting a good look at her. Thyra approached the table, her veil preventing anyone from seeing her face but obviously glaring at the familiar. Joha stepped between her and Bjorn, the tiger demon doing a short bow of respect. She looked him up and down assessingly.
¡°Hand of the Salstar Domain, my name is Joha Bhatia,¡± he said with a kind expression. ¡°I would ask if you forgive my student¡¯s familiar; he has an effect on creatures of draconic lineage.¡±
¡°Your student?¡± Thyra asked with venom. ¡°What is that horrid thing and what did it do to Magnus? Mind magic is an assault on my familiar. I will not allow someone to make a fool of the Salstar domain, demon.¡±
¡°It was not mind magic. Bjorn is a chimera and he does not possess any such ability,¡± Joha responded. ¡°I believe your familiar just sensed how venomous he is. I take responsibility for my student¡¯s shortcoming in controlling her familiar and offer my deepest apology. We mean no offense to you or your domain.¡±
¡°Bring the master of that beast here, demon,¡± Thyra demanded. ¡°Let them speak for themselves.¡±
¡°Hand Thyra, the Isi family also apologizes for the inconveniences. We didn¡¯t expect you and hadn¡¯t accounted for Bjorn¡¯s effect on draconic familiars,¡± Kolbein said hurriedly. ¡°Surely we can solve this amicably.¡±
Tyr looked like he wanted to jump in as well but Hrolf held him back. The Hand was quiet for a moment as she apparently looked over the crowd although the veil meant know one knew who exactly she was looking at.
Thyra¡¯s voice was calm but the indignation was evident. ¡°I want to speak with the owner of that familiar, Elder Isi. Is there a reason you would refuse a noble house this request?¡±
Tanisha turned around and walked into the crowd that had formed. The tension in the air arrested everyone in the venue. Helina and Owen drunkenly stood beside her for moral support and Joha stepped out of her way. Bjorn tensed up with anticipation, he tried to look as calm as possible but ready to act at a moment''s notice. He was more than ready to kill this person if she threatened Tanisha¡¯s life.
¡°You¡ Freja?¡± Thyra questioned in disbelief. ¡°What are you doing here? You have the audacity to attack my familiar with that creature.¡± She paused in contemplative silence. ¡°Did you use the Salstar name to get here? Claw your way into this city and into this estate?¡±
Tanisha used maya to calm her mind and allow herself to feel confident by suppressing her anxiety. She found that when she did, anger started boiling up in her. Thyra may not have been the one to kick her out of the family, but she didn¡¯t make life any easier when they found out she was a wizard. She was a cold abusive witch and Tanisha had to choke back the anger she felt towards the woman and everyone in the Salstar house.
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¡°My name is Tanisha Scalebound. I think you have confused me with someone else who died a little while ago,¡± Tanisha said through gritted teeth. ¡°We meant you no disrespect, Hand of Salstar.¡±
Thyra laughed a hardier laugh than anyone would have expected. ¡°How cute. So this is what became of you, the little wizard Shai. You became a whore of the material users. I believe this was worth the journey just so I could see you. The Lady will be ecstatic that you are here.¡± She turned to Kolbein. ¡°I would be careful whom you associate your family with, Elder Isi. Especially strays like this one.¡± They could hear the smile stretched across the woman''s face as she turned back to Tanisha. ¡°I hope you remember the terms of your banishment.¡±
¡°I have followed all the rules the patriarch set,¡± Tanisha said sharply.
Thyra took another step closer, which warranted a sharp warning hiss from Bjorn and a more defensive stance from the goblins at her side. She ignored the obvious hostility and leaned in close to Tanisha. She lifted half of her veil, revealing the crazed look on her face. Her eyes wide and glowing red and a smile revealed all of her sharp teeth.
¡°We will be seeing each other again soon, Freja,¡± Thyra whispered. ¡°Failure of the Salstar house, I can¡¯t wait until the next time we meet.¡± She lowered the veil and stood up straight, clearing her throat. ¡°Elder Isi, I accept your family''s apology. It is correct that you were not expecting me and therefore could not have taken the right precautions for someone of my status. Hand Isgeror here invited me as her plus one.¡± She clapped softly. ¡°With this matter taken care of. I would love to enjoy the banquet.¡±
The Nazem Hand stood silently, not saying a word and meekly agreed to anything Thyra said. Kolbein took the lifeline to calm the situation and quickly walked the two Hands to a table, nervously exchanging pleasantries. Tanisha could feel that there was a tension in the air now; it felt like all eyes were on her. Tyr broke off from his family and joined the merchant group around Tanisha.
¡°Tanisha-Tanisha!¡± Joha called with a shake of her shoulder.
She hadn¡¯t realized that she was so angry she was exhaling maya, and not the normal blue but instead a greenish variant. She could feel her maya veins burning from the exertion and she could smell burning sulfur from the Infernal Planes deep in the enigmatic energy. She quickly got her breathing under control and settled down the swelling maya within her veins.
¡°I am okay,¡± Tanisha said, finally letting the maya mellow out her anger as well. ¡°I think I am going to go, though.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to leave because of that Salstar bitch,¡± Helina said, her words slurring. ¡°She can¡¯t do nothing. This ain¡¯t her domain. In fact I¡¯ll go over there and¡¡± She started to walk towards them but Owen¡¯s tail was wrapped around her waist and she simply marched in place.
Tanisha looked over to Thyra, who sat just a few tables down. She was already surrounded by people looking to make connections with such a high ranking member of the Salstar domain. The Isi family amongst them, most likely trying to curry some favor after what just happened.
Tyr grabbed her hand and she stopped for a moment. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go. This celebration is for you and the others for what they did for us.¡±
¡°No,¡± Tanisha said as she pulled away. ¡°I think I am done for the night, sorry.¡±
¡°We will be continuing training in the morning. Bright and early,¡± Joha said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°We will work through the emotions you suppressed with the maya first, do not release them alone. It can be jarring when performing a cleansing on yourself for the first time.¡±
Tyr walked her to her room and Bjorn was sure the young man knew he wasn¡¯t going in with them by separating the pair with his tail once they had arrived. The young man took the hint gracefully when the three heads hissed in his direction. The doors closed and Tanisha deflated.
She stripped down in her room and sat in her underwear wrapped up in a comforter on the large futon meant for Bjorn. Her mind was working overtime to dissect her interaction with Thyra. The Left Hand didn¡¯t have power here to do anything to her, but was she alone? Was Loki, the Right Hand, here as well, or worse, her mother? If the Isi really wanted her for political gain that ship had sailed. After Thyra¡¯s threat to Kolbein to distance himself from her she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Tyr asked for the engagement ribbon back before the night was over.
¡°It started out as such a nice day, too,¡± Tanisha said to Bjorn, then let silence settle back in the room. ¡°Isin, is that your real name? I can see parts of other people''s statuses now. Yours is Bjorn Isin Scalebound.¡±
She felt a flurry of emotions from the bond, but didn¡¯t like the feel of their emotions mixing uncomfortably. She looked at the familiar¡¯s heads and each of them seemed to be avoiding her gaze.
Tanisha stood up and walked over to him. She began undoing the straps which held up his formal barding. It wasn¡¯t like he could talk about it anyway. She undid the last belt and the barding fell away easily. She walked back to the futon and wrapped herself back up in the comforter.
¡°Well I guess we both have something we don¡¯t want to talk about,¡± Tanisha said with a huff as she fell back onto the futon. ¡°Oh, wait, I¡¯m supposed to teach you how to read. Now¡¯s a better time than any I guess.¡±
[56] Specialization
Tanisha woke several hours before dawn and couldn¡¯t go back to sleep. She put on her scale armor, which had apparently been cleaned by the servants at some point. She was frustrated and decided to release that frustration with a morning run. Bjorn joined her, but she could tell he wasn¡¯t a morning hydra and not happy about being up so early.
She used her skills to enhance her physicality as much as possible and took off running around the Isi estate. There was a path that went around the perimeter of the training field that she followed when she found it. She appreciated the time to just clear her mind and focus on her breathing. She could feel the impact of each step, the sensation of her muscles flexing, the mana and maya moving to her will, the sound of her heart beating. The longer she ran, the faster she got, the more she could lose herself to the feeling of power in her body.
Tanisha only allowed herself to see the path in front of her. She blocked out all other sensations, feeling her core and maya veins. The power responded to her, it flowed into her muscles and begged to be used by her. It wanted direction and she responded, but slowly and controlled, the way Joha had shown. Then something clicked, some spell or arcanist thing she didn¡¯t mean to do connected and activated. The mana and maya had a direction, forming a spell-form she had never intended.
She came back to her senses and saw she had outrun Bjorn, who was at a full gallop. For a single step the world was frozen as greenish-blue maya flowed from her mouth. Mana coated her body in a slight shimmer and as the second step landed the world shifted and blurred. In an instant she was ten feet further forward than she should have been. Unfortunately, ten feet was far enough forward to shoot her off the path and into a bush, where she failed to stop before tripping over a root and tumbling into a tree trunk.
¡°Ahhh! What the agghh.¡± Tanisha moaned in pain as she picked herself up off the ground. ¡°What was that? Why has the maya changed color?¡±
She brushed herself off; luckily the Mana Armor and Maya Cloak were active so it hadn¡¯t hurt too much. Bjorn caught up to her, and when he saw that she was fine she felt him laugh at her. She playfully chided him for a little while and then got back to the road. She decided to check her skills to see if she did get something new, but was disappointed to find no changes.
¡°Did I use a Flash Step or something by accident?¡± Tanisha questioned. She looked at Bjorn who nodded affirmatively. ¡°Really! I did?¡± She bounced up and down in excitement. ¡°I¡¯m a mage so it would have had to be Blink, right? I can use Blink, me! I don¡¯t know how I did it, but I did.¡±
She guessed that she didn¡¯t gain the skill because she didn¡¯t really know how to cast the effect. So she would need to figure out how to recreate the skill on purpose. She thought it should be easy enough since she did it once already. After another hour of running and no result she figured that maybe it was harder than she realized.
A few minutes before dawn Joha and ?sa found her on the running path. They went back to the same open training field with the strange runes as before. This time, however, Joha pulled a caragi bowl from his maya. The bowl was metal with the same design as the smoking pipes which showed flowers on fire. As soon as he placed the bowl on the ground it billowed out white maya that filled the training area within minutes.
Tanisha decided not to tell Joha about the incident with Blink. Instead she wanted to figure it out and surprise him with it in one of their sparring matches to get the upper hand. She would talk to Helina and see if she had any tips on how to use the ability.
Other than the maya mist, the training was a mixture of flexibility, bodily and breathing control, and maya manipulation. Joha also had Bjorn perform stretches while breathing in the white maya.
¡°Okay, we are done for now,¡± Joha said after one final stretch. ¡°We will leave for the permit office at noon; be ready.¡±
¡°Okay, I am going to see Helina if you need me,¡± Tanisha said with a tired huff. ¡°Bjorn, come on Big Man.¡±
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She and Bjorn found Helina in the same gazebo as before. Helina was waiting for them, and the group went to a nearby open field with a water feature. Helina and Tanisha sat down in lotus position facing each other while Bjorn wandered around.
¡°Okay, so we will start with your understanding of the different disciplines and their specializations. What do you know about the magical disciplines?¡± Helina asked.
¡°There are six disciplines: Nature, Starlight, Darkness, Elemental, Spellcraft, and the rarest, Anti-magic. Interestingly, Ingrid is an Anti-magic mage and Ulfar a Starlight mage.¡± Tanisha coughed to get back on track. ¡°Each discipline is like a category of similar magics that use very similar principles to function. A wizard and mage can learn any discipline to some extent, but only a mage can specialize, and only in one discipline. Mages may specialize in multiple aspects of that discipline. A nature mage for example will have an affinity to any of the Nature based specializations like Beast Taming, Botanokinesis, Healing, Body Enhancement, Sanguine, and Toxic magic.¡±
Helina smiled brightly. ¡°That is correct, although learning multiple specialties can be difficult as well. Many mages have very specific affinities. I for example am an Elemental mage but have specialized in Hydrokinesis. This is because it comes far easier to me than the other elements.¡± A gust of wind focused around the small woman, lifting her off the ground weightlessly for a moment before setting her back down. ¡°Aerokinesis¡¡± She opened her hands; a ball of fire appeared in one and electricity sparked in the other, ¡°Pyrokinesis and Electrokinesis are the only other specialties I can use, and not very well mind you.¡± She looked winded from just the small exertion. ¡°That still leaves Ionikinesis, Geokinesis and Ferrokinesis spells that I can¡¯t use at all.
¡°Wendigo have an abnormally large population of magic casters; most of your people are blessed with some form of magic,¡± Helina continued excitedly. ¡°There is a theory that everyone who has magic is a mage, however their discipline has simply not been discovered yet so we don¡¯t know their affinity because it isn¡¯t one of the six, but instead some unknown seventh or eighth.¡± She took a breath. ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s aside from the point, but who knows; maybe that chaotic core of yours is the secret to a new discipline of Chaos magic.
¡°The first thing we are going to do is see which specialty you resonate with the most. Hopefully it¡¯s one of the ones I can use, but if it is one of the three I can¡¯t, unfortunately I won¡¯t be much help. You obviously have some familiarity with aerokinesis since you can use the Mystic Wind Hands, so we will look at your wind affinity first. Hold out your hands for me and repeat after me. And don¡¯t worry, this is a specialty test to see how the elements respond to you.¡±
Tanisha did as instructed and Helina clasped onto her outstretched hands. She spoke words of power which were unspeakable to those that did not have a connection to mana. The words of power vibrated the air with each vocalization. To a normal person it would sound almost like gibberish, whispers or songs in a foreign language. To magic casters that could parse the meaning it would sound like a series of code and commands the formula that made up the world.
The spell caused the wind to pick up around them, forming a whirlwind that picked up grass and dirt around them. Tanisha felt that it was her mana alone that formed the spell; Helina only stabilized the effect somehow. Helina¡¯s eyes were wide as she watched the swirling winds. Magic air was visible, much like the Mystic Wind Hands. Tanisha¡¯s magic was tinged with blue-green maya, giving the air a shimmer of infernal energy. They stopped the spell and prepared for the next.
¡°Well, we can say with high certainty you can be an aerokinetic mage,¡± Helina said. ¡°Next we will test my specialty, water. Just follow my words again.¡±
The women continued with the water aptitude test, and a spout of water rose up from the ground between them. The water had the same infernal properties as the air. The spout continued to rise, forming into a ring that floated in the air. It dispersed into a fine mist once the spell was over, and Helina jumped up with glee.
¡°Yes, you are a Hydrokinetic mage too!¡± Helina said excitedly. ¡°I was so worried that I wouldn¡¯t really be able to teach you much.¡±
¡°So, we can get started then?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°No, first we have to test the rest of your specialty affinities.¡± She plopped back on the ground and reached out her hands. ¡°You may have four like me, so let''s keep going.¡±
The women went over fire next, which caused a blue-green mana and maya fireball to appear between them. Then electricity, which caused blue-green sparks to arc out from their skin into the ground around them. The sensation of which felt weird and oddly relaxing to the muscles.
¡°You have a strong affinity for each of the ones we tested,¡± Helina said. ¡°Wind is your highest and fire is your lowest so far. Even still, they are all greater than any affinity I have, with the exception of water, and that is only because I have decades of experience with water magic. The next ones I won¡¯t be able to help guide you through the spells as much, so you will have to go slowly, okay? If you feel anything abnormal stop and let the mana go. We will try Ionikinesis first. It will feel a lot like a mixture of fire and electricity. I have also heard people that can use it are called plasma mages.
[57] Greater
Helina let go of Tanisha¡¯s hands; she wouldn¡¯t be able to assist her in stabilizing the spell form since she didn¡¯t have an affinity for Ionikinesis. The plasma mage specialization was tricky because some of its properties were similar to Starlight magic and their light constructs. There weren¡¯t many elemental mages who could utilize the specialization so Tanisha didn¡¯t have high hopes for it either. Not to mention that if she could use it there were so few teachers she would have to be self-taught.
¡°Are you ready?¡± Helina asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Tanisha said in a breath.
Tanisha closed her eyes as she repeated the words of power after Helina. She could feel her mana reacting to each word and could visualize the spell form in her core. The spell form was a mage''s connection to and control of a spell. While it wasn¡¯t literally in their core they could feel the mana expenditure and the shape it took as it left their core. Drawing out spell forms was an art onto itself; they usually took on geometric shapes in two and three dimensions.
Manipulating the spell form in their core was a learned skill, one that took many years to master. The spells Helina and Tanisha were performing were some of the most basic aptitude tests, and luckily extremely eazy. They would have to be, in order for aspiring mages to find out what specialities they had.
Tanisha felt her pure mana create the complete spell form, but felt it destabilizing by the moment. She panicked and dove deeper into herself; she felt imperfections in the spell form and had to act quickly. She didn¡¯t necessarily see the spell form but visualized a three-dimensional spell circle. The innermost circle was spinning extremely quickly, not much detail could be made out.
The second circle was made up of several interlocking rings; they spun in opposite directions to each other and contained the energy of the innermost circle. These rings were far clearer and Tanisha felt the word F????h???o????u?????m???u?????t?????h??? Fhoumuth come to mind. It was a word of power she had never heard. She returned to the first circle and studied it for a few heartbeats when the word D???o?????s????h?????i????n????a???h????a???? Doshinaha entered her mind.
She moved to the third and final ring; this one was a sphere covered in runic symbols. Several symbols were missing and mana escaped the spell from within at an increasing rate. The spell was destabilizing as the sphere cracked, releasing more and more mana. The spell form began to dim and Tanisha knew she had to do something. She pushed more mana into the spell form, causing it to reignite, but only for a second before the sphere began to crack even more.
She then decided to breathe in slowly and surround the spell form in maya. The sphere latched on to the infernal power, rapidly drawing it in. Tanisha panicked again when the draw didn¡¯t stop. Slowly the missing runes appeared with odd shapes she didn¡¯t understand. The infernal power redrew the spell and mixed intimately with the mana in a way she hadn¡¯t seen before.
No, she had seen this before. Earlier that day when she unintentionally used Blink. There was a sudden realization, and when she saw the new stabilized sphere she felt the final word of power, S??????i??????k????e?????a???d??????i???? Sikeadi.
¡°F????h???o????u?????m???u?????t?????h??? D???o????s????h????i????n????a????h????a???? ????S???i?????k???e????a???d???i???? Fhoumuth Doshinaha Sikeadi,¡± Tanisha said before she even realized what she was doing.
She felt heat kiss her skin and light flashed in front of her, causing her to open her eyes. Helina screamed as she jumped back from a pillar of plasma that shot over two hundred yards up into the sky. It took Tanisha a few seconds to recognize what was going on. The heat from the plasma was contained, it was her magic and maya to control after all, but the air felt electrified and dangerous. She stopped the flow of her energies and the plasma tower petered out without mana holding it together.
¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Helina screamed as she ran to Tanisha, looking over her worriedly. ¡°Are you okay, Tanisha? You weren¡¯t hurt were you?¡±
Tanisha felt the goblin mother¡¯s tail wrap around her in a comforting gesture as she looked her over.
¡°I am fine, I¡¯m fine,¡± Tanisha assured while signaling Helina to calm down. ¡°I just fixed the spell form is all.¡±
¡°You did what?¡± Helina asked, exasperated. ¡°How did you fix a spell form you¡¯ve never seen before? You should have just stopped the spell, you could have caused a lot of damage to your core with mana backlash! You stopped repeating after me and started saying something else. Tell me exactly what happened.¡±
Tanisha went over everything that had transpired during the spell. Helina just listened, mouth agape the entire time, which made Tanisha less and less confident as she continued. She decided to take this time to come clean, explaining what had happened with using some version of Blink accidentally while she was running. Helina was shocked beyond words; she just kept her mouth wide open, sputtering something that didn¡¯t quite form anything intelligible.
Several of the Isi swordsmen ran over to the two ladies and inquired what the lights had been. Once Helina explained it was a mage aptitude test thing many lost interest. They couldn¡¯t use magic since they were material users, and they had training to get back to. Once the crowd dispersed Helina decided they would give the other aptitude tests a try later. Tanisha wanted to do it immediately, but realized her conversion of the spell had nearly drained her of all of her remaining mana and maya. She couldn¡¯t believe it; she barely had enough mana left to activate Mana Armor. She decided to look at her status again.
Status Menu
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Name: Tanisha Scalebound
Species: Wendigo
Level: 17
Vitality: 15
Restoration: 10
Constitution: 25
Willpower: 10 + 1 = 11
Strength: 17
Dexterity: 25
Stamina: 16
Maya: 7 + 2 = 9
Magic: 26 + 1 = 27
Magic Regeneration: 25 + 10 = 35 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 3
¡°Well that¡¯s new,¡± Tanisha blurted out.
¡°What?¡± Helina questioned.
¡°My mental projection menu has changed. It now shows changes to my stats with math,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°I gained stats in willpower, maya, and magic regeneration.¡±
¡°Do you normally gain points like that?¡± Helina inquired.
¡°Not too much, but Joha said it was possible which is why we still train even though I¡¯m a cultivator,¡± Tanisha responded.
After Tanisha saw the changes to the status the higher numbers remained and the equations disappeared. She moved on to the next screen, excited to see if there were any changes.
Skills Analysis
Delta Familiar Contract
You are bonded with a delta class familiar. You gain +100 to magic regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions though your bond. Your bond is resilient against outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties. Your familiar¡¯s life expectancy is extended by five years.
Mystic Wind Hands
Magic cost: 3
Speak the words of power and call forth mystic hands created from the wind. These hands can interact with the world and act out the caster¡¯s will. (II) Infernal Hands, Maya cost: 1, infuse mystic wind hands with the breath of the Infernal Planes. These hands will burn any that oppose you.
Sage Core Manipulation / Maya is Breath < Arcanist Sage Core
Magic / Maya cost: Variable
The core of the Arcanist Sage is mana and maya allowing you to control, circulate and generate both energy types. You can use the tools of both forms of energy. You can exert your will over mana/maya outside of your body for a short distance and use ambient mana/maya to power your arcane machinations.
Mana Armor
Magic cost: 2
Push mana into your muscles and bones to temporarily increase your physical attributes. (II) Maya Cloak, Maya Cost: 1, the infernal energies within you surround your body, greatly enhancing unarmed strikes. Unarmed punches and kicks will produce a maya shockwave, increasing range of unarmed strikes a short distance.
+ Sage Spell Form Crafter
Magic/Maya cost: Variable
Use mana and maya to alter and twist existing spellforms connected to your core.
Page 2 of 3
Tanisha saw that there were now indications of new or changed skills. Her Sage Core Manipulation became Arcanist Sage Core. It apparently fused the abilities of that and Maya is Breath to become a more simplified skill. She also gained Sage Spell Form Crafter, which was apparently what she had done to the aptitude spell. She was about to close the menu and explain her new skills when she saw that she now had a new page. She quickly flipped to the final page to see what new changes it had.
Sage Core Analysis
Sage of the Infernal
Your core has attuned itself to maya and can now utilize maya to alter itself and spell forms connected to it. Arcanist Sage Core has broken all connections to Infernal Patron(s) and has established a permanent link to the Infernal Planes. You are now a demonic entity, species reverted to: Wendigo.
Nature Discipline
Specialties:
?Unknown?
Elemental Discipline
Specialties:
Ionikinesis - Creation and manipulation of ionized gas, wielding intense heat and electrical energy.
Aerokinesis - Control over air currents and atmosphere.
Electrokinesis - Creation and control over electricity and lightning.
Hydrokinesis - Creation and control over water.
Pyrokinesis - Creation and control over fire, thermal temperature and heat manipulation.
? Unknown ?
Page 3 of 3
¡°What in the Celestial Planes?¡± Tanisha asked, completely flabbergasted.
She hadn¡¯t even noticed that her species just said wendigo again. She was now a Sage of the Infernal and a demonic entity? What did that mean? She wasn¡¯t connected to a patron any more, either. She felt overwhelmed with the information, but when she finally felt ready to explain herself to the patiently waiting goblin mother another notification blocked her vision.
Racial Evolution Progress
You have met the requirements to ascend Racial Hierarchy. Your core has been touched by the Infernal Planes and where some would crumble you have thrived.
Current: Wendigo (Normal)
Evolution: Nature''s Wrath (Greater)
Please assign Racial Hierarchy within 14 day(s) or evolution will be lost.
Evolve into Nature''s Wrath (Greater Wendigo) [Yes/No]
¡°I have to go,¡± Tanisha said in a trembling voice. ¡°Bjorn, Bjorn!¡± she screamed.
The familiar was already at her side, having felt her distress. He wrapped his tail around her and lifted her onto the waiting saddle on his back. Helina sputted for her to stop but Tanisha wasn¡¯t listening. Her head was spinning with the information and she just wanted to go somewhere and think.
Bjorn took off and ran out of the estate grounds. Hopping the metal fence around the perimeter easily, he picked a direction and ran, feeling that Tanisha just wanted to get some air.
[58] Perspective
Tanisha didn¡¯t have anywhere to go, she just wanted to finally get away from everything for a little while. She was frazzled and didn¡¯t know what to do. She always wanted to be a mage, yes, but everything was moving so fast. Two weeks ago she was a student studying to become an alchemist; yes she was a noble but it didn¡¯t matter, she was effectively cut off from her family.
Things just seemed to sink in differently now. She was really not a mage, and Bjorn was really something from the higher planes. Her core, the maya, the cultivation system thing she had, they all finally sunk in as something so unnatural. Now she was one choice away from even losing her identity as a wendigo. There had only ever been one Nature¡¯s Wrath. The founding warrior king of Yuhia, Hjalmar Kinshalbur, he was also the first wendigo sorcerer. He was blessed by the Forest Father, a son of divine retribution against the druids and humans that hunted wendigo.
She was not some divine creature created by their True to be a greater. She was just some unlucky girl that without her familiar would be rotting in a troll layer. Marriage, magic, maya and her mother¡¯s Left Hand who was here in the city for some reason; there was so much she had to consider.
She finally looked around at her surroundings when she noticed the density of people had increased dramatically. Bjorn had to raise his long tail and curl it over his body to keep people from running into the spikes at the end. He looked like he was imitating a scorpion. Tanisha was in the inner ring shopping district which was unexpected, but it wasn¡¯t like she had been directing Bjorn. He had just been walking in a random direction.
The market district was awash with people, shops, restaurants and wholegoods sellers. Every business was fancy, catering to the higher wealth of the area. Tanisha stopped Bjorn when they came to an alchemy shop. It was nestled rather snuggly between two other adjacent businesses. All of the buildings were connected, but this one seemed to take up half the space the others did.
She got off of Bjorn. He was too large to enter this establishment so he sat at the door, attracting some attention. Inside the shop was a cornucopia of ingredients and concoctions. The space was packed to bursting, shelves taking up nearly every available space. Live plants hung from the ceiling; each had its own mana lamp since there were no windows. In the corner a stairwell spiraled up to a second floor.
A single human man sat at a desk, running some experiment on one of the most expensive alchemy setups Tanisha had ever seen. The man worked without even noticing her, adjusting heat on one of the gas bunsen burners. Using gas instead of the flare stone burner on the table beside him meant he was working with exceedingly magically sensitive material.
Tanisha didn¡¯t know how to quantify human ages; she had only ever known Mat and Julie who were about the same age as her. She did know that humans were far shorter lived than wendigo. Maybe he was in his middle ages. She didn¡¯t know, but he had a big bushy beard and a slim frame.
Tanisha watched him work without interrupting him. He looked to be on the middle stages of whatever he was making. He pulled out a mana stone to infuse the heated potion as it spun in a centrifuge alongside several other vials of liquid of various colors.
She returned to quietly looking around the shelves. Her fingers lightly grazed a shelf full of potions, herbs and even a few mana-tools. She was lost in the wonder of it all. She had never seen such a complete collection. It put the somewhat random assortment of tools she got trading with Owen and Helina to shame. No, it wasn¡¯t even close to a comparison.
¡°Wow,¡± Tanisha said as she looked around.
The alchemist wrote something down and looked up from the ongoing experiment.
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¡°Ah, hello, hello young lady. Welcome to Drew¡¯s Herbal Emporium,¡± the alchemist said. ¡°I am Drew the fourth, by the way.¡±
Tanisha almost jumped at his words, having almost forgotten he was there while she perused the shelves. She had to take a second to compose herself.
She nervously responded, ¡°Hello, sorry for interrupting you. I, uh, just stumbled upon this place and I¡ just wow, it¡¯s amazing.¡±
¡°A young inspiring alchemist in the making perhaps?¡± Drew asked with a disarming smile as he set aside his notebook.
¡°Yes, I have always had a fascination with alchemy. I was learning it in the academy I attended,¡± she responded with a shy smile of her own. ¡°What are you working on?¡±
¡°Ah, this? Come-come let me show you,¡± Drew said, motioning her over. ¡°I always love seeing the next generation interested in the sciences. Right now I am brewing the Draught of Ironskin. It will temporarily make the person that drinks it many times more durable.¡±
Tanisha walked over and he pulled out a seat for her on the opposite side of the desk. There were manuals, formulae and diagrams neatly arranged in the corner. Drew¡¯s personal notes were written in the human language of¡ Tanisha didn¡¯t know what language, but everything else was in Valish. Drew showed her the manual on the Draught of Ironskin then explained where he was in the process.
Tanisha fell back into student mode and felt like she was back in her alchemy class. She wanted to take notes but didn¡¯t have anything to write with or on. Drew saw this and handed her a pen and a sheet of paper, telling her it was on the house with a wink. She asked questions as Drew continued the brew, explaining the process along the way. Tanisha was right in her assumption that this was a mana-sensitive concoction.
Tanisha was there far longer than she had intended; an hour flew by, then two as she continued to take notes and even help a little in the creation of the potion. Drew was very pleased with her level of competence and attention to detail. Tanisha read through the manual, procedures and cautions before she even tried to assist. Potion making could be quite dangerous if one went into it half-heartedly. She remembered quite vividly a time in her class when a distracted classmate nearly blew his arms off after a potion of Resist Fire ironically exploded into a massive fireball.
When the potion was finally done, both of them sighed in relief as the small bottle of bubbling clear liquid settled and was corked. Tanisha smiled brightly at a job well done. She hadn¡¯t intended on any of this, but alchemy was still a passion. Drew seemed to finally realize that a customer just spent the better part of two hours helping him on an order. He thanked her profusely for assisting him when he¡¯d only intended to show her a little of what he was doing. He gave her sixteen silver for her work, which had shortened his time working on the potion by half a day.
¡°I feel as though this is a little late, but what brings you to my shop?¡± Drew asked, slightly embarrassed. ¡°Are you looking for anything in particular?¡±
¡°I really just came to look around,¡± Tanisha said, now feeling far more comfortable around the man. ¡°Well actually I do have a northern blue moon, but none of the other ingredients to make anything with it.¡±
The alchemist nodded sagely. ¡°Northern blue moon is a high quality ingredient, rare in these parts too. I have a few specimens myself.¡± He turned one of the large books on the desk to a page on the magical flower. ¡°Hmm¡ what are you trying to make? Greater health potions are common usage for them.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to make with it, but I have never used a high-end ingredient before.¡± Tanisha looked away from Drew.
¡°Well, I have everything you need to make the potion here. Bring it over and we¡¯ll make it together as thanks for your help today,¡± Drew said, cutting straight into the heart of Tanisha¡¯s concerns. ¡°I can tell you have a deep passion for alchemy.¡± He looked over his store. ¡°When I was your age I was the same. I saw the magic of alchemy, not just its utility but something more.¡± A smile graced his lips. ¡°It¡¯s the perfect remedy for a troubled soul. Consider my shop a sanctuary, where troubles melt away like ingredients in a cauldron.¡±
Tanisha looked at the man for a long moment. She knew he saw right through her troubles and helped her to take her mind off of things for a while. She then looked around the shop and smiled, seeing her own shop one day. When she and Bjorn were safe, when no one was trying to hurt them, when she was far away from the Salstars, when she could really do what she wanted. She couldn¡¯t help but smile brightly at the idea, the dream, no, the goal.
[59] We Stand With You
Tanisha left Drew¡¯s Herbal Emporium and returned to a waiting Bjorn. She was surprised to find Tyr standing with her familiar. She wanted to run but knew he would be around sooner or later to request the engagement ribbon back.
¡°Tyr, how did you find me?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Uh,¡± Tyr looked at the three-headed hydra. ¡°Lucky guess.¡±
Tanisha looked around and saw that Bjorn was still getting looks from curious passersby. No one got too close but they were definitely interested in whatever the familiar was.
¡°Joha, Helina and Owen were here for a little while too,¡± Tyr continued. ¡°They thought it would be best for you to do whatever you were doing. Joha wanted me to let you know to meet him at the commerce building so you can get your permit. Are you okay?¡± Tyr was quiet for a second and saw that she didn¡¯t want to respond. ¡°Sorry, I can take you to the commerce building. You don¡¯t have to talk if you don''t want to.¡±
The two walked in relative silence aside from the occasional direction. Before long they were back at the main square and saw Joha standing outside the building. Tanisha was surprised when Tyr left without asking anything. He didn¡¯t break the courtship or ask for the ribbon or anything. She hadn¡¯t been sure what to expect, but that wasn¡¯t it.
Getting the permits was easy and Tanisha was able to help Joha set up his stall only a few hours later. They were in a different section of the market than she had been in previously. This side had temporary stalls with many traveling merchants from all over the continent. The plan was for Tanisha to spend the next week learning the ropes from Joha, then she would set up a stall of her own close by. They would sell some of her inventory in Joha¡¯s stall but for the most part they were there to sell spices.
The apparently odd pairing of a tiger demon, wendigo and what most people thought of as a chimera of some kind bought over curious patrons. Many people just wanted to know what Bjorn was, but somehow Joha managed to turn almost any conversation into a sale. The first day was primarily about observing, and Tanisha felt as though she learned a lot. When the last customer walked off Joha turned to her.
¡°And you see what I did there?¡± Joha asked.
¡°Not really, he said he didn¡¯t want to buy anything because he needed to talk to his wife first,¡± Tanisha responded. ¡°Then he bought it anyway.¡±
¡°It was a lie, he just wanted an excuse to leave. He may have really been worried about what his wife had to say but that was not the heart of the situation,¡± Joha said as he raised a wagging finger. ¡°What I told him was that I understood where he was coming from and let him know we have talked to other people who had that same concern. Then I told them the solution: our spices and how his wife would be ecstatic to try them.¡±
Tanisha was confused. ¡°So you hear him out, tell him that other people also said the same thing, then they buy it?¡±
¡°Essentially, yes,¡± Joha chuckled. ¡°There is more to it than that but we will go over it tonight after combat training.¡±
When the trio finally arrived back at the Isi estate ?sa was waiting for them. Tanisha felt a nervousness creep up, and she wanted to let the maya numb the feeling but refrained. Bjorn felt Tanisha¡¯s distress and stood between her and the Hand as they were led inside.
A few minutes later they were in the main office of the Isi family. The entire family had once again gathered, though this time without the toddlers. The atmosphere was tense as Joha and Bjorn stepped in front of Tanisha. She wanted to hide but steeled herself and pushed her way forward. She stood beside them, not behind to be protected. Then the unexpected happened as every member of the Isi house bowed their heads.
¡°We have done you a great disservice. The banquet was supposed to be in all of your honor, yet Tanisha was ridiculed and felt unwelcome by that dreadful guest,¡± Kolbien said, his head still bowed. ¡°We do not share the sentiments of the Salstar House. You are now and forever our honored guests Tanisha. You as well, Joha.¡±
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Tanisha was speechless for a long moment. ¡°I¡ uh. Please raise your heads. What she said was true though. I am a shai of the Salstar house so¡¡± She activated the storage necklace and a small delicate white and silver ribbon appeared in her hand. ¡°I know you all want to become nobility. As long as your family is connected to me the Salstars will never let that happen.¡±
The family all raised their heads and looked at the ribbon in her hand as she held it out. Tyr looked at the ribbon for a long time even as everyone else''s gaze returned to Tanisha¡¯s eyes. Hrolf looked over to Kolbien, then to his son.
¡°It would seem we have made a poor impression on you. The Isi family was never looking for nobility through you, young lady,¡± Kolbien said. ¡°It is a belief of ours that material users are overlooked in our society. The power of the material user, their utility and benefit to the kingdom, is an untapped wellspring of power. If the Isi become nobility it will not be through a union of marriage but because we have succeeded in showing the kingdom the power of material users. Nazem understands that strength and we have prospered here because of that.¡±
¡°Tyr.¡± Hrolf nudged the young man. ¡°You must go.¡±
Tyr walked up to Tanisha, his shoulders hung a little lower. She handed the young man the white and silver ribbon but only mustered a single apology before he returned to his family¡¯s side.
¡°Are you sure?¡± Kolbien asked.
¡°I am,¡± Tanisha stated affirmatively, her voice unwavering. ¡°I don¡¯t know what my future holds, but I am a long way out from being the person I need to be to face it.¡± She took a long breath. ¡°Bjorn and I have a long road ahead of us. I wanted to lose myself to something beside the struggles I am going to face and the death that I have seen. Two weeks ago I was a wizard, a student and a failure. So, I wanted to believe deep down that maybe I could be normal here.¡±
Tanisha thought about the notification to change her race to a greater wendigo, a nature¡¯s wrath. The thought still scared her, but she now knew she was on a course she couldn¡¯t divert from. The Higher Planes knew about her and Bjorn thanks to the maya, and who knew what Sabec will do with the information on Bjorn. Her family would soon know where she was and that she¡¯d survived. She was still too weak. She thought about her dream to live in peace with Bjorn one day, but they would have to fight for that peace or get so strong that no one would want to take it from them.
Tanisha continued after a pause. ¡°I appreciate your feelings, Tyr, I really do, but that future isn¡¯t for me anymore. I can¡¯t be normal yet, Thyra showed me that.¡±
Kolbien took a breath and nodded. ¡°Regardless, the Isi family stands with you, not the Salstars. You are now and forever welcome. Of course the same goes for you, Joha.¡±
Tanisha thought things would become a little more awkward around the estate after that but it didn¡¯t. Tyr caught up to her sometime later to get the red feather back, but the short-lived courtship ended on friendly terms. The two actually got closer from the situation without the looming potential of marriage.
In the days that followed Tanisha was able to get into a rhythm. In the early morning she, Bjorn and Tyr would run. She tried to recreate the feeling that allowed her to Blink; unfortunately it never happened. Her morning would end with Joha and his breathing and stretching exercises. After that she would spend time with Helina learning Hydromancy. Then a few hours at Drew¡¯s Herbal Emporium, working part time as an assistant for him to better her skills in preparation for creating the greater health potion. A process that Drew would assist her in but not do for her per her request. Then it was back to Joha, helping him with the spice stall. As promised, after three days she opened her own odds and ends stall next to him selling the weapons, tools and gear she got from the gnoll camp.
Combat training got more and more difficult as Joha brought some of the Isi mystic swordsmen trainees to spar with her. Testing her skills against people with different styles other than his pugilistic teaching required her to adapt in ways she hadn¡¯t expected. Every night she laid down a little more bruised, but a lot happier than she had been in a long time.
The gate to the fort city palace opened for the first time in days. A procession of soldiers bearing the insignia of the royal family marched toward the open gate. In the middle of their ranks was a lesser zmei, a massive dragon with three heads, each of which exhaled heat with every breath. On the familiar¡¯s back was a golden throne upon which sat one man, Arnar, First Prince of Yuhia.
He looked down at the people from atop his familiar. He was disgusted at the mixing of his people with so many magically inept foreigners. Even the buildings were designed to cater more to the invaders than their own people. Lavi had once been a symbol of wendigo pride and unstoppable military and magical might. Now it was a rotting corpse, violated by the very races it was meant to defend against.
He swallowed his disgust. Things would change now that he was here. Lady Salstar was waiting to commence the execution of the traitors. Finally the fort city would be in good hands. He smiled darkly as he imagined a return to form in this outlying territory.
[60] The Weak Will Bend The Knee
Ingrid was sitting in the office of the former lord of the territory. She and her Right Hand Loki, along with several other of her trusted officials and accountants, were going through a mountain of documents. Ingrid intended to know everything about her new territory. They uncovered corruption at nearly every level of the territory''s governance. It was to be expected; the lord was a weak man and weak men create weak times.
Something she found interesting was the Nazem¡¯s fascination with material users. He allowed one family, the Isi, to become quite affluent, giving them land and allowing, even encouraging, town guards and soldiers to learn their teachings. Material users were of little consequence to the wendigo Lady, but Thyra informing her that her former daughter was living amongst them filled her with renewed interest.
Freja was always the biggest failure Ingrid ever had in life. The girl was worthless; if Ingrid had had her way as soon as Freja was discovered to be a wizard she would have been removed from the family. However, soon this city and territory would officially be a part of the Salstar Domain. Meaning Freja would be in breach of Ulfar¡¯s order to stay out of their territory. She could be executed for such disobedience of a Lord¡¯s order.
Moreover, the Isi themselves were a problem. They were a family with too much influence. The Nazem may not have seen an issue with them, but Ingrid would not allow such a powerful material user family to arrest such massive power under her governance. She smiled as she thought about how she would be able to remove two problems with one move.
Thyra entered the office hurriedly, pulling Ingrid from her ruminations.
¡°Lady Salstar,¡± Thyra said. ¡°The Prince has arrived.¡±
¡°Oh, this is earlier than expected,¡± Ingrid said as she stood up. ¡°Loki, prepare the servants.¡±
Loki, the Right Hand of Ingrid, wore the same navy blue uniform as all the Hands. He placed the document he was reading on a pile beside him.
¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± He nodded.
Shadows coalesced into a pitch black void beneath him. In a second he seemed to fall into the inky blackness, vanishing without a trace. The void then burned quickly, leaving nothing behind.
¡°Have we heard anything about the Princess?¡± Ingrid asked.
¡°Nothing new, but she¡¯s still backing the Tujewli Family for control of this domain,¡± Thyra responded. ¡°We are still looking for any of her supporters in the city. Right now the more pressing issue are the Nazem loyalists and his foreign backers. They are growing anxious with his absence the past few days. I suggest we make an example of one of them.¡±
¡°Yes, I think we will, but after the execution.¡± Ingrid gave a toothy bloodthirsty smile. ¡°This is how wendigo politics are supposed to be.¡±
¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± Thyra said questioningly.
Ingrid looked at Thyra for a moment before she spoke. ¡°Power, magic and might. These are the only things that matter. The Forest Father created us to dominate, to bend nature itself, the mightiest beast, to our command. The strong have the right to lead and to live. The weak have only servitude; they are broken beasts for the strong to consume and get stronger.¡± Ingrid stood up, magic flowing from her and filling the room. It felt like a weight that dominated and suppressed everyone it touched. ¡°Audun was weak; he could not build in the way of the wendigo so he turned to humans, elves and worst of all druids. He forsook our ways for comfort and turned a territory which once symbolized strength to the rot that coddles the weak.¡±
Ingrid¡¯s magic arrested everyone in the room to the point that each breath became harder. They felt their magic suppressed and sealed behind the might of Ingrid¡¯s aura. To the magic casters it felt like they were stripped bare and placed helplessly before the slaughter. Ingrid''s presence became all they could see, her form seemed mountainous before them. She was an inexorable death and nothing they could do would stop her if she wished that moment to be their last.
Then her magic retracted. Thyra and all of the other aids found themselves bowed on the floor, panting for breath.
¡°Soon the war for the soul of the fort city will begin,¡± Ingrid continued. ¡°And it won¡¯t be fought with words. There will be blood and the weak will bend the knee or be cut down. Do you understand now, Thyra?¡±
Thyra had to take a long moment to catch her breath. ¡°Please forgive me Milady, but isn¡¯t the Prince here to legitimize the Salstar¡¯s execution of the Nazem and annexation of the territory? What claim does the Princess have to fight us on this?¡±
¡°I forget how young you are sometimes, Thyra,¡± Ingrid said with sincerity. ¡°The only claim she needs is power. She has the power, the backing and the resolve to challenge us. So, we must gain total control of the city before her forces arrive. Erase the opposition to Salstar rule and remove the weakness of the city. The Prince will only back us if we can accomplish this to his satisfaction. Once the execution is complete I want you and Loki to deal with the Isi Family before they become a problem.¡±
¡°What about the shai?¡± Thyra asked.
¡°Kill her on sight, and that disgusting beast of hers,¡± Ingrid said with annoyance. ¡°Bury the bodies so they will never return to the Forest Father.¡±
¡°I will gather the forces to assault the estate, ma¡¯am,¡± Thyra said.
¡°See that you do,¡± Ingrid said as she walked past the bowing form of Thyra. ¡°I have a prince to entertain and a disgraced family to execute.¡±
Tanisha was nervous for her next sparring match with Joha. It was going to be her test match to see if she was ready to learn the Way of the Rakshasa Second Form VritraVajra. The match would be full contact, and she had spent the past ten days mainly sparring with members of the Isi. Joha would correct her form and show her techniques, but he hadn¡¯t sparred with her directly. She would also have Bjorn on her side, which meant he was taking it seriously.
She was worried because she still hadn¡¯t been able to recreate the Blink skill, although she had a few new hydrokinesis spells she could use thanks to Helina.
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Tanisha and Bjorn stood right outside of the all too familiar training area as she shook out the last of her nerves. There were a host of people watching the match, which didn¡¯t help. Owen, Helina and most of the Isi family except Drifa and the little ones were there, as well as many of the people Tanisha had been sparring with over the past ten days.
She had finally retired the druid war staff in favor of one of the orichalcum bardiches. The runes on the polarm¡¯s blade had been modified to give Tanisha greater resonance with her powers. The change wasn¡¯t cheap either, costing her seventy silver to have done. Tanisha saw the cost as more than worth it. She¡¯d been training her butt off, and now it was time to show Joha she was ready to take the next step in their training.
She had prevented herself from looking at her status during her training. She felt like now was a good time, just to give herself that much more encouragement that she was ready.
Status Menu
Name: Tanisha Scalebound
Species: Wendigo
Level: 17
Vitality: 15 + 1 = 16
Restoration: 10 + 1 = 11
Constitution: 25 + 1 =26
Willpower: 11 + 8 = 19
Strength: 17 + 1 = 18
Dexterity: 25 + 2 = 27
Stamina: 16 + 2 = 18
Maya: 9 + 1 = 10
Magic: 27 + 1 = 28
Magic Regeneration: 35 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 3
Skills Analysis
Delta Familiar Contract
You are bonded with a delta-class familiar. You gain +100 to magic regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions though your bond. Your bond is resilient against outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties. Your familiar¡¯s life expectancy is extended by five years.
Mystic Wind Hands
Magic cost: 3
Speak the words of power and call forth mystic hands created from the wind. These hands can interact with the world and act out the caster¡¯s will. (II) Infernal Hands, Maya cost: 1, infuse mystic wind hands with the breath of the Infernal Planes. These hands will burn any that oppose you.
Sage Core Manipulation / Maya is Breath < Arcanist Sage Core
Magic / Maya cost: Variable
The core of the Arcanist Sage is mana and maya, allowing you to control, circulate and generate both energy types. You can use the tools of both forms of energy. You can exert your will over mana/maya outside of your body for a short distance and use ambient mana/maya to power your arcane machinations.
Mana Armor
Magic cost: 2
Push mana into your muscles and bones to temporarily increase your physical attributes. (II) Maya Cloak, Maya Cost: 1, the infernal energies within you surround your body, greatly enhancing unarmed strikes. Unarmed punches and kicks will produce a maya shockwave, increasing the range of unarmed strikes a short distance.
Sage Spell Form Crafter
Magic/Maya cost: Variable
Use mana and maya to alter and twist existing spellforms connected to your core.
+ Hydromancy
Magic cost: Variable
Create water mana constructs, condense water from the atmosphere and/or control water from a water source. Water created or controlled by you will be touched with infernal energies, allowing greater ease in changing influenced water¡¯s state from water to ice or steam.
+ Water Light
Magic cost: 2
Imbue controlled water with mana to create a floating ball of glowing liquid. Water lights can be fixed in place or track targets. Infernal energies permeate water created or controlled by you, only those you choose can see the light produced by liquid magic constructs.
+ Water Missile
Magic cost: 2
Create or condense water from the atmosphere into a blast of highly pressurized water. Infernal energies permeate water created or controlled by you. You can slightly alter the trajectory of water once launched; each successful hit will mark the target, making the subsequent Water Missiles homing.
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Sage Core Analysis
Sage of the Infernal
Your core has attuned itself to maya and can now utilize maya to alter itself and spell forms connected to it. Arcanist Sage Core has broken all connections to Infernal Patron(s) and has established a permanent link to the Infernal Planes. You are now a demonic entity, species reverted to: Wendigo.
Nature Discipline
?Unknown?
Elemental Discipline
Specialties:
Ionikinesis - Creation and manipulation of ionized gas, wielding intense heat and electrical energy.
Aerokinesis - Control over air currents and atmosphere.
Electrokinesis - Creation and control over electricity and lightning.
Hydrokinesis - Creation and control over water.
Pyrokinesis - Creation and control over fire, thermal temperature and heat manipulation.
+ Geokinesis - Control over the ground beneath your feet.
+ Ferrokinesis - Control over metals, the purer the metal the greater the control.
Page 3 of 3
She was pleased with the changes to her status and skills but a little upset that she still didn¡¯t have the Blink ability. Regardless, she still had Bjorn and finally more offensive magic. She was as ready as she was ever going to be, and she would be lying if she said she wasn¡¯t a little excited. Then the next pop-up came into her vision.
Racial Evolution Progress
You have met the requirements to ascend Racial Hierarchy. Your core has been touched by the Infernal Planes and where some would crumble you have thrived.
Current: Wendigo (Normal)
Evolution: Nature''s Wrath (Greater)
Please assign Racial Hierarchy within 2 day(s) or evolution will be lost.
Evolve into Nature''s Wrath (Greater Wendigo) [Yes/No]
She still hadn¡¯t decided on what she was going to do with this evolution prompt, but she still had time to decide and she definitely was not going to do it now. It just felt wrong, like blasphemy to proclaim herself a greater. It was against everything she believed as a follower of the Forest Father. She closed the prompt and looked at Bjorn with a nod, then stepped onto the training space.
[61] Ready For The Next Step
The past few days had seen little improvement for Bjorn¡¯s skills in terms of stats but he¡¯d put as many hours as possible into mastering his body. He used Tanisha¡¯s working hours as an opportunity to venture around the city or return to the Isi estate and train his body and muscle memory. He even performed meditation like Tanisha to see if he could master his magic like a mage. His body might be that of an animal but he still had a human, or rather nephilim, mind.
While he didn¡¯t discover much in terms of magic he felt far closer to understanding the limitations of his body in its increased size. He felt that it was just in time too; he and Tanisha were preparing to face off in a match that would determine if she was ready to advance in her training. They would fight together, which over the course of the past few days they had gotten rather good at¡ Well they were still novices, but they were novices with guts.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Unknown
Level: 21
Vitality: 150 / 195
Restoration: 220 / 270
Constitution: 85 / 135
Strength: 100 / 130
Dexterity: 85 / 100
Stamina: 95 / 115
Maya: 50 / 50 (DO NOT USE!)
Magic: 10 / 25
Magic Regeneration: 20 / 50 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 2
Skills Analysis
Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic and your best friend who has your back no matter what!
Error: Unknown Pact
You are connected to a Progenitor Being from the Infernal Planes. They are watching you.
Venomous Bite
Magic Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs. (II) Bite of the King of Reptiles, Maya Cost: 10, Your venom becomes infectious and will spread to nearby targets within five feet of the injected target. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Poison Cloud
Magic Cost: 5
With your right head you can mix venom into the air using magic creating a large area of poisonous gas. This gas will rapidly reduce the health of those inside. Allies within your Poison Cloud are unaffected by the poison. (II) Breath of the Infernal One, Maya Cost: 15, Exhale a breath infused with the decay of the Infernal Planes. Targets within the cloud will rot over time as long as the effect is not cleansed.
Plague Fire Breath
Magic Cost: 6
Stamina Cost: 7
With your left head you can breathe a plume of superheated toxin which will ignite enemies and infect them with your neurotoxin. Flames retain toxicity until you release the spell. Plague Fire will spread like normal fire. (II) Infernal Fire Breath, Maya Cost: 20, fire will spread over non-flammable material at a reduced rate.
Hellmouth
Maya Cost: YOUR SOUL (Seriously, if you use this we die!!!)
I really don¡¯t want to tell you what this is because if you use it our heart is going to explode or something, I just know it! However, your middle head can exhale all of the maya stored in your body. This maya can be breathed in by your other heads to use maya infused breath attacks. It can also enhance the durability of your scales and potency of your venom.
Poison Claws
Magic Cost: 3
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even small scratches fatal. Allies are unaffected by your venom. (II) Claws of the King of Reptiles, Maya Cost: 5, venom becomes harder to cleanse.
Infernal Scale Armor
Maya Cost: 25
Absorb maya into your scales, making them more durable and resistant to physical and magical damage.
Delta Familiar Contract
Magic Cost: -100
You are a bonded delta class familiar. You gain +100 to magic regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions though your bond. Your bond is more resistant to outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties.
King of the Reptiles
Passive Skill
Dragons, lizards and amphibians all show hesitation and fear around you, going so far as to run away. More study needed.
Head Regeneration and Random Growth!?!?!?
Magic Cost: 40-ish
(or)
Maya Cost: 150-ish
(So funny story, we grew another head, I have no idea why¡)
So bear with me here, we can convert experience into maturation, or healing major wounds including decapitation, or growing more heads I guess. Honestly I have no idea why we grew a head this time but here we are, three heads in and I am getting worried. Anyway more study is needed, but let''s not for a while, please.
Page 2 of 2
Bjorn and Tanisha entered the training area, the glyphs along the stone floor illuminating slightly as they stepped in. Joha smiled as they reached him and bowed. The tiger demon looked like a proud dad as he glanced the two over.
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¡°Well, well Tanisha, Bjorn, I can honestly say I was not expecting to do this test so soon. However, I feel as though I would be doing both of you a disservice if I didn¡¯t,¡± Joha said with his hands on his hips. ¡°The AgniKavach focuses on defense. It strengthens the body and sharpens the mind, allowing those that wield it to protect themselves and those they care about. This form allows someone to take a hit and keep moving as long as they have the willpower to push through.
¡°If you pass my test today we will move into the second form, VritraVajra or the Dragon Thunderbolt. This form is about redirecting an opponent¡¯s attacks. Using their energy, both magical and physical, against them. However, before that you must show me how much you and Bjorn have improved. You both may use all techniques, powers and abilities you have, do not hold back. You may start whenever you two are ready.¡±
As soon as Joha gave them the okay to begin Tanisha instantly activated her buffs, Mana Armor and Maya Cloak. Blue-green maya escaped her mouth and surrounded her in a thin wisp-like haze. She grabbed onto Bjorn¡¯s saddle, pulling herself up in a quick, well-practiced motion. Before she was even fully seated Bjorn had jumped back, landing six yards away from Joha. She was ready for the sudden motion and while in the air was already casting spells.
Over the past few days part of Tanisha and Bjorn¡¯s training had been mounted combat. Tanisha was already a well-trained equestrian, and having Bjorn meant she could utilize that in combat. The two also used the familiar bond to follow each other¡¯s emotions and intent. It was because of that bond that Tanisha and Bjorn could act in unison far better than any non-familiar pairing. They still had a long way to go however, and the sparring matches they had against the trainees of the Isi sword style proved that. Regardless, they were ready for this test and they would go all out against Joha.
Hydromancy
Magic cost: Variable
Create water mana constructs, condense water from the atmosphere and/or control water from a water source. Water created or controlled by you will be touched with infernal energies allowing greater ease in changing influenced waters state from water to ice or steam.
Tanisha finished her spell and an orb of water appeared, floating to the right of her head. The liquid looked almost like a fist-sized glass marble because of its uniformity. It was the first spell needed to use her new offensive magic. Hydromancy allowed her to create water or pull it from the atmosphere, either way she could control it. Creating water was far more costly to her magic and it wasn''t really liquid, it was a water-like magic construct. Constructed liquid had the potential to be far more deadly and she would have far greater control over it. In addition, unlike real water, other hydrokinetic mages couldn¡¯t seize control of it and stab you in the back with your own magic.
Tanisha used extra mana to create the liquid water construct even though she didn¡¯t have to worry about Joha taking control of the water. She wanted to show off her abilities since that was the purpose of the match to begin with. Once the orb fully solidified she started the second chant; this one would convert the Hydromancy spell into her attack spell.
Water Missile
Magic cost: 2
Create or condense water from the atmosphere into a blast of highly pressurized water. Infernal energies permeate water created or controlled by you. You can slightly alter the trajectory of water once launched; each successful hit will mark the target making the subsequent Water Missiles homing.
Helina had taught her that while she could just use the Water Missile spell on its own, using Hydromancy first not only gave her greater control but also removed the cost of Water Missile altogether. She smiled at the speed and ease with which she was able to cast both spells. Only moments had passed since Bjorn had jumped back and she was ready.
Bjorn released control of his right head. ¡°Failsafe, keep an eye out.¡±
¡°Yay, I get to use a head again finally,¡± Failsafe said cheerily as he bobbed the appendage up and down. ¡°I mean of course. Serious.¡±
Joha hadn¡¯t moved from his spot as the two prepared themselves. Tanisha released her first attack; a stream of high powered water shot out. The stream was barely the thickness of a pen but zoomed across the distance with terrifying speed. The orb of water shrunk a little and Joha dodged by smoothly side-stepping the attack. With that he was fully engaged. He started to run towards them as Tanisha directed several more shots with her bardiche.
¡°Bjorn, keep your distance,¡± Tanisha said.
Joha continued to dodge attacks as Bjorn continued to kite Joha by jumping back anytime he got close. They could tell Joha was seeing what they could do, as he could use Maya Blink if he wanted to catch up to them. Tanisha shot the last of her water which Joha dodged again easily, he then used Maya Blink as Tanisha expected. He appeared in the air next to her with a kick aimed at her chest.
She lifted the bardiche just in time and Bjorn shifted, turning them both and allowing the force to pass by them. Joha landed on the other side while Bjorn swung his tail, hoping to catch the tiger demon as he landed. In a feat of agility partially obscured by his red maya, Joah landed on a single finger and threw himself back into the air over the swinging tail.
Tanisha wasn¡¯t idle; while this happened the arena was covered in her magical water. She motioned with her weapon for the water to return, which it did in hundreds of streams that moved just as quickly as the Water Missiles had. Joha was forced to use Maya Blink to avoid the thin but deadly water as it sliced through the air and reformed as a single orb.
Bjorn used that time to lunge forward, his powerful legs launching him through the area towards Joha, each of his mouths open and bearing down on Joha. The tiger demon deflected the snapping maws with open palms and knees, the distraction allowing Tanisha to finish gathering the water in preparation for another assault. That was until Joha grabbed one of Bjorn''s necks and threw the familiar.
The action happened so quickly that neither had time to react. The two separated in the air. Bjorn landed on his side and Tanisha rolled along the ground before she stopped a few yards away from him. The pair quickly got back up to their feet. Joha rushed at Tanisha, using his absurd speed and Maya Blink to reach her almost instantly. Tanisha dodged the first jab just in time to not get punched in the face. She retaliated with two water missiles and a downward slash from the bardiche.
Joha weaved between the attacks then punched again, this one connecting with Tanisha¡¯s side. Pain rattled her but her buffs kept her in the fight. She was hit again, this time by a fist to the face which caused her to stumble. She was in a bad situation with her bardiche this close. She stored the weapon in her necklace, causing it to vanish from her hands.
She went into AgniKavach unarmed form, which allowed her to dodge the next two strikes and block the third kick. There was no time for retaliation; the differences in their skill was far too wide. She was being pressed and she had a feeling this was part of the test to see if she could handle her defensive form. AgniKavach was, after all, a form that allowed the practitioner to take magical and physical damage and keep going. The maya wanted to protect those that utilized it, and this form epitomized that notion.
During the assault Bjorn had rejoined the battle with an explosion of furious bites. Tanisha ducked down just in time to avoid Bjorn¡¯s snapping jaws by inches. The bond and her trust in her familiar allowed there to be no need for communication for her to know the exact moment she needed to do the maneuver. Joha was pleased with the teamwork as Tanisha used the distraction to get back to a workable distance with her magic. She resummoned her bardiche and recalled the water she had already expended.
¡°Elder Isi, Hrolf!¡± A panicked voice screamed. ¡°Lord Nazem, he is going to be executed! The First Prince and Lady Ingrid are here and they are performing a public execution as we speak.¡±
The commotion stopped the match as everyone including Tanisha froze in place. She knew the prince being here meant one thing. The Salstars were taking the territory after Lord Nazem died. Hearing that her mother was in the city filled her with dread. It suddenly made Thyra mentioning the terms of her banishment from the domain take on new meaning.
¡°Joha, I need to leave now,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°If I¡¯m here when they take over they will kill me.¡±
[62] The Example
The estate was abuzz with movement; some people were in disbelief that the Nazem Noble House was being executed. Kolbien and several others were leaving to confirm the execution. Tanisha on the other hand was in total panic. She needed to leave. She thought this would be a safe place for her until she and Joha were ready. However, it looked like the Salstars were going to take something else from her.
¡°Okay, get your stuff I will get the wagons ready,¡± Joha said without missing a beat. ¡°Bjorn, come with me.¡±
Owen ran out into the training area. ¡°We¡¯re coming too. We were gonna surprise ya¡¯ but looks like we won¡¯t get the chance. So, I hope you won¡¯t mind having us around a little longer.¡±
¡°What? Not at all! Thank you Owen, I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± Tanisha said.
Owen waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Well, save it for now. We gots to get on the road, right?¡±
Tanisha stored the bardiche in her necklace, hugged the small goblin man then ran off to gather her things. When she arrived at her room she heard footsteps behind her and turned around to see Tyr and ?sa.
¡°We¡¯re going to help,¡± Tyr said. ¡°Tell me what to grab.¡±
¡°We know that the Salstars finding you here would be a bad thing. When things calm down you are always welcome here,¡± ?sa stated with a bow.
Luckily there wasn¡¯t much to take; she¡¯d sold most of the nails and tools quite easily. There were a lot of building projects throughout the city and cheap supplies turned out to be a hot commodity. She still had farming implements and spearheads, but not nearly as much inventory as she¡¯d started with. She told them to get the boxes on the main floor while she went to collect her supplies from the mezzanine. It was easy to store the book, clothing and alchemy equipment in the necklace.
As she stored her alchemy case, the gift she got from her friends at the academy, she was reminded she needed to go to Drew''s shop. She had successfully created the greater health potion but it needed to cure overnight so she¡¯d left it with him. She cursed under her breath that she hadn¡¯t thought ahead. She should have left the moment she saw Thyra¡¯s familiar. She should have known something was up with her choice of words.
In her frustration she noticed that she had been breathing out maya, the blue-green energy slowly dissipated as she got a hold of herself. She picked up the last of her things and ran downstairs, grabbing her last box of cargo too heavy to go into her necklace, then ran out to her wagon. Bjorn was already hitched and Tyr and ?sa were placing the boxes they had grabbed into it. ?sa had the odd chest that Tanisha and Bjorn had yet to be able to open. After they finished loading up, Joha joined them. The goblins looked to still be loading up their things as was to be expected; they had a lot of things and this was a sudden departure.
¡°We will be ready soon, the Jaraldson¡¯s are loading up as fast as they can,¡± Joha said.
¡°Thank you, Joha, for doing this for me. I know this wasn¡¯t the plan,¡± Tanisha responded. ¡°I definitely have to thank them, too. There is one thing I need to get in town at the alchemy shop, and I should be back before they finish loading.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine, are you taking your wagon?¡± Joha asked. ¡°Bjorn is hooked up and ready.¡±
¡°No, I can get there faster on foot because of all of the traffic in that part of town,¡± Tanisha responded. ¡°But as soon as I get back I¡¯ll be ready.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Tyr said. ¡°I know a couple of shortcuts.¡±
Tanisha nodded and activated her buffs, Mana Armor and Maya Cloak, because they increased her speed and agility. Tyr was a chakra material user and did not have the Mana Muscle Saturation that wendigo normally have naturally. Instead he used his chakra to strengthen his body, which Tanisha had found strengthened him a lot during their morning runs. The two took off running, making their way out of the estate quickly.
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The streets of the city were bursting at the seams with people trying to get to the main plaza where the execution was taking place. The First Prince¡¯s Royal Guard and the Salstar¡¯s order of knights, the Knights of Velheid, pushed out the Nazem guardsmen from the inner city. The banners of the Salstars were being hung up along the wall as the Nazem¡¯s burned with fire magic. Unrest in the citizenry was evident, but no one would dare upset the First Prince lest they be struck down. It was clear that no one had known this was going to happen; confusion, fear and panic across most of the faces Tyr and Tanisha passed.
¡°Ugh, this is going to take forever. I didn¡¯t think it would be this bad,¡± Tyr said as they squeezed into another packed crowd. ¡°Looks like everyone is taking the fast way.¡±
¡°Do you know any other way?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°I do,¡± Tyr said as he jumped onto a low balcony. ¡°We go up.¡± He held out his hand and Tanisha jumped to grab it. ¡°Hopefully you don¡¯t have a fear of heights.¡±
¡°No, not really,¡± Tanisha responded, knowing full well it was a lie. ¡°At least, I won¡¯t.¡±
Tanisha prepped herself to let the maya take away her fear as soon as it came up. Now was not the time to be arrested with inaction. She needed to move. They climbed the side of the building, making it to the roof shortly after.
Tanisha had to follow Tyr¡¯s acrobatics as they ran across the rooftops, hopping between balconies and buildings, and finally made it to Drew¡¯s Herbal Emporium. Well at least they were on the roof of Drew¡¯s shop, twelve yards from the ground. Tanisha was fairly certain she could drop and land just fine, but the street was packed and she would certainly land on someone.
¡°How do we get down?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Uh.¡± Tyr looked around. ¡°There is an alley over there.¡± He pointed.
A voice enhanced by magic was heard all around the city. ¡°Citizens of Yuhia: I am the First Prince Arnar Al Kossiheim Qar.¡± The voice was regal and calm but had an underlying presence of absolute authority. ¡°Today, as your sovereign, I stand before you with a heavy heart. I know many of you are confused and frightened, but I am here because of the treachery brought about by a noble who swore allegiance to our kingdom only to betray that trust¡¡±
Tanisha followed Tyr as he led them to the alleyway. They had to shimmy down a pipe to make it to the street below.
¡°Audun Nazem was declared guilty by the crown, and his actions have seen the ends of many lives. He has worked with druids to attack settlements, disrupt trade and aid them in the war for the Holy Land promised to us by the mighty Forest Father. He has robbed us of many brave souls who would have fought valiantly for our land and people¡¡±
Tanisha and Tyr reached the shop right as Drew opened the door to look outside. He looked like his eyes were still adjusting to the outside light when the two reached him.
¡°What in the name of the Celestial Planes is going on out here?¡± Drew asked. seeing all the people in the street.
¡°Drew!¡± Tanisha called out. ¡°I need to get the Greater Potion, is it ready?¡±
¡°Huh?¡± Drew¡¯s eyes rested on two of them. ¡°Ah, yes, Tanisha, Tyr, come in.¡±
They followed the man back into his shop. The place was just as packed full of alchemical supplies as always. The magically enhanced voice of the prince could still be heard, but only as a faint muffle. Drew led them to the counter where he was obviously working on another potion. If not for the urgency of the situation Tanisha would have inquired as to what it was.
¡°The potion came out beautifully, Tanisha,¡± Drew said as he walked around the desk and towards a locked cupboard. ¡°But what is going on out there?¡±
¡°The Nazem are being executed for treason,¡± Tyr responded.
Drew shook his head disapprovingly at the news. He unlocked the cupboard and pulled out a bottle with a sparkly blue liquid inside. He returned to the counter and placed the bottle down so Tanisha could take a look at it. She reverently picked it up, feeling the warmth of a perfectly brewed greater health potion. The magic within gave off a slight glow and the liquid within seemed to have sparkles that danced about.
Tanisha told Drew she was leaving the city and apologized for the short notice, as it was unexpected even for her. He was understanding and she got the feeling he knew something was going on but didn¡¯t want to pry. She was thankful for that, but promised herself that in a few decades if he was still alive she would visit. The two wendigo left the shop and were once again bombarded by the voice of the prince.
¡°As we gather here today, justice will be served. Not just for the Nazem but also for all of his accomplices. The Fital Family, the Drasi Family and the Isi Family will be the example for all those that defy the kingdom and undermine the safety and stability of our realm.¡±
Tanisha''s eyes snapped onto Tyr, who had frozen in place when he heard his family name called out amongst the traitors. Without a word he took off running, pushing people out of the way as he did. Tanisha followed him as they made their way to the Isi estate.
[63] Traitors
Bjorn waited with the wagon attached to him among the other wagons. The horses weren¡¯t the fondest of him, and he could tell they were somewhat nervous having him in their vicinity. He ignored them and instead turned his attention to Joha and the goblins as they planned their route out of the city with ?sa¡¯s help. Drifa walked into the small huddle when she saw the group readying for departure.
¡°All the gates will be flooded with people trying to see what is going on.¡± ?sa said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they go into lockdown soon. I would recommend going to the East Gate; that one is out of the way and will probably have the least congestion.¡±
¡°She is right,¡± Drifa agreed. ¡°I am sorry that you all have to leave so soon. The state of affairs here seems to be far more dire than any of us could have predicted.¡± She looked around. ¡°Where is Tyr?¡±
¡°He went with Tanisha, she had to get something from the city and should be back soon,¡± Owen responded.
Joha looked at the woman for a long time. ¡°Who are you?¡±
Drifa appeared shocked. ¡°I am the Lady of the House.¡±
Bjorn looked between everyone and flicked his tongue a few times, growing more alert as unfamiliar magic mixed in the air. Joha remained quiet as he simply stared the woman down. Tensions rose between the two and ?sa stepped between Joha and Drifa.
¡°Joha, that was kind of rude, we¡¯ve seen the lady of the house a lot,¡± Owen said.
¡°Yes, we have.¡± Joha took a more threatening stance. ¡°Which is why I am asking who that is.¡±
¡°What are you doing, Joha?¡± ?sa asked as she faced him. ¡°Apologize to lady Drifa.¡±
Bjorn continued to look between everyone in the group. He definitely sensed something was off. He looked at Drifa; she had on her normal baby blue and white robe and twin sabers at her side. She was albino, her skin and hair were white as snow. Bjorn remembered the unusual thing about her was that her antlers were pitch black¡ no, hers were normal? Bjorn had a feeling Joha was right; she was not Drifa. He tried to use Identify on her to verify.
Identify
Name: Invalid Target
Race: N/A
Level: N/A
Class: N/A
¡°Failsafe?¡± Bjorn asked in his head.
¡°I don¡¯t know either,¡± Failsafe responded.
¡°Citizens of Yuhia: I am the First Prince Arnar Al Kossiheim Qar.¡± A voice echoed around the entirety of the city. ¡°Today, as your sovereign, I stand before you with a heavy heart. I know many of you are confused and frightened, but I am here because of¡¡±
The Drifa imposter sprung into action as soon as the prince''s voice was heard. She pulled one of her blades from its sheath in a motion nearly too fast for Bjorn to see. The blade cut through the air, and what could only be described as inky darkness extended from the blade as the imposter''s form started to distort and melt. The blade cut straight through ?sa¡¯s back and the wave of darkness continued through her towards Joha. He dodged out of the way as ?sa¡¯s body fell to the ground, sliced in half.
¡°What the fuck?¡± Helina exclaimed with surprise and fear.
Everyone but Joha was in shock for a moment as the Hand¡¯s body hit the ground, painting it in a crimson wash. Joha had already closed the distance between himself and the imposter, dodging a second slash and punching them in the gut then face. This sent the imposter to the ground, which it hit with no impact as if it didn¡¯t weigh anything. The face of the imposter was smashed in, but there was only blackness in its place.
¡°I thought you might be able to see through this, rakshasa, but not so quickly. Deliver yourselves quietly and death will be swift. Do not make this harder than it needs to be.¡± Figure melted into boiling black shadows then vanished all together.
¡°Was that an assassin? Helina, are you okay?¡± Owen questioned.
¡°She-she¡¯s dead.¡± Helina''s eyes rested on ?sa.
¡°They know Tyr and Tanisha is in the city now,¡± Joha stated. He knelt down and closed ?sa''s eyes. ¡°Bjorn, go find Tanisha.¡±
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¡°That was shadow magic,¡± Helina said as she composed herself. ¡°Watch out for anyone who doesn¡¯t have a shadow; they will be imposters.¡±
¡°Owen, Helina, get to your wagons and start heading towards the gate. Go to the West gate, they know we were going to the East.¡±
Before Bjorn could run, an explosion rocked the estate. High level artillery spells fell from the sky, hitting the training fields, guest houses and dormitories and erupting into elemental destruction. People on horses, drakes, large wolves and familiars rushed into the estate ground in military formation. The Isi House trainees in the fields that weren¡¯t caught in the artillery magic barely had any time to react before they were run through with spells or weapons. Most were confused; why were wendigo attacking them, they were on the same side.
¡°Bjorn, go now!¡± Joha yelled. ¡°Anyone that tries to stop you, kill them.¡±
The banner of the Salstar domain hung proudly on the invading Knight¡¯s armor. They were in full arcane plate armor, ready for war. It wasn¡¯t a fight initially, as confusion and the sudden attack led to many people dying before they even knew what was going on. Then the explanation played for the entire city to hear and it came directly from the mouth of the Prince himself.
¡°...As we gather here today, justice will be served. Not just for the Nazem but also for all of his accomplices. The Fital Family, the Drasi Family and the Isi Family will be the example for all those that defy the kingdom and undermine the safety and stability of our realm.¡±
Bjorn wasted no more time; he pulled on the connection to Tanisha and instantly felt the direction of the young woman. He took off running, slowed by the weight of the wagon. A man on a Steel Wolf tried to cut him off. His lance was aimed to skewer Bjorn, and flames surrounded him in a brilliant cloak.
Bjorn ducked the lance and tackled the knight and the wolf, which they weren¡¯t ready for. Bjorn remembered how just a few weeks ago a steel wolf had towered over him; now he was slightly larger than the beast. The steel wolf¡¯s hide was tough, and Bjorn couldn¡¯t get any deep wounds with his fangs or claws. It didn¡¯t matter though; he bit into the wolf over and over until he tasted blood, knowing his venom would do the rest. Or the Knight would take the familiar to be healed before it died.
Either way he did not stick around to find out; he needed to get to Tanisha. There was someone after her and he had to get there first. A man on a lesser drake and with slightly fancier armor took notice of the speeding Bjorn, and looked like he was going to charge. However, once the drake saw him it faltered and stopped abruptly, throwing the man off before running away.
At the gate to the estate there were rows of knights guarding the exits, making sure no one escaped. Bjorn could see them casting spells in preparation for him, and knew he had to act quickly. He didn¡¯t have much mana and his skills were costly, but he didn¡¯t have a choice if he didn¡¯t want to be used as target practice by a bunch of mage knights. He could use the Poison Cloud but it would limit visibility. The problem was it took a long time to kill, enough time for them to cleanse the effect. He doubted they didn¡¯t have any healers in their number, which left only one option.
Plague Fire Breath
Magic Cost: 6
Stamina Cost: 7
With your left head you can breathe a plume of superheated toxin which will ignite enemies and infect them with your neurotoxin. Flames retain toxicity until you release the spell. Plague Fire will spread like normal fire. (II) Infernal Fire Breath, Maya Cost: 20, fire will spread over non-flammable material at a reduced rate.
Bjorn gathered the power in his mouths. He could feel the swell of mana, the burning in his throat. It was so much power that he could barely believe he had so much. The original skill had also seemed powerful for something that required only one point of mana. He then remembered that he hadn¡¯t used this skill since he got it. In none of the training with Joha nor any of the training on his own. Well, he wasn¡¯t going to be able to go back on it now; he had to release the spell and hope it was enough.
Fire erupted from his mouths in a plume that just kept flowing; not from just his left head either, like the skill said it would, but from all three heads at the same time. He was going to have to talk to Failsafe about unexpected results like this. The flames from each head crackled with magical energies as the fires began to slowly focus, changing color to a vibrant purple as they became beams of concentrated heat and magical poison.
The initial plume of fire caught the knights off-guard but they were unfazed, their armor holding up against the strange fire attack as it should. The magical runes on their armor flared to life, and they stayed focused on the three-headed chimera that was charging at them. Then the flames started to change; what looked like purple lightning coursed through the fire for a split second before the property of the fire morphed. It was not normal magic but something else. The flames the chimera was breathing out began to focus into beams of pure heat.
One by one the runes in their armor started to fail and men screamed as the heat melted armor to flesh. The beams melted rock, incinerating anything in their way. One stray shot continued past the knights and hit the wall of the inner city, magically melting the reinforced stone with unprecedented power. The chimera broke through the barricade, fire breath still pouring from its mouth, slaughtering the backlines before it managed to finally escape.
The fires didn¡¯t go out and instead looked to be spreading, all of them with the toxic flame hue. The surviving knights quickly went to save their comrades, only to start coughing up blood and start shaking violently. Some fell to the ground; seizures ensued as they burned. Still, there were many knights who managed to protect themselves even from the concentrated beam of heat, and many more to replace those that hadn¡¯t. The disruption to the backlines was quickly handled. Pyrokinetic mages extinguished the fires and healers went to work saving those they could and soon the attack on the estate continued.
[64] Nothing To Say
Tanisha followed as best she could behind Tyr as he used his far superior parkour skills to bypass the crowds in a mad dash back to the Isi estate. Tanisha could feel Bjorn¡¯s emotions through their bond and knew something was wrong. He was scared, not for himself, but for her. As she fearlessly jumped from one building to another a shadow flew overhead. Tanisha¡¯s eyes shot up just in time to see Thyra¡¯s familiar, Magnus, diving towards them.
¡°Tyr look out!¡± Tanisha screamed as she dove to the ground.
Tyr turned to look at her, then up to the wyvern only seconds away from catching him with its talons. He only had a moment to react and he used that moment to push his chakra into a Flash Step. Even with the enhanced speed he was nearly clipped by the wyvern. As the beast flew by the wind nearly pushed Tyr off the building. He stood precariously at the edge, waving his arms trying to balance. Tanisha managed to catch onto his waistband before he fell and pulled him back up.
¡°That was Magnus,¡± Tyr said. ¡°The Hand just tried to kill us!¡±
¡°Yes and we need to get down before Magnus circles back,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°You''re right, but we need to get to the estate,¡± Tyr said. ¡°They¡¯re attacking my family, why?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know but let¡¯s get moving. Quickly,¡± Tanisha said.
The two ran, looking for any spot they could safely descend from the rooftops. The flaps of the wyvern¡¯s wings drew closer as it came in for a second pass. A break in the connected building was just in front of them when the screech of the enraged creature resounded. The two dove down right as a talon whistled through the air. The displaced air from the creature blew both of them off course, causing Tanisha to hit the wall of the next building. The pain was minimal but the suddenness disorientated her as she continued to fall. Tyr landed with ease and reached up and caught Tanisha before she hit the ground.
¡°You okay?¡± Tyr asked as he set her on her feet.
¡°Yeah, thanks,¡± Tanisha responded, shaking her head. ¡°Which way?¡±
Tyr looked around. There was panic in the street and people were starting to run. No doubt because of the large wyvern familiar flying closely overhead.
¡°That way; we¡¯ll follow the crowd as much as possible. Stay beside me,¡± Tyr said.
The two took off running into the crowd, quickly pushing their way through the confused masses. At first they thought the crowds were panicked because of the familiar, but the sound of fighting told another story. There were royal soldiers in combat with disciples of the Isi family¡¯s material art. The disciples were outnumbered five to ten and more soldiers were on the way. Apparently everyone associated with the Isi were also being branded as traitors and captured or killed.
¡°This is tyranny!¡± one of the disciples said as he deflected a sword strike. ¡°The Isi family has done nothing wrong!¡±
Tyr stopped at the sight; he obviously recognized some of the men being cornered. He turned to Tanisha, conflicted as to what they should do. If they helped they would give away their position, but if they didn''t help those men were going to die. Tanisha summoned the twin daggers from her necklace inventory.
¡°I¡¯m with you,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°It¡¯s not your fight,¡± Tyr told her.
¡°I¡¯m not going to just leave the Isi to fend for themselves,¡± Tanisha stated.
Tyr nodded and unsheathed his sword. She could feel the air drop in temperature as Tyr focused his chakra. Lines of power traced from his body into the weapon as he charged forward, using Flash Step several times. Tanisha had never wanted a power as much as she wanted an ability like Flash Step, or Maya Blink or even just regular Blink. She still hadn¡¯t been able to figure out how she managed to do it accidentally, even with instruction from Helina and the Isi disciples.
Tyr was able to join the fight in a few seconds and parried the blade of a surprised soldier. He then followed the momentum, jumping and kicking the man in the face to knock him out cold. The disciples were excited to see Tyr join the battle, especially as he managed to take out one of the soldiers. Time was running out and they needed to defeat the other soldiers before more showed up.
Tanisha took the time she had running to use Hydromancy, resummoning her water construct using the daggers as wands to direct her power. The daggers she¡¯d received as part of a gift from the Isi were beautifully constructed, each one designed to be used as a magical implement as well as a deadly weapon. Once the orb formed she immediately used Water Missiles, aiming for joints to disable the opponents. She was able to hit two of the soldiers in the legs. Their armor mitigated some of the damage but failed to protect completely as water sliced through flesh and bone.
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One of the soldiers turned to face Tanisha; he had a long fauchard polearm which he focused mana into, causing the weapon to spark with electricity. It was obvious the man was a wizard, he struggled to use the little mana he had. The effect of the weapon most likely came from the runes on the weapon and not the man himself. Still, the man was trained. Whether he was a mage or not didn¡¯t matter if Tanisha couldn¡¯t defend herself.
Tanisha used her agility thanks to her buffs to avoid the spear. The blade flashed through the air, nearly cutting her tiara. In another two steps she managed to enter the spearman¡¯s personal space, avoiding a desperate two-handed push with the polearm. She stabbed the man in the elbow joint then used the Water Missile to shoot out his knee. She then kicked him to the ground, disarming him in the process.
Tanisha recalled her water, which formed back into an orb. By the time all of her liquid had been gathered the soldiers were all defeated, but the street had cleared considerably. She could see more soldiers pushing through the remaining crowd and decided it was time to make a hasty retreat. Tanisha couldn¡¯t help but look up, and to her surprise Magnus was nowhere to be seen.
Tyr and Tanisha ran into another alley with the disciples, a shortcut one of them suggested. They hid for a little while, hearing the sound of armored footsteps run past. They let out a collective sigh of relief, finally having a moment to catch their breaths. Tanisha decided to use her Identify on each of the five disciples.
Identify
Name: Svan Loe
Race: Wendigo
Level: 54
Vocation: Mystic Swordsman
Identify
Name: Invalid Target
Race: N/A
Level: N/A
Vocation: N/A
Identify
Name: Olaf Blastwel
Race: Wendigo
Level: 11
Vocation: Chakra Bladedancer
Identify
Name: Ingvar Hamile
Race: Wendigo
Level: 7
Vocation: Mystic Swordsman
Identify
Name: Hakan Osoi
Race: Wendigo
Level: 14
Vocation: Mystic Spearman
Tanisha rubbed her eyes when she saw the Invalid Target name on one of the men. She looked at him again, and the same message came up. Was she doing something wrong? The man seemed normal; they were all crouched down and tense as they waited for an opportunity to move. Tanisha wasn¡¯t sure if she was just stressed out, but that couldn¡¯t be the case as she was allowing the maya to block out distracting emotions at the moment. So something was definitely not right but she couldn¡¯t put her finger on what.
The silence was broken by Olaf. He was in normal clothing. ¡°Master Tyr, Kolbien is dead.¡±
¡°He¡¯s what?¡± Tyr asked breathlessly. ¡°No, no that can¡¯t be right.¡±
¡°I am sorry,¡± Svan, the largest of the group, said as he clasped onto Tyr¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We were at the execution. I was one of the ones that went with him. When we were seen in the crowd they singled us out. Soldiers and Salstar Knights came after us. They targeted him before we even had a chance to defend. I was the only one of that group who survived¡¡±
Tyr grabbed the man by the collar. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you defend him?¡± he screamed. ¡°He was the patriarch, you were supposed to defend him, Svan!¡±
¡°Tyr¡¡± Tanisha said as she reached out for him to stop.
¡°No, he is right,¡± Svan said defeatedly. ¡°I failed him.¡±
¡°Right now can you all shut the fuck up or did you forget we¡¯re still being hunted,¡± Ingvar whispered. ¡°I am trying to not die today because I joined a bunch of traitors.¡±
¡°What in the Infernal Planes did you say?¡± Tyr said as he pulled out his sword. ¡°The Isi are not traitors to the kingdom.¡±
¡°Look, we¡¯re the ones hiding in an alleyway. I just joined the training because it was required to become a town guard,¡± Ingvar said, his attitude was obvious. ¡°Now because I was wearing this damn outfit I¡¯m a traitor, too.¡± The man pulled out his own sword. ¡°I say we turn in the little traitor¡¯s spawn and his girl back there and then we can go free.¡±
¡°You son of a bitch,¡± Tyr said as he took another step towards the man.
Hakan pointed the end of his spear at Tyr to keep him from getting any closer to Ingvar.
¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Hakan said. ¡°I ain¡¯t trying to die for you Tyr and I damn sure am not going to make the First Prince my enemy.¡±
¡°What about you, Svan? Whose side are you on?¡± Tyr took a step back, away from the men.
¡°Sorry, Tyr,¡± Olaf said as he pulled out his twin shortswords.
¡°That¡¯s another one that¡¯s seeing reason. Svan, Leif, what do you say?¡± Hakan questioned.
¡°We just saved you all,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°And you¡¯re about to do so again,¡± Hakan retorted.
Leif the man that Tanisha couldn¡¯t Identify pulled out his sword. He had a wide smile across his face that seemed so unnatural. Something about the man wasn¡¯t right, but Tanisha couldn¡¯t put her finger on what exactly it was. Hakan patted the man on the back in celebration for choosing the right side.
¡°That just leaves you Svan, what¡¯s it going to be? You don¡¯t have to die for those people. He¡¯s our ticket out of this mess,¡± Hakan said.
¡°Shame,¡± Svan said with a sigh. ¡°Your loyalty was so fickle. I stand with the Isi.¡±
[65] Could Use Some Support
Tensions were high as everyone stared each other down. The feeling of something about to happen, an explosion of motion, the chaotic clashing of bodies, the desperation of fighting for one¡¯s life. Despite the chaos in the city it seemed so quiet in the alley as both sides were frozen in place. They all seemed to be waiting for some unseen force to break the tension and make the first move.
Who moved first, what finally set off the chaos? No one knew; it all happened seemingly simultaneously. A spear flashed through the air and a sword moved to deflect. Someone jumped out of the way of a slash of frozen air. Water moved as straight as an arrow into the unprotected stomach of Hakan, piercing through him before he could react. A second shot was deflected by a skilled sword, saving the man from certain death. A dodge, a slash singing through the air, then blood in the alley.
In mere moments Olaf was dead; Tyr''s frozen sword stuck through his neck and his twin blades clattered to the ground. Hakan the spearman had lost a lot of blood from a Water Missile through the stomach and was slumped against the wall. Ingvar looked like he was about to run as he hid behind the ever-smiling Lief, whose features seemed to grow more uncanny as the fight went on. Lief and Svan¡¯s swords were locked in a bind as the two men positioned themselves to overpower the other.
¡°Yield, Lief, and we¡¯ll let you guys go,¡± Svan stated. ¡°We didn¡¯t want this fight.¡±
¡°No, I don¡¯t think I will,¡± Leif said as he seemed to gain strength and push Svan back. ¡°Tyr dies.¡±
The man pressed the bind more, using only one hand which surprised everyone. Svan pulled himself away, positioning the blades to allow him to Flash Step back a few feet. Only for Leif to jump the distance in an instant, his sword covered in an inky blackness as he swung. A wave of darkness traced behind his strike which flew outward, scoring the walls of the alley and cutting through Svan¡¯s chakra-infused blade as he tried to defend himself.
The horizontal arch of shadows continued outward but Svan managed to dodge by bending backwards at the knees, placing a hand on the ground for a backflip. He kicked Lief in the jaw with the maneuver. Tyr and Tanisha only had moments to recognize and duck the thin arch of darkness magic before they were hit. Hakan wasn¡¯t so lucky; the wave cut through him at the waist and he fell in half to the ground.
Tanisha recognized the magic type and knew who it was. They were dealing with Loki, her mother¡¯s Right Hand. It wasn¡¯t him in the flesh, but one of his shadow constructs which could take on the shape and appearance of others. The fact that one of them was here was not a good sign.
Thyra¡¯s wyvern familiar above and Loki¡¯s shadow constructs below. They were being hunted by the Hands, but they weren¡¯t after her; they wanted Tyr.
This wasn¡¯t a time to be thinking about that. Tanisha shot her Water Missile at the construct to give Svan cover as he retreated without a weapon. The construct deflected the water with a swipe, despite the fact that the entire lower jaw was missing from where Svan¡¯s kick landed. There was only black void in the place of the missing maw. Svan picked the twin swords off the ground from the deceased Olaf, just in time to defend himself from another attack. Tyr took the opportunity to use his speed and acrobatics to jump on the wall and flip over the construct with an in-air Flash Jump.
The construct pulled a second sword made from pure darkness to block a sword swipe aimed for its head. Tyr then jumped away, having successfully split its attention enough to allow Svan to break its defense with his twin shortswords. Tanisha saw an opening. They gave her a clear line of sight, and she released a Water Missile that struck the construct in the head. It fell to the ground and dissipated into boiling shadows.
¡°Help, the Isi traitors are over here!¡± Ingvar screamed as he ran, throwing his sword to the ground. ¡°Help, help it is Tyr Isi! The heir of the traitorous house!¡±
As he approached the exit to the alley a figure cut off his path. It was the large, angry form of a pissed off hydra; teeth bared and heads focused on the fleeing man. He could feel Tanisha¡¯s hostility towards the man through the bond and knew this was no friend. Without hesitation he lifted his front claw and swiped, cutting the man to ribbons with a single attack.
¡°Bjorn!¡± Tanisha and Tyr both said in surprise.
Tanisha ran to Bjorn without hesitation. ¡°We need to move, guys.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Tyr responded.
Tanisha and Tyr jumped onto the box seat while Svar held on to the side. They didn¡¯t have long as there were Salstar knights and the prince¡¯s soldiers moving in on horseback and on foot. Tanisha noted that there was a distinct lack of the Salstar¡¯s drake riders, who all traveled on the insanely fast drakes. She smiled, knowing they probably couldn¡¯t chase Bjorn given the fact all draconic creatures were afraid of him. She looked up and saw that there was no sign of Magnus, either.
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Bjorn took off running as soon as everyone was on board.
¡°We have to get back to the estate!¡± Tyr yelled. ¡°Bjorn, turn right at the next street!¡±
¡°That shadow creature was a construct created by Loki, Ingrid''s Right Hand,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°I don¡¯t think going to the estate will be a good idea, Tyr. He was going for you, they¡¯re trying to kill all of the Isi.¡±
¡°So you think I should just abandon my family, run and hide like a coward?¡± Tyr screamed at her. ¡°Look what we just did! I knew those people we just fought¡ They turned us against each other. Not to mention they¡ they killed my grandfather.¡±
¡°I am not saying we run, I just don¡¯t think we should rush in without knowing what¡¯s going on,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°They will have the estate locked down, we¡¯ll be going into a trap. Thyra and Loki are there, no doubt, and we are just three people.¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t want to go just let me off. I will go alone. It isn¡¯t your fight after all, even if it is your former family.¡± Tyr clenched his fist. ¡°No way in the Infernal Planes I am leaving, Tanisha.¡± He stood up, ready to jump off the speeding wagon.
Tanisha grabbed his wrist hard enough to make him wince. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that, and don¡¯t you fucking jump off this wagon and do something stupid and get yourself killed! Do you know a back way or something? We can¡¯t go in the front.¡±
Tyr looked at her for a long moment then to Svan, who nodded.
¡°There is a back way out of the estate; it¡¯s hidden underneath it.¡± Tyr relented under Tanisha¡¯s gaze. ¡°We can probably get the wagon down there. I know of a hidden entrance not too far from here. I¡¯m sure if there are any evacuees they¡¯ll be using the escape tunnels in the dormitory and guest house.¡±
¡°Everyone get ready to defend the wagon,¡± Svan interjected. ¡°We have company.¡±
Tanisha and Tyr turned around and saw four cavalrymen. They were Knights of Velheid and had the Salstar Domain crest on their breastplates. Each of the men had long lances poised which coursed with magical energy. Tanisha could tell they were wizards, using enchanted gear to provide magical effects. She aimed her Water Missile at the leading man, only for it to be completely negated by a shield that glowed as the water hit it. Leaving only superficial damage.
Tyr and Svan held onto the sides of the wagon as the knights closed the remaining distance. The air got colder as they circulated chakra into their blades, deflecting the knight¡¯s attacks as they aimed for the wheels of the carriage. Tanisha fired her Water Missile again, but was disappointed in the result. The knights merely raised their shields or were unaffected as their armor successfully protected them.
Tanisha reached her hand into the remaining small water orb. In a second the mana was absorbed back into her body; she figured if it didn¡¯t work she should try something else. Right as she prepared herself one of the knights jumped from his horse onto the top of the wagon. He pulled out his sword, which caught fire as he coursed his magic into the runes. Tanisha acted immediately, putting her daggers into her storage necklace.
She jumped from the box seat onto the wagon roof along with the knight. She was sure to control her breathing and maya as she threw several punches, causing blasts of maya to shoot towards him. He slashed one of the maya waves, splitting the Infernal Energy, and blocked the others with his shield, which glowed brightly as the metal heated and creaked but held strong.
The knight used Flash Step aided by his enchanted boots, and Tanisha had to weave out of the way of the first strike with his sword. It passed through the air where her head had been a moment prior. The heat from the flame around it kissed her skin but didn¡¯t hurt thanks to her buffs, the Mana Armor and Maya Cloak. The wisps of blue-green maya grew more substantial, partially obscuring her form from her attacker. She moved to dodge the followup strike, only to realize too late that it was a feint and was bashed with the man''s shield.
Tanisha was thrown off-balance and tasted blood in her mouth as the man jabbed forward with his sword to impale her. She twisted her body in the air right as Bjorn abruptly jolted the wagon, one of his heads watching the battle between Tanisha and the knight. The knight lost balance and the sword scraped Tanisha¡¯s scale armor along her side. The heat seared her skin even through her defenses and she had to sidestep a second attack, but the knight made a mistake while he was off-balance, leaving himself exposed.
He tried to slash her again, but she ducked under the blade and came back up at his side. Tanisha uppercutted the knight directly in the bevor of his armor underneath the chin. Maya exploded out from her with terrifying force, shattering the steel as the protection runes burned out, sending shrapnel inside the helmet with a sickening squelch as the man was lifted into the air and over the side of the wagon.
¡°You guys okay down there?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Could use some support,¡± Svan stated.
Tanisha pulled out her bardiche from her necklace inventory. She had far better control of her magic with it as a median than casting with the knives. They were decent wands thanks to their design, but she¡¯d had the bardiche runes altered to fit her magic far better. A mage¡¯s medium could change a lot about a spell, making them more potent, efficient or even change properties of any spell cast with them.
¡°I got you,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°Just three more to go.¡±
[66] Escape is The Only Option
Ingrid stood atop the walls of the fort palace. She watched with a grin as the masses below were forced into their homes and business by the knights and royal soldiers. Martial law would soon be in effect, and her new seat of power was well within her grasp. Once the inner city was under her full control the rest of the fort city would bow easily. The Nazem were dead; they had grown fat with opulence, weak with complacency, and now their bloodline would rot in the dirt where it belonged.
All that was left was to please the prince with her absolute victory over the corrupt families within the inner ring. The Fital Family was a mafia that ran rampant throughout the territory. They¡¯d gained political power over the past fifty years by corrupting the inner ring. The Drasi Family were wealthy merchants and druid sympathizers who spread the ridiculous message that wendigo and druids could share the Holy Land.
Finally there was the Isi Family, who undermined the superiority of their blood by denying mana granted to them by the Forest Father. They chose to spread the filth that was material users. The accursed art created by humans and their lessers. It was the very thing humans had used to hunt wendigo during the war with them only a millenia ago. Ingrid let the thought go; soon they would all be dead, them and their teachings.
Standing a few feet from Ingrid was Loki; the man was a darkness mage and one of the most powerful Ingrid had ever known. He¡¯d been her Right Hand since she was a little girl, and had served her dutifully even when she married into the Salstar Noble House. He knew her ambitions better than anyone, her craving for power and her desire to one day shine as the strongest in the Kingdom. She respected him as a friend and confidant, one of the few people she was close to.
¡°How are things going out there?¡± Ingrid asked. She didn¡¯t turn to him, instead continuing to look over the city.
Loki was silent for a moment, which didn¡¯t bother Ingrid as she knew he was controlling dozens of shadow constructs spread about the city. His awareness was also spread with each construct, and while she didn¡¯t know the full extent of that spread she was well aware of the toll it had on the cognition of his actual body. The fact he could communicate at all was testament to his skill with the spell.
¡°The Fital Family heads as well as their second and third ranked crime lords have all been captured.¡± Loki¡¯s voice was completely impassive while he was controlling so many shadow constructs. ¡°Minimal casualties; the heads are being executed as we speak. Their estate had five children; all have been captured and are being transferred. Ages five, seven, ten and two under one years old. The Drasi had a defensive precaution around their estate and mercenary guards. We had five casualties, the estate was leveled, no survivors, all of the family members were confirmed dead.
¡°The fight with the Isi is more intense than we anticipated. Many of their disciples were present at the estate and combat is still underway. We have confirmed the deaths of the Isi patriarch Kolbein and matriarch Freyr¨ªer. We have also secured the two daughters of Hrolf and Drifa. Ages five and a baby less than one. Drifa is currently in combat with several of my constructs in the estate; she is injured and we suspect she will be dead soon. Hrolf is holding the line outside to buy time for survivors from the initial artillery magic to escape through underground tunnels. I have several constructions hidden amongst the escapees to see where the tunnels leads.¡±
¡°Where is the Isi family heir?¡± Ingrid asked.
¡°Tyr was outside of the estate during the attack,¡± Loki said in a monotone voice. ¡°One of my constructs hidden amongst a group of Isi disciples in the market engaged him once the group turned on him.¡±
¡°So he is dead then?¡± Ingrid said assuredly.
¡°No, the construct was destroyed. One of the disciples sided with him and Freja. Their whereabouts are currently unknown,¡± Loki said.
¡°Freja is with them? That will slow them down at least,¡± Ingrid mused.
¡°She was the one who destroyed the construct. She used Hydrokinetic magic,¡± Loki corrected.
¡°What? This is no time for jokes, Loki. I didn¡¯t even know you could in that state.¡± Ingrid turned to face the veiled man. ¡°That failure could barely use Mystic Wind Hands.¡±
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¡°I assure you I am speaking the truth, milady,¡± Loki stated with a nod. ¡°Although her magic was odd there was a mixture of something in it. I suspect it was maya, given the fact she is a disciple of the rakshasa.¡±
Ingrid considered her next words for a moment. ¡°Hmm¡ Freja is of no concern, kill her if you get the chance but she is not the target. I need the Isi dead. They are your priority, everyone else is secondary. Where is Thyra?¡±
¡°She was at the Fital Family raid and is on the way with Magnus to the Isi Estate as we spe-¡± Loki suddenly dropped to his knees, breathing heavily.
¡°What is it?¡± Ingrid enquired.
¡°Seven of my constructs were destroyed simultaneously at the Isi Estate,¡± Loki said with more color to his voice now that his attention wasn¡¯t so divided. ¡°The tiger demon has entered into some rage state or something. I have never seen a demon do that.¡±
Ingrid was displeased at the revelation. The rakshasa was a concern but nothing that should warrant her direct attention. Ingrid had no doubt that if Loki wasn¡¯t spread as thin as he was he could handle the demon on his own. The more constructs he had out, the less powerful they were. That was most likely the reason Tyr managed to escape and her failure of a daughter managed to destroy one. This was becoming tedious, though, and she wanted results quickly.
¡°Do I need to go?¡± Ingrid asked.
Loki paled at the thought. ¡°No, milady, Thyra will be more than enough for the demon. This is not worthy of your presence.¡±
¡°Very well, but I expect excellence, Loki,¡± Ingrid said. ¡°I will return to the First Prince now. Inform me of any major changes.¡±
The darkness beneath Loki seemed to grow in size and started to bubble like boiling ink.
¡°Of course, ma¡¯am,¡± Loki said with a bow.
The man then fell into the inky black, vanishing without a trace. Ingrid looked at the spot where the man had stood for a moment before she turned back to the city. She looked at everything that would soon be hers and smiled a wicked toothy smile. She then walked away, humming a sweet melody.
The tunnel was dark but the glowing water orbs helped everyone to see. There weren¡¯t many civilian survivors from the bombardment of artillery magic. Helina and Owen did what they could to protect people when Hrolf and Joha had cleared the way for an escape into the tunnels beneath the estate. The Isi disciples wanted to make sure the women and children got away while they held the line.
The goblins had to leave behind their wagon, but they kept their horses and had storage rings for their most valuable belongings. Helina walked alongside her children as they clung to her, terrified as to what would happen next. Owen was leading the family, spear in hand as they marched along with the crowd. Once they got out of the tunnel she knew they needed to leave Yuhia. Things were changing in this war and she didn¡¯t want her kids to be a part of it.
¡°We¡¯re almost there guys, keep going,¡± someone at the front of the pack said. ¡°Once we¡¯re out we have to get to the gate to the outer city. Head straight there and do not stop anywhere; we aren¡¯t out of danger yet.¡±
¡°If you have on anything that will make you look associated with the Isi family, take it off or hide it,¡± another man said. ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t feel right, but the Isi want us to survive and that is why they are fighting for us. We will rebuild.¡±
Helina couldn¡¯t help but worry about Tanisha and Bjorn. The familiar had run out of the estate with such ferocity, but there was no telling what awaited him. Tanisha had improved over the weeks, but she was still a novice and still such a young girl. The goblin mother couldn¡¯t help but feel like she should help her; Tanisha reminded her so much of herself several centuries ago. Lost, afraid and forced into one shitty situation after another because of forces out of her control. Helina couldn¡¯t help but fear the worst, that Tanisha was dead; she looked down at her own kids and resolved they would get out of here alive.
The group came to stop at a massive stone door. Two men reached out and placed their hands on the edifice, and lines of chakra lit up along carvings. The door shook as stones separated, scraping against each other in a long whine. Fresh air and light flooded into the tunnel, but soon so did the sounds of combat.
¡°It¡¯s master Tyr,¡± one of the men said. ¡°If you can fight we have to help him!¡±
Owen turned to face Helina and his sons, determination on his face.
¡°I got them,¡± Helina said.
¡°Protect your mother, Wyatt. You too, Caleb,¡± Owen said. He then met his wife¡¯s gaze. ¡°I will be right back.¡±
Helina watched as Owen ran off. A man, one of the mystic swordsmen, passed by and nearly bumped into her. He looked focused on getting to the front to help, and she would have let it go, but noticed something strange. She wouldn¡¯t have noticed it had she not been so cautious ever since ?sa was killed. The man didn¡¯t have a shadow.
She had to think quickly. Helina knew that she couldn¡¯t do anything to draw attention to the darkness construct while it was mixed in with the crowd. Most of them were non-combatants, and one of its retaliatory shadow arches would kill most of the people in the tunnel. She needed to follow and take it out once it left, before it got to the real Isi disciples.
¡°Stay with the horses,¡± Helina said to her children. ¡°I will be right back.¡±
[67] Lost To Emotion
Bjorn finally made it to the location of the secret Isi tunnel; the location was off the road in a forested area of the inner city. The entrance didn¡¯t look like much, just a rock face nestled against a pond. There were no indications that it was actually anything of note.
The problem was that there were still a few knights chasing them. After Tanisha killed one of them, the others only became more furious in their attacks.
The knights were all wizards using enchanted armor that both enhanced their abilities and offered excellent protection. Tyr, Svan and Tanisha had successfully held them back, but the armor was a tough obstacle. They decided to hold their ground at the entrance. Bjorn wasn¡¯t as useful as he wanted to be since he was hitched to a wagon, which made it difficult for him to turn.
Right as the clash between the knights and the party began, the rock face that made up the hidden tunnel slowly opened. Bjorn saw cautious faces inside the dark tunnel. Then a man quickly stepped out when he saw Bjorn.
¡°It¡¯s master Tyr!¡± the man yelled. ¡°If you can fight we have to help him!¡±
It took only moments for eight sword-wielding disciples of Isi to rally to their aid. The majority of the crowd, about thirty-two in total, seemed to be women and children. The sword wielders were the only men in the group. Bjorn was happy to see Owen run out of the crowd with his trusty spear in hand.
¡°Help the master!¡± a man screamed. ¡°Don¡¯t let the knights escape!¡±
Bjorn turned his attention back to the knights. They seemed panicked at the sudden influx of enemies but were unable to disengage. However, his attention was again taken by the taste of darkness magic in the air. His heads immediately looked for the source because that taste could only mean there were more Shadow Constructs. Each head identified a different person amongst the crowd of new warriors running towards the fight with the knights.
¡°You see anything?¡± Bjorn asked Failsafe.
¡°Bjorn! Look out!¡± Helina''s voice rang out at the same time Failsafe screamed in his head.
Bjorn turned one of his heads and saw her pointing at a man only a few feet away from him. His sword stabbed forward and pierced Bjorn¡¯s side, causing the familiar to roar in pain. Bjorn immediately retaliated with a swipe of his claws, and he felt the sword slice downward out of him as the construct dodged the attack. Bjorn tried to quickly give chase, but the wagon prevented him from being able to turn and attack.
Bjorn was a long way from out of the fight, but the sudden attack caused everyone to wonder what was going on. Tanisha was almost impaled by a blitz strike from the knight she was fighting when she turned to see what had happened to Bjorn. She was saved by one of the new disciples, who used Flash Step to enter the fight. She had to go back into her own battle; the momentary distraction almost cost the girl her life.
Owen came to Bjorn¡¯s side and thrusted his spear forward with precision. The construct dodged the spear that aimed for the spot its head had occupied mere milliseconds before. The goblin was relentless, though, more strikes followed; faster each time. Before it could counter-attack, a single beam of glowing water hit the construct¡¯s head, making it go limp on the spot. Bjorn followed the stream of water with his eyes back to Helina, who had collected water into three glowing orbs.
With this enemy dealt with Bjorn had to turn his attention to the others. He still tasted the darkness magic in the air, so he used Identify on the newcomers. An unusual error message appeared for one of the disciples that was moving in a beeline straight for Tyr. Right as he turned his body he saw another error message, this one in the crowd of people behind Helina.
The construct looked like a child, but as it ran towards the unexpecting goblin woman its arm elongated into a thin blade. Bjorn roared, which temporarily caused everyone to freeze in place. Except for Tanisha, who was completely unaffected. It wasn¡¯t a natural freeze either; it was some sort of Intimidation Roar. Bjorn''s confusion turned to frustration as he discovered yet another power before Failsafe.
Tanisha was confused, but used the moment she had to place a well-positioned punch on the knight she was fighting. The world was frozen for only a moment more, and Tanisha used her connection to Bjorn to get a sense of his hostility towards a man frozen in place who was running towards Tyr. That person was a construct, she knew for certain after she used Identify on him. However, it wasn¡¯t the person Bjorn was focused on the most. He started moving towards the open tunnel and when Tanisha saw why she took off running, too.
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¡°Tyr, there¡¯s a shadow construct behind you!¡± she yelled, running in the opposite direction. ¡°Helina, run!¡±
The effect of Bjorn¡¯s Intimidation Roar wore off and everyone jolted back to life. The warnings Tanisha had yelled reached everyone. Tyr used Flash Step to dodge the construct that aimed to assassinate him. Helina on the other hand had no time; the construct came to life a moment before she did. Its blade was already whistling through the air before she could move. Bjorn and Tanisha pushed as quickly as they could to get to the goblin mother. The blade hit flesh then bone then flesh before exiting her neck.
¡°Helina!¡± Tanisha screamed.
Helina¡¯s body fell to her knees before slumping over to the side head rolling free. The construct wasted no time and ran toward the furious pair. Its body elongated until it was only humanoid in shape but pitch black in form. It dodged Tanisha¡¯s punches easily, even as maya poured out of her like a fountain. No longer blue-green but fully red as she unintentionally delved deeper into her connection to the Infernal Plane. She let the maya flow from her and fully embraced the infernal influence.
The power and rage she felt threatened to corrupt her as it had Bjorn a few weeks ago. Her mana veins felt like they were on fire as they dug deeper into her and started the construction of maya meridians. Pain only further caused her mind to swim in the sea of power she felt within the maya. It made her want to relinquish all control to it. She could feel the promise of power within it as her body moved on its own.
Racial Evolution Progress
You have met the requirements to ascend Racial Hierarchy. Your core has been touched by the Infernal Planes, and where some would crumble you have thrived. New options unlocked. Please select one option to evolve.
Current: Wendigo (Normal)
Evolution 1: Nature''s Wrath (Greater)
Evolution 2: Herne Hunter (Greater)
Please assign Racial Hierarchy within 2 day(s) or evolution(s) will be lost.
Evolve into Nature''s Wrath (Greater Wendigo) [Yes/No]
Evolve into Herne Hunter (Greater Wendigo) [Yes/No]
Tanisha closed the window, her mind too far gone to comprehend what it was telling her. In her crazed state she failed to even defend herself as she struck out against the construct. The sword-like appendages sliced her but couldn¡¯t penetrate deeply thanks to the Maya Cloak, which had become more substantial. Deep or not she was being covered in wounds which flowed with maya instead of blood.
¡°I will fucking kill you, Loki!¡± she screamed. ¡°I¡¯m coming for you, I will kill you. You hear me, Loki!¡±
¡°Oh shit, that is not good,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°She¡¯s doing the same thing you did.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Her core is a fusion of maya and mana by the looks of it,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°But right now the maya is in control.¡±
Bjorn joined the battle; he was marginally slower than Tanisha because of the wagon and his injury. When he arrived he immediately snapped with his powerful jaws, one right after the other, down onto the construct. He managed to crush one of its arms before Owen jumped into the fray. His eyes had tears running down but his gaze was sharp.
Between the three of them it only took moments to land a fatal shot on the construct, which fell to the ground. Tanisha jumped on it, her mind nearly entirely lost to the maya as she bit, punched and clawed at the rapidly vanishing construct. She stood once it was fully gone, her maya-induced rage causing her to scream obscenities.
¡°Helina.¡± Owen dropped his spear and ran to the downed woman.
The quivering voice of the man seemed to bring some reason back to Tanisha. Bjorn used two of his heads to get a good look at their surroundings while the third focused on Tanisha. Tyr was okay, other than a nasty cut on one of his arms. All of the knights were killed along with the shadow construct. The battle was over, so Bjorn focused back on Tanisha. He grabbed her gently, being careful not to cut her with his claws, and forced her to look at him as she had done when he was lost to the maya.
¡°Bjorn?¡± Tanisha asked as tears flowed. ¡°It¡¯s not fair! It¡¯s not fair.¡±
The maya she was breathing out slowly shifted in coloration, fully green this time instead of the blue-green it had been. After another minute it slowly shifted in color again until it was fully white. Once she was calm, at least in terms of maya, Bjorn let her go. He could feel her emotions, and he felt them shift in her. The turbulence was soothed by the maya; she let it take away her distress and sadness. Bjorn didn¡¯t think it was a healthy thing to do, but understood why she would. Now was not a time to be lost to emotion; they were still in the middle of the enemy¡¯s territory and only smart decisions were going to get them out alive.
[68] The Sixth Form Of The Rakshasa
Demons were not known for their compassion. In fact they were quite selfish, most of the time acting on things that brought them pleasure and forsaking anything or anyone else. Most demons loved the maya and how it defended them against responsibility and accountability. They could do whatever they wanted and choose to feel nothing but the pleasures of life. For the longest time Joha had been like that; for nearly two hundred years all he¡¯d done was fight and crave power.
The Way of the Rakshasa was the way to power and he¡¯d fully immersed himself into that philosophy. However, things had changed when he realized the truth of maya. The infernal power it granted was that of life, not death. It sought to protect those touched by it in a misguided way. Joha allowed himself to feel, and taught other demons to do the same, but his journey took him across the sea. He was no longer Joha of the Bloody Fang; he was simply Joha Bhatia spice trader.
He thought that life had a funny way of drawing people back into things they thought they¡¯d left behind. Joha sought peace, not power; he wished prosperity to those he came across, not pain. So when a girl beaten and bloodied by the world came to him and asked him to prepare her for the life he¡¯d left behind his heart broke but he understood. She had drive and purpose, but there was a long and bloody road ahead of her. Deep down he wished he¡¯d convinced her to break the bond with Bjorn, maybe then her path wouldn¡¯t be so painful.
Joha breathed out abyssal maya, the substance so black it came from the deepest brines of the Infernal Planes. The power changed him as it always did, wrapping him in darkness as energy crackled. This reality, this Lower Plane, struggled to comprehend maya so dense; the clash between this power and the world around him caused tears in space and time to form. Pure dimensional energy in the appearance of lightning struck out at anything too close to him. It wasn¡¯t lethal, but it wasn¡¯t anything someone would want to be struck by.
Joha looked around at the bodies of men and women sprawled across the estate. Knights, disciples of Isi, civilians and familiars. Dead. It made Joha sick even as he grabbed a wendigo knight off of his familiar and crushed the man¡¯s neck and armor with ease. It had always been so easy for him to kill.
Hrolf had taken the majority of the disciples to perform a rescue effort for the civilians and injured. Hrolf and his most loyal students and inner circle were defending an escape tunnel under the collapsed dormitory. The men were fighting with everything they had, defending the passageway. Joha decided to stay for a while and help until those that could be saved escaped. He dodged a spear empowered by mana, which exploded as soon as it touched the ground. The explosion did nothing to him, which shocked the wendigo who threw it. In less than a second he was dead as Joha dropped his decapitated head.
¡°Joha!¡± Hrolf yelled. ¡°One of the servants just told me Drifa is still in the main house.¡±
Joha looked at the man and nodded; no more words needed to be said. He used Maya Step, which allowed him to cover the distance from the destroyed dormitory to the main house so quickly many people might have confused it for teleportation. The main house, once an edifice of wendigo opulence, was a flaming wreck. The bombardment of artillery magic had blown apart most of the east wing. The house was sturdy, however, and magical reinforcements meant that the fire spread slowly and the sturdier inner sanctum of the building was completely intact.
¡°Damn, what a waste of life,¡± Joha said to himself.
He ran into a hall, where a slain maidservant was slumped against the wall. Joha knelt down and closed the woman''s eyes only for them to shoot back open. The woman wasn¡¯t undead; she was transforming, the flesh of her face melted away leaving exposed bone as blood and meat broke away in chunks. Joha grabbed her throat and restrained her as she lunged at him in an attempt to bite him.
He had only ever heard about this dreadful transformation in his travels. He believed it must be akin to a curse given to them by their True. When some wendigo draw close to death they can choose to reject passing on but in doing so they lose a part of themselves. Druids are the same although they become something different; treants. The woman attempts to scratch and claw at Joha, her nails became long and sharp talons, her eyes sunken black orbs. Joha watched the transformation in morbid curiosity as she became the cannibal beast, the lesser wendigo, the skinwalker.
He felt bad for having let the maidservant turn into that thing. He should have ended her as soon as he saw the signs of the transformation. He admonished himself for letting his curiosity allow the woman to suffer more. In a swift motion he decapitated the woman and the body caught fire as he heated the maya around him burning her to ashes in seconds to finally give her rest.
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He continued on until the sound of fighting became apparent. The walls had deep gouges from blades and the temperature dropped well below freezing. Joha ran into a destroyed room that was one of the main offices of the Isi estate. There was blood everywhere even as the clashing of metal on metal continued further in.
Joha found Drifa, her twin swords locked in a deadly dance against a shadow construct that almost looked like a man with arms and legs made of thin blades. Joah rushed in and had to dodge strikes from the construct with Maya Steps as he closed the distance. This construct was different from the ones he¡¯d destroyed so far. It seemed more lucid and precise. It even managed to dodge his punch, jumping up to the ceiling. It stood there, upside down.
¡°Demon, what stakes do you have in this? These are traitors to our country,¡± the construct spoke. ¡°Leave now and I will permit you to go from here unhindered. Free passage from Lavi.¡±
Joha looked over to the badly injured Drifa. She looked like she would fall over at any moment. Blood flowed freely from deep cuts and lacerations. A stab wound in her stomach was only held shut with chakra. Her breath was tired and ragged. He knew she was already dead; the construct needed only to run down the clock on her and she would not survive long enough to get to a healer.
¡°Tanisha?¡± Joha asked.
¡°Ah, yes the shia,¡± the construct said. It took on more wendigo features until it resembled a veiled wendigo Hand. ¡°We don¡¯t care about her, only the Isi; take her and leave. If you make it quickly enough you might be able to save them¡ Oh, well, it looks like the goblin woman just died. Mages, you know, got to go for the head.¡±
¡°Helina?¡± Joha¡¯s eyes widened.
He ducked as a blade flashed through the air, aiming at his throat. It was Drifa; she wasn¡¯t the real one, either. He dodged another swing, this time from a third construct that rose from a pool of Darkness magic on the floor. Beside that darkness was Drifa¡¯s unmoving body. Her corpse was being used to make copies.
¡°I will assume I am talking to the Right Hand of Ingrid,¡± Joha growled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so lucky that this is the real you, would I?¡±
¡°Unfortunately, no, but enough of my constructs have been destroyed that these three should be able to kill even you.¡±
¡°It is a shame that you aren¡¯t here,¡± Joha said in a cold voice. ¡°Pray that we never meet.¡±
There were six forms to the Way of The Rakshasa. The first was MayaMudra, the illusionary seals; Joha breathed out more and more of the abyssal maya even as he dodged the strike and blade arches of a construct. He could not dodge every slash; it would be impossible no matter how skilled he was, but even so the maya was so dense and his timing so precise that each cut was little more than superficial.
Once the room was filled with the maya he reached out with his hand and grabbed a seemingly blank space. The maya condensed, forming into chains that wrapped around each of the constructs. Joha let out a mighty roar as he pulled the chains. The constructs were all dragged towards him, unable to break free even as they sprouted additional arm blades and attempted to cut themselves free.
The second form was the deflection, the VritraVajra or Thunderbolt Dragon. As the constructs were yanked to him they continued to strike, only to find the attacks redirected and slammed back into them. As he moved the chains crawled around them and their new limbs like snakes, binding them together. He slammed them all to the ground, chains tightening.
The last form was the KrodhaKshartra, or Dominion of Rage. All at once maya vanished, it instantly subsumed into Joha¡¯s body as he balled his fist. He grew in size, bone spikes extending from his fur. His eyes were black orbs; his muscles threatened to burst from his skin. His closed fist rocketed down on the constructs with a flash. The floor gave way and walls buckled and roof blew out as maya exploded from the point of impact.
The room was reduced to little more than a crater, even with all of its reinforcements both magical and physical. One construct remained, the one in the shape of the caster. It was indeed tougher than any other he had faced up until that point. Joha raised his fist again, only for the veiled construct to explode into dozens of spikes which flew in all directions. Joha jumped back, but was pierced in his side and one spike entered his eye.
The Hand was right; the fewer of the constructs were around the more powerful the remaining were. Joha could not sense mana in the same way magic casters could not sense maya, otherwise he might have been able to sense the build up of magical energy before the explosion. Joha was concerned that anything less than his most powerful attack, and he wouldn¡¯t have won that fight.
The destruction of the final shadow construct left Joha injured; his wounds didn¡¯t bleed but instead maya flowed from him. He was running low on his reserves of infernal energy, and soon he would be at his limits. He billowed out a breath of maya and felt the power surrounding him.
¡°Wow, what a show.¡± a voice called out as Magnus landed on the uncollapsed section of the roof. ¡°And here I thought this was going to be boring.¡± Thyra jumped down off of the Wyvern. The Left Hand of Ingrid cracked her knuckles and rolled her neck. ¡°Magnus, be a dear and kill Hrolf. I got the little demon here.¡±
¡°Thyra, yes? I will give you one chance to leave,¡± Joha growled menacingly, his voice like gravel.
The woman laughed. ¡°Ooo, how scary,¡± she said with a wiggle of her fingers. ¡°Look, if you took that much damage from Loki while he¡¯s spread as thin as he is, you are as threatening as a kitten. Do try to make this fun though; it has been a while since I killed a demon.¡±
[69] Accursed City
Joha did not want to waste any more time fighting here at the estate. He had done his part to protect the Isi, and this was getting out of hand. He didn¡¯t have the desire nor maya to continue fighting, especially an opponent as competent as the Hands. He breathed out red maya, which surrounded him in a thin veil. His breathing was well controlled and the flow of his maya perfect.
This was the forth form; ShaktiVaidya, or the Divine Healer. This form allowed one to heal themselves. They must know their body, control the maya and have absolute focus in order to utilize it. Joha was a master of the form, as he was with all the forms, and could utilize it even while he stayed alert and carefully watched Thyra.
She jumped from the roof into the crater as Magnus screeched and flew off. The Hand didn¡¯t rush in to attack, and in fact looked quite content simply watching. She even placed a hand on her hip and tapped her foot as if to tell Joha to hurry up. Seeing that she was not rushing to attack him, he decided to use more maya, breathing out even more to speed up his recovery. In moments all of the cuts and slashes he had obtained throughout his fight with Loki were gone; his eye and the hole in his side were completely healed.
¡°You don¡¯t know how excited I am that you have a healing skill,¡± Thyra said; her voice was oddly sensual. ¡°I may enjoy this after all.¡± She took the veil over her face off, revealing a manic panting smile and wide, bloodshot eyes. ¡°I think I can indulge a little bit. I hope you can satisfy me.¡±
The red maya then grew more and more substantial as Joha decreased in size. The crazed Hand rushed in, using Blink to almost instantly punch into the dense maya cloud where she should have connected with flesh. Instead all she felt was the heat from the infernal energy burning her arm.
Maya was not like regular smoke or fire; it wasn''t subject to sway in the wind. It remained under the control of the arcanist, so Thyra barely noticed when a fast-moving horned tiger jumped out of the cloud. His speed was a mixture of pure animal agility and Maya Steps. She went to chase, her smile turning into a scowl as she realized Joha was fleeing instead of fighting.
As she turned she was yanked back. The cloud had formed into barbed red chains that dug deeply into her arm and secured themselves to the ground. She ripped her arm free without a second thought, shredding skin, muscle and tendons to the bone without so much as a wince of pain. Thyra then gave chase immediately as the grievous wounds rapidly healed. Not even a single drop of blood was lost as her limb regenerated.
¡°You coward!¡± Thyra screamed. ¡°Get back here!¡±
Joha was in a tiger form, slick and fast as he ran through the estate, using maya to collapse hallways as he went. He heard Thyra scream her disappointment behind him before he finally exited the building by jumping through a broken window. As soon as he landed, fire, lightning and arrows flew through the air, striking the ground a split second after he used Maya Step to quickly avoid them.
The outside was far more dire now that Magnus had joined the battle. The Wyvern breathed fire down on the remaining Isi defenders. Hrolf single-handedly held back the forces as one by one the last of the defenders ran into the escape tunnel. Joha ran towards Hrolf, who held his sword into the sky, flowing chakra into it to create a blizzard of cold that clashed with the heat of Magnus¡¯ fire breath. Joha didn¡¯t have the maya to spare to help, and the severe drop in temperature was too dangerous for him to get any closer.
He stopped just outside of Hrolf¡¯s sphere of attack at the entrance to the tunnel underground. Hrolf was slowly being whittled down; the constant fighting, the pain, the burns, the loss hammered away at the once proud warrior. He could only glance over at the now fully tiger rakshasa before he snapped his attention back to his defense.
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¡°Joha?¡± Hrolf asked; he was holding his chakra and couldn¡¯t move but his eyes turned dark. ¡°Then she is gone¡ Joha, thanks, but go now. Destroy the tunnel and make sure Tyr gets out of this city. He is the Patriarch of the Isi now. Tell him I am proud of him, and make sure he finds the disciples that left to join the war with the druids. Make sure they do not return; there is nothing for them here in Lavi.¡±
¡°I will tell him, Hrolf,¡± Joha said. ¡°Die well.¡± He ran into the tunnel, which collapsed behind him.
Hrolf screamed his defiance as the extreme cold around him began to contract as it was sucked into the blade of his sword. The elements froze, devoid of all energy anywhere the blade passed. However, without the dome of frigid air swirling around he was engulfed in flames. Only the sword was untouched by the fire, its cold absolute as he slashed up once at the wyvern, then a second time at the men closing in on him. All of his chakra expended, all of his skill and all of his strength used in two final attacks.
Shimmering arches of frigid power flew through the air. Anyone caught in its path was cut down and frozen solid before their body hit the ground. The wyvern saw the attack and moved its body as fast as it could, only for its wing to be cut off and half its body faced the frigid temperature as it plummeted uncontrollably from the sky.
Hrolf fell to his knees, his body blackened and unrecognizable from the fire breath. His sword, still brimming with power, fell from his skeletal hands and shattered against the ground. He couldn¡¯t lift his head, his muscles were destroyed, he couldn''t hear and only one of his eyes could see. A foot stepped in front of him and someone grabbed his head. They lifted his charred face, and he could see Thyra standing there, her face full of rage as she reared back for a punch.
Joha joined the other members of Hrolf¡¯s final guard, the men and women who had stuck with him until the end. They were his most loyal disciples and only fled when he gave them no choice. He¡¯d wanted them to protect his son, the future of the Isi family and its new patriarch. Their faces were full of sadness and regret, but they had a mission and they would see it through to the end. Joha changed back into his humanoid form. It had been a long time since he''d been so low on maya, so long since he was this close to death.
¡°The fight isn¡¯t over,¡± Joha''s deep voice echoed. ¡°Not until we have left this accursed city.¡±
The group continued on the path. Joha remained on alert and kept his distance from the disciples, just in case any of them were actually darkness constructs. The tunnels were lit with dim glow stones, and in the low light he would not be able to tell if any of the disciples were fakes. Every ten or so yards they would collapse more of the tunnel, until they were sixty yards in. It then took another ten minutes before they heard talking ahead of them, and five more before someone called out.
¡°Identify yourselves!¡± a man yelled.
Several men called out their names, and they were told to come up slowly. In total there were fourteen people including Joha in the small party. They were made to approach one at a time and exit the tunnel into the sun so everyone could see if they had shadows. Joha was the ninth to exit.
He saw the goblins and Tanisha huddled around a tarped figure on the ground. They were all crying except Tanisha; she was obviously suppressing her emotions with the maya.
She didn¡¯t look well, though. Her body was drained, her eyes hollow and sickly. Most disturbingly, maya was leaking from wounds all over her body. That shouldn¡¯t be possible for someone on her level of power; it would only start to happen once maya meridians formed in fifteen years or so, unless she delved deeper into infernal power than her body could handle. No, that didn¡¯t make sense either. If that were the case she would have died at worst, and been crippled for life at best.
Joha looked back at the tarp, an obviously goblin-sized body beneath. He walked over to the group; they didn¡¯t notice him until he was only a few feet away. Owen was trying to hold it together for his children, but it was obvious his world had shattered. Joha had seen that look many times in his long life. Tanisha stood up and white maya unintentionally escaped her with every breath, a poor sign.
¡°J-Joha,¡± Tanisha called out, but her voice lost all color as she stood up and hugged the Tiger Demon
[70] Punched In The Face
Bjorn was finally unhitched from Tanisha''s wagon. They replaced him with a horse so he could hide inside once they were on the move again. There was a somber attitude around no matter where Bjorn looked. His side was still sore from being impaled with a sword, but it was more or less phantom pain. He had more pressing issues, such as getting out of here alive and finding out if there were any more surprises with his abilities.
¡°So what you¡¯re telling me is that there was no way for you to know that I would breathe fire out of all of my heads at once? Will that work with the poison cloud too?¡±
¡°No, and don¡¯t sound disappointed,¡± Failsafe responded. ¡°I was originally made to help you with a humanoid reincarnation, so I might miss some small things here and there. From what I gathered is that it happened because you can¡¯t control that energy properly. Poison Cloud is one mana point less, but at the same time it¡¯s not as explosive as the Plague Fire and thus the energy is harder to control. If you could have focused the power better it would have only come from one head, and would have been far stronger as a result.¡±
¡°Me breathing it from all three heads weakened it?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Yes, although it was awesome,¡± Failsafe said.
¡°Well let¡¯s finally fix my low mana situation,¡± Bjorn responded.
¡°Agreed,¡± Failsafe stated.
Unassigned Cultivation Points Distribution
You have leveled up 5 time(s) before assigning your UCP.
You have 50 UCP
Please assign all UCP within 2 day(s) or UCP will be automatically assigned.
Assign [yes/no]
¡°Huh, five, I was expecting more levels,¡± Bjorn said.
¡°It takes more experience to level up each time, and just about half of your kills are shared with Tanisha,¡± Failsafe explained.
¡°Well, whatever, I¡¯m maxing out Magic and placing the rest into Magic Regeneration anyway. That would leave five points, I guess that would go into Constitution. I need my scales to be tougher otherwise I am just a big target.¡±
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Unknown
Level: 26
Vitality: 150 / 195
Restoration: 220 / 270
Constitution: 85 < 90 / 135
Strength: 100 / 130
Dexterity: 85 / 100
Stamina: 95 / 115
Maya: 50 / 50 (DO NOT USE!)
Magic: 10 < 25 / 25
Magic Regeneration: 20 < 50 / 50 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 2
Skills Analysis
Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic and your best friend who has your back no matter what!
Error: Unknown Pact
You are connected to a Progenitor Being from the Infernal Planes. They are watching you.
Venomous Bite
Magic Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs. (II) Bite of the King of Reptiles, Maya Cost: 10, Your venom becomes infectious and will spread to nearby targets within five feet of the injected target. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Poison Cloud
Magic Cost: 5
With your right head you can mix venom into the air using magic creating a large area of poisonous gas. This gas will rapidly reduce the health of those inside. Allies within your Poison Cloud are unaffected by the poison. (II) Breath of the Infernal One, Maya Cost: 15, Exhale a breath infused with the decay of the Infernal Planes. Targets within the cloud will rot over time as long as the effect is not cleansed.
Plague Fire Breath
Magic Cost: 6
Stamina Cost: 7
With your left head you can breathe a plume of superheated toxin which will ignite enemies and infect them with your neurotoxin. Flames retain toxicity until you release the spell. Plague Fire will spread like normal fire. (II) Infernal Fire Breath, Maya Cost: 20, fire will spread over non-flammable material at a reduced rate.
Hellmouth
Maya Cost: YOUR SOUL (Seriously, if you use this we die!!!)
I really don¡¯t want to tell you what this is because if you use it our heart is going to explode or something, I just know it! However, your middle head can exhale all of the maya stored in your body. This maya can be breathed in by your other heads to use maya infused breath attacks. It can also enhance the durability of your scales and potency of your venom.
Poison Claws
Magic Cost: 3
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even small scratches fatal. Allies are unaffected by your venom. (II) Claws of the King of Reptiles, Maya Cost: 5, venom becomes harder to cleanse.
Infernal Scale Armor
Maya Cost: 25
Absorb maya into your scales, making them more durable and resistant to physical and magical damage.
Delta Familiar Contract
Magic Cost: -100
You are a bonded delta class familiar. You gain +100 to magic regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions through your bond. Your bond is more resistant to outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties.
King of the Reptiles
Passive Skill
Dragons, lizards and amphibians all show hesitation and fear around you, going so far as to run away. More study needed.
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+ Intimidation Roar
Magic Cost: 2
Infused mana into your roar to paralyze anyone that hears it. Your roar can paralyze humanoid magic constructs as long as they are connected to a magic caster. Paralysis duration depends on distance and level disparity between you and target. Those bound to you are immune to this effect.
Head Regeneration and Random Growth!?!?!?
Magic Cost: 40-ish
(or)
Maya Cost: 150-ish
(So funny story, we grew another head, I have no idea why¡)
So bear with me here, we can convert experience into maturation, or healing major wounds including decapitation, or growing more heads I guess. Honestly I have no idea why we grew a head this time but here we are, three heads in and I am getting worried. Anyway more study is needed, but let''s not for a while, please.
Page 2 of 2
¡°The effects are new. You changed it to make new skills and points show easier?¡± Bjorn asked.
Failsafe was quiet for a moment. ¡°I didn¡¯t make those changes to your menus. It looks like your core copied it from Tanisha. The bond is two ways after all, and she must have modified the menus on her end. Wait, there¡¯s actually more.¡± Failsafe sounded excited. ¡°What! She made a third page! I¡¯ll make some changes and implement it after I have some translation issues worked out.¡±
¡°Translation issues?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°I don¡¯t mean language per se but the spell itself isn¡¯t directly applicable to you. From what I can parse, the third page is a menu that lists attributes of a mixed mana-maya core like the one she has because she¡¯s a Sage or whatever,¡± Failsafe explained cheerily. ¡°I¡¯ll have to modify it to analyze a mana and faux-aether core like yours. Her core produces maya now, and is like a weird mess of mana, maya and a ball of chaotic magic that makes no sense at all.¡±
¡°Work on the third menu later. I don''t think it will help in the situation we¡¯re in at the moment.¡± Bjorn said. ¡°Stay in the right head and help me keep a lookout.¡±
¡°Aww¡ yeah you¡¯re right,¡± Failsafe responded, his tone flattening with disappointment. ¡°We do have to make sure we get out of this alive.¡±
Bjorn turned one of his heads back to Tanisha. He found it easier and easier to split his attention between his heads to the point that it felt like he had parallel minds running in sync with each head.
Tanisha had been with the goblins when Owen stored Helina¡¯s body in a storage ring. They would have a proper funeral when they could light a pyre without giving away their position.
His middle head watched Tyr from across the makeshift camp. He was going over escape strategies with Svan and Hrolf¡¯s inner circle of disciples, which were now his inner circle since he was now Patriarch. The young man seemed to have fallen back on his training as an heir to keep himself together. He had a duty to all those that survived, and he was going to fulfill it.
Bjorn didn¡¯t know the ins and outs of the roles of a wendigo heir. What he could gather was that the heir was raised almost exclusively by their fathers to take over the family. Hrolf was technically the next in line, but he was going to be skipped over so that Tyr would be the next patriarch. Bjorn didn¡¯t know why that was, but seeing Tyr take up the role despite his young age and the tragedy that led to it was impressive to say the least.
Bjorn couldn¡¯t help but think of his own past as Isin. The horrors he¡¯d seen when the gate collapsed, and his people being slaughtered. The thought brought a shiver down his spine as he remembered that, since he¡¯d leveled up he, would also gain more of his memories. He had a bad feeling of what he was going to see the next time he slept. What became of his family, his father and that small village of human slaves? He shook the thought free and returned to the moment.
¡°I¡¯m going to postpone the memories until we are somewhere safer,¡± Failsafe said.
Bjorn nodded his heads. ¡°Thanks, I would prefer that.¡±
After a few minutes Joha called Tanisha to the side, which caught Bjorn¡¯s attention so he followed. They walked a short way off from the group.
¡°Are you intentionally breathing out maya?¡± Joha asked.
¡°No, I haven¡¯t been able to stop since¡¡± She glanced over to the goblin family which was settling in her wagon. ¡°It happened.¡±
Joha was contemplative for a moment. ¡°May I check?¡±
Tanisha nodded and Joha placed a hand on her heart, directing her through several breathing techniques. After a few minutes color returned to her maya, settling on a deep green then finally stopped as she regained control.
¡°It is a miracle you are still alive,¡± Joha admitted. ¡°You have jumped in your connection to the maya by years. It is rare that someone survives something like this even amongst the demons. Your body seems to have created maya meridians in order to compensate for the influx of power.¡± He looked at Bjorn then back to Tanisha. ¡°I think it is because of your connection to Bjorn. He had already gone through the maya trauma and survived, so the bond showed you how to do it. Otherwise you would be dead.¡±
¡°Failsafe, is that a thing?¡± Bjorn asked in his head.
¡°I mean, her core is copying yours somewhat. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if when she went berserk it looked at your core for a solution,¡± Failsafe responded. ¡°Her core is so different now it¡¯s hard to tell.¡±
¡°I-I lost control, I felt the maya and I needed power,¡± Tanisha said. Her voice quivered despite the maya suppressing her emotions. ¡°I need¡ then I needed more to try to save-¡± She cut herself off, closing her eyes and balling her fists. ¡°I am going to kill Loki, I am going to kill Thyra and I will kill Ingrid for what they have done. What more can they take from me? What else are those evil people going to take from the Isi? These good people aren¡¯t traitors? There was no trial, no proof no¡ wait.¡± Tanisha opened her eyes and looked at Joha. ¡°There was no trial, which means this city is still contested. We can escape as long as we get to the outer city.¡±
Joha furrowed his brow. ¡°What does that mean?¡±
¡°When a noble family is dethroned their land becomes contested, but only those backed by a royal can fight for the right to own that land. Usually the Royal Family is in agreement as to who can get the new land and it¡¯s given to them uncontested. However, if they don¡¯t agree and back different noble families, then those families can fight for the right to the land.
¡°In order to keep that backing they have to accomplish a Show of Power. I¡¯m sure part of Ingrid''s deal with the First Prince is to eliminate the three families he branded traitors to prove she can rule uncontestedly. But if she fails she will lose the support of the Prince and thus the right to take Lavi.¡± Tanisha smiled devilishly. ¡°If that happens the First Prince will withdraw or be forced to back a loser that couldn''t even kill one material user. Whoever the other noble that¡¯s backed by a royal will win by default, and Ingrid will be a laughingstock.¡±
¡°That seems well thought out,¡± Joha said.
¡°I was taught politics for most of my life,¡± Tanisha said with a raised finger. ¡°Tyr just has to survive long enough for the rival noble and royal to show up.¡± She looked towards the walls to the palace. ¡°I will kill her one day, but I¡¯m not stupid enough to think I can do that now. I think the maya is helping me to think logically right now. I don¡¯t think I will still be in the right state of mind if Loki shows up though. If that happens will you help me kill him? No matter what, I want him dead if we can.¡±
Joha opened his mouth to speak, but another voice cut him off.
¡°Joha, Tanisha can we have a word?¡± Tyr called out.
Joha let out a slow contemplative breath. ¡°We will talk more about this later.¡±
Bjorn followed the pair as they walked to Tyr and his inner circle. The young man didn¡¯t look like himself, and Bjorn could taste seething anger covering the grief. The faces of the thirteen inner circle members were hard; each of them had the same dark expression.
¡°Thank you for joining us,¡± Tyr said.
¡°Should she be here!¡± A man yelled, Bjorn used Identify to see his name was Njal. ¡°Isn¡¯t she a shia from that cursed fucking family!¡±
Bjorn growled, each of his heads locking onto the man as his anger rose. How dare he say that when Tanisha risked her life and safety for them. Njal took a step back, but Tanisha raised her hand and petted Bjorn to calm him down.
¡°I will not tolerate anyone badmouthing Tanisha!¡± Tyr stated furiously. ¡°She is the only reason any member of the Isi Family is still alive right now. If any of you have a problem with Tanisha being here, get out of my sight.¡±
Njal looked up at Bjorn, then down to the tiger demon, and finally rested on Tanisha. He opened his mouth to say something, only for Svan to punch him square in the face. The man fell backwards to the grass, caught himself mid-fall and flipped with one hand on the ground back to his feet. He reached for his sword, but didn¡¯t grab the weapon at his side.
¡°Go secure the area Njal, we will be moving soon,¡± Svan stated with a voice that left no room for argument. ¡°You heard the patriarch.¡±
¡°Fuck, fine, but watch her,¡± Njal said as he walked off.
¡°Anyone else have an issue?¡± Tyr questioned and paused for a few seconds. ¡°Good. So as I was saying, Tanisha, Joha, Bjorn, thank you for joining us.¡±
[71] The Faith Of The Wendigo
¡°First things first, we have to get our people out of the inner wall,¡± Tyr stated. ¡°And quickly; all of the gates will have higher security now that we¡¯ve gotten out of the estate. We need to know which one we can get through, so I need volunteers to scout ahead of us. Take off all apparel associated with the Isi style.¡±
Several men and a woman stepped up. They started to take off their training robes when Joha stopped them. He bellowed out red maya which suffused into their outfits, changing its color and appearance. Each of them now appeared to be in normal clothing of natural colors instead of the baby blue and white. The maya continued to bellow for a little while longer, until all of the members of the meeting appeared to be in different clothing. Not only did it not look like the robes but they all had different trims and styles, making them look like a group of random people. Joha couldn¡¯t change the swords and weapons however, and they would be a dead giveaway if they were seen.
¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do that, Joha,¡± Tyr said, astonished at the enigmatic power. ¡°Well, that takes care of finding new clothing.¡±
¡°It also kept whatever protections you had, so the new outfits are just as sturdy as they were before,¡± Joha stated as he smoked.
¡°If they close the gatehouses, how will we get out?¡± one of the men asked.
¡°With him.¡± Tyr motioned to Bjorn. ¡°I was told that he¡¯s the one who did that to the wall.¡± He pointed at the black line that tracked along the massive wall. ¡°If he can do that from a distance with all of the enchantments on that structure, what can he do if we get him closer?¡±
Tanisha turned to her familiar. ¡°Can you do it again, Big Man?¡± Bjorn nodded, so Tanisha continued. ¡°I wanted to say this as well. The Fort City is contested ground; another royal and noble faction is most likely on the way here to seize the fort.¡±
¡°Contested!¡± Tyr screamed angrily. ¡°They¡¯re planning a civil war for the Fort City, and my family was caught up in the middle of it.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why there was no trial,¡± Svan stated with grim realization. ¡°The prince needed proof of the Salstar¡¯s ability so they chose to eliminate us. The prince has always hated the material users, and I am certain the Salstars do as well.¡±
¡°This changes little, but at least now we know,¡± Tyr said, anger still permeating his face. ¡°Those going to check out the gates go now; be back in the next twenty minutes.¡±
The three men and the woman who volunteered all vanished with Flash Step.
¡°It does change things, though,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°In order for the Salstars to take the city completely they will need the backing of the prince. If you escape the inner city, even if we aren¡¯t able to escape the city completely, all we need to do is hide out somewhere and the Salstar¡¯s will lose the backing of the First Prince. I still think we should get out of the city completely, but as it stands the Salstars don¡¯t have the authority to control the outer city yet.¡±
¡°We do have many people in the outer city that will help us, I am sure,¡± Svan stated. ¡°Escape will be the priority but if we can¡¯t, waiting out the days may be an option as well.¡±
Tyr looked thoughtful for a moment. ¡°You said the Salstars won¡¯t have control of the outer city; will they be able to close the gates?¡±
¡°No, I don''t think so,¡± Tanisha said, feeling a little nervous now that everyone was focused on her. She let the maya have that emotion too. ¡°The First Prince could, but if he helped them that much it would only prove Ingrid is not worthy and disqualify the Salstars from ruling the Domain.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good and all, but the familiar is a big three-headed sign that we¡¯re on the move,¡± a woman said. Bjorn used Identify to see that her name was Alfhild. ¡°We can¡¯t exactly hide him easily.¡±
Tanisha stepped up with her smoking pipe in hand. ¡°We will be a distraction. After we blow open the gate we can try to confuse them and make them think we¡¯re going for a different location.¡±
¡°Why would they fall for that?¡± Alfhild questioned. ¡°They are after the Isi, not you.¡±
The maya around Joha swirled, covering him completely, then dispersed. Joha had turned himself into an exact copy of Tyr but in the white and baby blue robes typically associated with the Isi Family.
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¡°I am sure they will follow if they think she is with the patriarch,¡± Joha said in Tyr¡¯s voice.
¡°If you can change into a wendigo can you turn into one of the captains and just walk us through?¡± Alfhild asked to the other¡¯s agreement.
¡°It would probably not work.¡± Joha shook his head. ¡°Your people are sensitive to mana and I have none. I would have the appearance but no mana, which may make them suspicious. Especially since they know a rakshasa is fighting with you. Material Users are easier since you don¡¯t have mana either.¡±
Tyr took back control of the conversation. ¡°Alright, everyone, we get into the outer city then¡¡±
They went over several plans, from finding sympathizers to family members who could take them in. The children were a big concern; keeping them safe was a priority. It was decided that Tanisha¡¯s wagon would be the best place for them. Tanisha, Joha and Bjorn were to distract the Salstar knights and hopefully the Hands before regrouping later on. All that was left was to wait for the scouts to return with news of the gatehouses.
During the intermission, Tanisha took Joha off to the side. Bjorn followed, of course, to keep an eye on things. He found it a little disturbing how emotionless she felt through the bond. It was as if she was blocking everything, allowing only logic to fuel her actions. It made him afraid of what would happen when she finally lets those floodgates open. The group stopped a few paces away from everyone.
¡°There is something I have to tell you,¡± Tanisha stated calmly, almost emotionlessly. ¡°Two weeks ago after I unintentionally used blink I found out how to use maya and mana together with a new skill I unlocked called Sage Spell Form Crafter. When I used it, it fused my mana core to my maya and now it says I am a Sage of the Infernal. I don¡¯t have a patron, I am connected directly to the Infernal Planes like you.¡±
¡°Wh-what, how?¡± Joha¡¯s voice raised an octave, which was still pretty deep. ¡°I have never heard of anyone creating a direct link. It is something you are born with, not something you can acquire. This could be a major breakthrough for cambions if it is something you can teach.¡±
¡°That wasn¡¯t all, Joha,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°Have you ever heard of someone evolving into a greater before? Aside from those chosen by a True?¡±
¡°No, I have only ever heard of de-evolution without Higher Plane intervention. A greater becoming normal or normal transitioning to lesser. Like the wendigo turning into skinwalkers or demons into cambions,¡± Joha responded with an eyebrow raised. ¡°The greater are not necessarily more powerful, just closer to their True in form and how their power manifests. Some like the sphinxes, the greater lamia, are significantly more powerful than their lessers.¡±
¡°I was given the option to evolve. I can become a greater wendigo; there are two options actually,¡± Tanisha stated.
Joha and Bjorn were both flabbergasted as Tanisha went on to explain herself. She stated her reasons for not taking any of the options before. Her faith in the Forest Father made her think of it a sacrilege to take the gift only He should be able to bestow. Wendigo do not worship in the ways of man by bowing and praying to their creator. The devout worship in action and in deed speaking of the Forest Father and holding onto the tenets of their forefathers. The faith of the Wendigo is branded in their souls, their reverence for Him as much a part of them as any limb.
¡°We also don¡¯t know what it will do to your mind,¡± Joha stated. ¡°When a being de-evolves their mental state changes; some creatures become far more violent like the wendigo, others change in various other ways. I am told the goblins were once the emerald elves who ruled the world, but something happened to them and they became what they are now.¡± He scratched his chin thoughtfully. ¡°If you were to evolve there is the chance it will change your personality, or perception of the world. You said you were given options, meaning more than one, what are they?¡±
¡°Nature¡¯s Wrath was first, but when I lost control of the maya I was given a second one, Herne Hunter,¡± Tanisha responded. ¡°I have two days or I will lose the evolutions.¡±
¡°I have never heard of either, but I don¡¯t know much about greater wendigo,¡± Joha said.
¡°There has only ever been one so I am not surprised. Nature''s wrath was the race of the first wendigo king. His magic is the sorcery used by his descendants in the royal family. I have never heard of the Herne Hunter before.¡±
¡°Is there any more information on them?¡± Joha asked.
¡°No, just the names,¡± Tanisha responded.
¡°Try something for me,¡± Joha said. ¡°I have known many people with mental projection magics like yours. Focus on the names in the menu, with the desire to learn more about it. See if anything happens. It is your magic after all, you should be able to alter it.¡±
Tanisha was silent for a moment as she stared into a blank space.
¡°Failsafe,¡± Bjorn said mentally. ¡°See if we have something similar.¡±
¡°Hmm. I¡¯m still poking around with the third page right now. It¡¯s where she got the information, so maybe we will. I doubt you have an evolution on the way,¡± Failsafe responded. ¡°More than likely you are a True so there¡¯s nothing to evolve into. What would that even be, a True True? A True to the second power?¡±
¡°Just check it out when you get done with the third page,¡± Bjorn stated.
After a minute Tanisha¡¯s eyes opened wide.
¡°I did it!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°I got more information.¡±
[72] What Do You Know About Aether
Racial Evolution Progress
You have met the requirements to ascend Racial Hierarchy. Your core has been touched by the Infernal Planes, and where some would crumble you have thrived. New options unlocked. Please select one option to evolve.
Current: Wendigo (Normal)
Creation of the Forest Father to dominate nature as the apex predator of the forest.
Evolution 1: Nature''s Wrath (Greater)
Your core is one that is malleable and fluid. It can twist and bend without breaking. It can resist the corruptions of the Higher Planes. You have felt the power of that which is higher and resisted its corrupting properties. Nature¡¯s Wrath will purge this power from you and in return grant you a progenitor¡¯s boon. You shall ascend as the Sorceress of Domination, consumer of the weak. Your blood will carry this power to all who come from your lineage. Gain the following to your current stats:
Vitality: +20
Restoration: +20
Constitution: +10
Willpower: +75
Strength: +15
Dexterity: +15
Stamina: +10
Maya: Excised
Magic: +300
Magic Regeneration: +400
All currant magic abilities < Replaced with Domination Sorcery
All currant maya abilities < Excised
Evolution 2: Herne Hunter (Greater)
You have welcomed the maya into your very core and altered your connection to this dimension and that of the Infernal Planes. Surrender what remains of your core to the maya and forsake this realm''s grasp on you. Become the predator amongst prey and destroy those who threaten you. Herne Hunter will turn you into an instrument of passion and power, drawing from the depths of the Infernal Planes. Gain the following to your current stats:
Vitality: +25
Restoration: +50
Constitution: +50
Willpower: +10
Strength: +35
Dexterity: +20
Stamina: +15
Maya: + 660
Magic: Excised
Magic Regeneration: Excised
All current magic abilities < Excised
All current maya abilities < Strengthens with Emotions
Please assign Racial Hierarchy within 2 day(s) or evolution(s) will be lost.
Evolve into Nature''s Wrath (Greater Wendigo) [Yes/No]
Evolve into Herne Hunter (Greater Wendigo) [Yes/No]
Tanisha couldn¡¯t believe what she was looking at for a moment. The explanation of her potential evolutions were counter to one another.
One would make her into a progenitor of a sorcery bloodline, one of domination, which meant she had the potential to start the only other sorcery bloodline aside from the Royal Family of Yuhia.
That fact alone would mean she could found a new wendigo kingdom or legitimately contest the current Royal Family for the right to rule. She wasn¡¯t strong enough now to do either, and most likely wouldn¡¯t be for a century or two. Something even more tangible was the dream of any wendigo: to assure her family was powerful and that her bloodline would forever be that way. Tanisha was a wendigo, she loved the idea of power like any other of her species, and guaranteed generations of power was a dream come true. She almost chose the option for that alone.
She couldn¡¯t help but think that if she had been powerful to begin with, none of this would have happened. She would have been accepted by her family, raised to be nobility and loved. She could have helped her older sister in the war and perhaps Helga would still be alive. So much would have changed, but then Tanisha wouldn¡¯t have met Tyr, Joha, Helina, Owen or anyone else. In fact she might have been the one sent to kill them with Thyra and Loki as her allies. The idea soured her excitement as she thought about it longer.
It would also remove maya from her body; she would no longer be able to use the enigmatic energy. Not to mention that being a sorceress would mean that she would no longer be able to use any other magic but those granted by her sorcery. Domination was ambiguous as to what she would be able to do. Sorcery didn¡¯t follow the typical rules of magic. It became inherent to the person, as much a part of them as a hand or leg, but didn¡¯t allow one to use mana the same way as a mage.
The description, consumption of the weak, was also concerning. During the time of the first king, wendigo did consume the bodies of enemies who were killed in combat. Would becoming Nature''s Wrath require that she does the same? Wendigo no longer ate the flesh of the other sentient races, and hadn''t done so in two thousand years. She liked to believe that the wendigo, and especially herself, were above stooping to those more barbaric times.
On the other hand, the Herne Hunter would remove her entirely from the grace of the Forest Father. Maya had no place in the Great Forest which lies beyond death for the wendigo. She would deny rest and the afterlife to herself and all others of her kind. She knew nothing of the afterlife for demons, but she had felt the dark power of their home and did not wish to go where that power originated. She was already a demonic entity, but that may just be because she was a Sage of the Infernal. She still believed her soul was hers, she had not sold it to the Infernal Planes.
Evolving did mean more power now, but what would it mean for her as a sage? The path of the sage allowed her to grow stronger than any sorceress or mage or arcanist. Sorcerers were legends but their arcane art was so limited. Sages were myths who change the fundamental understandings of magic. If she continued down the path she¡¯d been on, and if the myths of sages were true, she could make a new discipline. She could give herself the abilities of a sorceress or arcanist.
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Wait, could she do that now? She could already change spellforms; what was the ability to evolve but a new spell? Could she change them with her sage abilities? She found herself having more and more circular questions which of course had no answers. The girl then realized that she was muttering to herself when Joha and Bjorn were waiting for her explanation.
The embarrassed girl looked up to them. Apparently embarrassment was one of the few emotions she still had while she let the maya take away all of her other negative feelings. The two had been quietly waiting for her to finish her thoughts.
She explained the prompts to them and her thoughts on what each meant to her. They were all quiet for a moment after she finished speaking. Joha had to process what she¡¯d told him, and he looked conflicted.
¡°This is good to know,¡± Joha finally said. ¡°I would refrain from making a decision based on the situation we are in right now. We do not know what the evolution will do to you while it takes place. Bjorn evolved or grew or something when he was inundated with maya, and he was unconscious for days during that process. I can not imagine a fundamental change as unbelievably drastic as removing all of your maya permanently or excising your mana core would be pleasant.¡±
Bjorn agreed with a deep grumble and nodded his heads.
¡°It¡¯s just something I wanted to talk to you about. I only have two days to decide,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°That is not very long,¡± Joha said with a contemplative expression. ¡°Do you also have more points for your level?¡±
Tanisha gasped; she¡¯d been so worried about the evolution she hadn¡¯t even considered her level. She quickly opened her Unassigned Cultivation menu.
Unassigned Cultivation Points Distribution
You have leveled up 7 time(s) before assigning your UCP.
You have 70 UCP
Please assign all UCP within 12 hour(s) or UCP will be automatically assigned.
Assign [yes/no]
She was surprised she¡¯d leveled up so much. She then realized that she had killed several people and two magic constructs. It didn¡¯t add up, though, so she assumed it was from the familiar bond. Bjorn must have killed several people, too. She didn¡¯t think about it too much; she had points to assign and a plan to enact.
Status Menu
Name: Tanisha Scalebound
Species: Wendigo
Level: 22
Vitality: 16 + 10 = 26
Restoration: 11 + 9 = 20
Constitution: 26 + 20 = 46
Willpower: 19 + 1 = 20
Strength: 18 + 2 = 20
Dexterity: 27 + 8 = 35
Stamina: 18 + 2 = 20
Maya: 10 + 6 = 16
Magic: 28 + 12 = 40
Magic Regeneration: 35 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 3
¡°Okay, I have everything assigned,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°Good. I imagine we will be heading out as soon as the scouts return,¡± Joha responded. ¡°In the meantime we need to recover as much of the maya as we can.¡± He motioned Tanisha to sit down. ¡°Follow my breathing technique.¡±
Joha led a short but intense maya-recovery breathing session that she had never done before. It felt more advanced than any of the standard breathing techniques she¡¯d practiced so far. She could feel the maya move almost like blood throughout her body. She could feel the connection it now had to her core, which was now also the heart of her connection to the Infernal Planes. The maya veins in her body burned. It was painful, but nothing she couldn¡¯t handle. Soon it became a dull ache, then a soothing flow of heat and power.
The sound of Joha¡¯s instruction faded into the background as she followed the ebb and flow of her maya. Before, maya had felt almost gaseous in her body and she couldn¡¯t control it easily. Now it seemed, for lack of a better word, thicker; almost viscus as it moved along the veins and meridians.
The maya in her meridians was far easier to control, and she decided to help it flow along and circulate. As she did, over the course of an unknown amount of minutes she found herself back at her core. The chaotic mess of mana that made up the majority was as unruly as ever. The only difference now was that the maya seemed to radiate from it like a never-ceasing flame. She moved on to the small portion of her core that was usable. It was pure mana, controllable and malleable. She was getting ready to exit her core when she noticed something that, if she hadn¡¯t been spending the past few weeks learning magic, she would have missed.
Her mana was odd; it looked as if it was changing into something else. Something totally different from mana or maya. She followed the source of the change and traced it to her bond with Bjorn. It was something her core was picking up from him.
¡°What is that?¡± Tanisha asked in a whisper.
She examined it closer with her mind''s eye and saw formulae within it. It was broken and incomplete, but definitely not mana or maya. She couldn¡¯t parse the meaning of any of it, although something told her it was a new Higher Plane energy. It was odd to look at, like staring into a broken fractal that was also a math problem mixed with high-elemental script for good measure. There was something missing, and something in the back of her mind told her she could figure it out.
Sage Spell Form Crafter
Magic/Maya cost: Variable
Use mana and maya to alter and twist existing spellforms connected to your core.
She unintentionally activated her Sage Spell Form Crafter, which allowed her to gain further insight into the strange addition to her core. It definitely used to be mana, but it was being altered to such a substantial degree that it wasn¡¯t any more. She had a hard enough time wrapping her head around it when she decided to take a look at her maya. There were codes within the maya as well, but it was complete. And while foreign and strange, it felt familiar because she knew it instinctually.
She may not have known the theory, but she did know them in practice though the Way of the Rakshasa. The lack of power was the main difference between the maya and new symbols, or maths or whatever they were. Maya had a deep eldritchness to it, magic a wellspring, but this was lacking¡
¡°A connection!¡± Tanisha said out loud. ¡°It¡¯s lacking a connection to the higher planes.¡±
¡°Tanisha?¡± Joha questioned. ¡°What are you talking about? Please focus.¡±
¡°Sorry. I think I just figured something out.¡± Tanisha turned to Bjorn. ¡°I don¡¯t know what my core is copying from you Big Man, but I think it¡¯s just missing the connection to the Higher Plane. That¡¯s why it¡¯s all broken up inside.¡±
Bjorn looked at her meaningfully for a long moment before nodding. Tanisha could feel his emotions shift from confusion to understanding, then shock as he realized what she was talking about. He then walked close to Tanisha and shocked her and Joha by spelling out something in the dirt with a long talon.
¡°Aether?¡± Tanisha questioned, then shook her head as her eyes opened wide. ¡°Wa¡ wait, you can write? I know I¡¯ve been reading to you, but I didn¡¯t know you could do this.¡±
¡°Aether?¡± Joha said, his voice a low rumble. ¡°What do you know about aether?¡±
Before Joha could question further, an Isi warrior ran over to them. The man was in a rush so it arrested all other conversation.
¡°We are ready to move, the scouts just got back,¡± the man said in a hurry. ¡°We¡¯re going to the West Gatehouse before it¡¯s reinforced. The patriarch wants to see you two before we head out.¡±
¡°Got it,¡± Tanisha said as she stood up. ¡°Bjorn, you ready?¡±
[73] Do It And We Die
The plan was actually relatively simple. Joha, disguised as Tyr, would ride with Tanisha on Bjorn to draw attention away from the escaping Isi behind them. They would then meet up with Svan, who would take them underground to escape. Tyr was the primary target, so more resources would be used to take him down. If Joha got the attention of the Hands, even better.
The scouts reported the South and West Gatehouses were closed, but the enchantments hadn¡¯t been fully activated yet. The other two were in the process of closing. The slow speed at which they were closing the North and East was obviously a trap, which of course would be avoided.
The amount of magical effects on each gate was mesmerizing. The gatehouses may be closed, but lengthy rituals and specialists were required to ensure the effects didn¡¯t interfere with the thousands of other enchantments that made up the walls or even other parts of the gatehouse itself. Until all of them were active they were vulnerable. Well, as vulnerable as thousands of tons of reinforced stone and steel could be. Tanisha, Bjorn and Joha would be heading to the West Gatehouse. It would be all up to Bjorn to destroy the door and portcullis before the enchantments activated.
¡°That is the last of the children in the wagon,¡± Tyr, the real one, said. ¡°We are in your debt again, guys.¡± Tyr handed Joha his sword. ¡°There is no way I can ever repay you all for this; you have my thanks and my word that one day I will find a way.¡± His eyes lingered on Tanisha for a while.
Before anyone could respond, he was called off by one of the Isi warriors. Tyr had to wear a hood to cover his face, and Bjorn couldn¡¯t help but notice that for wendigo headwear was unique. Their helmets had to be fashioned around their antlers. Hats were almost nonexistent, though men and women did have accessories they would place in their antlers. The hood split on both sides of the face to allow the antlers through, then there were buttons to secure them.
Bjorn shook the sudden fascination with wendigo hats out of his mind. It felt like Failsafe was rubbing off on him, and he needed to stay focused. Tanisha and Joha were on his back, ready to go. All they needed was the signal and Bjorn would take off running. He had to stay ahead of the Isi, destroy the gate and draw as much attention to himself as possible.
¡°Prepare yourself, Tanisha,¡± Joha said in Tyr¡¯s voice.
¡°Right,¡± Tanisha responded with a breath.
Bjorn took the moment to talk with Failsafe, who was currently controlling the right head. He needed to make sure he could get Plague Fire to only come from the correct head if he wanted to destroy the gate. The problem was, he wasn¡¯t sure how to do that.
¡°What if I just hold those mouths closed?¡± Bjorn asked in his head.
¡°It will probably come out of our noses if you do that,¡± Failsafe responded, bobbing the right head up and down. ¡°Or the energy will burn through our mouths until we release it.¡±
¡°Why? If I close the mouths then the energy will have only one place to go, so it should only escape through the correct one.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a matter of controlling the power, not just closing your mouth. You have to direct it,¡± Failsafe responded.
Bjorn thought about it for a moment. ¡°Should I just let you do it then?¡±
¡°I would have the same result as you. I can activate the ability if you let me, but I can¡¯t control your magic if you can¡¯t,¡± Failsafe responded. ¡°It is your core after all.¡±
¡°Yeah-yeah, I got it,¡± Bjorn said dismissively.
¡°Bjorn, let''s go,¡± Tanisha said.
Bjorn immediately took off running. Failsafe directed him; the magic construct had memorized the entirety of the city from a map Tyr had shown Tanisha. First they had to leave the rather large forested area within the inner wall. Bjorn didn¡¯t know if it was a park, or just undeveloped land that played into the wendigo¡¯s need to dominate the nature around them.
Over the past two weeks Bjorn had become far more skilled with maneuvering his long body. At the speed he was moving, snaking around trees and over obstacles made him a green blur amongst the foliage. Once he finally broke into the streets he only sped up.
The streets were mostly empty, as martial law had gone into effect. As the density of buildings increased, soldiers and knights came into view further up the road at a newly-erected checkpoint.
¡°Bjorn! Go up!¡± Tanisha yelled to get his attention over the sound of the wind.
Bjorn turned right as the knights noticed him and began forming up with shields. He jumped onto an abandoned cart, then onto the side of a building. His long talons easily tore into stone and wood as he pulled himself up onto the roof. The knights, seeing this, immediately gave chase, some of them using earth magic to rocket themselves up on pillars of stone to follow along the rooftops.
¡°The Isi live on!¡± Joha screamed in Tyr¡¯s voice and form. ¡°I, Patriarch of the Isi House, have bloodied the nose of the Salstar House! You tried to kill us and failed!¡±
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Bjorn dodged a few arrows shot from marksmen stationed on other roof tops. He could taste the magic effects coursing through them as they flew by. As he jumped across a gap, clearing nearly thirty feet, he saw drake riders climb up nearby roofs. The creatures panicked as soon as they saw him and immediately jumped back down, all except one. That drake had dark blue scales and was slightly larger than the others. It was definitely a familiar, not just a mount, as the knight gained control of it in an instant.
¡°That¡¯s the Commander of the Valheid Drake Riders,¡± Tanisha stated.
Bjorn used Identify with one of his heads while his other navigated and Failsafe watched for any oncoming attacks.
Identify
Name: Sir Harald Nak
Race: Wendigo
Level: ??
Vocation: War Mage Knight
Identify
Name: Asa Nak
Species: Lesser Blue Drake
Level: ??
Vocation: War Mount
Bjorn didn¡¯t slow down as he identified them, and in fact redoubled his efforts to run as fast as possible. His claws cut easily into the roof tiles, giving him excellent traction regardless of the material. The commander and his familiar also seemed to have no issue traveling along the rooftops. If anything they had an easier time of it, and were closing in quickly.
Bjorn could see similarities between his anatomy and the drake¡¯s. He could understand why some people would mistake him as a chimera. The blue drake was obviously a more aquatic species, much like himself, but had a slender, powerful body mixed into its serpentine form. Where they differed was his longer necks and additional heads, and Bjorn¡¯s longer tail.
Sir Harald was a monster of a wendigo unto himself. He was an imposing figure, and Bjorn could taste in the air the tyrannical domination that seemed to be present in the most powerful of the wendigo species. The emblem of the Salstar House was emblazoned on the interlocking plates of blue steel which clad every inch of his form. He was no wizard; he was a mage and magic swirled around him like a typhoon.
In his hand was a bow as grand as the man who wielded it, and he balanced it perfectly despite the gyration of the familiar beneath him. There was no hesitation in the man''s actions; he was duty, he was precision in action, he was the embodiment of what it meant to be a wendigo knight. He pulled back the naked string of his bow and time seemed to slow as the world shook. Well, at least it felt that way to Bjorn. The outreach of the man''s aura expanded for a moment before coalescing into a misty arrow. Some form of wind elemental magic compressed down into a single magical construct.
¡°Bjorn, the gate!¡± Failsafe screamed.
Bjorn was so focused on the head watching the knight that he hadn¡¯t noticed they could finally see the gatehouse in front of them. They were being chased on all sides, however, and if he tried to drop down to the street they would be surrounded in a moment. Tanisha and the disguised Joha were defending him from a hail of arrows that he couldn¡¯t dodge. He had moments to make a decision; it needed to be one that would allow him to ensure he destroyed the gatehouse.
¡°Bjorn, what are you doing?¡± Failsafe questioned. ¡°You do that and we die, buddy.¡±
Hellmouth
Maya Cost: YOUR SOUL (Seriously, if you use this we die!!!)
I really don¡¯t want to tell you what this is because if you use it our heart is going to explode or something, I just know it! However, your middle head can exhale all the maya stored in your body. This maya can be breathed in by your other heads to use maya-infused breath attacks. It can also enhance the durability of your scales and potency of your venom.
It all happened at the same time. The arrow was released with a thrum that sounded more like a lightning strike. The black abyssal maya escaped from Bjorn¡¯s middle head as his scales darkened from green to gray. His claws tore up roof tiles as he abruptly stopped, and his right head snapped the wind construct arrow from the sky. The arrow exploded, shooting debris and shards of roof into the air. Tanisha would have been blown off had Joha not protected her with his body and a thin, invisible sheet of maya.
Infernal Scale Armor
Maya Cost: 25
Absorb maya into your scales, making them more durable and resistant to physical and magical damage.
Bjorn breathed in the black maya, growing in size as the maya was absorbed. Unlike the first time, he was in his right mind and could feel the maya burning his insides. The maya veins and meridians inside him ruptured one by one as his body refused the energy. Still, he pressed on through the pain. He knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to control the power of the Plague Fire Breath without the maya assisting him. He could only hope that the rehabilitation he¡¯d been doing with Joha meant he wouldn¡¯t die.
¡°Bjorn, you idiot, can you not read?!¡± Failsafe screamed.
Plague Fire Breath
Magic Cost: 6
Stamina Cost: 7
With your left head you can breathe a plume of superheated toxin which will ignite enemies and infect them with your neurotoxin. Flames retain toxicity until you release the spell. Plague Fire will spread like normal fire. (II) Infernal Fire Breath, Maya Cost: 20, fire will spread over non-flammable material at a reduced rate.
Bjorn called up the energy as a fusion of his mana and maya to produce a black flame tsunami which washed downward from the roof like the wrath of an angry god. The fire wave then focused more and more until it was a beam of infernal magic. The beam instantly melted non-enchanted stone and steel to slag and molten puddles. People caught in the initial wave retreated, their armor protecting them from the heat but not the toxin. Organs ruptured and their nervous systems shut down violently.
The beam hit the gate and the electrifying buzz of hundreds of emergency enchantments activated at the same time. Bjorn continued to condense the power more and more despite his vision becoming blurry and the pain increased tenfold. He was shut off from everything else. At some point Joha and Tanisha got off his back, but with the pain that was all he knew for sure.
Suddenly he felt it, a release of power as the enchantments on the gatehouse failed. Then blackness took him.
¡°Finally, my son, I can see you,¡± a voice rumbled in his fading mind.
[74] I Want You Back
Bjorn woke up in a void, a dark blankness that somehow felt familiar, but he couldn¡¯t tell how he knew this place. His body had reverted to how it had been when he first hatched from his egg. He was tiny in comparison to what he¡¯d been a moment ago. He felt dizzy, like he lacked depth perception now that he only had one head again. He¡¯d never thought he would find it weird to only have one pair of eyes. He wasn¡¯t on the ground, he was floating? Levitating? He also didn¡¯t know if there was a ground. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was dead.
¡°Failsafe? You there, buddy?¡± Bjorn asked.
There was no response, then a booming voice vibrated him to the core.
¡°There is only us here, my son,¡± the voice said. ¡°Do not fear.¡±
From the void massive eyes opened a great distance away. Their amber light shone like a dying star. Then even more eyes appeared, each one shown like the thousands of stars in the sky. Then a pair fell from the heavens until a massive head much like his own appeared. The creature was a hydra; well no, as soon as Bjorn saw her, he knew at an instinctive level this was not just any Hydra. This was The Lernaean Hydra. This was the Queen of a Thousand Heads.
¡°I have finally found you. I have finally found my sweet little baby,¡± the Queen said. Her voice echoed a thousand times over all at once. ¡°Mama is coming to gather you from that wretched Lower World. Look at what they have done to you.¡± The eyes of the queen looked all around him, worry etched across her draconic face. ¡°I shall poison that reality for stealing you from me.¡± She bared her teeth as she said the words.
¡°No!¡± Bjorn yelled, then stopped. His voice startled him. Why could he speak all of a sudden? ¡°Do not destroy my world.¡±
The Queen looked amused. ¡°Your world? Young one, that is not your world, you are mine. You are from somewhere far greater.¡±
Bjorn braced himself, he was not afraid of a True. ¡°I am from there, that is my-¡±
¡°Ah, you mean from your previous life?¡± the Queen asked. ¡°Bjorn or Isin, it matters not where souls come from and I know better than most that Reincarnation has a funny sense of humor. All that matters is that you are returned to where you belong. You are no nephilim, no King of Chains, you are not the Sunderer of the Angelic Throng. You are Aki¡¯al Hashemi, Son of P????o????i???s???o????n????!¡±
Bjorn was speechless for a moment as he processed what P????o????i???s???o????n???? said. She already knew who he was and that he was reincarnated. King of Chains? Sunderer of the Angelic Throng? He had no idea what she was talking about. He needed to know more. What had he done to the Angels?
¡°You know who I was?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°I would be a bad mother if I did not know my own son. There are no secrets that are not laid bare before the Queen of a Thousand Heads,¡± P????o????i???s???o????n???? stated proudly. ¡°You are far from me and you have been reaching out into the Higher Planes so desperately. I felt your cries, Aki¡¯al, but I could not pull you to me. Now I see why. Your core yearns for home, you are displaced thrice over. Taken from me, deprived of the power of your birth realm, born in a lower world, forced you to use mana and alter your core, and your memories damaged what remained.¡±
¡°What do you mean, you tried to pull me to you?¡± Bjorn asked.
P????o????i???s???o????n???? watched him closely as she spoke. ¡°When you connected to the Infernal Planes through that tramp who stole you from me it was the first time I heard your cry.¡±
Bjorn thought back; she was referencing the moment Tanisha first exposed herself to the maya. He was knocked out for days because of that, and when he woke up he was driven into a blood frenzy.
¡°That nearly killed me when it happened,¡± Bjorn stated.
¡°I was hasty. I heard my child¡¯s voice from across the cosmos and I wanted you back. I missed so much already. Your hatching, first step, and first words!¡± P????o????i???s???o????n???? growled as her anger rose. ¡°The maya is deadly to you. I see that now. Your core needs a connection to the Chorus so Aether can cleanse your body. I will give you that connection.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll become a patron so that I¡¯ll have aether?¡± Bjorn asked.
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¡°Patron? That is the term of demons and lesser beings. You are hydra, you do not need a patron,¡± P????o????i???s???o????n???? stated. ¡°You need a guide, not a leash.¡±
¡°Why are you so willing to help me when you know I¡¯m not really your child?¡± Bjorn asked, although he didn¡¯t know what to expect. ¡°You apparently know who I was before I became this, shouldn¡¯t that mean something?¡±
¡°Reincarnator or not you are my blood, my baby, and mine alone.¡± P????o????i???s???o????n???? paused for a second. ¡°Well, your father¡¯s too, but he is not here right now. He¡¯s off winning the war. I will not have my child die on some rock on some Lower World. It will take many years before I can reach you, but your cries echoed out for many to hear. Our enemies will come for you. Many will seek to consume you or use you against me.¡±
Bjorn suddenly grew in size and continued growing until he was the size he¡¯d been before coming to this strange place. Three heads now looked around the area as he was placed on what he assumed was the ground. A second head from P????o????i???s???o????n???? drew closer until it was as close as the first. The only lights in this void came from her eyes so it was difficult to make out the distance, but from the size of her heads it was apparent P????o????i???s???o????n???? was larger than a mountain.
P????o????i???s???o????n???? continued, ¡°I will show you the way and guide your broken tether to the Chorus. I will seal away your connection to the maya until your body is ready for it. This will reduce your level and size, but your Aether will return to you.¡± Her second head opened its mouth and power washed out. A rainbow of aetheric symbols, golden and platinum in coloration, surrounded him and branded themselves onto the underside of Bjorn¡¯s middle neck. ¡°This will hurt a little, but please bare it, Aki¡¯al.¡±
Bjorn vomited black abyssal maya, which came out as a molten tar from his core. His body shuddered as more and more exited him even faster. Then it stopped all at once; his body shrunk down until he was half the size he¡¯d been before. His scales glimmered with aetheric symbols, which chained across him in patterns of equations and geometric shapes. He felt his core shift and something in him awakened. It reached out and spilled from his mouth in the form of a metallic silver liquid. It slowly encased him by following the patterns etched across his body.
¡°Until I arrive in the Lower Worlds, protect yourself well. I will destroy those who dare slight me,¡± P????o????i???s???o????n???? said from her first head. ¡°As a mother I enjoy it when my children learn life lessons and grow, but I will warn you now, do be careful about those you open your soul to. Things like to latch on to reincarnators and claim to help; some friends are not what they seem.¡±
Bjorn reawoke to find that no time had passed since he¡¯d blacked out. He was still standing atop the roof, the flames having spred and the gate having been destroyed. The problem was that he was getting smaller with each passing moment. His scales glowed with the aetheric power coated in shining silver. In mere moments he was a quarter the size he¡¯d been with Infernal Scale Armor, down to Tanisha¡¯s shoulders in height. He was so small now that the possibility of using him as a mount vanished.
¡°Bjorn, what''s going on?¡± Failsafe wailed. ¡°What did you do?¡±
¡°Later. Focus now. We have to go,¡± Bjorn said.
¡°Bjorn?¡± Tanisha said, shocked. ¡°Uh, okay, Jo-Tyr, we have to run.¡±
Joha looked back only for a second. His eyes widened, then he shook himself and deflected an arrow with Tyr¡¯s sword.
¡°We still need to follow the plan and pull these people away from the gate,¡± Joha said, then pointed to the distance. ¡°There it is, let''s go.¡±
¡°Bjorn, can you run?¡± Tanisha asked as he pulled away the saddle, which was now too big.
Bjorn nodded and followed behind the pair, finding his smaller frame was faster than his larger one. He still needed to get used to the change in size again. After so long in the larger body he¡¯d forgotten how agile he actually was. The escape was not clean, but the plan seemed to have worked. Those who weren¡¯t injured in the assault were giving chase. There was no sign of the Hands, which was concerning but nothing they could do anything about at the moment.
The Knight Commander, not letting them go so easily, shot more and more of his powerful arrows. Each arrow blazed through the air with the force of a cannon as wind and heat swirled around the air constructs. Sir Harald wasn¡¯t heartless; he never let an arrow hit a building directly. Most of them sailed past Bjorn and Tanisha into the wall of the city, which was unaffected by the attack, or they were redirected upward into the sky.
If Tanisha and Bjorn had been alone they would¡¯ve been dead several times over, but Joha was always there in the nick of time to push or pull them out of the way. Joha could have deflected them, but Tyr wouldn¡¯t have been able to, so he had to avoid them to keep up the disguise.
At one of the buildings they jumped through a window. Inside Svan was waiting for them; he was surprised at the large change in plan.
¡°You were supposed to meet me out back,¡± Svan said.
¡°Bjorn shrunk, he can fit in the building now,¡± Joha stated without hesitation.
Svan looked at the three-headed creature. ¡°That¡¯s unexpected, but will make this easier. Follow me.¡±
The building was a textile shop, one of several businesses owned by the Isi family. The second floor was the apartment of the shopkeeper. They¡¯d unfortunately been killed in the raid on the Isi estate, and soon the shop would be annexed by the city.
Before the group could run out of the room, the Knight Commander jumped through the window with his bow drawn. He landed with speed and grace, letting the arrow loose as soon as he locked onto his target.
[75] ANOMALY DETECTED
Knight Commander Harald barreled into the room, his familiar was too large to enter. His magic rose in wisps around him and the air quivered under his influence. There was no hesitation in any motion as the man took a knee with his bow drawn. He had his orders, but at this moment he needed to take out the biggest threat. The monstrous familiar that had blown a hole through a gate of the inner fort. A feat so maddening if he had not seen it with his own eyes he wouldn¡¯t have believed it. He took aim, ready to put his all into killing the familiar before it became an even bigger threat to the Salstar Domain.
The world seemed to slow as everyone realized what was going on. The Knight Commander loosed his wind arrow, not aimed at Joha who was still disguised as Tyr, but at Bjorn. Tanisha¡¯s eyes opened wide as she turned to get to Bjorn before the arrow reached him. She pushed everything she had into her movement, breaking through the maya clouding her emotions as fear and anger erupted.
Bjorn wasn¡¯t far from her, just a step behind, but she couldn¡¯t turn fast enough, she couldn¡¯t stop her momentum or reach out and grab him. The arrow drew closer and closer, its power enough to rend stone. She screamed her defiance of her limitations, her failure to protect Bjorn even after she gained so much power. What would it all be for if after all of that she still couldn¡¯t protect him like he did her?
Maya wrapped her form as mana flowed around her, and in an instant she was against the wall several feet away with Bjorn in her arms. She¡¯d done it, she finally used Blink again and saved him.
There was an explosion as the arrow sailed past everyone and through the building. Joha immediately engaged the Knight Commander as Tanisha tried to stand, only to throw up blood. Shortly after exiting her it disappeared as maya. She felt cold as she collapsed onto Bjorn, finding it harder and harder to breathe. Something was happening to her core, something wasn¡¯t right.
Everything became fuzzy after that; Svan picked her up and they fled as Joha fought with Sir Harald.
¡°You''re the demon not the patriarch!¡± Haralds voice boomed in surprise and outrage.
They entered the shop and escaped out through a secret tunnel, then she saw nothing for a little while. A jolt brought her back to reality; she was being carried by Joha now but they were still in the tunnels. It smelled really bad, so it didn¡¯t take long to realize this was the sewer system. She looked around and saw Bjorn was fine; Svan and Joha looked to be okay as well. Meaning they were now on the second part of the plan. They needed to get through the gate before it was too late. The tunnels would get them close and behind their pursuers.
¡°Tanisha, you are fine, you¡¯ve been unconscious for only a minute,¡± Joha said. ¡°We are almost back at the gate. Can you walk?¡±
¡°I-I don¡¯t know,¡± Tanisha responded.
Something told her to look inwardly at her core, which she did. The first thing she noticed about her core was that more of the chaotic mess which made up the majority had retreated a little and she had more pure mana¨Cno, it wasn¡¯t just mana anymore, it was something else with a white-gold hue mixed in. It came from the familiar bond and fixed the broken formulae from the substance Bjorn called, or wrote as, aether. Her own mana took to the aether and mixed it within her core as if it had been waiting to do this from the beginning. The maya swirled in protest, which felt like hot coals being raked across her soul.
She shivered in pain and immediately activated Sage Spell Form Crafter. She dove into the runes and maths and geometry that made up the fundamentals of her core. Maya, mana, aether and chaos all fought for the right to her innermost self. She needed to calm the storm, she needed to find a way for the different energies to coexist. If she didn¡¯t and her core became unruly she would lose her mind and become a skinwalker.
She had the option to evolve; becoming a Nature¡¯s Wrath would remove the maya, or Herne Hunter would remove her mana. Either would fix the issues with her core but would cost her something else she held valuable: her soul. She needed a third option, one that would allow her to control the energies within her without the drawbacks of the two she had right now. Well, there was another option. She could sever the bond with Bjorn, which would stop her core from taking in the aether. She couldn¡¯t do that though; if she did and Bjorn left her she didn¡¯t know what she would do.
Tanisha gritted her teeth and dove deeper into herself. First she had to stabilize the boundary between the chaos and the mana-aether mix.
Once she focused on it she could see the formula that made up the boundaries. It was a mixture of mana and what she could only describe as fractalized aether. She pushed the mana to become rigid, following the patterns of the aether, and examined the formations as they spread. The boundary was solidifying and only allowed the non-corrupted mix through. D?????o?????s?????h????i?????a???? ???h????o????i????a????l??? ????h???a???s????i????m???a????n?????i????; the words of power came to her as a mixture of mana and aether.
She moved on to the part of her core that was malleable. She pushed it with her will and somehow knew she needed it to flow. Its stagnation was hurting her. She needed it to follow paths around her body. It had to strengthen her in the same way the maya did. Luckily she already had a pathway; the maya had been digging out channels and veins in her since she¡¯d first had access to it. She only hoped that she could push the power through the meridians.
Moving mana and aether was easy, but as soon as she tried to push it into her maya meridians pain like she had never felt rattled her body. She again vomited blood, which caused Joha to stop in place. He turned her over so she wouldn¡¯t choke, and soon the gore burned away as maya. He said something, but she was too delirious to understand. She went back inside her core, examining what had happened. The maya was currently in use, which meant the channels were full. She deactivated all of her buffs, allowing her maya to settle before trying again, only to have another violent reaction.
It was the maya in her mind, the maya holding her together through all of the pain, anxiety and death. She had to release it and feel everything she¡¯d been suppressing. She took a deep breath; she didn¡¯t have a choice. This would kill her otherwise.
¡°Joha,¡± Tanisha whispered. ¡°I have to undo the maya in my head. If I don¡¯t, I think it will kill me.¡±
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¡°What is going on?¡± Joha asked.
¡°I don¡¯t have time to explain,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°My core is evolving without the rest of me. I have to calm it.¡±
Tanisha let out a long breath, calming herself as much as possible as she slowly undid the binds she had placed on her mind. The first was her jealousy, of so many things, other¡¯s talents, magic and even beauty. Then her anxieties, which came with tears as she faced rejections at her stall back when she was selling things with Joha in the market, or facing off with far more skilled Isi disciples while sparring. Then fears; the fear of death was the most prevalent, of losing more people, of losing Bjorn. Each emotion was targeted and brought with them memories that she¡¯d also locked away.
Finally she came to her fear of Bjorn; something she¡¯d let the maya take away weeks ago. She hadn¡¯t faced that fear yet, but now she could. She wasn¡¯t afraid of Bjorn, she was afraid of living without him. She finally put that to rest, but now she had to face the hardest thing. Now she had to face the death of Helina, the civil war, the lives she and Bjorn had taken, the people she saw die in front of her. It was too much all at once, she wanted it to end. She wanted to curl up in Joha¡¯s arms and close her eyes until it was over, but she couldn''t, she wouldn¡¯t, she needed to press forward.
This was no time for weakness, so she tugged on her bond with Bjorn and felt his determination. She let it fuel her when she had nothing left. Tanisha was happy that in this time of utter defeat, when she had nothing left in the tank, she could always turn to Bjorn. He never quit protecting her or believing in her. She could let his drive bolster her own, and together they could get through anything. She held onto the bond as tightly as she could, delving back into her core.
Tanisha guided the mixed power of maya, mana and aether through the meridians. She felt the next words of power radiate through her being as she fed the power through her limbs one by one: F????a????l???d????u????t?????h???? ????u????n?????d????o?????d?????a???o??? ???g?????u????a???d????h???i???? ????v???a???? ????d?????l????i????h?????a?????.
As soon as the line of power reconnected to her core she felt something in her fundamentally shift. Her core began to spin, slowly at first as the chaos that made up the majority started to sink into the center. In the middle of the murky coalescence of chaos was a star which shone brightly. The pure mana-aether mix and the barrier became a ring that fully encapsulated all chaotic power within her. A second ring formed just outside of the first one; it was made of pure maya. It spun at an even greater speed, appearing solid and stable. Tendrils of power from both rings intermingled, flowing into the meridians. The sight was beautiful.
Tanisha had never heard of anyone doing this before. She felt the words of power, the phrase that made up her place in the cosmos. She realized she wasn¡¯t learning a spell. She was learning the name of her soul made into a song. It was the code written in the fabric of this world, the proof she was alive and that she had lived. U????d?????i???? ????k???o????a????v???i??? ????g?????a???l????i????d????i???? ???v????a????h????l?????a?????k????? ????d????o?????a?????u???.
¡°D????o???s????h????i????a??? ?????h????o?????i????a????l???? ????h????a???s???i?????m?????a???n????i???? ?????f????a?????l???d????u?????t????h??? ???u?????n????d????o????d????a????o???? ????g???u?????a?????d?????h???i???? ?????v???a???? ????d????l????i????h????a???? ???u???d???i????? ????k?????o????a????v????i??? ????g????a????l????i????d?????i???? ???v????a????h???l????a???k??? ?????d????o?????a????u?????.¡± Tanisha spoke the words as if she had been practicing them her entire life.
Racial Evolution Progress
You have met the requirements to ascend Racial Hierarchy. ERROR¡ You have created a path of evolution. ERROR¡ You have broken the restraints of O??????D??????I????N????????. ANOMALY DETECTED.
Current: ANOMALY (UNKNOWN)
Former Creation of O??????D??????I????N????????.
Evolution 1: ERROR
Chains of O??????D??????I????N???????? broken.
Evolution 2: ERROR
Chains of O??????D??????I????N???????? broken.
Evolution 3: Cernunnos (Greater Wendigo)
You have created your own path to ascend the bounds of your race. You have denied O??????D??????I????N????????, you have denied the Infernal, and yet you have conquered the chains of both. The path before you cannot be walked alone; you are bound to only one and they to you. As the Cernunnos your power and life are inextricably tied to your familiar, and their power and life to you. Your bond is unbreakable even to the most powerful of the Higher Planes. Your familiar shares some of your abilities and you gain access to some of theirs.
Vitality: +20
Restoration: +20
Constitution: +30
Willpower: +100
Strength: +20
Dexterity: +20
Stamina: +15
Maya: +200
Magic/Aether: +210
Magic/Aether Regeneration: +200
All current magic abilities < gain aetheric effects
All current maya abilities < gain aetheric effects
Gain the following abilities of your familiar:
Venomous Bite < Venomous Fangs
Poison Cloud < Poison Breath
Plague Fire Breath < Hydra Fire
Poison Claws < Poison Infusion
King of Reptiles < Queen of Reptiles
Share the following abilities with your familiar:
Mystic Wind Hands < Air Claws
Mana Armor < Aetheric Scales
Hydromancy < Hydromancy
Water Light < Water Light
Water Missile < Hydro-breath
Please assign Racial Hierarchy within ERROR day(s) or evolution(s) will be lost.
Evolve into ERROR [N/A]
Evolve into ERROR [N/A]
Evolve into Cernunnos (Greater Wendigo) [Yes/No]
Tanisha looked over the evolution. Did she just learn the True Name of the Forest Father? She had many questions as to what it meant by chains, but didn¡¯t have the time to question it further. She could feel the core she created for herself failing without her constant attention. She needed to accept this evolution or she would either die or have to rebuild her core from the ground up. She selected Yes and braced herself for whatever was going to happen next.
[76] No Fault Of Mine
The attack came quickly; one second Bjorn was following Tanisha out of the room with Svan and Joha, the next Harald barreled in through the window. In barely a moment he aimed and fired directly at Bjorn. The attack was too close to dodge and too powerful to survive if he was struck with the wind magic construct. The instant before he was killed he was in Tanisha''s arms, up against the wall on the far side of the room. Tanisha managed to save him with Blink and he could not be happier with his smaller size.
There was an explosion of power as half the building was blown out from the force of the arrow that had narrowly missed him. Joha ran to engage the knight commander while Tanisha tried to stand, only to throw up blood onto Bjorn before collapsing on top of him. The blood turned into maya and fizzled away, but Tanisha was delirious. Bjorn quickly positioned the girl on his back and ran towards Svan to escape the battle between the two powerhouses.
Harald was quick to figure out that the Tyr he had been following was actually Joha. The man was furious, and by the looks of things was fighting Joha to a stalemate. The demon was a problem but not his target; he needed to find and kill the real Isi patriarch. The knight attempted to disengage as Bjorn met with Svan at the door and the two ran out of the room. Svan picked up Tanisha while they ran down stairs into what remained of a textile shop. The sound of Joha and Harald¡¯s battle echoed throughout the building as they reached the first floor.
There was a lot of power radiating off of Tanisha. Bjorn could feel her reach out to him through their bond. Something was happening to her; he just couldn¡¯t tell what. Then again something had happened to him, too, and he needed to get a good grasp on the situation.
He split his attention, something that had become easier with more heads.
¡°Failsafe, I need all of the heads back. I need you to analyze the changes to us now!¡± Bjorn said.
The construct immediately relinquished control of the right head and gasped. Bjorn remembered that the construct couldn¡¯t monitor his body and control the head at the same time. So the changes to him would have been just as much a surprise to Failsafe as it was to Bjorn.
¡°What in the Infernal Planes did you do?¡± Failsafe asked. ¡°Aether¡ and the maya is gone. Like gone-gone. What happened?¡±
¡°Work fast, I¡¯ll tell you later what happened. I need to know what my body can do,¡± Bjorn said. ¡°Look through the bond at Tanisha as well, what¡¯s happening to her?¡±
¡°Okay-okay I¡¯m going to be silent for a little while so bear with me,¡± Failsafe responded.
Svan called to Bjorn, ¡°Down here.¡±
Bjorn returned his focus to where he had been running. He followed Svan outside and behind the building without much active thought. It seemed that the more heads he had, the more tasks he could do at once without needing to fully focus on each individual head.
They were at a cellar door, which Svan quickly opened.
Svan looked around. ¡°We just need Jo¡¡±
The Tiger Demon appeared in a cloud of red maya. He was still shaped like Tyr but his antlers had become barbed horns. He was bleeding maya from multiple deep cuts all over his body. The fight against the knight commander had been far more even than he wanted.
¡°We have to go now; the Knight Commander got away,¡± Joha said with a growl.
¡°Right, follow me,¡± Svan said. ¡°We have to get back to the gate before reinforcements arrive.¡±
¡°I will take Tanisha. I am faster than you,¡± Joha said as he gently took her.
They escaped into the cellar without being seen. Things were going well for the plan. From there the trio ran into a tunnel that connected to a rather extensive network of catacombs. Some of which were used for sewage, if the smell was anything to go by. The path they were on was thankfully not one of those.
It only took a minute of running before Tanisha stirred; she mentioned something about evolution before passing out again.
¡°I have it, well some of it, take a look at your menus,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°Whatever you did to keep us alive made us lose some levels. Might have been worth it, though, for the aether.¡±
Bjorn couldn¡¯t help but feel some trepidation in talking to the reincarnation construct. The final warning he got from the Queen of a Thousand Heads put him on edge.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Lernaean Hydra
Level: 22
Vitality: 150 < 136 / 195
Restoration: 220 < 206 / 270
Constitution: 90 < 76 / 135
Strength: 100 < 80 / 130
Dexterity: 85 < 71/ 100
Stamina: 95 < 81/ 115
Aether: 30 / 50
Aetheric Regeneration: 100 / 100 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 2
¡°It looks like you lost four levels and forty points to stats because of the aether. You lost an additional fifty because your smaller size lost muscle mass,¡± Failsafe stated.
¡°Shame; what will happen to the memories I got because of those levels?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°We lost those too,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°We never internalized them, so you¡¯ll have to level up again before we have access to all of it. Wait, you never told me what happened; how did you get us connected to aether? Does it have something to do with that Unknown Pact thing I can see for some reason?¡±
Bjorn was silent for a long moment; he was conflicted if he should tell Failsafe any information about his conversation with P????o????i???s???o????n????. He didn¡¯t seem to know, so she must have done something to prevent Failsafe from seeing those memories. Failsafe was in Bjorn¡¯s head but couldn¡¯t really read his mind. He had to actively want to talk to the construct for his thoughts to be conveyed. He¡¯d never been too suspicious of Failsafe, but maybe that was a mistake.
¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe it was just luck,¡± Bjorn said. ¡°I was connected to a Higher Plane. I guess it just worked out.¡±
¡°Weird. Well, don¡¯t do it again,¡± Failsafe scolded. ¡°I am tired of almost dying! Take a look at your Skills Analysis page. I did the conversion from mana to aether for you.¡±
Skills Analysis
Reincarnation Failsafe
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.An incomplete reincarnation magic and your best friend who has your back no matter what!
Error: Unknown Pact
The Queen of a Thousand Heads is watching you.
Venomous Bite
Aether Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs. Your venom becomes infectious and will spread to nearby targets within five feet of the injected target. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Poison Cloud
Aether Cost: 5
With your right head you can mix venom into the air using magic, creating a large area of poisonous gas. This gas will rapidly reduce the health of those inside. Allies within your Poison Cloud are unaffected. Gain control over the spread and density of the Poison Cloud.
Plague Fire Breath
Aether Cost: 8
With your left head you can breathe a plume of superheated toxin, which will ignite enemies and infect them with your neurotoxin. Flames retain toxicity until you release the spell. Plague Fire will spread like normal fire.
Hellmouth < Aetheric Breath
Aether Cost: 15
I have know idea what this is or how it works. It replaced Maya Breath, but until you use it I don¡¯t know what it will do. I recommend trying it when no one is around.
Poison Claws
Aether Cost: 2
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even small scratches fatal. Venom has resistance to cleansing effects. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Delta Familiar Contract
Aether Cost: -100
You are a bonded delta-class familiar. You gain +100 to aetheric regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions through your bond. Your bond is more resistant to outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties.
King of the Reptiles
Passive Skill
Dragons, lizards and amphibians all show hesitation and fear around you, going so far as to run away. More study needed.
Intimidation Roar
Aether Cost: 1
Infuse aether into your roar to paralyze anyone that hears it. Your roar can paralyze humanoid magic constructs as long as they are connected to a magic caster. Paralysis duration depends on distance and level disparity between you and the target. Those bound to you are immune to this effect.
Head Regeneration and Random Growth!?!?!? < Hydra Regeneration
Aether Cost: 15
(So funny story, we grew another head, I have no idea why¡)
We actually have enough aether to use this now. I still don''t recommend decapitation though. We can convert experience or aether into maturation, or healing major wounds including decapitation, or growing more heads. Let¡¯s not push our luck too much, though. Everytime we do something you almost get us killed as-is.
Page 2 of 2
¡°Aether Breath? Hydra Regeneration? It looks like all of my skills just kept the maya aspects without the need for maya.¡±
¡°Yeah, essentially it just changed the source of your power,¡± Failsafe stated. ¡°As for Aether Breath, as it stands I have no idea what it¡¯s going to do. Maybe it¡¯s a buff like the maya version was, or maybe it will tear a hole in space and time, or maybe it will summon a cosmic bunny. Needless to say, we should wait to use it until we are away from allies. Just in case.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t you know what it is?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°I have very limited knowledge of aether. It¡¯s hard to decipher; the only reason I know what the other skills do is because they didn¡¯t change the formula too much, just the power source, so the spell forms are pretty much the same. Aether Breath completely replaced Hellmouth to the point it¡¯s unrecognizable. But look on the bright side, mystery is the spice of li¡¡±
A sudden flash of light arrested everyone''s attention. The light was blinding, and had a substance to it like being thrown into a fire that doesn¡¯t burn. They all stopped as the source of the light was identified. Tanisha started floating in the air, her form shrouded in white gold with aetheric runes inking their way across her skin, tattooing her form in arcane symbols and some of the most complex magic diagrams Bjorn had ever seen.
The aether was coated in mana, which continued to weave into the air, mixing into the diagrams and further amplifying the complexity. Tanisha was speaking, but her words were immediately snatched from his memory as if it were not for the ears of mortals or True, but for the universe itself. The universe seemed to respond as everything started to vibrate. It was subtle at first, but after a minute the ground shook to the point everyone feared a cave-in.
Maya escaped Tanisha¡¯s mouth with every word; it was blood red and sank into her skin, finishing the patterns on her glowing form. The lights dimmed and the shaking stopped. Bjorn tasted the air and found something he had never tasted before. It wasn¡¯t maya, mana or aether; at first it had trace amounts of the three, but after a moment it became a homogenous new power. As the light retreated Bjorn got a notification and had to read it twice to fully understand what was happening.
Master Evolution Prerequisite
Tanisha Thundersky Scalebound has met the requirement to evolve her race. She has broken free of the limitations set by the Creator of the Wendigo. Her evolution, Cernunnos, requires a permanent bond which ties your souls. This is a unique evolution which will grant the familiar some of her abilities, and her some of your abilities. Your bond has become permanent and your souls inextricably tied together.
Gain the following abilities of your master:
Mystic Wind Hands < Air Claws
Mana Armor < Aetheric Scales
Hydromancy < Hydromancy
Water Light < Water Light
Water Missile < Hydro-breath
Share the following abilities with your master:
Venomous Bite < Venomous Fangs
Poison Cloud < Poison Breath
Plague Fire Breath < Hydra Fire
Poison Claws < Poison Infusion
King of Reptiles < Queen of Reptiles
Note: Rejection of your bond will cease this evolution and it will permanently become lost.
Warning: This evolution is currently stabilizing the core of your master. If you reject this Evolution Prerequisite your master will devolve into a new species, Cursed Deathwalker (Lesser Wendigo).
Accept Evolution Prerequisite within 2 minutes or evolution will be lost.
Accept [Yes / No]
Bjorn was flabbergasted by the prompt. He hadn¡¯t considered permanently tying his soul to Tanisha. The familiar bond by itself wouldn¡¯t have done that, as far as he knew. It wasn¡¯t that he disliked Tanisha, but for such an extreme connection to be required for her to live was asinine.
He wasn¡¯t sure if it was what he wanted; he would surely outlive the wendigo girl. Did that mean her spirit would never find rest? What fate would await her if he was unable to stop the Queen of a Thousand Heads from poisoning this reality? Would she want to face that existential threat?
Failsafe didn¡¯t seem to get the notification, or couldn¡¯t see it, as he didn¡¯t react at all. More and more things were being hidden from him, which only made Bjorn more suspicious of the construct. It wasn¡¯t Failsafe¡¯s choice anyway, it was his and his alone, and he now had less than a minute to decide. He took a deep breath and let it out slow and controlled.
¡°Yes,¡± Bjorn thought.
The menu snapped closed and the light around Tanisha dimmed. She was slowly lowered to her feet, her body changing as she took her first step as a new creature. Her raven black hair was now long and disheveled, her body in its prime looking to have aged into an adult. Her ears had become long and pointed, like those of an elf. Stranger still was the long black tail she sported, which dragged on the floor.
She stumbled, only to be caught by Joha and Svan who had both reached out to catch her. She opened her eyes for the first time to reveal glowing golden orbs that swirled with magic. The light in them slowly faded, leaving the golden irises to sparkle in the dim light of the catacombs.
This was the birth of the first greater wendigo in over two millennia.
¡°Uh, Bjorn,¡± Failsafe said sheepishly. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, but remember how I said I would warn you before the bond became permanent? Well, and it was no fault of mine! But the bond might have just made itself permanent suddenly.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Bjorn responded resolutly.
Failsafe rushed to his own defense. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault, I had been monitoring, it-it just kind of changed¡ wait you know?
[77] Fight In The Street
Power unlike anything Tanisha had ever felt coursed through her veins. She expected pain or to be knocked out for days or something, but no, there was none of that. She was a little dizzy but even that quickly dissipated. She felt good; better than good.
That was, until she sniffed the air and nearly keeled over while she dry heaved from the stench.
¡°Trues above, it is foul down here,¡± Tanisha said, but was caught off guard by the sound of her own voice. ¡°Is that me?¡±
Her voice was more mature and melodic than before the transformation. She looked herself over as best she could. Glowing symbols slowly vanished, leaving what appeared to be moving tattoos and spinning magic circles. After a few seconds they also stopped, becoming stationary and barely visible patterns across her skin. Her outfit, the white and blue scaled Isi garb, was too small on her. She had grown in height, musculature and feminine curves. She freaked out when she felt something move in her pants, rubbing up against her leg. She jumped with a squeal, only for Joha to catch her in the air.
¡°What is that, what is that?¡± Tanisha panicked.
¡°It would appear you have a tail now,¡± Joha pointed out.
Tanisha¡¯s mouth was agape when she saw the black furry appendage exiting her pant leg.
¡°What in the Higher Planes is going on?¡± Svan asked, full of panic. ¡°What was that power?¡±
Tanisha stuttered. ¡°I-I uh¡¡±
¡°Now is not the time. We all will have a million questions after we get out of here,¡± Joha said, cutting them off. ¡°Tanisha, it is you in there, right?¡±
Tanisha was taken back by the question, but then remembered that they didn¡¯t know if she would still be herself after she evolved. She still felt like she was fully herself. How would she know if her mind had changed fundamentally? For now, she would have to remain conscious of how she thought and felt.
¡°Yes,¡± Tanisha responded. ¡°And I can run. I feel fine.¡±
Joha placed her back on her feet. He then bellowed out maya which surrounded them both. When the maya vanished their outfits had changed. Their clothes were now bland earth tones not meant to stand out. Joha couldn''t add fabric to clothing he changed with maya so her outfit was a little more revealing than she liked, but there was nothing she could do about it now.
Tanisha had to, as stealthily as she could, pull her tail up and out of her pants. The appendage was long, about four feet and covered in black fur? Hair? She didn¡¯t know how to classify it. She found that she could control the tail as if she¡¯d always had it. It was weird having the instinct to do something she¡¯d never done before. She made it wrap around her hips like a furry belt to keep it out of the way.
¡°Bjorn, are you okay Big Man?¡± Tanisha asked. Bjorn hissed his agreement. ¡°Thank you for accepting the bond, I¡¯ll make it up to you, I swear.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s get going,¡± Svan said. ¡°With everyone looking so different I doubt they could identify us. We can go up to the surface soon. But we will have to be quick; as soon as they see Bjorn they will attack.¡±
Tanisha didn¡¯t know how different she looked, but the changes had to be substantial since she was at least a foot taller. She touched her face, which gave her little insight into the changes. That was, until she touched her ears, which were long and elf-like. The group started running, not too fast at first as they wanted to make sure Tanisha could keep up. When she started to outpace them they kicked it up a notch. Tanisha could easily keep pace as long as they didn¡¯t use Flash Step; if not for the endless stench she would have found it amazing.
It took only a few minutes before they made it to another cellar door. Svan opened it and looked out after a few tense seconds. He told them to wait while he checked out the surroundings.
Tanisha decided to take the time to look at her status menus. She needed to know what she could do now that she was no longer a wendigo. It was a weird thought to no longer be the same species she had always been, but she quickly moved her attention to the task at hand.
Status Menu
Name: Tanisha Scalebound
Species: Cernunnos
Level: 22
Vitality: 26 + 20 = 46
Restoration: 20 + 20 = 40
Constitution: 46 + 30 = 76
Willpower: 20 + 100 = 120
Strength: 20 + 20 = 40
Dexterity: 35 + 20 = 55
Stamina: 20 + 15 = 35
Seier: = (16 maya + 40 mana/aether) + 200 + 210 = 466
Seier Regeneration: 35 + 200 =235 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 3
Tanisha whispered to herself. ¡°What in the world is seier? Did I lose maya and mana?¡±
In a panic used her maya breathing and exhaled a sparkly green and gold hued¡ maya, aether, mana? She couldn¡¯t tell what it was, but it felt like all three and none of them at the same time. She looked inward at her core, and it was as she remembered it before her evolution. Well, with one notable change; the ring of mana and aether had fused with the ring of maya, creating a fast-moving spheroid around her chaotic inner core. The inner core was also spinning, but much slower. It spun outward, away from the star in the very center.
¡°Seier is the mixture of all three.¡± Tanisha¡¯s eyes widened as she left her core. ¡°That means¡ Wait, what does that mean? I need to look at the other menus.¡±
Skills Analysis
Delta Familiar Contract
You are bonded with a Delta-class familiar. You gain +100 to seier regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions through your bond. Your bond is resilient against outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties. Your familiar¡¯s life expectancy is extended by five years.
Mystic Wind Hands < Hard Air Constructs
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Low cost, 2 seier. Speak the words of power and create seier air constructs. Form air constructs into any shape and they will interact with the world, acting out the caster¡¯s will. (II) Medium cost, 6 seier. Air constructs with darker aspects of seier to burn any that oppose you. (III) High cost, 16 seier. Constructs will become invisible and silent.
Arcanist Sage Core < Ringularity Sage Core
Seier cost: Variable
Chaos, mana, maya and aether compose the inner workings of your soul. Their coalescence in one body created seier; an energy seeking to uncover the very nature of the world around it. You can control all aspects that make up your core. Exerting your will over seier controls mana, maya and aether. You can use tools from any of the energies that make up your core. Your will can dominate mana, maya and aether outside your body for a short distance and use ambient energies for your arcane machinations.
Mana Armor < Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle
Seier cost: Variable
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.(I) Low seier cost per minute, seier will inundate your muscles and bones with power to temporarily increase your physical attributes. (II) Medium seier cost per minute, the Marks of Seier greatly enhances unarmed strikes. Unarmed punches and kicks will produce a seier shockwave, increasing the range of unarmed strikes a short distance. (III) High seier cost per minute, the energies within you grants the ability of arcane shift to teleport up to five yards.
Sage Spell Form Crafter < Sage Soul Forge
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Use seier to alter and twist existing spellforms connected to your Ringularity Core. (II) Unknown. Unknown. (III)Unknown. Unknown. Unknown.
Hydromancy < Divination Hydromancy
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Create seier constructs with liquid attributes, condense water from the atmosphere and/or control water from a water source. Exerting control over water allows you to change its state and temperature with ease. (II) Alter the properties of water to cause it to glow. Only those you choose can see the light produced. (III) Water in any state will condense into a blast of highly pressurized water. You maintain control of water even after it is fired, allowing it to change trajectory and home in on enemies.
+ Venomous Fang
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
+ Poison Breath
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
+ Hydra Fire
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
+ Poison Infusion
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
+ Queen of Reptiles
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
All of her skills had changed to use the new power within her. They were more powerful, since they had the effects of maya without having to switch between using mana and maya. She would need to experiment with the abilities to know their new limitations. It made her feel less assured about any potential fight they might get in soon. Her body and magic were different now, so she wasn¡¯t confident she would be as effective in a fight.
The skills she got from Bjorn were dormant for now, like she expected. She would have gained access to some of his skills at the next rank, once he became an Iota-Rank Familiar in a few years. She wondered what would happen at that stage now. She would need to find some books on how to commune. It was a ritual that required a lot of time to set up.
Ringularity Sage Core Analysis
Sage of Seier
Your soul is permanently bonded to another in life and in death. The core of the Sage of Seier has been crafted to utilize the powers of other worlds. Seier is the power of divining one¡¯s own path. Free from the constraints of one''s fate, you weave your own destiny.
Nature Discipline
Specialties:
Venefikinesis - Creation and control of toxins, venoms and poisons.
Elemental Discipline
Specialties:
Ionikinesis - Creation and manipulation of ionized gas, wielding intense heat and electrical energy.
Aerokinesis - Control over air currents and atmosphere.
Electrokinesis - Creation of and control over electricity and lightning.
Hydrokinesis - Creation of and control over water.
Pyrokinesis - Creation of and control over heat, fire and thermal temperature.
+ Geokinesis - Control over the ground beneath your feet.
+ Ferrokinesis - Control over metals; the purer the metal the greater your control.
Page 3 of 3
Tanisha was even more confused about the Sage of Seier after reading the Ringularity Sage Core Analysis. Divining was a power of the Starlight Mages, if they specialized in it. Did it mean she had that ability somehow, despite not having a skill, or was it metaphorical? Either way she was impressed that she was so much stronger now.
Greaters were not always stronger than normals or lesser. The lesser skinwalkers were physically stronger than wendigo, just like the treants were stronger than druids. It was lucky that her species¡¯ greaters were apparently stronger magically and physically. If her calculations were right, she gained over eighty levels in UCP. Which meant that even though she was the same level, she was far stronger with raw stats than even Svan, who was level 54 last time she looked. Where she lacked was skill; she didn¡¯t have the mountains of experience he did, so she shouldn¡¯t let it go to her head.
¡°Are you alright, Tanisha,¡± Joha asked. ¡°Changing what you are fundamentally¡ Becoming this.¡± He seemed conflicted. ¡°Power changes people. I pursued power for a long time before seeing that it had changed me. I did a lot of things I am not proud of and I have a lot of regrets. I don¡¯t want you to have to go down that road.¡± He looked at her for a long moment, and Tanisha could see the pain that ran deep in the rakshasa¡¯s eyes. ¡°It is easy to lose yourself to the fastest solution to a problem, but just because you have the power does not mean you are right.¡±
Tanisha opened her mouth to respond, but Svan returned before she could.
¡°We have to go now!¡± Svan said quickly. ¡°The Hands are keeping the others from escaping. It looked like the wagon with the children and only a few others got through.¡±
Tanisha looked over to the tiger demon, who started breathing out black maya and was ready to engage. He nodded and the group ran as fast as they could out into the main street.
There were bodies everywhere; Isi, knights and civilians. They heard the explosion of spells and clashing of magic and chakra. It looked like they¡¯d had a hard-fought battle to the gatehouse even after so many knights were led away.
Tanisha used her Divination Hydromancy, finding that it used the same words of power as Hydromancy to create a liquid construct. Instead of one orb like she had been practicing with, two popped into existence floating to her right. It didn¡¯t seem any more difficult to control two, so she was happy with the result.
Joha was the first to engage as he changed into his sleek black tiger combat form. He used Maya Blink and acrobatics to scale the wall of a nearby building, where archers were firing down on the Isi who were surrounded. Tanisha also saw Harald with his familiar; they would be a dangerous pair.
Tanisha activated Chain Breaker Mantle second stage, the sensation feeling like she was being supercharged by her magics. Her body felt lighter, her movements more calculated and precise, and the world seemed to move slightly slower. She realized she was perceiving things at an accelerated rate. If this was how high-leveled wendigo perceived the world, it was frightening to think what her father and mother were really capable of.
She pushed that thought to the back of her mind. She was the one with the power right now; she was the one who could make the difference.
The hail of arrows coming down on the Isi stopped right as Tanisha, Bjorn and Svan crashed into the unsuspected back line of the knights. Bjorn unleashed a wave of poison, which spilled out amongst the battlefield with streams of what Tanisha recognized as aetheric power instead of mana.
Tanisha wasn¡¯t idle while this happened; she summoned her bardiche from her necklace and her magic lit up the runes on the blade. She slashed the first man she reached. Her water orbs shot out streams of water that were targeted at joints and gaps in the knight armor. The protections on the armor were impressive to say the least; some of these men were survivors from Bjorn¡¯s fire breath on the gate.
It took precision, not brute strength, to take any one of them down. At least, that was what Tanisha thought before the bardiche nearly cleaved the knight in twain. The weapon snapped halfway through the man¡¯s torso, leaving Tanisha flabbergasted with her strength and holding the wooden handle of a once beautiful weapon.
She immediately had to dodge the strike of another man, who seemed to move in slow motion as she weaved out of the way and kicked him across his armored face. The armored helmet dented but held strong. The man inside, however, was not so lucky. Seier exploded out from the point of impact, killing him and sending him flying. Tanisha directed her water to strike at the nearest men, some of who were starting to succumb to Bjorn¡¯s poison.
Svan blocked another strike aimed for her as they pushed through the knights. Bjorn tackled someone off their familiar; his claws cut through the armor with surprising ease. Any time he bit someone Tanisha saw aether transfer venom through the air into people close by. It happened so quickly she thought she was seeing things. That was a truly frightening ability.
The poison cloud started dissipating far faster than it usually did, meaning the knights had medics cleansing the area before too many people died. It was fine; they successfully sowed enough chaos to break the knights¡¯ formation and momentum. The Isi were pushing back, using the momentary confusion to try and break through the blockade. Tanisha and Svan finally reached the Isi disciples; some of them turned their weapons on Tanisha.
¡°Stop, that is Tanisha!¡± Svan yelled.
The Isi immediately changed targets; they had too many enemies around them to have their weapons drawn at an ally. Tanisha looked around at the survivors; it appeared the majority of the group either died or made it through the gatehouse as there were only seventeen, well twenty-one with them, in the group.
[78] Bite The Hand
The back line of the knights were in disarray; they had to flee the poison while those amongst them who could cleanse the area and heal the afflicted sprung into action. Tanisha saw a contingent of sentinels in heavy plate were in a shield wall formation, blocking escape through the hole in the gatehouse. They needed to make it past them if they wanted to get out.
Tyr¡¯s voice cut through the chaos. ¡°We need to make a push now, while they¡¯re regrouping!¡±
The Isi screamed their defiance of the knights as they pushed to the last line of defense for their freedom. That was, until a black void opened in front of them. Spikes made of pure darkness impaled the fastest Isi warrior in the chest before she could stop or avoid them. Spikes continued to fly through the air, but most of them were deflected by the masterful techniques of the Isi disciples. Tanisha was able to dodge one aimed at her, but the group came to a stop as a figure rose up from the bubbling darkness.
As soon as Tanisha saw him all she felt was rage. The man who killed Helina was right there, right in front of her.
Identify
Name: Loki Dalus
Race: Wendigo
Level: ??
Vocation: Darkness Mage Conjurer
¡°I see this will require my direct attention,¡± Loki said as his form finished rising. ¡°Patriarch of the Isi, you have fought admirably but¡¡±
Tanisha screamed with all of her rage. ¡°Bjorn, kill him!¡±
Bjorn ran to the front of the group and unleashed a wave of fire. The plume expanded out like an explosion before an electrical pulse flashed through the blaze. Aetheric symbols appeared, covering Bjorn¡¯s body as the fire focused into a beam. The Hand was engulfed in moments as the flames continued into the line of sentinels, hitting the shield wall and killing a few of them instantly. Bjorn stopped the beam before it escaped into the outer city beyond. The last thing they needed was to kill a bunch of innocent people.
Once everyone could see, they noticed a second person in front of Loki. Thyra had taken the totality of the blast in his place. There was a smile across her burned face. She looked more like burnt meat, and in places she was little more than charred bone. Even with skin and muscle carbonized she ran towards the crowd of Isi disciples, focused squarely on Bjorn.
The woman was a sanguine mage; they were also known as the Immortal Mage Skirmishers. Their magic was entirely in their blood, which led to them having an extraordinary healing factor. It also meant their Mana Muscle Saturation made them unbelievably strong and durable. The trade-off was they couldn¡¯t use any external magic.
Having both of the Hands here was bad; either one was on par with Joha, and Tanisha had a suspicion that Loki was stronger.
Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Low seier cost per minute, seier will inundate your muscles and bones with power to temporarily increase your physical attributes. (II) Medium seier cost per minute, the Marks of Seier, greatly enhancing unarmed strikes. Unarmed punches and kicks will produce a seier shockwave, increasing the range of unarmed strikes a short distance. (III) High seier cost per minute, the energies within you grants the ability of Arcane Shift to teleport up to five yards.
Tanisha used the third level of her Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle, which caused the symbols and magic circles tattooed on her body to rotate and glow with a soft white-gold light. She used her newfound speed and Arcane Shift, which acted as a short-range teleport, to reach Bjorn before Thyra. She managed to grab him and push several Isi disciples out of Thyra¡¯s way as the woman slammed her fist down in the space Bjorn had been a moment before. Thyra¡¯s strike hit like a meteor, shattering the ground and sending concrete shrapnel into anyone too close to the impact. Most of the disciples managed to back away in time, but one person was torn to pieces.
A person can¡¯t teleport another person with Blink or Arcane Shift, and even teleporters like Loki couldn¡¯t forcefully teleport people through his black portals. Tanisha only got a few steps away from Thyra when the explosion sent her and Bjorn flying. The ground came up fast, and she had Bjorn in her arms. She let him go once they were standing again, but she was bleeding. She didn¡¯t have the time to look herself over and just had to trust her constitution and Mantle.
¡°You''re late,¡± Loki said.
¡°A thank you, would be better in this situation don¡¯t you think?¡± Thyra responded.
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¡°The chimera is no concern of mine; weak magic like that would not destroy my protections,¡± Loki sighed. ¡°I will kill the patriarch. If the chimera is here then so is Freja. Find her and we¡¯ll eliminate her, too.¡±
Thyra protested, ¡°The boy¡¯s father killed my familiar. I think I am owed blood by taking his son.¡±
¡°You already got blood for that. Follow orders,¡± Loki responded coldly.
¡°Fine,¡± Thyra grudgingly agreed.
Thyra stood up, her form almost completely nude after Bjorn¡¯s fire. She didn¡¯t even react as a sword from one of the Isi disciples pierced her chest where her heart should be. She merely batted the assailant away with a backfist. The strike looked casual, but the devastating effect left the disciple as more of a puddle than a person. The disciples had to turn their attention to Loki to keep from being skewered by the shadow spikes.
The Hands had successfully split the group. Thyra focused almost entirely on Bjorn. She clearly didn¡¯t recognize Tanisha in her new form. The Hand¡¯s regeneration was nearly complete as she took a step towards Tanisha and Bjorn.
Thyra cracked her neck. ¡°You are a lot smaller than I remember. Do you shrink after using that fire attack or something?¡±
Thyra closed the distance between them in a split second. It was so fast Tanisha didn¡¯t even know if it was a pure running speed or if she used Blink. Tanisha and Bjorn barely avoided the punch. Tanisha sidestepped and countered with three shots from her water missile, all of which hit. One in the head and two in the chest; it didn¡¯t slow Thyra down as a second punch sailed through the air and almost into Tanisha¡¯s face.
Tanisha had to jump back to avoid being grabbed, but was nearly speared when a knight tried to take a lucky shot on her. Bjorn¡¯s smaller body allowed him to avoid a strike towards him as well. Tanisha used Arcane Shift and summoned her daggers to re-engage with Thyra. It was a dangerous gamble to get closer to the crazed Hand, but Tanisha had to trust in her training and her familiar.
Tanisha coated herself in seier, which took on the properties of maya as she exhaled. Although it was a notable amount sparklier. She had to trust in the AgniKavach form, with which she could take Thyra¡¯s punches without instantly dying. Thyra was fast and far more skilled than her and she knew it, but Tanisha had far more options with her magic.
The first punch to make it through her defense was on her side, and it lifted her off the ground. The attack felt like it split her in half, but it hadn¡¯t and Tanisha stabbed Thyra¡¯s arm in retaliation. Tanisha dodged what she could, but Thyra was just too skilled and she was put on the back foot. Each attack that hit had devastating power behind it that tested every bit of her constitution, Chain Breakers Mantle and AgniKavach style.
Thyra was not just strong but also agile, and she even managed to destroy Tanisha¡¯s water orbs with a fast jab that transitioned into a back fist which caught Tanisha across the face. Tanisha aimed her daggers for joints to hopefully slow Thyra down, but the woman was a step ahead and kicked Tanisha¡¯s legs out from under her. Bjorn snapped his jaws onto her extended leg and quickly retreated.
Tanisha landed on one hand and kicked Thyra in the stomach. The force of her seier exploded outward, surprising Thyra with the sudden pain. The Hand¡¯s smile widened; she was in total euphoria as she was pushed back. Her eyes now looked at Tanisha with intrigue, as if sizing up the young woman for consumption. Tanisha realized that Thyra was testing her, not using her full strength just to see if she was worth her time.
¡°It would appear that I misjudged you,¡± Thyra said. ¡°Are you the demon in disguise? You did a poor job looking like a wendigo; we don''t have tails or elf ears you know? You are weaker than I thought, but this could still be fun. Are you pretending to be a magic caster to confuse me?¡±
Tanisha was surprised by her sudden interest and manic expression. Thyra really didn¡¯t recognize her, and probably couldn¡¯t sense her magic because it had become seier and had the appearance of maya. That also meant she didn¡¯t know Joha was off fighting the Drake Rider Commander. Tanisha also noticed that at some point during the fight her tail had unfurled; she quickly wrapped it back around herself.
Thyra stepped towards them; her muscles seemed to grow as her magic swelled. The Hand stopped walking and coughed. She pulled her hand away with concern as a crimson substance escaped her lips. It was the first time she had ever seen her own blood. None of her wounds bled, no matter how deep or severe. Her magic was in her blood and was her blood. And yet a small stream of blood was escaping the Sanguine Mage from the bite Bjorn placed on her leg.
Tanisha and Thyra both came to the same conclusion at the same time. His venom was strong enough to affect her. Tanisha had a win condition: keep her here long enough and she would succumb to the venom. She and Bjorn could do it, they could kill the Immortal Mage.
Bjorn took this newfound knowledge and breathed out another Poison Cloud; most of the previous one had been cleansed from the air by the knight¡¯s healers. The cloud washed over the battle, forcing the knights to retreat again and giving Tanisha and Bjorn a fighting chance against Thyra.
¡°Bjorn, are you ready?¡± Tanisha asked with no mercy in her voice. ¡°We have a Hand to kill.¡±
¡°This just means I have to kill that beast sooner, demon,¡± Thyra said.
Tanisha spoke the words of power to summon the Hard Air Constructs at a high cost. The spell was different than that used to summon Mystic Wind Hands, but she didn¡¯t question how she knew the new incantation. The spellform appeared as a glowing geometric representation on the dorsal side of her right hand. She didn¡¯t have time to examine it, however, as she formed the power into two invisible hands.
Tanisha threw her daggers at Thyra as the Hand ran at the pair. Thyra¡¯s speed was only slightly slower than before. The Hand easily dodged the projectiles and punched Tanisha right as she put up her guard. Tanisha felt one of her arms and several ribs break; the sound resounded as loud snaps. It was at that same moment Bjorn bit Tanisha on the side, and Tanisha¡¯s mind raced. Had he just betrayed her? Why did he bite her?
[79] Blood
Time seemed to slow as Tanisha searched the bond to feel Bjorn¡¯s emotions. He was confident and wanted her to trust him. She had no choice, as she was just bitten by one of if not the most toxic animals she had ever heard of, but she did trust him. It was at that moment she saw a stream of venom be carried in the aether directly into Thyra.
Venomous Bite
Aether Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs. Your venom becomes infectious and will spread to nearby targets within five feet of the injected target. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Tanisha understood that somehow the venom wasn¡¯t deadly to her in the same way Poison Cloud never hurt her. While Tanisha was temporarily distracted Thyra landed another hit, but it was significantly weaker than the first. The added venom had already begun rampaging through her body. Tanisha had her own plan to enact, and she needed concentration to pull it off. The Poison Cloud limited visibility so much so that Thyra didn¡¯t notice that Tanisha¡¯s daggers were floating in the air behind her. Tanisha hadn¡¯t thrown them, but instead let the Air Constructs have them so she could attack from behind.
Joha had taught her a long time ago that there was only one way to properly kill a mage. Tanisha ducked under a strike from Thyra, breaking the woman¡¯s guard, and punched her with an uppercut to the head. The seier exploded outward, knocking her head back. Thyra was dazed but her magic kept her conscious; her healing was fighting the venom in her, the poison all around and the combat damage at the same time.
Blood began to flow from Thyra¡¯s eyes and ears as she reared back to defend herself. Her confidence in winning this fight waned with each missed strike as Tanisha weaved her two jabs. She was getting weaker each passing moment. Then she felt something stab through her throat. Then a second time as the blades returned. Normally this wouldn¡¯t be an issue, she had been stabbed many times before, but this was different. This was the first time she felt cold. She felt fear in the face of battle. The Hand was so weak now that she fell to her knees, unable to breathe as she started to shake uncontrollably.
¡°All you had to do was leave me alone,¡± Tanisha said as she reached behind Thyra¡¯s head and grabbed one of the twin daggers. ¡°I hope you still think the journey was worth it to see me again.¡±
Recognition flashed in Thyra¡¯s bloodshot eyes. ¡°Fr¡eja?¡± she coughed out. ¡°You have to be kidding me. The failure, the-the shia?¡±
Tanisha yanked the dagger around, using an Air Construct hand to do the same to the other weapon since her arm was broken.
¡°No, my name is Tanisha,¡± she said as the head rolled free.
Thyra¡¯s body slumped over as blood pooled on the ground. Tanisha was going to turn away to join the fight against Loki, but something in her made her look at the crimson wash. She couldn¡¯t break free of the sight and smell; she wanted to taste it. She needed to taste it. Something about the blood was calling to her. It was Bjorn growling at her that made her realize she was on the ground, on her hands and knees, her head just a few inches from the blood.
Tanisha had to muster all of her willpower to resist the overwhelming urge to lap up as much as she could. She hyperventilated as she struggled to keep herself from doing something she would regret. Bjorn had to tackle her and move her way from Thyra¡¯s body to finally snap her out of her transfixation.
She almost drank blood, wendigo blood.
Tanisha shook her head in disbelief. Maybe being a cernunnos had affected her mind after all.
¡°Thanks Bjorn¡¡± she said in a pained grunt. ¡°Maybe don¡¯t use me as a venom delivery system next time, though.¡±
Tanisha had to pick herself off the ground. The fight with Thyra had left her battered, but she was the one who¡¯d survived in the end. She shouldn¡¯t have won that fight; Thyra was far more skillful, durable and experienced, but she was too cocky. She had believed nothing could hurt her, so she didn¡¯t use her abilities to their absolute best. If Thyra had been serious in the beginning Tanisha would be the one without a head.
Tanisha directed one of her Hard Air Constructs to burn Thyra¡¯s head, which it did rather quickly. It was a precaution to ensure that Thyra didn¡¯t regenerate or become an undead. The sounds of battle grabbed her attention; the Isi disciples were still fighting Loki. When Tanisha turned to see what was going on her heart sank. All but three of the disciples were dead. Tyr was pierced through the chest with a long shadow spike. Svan was in combat with a shadow construct and was missing an arm.
She was too late to save them. She glared at Loki, her body too damaged to engage with the stronger of Ingrid¡¯s Hands. Although her fury in seeing the man caused seier to spill from her mouth and crackle with power. Despite the fact she knew she wouldn¡¯t survive engagement she prepared to throw everything she had into killing the man.
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A moment before Tanisha could will herself to move Joha finally rejoined the battle; he was again covered in wounds and black maya as he sped towards the spike that held up Tyr¡¯s body. He broke the shadow construct spike with a kick and caught Tyr. He threw the young man over his shoulder. Loki summoned shadow spikes which shot out of the ground towards the tiger demon. Joha was able to dodge them, but only by inches each time.
¡°Get him out of here!¡± Svan yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us! For the Isi!¡±
The other surviving Isi disciple reiterated Svan¡¯s sentiment. Joha rushed towards Tanisha and picked her up under his free arm.
¡°Bjorn, on my back, hold on,¡± Joha said.
¡°Joha, we have to kill him! With you here we can!¡± Tanisha screamed.
¡°We stay, Tyr dies.¡± Joha responded. ¡°I am not sure I can beat that man.¡±
Tanisha looked over to Tyr. He was breathing although it was very shallow. She then looked over to Loki and balled her fist only to release it. Her daggers were stored in her necklace as she let out a breath.
¡°Fine.¡± Tanisha relented.
Bjorn did as he was told and jumped onto the tiger demon¡¯s back. He even used his claws to ensure he was on securely. Joha ran, taking off like an arrow through the sky. Tanisha could see how each step was infused with maya, pushing him that much faster. He wasn¡¯t using Maya Blink or Flash Step, but instead some kind of running jump where he released a small amount of maya each time his foot pushed off the ground.
Between the hail of spikes, the sentinels at the gatehouse and the shadow constructs, there was no way Joha could make it through unscathed. That¡¯s when Bjorn again unleashed his fire breath, this time from all of his heads at once. Clearing a way in front of them for a single moment. Joha used that moment, charging through to the outer city. They had done it; they escaped the influence of the Salstar domain.
The outer city was far more densely packed than the inner one. Crowds had come to see the fight at the gate as best they could. The Prince and the Salstars only had control of the inner city and Palace at the moment. Although the prince could take complete control if he wanted. Tanisha was right in her assumption that he wouldn¡¯t; the Salstars had to pass the test first or he wouldn¡¯t back them.
Joha changed his appearance several times during the escape, only stopping once he was sure no one was following them. He took them into an alley where several homeless people watched them suspiciously before turning away to mind their own business. Joha let go of Tanisha as Bjorn jumped off of him. Joha now looked like some random wendigo woman. He carefully placed Tyr on the ground; the young man¡¯s breathing was shallow and wet. The hole in his chest looked to have just barely missed his heart but had punctured his lung. He had various other wounds, including a missing eye.
¡°Are you okay, Sif?¡± Joha asked as he nodded towards the alley dwellers.
¡°I am, Lykke,¡± Tanisha decided to name him. ¡°But I don¡¯t think we can save him. If we take him to a healer Lo-you know who might have constructs and they might find us, and I don¡¯t have any poti¡¡± She quickly accessed her necklace. ¡°I know I placed it in here.¡± A bottle containing the blue greater health potion appeared in her hand. ¡°Lykke, administer this.¡±
Joha took the potion and uncorked it. His maya turned the brew into a fine mist. Tanisha remembered when they¡¯d had to do the same thing for Wyatt when he was kicked by a startled horse. Despite this being far more serious the procedure was the same. Each time Tyr breathed some of the potion would enter through his mouth or nose. His breathing became more erratic as the pain increased. Having tissue and organs repaired this way always hurt, and it would be far slower than if he could just drink the potion.
¡°Hold him down,¡± Joha said.
Tanisha held onto one of Tyr¡¯s wrists and Bjorn had to hold the other as one of her arms was broken. She was surprised she wasn¡¯t in more pain. It hurt, sure, but not to the same level as when she¡¯d fought the troll back at the start of her adventure. Well, Bjorn fought the troll. She just got ragdolled, but whatever. This pain was far more manageable, even ignorable. She resigned herself to just believing it was a combination of her higher constitution and willpower, maybe.
It took five minutes for Tyr¡¯s breathing to normalize, and an additional five before he finally took all of the potion. He was unconscious, however, and they didn¡¯t know how long it would be before he woke up.
¡°I think he¡¯s going to make it,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°Even his eye regenerated.¡±
¡°It was a good potion,¡± Joha agreed. ¡°We need to keep moving, though. Come here.¡± A long cloth appeared in his hands and he tied a sling around Tanisha¡¯s broken arm. ¡°That should work for now. We stick to the alleys, we stay hidden and stick to your plan.¡± He looked at Bjorn. ¡°We just need to get him out of sight.¡±
Tyr stirred, then opened his eyes. He quickly looked around confused as to where he was. He was too weak to do much more than sit up.
¡°What¡¯s going on? Who are you two?¡± Tyr asked.
¡°It¡¯s me, Tanisha,¡± she said in a whisper. ¡°We¡¯re out in the outer city, but call me Sif for now.¡±
¡°Tani-Sif, we got out?¡± Tyr asked as whatever strength he had left failed him and he layed back on the ground. ¡°What about everyone else?¡± He looked around.
¡°We need to go somewhere safe. Do you know of a place?¡± Joha asked abruptly.
Tyr swallowed dryly; he understood the context behind changing the subject. He clenched his fists and cursed under his breath.
The young man closed his eyes and nodded. ¡°I do-I do.¡± His voice was tired. ¡°We have a meetup location with the ones who got through before things turned to shit.¡± Tyr tried to stand but couldn¡¯t even sit up again. ¡°Uh, I may need some help, but I can get us there.¡±
[80] First Princess of Yuhia
The lesser zmei were the familiars of the royal family, they were massive three-headed dragons. The sorcerer nature of the royal family of Yuhia meant they had a connection to the beasts that no one else had been able to cultivate. The fight for succession to the throne was well under way, as the elderly king did not have much longer. Out of the twelve princes and princesses only three were seen as potential next rulers: First Prince Arnar, Fourth Prince Baldur and the First Princess Sigrun.
Sigrun had the smallest of the three factions vying for the throne, so when it was discovered that the Nazem were traitors she knew she had to install one of her supporting noble families as the lords of the domain. The domain had become an economic powerhouse and would boost her standing in the running several fold. The problem was, her brother Arnar already declared that the domain would belong to the Salstars. It meant she would have to contest the claim.
Princess Sigrun saw the potential in Lavi as a special economic zone. She believed that with proper governance the territory could prosper for generations as a major trade state. But the First Prince had the advantage since his faction also had the Salstars, and she had no noble families who could compete with them head to head. The Tujewli were the most powerful family that supported her, but they weren¡¯t as prestigious in combat. What they lacked in power was more than made up for in their political acumen.
The princess saw Lavi in the distant moonlight; it was the key to her success. Sadly, it had been nearly a month since her brother had arrived. She was sure the Salstars had already completed their Show of Power and that the land would now be fully contested.
She sat upon a golden throne on the back of her familiar. Her legs crossed as she looked at the city with disappointment. Her brother would ruin this place with his rule and xenophobic shortsightedness.
Sigrun would have to lay siege to the city if the Salstars had already taken the walls. A battle for the fort city would all but devastate its economy for a few decades. She had to trust in her faction to rebuild. The princess had no choice but to wait for the scouts to return and march to take the city.
Her Left Hand, a man by the name of Thorfinn, bowed at the feet of her familiar. ¡°Your Royal Highness, the scouts have returned. They have requested an audience with you and the Tujewli Patriarch to report.¡±
The Princess stood and jumped down from the massive three-headed dragon. The world seemed to shift for a moment and she was instantly safely on the ground. Under the glow of the crescent moon the Princess¡¯ beauty was striking, especially against the backdrop of the dark forest. Her tiara was adorned with crystalline flowers which glowed all the brighter under her sorcery. Her antlers also told of battle with countless marks etched into them, whispering of conflicts hard fought and won.
Her armor was a marvel of wendigo metalworking and the ancient art of runesmithing. It was a perfect blending of form and function. Plate mail was meticulously engraved with intricate patterns that wove into countless interlocking enchantments. Every inch was ornate yet practical, every curve and joint perfectly fitted to her lithe frame. From the center of her chest a soft light pulsed to her heartbeat, radiating out along the patterns.
She looked out to the city that would soon be the battleground of her making. She was larger than life in that moment; an imposing figure of strength and regality. However there was a deep sadness that weighed heavily on her because of the actions she must take. She was on a journey that demanded sacrifice, and that she turn part of herself into a monster.
She took a final long look at the city and steeled herself for what she had to do next. ¡°Keep a lookout here, Dagny,¡± Sigrun said as she touched her familiar¡¯s leg. She then turned to Thorfinn. ¡°They haven¡¯t been gone very long, the gates must have been closed.¡± She sighed as they walked. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll be able to take the fort if that is the case?¡±
Thorfinn wore the common regalia of a Hand but in the royal colors of gold, silver and black. His face was covered with a veil that bore the insignia of the royal family. He was careful not to outpace the princess, always one step behind her.
¡°It is difficult to say, Your Highness,¡± Thorfinn stated. ¡°With your aid I am sure we can breach the walls, but it will depend how entrenched the Salstar forces are. Reports say that Ulfar is not here; he sent Ingrid. Apparently he is training a new heir.¡±
¡°That is a bit of good news. Ingrid will be troublesome, but not as much as Ulfar would have been,¡± Sigrun said. ¡°She is powerful, but that man rivals Arnar. I doubt anyone here but me could subjugate him. It is a shame what happened with Helga, but maybe some good will come of it.¡± She was quiet for a moment, then took a breath. ¡°When this is done, remind me to visit her in the Salstar Mausoleum. I think I have been avoiding it long enough.¡±
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¡°Of course, Your Highness,¡± Thorfinn agreed.
¡°Thorfinn, do you think this is the right thing to do?¡± the Princess questioned. ¡°This isn''t some battle against the druids; I''ll be leading us to fight our own people.¡±
¡°I can not say whether it is right or wrong, but I do know we must do what is required of us,¡± Thorfinn said. ¡°Everyone here is here because they believe you should sit upon the throne of Yuhia. This is the biggest break we have ever gotten and we can''t let it go. So, I believe in you, Princess. Regardless of the challenges we will have to face.¡±
¡°When did you get all serious?¡± Sigrun asked with a slight chuckle. ¡°Where is the Thorfinn I know?¡±
¡°I thought you would prefer I acted seriously while we¡¯re so close to camp,¡± Thorfinn responded, his tone far lighter. ¡°What if someone found out we were¡ friends?¡± He covered his veiled mouth in mock horror. ¡°When I am but a mere Hand? Nay! A lowly servant?¡±
Sigrun playfully pushed him. ¡°You¡¯re the only one I can talk to normally here,¡± She stated almost poutingly. ¡°When you start talking like that when we¡¯re alone it¡¯s frustrating.¡±
¡°Well, Siggy, you know there are some people here who live and die on rank and ceremony,¡± Thorfinn retorted. ¡°I¡¯m just doing my duty to make sure you are what people need you to be. You are the First Princess.¡±
They entered the siege camp, which used geokinesis wizards to quickly change the landscape into a defensible position. Everyone saluted her with one hand over the heart and head bowed as she walked by. The campsite was only an hour into construction, so there was still much they had to do. In the center of the camp was a large tent which would be the strategic center of the siege.
The princess took a breath before she entered; she would be the leader of the largest assault on a contested territory in their history. It was not something she was going to take lightly.
¡°Hail, the First Princess,¡± Thorfinn announced.
Generals and commanders from her royal soldier forces and the Tujewli knights sat at a round table. They all stood as she entered. Vidar Tujewli, the Patriarch of their noble house, was standing next to a man dressed as a traveler. The traveler instantly fell to his knees and bowed as she crossed the room. She sat on a wooden throne which was slightly elevated on a platform and crossed her legs. On the table in front of them was a large map of the fort city.
¡°You all may be seated,¡± Sigrun stated.
Everyone but the man dressed in normal clothing sat. He remained bowed in place.
¡°Your Highness, this is commander Grad of the scouting party. He has a full report,¡± Vidar stated.
¡°Rise, Scout Commander, what have we uncovered?¡± Sigrun asked. ¡°It has only been a few hours since you were sent out.¡±
¡°Your Highness,¡± Grad stated dutifully as he stood and projected his voice. ¡°When we arrived at the fort city the gates were all open. The banners have not been changed on any of the outer walls or demilunes. The outer city seemed to be running autonomously from the inner one. We spoke with some of the citizens, and apparently there was a fight at one of the inner wall gatehouses two weeks ago. The Isi Patriarch, who had been branded a traitor, escaped. Ever since then he has been drumming up support.¡±
¡°Who are these Isi?¡± Sigrun asked.
¡°They are a material user family who had been training soldiers and town guards from what we could confirm,¡± Grad stated. ¡°There have been rumors spreading around the city that the Isi were targeted only because they were material users, not because they were traitors. The Patriarch is rumored to still be in the city and is gaining support for his claim.¡±
¡°What about the Salstars and the Prince¡¯s forces?¡± Vidar asked.
¡°They have not been seen outside of the inner city, sir,¡± Grad responded.
¡°And you are sure of this?¡± Sigrun asked, dumbfounded by the news.
¡°Yes, Your Highness. We will continue our investigation, but it would appear that the Salstars failed their Show of Power.¡±
Everyone in the room gasped in disbelief.
¡°How can you be sure of that?¡± Vidar asked.
¡°From what the citizens told us there were three families who were supposed to be eliminated after the prince''s announcement during the execution of the Nazem. The Fital, Drasi and Isi families. Of the three only the Isi Patriarch is still alive,¡± Grad said with confidence. ¡°I personally scouted the inner city gatehouses and confirmed that the West gate is damaged and undertaking extensive structural repair. It appeared something broke out.¡±
The princess laughed; she couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. This was better news than she could have hoped for. The Salstars could not have any claim over the city at all; they failed. The land wasn¡¯t even contested. All she needed to do was walk in and they couldn¡¯t do anything to stop her. This just went from a bloody civil war and siege to a simple annexation. It took her a few moments to get ahold of herself.
¡°We need to verify all of these claims and send a messenger to the fort palace,¡± Sigrun stated. ¡°Thorfinn, I want you and a detachment to find the Isi Patriarch and bring him to me. We need to make sure he is protected. If the Salstars get to him first and kill him we will have to fight for the city.¡± The princess smiled at her good fortune. ¡°It would appear the Forest Father has smiled upon us. Lavi will be under our banner, and it shall be a beacon of change in the Kingdom. Prepare the men. Tomorrow we take the Fort City.¡±
End of Book 1
Interlude [0.5] Astral Traveler Part 1
¡°Again!¡± The man''s voice was harsh but not overly so. ¡°You have to ensure the spellform remains intact the entire time. Draw it out with your wand and direct the energy.¡±
The man was in a field outside of a large estate where he resided as a Hand. He was a nighthand wendigo whose skin was darker than charcoal, which was common for his ethnicity. The individual was the Left Hand of Lord Ulfar Salstar and so he wore navy blue robes with the insignia of the Salstar emblazoned in silver on his back. He, like all Hands, had to wear a veil over his face.
Eira was his student; she played the role of someone that was extremely talented but also unfocused. She could tell the man wanted to stop for the day, as she had not made any progress in their last few sessions. She didn¡¯t care, however, and had no intention of learning more attack spells she pretended not to know. Seeing S?lve again felt nostalgic, and she would be happy if she was not currently starving; she hadn¡¯t eaten since breakfast and it was already noon.
¡°S?lve,¡± the young girl whined. ¡°Can we take a break? I¡¯m hungry.¡±
¡°We can go after you give it one more good try, Lady Eira,¡± S?lve stated firmly.
¡°You said that last time.¡± Eira pouted, crossing her arms. ¡°It is not good to lie.¡±
¡°Have you seriously tried since I said that?¡± The voice sounded chastising. ¡°I am pretty sure you have only half-heartedly wielded your magic since then. Lord Salstar said you can¡¯t leave until you do this successfully twenty-five times, no exceptions. If you want to eat you need to do it right.¡±
¡°Ugh! Fine!¡± The young girl stomped her feet. ¡°I¡¯ll do it again, but this is the last time!¡±
¡°If you do it right,¡± S?lve stated.
She already knew the magic and how this would all go, so she didn¡¯t respond and instead let her magic speak for itself. Fifty yards down range six target dummies in blue steel plate armor were lifted back into place by several servant elves. It was the same every time she saw this moment; everything was as she had remembered it.
She spoke the words of power and moved her wand, an exquisite ebony rod with silver embedded runes, and drew out the spellform in the air. The girl knew she was revealing too much; this was a spell she should not know at a level of magic no one her age should have. She had to pull back on her magic to keep from exposing too much of her potential too quickly. Her wand danced in the air. A soft light was left floating behind it until a complete spellform which looked like two interlocking magic circle diagrams.
She didn¡¯t need to use the wand nor speak the spell, but the diagrams were complex and the motions were designed to help with stabilizing the magic within one''s own core. The spellform would guide the magic to the desired effect. Eira was already considered a special case, as the magic she was using would be considered dangerous for any normal child her age. The spellform was too costly to a developing magic core to handle, but despite only being twelve, her magic core greatly exceeded most of those three times her age.
S?lve had panic in his voice. ¡°Lady Eira, that spell is too advanced for someone your age!¡±
She didn¡¯t, or rather couldn¡¯t, stop. The spell was very nearly formed, and stopping it now would cause magical backlash. She was thankful that she was born into such a prestigious and magically prosperous family, as it was a good cover to hide her true nature. She could temper herself to ensure her magical prowess rivaled the rest of their family and no one would bat an eye. She was just another prodigy born into the house of prodigies.
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With a final few syllables of her spell the spellform was complete. Six spears of soft light formed, levitating in the air. The spears all pointed at individual targets, and in a loud crack of thunder they shot across the nearly two hundred feet so fast they might as well have teleported. The elven servants didn¡¯t even have time to finish setting up the dummies before the spears pierced clean holes through the torsos of each armor set. The servants all jumped to the ground, terrified more projectiles were on the way. There weren¡¯t, as Eira had successfully struck all the targets at once.
S?lve was quiet for a long moment as he processed what had just happened. Despite Eira not being able to see his face, she could see the exact moment he decided to accept that the Salstars were just different. She was a breed above the rest, so he shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Eira didn¡¯t feel that way herself, but she knew that this was what was required of her.
¡°Good job,¡± S?lve resolved himself to say.
Eira put her wand, which glowed with residual magical energy, back in the holster on her thigh with a smile on her face.
She matched her tone to her carefree facade.¡°Great, now we can go, right?¡± She sang as she raised a triumphant hand in the air. ¡°Meat meat meat meat, juicy tender spicy meat.¡±
S?lve pointed at the servant as they slowly and cautiously got up from the ground. ¡°Try not to scare the servants next time, though.¡±
Eira had already started walking off. ¡°They were taking too long, let¡¯s go!¡±
While she did feel bad, at the same time none of them were hurt and all Eira wanted at that moment was delicious red meat. She could practically taste it already. Then she could get back to what she really wanted to do that day: delve ever deeper into her studies of divining magic.
She knew father didn¡¯t like that; he told her divining was the weakest aspect of starlight magic. It didn¡¯t matter. He was just mad she was better at it than he was. She was better at it than anyone else on this side of the world.
The estate was large, but practical to the point where any human would consider it more of a compound. The walls were natural colors, the floors deep red wood. Furniture and fixtures only in places it served practicality, as wendigo design was by nature function over form. There was one area of the Salstar estate which had the opposite mentality; that was where they would serve foreign delegates in something more comfortable for them.
¡°Every time I come here it always looks so weird,¡± Eira mused.
¡°It is a necessity for talks with the neighboring nations,¡± S?lve stated.
¡°Humans are weird,¡± Eira said as she looked at the imported, uncomfortable furniture. ¡°I don¡¯t think I will ever understand it. Why spend so much money on something so uncomfortable and that won¡¯t last long?¡±
¡°Humans also don¡¯t live as long as we do,¡± S?lve stated, going into a teaching mode. ¡°So they would rather have something colorful or require someone else to spend hours on small details to show that they can afford someone spending that time. Even if the product won¡¯t be as long lasting, or in this case comfortable. Wendigo want practicality and longevity because we live so much longer.¡±
Eira thought about it for a little while. ¡°That makes them shortsighted. Even if they don¡¯t live as long they have children and future generations who could use it, like we do.¡±
¡°Yes, humans and many other short-lived races are like that. Hard to worry about something lasting two hundred years when you only live one, if that,¡± S?lve stated with a wave of his hand. ¡°One day you will meet humans and they will find you equally strange.¡±
Eira finally had some time to herself and got the chance to explore the estate on her own, which was a nostalgic experience for her. She would eventually travel to the middle of the estate grounds, which was a dense forested area the wendigo called a garden. This was her favorite place in the entire demesne, as it had been for hundreds of years by that point. It embodied everything she was taught as the daughter of a noble. It was nature under control, a place where she went if she wanted to be the apex predator. By ordinance of the Forest Father it was the wendigo birthright to rule. Although she didn¡¯t want to rule, the forest still filled her with wonder and delight.
There was more to the reason the young lady wanted to walk through the dense woodland. She could go there without question and usually without constant watch from her father¡¯s Hands or servants. It was the only place she could freely practice the highest tiers of divining magic without giving away her secret.
Interlude [0.5] Astral Part 2
¡°How many times have I seen this day now?¡± Eira asked herself, as there was no one around to answer. ¡°I wonder what I should do this lifetime? Maybe I will finally get around to ending the war with the Druids.¡± She tapped her lip in contemplation. ¡°Or I could marry into the royal family again, that was fun. Although maybe I¡¯ll go for a different prince this time around. Hmm, how old am I now? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±
The young girl reached a clearing in the otherwise dense forest garden. There was a single tree atop a hill with the rays of the sun cascading down through its branches. She had walked here so many times over the course of so many lifetimes that she knew the way instinctually. She found her favorite spot under a single tree in the middle of the otherwise clear area. She sat in the shade and looked up at the azure sky peeking between leaves and wooden arms.
It had only been a week since it happened, in this very spot, while she was wandering the forest like any other day. One moment she was just Eira, youngest daughter of the Salstar House. The next moment she was Eira Mystic of Dorsehal, Eira War Prophetess, Eira Last Daughter of Salstar, Eira the Professor of Divination and so-so much more. There were so many lifetimes she had lived. There were many times she had died only to wake up here again and again, in this exact spot. It was the ultimate magic of divination, the ability to project all of oneself back through the veil of causality. Upon death she simply returned back and got to do it all over again.
She yawned and wiped away a stray tear. ¡°Whatever. I think I¡¯ll just take a nap and figure it out later.¡±
Eira woke up to a roar that rocked the entire estate. She recognized the sound clearly; it was her father¡¯s lesser red dragon familiar, Thrand. She looked up to the sky. It was getting dark; the baby blue sky shifted to a bevy of oranges and reds and darkness.
¡°What in the Infernal Planes is going on?¡± Eira questioned. ¡°This has never happened before.¡±
It was odd she didn¡¯t remember a loop in which this happened. She worked through her memories of her previous lives as she stood up. Every time she had regressed to her past self events played out the same as long as she didn¡¯t change them. People would always do and say the same things. Events would play out the same until she changed them or caused a butterfly effect that radiated out to change the future. The thing was, she hadn¡¯t done anything out of the ordinary this time.
¡°I didn¡¯t do anything odd today. I mean, I could have gone a little easier in training, but even that shouldn¡¯t have changed much.¡± She got into the lotus position and circulated her mana around her core. ¡°What was supposed to happen today? I¡¯ve been back for what, eight days?¡± She thinks for a minute. ¡°Oh, Freja dies tonight. She tries to summon a familiar and loses control of it. Lord Salstar finds out but he was never this mad. I have to see what¡¯s happening.¡±
The death of her older sister Freja was something she¡¯d grown to expect. She didn¡¯t have any animosity towards her sister, she just didn¡¯t really know her. Freja would always die a week after she regressed, and in most of Eira¡¯s lives she¡¯d never had the opportunity to really get to know Freja. Any time she did save her sister, her family would just disown Freja and she would go missing.
Eira speaks words of power, channeling it into her perceptions. She could feel the might of her starlight mana suffuse her soul. The sensations of her body wash over her a final time before her mind is freed of her mortal coil and flung out into the astral. She opened her mind''s eye and was inundated with a kaleidoscope of color as normally invisible ambient mana in the atmosphere become continuous streams of power.
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She is nearly ejected from her astral state, as the flow of information was too great for her young mind to take in all at once. She¡¯d forgotten that this would be the first time she used this power in this lifetime. She had to wrestle with her mind and magic to keep herself together and not lose her life or mind in such an avoidable way. She couldn¡¯t help but think of one of her past lives, in which she was a teacher of this very magic. It was a field of divination that she pioneered many iterations ago. If her students saw her like this they would chastise her for doing the very thing she always warned them about.
She fought against the ever streaming information, filtering out the ambient mana so she wouldn¡¯t be so overwhelmed. The colors were still there, but far less intense to her frail young mind. She turned her attention to her body, which was still sitting in the lotus position under the tree. There was a single stream of blood running down her nose. She couldn¡¯t move her body until she stopped projecting her perceptions, so she moved on.
¡°Damn, that was close,¡± Eira said to herself. ¡°Any longer and I might have just killed myself a week after regressing.¡± She groaned. ¡°I think that would have been a record. An embarrassing record.¡±
Her astral projection flew through the forest at high speed until she finally reached the source of the disturbance. After passing through several walls, she was in Lord Ulfar¡¯s office.
The Lord was speaking with S?lve, and the Lord was angry. His magic aura so potent it threatened to destroy the astral projection just by being in the same room. It was a fierce wake up call for Eira to remember that, despite her hundreds of years of regressing, it was her father that firmly sat at the top as the most powerful starlight mage. Well, when it came to combat at least.
¡°She would do this now, when there is so much at stake for our family.¡± Ulfar¡¯s tone was controlled but unpleasant. It wasn¡¯t out of regality, but instead because if a mage as powerful as him lost control his power would likely wipe the estate off the map. ¡°It would have been better if the spell had backfired on the failure and killed her.¡± He took a breath and fully restrained his aura. The room was bleached white under his magical radiance. ¡°How long do we have before the First Prince arrives?¡±
¡°He will be here in two days, Lord,¡± S?lve answered promptly.
¡°Prepare Ragnar, we are going to Dorsehal Academy immediately,¡± Ulfar stated.
The door opened suddenly, and everyone turned to see who entered the Lords office uninvited.
Ingrid came into view. Her eyes looked over the two men, then rested on Ulfar as she did a curt bow. Ulfar¡¯s rage subsided a little more upon seeing his wife.
¡°Lord Husband,¡± Ingrid said sweetly. ¡°It has been a long time coming has it not? I don¡¯t think this should have you so rattled. Your emotions have upset Thrand as well.¡±
His expression softened. ¡°You are right, but I had no intention of performing the Shiagaunt at this time. If Ragnar becomes heir I will not be able to handle the situation with the Nazem. I will have to stay here and prepare him for his new role.¡±
¡°I can handle the Nazem, Lord Husband.¡± Ingrid said graciously. ¡°Prepare our heir and leave the Show of Power to me. We can rid ourselves of Freja once and for all, and Lavi will be ours.¡±
In a jolt Eira¡¯s astral projection failed, as her magic ran too low to maintain the state. She gasped and lurched forward, nearly vomiting, but managed to keep her lunch down. Nothing was making any sense in this iteration of her life. Her sister survived, her mother was going to lead the assault on the Nazem instead of Lord Ulfar and they were going to perform a Shiagaunt on Freja. Too much had changed in this lifetime already. She didn¡¯t know if she was terrified or excited at the turn of events.
¡°This has to be the work of a True, right?¡± Eira spoke to herself to work through the possibilities. ¡°They aren¡¯t beholden to time on the Lower Planes, so it doesn¡¯t matter if I regressed, they can change things as they wish.¡± A smile crossed her face. ¡°In all my lifetimes I have never seen a True with my own eyes. This just means something interesting is going to happen this time around, right? I will have to keep an eye on Freja¡ but-but¡ yeah, it would be better if I do it from a distance. I don¡¯t want to be near anyone who has the attention of a True.¡±
Interlude [5.5] Dorsehal Academy
Thrand was gone, the spot where he¡¯d landed was already being repaired by groundskeepers. Students were expected to continue their studies as if what had just happened was normal. Matthew and Julie were mortified, and several of the non-wendigo students looked the same. The wendigo students had already started mocking Freja for being a failure of a noble who was kicked from her family, calling her something Matthew had never heard before: a Shai.
¡°What was that?¡± Matthew said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone do anything?¡±
Julie''s eyes were as wide as dinner plates, and she still had a hand over her mouth. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, Mat.¡±
¡°What you all just witnessed was called a shiagaunt,¡± Ms. Dimii said to a small group of stunned girls a few feet away. ¡°None of you have to worry, it is a wendigo tradition.¡±
The Dorm Mother¡¯s voice instantly gained the two shell shocked student¡¯s attention. Matthew and Julie looked at each other for a moment as the initial surprise gave way to questions they wanted answered. Nearly all of the students that huddled around Ms. Dimii were also human, with a smattering of elves and a single goblin. They were all worried about what they¡¯d just seen, and obviously shaken by the fact that the Lord of the domain let his son terrorize his daughter out in public.
A tall elf girl asked, ¡°Can that happen to us? I mean, he just abused his daughter in front of all of us.¡± She looked more and more like she was going to hyperventilate. ¡°Can the Lord of this place just show up and¡¡±
Ms. Dimii cut the girl off before she worked herself up any more. ¡°No-no, the shiagaunt is a tradition to disown a family member who has dishonored their family and was in line to become an heir. It is a form of public shame on the individual that has caused the disgrace. It may have appeared brutal to many of you, but I can assure you what the Lord did is completely legal and an accepted practice only under those extenuating circumstances. Everyone here is completely safe.¡±
¡°What¡¯s going to happen to Freja?¡± Matthew asked.
The crowd all nodded along with the question, many of them still shaken by the brutality of the Shiagaunt.
¡°The rules around the shiagaunt are pretty clear,¡± Dimii said calmly. ¡° They will give her money and some stipulations about not using the family name, and then she will be released to start her life over. The fact that she was the daughter of a noble means she will be given enough money to travel wherever she wants and place down roots easily.¡±
¡°So, she¡¯ll be fine?¡± Julie asked.
¡°Yes, there shouldn¡¯t be anything to worry about,¡± Dimii said with a small but reassuring smile. ¡°If you all have any other questions about the Shiagaunts you can read about it in the library, in the cultural section.¡± She placed her hands on her hips. ¡°Now I know that this was more excitement than usual in the morning, but you all need to get to your classes before you¡¯re late. I will not be writing any excuse passes for you all.¡±
The crowd that had gathered slowly dispersed. The girls felt assured that at the very least the shiagaunt was not something that could happen to them. A few students stayed to ask the Dorm Mother other questions related to their rooms, but they were quickly answered and moved on. Matthew and Julie were the last students around the Dorm Mother. They were Freja¡¯s best friends and had more questions as to the safety of their friend and her whereabouts.
Dimii kept her tone light, but there was obvious worry behind her words. ¡°I understand you both want more information, but there is no set location for where a family has to take a dishonored family member. Freja should be fine, though. They will give her money, and when she settles down I¡¯m sure she will send you both letters.¡±
¡°Is there nothing else we¡¯ll be able to do but wait?¡± Julie asked. ¡°Please, Ms. Dimii.¡±
Ms. Dimii looked them both over. ¡°Right now, no. All we can do is wait to hear back from her. Just remember that wendigo can lose track of time quite easily; it comes with the longer lifespan. Now all students need to get! I was serious about not writing any passes today.¡±
The two students felt there was more to the story, but just like Ms. Dimii said, if they wanted to find out more about the Shiagaunt they needed to look it up for themselves. They dropped the subject and hurried to their classes.
Dorsehal Academy was one of the most prestigious magic schools on the continent. Matthew was a little less than enthused when he¡¯d first found out he would be attending. He didn¡¯t know what to expect from the wendigo people other than the stories he¡¯d heard growing up about people with antlers that eat only meat. Up until the Shiagaunt he¡¯d had no issue with the wendigo people. They respected magical prowess no matter who had it; well, as long as they weren¡¯t druids.
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Still, while he was worried about his friend who was taken away from the academy so cruelly there was nothing he could do. Aside from visiting the mail room every day to see if she¡¯d sent him or Julie a letter. Time crawled at first, his classes going by at a snail¡¯s pace, but soon life just continued on.
¡°As inspired young spellcraft mages, you all are at the forefront of magical research and development,¡± Professor Dainius said from the front of the classroom. ¡°Where other magic casters simply move a wand and chant a spell they don¡¯t understand, we quantify that magic into its base component parts.¡±
The professor was a gruff dwarven man with a long black beard that seemed to be perpetually on fire, or at least smoking. While he talked a mechanical hand floated into the air nearly, every available surface covered in intricate patterns of magical circuitry. The hand moved to the chalkboard and created a beginner-level magic circle, inscribing the proper formula around the perimeter and encasing it all in a dodecagon.
¡°Enchanting, Technomancy, Artificing. These specializations make up the study of the building blocks of magic research,¡± Dainius stated with pride. ¡°Anyone can wave a wand around but-¡±
¡°Excuse me professor, but you skipped one,¡± Matthew stated, although he knew the professor knew he skipped it on purpose. ¡°Invocation is my specialization.¡±
Dainius looked at the student with a glare. ¡°Ah, yes, invocation,¡± he said with annoyance. ¡°These four specializations make up the foundation of magical understanding. Matthew, please stand and tell the class what this magic diagram is.¡±
Matthew looked around at his fellow classmates who tried not to make eye contact. Matthew didn¡¯t expect anyone would help him in this situation, no one wanted to be on the professor''s bad side. He signed, stood at his desk and looked over the diagram as the floating metal hand finished the last symbols. The inner ring was just a simple circle, the representation of a magic core. Meaning that this was a spell that would be directly connected to the mage who performed it.
The inscription along the perimeter was divided into four parts. The first was the activation sequence for the spell. In all other disciplines it would be the spoken words, but for spellcasters it was a series of code that had to be empowered by their mana. The second section was the command sequence that would take the mana if the conditions for activation were met, and ensure the mana was stable before passing it along to the next part. Stage three was the saturation pushing the mana in the right volume to empower the full diagram before the spell effect activated. Lastly was the activation portion of the diagram, which connected directly into the second shape of the dodecagon, increasing the potency and longevity of the magical effect.
¡°It is a Cast Light enchantment,¡± Matthew stated with certainty. ¡°It would cause the object it was inscribed on to produce a light based on how much mana was inputted. It would continue to shine even after the mana was cut off for a short time.¡±
The professor clapped and motioned Matthew to sit down. ¡°Right, this is the basic enchantment of Cast Light, but it has a twist to it. I added a variable to it that would allow the mage to change the color of the light.¡± The professor looked around the class. ¡°Your homework tonight is to take a beginner level enchantment and create a variable. You may use the Cast Light enchantment, but you will have to add two variables since I have already shown how to do one.¡±
The professor continued his lecture on how the variables work and where students can place them in beginner level enchantments without causing catastrophic failure. On beginner level enchantment that would look like a short, or possibly just a sudden release of mana. On higher level enchantments catastrophic failures were at best the destruction of the item being enchanted, and at worst a sudden explosion.
Matthew knew the professor didn¡¯t quite like him because, unlike everyone else in the class, his specialization was invocation. It was the rarest of the spellcraft specializations and the one most unlike others in his discipline. He could use a wand and speak words of power. From what Matthew found in his research, the invocation mage used to be called ritual mage or shaman caster. He guessed the name had been changed to make it sound less crude.
The difference between him and other magic casters was the fact that he drew on ambient mana to empower rituals, not mana from his core. His core would only be used to start the ritual, after which ambient mana could keep the effect going. It didn¡¯t require him to use inscribing tools like the enchanters, or to build out complex machines like the artificers or create magic circuitry like the technomancers.
After class Matthew walked to his usual meetup spot in the courtyard to wait for Julie. He was surprised to see her fiery red hair stationary amongst the crowd. She was already there, sitting cross-legged on a raised rock platform. He shook his head in disbelief, she¡¯d never been early in the entire four years he¡¯d known her.
The pillar of earth she was on wasn¡¯t real rock; stone wouldn''t be able to break through the enchantments on the brick walkways. Instead it was a magic construct, essentially just solid mana that took the form of her geokinesis specialization. Julie smiled wide when she saw him and jumped off of her pillar, which crumbled into sparkles and dissipated.
¡°Mat! Finally you¡¯re here. I thought you might have fallen asleep at your desk or something,¡± Julie said with surprising seriousness. ¡°We have to go to the mail room right now!¡±
¡°Why, what¡¯s going on?¡± Matthew asked.
¡°Ms. Dimii told me that she got a letter from Freja and we probably got one too!¡± Julie said with a wide smile. ¡°So, she has to be alright! Apparently she changed her name to Tanisha and she is living in¡ Wait, no, I am not going to spoil everything for you.¡±
Interlude [7.5] Survivor Part 1
The march from the Nazem territory was smoother than anyone could have imagined. The traitorous noble wendigo fool made infiltrating the kingdom and sabotaging infrastructure child¡¯s play. It was almost too easy, which was what had everyone on edge. Being this deep into the savages¡¯ territory was nerve wracking to say the least.
Bl¨¢inn was in the middle of the six-party formation of infiltrator druids. It was his first real mission since being chosen by his clan to become a warrior after his familiar finally evolved into the Delta class. The young man fresh out of training never expected to be hand selected to take part in such an important mission in the heart of the wendigo savages¡¯ homeland. He felt immense pride that he and his steel wolf familiar would be able to strike back against the wendigo savages that desecrated the holy Diredian Forest.
Grim, the squad leader, held out his hand. ¡°We will set up camp here for tonight. Finn, Bl¨¢inn, Kara: you and your familiars secure the position. Ivar, Sindri: you two are on set up. I want this place hidden.¡±
¡°Yes, sir!¡± everyone stated in unison.
Bl¨¢inn looked over the group of familiars which dutifully followed their masters. His own familiar was Gordo, the Delta class steel wolf. Finn¡¯s familiar was a Delta class shimmer glider, a small rabbit-like creature with the wings of a bird. The creature could bend light around itself while it flew, making itself nearly invisible, or direct that light at opponents to blind them. Kara¡¯s familiar was the most impressive in the group. It was an Alpha class familiar crescent panther, and was not only huge and powerful, but because it was an Alpha it was intelligent and could speak.
¡°We will do a wide sweep,¡± Kara said; her voice was swift and to the point. ¡°Finn, send your familiar up and alert us if he sees anything. Bl¨¢inn, you ready?¡±
¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Bl¨¢inn responded.
The familiars all dispersed, following the wills of their individual masters. The druids set out as well to insure their familiars didn¡¯t miss anything. Night was fast approaching and the forest was already dark. Bl¨¢inn had no issue with the darkness as he was a nature mage, and could see life itself as an ethereal glow all around him as if it were day. His comrades, on the other hand, had to use enchantments on their green combat robes to gain Night Eye.
The walk was silent as each member looked sharply out for any sign of being followed or hunted. After several large laps around their camp they decided they were in the clear and started heading back. It had been a long three weeks of travel, and they were all exhausted. They felt more at ease here than in the plains they¡¯d spent the last two days in, since they had the field advantage deep in the woodland.
Bl¨¢inn glanced behind him when Finn¡¯s familiar zipped through the air and landed on his shoulder. The Shimmer Glider was hard to see, and if not for his ability to see life he would have missed it altogether.
¡°You know, Finn, I¡¯ve only ever seen Shimmer Gliders as pets. My little brother has one back in our clan, but no one has bonded with one. They''re a bit¡ mischievous. What made you want one as your familiar?¡±
Kara looked back at the familiar as well; with the perimeter secured she felt more at ease to talk. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering the same thing. The little guys have a reputation of being difficult familiars.¡±
Finn grinned. ¡°They are quite mischievous, with a habit of getting into places that lead to trouble. Thing is, back in my clan I was pretty much the same. My nickname was Shimmer because of how much trouble I used to get in.¡± He pet the small shimmer glider as it nuzzled up to him on his shoulder. ¡°So, the bond just came naturally to me. Turns out we¡¯re a matching pair. What about you, Bl¨¢inn? A steel wolf familiar is pretty impressive, and your bond is strong.¡±
¡°My clan breeds steel wolves, so I was just following tradition.¡± Bl¨¢inn scratched his neck sheepishly. ¡°We actually became Delta bonded only a few months ago. He¡¯s the lone wolf type, literally, and likes to wander, but he has my back. I know that for sure.¡± Bl¨¢inn looked over to Kara. ¡°Our bond is nothing compared to yours. An Alpha Familiar! That is insane. I¡¯ve only ever heard rumors about them.¡±
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¡°He¡¯s right, what did you two do to get your bond to that level?¡± Finn asked.
Kara¡¯s mood shifted darkly. ¡°Sk?ll and I just look out for each other. Alpha bonds aren¡¯t like others; they only come through adversity. Let¡¯s just say there¡¯s a reason I volunteered for this mission. The wendigo savages need to be put down. The Salstar¡¯s especially, after what they did.¡±
¡°After what they did,¡± Bl¨¢inn repeated softly. Recognition flashed across his face after he looked at her for a moment. ¡°Are you part of the Kossiale Clan?¡±
¡°Can¡¯t be a clan if there is only one member left.¡± Kara practically bit off each word.
Bl¨¢inn and Finn looked at each other, seeing that they should probably change the subject. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t also have their reasons for wanting to take the wendigo down. It was more out of respect for whatever happened to Kara and Sk?ll. Honestly, up until that moment Bl¨¢inn thought there were no survivors of the Kossiale, not after the Salstar heir wiped them out seven years ago.
¡°Uhhh, we¡¯re coming up on the camp now,¡± Bl¨¢inn stated.
¡°How can you tell?¡± Finn asked. ¡°I know we¡¯re going in the right direction but I don¡¯t see anything.¡±
Bl¨¢inn pointed at his eyes which had a faint almost imperceptible glint of magic. ¡°I have See Life so I can see the addition of plant growth in the area.¡±
¡°Is that something that can give away our position?¡± Kara asked.
Bl¨¢inn looked around. ¡°No, once the magic finishes dissipating from the new growth it¡¯ll look just like any other part of the forest.¡±
There was a lull in conversation after that as the trio finally rejoined the camp. The new plant growth all around made it impossible for someone to see them from outside of their small area. The bushes closest to them had mana continuously coursing through them. The effect would muffle all sound leaving camp while simultaneously allowing those inside to perfectly hear anything outside.
The three made their report to the commander and settled in for the night; well, everyone but Bl¨¢inn since he had the first guard shift. He picked a few lives from a nearby tree for a snack as he sat down at the edge of the camp. He had his familiar, Gordo, stand guard at the opposite side of camp.
Bl¨¢inn used the peace and quiet to study the plants that were infused with mana. He was also a botanokinesis mage, but his skills were no were near the same level as Sindri or Ivar. He could tell how much he had left to grow just by seeing how the mana flowed throughout the entire plant and even into the ground and air. He could only hope that one day he would be able to use the spells to the same efficacy.
He moved to his hands and knees at the base of one of the bushes. He carefully dug up some of the soil, just to get a better look at the root system. He was so entranced by his self-imposed study session that he didn¡¯t notice Kara walking up to relieve him until she was right behind him and coughed to get his attention. He shot to his feet, his face several shades redder from embarrassment.
Bl¨¢inn saluted her. ¡°K-Kara, hey, is it time to switch already? I would have gotten you.¡±
¡°Yeah, looked like you were on the way,¡± Kara said sarcastically.
¡°Okay, so I would have gotten you eventually,¡± Bl¨¢inn said.
¡°What were you doing, anyway?¡± Kara asked.
Bl¨¢inn immediately took the lifeline to explain himself. ¡°Oh, I was just admiring the spells at work. It¡¯s the first time I got the chance to really see this spell used. I just wanted to get a better look at the roots.¡±
¡°Ah, it must be nice to be able to commune so deeply with nature,¡± Kara stated almost absently. ¡°Unlike my magic that¡¯s just meant to destroy.¡±
Bl¨¢inn was taken back by her sudden admission. He knew she was an electrokinetic mage and a powerhouse to the team. Her powers were going to be instrumental to any encounter they had, but she was right; he didn¡¯t know what else she could do with electricity. He could tell she accepted his silence as agreement, but he didn¡¯t know what to say.
¡°Electricity is just as much part of nature as any plant. Sure it is destructive, but nature is also destructive; it¡¯s a cycle,¡± Bl¨¢inn said earnestly, scratching the back of his head. ¡°Anyway. I think I¡¯ll get some shut-eye now.¡±
Kara didn¡¯t respond to him; she just stood there and watched him gather his things. He wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d said the right thing or just upset her more, but he wasn¡¯t there to help her through whatever she had going on.
¡°Thank you,¡± Kara said in a voice so small that Bl¨¢inn thought he might have imagined it.
¡°You¡¯re welcome?¡± he responded.
Interlude [7.5] Survivor Part 2
Things were going well. Traveling through the forest was the specialty of the druids. They only had half a day of travel left before they would finally reach the Salstar domain. They were on schedule to meet with a larger invasion force that would take out several strategic targets including water sources, farmland and a major fort. The strikes all over the Salstar domain would happen simultaneously, crippling the noble family and their people overnight.
It had been a long three weeks of travel, but everyone was on high alert now that they were so close to their target. Bl¨¢inn couldn¡¯t help but be increasingly nervous as they traveled. This was going to be his first military engagement, and it was so far away from home. When he returned to his clan he would be one of the war heroes who¡¯d struck a blow against one of the biggest wendigo Noble Houses. They would have to withdraw from the front lines to secure their territory, all but assuring victory for the druids in the holy Diredian Forest.
A distant explosion got everyone¡¯s attention. Kara was the first to respond to the situation.
¡°A caravan saw Sk?ll; they¡¯re merchants with a warrior and wizard escort,¡± Kara stated. ¡°They have Salstar domain emblems.¡±
¡°How far?¡± Grim asked.
¡°Half mile, directly ahead of us.¡± Kara scowled.
¡°We can¡¯t have them reporting that they saw a crescent panther. We take them out quickly,¡± Grim stated coldly. ¡°No survivors.¡±
Everyone responded affirmatively and they took off running with a combination of speed and Blink. Druids had a natural aptitude for moving in the forest. The group wove through the thick brush and tricky terrain as if they were running on a straight paved road. The application of their mana with every step was perfectly timed and balanced. Their green combat robes left them as little more than blurs amongst the foliage.
Another explosion of magic informed them that they were close to the caravan, and they split up to surround them. Bl¨¢inn was with Kara and Finn to attack from the rear while Grim, Sindri and Ivar were going to devastate the front line of defenders. Everything happened so quickly that Bl¨¢inn barely had time to think at all.
His group broke through the treeline onto the dirt road where two wagons were stopped. Ten caravan guards seemed to be the entirety of the defense force. They were definitely not prepared for an attack from enemy combatants. They looked more like a deterrent for wild animals and would-be thieves. The wendigo were poorly equipped for anything more than a bear attack. So when druids appeared they all panicked.
Bl¨¢inn raised his war staff, chanting words of power that caused the wood from the carriage wheels to root deeply into the ground, preventing anyone from escaping. Once that was done Kara shot lighting into the closest wagon. Her lightning was odd, green-tinged and unnaturally quiet for the destructive force her mana imitated. It wasn¡¯t true lightning but mana, so oddities were expected.
The defenders split up, five attacking Bl¨¢inn¡¯s group and five on Grim¡¯s group. Bl¨¢inn didn¡¯t have time to think; he was a soldier so he fell back on his orders, following Kara¡¯s commands to the letter. Gordo followed his intent through their bond and flanked the men while Sk?ll did the same. Finn¡¯s shimmer glider flew between the men and a bright light flashed, blinding them. That moment of vulnerability was all the familiars needed to kill two of the five, instantly ripping the wendigo apart.
Finn Blinked into the poorly organized men, killing one with his sword. The remaining two tried to flee, only for one to be struck by another of Kara¡¯s lightning bolts. The final man ducked out of the way just in time to save himself. He didn¡¯t last much longer after that, as root spikes shot out of the ground, impaling the man. Bl¨¢inn released his magic, which retracted the roots and dropped the corpse back to the ground.
In moments the defenders were all dead, but a scream from the wagon that wasn¡¯t on fire caught everyone¡¯s attention. By the time Bl¨¢inn¡¯s group got to the wagon Grim was dragging a woman¡¯s corpse out by her antlers. Bl¨¢inn saw other smaller bodies inside. No words needed to be said as he would have done the same.
He looked over to Kara, who was full of nothing but rage at the corpses of the fallen wendigo. She stomped on the head of one of the fallen wendigo defenders. Her mana that had suffused her body allowed her to crush the skull in a single sickening crack. That was one way to ensure there would be no undead or worse skinwalkers. She took a breath to recenter herself before Grim saw her.
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¡°All targets eliminated, Sir,¡± Kara said with satisfaction.
¡°Good job, everyone,¡± Grim said. ¡°Burn the wagons. Anything your familiars don¡¯t eat, reduce to mulch for the forest.¡±
¡°That would be better than they deserve,¡± Kara said under her breath.
Grim didn¡¯t respond, either not hearing it or not caring enough to disagree. They had to be fast, though; they didn¡¯t know how frequently travelers moved down this road. The horses were slaughtered so they wouldn¡¯t return to wherever they were from. Tree roots as sharp as blades cut up the bodies and broke down the wagons.
It was at that moment all of the familiars looked up and growled into the forest on the other side of the road. Bl¨¢inn could feel Gordo¡¯s fear through the bond, so he raised his war staff as everyone got into formation. The entire squad was alerted by a russling just out of sight.
¡°Anyone got eyes?¡± Grim asked.
Negatives came from everyone but Bl¨¢inn as he activated his See Life spell. The horror in his eyes immediately put everyone on edge, but no one was prepared for what he was going to say.
¡°We need to go, it¡¯s a troll clan!¡± Bl¨¢inn yelled. ¡°I think they were attracted by the blood.¡±
¡°Wh-what? What are trolls doing here?¡± Kara asked.
Grim lowered his voice. ¡°How many?¡±
¡°Fuck, eight,¡± Bl¨¢inn said.
¡°Everyone, back away slowly,¡± Grim said. ¡°They want the meat and they can have it.¡±
Sindri panicked as soon as he heard there were eight trolls, turning tail to run. The trolls must have taken offense, because as soon as the man turned around it was like a dam broke. Screams of outrage from the trolls echoed from all around and they rushed in from the far side. The large apelike creatures barreled towards them at greater speed then looked possible with their large frames.
¡°Go, now run!¡± Grim yelled.
The group turned around, only to see Sindri get grabbed by a massive troll who had apparently snuck up behind them. The mage didn¡¯t even finish his spell before the troll ripped him in half. Gore and viscera spilled to the ground as the struggling man went limp.
Things just went downhill from there.
Trolls were notoriously hard to kill, resistant to magic and with extremely fast regeneration. Spells either bounced off their hides or caused superficial wounds that closed up shortly after. Lightning shot out, tree roots impaled flesh and swords flashed through the air as the druids fought in complete desperation. Finn was the next to fall, then Ivar and Grim. They managed to kill all but the largest of the trolls; a massive hulking beast in comparison to the rest of their kin.
Bl¨¢inn was bleeding, a swipe from the creature had nearly bisected the man while sending him flying into the forest. He hit a tree where he slid down and slumped over. He could see the flash of lightning as Kara and Sk?ll fought for their lives. He felt Gordo return to his side in his final moments, as the flashing of magical power stopped and a troll roared victory.
¡°No, no, no! I won¡¯t accept this!¡± Bl¨¢inn yelled between painful coughs. ¡°Fucking troll? I am not going to die to fucking trolls! Not after all of this. Not after we were so close.¡±
He could feel his mana swell even as his body grew colder. Anger. Rage. Hatred. It was pushed to the forefront of his dying mind. Mana exploded from him unchecked and leached into the soil, the air, the plants. And the world responded. He felt nature dig into him; magic refused to let him die even as his mind was consumed. All he knew was pain. He forgot himself, who he was, what he was as he wandered the dark forest.
Time was irrelevant; days, weeks, months meaningless as his mind only knew pain. He felt a glimpse of his real self fading in and out. Gordo never left him; he would return to his master with fresh kills that Bl¨¢inn couldn¡¯t eat even if he wanted to as a herbivore. Even so the wolf protected and even hunted their enemies. Gordo would drag the corpses of the wendigo to him so he could return them to the forest.
Things were painful and he was no longer himself. That was, until he saw something that forced what remained of his consciousness back to the forefront of his mind. His familiar called out to him, hurt and dying. Bl¨¢inn fell to his knees once he found his familiar. Every breath reopened wounds and caused the pain to again threaten to strip his mind.
He felt it, the cursed magic of the wendigo in the air. There was one here somewhere. He looked around in panic and outrage for someone to tear apart for what they had done. His mind was fading again but he refused let his mind once again be lost to the pain.
His voice was alien to him now as he screamed. ¡°Gordo. Gordo buddy, no-no no! Stay with me! I¡¯ll get you healed, okay? Where are you? You fucking cannibal savage!¡± His tears were blood. ¡°I can feel your cursed fucking magic! I know you¡¯re there! Get out here coward, savage, look at what you¡¯ve done. Fuck, Gordo, don¡¯t close your eyes.¡±
Interlude [22.5] Traveling
The goblin family were all aboard their wagon in the back of the caravan. Despite the hectic few days, Helina was happy that things were settling into a normal routine for her family again. They didn¡¯t have long before they would arrive at their next village, which if she remembered correctly was fairly new. Or at least it hadn¡¯t been there two hundred years ago.
Helina was humming sweetly while cuddling up to her husband, who was driving the wagon. Their tails firmly intertwined as they slowly traveled down the road.
They saw Sif jump from Sabec¡¯s wagon and run into the grassland. She had a wide smile on her face as she disappeared into the foliage.
Helina squeezed Owen a little tighter. ¡°She looks like she¡¯s doing much better now.¡±
¡°Yeah¡ She is a good kid,¡± Owen said casually. ¡°Don¡¯t know what put her in this situation. Shai are usually troublemakers, problem children, and failures. She isn¡¯t any of those things from what I¡¯ve seen. She¡¯s intelligent, respectful, and has a valuable skill and a Celestial-blessed familiar. Someone spent a lot of money on her just to throw her out.¡±
¡°You said she made that health potion, right?¡± Helina asked.
¡°Yes, and I already paid her so you don¡¯t have to worry,¡± Owen said smugly.
¡°No, not that¨C I mean good, she definitely deserved to get paid for it,¡± Helina said with a huff. ¡°You got me off track, now I forgot what I was going to say.¡± She cocked her head to the side in contemplation. ¡°Oh, yeah, we have all of that old alchemy stuff we haven¡¯t been able to sell. How about we let her take a look through it.¡±
Owen watched the girl as she ran back towards the caravan with something in a glass case.
¡°I think that would be a good idea,¡± Owen stated with a shrug. ¡°It''s all just taking up space with us.¡±
¡°Excellent. Now, I need to check on the boys,¡± Helina said as she stood up.
¡°Why are they quiet this morning?¡± Owen asked. A sudden realization crossed his face and he sighed.
Helina said with suspicion, ¡°Too quiet, yeah, either they broke something or are about to break something.¡±
The goblin¡¯s wagon was a large box, easily the biggest of the caravan. Helina and Owen had been merchants longer than anyone else in the caravan had been alive. The quantity of things they¡¯d accrued in that time was locked away on the shelves and in storage devices.
It didn¡¯t take long for Helina to find her boys, Wyatt and Caleb, pretend sword fighting with sticks they¡¯d managed to sneak inside the wagon. No sooner had she found them but Caleb wacked Wyatt with his stick, causing him to lose balance and topple over. He hit one of the shelves just hard enough to knock a vase down. An expensive vase Helina distinctly remembered telling them to secure in a storage device.
Crash!
Both of the boys froze in place, looking at the shattered vase in horror.
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¡°Wyatt Alan Jaraldson and Caleb William Jaraldson,¡± Helina said in her mom voice. ¡°Come here now!¡±
The boys got a heavy lecture, as well as one of their sticks being used as a paddle. After which she supervised them cleaning the wagon and properly putting away some other goods they¡¯d left precariously around the second floor.
By the time they were done reorganizing, the caravan had arrived at the town.
¡°It¡¯s a pretty well-off town,¡± Owen said with a gleam in his eye. ¡°I think we¡¯ll finally be able to sell that vase here.¡±
The boy¡¯s shied behind their mother.
¡°Yeah, about that, hunny,¡± Helina started.
The wendigo in the town were all snowfallen, which was common in the Nazem Domain. The climate here was mild during the summer, but come the end of fall it would be a cold winter wonderland. The phenomenon was not due to its latitude but ambient mana concentrations. Helina knew she and her family would be well into a warmer domain by then because she hated the cold.
Her family, as well as the other members of the caravan, set up stalls in the middle of the village. Owen was right about it being a more well-off village than the others they¡¯d passed through. The homes were nice and colorful, which for wendigo was rare due to their proclivity for function over form. The village was well maintained and even the clothing of the villagers indicated some wealth.
¡°You have a good eye ma¡¯am, that plate was imported from Kumihara and was made in the capital city of Yeonghonji,¡± Helina told a woman with a friendly smile. ¡°We have the entire set, and because I like you I can give you a special deal.¡±
Time seemed to fly by as people came and saw the goods. Joha and his spices were definitely the winner in sales. Sif even had to assist Joha instead of Sobec, who barely sold any of his tools. It was to be expected given the clientele, and he was already packing up some of his things.
Once the crowd thinned Sif ran and her familiar ran off while Joha finished the last of his sales. The goblin family had a few more clients, but largely the crowd had dispersed.
¡°We¡¯ll be here for a few more hours, boys, so I¡¯m going to start making lunch,¡± Helina said to her sons. ¡°After that we can look around, okay?¡±
The boys were getting restless but they were doing a good job, even closing a few sales on their own. She knew they were trying not to get in trouble again, and she was going to capitalize on their good behavior while it lasted. She kissed Owen on the cheek and hopped up onto the tailgate of the wagon.
She froze in place when she stepped inside. The mana in the air seemed off; she felt the condensing pull of a spell being formed in the distance. No, it was more than one, and the magic was familiar. The sensation brought back bad memories of her younger years.
As a goblin of Yuhia her family were full citizens of the wendigo country, as were all of the Hasin Clan goblins that called Yuhia home. In fact, the Hasin Domain was the only wendigo territory whose noble family wasn¡¯t a wendigo but instead goblins. In her over four hundred years of life Helina had once been a somewhat successful battlemage, and even joined the wendigo army. That was how she recognized the feeling in this mana, the use of powerful wartime artillery magic.
She turned around speaking words of power, forming a spell instantly as she fell back on her training as a water mage. She wasn¡¯t as fast as she¡¯d been two hundred years ago, but she was still a battlemage deep down. Water formed into five fist-sized orbs that floated around her, and with an exaggerated gesture of her hands tendrils of water flashed out to wrap around each member of her family. It yanked them all up and into her, sending them all crashing to the ground inside the wagon.
¡°Helina? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Owen asked.
An explosion rocked the area before Helina could respond. Then another as screams of panic broke out around the village.
The explosions finally ended after a second volley. Seven total hit the village and rattled the goblin family. There was a terrifying roar of outrage that Helina recognized as the sound of the Tiger Demon preparing for combat. In the short time they¡¯d traveled with Joha they had come to know there was more to the demon than his friendly demeanor. The sheer ferocity of his roar shook them nearly as much as the explosions.
¡°Is everyone okay?¡± Owen asked as he looked over his huddled family.
Interlude [40.5] The War Merchant
He was panting with raspy breaths and his legs shook from exhaustion. His head pounded with a dull ache as he forced himself to keep walking.
Any time he stopped he swore he heard it get closer. He could sense its eyes sizing him up just out of sight. He could all but feel the poison in his veins as if he¡¯d already been bitten. He didn¡¯t dare look back at what was certainly going to be his death. He did not want to look over his shoulder and see the eyes of the beast staring back at him.
The morning sun rose as he stumbled out of the final thicket to the bank of a small stream. He collapsed to the ground as the first rays of sun hit his furry face. He¡¯d been desperately fleeing for hours and had nothing left to keep him pushing forward but his will to survive. He had expended his stamina and chakra, leaving him defenselessly sprawled on the ground.
One arm in front of the other, he pushed the little strength he had left into his arms. The soft ground allowed his claws to effortlessly dig into the dirt and drag him only a few more feet. Deep down he knew this was it. The beast would take this opportunity to finally end him.
He closed his eyes when he heard rustling in the brush.
¡°Is that a person?¡± a voice called out. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s someone collapsed over here! Get someone!¡±
A teenage boy ran up to him as his eyes drew heavy. All of a sudden he could barely keep them open, and soon there was darkness.
The smell of pine was the first thing he noticed when a bump jolted him awake. He quickly sat up, only for dizziness to cause him to fall from whatever he was to the floor. A blanket was dragged down with him and the shaking of the ground didn¡¯t stop. His head was pounding by this point, and his tongue stuck to the top of his dry mouth.
Where is this one?
He looked around, and slowly the space stopped spinning. He heard someone talking but could not focus well enough to understand at first. Something grabbed him, lifting him back onto the hard surface he¡¯d been lying on before he fell. It took effort, but he could finally understand what the voice was saying to him.
¡°You are okay, try not to move around too much, brother.¡± The voice was female and concerned. ¡°You are dehydrated, try to drink this.¡±
He had to focus even harder to realize she was holding a water skin. He took the skin and drank, feeling some relief almost immediately. After a few minutes he could finally focus on the woman, expecting to see a wendigo, however she did not have antlers.
As he could finally recognize more detail he saw she had long furry ears and a long, flat mohawk. There were tribal tattoos on nearly every available surface, to the point her skin tone might as well have been ink. Her eyes were glowing amber. She wore very little; modesty was definitely not a part of her species¡¯ culture as there was nearly nothing left to the imagination.What she did have on was too big for her athletic frame. Hide armor suggested she was a warrior of some kind, maybe a monster hunter.
There was a teenage boy standing not too far behind her. He had the same physical traits and barely protective, too-large hide armor as the woman, but not as many tattoos. His hair was only shaved on one side; the rest was in a bun to keep it out of his face.
It took a few more minutes for him to fully recognize he was in the back of a wagon. There were what looked to be beast corpses with them, fresh kills by the smell.
His rescuers left him to his own devices after introducing themselves. The woman was apparently named Adelheid and the boy Falko. There was a man that he hadn¡¯t seen named Alaric.
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The woman warned him against moving too much while he recovered. She and Falko then started organizing the mound of beast corpses. The boy would glance over to him every once and a while, but didn¡¯t say anything.
¡°Thank you for saving this one,¡± he said in a raspy voice. ¡°This one is called Sabec.¡±
¡°He talked!¡± Falko said with enthusiasm as he dropped the corpse he was in the middle of moving. ¡°Are you feeling better? Why are you still in your beast form?¡±
¡°Falko, I told you that is not a transformation. Don¡¯t be rude!¡± Adelheid admonished. ¡°He¡¯s a gnoll, not a werewolf like us.¡±
They are werewolves, yes. Now their choice of clothing makes sense to this one.
Werewolves were a nomadic species of monster and beast hunters. Their lesser forms, the lycaon, was a transformation which they changed into when hunting. The form was larger than their humanoid one, and far more deadly. His clan would normally stay away from werewolf tribes, as every member in the tribe was trained to be a warrior, making capture more difficult and not worth the risk for slaves.
¡°I wasn¡¯t being rude,¡± Falko stated. ¡°You just make stuff up, especially when you don¡¯t know something. So, how am I supposed to trust whatever you have to say?¡±
The two started bickering back and forth about whether Sabec was a werewolf or a gnoll. He was too tired to speak up over them, so he just let them get progressively more rambunctious. Until they started fighting; the boy was obviously much weaker and less skilled than the woman. She easily put him in an under arm choke hold when he threw a punch. She let him go once he calmed down and smacked his exposed belly with an open palm, which caused him to yelp in pain.
Sabec lowered his head. ¡°She speaks true, yes. This one is a gnoll. This is how Sabec''s kind appear.¡±
Adelheild stuck her tongue out at the boy, who grumbled under his breath.
¡°Don¡¯t mind my idiot brother,¡± Adelheild said. ¡°We found you completely by coincidence, collapsed on the bank of some river. We had to bring you with us. Leaving you would have pretty much guaranteed you would¡¯ve gotten eaten by something. We¡¯re close to Lavi now.¡±
¡°Lavi?¡± Sabec quickly stood and walked to the tailgate.
¡°You probably shouldn¡¯t be getting up so quickly,¡± Adelheid cautioned.
Sabec didn¡¯t listen. Instead he leaned out of the wagon and saw the massive walls of the Fort City spread out before him.
It was where the beast was supposed to be going. He was worried it would find him or his scent if he were to go in. He looked out into the forest; it was nightfall again and he was unsure of what to do. If the beast hadn¡¯t chased after him that meant it must have gone back to its master. Sabec was worried that it would have made it back to his mate.
Would she have been able to kill it? He would have to travel back to find out.
He prepared to jump out of the wagon but stopped himself. He turned back around and faced his rescuers. It was obvious they saw the panic in his eyes. Good: he needed them to be on his side. If the beast was out there, who would be better to kill it than beast hunters like themselves.
¡°Is everything alright, Sabec?¡± Falko asked.
¡°The truth is, this one was being hunted,¡± he said with genuine sadness. ¡°That is why Sabec was collapsed where you found him. A girl traveling with a convoy sent her familiar to massacre this one''s family. As far as Sabec knows, he is the only survivor.¡±
¡°That¡¯s awful!¡± Adelheild said in outrage.
¡°This one wishes to see what became of his pack, but fears venturing alone, lest Sabec be slain. Sabec is a merchant. Can this one hire you all as guards? The familiar is a hydra, a powerful three-headed beast¡¡±
The wagon came to an abrupt stop, nearly throwing them all to the ground. The third member of this little werewolf pack burst into the wagon bed with the rest of them. He was an older man with a long, braided beard. He was easily the same height as Sabec and twice as muscular. The old werewolf was covered in tribal tattoos and battle scars.
¡°A hydra? In these parts?¡± Alaric''s voice was deep. ¡°That¡¯s an odd creature to have as a familiar. Dangerous and foolish to keep around for any extended time, even if the wendigo have a high affinity to familiar contracts.¡±
¡°This hydra was a Greater Hydra, yes.¡± Sabec said.
The old werewolf¡¯s expression turned sour. ¡°Then the girl is corrupted and the hydra needs to be killed. There are many creatures that can not be made into familiars. Greater Hydras are one such creature. Their existence is poison and their bonds corrupt the mind of those they are connected to, like a slow acting venom. Please, Sabec, tell me more about this hydra and what happened to you.¡±
WM [0] Investigation
The sun finally crested the horizon, marking the beginning of a new day. Thorfinn could not believe the ease with which he had entered the Fort City of Lavi. The city, which should by all means be a battleground between the royals and nobles as they contested the rights of ownership, appeared unexpectedly calm. He and his master, First Princess Sigrun, preferred this to bloodshed. Still, the likelihood of the Forest Father-blessed Salstars failing a Show of Power had not fully settled in his mind as factual until he passed the threshold of the portcullis beyond the Southeast demilune town.
The town guard still performed their duties despite the absence of their lord, who had been executed for treason under the order of the Royal Court. Thorfinn believed that even though Arnar could not fight for the city since his noble had failed, his influence and presence alone were enough to keep the city functioning. It would be a poor show of leadership if the city broke down under his temporary governance.
The Fort City was a massive star fort divided into four distinct sections. The outermost were the demilunes, each containing a town of their own. Then, the Outer City rested within the first wall and comprised most of Lavi. The Inner City, behind the second wall, comprised the wealthier districts. Finally, there was the Fort Palace, the most secure area in the fort city, separated by a final wall and untold magical defenses.
The siege of the fort city would have taken months and might have been an act of futility, but the First Princess didn¡¯t have a choice if she wanted to compete with her brothers for succession to the throne. The King of Yuhia didn¡¯t have much longer, as his health had declined rapidly over the past decade. Thorfinn wanted to ensure that it was his master who sat upon the throne as queen and not the bold First Prince.
Thorfinn did not dress in his usual Hand regalia, which would have seen him in long black and gold robes with a veil over his face. Instead, he dressed as a typical traveler. His face was altered with the use of his illusionary starlight magic mastery. He looked like any other wendigo in simple earth-tone robes. His antlers, known colloquially as a crown, sported iron rings and clasps instead of his usual gold and silver.
He was here to investigate what led to the Salstars failing their Show of Strength. Most importantly, he had to find the Isi Patriarch before they could find and assassinate him. Thorfinn wasn¡¯t there alone; he had a team of six intelligence agents and ten decoys, each of whom were experts in their field. Four of them were mages, including Thorfinn; the rest were wizards. Everyone would enter the city separately, and the agents and Thorfinn would begin their investigation once they were sure they weren¡¯t being tailed while the decoys ran interference.
¡°Hey, move out of the way, you damn fool!¡± a man yelled.
Thorfinn turned to see a massive Wendigo man carrying easily half a ton of building supplies. He quickly exited the man¡¯s way, and the man continued, vanishing into the crowd.
¡°This is a town that never sleeps. They lost their lord, and they just continued like nothing happened,¡± Thorfinn said to himself as he scratched his head. ¡°Well, don¡¯t have long. Better get to the gate.¡±
Thanks to the Nazem, Lavi was the most significant international trade hub in Yuhia. The city¡¯s diversity was staggering compared to the rest of the Wendigo kingdom. Thorfinn was shocked at the number of different species on any given street. Wendigo, elves, goblins, humans, demons, harpies¡ªhe whistled in disbelief when he saw a centaur.
¡°I know it¡¯s been a few decades since I¡¯ve been here, but damn,¡± Thorfinn said to himself. ¡°Anyways, it¡¯s time to get to work. Which way to the west gate again?¡±
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Thorfinn leaned against the wall of a business a block away from the west gate. Despite the crowds around him, he could see it just fine with his clairvoyance magic. The gatehouse was still heavily damaged, and repairs were going quite slowly. Thorfinn guessed that the prince didn¡¯t want to waste his resources on a city he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep, so they were superficially working with a skeleton crew for appearances. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the pettiness of the First Prince.
The prince¡¯s royal soldiers were not allowing anyone into the inner city. However, none of the men at the gatehouse could detect him if he was seriously trying to get in. He was a starlight mage and reconnaissance specialist. It appeared that the First Prince had not deployed any of his mages or Hands and only seemed to be doing the bare minimum.
¡°Well, that means we have to wait until the others arrive. So, what is around to eat?¡± Thorfinn looked at nearby shops, his magic sight removing the crowds to keep his view clear. ¡°Ooo, is that roast stag I see? Don¡¯t mind if I do.¡±
Not long before, a hooded man sat down at one of the barstools next to Thorfinn at the food stall. Magic obscured his form so ordinary people couldn¡¯t identify anything beyond his race. The effect wasn¡¯t caused by his magic directly but by the hood itself. Joran was one of Thorfinn¡¯s oldest companions and his second in command. The man was a mage enchanter and a damned good one too. Then again, he would have to be to work in the First Princess¡¯ entourage.
¡°And how did I know I would find you here?¡± Joran said, holding two fingers to the stall owner, who nodded in response.
¡°You know I have a weakness for finely cooked stag roast,¡± Thorfinn said.
There was a shimmer in the air, but only briefly as a spell snapped into being. It happened so quickly that anyone who saw it would have thought it a trick of the light if they registered it. Thorfinn had hidden the words of power within the phonetics of his seemingly ordinary statements.
The spell was an illusory barrier that would alter the sight and sounds of those who looked at him and Joran. Anyone who saw the pair would see two old friends catching up after having run into each other coincidentally, while in reality, they had the freedom to discuss whatever they wanted.
¡°What did you find?¡± Thorfinn asked.
¡°All of the other gates are closed; none of the First Prince¡¯s soldiers or the Knights of Velheid are operating outside of the inner city in any meaningful capacity,¡± Joran said as two servings of freshly cooked stag roast were served. He gave the proprietor the appropriate payment without missing a beat in his explanation. ¡°I have located a neutral royal administrator named Dagfinn, organizing the town guards. He seems to be the main reason the outer city guards are still operating.¡±
¡°You said ¡®neutral royal administrator¡¯ but didn¡¯t say whose,¡± Thorfinn stated between hearty bites of his meal. ¡°One of the other princes or princesses playing referee?¡±
¡°He has the crest of King Magni.¡± Joran took a bite of his meal. ¡°Mmm, that is good¡ anyway, Dagfinn likely showed up with the First Prince¡¯s forces as a stop-gap just in case the Nazem was killed and this specific scenario played out. The presence of Dagfinn is why the First Prince and Salstars have been relegated to the inner city.¡±
¡°Great, that means they can¡¯t operate out in the open,¡± Thorfinn said as he stood up. ¡°That makes things easier. Keep a lookout for anyone without a shadow, though. Loki is going to be spread thin.¡±
¡°What do we do if we see one of his constructs?¡± Joran asked.
Thorfinn patted the man on the back. ¡°Unless your cover is blown, let the decoys handle them.¡±
¡°Wait, one more thing,¡± Joran said with enough urgency to arrest Thorfinn¡¯s movement. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been confirmed, but there are rumors that Ingrid¡¯s Left Hand, Thyra Ilsori, is dead.¡±
¡°What? The Isi killed a sanguine mage? How?¡± Thorfinn asked as he rubbed his chin in contemplation. ¡°Hmm¡ that makes them more dangerous than we thought, if true. Until we get confirmation, don¡¯t share that with anyone.¡±
¡°Of course not,¡± Joran said.
Thorfinn had been using his divining magic to watch the gate the entire time he talked. He saw a change in guard shifts and saw his opportunity to move.
¡°Good man. Now I have to see what happened at that gate.¡± There was a barely noticeable magical shine to Thorfinn¡¯s eyes. ¡°Looks like I see an opportunity to get in.¡±
WM [0.1] The Patriarch
Thorfinn stood invisible to all senses in the small square before the gatehouse. He was in the inner city, having easily slipped through during the changing of the guards. The square was damaged, and obvious signs of battle were still being repaired. Until he got in, he had assumed the prince was purposefully dragging his heels on fixing the megastructure of a gatehouse, but now that he could see it from the inside, he didn¡¯t think so.
The gatehouse was in absolute disrepair; whatever magical attack they used to destroy the gate must have been immense. Well, that was what he was there to find out. He had to dodge a soldier who nearly walked into him as he looked around for a position to set up his magic. What he was preparing to do was a form of divination that very few starlight mages could accomplish. He could see the truth of past events as if he were there, although he could not hear anything.
He didn¡¯t have a wand, as he had come to pioneer the use of divination crystal prisms. The edges of these prisms were finely carved with the mage¡¯s mana. The unique pattern cut the crystal into a shape that most accurately represented the mage¡¯s ability. Thorfinn¡¯s crystal prisms, of which there were three, were quintuple helices around crystal spikes. Despite the unusual structure, each was one solid piece and immensely more durable than the delicate-looking crystal. If not for the fact they were invisible, they would sparkle with the radiance of his magic.
¡°Now, let¡¯s see what happened here,¡± Thorfinn said.
The crystals levitated under the influence of his magic, which directed them to float above the area in a large triangle. As soon as the crystals were in place, he sat down in the lotus position. He, too, began to levitate just high enough off the ground so no one would run into him and break the invisibility illusion he had on himself. His ability to wield so many high-level starlight spells was second to none, making him the foremost illusions expert in Yuhia. Where he lacked was offensive magic, but that did not apply to his purpose today.
All starlight mages could use some aspect of divining, although since there had never been a master of divining, it was seen as a crude magical niche. Thorfinn was better than most, but only when viewing past events. He could not see the future to any degree of certainty beyond an educated guess. The spell he was using now would allow him to replay events within the triangles of his prisms. It was an immensely costly spell, mainly because he had to keep himself invisible while doing it.
He spoke the words of power, and the world around him shifted. Only he would be able to see the world as it rewound. He kept going until he saw a battle between the forces of the Isi and Salstar knights. He was amazed by the destruction before him. Not only was Thyra present, but Loki was also present, and they were both engaged in battle. At this point the gate was already destroyed, so he rewound further.
He nearly lost focus and dropped to the ground when he came to the exact moment the gate was struck. The source of the attack came from outside the triangular area of influence, and moving it was impossible while he was in the middle of the spell. He turned back to what he could make out. Black fire washed down onto the unsuspecting knights, then focused more and more until it could damage the gate.
¡°Whatever did that is the real threat here,¡± Thorfinn stated as he noted it in a journal. ¡°Now, what happened after this?¡±
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He fast-forwarded back to the all-out assault on the gate and watched as the Isi main force was split. Half of them escaped, while the other half was split off. They seemed to be protecting someone¡ªa young man Thorfinn assumed was the surviving patriarch. He was surprised at his young age, but his leadership was what he expected from an heir to a prominent family.
¡°Now I know what the patriarch looks like,¡± Thorfinn said as he drew his face in the journal.
He continued to watch but sped it up to see how the patriarch got out. He was surprised when two new people joined the battle alongside a chimera familiar. The man was a prominent Isi disciple based on his fighting style, but the woman was unknown. She didn¡¯t even look like a wendigo but some odd wendigo-like being. He noted her more when she nearly carved a man in armor in half. She was breathing maya, so he assumed she was some demon, which would explain the odd appearance.
What happened next didn¡¯t make sense. She was using magic¡ªwater magic, to be specific¡ªwhich is impossible for demons. Her three-headed familiar was also using magical poison clouds, causing the knights to retreat and giving the Isi time to regroup. That was when Loki showed up, and Thorfinn got a good look at what destroyed the gate. As soon as Loki materialized from his portal, the familiar breathed a blast of heat and destruction akin to artillery magic.
¡°What in the Infernal Planes is this?¡± Thorfinn said in disbelief. ¡°I need to get a better look.¡±
Thorfinn immediately froze the image and dropped to the ground. He walked around the still battlefield and sketched the odd three-headed chimera, then the demon woman. He continued the recording but had to stop again when he saw the demon woman and her familiar fighting Thyra and beheading her.
¡°Damn, I guess she is dead, but who is this?¡± Thorfinn said as he looked at the frozen form of the demon woman.
He watched the remaining battle and was again surprised when the patriarch was stabbed through the chest by a spike of pure darkness magic. Material Users, like magic casters, were more durable the more powerful they became. Injuries that would have been fatal as a beginner are little more than flesh wounds as a master. One¡¯s magic or material power would keep them alive and repair their bodies. The patriarch didn¡¯t appear to be in that state yet and was minutes from death, if not already dead.
Then, a rakshasa tiger demon entered the battle in a flash, taking the patriarch, the injured demon woman, and the chimera before escaping spectacularly. Thorfinn had to find out where the trio went to see what happened to the patriarch. If he was dead and the rumor of him being alive was just a rumor, the Salstars and the prince would have every right to contest, and it would mean war.
Thorfinn recollected his prism, ending the visions of the past, and slipped back out of the gate with more difficulty than he had to get in since it wasn¡¯t during a guard change. Once he was out, he had to set up the ritual area, inspect their movements in the past, recollect his crystals, move a hundred feet, and do it all over again.
¡°Even I have a limit to how much mana I have. Don¡¯t tell me they ran out of the city,¡± Thorfinn said as he set up what felt like his hundredth divining location. ¡°This is going to take hours.¡± The spell activated, and he finally saw the tiger demon, now disguised as a Wendigo woman, turn into an alley. ¡°Finally!¡±
He watched them place the patriarch on the ground and found the blood stain there. The demons used what looked like a greater health potion and saved the young man¡¯s life. Thorfinn smiled, seeing that the rumors of the patriarch being alive were true. Now, all he needed was to find him. He examined the dried blood on the ground and knew that wouldn¡¯t be an issue either. With this much blood left behind, he had a member of his team that could find him.
WM [1] Just Another Demon
All the windows had been sealed, and the building had no natural light. Bjorn hadn¡¯t seen the sun in weeks and was getting antsy. They moved underground at night and stayed in one place during the day. He understood why¡ªhe was a three-headed hydra with antlers, not something they could easily disguise. Being the size of a pony meant he would draw attention, and since they were on the run, that would not be good.
He sighed as he looked around the office space of the large warehouse they were in this time. From what he remembered, it belonged to one of the Isi sympathizers, which is what people who aided them had come to be called. As it turned out, many people wanted to help the Isi. Most of the town guards and soldiers who couldn¡¯t use magic were trained directly by them, after all. They would have left the city, but Loki had constructs that watched all of the gatehouses.
Not to mention that they were still technically criminals, and while they had many sympathizers, they had many more people who would turn them in if they were found out. This was only compounded by the fact that the First Prince himself labeled the Isi as traitors in the first place. Not to mention, Bjorn blew up one of their priceless gatehouses. So yeah, they were stuck until whoever also contested the domain showed up.
¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to see the next memory?¡± Failsafe asked in his head.
The Reincarnation Failsafe magic construct had become more insistent on viewing the hydra¡¯s memories as soon as they became available. Its insistence came from the fact that he would lose access to the memories if he didn¡¯t internalize them and lost levels again. Bjorn realized Failsafe was right but was worried about what he would see. The last time he saw the memories of his past life before his reincarnation as a True Hydra, he doomed his people to death or slavery.
¡°Not now. I want to be alert if something happens,¡± Bjorn responded mentally. ¡°It would be a big distraction on my mind if we do it before we get out of here.¡±
¡°You keep saying that, but it is just like sleeping. If something happens, you¡¯ll wake up.¡±
Another reason Bjorn didn¡¯t want to view his memories was the warning he got from his hydra mother, the Queen of a Thousand Heads when she spoke to him and gave him back access to aether. She warned him that reincarnators sometimes get ridealongs from death with less-than-noble intentions. He wanted to trust Failsafe but, at the same time, needed to find out more about the supposed Reincarnation Failsafe first. Until he had confirmation, he didn¡¯t want to let the construct see more of his past life. Or maybe it was just a defense against allowing himself to see how he got his people killed.
¡°I said no for now. Just drop it,¡± Bjorn said.
¡°Fine, fine, I am just bored. Why don¡¯t we see what the others are doing, at least?¡±
It was silent again as Failsafe gave up on his thousandth attempt to get Bjorn to view his memories. With nothing else to do, Bjorn opened his mental projection menus. He figured he might as well see if anything had changed since he had nothing better to do. Failsafe had been working on a third page, too, and maybe he was done with it.
¡°You finish that third page?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Oh, yeah, but it only shows your Magic Disciplines specializations, so it¡¯s useless,¡± Failsafe said, unamused. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need another page to tell you you are venomous.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll take a look anyway,¡± Bjorn responded.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Lernaean Hydra
Level: 32
Vitality: 140 / 195
Restoration: 210 / 270
Constitution: 120 / 135
Strength: 90 / 130
Dexterity: 80 / 100
Stamina: 90 / 115
Aether: 50 / 50
Aetheric Regeneration: 100 / 100 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 3
Skills Analysis
Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic and your best friend who has your back no matter what!
Error: Unknown Pact < Error: Eyes of the Queen
The Queen of a Thousand Heads is watching you. Be sure to eat well, and don¡¯t talk to strangers from Higher Planes!
Venomous Bite
Aether Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom, which can be injected through a bite with your fangs. Your venom becomes infectious and will spread to nearby targets within five feet of the injected target. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Poison Cloud
Aether Cost: 5
With your right head, you can mix venom into the air using magic, creating a large area of poisonous gas. This gas will rapidly reduce the health of those inside. Allies within your Poison Cloud are unaffected. Gain control over the spread and density of the Poison Cloud.
Plague Fire Breath
Aether Cost: 8
With your left head, you can breathe a plume of superheated toxin, which will ignite enemies and infect them with your neurotoxin. Flames retain toxicity until you release the spell. Plague Fire will spread like normal fire.
Aetheric Breath
Aether Cost: 15
I have no idea what this is or how it works. It replaced Maya Breath, but until you use it, I don¡¯t know what it will do. I recommend trying it when no one is around.
Poison Claws
Aether Cost: 2
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even minor scratches fatal. Venom has resistance to cleansing effects. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Delta Familiar Contract
Aether Cost: -100
You are a bonded delta-class familiar. You gain +100 to aetheric regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions through your bond. Your bond is more resistant to outside influences and cannot be forcibly severed by outside parties.
King of the Reptiles
Passive Skill
Dragons, lizards, and amphibians all show hesitation and fear around you, going so far as to run away. More study is needed.
Intimidation Roar
Aether Cost: 1
Infuse aether into your roar to paralyze anyone who hears it. Your roar can paralyze humanoid magic constructs as long as they are connected to a magic caster. Paralysis duration depends on distance and level disparity between you and the target. Those bound to you are immune to this effect.
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Hydra Regeneration
Aether Cost: 15
(So funny story, we grew another head, I have no idea why¡) We have enough aether to use this now. I still don¡¯t recommend decapitation, though. We can convert experience or aether into maturation, healing major wounds, decapitation, or growing more heads. Let¡¯s not push our luck too much, though. Every time we do something, you almost get us killed as-is.
Air Claws
Commune with your master to unlock.
Aetheric Scales
Commune with your master to unlock.
Hydromancy
Commune with your master to unlock.
Water Light
Commune with your master to unlock.
Hydro-breath
Commune with your master to unlock.
Page 2 of 2
Twin-Soul Core Analysis
Error: Twin-Soul Core
Error¡ your soul has been bonded and should be permanently fused to that of the Sage of Seier. Error¡ Calculating¡ This bond was interrupted by The Queen of a Thousand Heads before the permanent connection was complete¡ calculating¡ The Ringularity Core of the Sage of Seier was stabilized by this partial semi-permanent soul tether because of P????o????i???s???o????n????. Without a complete and permanent tethering of your souls, you must commune with the Sage of Seier to unlock Twin Soul Core abilities.
NOTE from P????o????i???s???o????n????: What did I say about opening your soul up to strangers? This wasn¡¯t very smart. I saved that tramp this time only because she¡¯s been feeding you, and so I can deal with her.
Permanently fuse your souls and complete bond [No/No] (NOTE from P????o????i???s???o????n????: Don¡¯t you even think about it, Aki¡¯al!)
Nature Discipline
Specialties:
Venefikinesis - Creation and control of toxins, venoms, and poisons.
Elemental Discipline
Specialties:
Aerokinesis - Control over air currents and atmosphere.
Hydrokinesis - Creation of and control over water.
Pyrokinesis - Creation of and control over heat, fire, and thermal temperature.
Page 3 of 3
There were more changes than he expected. The third page was not only visible, but he also had notes from P????o????i???s???o????n????, his hydra mother. Failsafe had said there were only his magic disciplines and specializations on this page, which meant it was something else the construct could not see. Bjorn didn¡¯t know why the construct couldn¡¯t see it. He believed it was something his mother did to him, or it was because it was information that dealt not only with his magic but also with his soul.
Bjorn sighed a long sigh of relief he didn¡¯t know he had been holding. The thought of being permanently bonded in life and death was not something he wanted. There were too many unknowns when it came to bonding one¡¯s soul. The Familiar bond connected them magically and already came with a compulsion to protect Tanisha. He was okay with that bond for now, but how long would that be the case?
¡°Just to be certain, on the third page, what can you see, Failsafe? Read everything to me?¡± Bjorn said mentally to the construct.
Failsafe complained but complied and confirmed that he could only see the Nature and Elemental disciplines and their respective specialties. Bjorn decided not to tell him about the information he could not see.
Bjorn stood up, his long serpentine form was completely normal to him now. He could not help but think how it felt so awkward when he first reincarnated. His three heads swiveled around as he looked for the door out of the room he was in. There was distant, muffled conversation. With his enhanced sense of smell and taste, every time his tongue flicked, he could quite literally taste the magic, maya, chakra, and seier in the air.
¡°We finally going to check on everyone?¡± Failsafe asked.
¡°That is a good idea,¡± Bjorn said. ¡°We might be getting ready to move again anyway.¡±
Bjorn left the office and walked into the large, filled warehouse where countless goods in crates and barrels were stacked on hundreds of shelves. The office was raised a level, allowing him to look down over almost the entirety of the lower storage area. Thanks to his Dark Vision, his vision from his six eyes was not impeded, even with the low light of just a few active glow stones.
He lazily walked down the stairs with a yawn that started at his right head, only to influence his other heads to join in. In the lower level, there were mainly young women and children, the survivors from the battle at the gatehouse. The fact that mainly women were left was only due to the fact that they were noncombatants not that they were women. Bjorn found that in wendigo society, because of their physiology, men and women had the same aptitude to gaining strength, so everyone was equally expected to be able to fight.
These were the wives, mothers, and children of the Isi disciples who had fallen. There weren¡¯t many people left, just seventeen adults and thirteen children, excluding himself, Tyr, Joha and Tanisha. As Bjorn walked by a group of people, a young boy ran up to him, no older than four years old and too young to fully understand their situation.
Identify
Name: Niall Luipin
Species: Wendigo
Level: 0
Vocation: Noncombatant
Bjorn hadn¡¯t intended to use his Identify on the boy but guessed he must have focused too hard on him as he approached. The boy¡¯s mother ran after him as he latched onto Bjorn¡¯s leg with a massive smile on his face. She was not as enthusiastic about seeing Bjorn as the young boy was. He couldn¡¯t blame her; by now, she had to have heard about what he had done to the heavily enchanted gatehouse.
¡°Bjorn, Bjorn! Up-up!¡± Niall called out happily to him.
¡°Niall, no, you can¡¯t just order someone else¡¯s familiar,¡± the mother stated.
Bjorn didn¡¯t mind, though, and wrapped his long tail gently around the boy under his arms and lifted him onto his back. This wasn¡¯t the first time Niall wanted a ride, to the apparent chagrin of his mother. The woman knew Bjorn was intelligent, a common trait developed by familiars, so when he walked the giggling boy over to her, she was flushed in the face from embarrassment.
¡°Sorry about that, Master Bjorn,¡± the woman said as she took the boy off his back.
The tired-looking woman took the boy away, and Bjorn thought no more of it as he continued his walk. There was another office near one of the large loading bay doors. Bjorn knew the people he was looking for were inside, so he casually strode over and used his hand-like claws to open the door. The talking on the other side stopped immediately until they saw it was him.
Inside were his master Tanisha, her mentor, the rakshasa tiger demon Joha, Tyr, the new Patriarch of the Isi Family, and two of his warriors, Ketil and Sunniva, conversing in a semicircle. The warehouse¡¯s owner, Beck, was also present, as they were most likely discussing logistics for another hideout. The darkness constructs had become increasingly relentless in the past few days.
¡°Bjorn? Is something wrong, Big Man?¡± Tanisha asked.
Bjorn shook his heads and slinked inside, walking over to her. It was hard to believe she was the same person from nearly two months ago when he had hatched from an egg in her dorm room. Not only was she significantly more powerful, but she wasn¡¯t even the same species anymore. She did the impossible and reshaped her soul and, by extension, her body into a new creature.
She was the Sage of Seier and the only cernunnos in existence. The alterations to her soul had changed the sixteen-year-old girl. Her body matured, and she now looked to be in her twenties. She was taller, at least six foot five, and her eyes were golden orbs that spun with untold magical energies. Her raven black hair was far longer than she used to keep it. For the time being, she had it in a ponytail, accentuating her new long elf-like ears. The long black tail waved in the air most strikingly when she saw him.
She was so different from her previous self that most people didn¡¯t even know she was the same person. Nearly everyone assumed Tanisha had died and this new person was just another demon like Joha. No one corrected that assumption, and she was now going by the alias Sif, which just cemented the fact. The only people who knew she was Tanisha were himself, Joha, and Tyr, although the latter did not know why her appearance had changed.
¡°Sorry for the interruption,¡± Tanisha said to the group. ¡°It would appear he just wanted to check on us.¡±
Beck, the owner of the warehouse, waved off the interruption. ¡°I will think nothing of it. As I said, we will have to move you all out tonight. My son has heard some rumblings that some people were snooping around previous hideouts. They weren¡¯t constructs.¡±
WM [2] We Do Not Bow
The room was momentarily silent as everyone processed that they were being tracked even faster. Tanisha knew an adequate tracker could find them, but if they had that kind of person, why would Loki use his constructs to such an extremes? They knew that dozens of the constructs secretly marched around the city.
¡°Do you have any idea who it was?¡± Tyr asked. ¡°My people have had to move every night for the past week. I am not sure how many more nights they can do this.¡±
¡°We aren¡¯t sure,¡± Beck responded aptly, as if he was ready for this direction in the conversation. ¡°My son is still trying to organize a way to smuggle you all out of the city, but with the Fital family gone, there has been far more scrutiny on anything entering or exiting. The Salstars efficiently eliminated or jailed all of the reliable back-doormen.¡±
Tyr rubbed his tired eyes. ¡°And I am guessing all of our contacts are saying that the ones left are either plants, constructs, or would betray us as soon as they saw who we were.¡±
¡°Precisely,¡± Beck said.
¡°We have to do something different, Patriarch,¡± Ketil spoke up for the first time, his voice oddly smooth for his rough exterior. ¡°I am not sure how well everyone will hold up if we keep this up.¡±
Tyr looked around the room, his expression dire. He looked to be contemplating something but gave up on the idea and turned to Beck.
¡°The next place we go, we need it to be somewhere we can rest for at least a full night,¡± Tyr said. ¡°If things don¡¯t improve, we will have no choice but to risk breaking out of the city.¡±
¡°Wow, it sounds like you all are in a bind,¡± a new voice said.
Everyone looked around for the origin of the intruder. Those with swords pulled them out and circulated chakra, which instantly dropped the temperature of the room ten degrees. Joha bellowed out maya, magic from the infernal homeworld of the demons.
Tanisha activated her buff, Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle, which was an ability she obtained after evolving into a cernunnos. The skill itself was the evolution of the natural ability of the wendigo to enhance their bodies¡¯ physicality and durability with magic.
Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle
Seier cost: Variable
(I) With Low seier cost per minute, seier will inundate your muscles and bones with the power to increase your physical attributes temporarily. (II) Medium seier cost per minute, the Marks of Seier, greatly enhancing unarmed strikes. Unarmed punches and kicks will produce a seier shockwave, increasing the range of unarmed strikes a short distance. (III) High seier cost per minute, the energies within you grant the ability of Arcane Shift to teleport up to five yards.
The barely visible magic symbols and circles on Tanisha¡¯s skin flared to life, glowing and moving across her body like living equations. She breathed out the seier in the same manner as Joha and his maya; however, her power sparkled like thousands of gems inside a green smoke.
Everyone sharply surveyed the small space and was ready to fight at a moment¡¯s notice. That was when Bjorn noticed the nearly imperceptible taste of foreign magic in the room. Without hesitation, he launched himself toward a seemingly blank space in the corner of the office. Tanisha followed the familiar bond that connected the two of them. She could feel his emotions and hostilities and spoke the words of power without missing a beat, which formed two orbs of water that floated in the air before her.
Divination Hydromancy
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Create seier constructs with liquid attributes or condense water from the atmosphere, and control water from a water source. Exerting control over water allows you to change its state and temperature with ease. (II) Alter the properties of water to cause it to glow. Only those you choose can see the light produced. (III) Water in any state will condense into a blast of highly pressurized water. You maintain control of water even after it is fired, allowing it to change trajectory and home in on enemies.
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It took little more than a thought for the orbs to shoot out potent streams of highly pressurized water. The streams hit something and were deflected by an invisible field. The deflected streams cut through the steel walls of the room as if it were paper. A wendigo man shimmered into being right as Bjorn reached the man, only to be caught in a bubble of what appeared to be colorful light.
¡°I am not here to fight,¡± the man said, his hands in the air. ¡°My name is Thorfinn. First Princess Sigrun sent me to find the Isi Patriarch and take him out of the city into protective custody.¡±
In less than a moment, everyone but the warehouse owner had a weapon pointed at Thorfinn. Tanisha used her Identify on the man to ensure he wasn¡¯t a construct.
Identify
Name: Thorfinn Woot
Species: Wendigo
Level: ??
Vocation: Royal Starlight Mage
Joha¡¯s voice was a deep growl. ¡°How did you find us?¡±
¡°That is a state secret, demon,¡± Thorfinn dismissed the question. ¡°What is important is that I get you all out of here before we get company.¡±
¡°Company?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Your man there, Beck Gotier, betrayed you,¡± Thorfinn pointed to the warehouse owner. ¡°He sold you out, and Loki is on his way now.¡±
¡°He did what?¡± Tyr yelled.
¡°Th-that¡ he has no proof,¡± Beck rebutted. ¡°I have done everything in my power to keep you all safe. He is the one who broke in here and has been listening to our plans. Surely, we can believe the words of a nobody claiming to represent the First Princess. He is a spy!¡±
Thorfinn spoke in a calm, collected voice. ¡°He has been purposefully moving you all around all night for the past few days to tire you all out so capture would be easy.¡±
¡°He is speaking nonsense. Are you all just going to stand there? He is a starlight mage; take him down before he casts a spell or something.¡±
Tyr turned to regard Beck, who quickly became furious and started ranting about how they needed to get rid of the spy quickly.
¡°Release Bjorn,¡± Tanisha stepped toward the man with deadly intent.
¡°Of course,¡± Thorfinn said, and the familiar was free with a wave of his hand. ¡°There, see, I am not here to hurt you.¡±
¡°Bjorn, come back,¡± Tanisha stated sharply while watching Thorfinn.
¡°What does the First Princess want with me?¡± Tyr said, his sword still raised. ¡°My family was killed because of the First Prince, so forgive me if I am not so trusting.¡±
¡°She needs to keep you alive as proof the Salstars have failed their Show of Power,¡± Thorfinn stated with sincerity. ¡°As long as that happens, the First Princess can take the city without bloodshed. If you die, then she will have to resort to a costly siege. I mean costly in lives, by the way. She would rather avoid any unnecessary death, especially of our people. The Isi have shown that they are resilient and deserving of a fair trial, to say the least.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t seriously consider this shady man¡¯s words right now,¡± Beck screamed.
¡°Ah, then let me properly introduce myself,¡± Thorfinn stated. He vanished as if he was never there.
A figure in the black, gold, and silver robes of a Royal Hand appeared, standing behind Beck. Everyone realized that the person they had been talking to up to that point was an illusion the entire time. They were only just now talking to the real Thorfinn. Tanisha found it even more terrifying that he managed to fool not only the Identify skill, which not even Loki could do with his construct but also both Bjorn and Joha.
¡°I am Thorfinn Woot, Left Hand of Her Highness, First Princess of Yuhia, Sigrun Al Velidein Qar. Now, I speak the words of the Princess as her Hand. I was sent to ensure the safety of the Patriarch of the Isi House and to take you and your allies out of Lavi immediately. Thanks to this man,¡± he placed a hand on Beck¡¯s shoulder, ¡°we don¡¯t have long before we have company. So, I suggest you all collect your things and people quickly.¡±
Tyr and Beck bowed their heads as they dropped to a kneeled. A Royal Hand issuing a command after announcing they speak the word of their master is the same as talking to the royal. Tanisha almost bowed but was stopped when Joha grabbed her arm.
He whispered so softly that even Tanisha barely heard him. ¡°You are not a wendigo anymore. Everyone believes you are a demon. Demons do not bow to anyone.¡±
Tanisha stood at her full height. ¡°Right, yeah. Not wendigo,¡± Tanisha mouthed in agreement to herself.
A light construct resembling soft chains enveloped Beck. Spikes anchored it firmly into the ground, solidifying the chains and binding the man in place. Before he could scream obscenities in outrage, he was gagged.
¡°Now, let¡¯s get out of here before Loki¡¯s constructs arrive,¡± Thorfinn stated.
WM [3] Man of The People
There was an explosion of motion as the people once again prepared to move. Children were loaded into Tanisha¡¯s wagon. The wooden merchant¡¯s wagon had seen better days; the escape from the inner city had left it blackened from spells. Owen¡¯s horses pulled the wagon, and until Thorfinn showed up, they could only move it at night. This time, they were making a mad dash to the closest gate.
Bjorn also had to sit in the wagon since he stuck out too much in a crowd. He quickly jumped into the open tailgate and saw the faces of children who had all come to know him over the past month. A couple of women and an elderly couple rode in the wagon. Everyone was exhausted physically and emotionally, but what caught Bjorn¡¯s attention were the hollow faces of Owen, Wyatt, and Caleb as they nestled into one corner quietly.
Thorfinn, who now looked like any random traveler, looked around; even his voice had changed. ¡°Patriarch, you should ride inside as well. We don¡¯t want anyone identifying you.¡±
¡°Hand Woot, I have to keep watch. These are my people,¡± Tyr stated, his voice tired but firm.
¡°You have already done that. Now I need to do my job to make sure you all get out alive,¡± Thorfinn replied, glancing around. ¡°You have done a damn good job keeping these people alive. So, let¡¯s not trip up when we are so close to getting you out.¡±
Tyr walked up to Thorfinn; his eyes narrowed as he peered deeply into the Hand¡¯s eyes. They were not his natural eyes; he used magic to change his appearance, but it didn¡¯t matter. At that moment, Tyr was not some kid given the title of Patriarch of his people. He was the head of the in every sense of the word. His gaze carried loss, defeat, and profound defiance against the impossible odds he faced.
¡°Do I have your word you will keep everyone here safe?¡± Tyr said, his voice lost its hostility and almost sounded pleading. ¡°If you can guarantee that, I will do whatever you say.¡±
Thorfinn reached out his hand, and Tyr looked at it for a long moment. He took a deep breath, and the two tightly clasped each other¡¯s forearms.
¡°Patriarch of the Isi, Tyr Isi, you have my word,¡± Thorfinn said with every bit of confidence a Royal Hand possessed. ¡°I wondered what I would find when I met you. You are a true man of the people.¡±
Tyr looked around at the remaining Isi disciples; only six remained, ready for the final push out of the city. Thorfinn turned his attention to Joha and Tanisha, who watched him closely.
¡°And as for you two demons, can you both change your appearance... uh?¡± Thorfinn rolled his hand as if trying to recall their names.
¡°It¡¯s Sif, and no,¡± Tanisha responded. ¡°I am not a rakshasa like my partner Joha.¡±
¡°Then I recommend you also stay in the wagon, Miss Sif,¡± Thorfinn stated. ¡°You have a target on your head after what happened to Thyra.¡±
¡°You know that much?¡± Joha asked.
¡°The Royal Family has its methods of obtaining information. The death of a Noble Hand is of no concern of mine right now,¡± Thorfinn stated coldly. ¡°I do not know how much you two know of Wendigo customs, but she died in the Salstar¡¯s failed Show of Power. While she will be missed on the battlefield against the druids, we won¡¯t shed any tears for her here.¡±
Joha bellowed red maya that surrounded him in a cloud. When it dissipated, he looked like a short human worker with sunburnt skin.
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¡°We will talk when this is over,¡± Tanisha said to Joha as she walked over to the wagon.
The bay doors were open in moments, and the wagon took off with as much speed as the horses could muster. Thorfinn drove the speeding vehicle as they sped out of the warehouse district. Joha and the six Isi Defenders ran, flash-stepped, and Blinked to keep up with the speedy craft.
Should the need arise, Bjorn, Tanisha, and Tyr sat at the wagon¡¯s rear, ready to jump out immediately. Tensions were high now that they were on the last stretch of the hellish journey. Everyone felt they would be attacked by Darkness Constructs or knights any second. Once they finally exited the warehouse district, everyone breathed a little easier.
The outer city streets were always bustling; however, there was barely a soul this time. Bjorn could taste an unfamiliar magic in the air and frantically looked out for the source. His sudden alertness put Tanisha and Tyr back on edge.
¡°Your familiar is very astute,¡± Thorfinn yelled over the sound of the speeding wagon. ¡°There is no need to worry about that magic. An associate of mine is using it to clear the way for us.¡±
¡°A Psionic Mage?¡± Tanisha questioned, only loud enough for Bjorn and Tyr to hear. ¡°They''re real?¡±
Tyr looked puzzled. ¡°A what now?¡±
¡°Psionic magecraft is a theoretical magic,¡± Tanisha explained. ¡°It would be a super-specific specialization subset of Animal Control or Taming magic. Essentially, it is the mental manipulation of people. Usually, someone¡¯s magic or material would prevent this with sentient beings.¡±
¡°That sounds terrifying. You can¡¯t even trust your own mind if that is the case,¡± Tyr said, looking out into the nearly empty streets. ¡°Hopefully, this isn¡¯t that.¡±
The trip drifted off into silence after those words, as silent as a wagon full of people going full speed down a brick road could be. Bjorn kept his head on a swivel for any new magics being used. After a few minutes, Tanisha squeezed through the cramped space to sit with Owen and his children.
¡°Are you going to give me control of the right head?¡± Failsafe said in Bjorn¡¯s mind. ¡°I can help you look out for any traps.¡±
¡°Not right now. It is easier to taste magic when I have all three heads,¡± Bjorn responded. ¡°Be ready if things heat up.¡±
The trip went smoothly; traffic picked up as whatever magic was being suddenly infused into the environment could not work on so many people. The magic was a gentle push for someone to get out of the road or take a different street for a few minutes. It could affect a large number of people but not everyone equally. The small caravan had to swerve to avoid slow-moving wagons, carts, and the occasional pedestrian.
Bjorn saw a random man get tackled to the ground by someone he didn¡¯t know. The attacker stabbed the man rapidly, only for the stabbed man to turn into darkness and burn away. The attacker vanished into an alley, and no one else saw it. Until that moment, he had no idea they were being pursued.
Bjorn instantly alerted Tanisha through the familiar bond. He couldn¡¯t talk through the bond; he could only send emotions through it. She responded immediately, quickly returning to the wagon¡¯s rear and sitting beside him.
¡°Bjorn saw something,¡± Tanisha whispered to Tyr so they wouldn¡¯t alert anyone.
Tyr looked at her and nodded. ¡°I think I saw it too. Loki is around here somewhere. Stay al¡ª¡±
A loud crash rang out as the street shook with a heavy impact. The wagon swerved heavily with a bevy of curses from those running outside. The wagon barely kept two of its four wheels on the ground as Thorfinn made an extremely sharp turn into an alley at the last minute.
Bjorn and Tanisha leaned their heads out of the wagon for a second to see a giant dragon, easily the size of Thrand, had landed on the road. It took up nearly the entire route and would have been tearing into them had a shield of pure light not popped into being. The creature roared in outrage as its wings flapped, and it shot into the sky with hurricane-level winds, shattering the windows of nearby buildings.
Tanisha¡¯s eyes widened, and Bjorn could taste the exact moment her emotions shifted from surprise to abject rage. He knew she wanted to jump out and attack right then and there. Thankfully, her rational mind kept her from doing anything foolish. However, whether intentional or not, she breathed out her sparkly green seier.
¡°That was Viggo. Ingrid is here,¡± Tanisha said, more a growl than words.
¡°Everyone stay close! No one engages; my people will defend you!¡± Thorfinn yelled, but he sounded almost giddy. ¡°It would appear the Sword of the Salstar House has descended. Now we can embarrass them to their face.¡±
WM [4] All Hail
The group broke free of the alley as Viggo¡¯s roar echoed throughout the outer city. More people were on this street than the last, so the swerving intensified. Thorfinn squeezed between other vehicles and drove on the sidewalk, with near misses every few seconds.
The feeling of whatever magic was used to clear the other road intensified, causing people to flee this street en masse. The dozens of darkness constructs that were now chasing them and the massive dragon in the sky overhead probably helped with that, too.
¡°Tyr, get up here,¡± Thorfinn yelled.
Tyr did not hesitate for a moment and jumped out of the crowded wagon, using Flash Step to run along the outside and reach Thorfinn faster. Tanisha touched Bjorn as the Marks of Seier tattooed across her skin glowed faintly while they moved across her skin. Instantly, she teleported the two of them to the wagon¡¯s roof. Teleporting Bjorn with her was only possible because of the familiar bond and their soul tethering. Typically, teleportation abilities like her Arcane Shift would not work on others.
¡°Keep going straight down this road no matter what,¡± Thorfinn said as he handed Tyr the reins. ¡°I need to prepare.¡±
Thorfinn jumped onto the wagon¡¯s roof before Tyr responded, fully trusting the young man would not let his people down. He only spared Tanisha and Bjorn a cursory glance before he sat down and began his words of power. Three crystals floated from nowhere, creating a triangle over him. A thin but intensely powerful sheet of mana formed between them.
Bjorn gave the mage no more of his attention and looked around at the ever-increasing numbers of Darkness Constructs that moved on thin legs with blade-like arms. The constructs ran, jumped, and climbed on the street, walls, and rooftops. Now and then, Bjorn would suddenly see people in seemingly ordinary clothing ruthlessly attack and destroy several of them with magic he didn¡¯t recognize.
Vines rose from the street with thorns resembling swords and swung around, swatting three enemies simultaneously. Lightning in the shape of chains wrapped around and destroyed anything they touched. Swords with magic crystals for hilts and clockwork gearing that made up the crossguard flew through the air and cut up any opponent unlucky enough to be in their way. The magical effects tore into the approaching constructs and reduced their numbers dramatically.
¡°Everyone, look out!¡± Tanisha yelled.
Viggo swooped down, the massive beast¡¯s claws extended. Tyr managed to turn the wagon just in time to avoid being crushed by the creature¡¯s enormous hand. Viggo¡¯s landing caused a tremor that shook the road and ripped up bricks as he launched himself back into the sky.
The ordeal didn¡¯t even faze Thorfinn as he continued his spell unabated. A bright light shot up, and then the triangle of power slowly lowered the thin stream of condensed mana. It encased Thorfinn as if he were being covered in hot glass. Once the process was complete, he was glowing with a soft light.
¡°Everyone needs to get in, or hold on to the wagon,¡± Thorfinn yelled. ¡°Now!¡±
Everyone jumped onto the wagon momentarily, holding on to the sides or joining Tanisha and Thorfinn on the roof. The horses whinnied their displeasure at the added weight but kept galloping. Joha appeared beside Tanisha and Bjorn, still disguised as a random human.
¡°This is going to feel uncomfortable, but no matter what, hold on to the wagon,¡± Thorfinn stated as he stood up. The man vanished for a second and reappeared next to Tyr at the box seat. ¡°Get back in the wagon. I will take it from here.¡±
Tyr looked at him momentarily, nodded, and climbed back into the cargo hold with the women and children.
The gate out of the city was now in sight, only a few blocks away. Viggo flew overhead, seemingly shrinking in size as purple energy sparked through the air. The dragon became more and more translucent as its form collapsed into itself. The creature flew like an arrow to the gate, stopping just in front, striking the ground like a meteor, sending a plume of shattered brick and debris into the air.
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Bjorn didn¡¯t have time to wonder what Thorfinn meant by saying it would feel uncomfortable. The air stilled as a figure walked out of the crater left from where the dragon had crashed. It was Ingrid, her formerly graceful features twisted into a snarl. She held a sword far larger than what her thin frame looked like she should be able to wield. She wore plate armor that fused blue steel, orichalcum, and arcane energies. Purple tendrils of power sparked all around her, striking out as they were slowly subsumed into her body.
¡°First time I got to see the legendary Omega Familiar and the Sword of the Salstar House,¡± Thorfinn said, low enough that Bjorn thought he imagined it.
A sudden aura washed over everyone. It was dominating and overpowering. Suddenly, the Wendigo woman in front of them looked mountainous. Her gaze was like staring into the abyss of certain death. It became hard to breathe, to think, and even color was muted. Bjorn couldn¡¯t feel anything within himself, not his aether or Failsafe. He couldn¡¯t taste magic either; it was as if it was stripped from him, leaving him exposed and weak.
He had a flashback to the moment in his previous life as Isin, where the many-armed monster relentlessly smashed its scythe arms into the door of his mother¡¯s room, when he had to watch as it mutilated her, helpless to do anything to help her¡ªterror in the face of inevitable death.
Then, he felt something profound inside of himself. The familiar bond still connected him to Tanisha. He felt her emotions; there was no fear inside of her, only determination and anger. He used her determination, a boon granted by the familiar bond that allowed those connected to draw on each other¡¯s strengths.
He looked at Tanisha, who was the only one still standing. Even Joha had collapsed and was forced into his standard form. He was only holding onto the wagon in ragged breaths. Her eyes were locked firmly onto Ingrid. Tanisha was seething with anger, although it appeared that not even her magic worked. Then Bjorn noticed Thorfinn was still glowing, the only color in the monotone world.
He held his hand in front of them as they approached the gatehouse. Bjorn had not noticed that Thorfinn¡¯s crystals were still glowing. The bright magic conduit¡¯s flew just ahead of the horses, and a barrier formed right as the Sword Ingrid held swung up, then down in a wide arc. There was an explosion of force as two magics collided.
The barrier was destroyed, and the horses was turned into minced meat¡ªa second barrier formed right after, dispersing the remaining force. The momentum of the wagon continued to propel them forward until they passed the threshold of the gatehouse. Instantly, the aura vanished, and Ingrid was no longer death incarnate. She was simply a woman screaming her disbelief and discontent at the events that had just happened in front of her.
¡°What in the Infernal Planes was that?¡± Failsafe screamed in Bjorn¡¯s head. ¡°I think I died for a second!¡±
¡°Are you okay, Bjorn?¡± Tanisha asked. Bjorn was unsure but nodded anyway. ¡°Good. Ingrid is a master of Anti-Magic, and that was one of her sealing spells.¡±
Ingrid used Blink several times to close the distance between her and the wagon, pulling her sword back for another strike. Right before the strike landed, another sword flashed through the air and intercepted with just as much force. This one was thin but beautifully crafted. The impact threw the carriage and all of the people into the air. Bjorn prepared himself to hit the ground but found that he was floating, thanks to wind magic, and he, along with everyone else, was gently lowered to the ground.
¡°Ingrid Salstar, Loki Dalus, drop your weapons,¡± a feminine but stern voice ordered. ¡°I will not have citizens of my city assaulted.¡±
As the dust from the attack settled, everyone bowed¡ªwell, everyone but Joha, Tanisha, and himself. The figure that blocked the attack was a woman in the finest plate mail Yuhia had to offer. Her antlers were adorned with flowers made from crystal. Her form was regal and deadly, her gaze piercing and no-nonsense.
¡°All, Hail!¡± Thorfinn, who appeared at her side in full Royal Hand regalia, announced, his voice amplified by magic. ¡°First Princess Sigrun has claimed Lavi!¡±
Ingrid grits her teeth as the sword vanishes, likely into a storage item. She lowered her head in abject defeat. There was relief as the First Princess¡¯ army marched into the city. Soldiers and healers carrying supplies went to aid the Isi survivors.
Tanisha¡¯s glower never left Ingrid; if looks could kill, she would have been dead a hundred times over. Seier flowed from her like sparkly maya. Bjorn noticed tension in the air as soldiers stopped to observe her cautiously.
¡°Sif, calm down.¡± Joha grabbed Tanisha¡¯s shoulders and physically turned her around.
Tanisha opened her mouth, ready to protest, before looking around and seeing a few soldiers watching her. Realizing she was glaring toward the First Princess, they might have thought she would attack. She nodded, understanding, and promptly walked away to find Tyr and Owen.
Joha looked down at Bjorn. ¡°Keep an eye on her, Bjorn. She¡¯s going to need some support right now.¡±
WM [5] One Exception
The Isi were finally safe by the order of the First Princess. Tyr and all the members of the Isi survivors were taken into protective custody. They were kept out of the central city and lodged in one of the many inns in a demilune town. The proprietors were shocked that what, to them, were VIPs of the royal family were staying in their small establishment.
¡°We will take all of your rooms,¡± Thorfinn said as he placed a bag of gold coins on the counter. ¡°I will compensate any guest that has to be removed. Also, do you know anywhere I could get a good stag steak?¡±
¡°R-right away, Royal Hand!¡± the owner, an old nighthand man, said with a deep bow. ¡°I will have everyone out, and my wife will prepare your meal immediately.¡±
After everyone was situated and food served, Tyr stood before everyone. He looked tired, beaten, and bruised but not broken. He stood straight and looked over all the survivors, then took a deep lungful of air, releasing it slowly through his nose and closing his eyes. When he opened them again, there was resolve.
¡°We survived!¡± Tyr yelled. ¡°Against the might of the Salstars, the First Prince, and the Knights¡ we survived against all odds! I promise we will all rebuild, ascend to greater heights, and honor everyone we lost. The Isi have proved that we are strong and will do what it takes to survive and thrive!¡± Tyr took another deep breath. ¡°Tonight, we will rest safely for the first time in a month so we can face tomorrow with the same ferocity that got us out of the Salstars¡¯ hands.¡±
After eating, Bjorn decided to look around the inn. There was little he could do to cheer up the Isi, and Tanisha seemed okay. She slingshot between Tyr and Owen, the two having lost so much in the escape. The inn was located in the small town nestled against the inside of the demilune. The place was set up for travelers in and out of the city, acting as a rest stop. The staff seemed to be a single family of multiple generations, all nighthand wendigo.
The place had a cozy feel and was tailored towards the non-wendigo patrons who came to the city with coffers full of coins. Wendigo¡¯s design was often bland, with practicality and longevity as the focus over aesthetics. This place matched closely with what Bjorn took as human design.
¡°Well, that was crazy. Honestly, I thought we were goners when Ingrid showed up,¡± Failsafe said.
¡°Yeah, me too. So what was that effect, aura, spell?¡± Bjorn asked. ¡°Whatever she used on us.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. Tanisha said Ingrid is an anti-Magic mage. So I can only assume she can cut people off from their magic and eliminate ambient mana, but I don¡¯t know because I am a magic construct, so when it hit us, the magic I use to function stopped.¡±
¡°Are you damaged from that?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°You do care!¡± Failsafe said excitedly. ¡°No, I will be fine, but if we are stuck in a magic seal like that for a couple thousand years, I will be in trouble.¡±
¡°Couple thousand years? How could you possibly know that?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°I think I know how my spellform works. Don¡¯t get us trapped somewhere for that long, though. It would be extremely boring after the first hundred years or so.¡±
¡°Did you see that other thing before it stopped all magic?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°The omega familiar bond thing that allowed her to turn into her familiar and turn back? Yeah, that was kind of hard to miss. I don¡¯t know what crazy process it would take for someone to do something like that.¡±
¡°She is essentially a wendigonir,¡± Bjorn added.
¡°That is a terrible name,¡± Failsafe stated flatly. ¡°Dragodigo is much better. Who is to say the wendigo part should go first?¡±
¡°Dracwend?¡± Bjorn said thoughtfully.
¡°Ehh¡ we¡¯ll workshop it,¡± Failsafe said softly as if trying not to upset Bjorn. ¡°For now, let¡¯s get some more food!¡±
Bjorn and Tanisha woke up to someone knocking at their door. It was barely morning, judging by the sun, and Tanisha groaned her dissatisfaction after finally having a bed for the first time in a few weeks. She sleepily rubbed her eyes, reluctantly sat up, and scooted to the edge of the bed. The knocking continued, so she quickly threw on her robe and drearily walked to the door.
¡°Who is it? I am coming,¡± she said in a long, barely intelligible slur.
When she touched the door, it flew open with a bright light.
¡°You are Sif, right?¡± a female voice rang out. ¡°Goodness, Forest Father above, we have our work cut out for us with this one.¡± She walked into the room, looked around, and was unimpressed by the accommodations. ¡°My name is Signe Jet, Royal Hand of First Princess Sigrun. You may refer to me as Royal Hand Jet or simply Hand Jet. I know your kind doesn¡¯t bow, so I will let that slide for now.¡±
Bjorn and Tanisha¡¯s eyes slowly adjusted as the woman¡¯s eyes darted around the room, then onto them with an equally unimpressed look.
Identify
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.Name: Signe Jet
Species: Wendigo
Level: ??
Vocation: Royal Enchantress, Seventh Circle
The woman continued after she looked Tanisha over again. ¡°They said you looked like a wendigo, but I didn¡¯t know what to expect. What kind of demon are you?¡±
¡°A cernunnos. Wait, huh, why are you here?¡± Tanisha questioned, still bleary-eyed.
Bjorn was surprised she answered with the actual name of her evolved species. It didn¡¯t seem to matter as the Hand nodded and didn¡¯t even seem to know that Tanisha was not a demon. She was the only cernunnos in existence, and there wasn¡¯t a way to tell if something was greater, normal, or lesser by appearance.
¡°To get you ready to meet with Her Majesty, of course,¡± Signe said nonchalantly. She clapped twice. ¡°Ladies, she is in here.¡±
Five women entered the room upon her summons, one pushing in a wooden tub. More lights flooded the room from tiny motes of magic that seemed to follow the servants around. The women were all wendigo, and they moved quickly and efficiently.
Bjorn finally got a good look at the women. Signe was in the black and traditional garb of a Hand, with the veil over her face with the royal family insignia. By the look of her midnight black arms, she was a nighthand wendigo. The servants were mixed between snowfallen and woodentails and were moving quickly to set up their stations.
¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Tanisha said as they started taking off her clothing.
¡°As I said, we are getting you ready for your audience with the First Princess,¡± Signe stated matter-of-factly. ¡°We still have measurements, hair, makeup¡ªoh Trues above, give me strength.¡±
The wooden tub was set in the middle of the room, and one of the women filled it with hydromancy. After some struggle, the servants stripped her down and got her into the tub. Then, the scrubbing began. Tanisha looked over to Bjorn, who was still comfortably lazing on the bed.
¡°You didn¡¯t help at all,¡± Tanisha pouted.
Signe¡¯s gaze fell on the familiar. ¡°He will be getting a wash after you are done.¡±
When the women were finally done scrubbing and washing, Tanisha and Bjorn took measurements to fit her. They trimmed and styled Tanisha¡¯s long hair into a waterfall braid. Her hair had grown to about halfway down her back after her evolution.
Hours crawled by as Tanisha was shaved, made up, and dressed. When they were finally done, the beauty of her new form was fully accentuated in her new yellow double-slit dress. It was even customized with a hidden hole for her tail. There was no time for her to look herself over as she was rushed out of the room as soon as they were done.
¡°Where are we going?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°The Isi Patriarch, Joha, and yourself have been summoned to the Fort Palace,¡± Signe answered promptly. She now had a notepad in her hand. ¡°I was assigned to you to ensure you are presentable and aware of our customs. Demons typically have a¡¡± she paused to consider her words, ¡°rambunctious nature. I am told it has something to do with maya. Regardless, we will start with basic etiquette, and by noon, you should be ready to meet with First Princess Sigrun.¡±
¡°Hand Jet, I already know wendigo etiquette,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°You do?¡± Signe seemed skeptical. ¡°Well, showing is proving. You must show me you have the proper training, which will allow for things to proceed quickly.¡±
Bjorn didn¡¯t want to watch etiquette training and was glad he was an animal. He decided he would lay back down in the bed and sleep until they were ready to leave. At least, that is what he thought until the servants of the Hand motioned for him to follow. He turned and saw Tanisha smirking.
¡°You thought you got out of this, didn¡¯t you?¡± Tanisha said sweetly, with an undertone, ¡°If I have to do this, you do too.¡±
¡°That familiar has to be trained as well,¡± Signe stated. ¡°It is my understanding that you are his second master.¡±
¡°Uh, yes,¡± Tanisha lied. ¡°His original master, Freja, was unfortunately killed in the raid.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Signe said with a brief pause and a slight nod of respect. ¡°Sorry for your losses. So that means you inherited the bond, then?¡±
¡°Yes, it is the only reason I could keep him as a Delta Familiar.¡±
Bjorn hadn¡¯t heard of inheriting a bond before but guessed it meant that if a person died, they could transfer it to someone they trusted. He wondered how it worked. As far as he knew, the bond required trust to function. So, maybe he would also have to want to bond with that person.
Signe was again quiet for a moment, and Bjorn couldn¡¯t read her expression. Then, she stated, ¡°Now, we are off.¡±
Failsafe said in Bjorn¡¯s head, ¡°I don¡¯t like that we have to return to that city. Can¡¯t we leave?¡±
Bjorn agreed; they had just spent two weeks trying to escape, and now they would waltz back in.
¡°I am sure the last thing Tanisha wants is to make an enemy of the royal family,¡± Bjorn responded internally. ¡°But keep a lookout for anything suspicious.¡±
The next few hours were spent drilling in the proper way to act in a meeting with royalty: when it is okay to ask questions, stand, how to sit, how to eat¡ªeven for familiars. Because Bjorn was intelligent, he also needed to follow special rules. Bjorn didn¡¯t mind because they were simple instructions, and, more importantly, they also got a full breakfast.
Signe was surprised at the apparent truth of Tanisha¡¯s words. She did have a deep understanding of the proper protocols, with one exception. In certain situations, people with tails had different sitting methods and other tail placements. Tanisha didn¡¯t know that because, well, why would she? Up until two weeks ago, she didn¡¯t have one.
¡°Move your leg here, and be sure to drape your tail right to the left, but do not let it just dangle like that,¡± Signe said, exasperated. ¡°Stand up and try sitting again!¡±
It was midday before it was finally time to go. A large carriage and an entire armed battalion were waiting outside the inn. Tyr and Joha, who had the same treatment as her, stood at the door. Tyr looked better and less gaunt, though stress and loss couldn¡¯t be entirely hidden by makeup and a haircut. They dressed him in a baby blue suit with a shoulder cape and a silver embroidered crest of the Isi house. On the other hand, Joha was wearing traditional garb from his homeland, which looked far fancier than what he had worn to the Isi¡¯s banquet, what felt like ages ago.
¡°You look amazing, Sif,¡± Joha said.
¡°Wow, yeah,¡± Tyr responded.
¡°You both look quite handsome yourselves,¡± Tanisha smiled. ¡°Amazing what food and a bath can do, right?¡±
¡°Yes, yes, you all look gorgeous,¡± Signe said enthusiastically. ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t believe how well you cleaned up.¡± She clapped her hands. ¡°Now we are on a schedule, people, and I will not leave the First Princess waiting.¡±
¡°Wait, where is Owen?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°He¡ won¡¯t be coming,¡± Joha said quietly. ¡°He still needs time.¡±
WM [6] Reunion
The Fort Palace was a massive single structure in the middle of Lavi. The wall around the Fort Palace was the most magically and materially impressive of the defensive structures. Bjorn was sure he would not be able to melt through those defenses as he had done with the gatehouse to the inner city. He was also sure he couldn¡¯t have destroyed one of the inner city gatehouses fully closed and had its enchantments active.
In the courtyard were two armed forces standing at the ready. They wore identical armor with slight variations in color and coat of arms. On the right side were the armed forces of the First Prince Arnar, and on the left were those of the First Princess Sigrun. As the carriage stopped at the front door, it became evident that there were more apparent differences between Arnar¡¯s and Sigrun¡¯s armies. First, despite having a similar design, Sigrun¡¯s forces¡¯ armor was of lesser quality. She also had far fewer soldiers and the disparity between the forces was being made for with knights from a noble faction Bjorn did not know.
Far more impressive were the two massive three-headed zmei dragons that stood behind their master¡¯s armies. The one that Bjorn assumed was Arnar¡¯s was sky blue and easily over three stories tall. The second was a deep jewel-like onyx of similar size. Creatures watched the carriage with intelligence and intensity as if to dare whoever was inside to disrespect their masters¡¯ authority.
The carriage inside was large and spacious, with enough room for ten people and a servant to serve them. Bjorn sat on the oddly comfortable floor. At the same time, everyone else sat leisurely on the plush seats. An elf servant had served them all drinks for the ride.
¡°Looks like we are finally here and on time,¡± Signe said.
¡°Hand Signe, I mean no disrespect, but I have to inform you that the First Prince and Princess familiars may react negatively to Bjorn,¡± Tanisha stated.
Signe visibly tensed at those words, though Bjorn didn¡¯t know why.
¡°Are you implying that Their Majesty lacks the bond necessary to command thier familiars with unwavering authority?¡± Signe stated with a light edge to her words, a far cry from the otherwise professional woman.
Tanisha shook her head. ¡°No, I am not saying that at all.¡±
¡°Bjorn¡¯s presence affects draconic and serpentine creatures.¡± Joha cut in. ¡°There was an incident with Bjorn¡¯s previous master failing to inform the Hand of Ingrid of this effect. She mistook it for a mental attack on her familiar. To avoid causing a similar situation, Sif just wanted to inform you of this possibility.¡±
Signe turned to Bjorn and looked at the familiar with assessing eyes. ¡°Is it something you can control, Bjorn?¡± When Bjorn shook his head, she continued. ¡°Very well. I will inform their majesty.¡±
A metal disk about the size of a makeup compact appeared in Signe¡¯s right hand, presumably from a storage device. There was a magic circle on both sides of the mirrored surface. Bjorn could taste a small amount of magic being pushed into the odd object. Signe went rigid for a second as something happened to her.
¡°What was that?¡± Tyr asked.
¡°A Communication Disk prototype,¡± Signe stated. ¡°They work like message divination stones without the need for line of sight or Starlight mages.¡±
¡°That is incredible,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°Thank you. Development felt like a work in futility for a while.¡± Signe said. ¡°Soon, all of her majesty¡¯s nobles will have one. Communication is the bottleneck for military and civilian expansion. Imagine a world where all wendigo with magic can instantly communicate nationwide. This is part of the future that only her majesty can bring. Innovation, trade, cooperation, and knowledge.¡±
¡°Wait, you made that?¡± Tanisha asked.
Signe said with pride. ¡°It was a joint effort between the Dwarven Kingdom of Isopike and me. We have¡¡± The metal disk flashed dimly, and Signe again became rigid for a second. The disk vanished from her hand, and she stood up. ¡°It would appear that The First Princess and Prince have accepted your explanation. We may exit.¡±
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The elven servant quickly opened the door to the carriage, and Signe led the group out of the vehicle and into the courtyard where the soldiers had been waiting dutifully. Bjorn was the last to exit; his three heads looked around, especially at the giant zmie dragons. There was no visible reaction to him, and Bjorn assumed that what the Royal Hand said about them being well-trained held.
Then Sir Haralds familiar also didn¡¯t flee when it saw me either. Maybe it is a level difference?
Identify
Name: Dagny Qar
Species: Zmei
Level: ??
Vocation: Royal Mount
Identify
Name: Valdemar Qar
Species: Zmei
Level: ??
Vocation: Royal Mount
The group followed Signe to the front door of the palace. Then she stopped when both zmei growled menacingly. All six of their heads focused intensely on Bjorn as he tried to look anywhere else but at the three-story tall and now angry dragons. They tensed up and looked like they would strike at any moment.
¡°This one challenges us!¡± Dagny spoke in outrage, though her voice sounded like someone crushing boulders. ¡°This one is wrong!¡±
¡°This one is the enemy!¡± Valdemar said just as gutturally as fire spilled from his mouth with each word. ¡°This one dares challenge us!¡±
The zmei looked to become angrier and angrier, and then, without warning, the fury left their forms, and they became docile. They even looked away from Bjorn as if he were insignificant. Signe took the opportunity to quickly rush everyone inside before the zmei were riled up again. As soon as the doors were closed, she spun around and looked Tanisha and Bjorn over again as if to say, what was that?
¡°Hail, First Princess Sigrun Al Velidein Qar!¡± Thorfinn yelled.
Thorfinn¡¯s voice instantly drew everyone¡¯s attention to the stairs.
¡°Well, that was unexpected. Sorry for the scare.¡± Sigrun¡¯s voice filled the space. ¡°My brother and I were curious about what would happen if we let them see the chimera without our influence.¡±
Everyone but Joha, Tanisha, and Bjorn dropped to one knee. The First Princess, flanked by Thorfinn, descended a grand staircase from the palace¡¯s upper floor. Unlike yesterday, the princess was not in her armor but instead a grand robe. Power pulsed from her regal form, the source of which originated from her chest and spread out around her body into the clothing, which glowed with the energy as it dispersed into the air.
¡°Please, everyone, stand and follow me,¡± Sigrun stated as she turned down one of the many corridors. ¡°There is something you must see before we have our discussion.¡±
The fort palace was a massive space of decadence. The structure may have once been a fortification in form and function; however, now it is all luxury. It was all foreign design more akin to a human dwelling; it had delicate artwork and even highly impractical-looking furnishing that utilized ambient mana not to fall apart. It was expensive and flashy but not the typical Bjorn had come to recognize from most wendigo. From the outside, it still looked like a fort, but from the inside, it was indeed the palace of the most successful trade city in Yuhia.
Signe took her proper place to the right of the Sigrun. The group followed the First Princess in complete silence as they walked around the massive building. It looked to Bjorn like the entire inside had been thoroughly renovated. The sound of many people talking and the smell of food filled the halls as they traveled. The conversations became louder, and the smell of roasted meats more prominent until they reached a large double door.
Sigrun and her Hands stepped aside, and she motioned to the door.
¡°Patriarch of the Isi, I will give you the honors,¡± Sigrun stated.
Tyr stepped forward without hesitation, reached out his hand to the door, and tried to pull it open. It didn¡¯t budge, so he tried the other.
¡°It is a push door, Patriarch Isi,¡± Thorfinn said with a cough.
¡°Ri-right,¡± Tyr said with some chagrin.
He turned the fancy golden doorknob again and pushed the door open. As one door opened, the other did so as well. The inside was a banquet hall packed to bursting with people. Most of whom even Bjorn recognized from training around the Isi estate. They were all people associated with the Isi and a surprising number of children.
Tyr didn¡¯t say a word as his eyes locked onto a little girl sitting amongst the children. He walked into the room, and people noticed him, and their conversations died down. A path opened for him as he ran, sprinted, and finally used Flash Step. The little girl turned around just in time to see her big brother pick her up in his arms, and the two collapsed into tears.
WM [7] A Real Future To Fight For
Ever since Tyr found out that both of his little sisters had survived the raid, he seemed to have had a massive weight lifted off his shoulders. He had a spark in his eye that had been missing since the attack. He didn¡¯t have long with his sisters before the First Princess took the group to a meeting room. Despite the room¡¯s spaciousness, it felt cramped with so many of the country¡¯s most influential people gathered. They all sat at a large table, the Prince and his people on one side and the Princess and hers on the other.
Bjorn could feel Tanisha¡¯s anger rise as soon as she entered the room and saw First Prince Arnar, Ingrid, and Loki. There were also two other Royal Hands, a man and a woman, whom Bjorn assumed were Arnar¡¯s Hands. Tanisha struggled to keep her expression neutral as she clenched her jaw and followed the rules of decorum. After the Hands introduced the Royalty, they sat down, and everyone else was allowed to sit down. There were others in the room, generals and nobles by their looks.
Identify
Name: Arnar Al Kossiheim Qar
Species: Wendigo
Level: ??
Vocation: Sorcerer of Dominion
Identify
Name: Sigrun Al Velidein Qar
Species: Wendigo
Level: ??
Vocation: Sorceress of Dominion
Identify
Name: Svartr Loti
Species: Wendigo
Level: ??
Vocation: Royal Electrokinesis War Mage
Identify
Name: Vigdis Bularu
Species: Wendigo
Level: ??
Vocation: V?lva
¡°Thank you all for coming today and being a part of this inaugural event,¡± Sigrun stated with a wide smile. ¡°As we speak, Vidar Tujewli is announcing this domain as a part of the Tujewli Domain. This means that the state of emergency caused by the defection of the Nazem has formally concluded.¡±
The First Prince glared at his sister as she spoke, looking as if he wanted to execute her right then and there. The look only made her smile all the brighter. She knew she had won, and there was nothing he could do that wouldn¡¯t make him look weak. The other dignitaries in the room did not share the Princess¡¯ delight in prodding the most powerful man in the country aside from the King. Some scooted slightly away from him in case this turned into an all-out fight.
The First Prince, a massive wendigo man with broad shoulders, bore the same gray skin as his sister, and his antlers were adorned in gold. Magic, or rather sorcery, pulsed from his chest in the same manner as his sister¡¯s but with notably more intensity. It was to the point that lines of power suffused into the air, popping like static electricity as it discharged.
¡°I would like to thank my brother for his quick response in securing my city from that traitor,¡± Sigrun continued, emphasizing ''my.'' ¡°However, I fear in his haste to cleanse the city, he may have overstepped.¡± The Princess¡¯ expression turned somber. ¡°The Isi, a family who were staunch defenders, teachers, and citizens of the Kingdom, were unjustly persecuted, hunted, jailed, and even killed in a bloody raid with no evidence to support collusion with the enemies of our nation.
¡°Even with his surprise attack and with the aid of Ingrid¡¯s forces, he failed to eliminate the Isi and only proved their resourcefulness, power, and the necessity of the Isi and their teachings. Material Users have always had a bad reputation in the Kingdom because chakra is the weapon of humans. Some think it is inferior to magic. I don¡¯t, and this debacle proved that to me. When an Isi Disciple fought a wizard, they were not on the back foot; no, they pushed through.¡±
Arnar looked like he was going to explode at any moment. A vein on his forehead bulged out as he turned red. He slammed his fist on the table, which cracked from the impact. A magic circle flashed on the surface of the table, instantly sucking all of the ambient mana out of the room and repairing itself. The table was again pristine when it was done as if nothing had happened.
¡°Do you have something to say, dear brother?¡± Sigrun¡¯s eyes were sharp now.
Arnar stood up, his chair clattered to the ground behind him.
¡°This is utterly meaningless, sister,¡± Arnar hissed through clenched teeth. ¡°Entrusting my faith to this pitiful excuse for a Salstar was a grievous error, one I shall not repeat. You will not secure the throne with a mere fragment of a domain and a fractured Material User lineage.¡± His eyes swept across the room, finally resting on Tyr, who glared back with a murderous intensity. ¡°Rest assured, I shall encounter the Isi once more after I ascend to the throne and purge the remaining foreign magic filth from the wendigo.¡±
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¡°Are you done?¡± Sigrun asked dismissively. ¡°Sit down or leave; I don¡¯t care which.¡±
Arnar held out his palm, and the male Royal Hand Bjorn, identified as Svartr Loti, handed him a small coin purse. He tossed the bag across the table, and it spilled its contents in front of Tyr. Platinum coins rolled out, some into his lap and others spinning on the table. Bjorn remembered that one of those coins was worth a hundred gold. One gold is the equivalent of three months¡¯ wage for most people.
¡°Five platinum per head, Hrolf, Drifa, Freyr¨ªer, and fifteen for the old Patriarch Kolbein.¡± The First Prince stated coldly.
One of the delegates gasped at the sheer fortune on the table. Tyr balled his fist, his chakra surging from him like a cold wind. He stared daggers at the First Prince and looked like he would get up and charge the man at any moment.
Tyr stood and pointed a finger at the man, ¡°you think that this-¡°
¡°S???????i???????l??????e???n??????c??????e??????.¡± Sigrun said a single word, and Tyr¡¯s mouth shut with a loud click. ¡°S?????i?????????t?????.¡±
Tyr sat down against his will. Bjorn could taste the presence of new magic, no sorcery. The power of the Royal family was Dominion. Judging by what happened, they can control people with a single word. When Bjorn heard mages and wizards chant their spell, it sounded unintelligible, like several people talking over each other and saying different things but from one mouth. That wasn¡¯t the case with sorcery. While it was difficult to understand, it was two intelligible words: silence and sit.
¡°As tactful as ever, Arnar.¡± Sigrun turned her attention back to the First Prince. ¡°I assume this means you are leaving. Be sure to take your entourage with you.¡± She gestured to his side of the room.
Arnar looked at the silent Ingrid. ¡°That thing is your problem. Do with her what you will. If the boy wants blood, take it from her.¡±
Arnar left the room, and half of the people in it left with him; only Ingrid and Loki remained from the prince¡¯s side. The room was silent for a few moments before Sigrun sighed. She waved her hand, and the sorcery on Tyr dispersed. He looked even angrier once he realized what she had done to him.
¡°I know you are upset, Patriarch Isi, but do understand that I did that to save your life,¡± Sigrun stated before Tyr could speak. ¡°I simply made you sit. My brother would have commanded that you die if you¡¯d finished your statement.¡± She watched Tyr deflate a little to her words. ¡°Everyone, I want to introduce our guests, Tyr, the Isi patriarch, Joha and Sif, demon merchants and Bjorn the chimera.
¡°I want to start by saying that despite what Arnar said, no blood will be taken from Ingrid. Her disgrace has left her in my care, and I say what better place to regain your honor than the frontlines? The druids have grown brazen. I think a Salstar stationed out there will be a boon to us. For now, and until the Holy Land has been secured once again, you shall remain there, Sword of the Salstars. If the Holy Land falls, you fall with it.¡±
Ingrid nodded silently and accepted whatever fate Sigrun planned for her.
Ingrid¡¯s voice was soft and defeated. ¡°May I ask a question, Your Highness?¡± Sigrun approved, so Ingrid turned to Tanisha. ¡°Demon, what happened to the owner of that familiar?¡±
¡°Dead.¡± Tanisha bit off the word.
¡°I see,¡± Ingrid said with an unreadable expression. ¡°May she rest with the Forest Father.¡±
¡°That is all you have to say?¡± Tanisha questioned. ¡°Weren¡¯t you her mother?¡±
Ingrid raised an eyebrow at that. ¡°A failure, a wizard, a waste of time, energy, and space. That is what Freja was.¡± She looked Tanisha dead in the eyes. ¡°Yet she summoned that thing, killed a darkness construct, multiple even, became an arcanist, and even in her death, she haunts me with my failures.¡± She let out a chuckle in disbelief and realization. ¡°Now, I guess she and I are the same. We are both failures to the name Salstar.¡± She turned back to Sigrun and bowed her head. ¡°I have my orders, your Majesty; I will depart immediately.¡±
¡°See that you do. I expect to hear good things, Sword of Salstar.¡± Sigrun responded neutrally, but Bjorn swore there was a mocking undertone. ¡°And don¡¯t forget that you are my sword from now on. You answer to me, not to my brothers or sisters or Ulfar.¡±
Ingrid bowed again and left the room with Loki following behind her. As soon as the door was shut, the other members of the Princess¡¯ faction were mumbling. Many of them were pleased that they now had Ingrid on their side. Ingrid is one of the greatest anti-magic mages in the kingdom. Having her fight on the frontlines for the First Princess¡¯ faction will add to the political power of the faction. She raised her hand to halt all their talks when she turned to Tyr.
¡°Isi patriarch, I know you think this was unfair for you. My success came from the deaths of your family, and the ones that did it just walked free.¡± Sigrun said with a neutral tone. ¡°And you are right to feel that way. Our system is broken, our politics a joke. Arnar and Ingrid are strong; therefore, they are given special treatment, and even I must play by these rules for now.¡± The Princess looked Tyr directly in the eyes with a steely gaze. ¡°I want you to join me. I want the Isi, their teachings, and their disciples to be officially part of my faction. You have seen the faults in our way of life and have felt their effects harder than most. We are like animals warring over table scraps while a thief steals from our pantry. I want to see the fire neither Arnar nor Ingrid could stomp out.¡±
Tyr¡¯s mouth hung agape. ¡°Yo-Your majesty I¡¡±
¡°This is not something you have to answer right now,¡± Sigrun said. ¡°Go, collect your people, and mourn your losses. Once you have healed, I will hear your answer. As for you two, Joha and Sif, as demons, I cannot offer you the same as the Patriarch, but your actions have secured my influence over this domain and have save the lives and livelihoods of thousands. I will grant you any reasonable request that is within my power.¡±
WM [8] Don’t Live In The Past
Tanisha and Joha¡¯s requests was oddly simple from Bjorn¡¯s perspective. Tanisha requested gold, a new wagon and horses, alchemy supplies and equipment, and a new polearm to replace the one she had lost. On the other hand, Joha wanted only one thing: for them to send a letter to his homeland for him. Joha¡¯s request was met with silence between the two, which caused a brief deliberation between Sigrun and her Hands before the Princess could accept. Everyone gasped at the fact that she even accepted the request at all.
Sigrun looked at Joha and Tanisha with a smile. ¡°Once everything has been gathered for your requests, Sif, I will send someone to gather you for your inspection. Joha, when you have your letter, please hand it to the person delivering Tanisha¡¯s request. You have my word: your letter will be safely delivered to the demon continent, but please understand that we are at war, and an expedition may take time to organize. For now, you all are guests of the Fort Palace, and your belongings will be moved here.¡±
¡°As long as it is delivered, Your Majesty, I will be eternally grateful.¡±
Tanisha and Bjorn were given their room and a personal maid in the Fort Palace. Even so, they all returned to the Demilune Inn with the servants to retrieve the remaining Isi survivors. The Princess allowed the Isi to burn pyres for the dead. Most of the bodies had already been burned during the cleanup of the town, so it was mainly symbolic for those left to mourn. There was one body though and a small goblin family, a rakshasa tiger demon, a cernunnos and a True Hydra all said their final goodbyes to Helina.
It had been a rough few weeks, so when Bjorn finally could let his guard down, he felt exhausted. The Fort Palace was by no exaggeration one of the most secure and safe locations on the continent. Bjorn could not help but feel a little let down that he wouldn¡¯t be able to claw Ingrid and Loki in half for the pain and suffering they caused. To the wendigo, failing a Show of Power was akin to social suicide. She was ostracized and would likely soon be divorced from the Salstar name.
There was a shaming ritual like the shiagaunt for spouses that shamed the family, and publicly, their names would be dragged through the mud. The former Sword of the Salstars would soon lose her noble title and family name and be like any other war mage on the frontline. The likelihood they would put her somewhere she would outright die was unlikely. Ingrid was still a mighty and skilled mage.
¡°You finally ready for this?¡± Failsafe asked.
Bjorn took a deep breath to calm his nerves. It didn¡¯t work. He knew he was about to see something that would haunt him. Ever since the Queen of a Thousand Heads called him the Sunderer of the Angelic Throng, he had a feeling¡ªnot a memory¡ªthat the name was something he deeply regretted once.
Bjorn laid his head down. ¡°Yes, no more excuses. Let¡¯s do it.¡±
He closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep almost instantly. This was the first time he willingly entered his previous self¡¯s memories. The sensation was odd. All of who he was as Bjorn was stripped away. He was made a blank canvas, free of emotion, memory, attachment, and everything else that made him Bjorn.
Then, the emptiness that was him was filled as seventeen years of memory as Isin rushed to fill the empty vessel. His life as a villager in a small human settlement, safe from the outside monsters by the grace of the Divine People from the sky. He had learned that his father was one of those Divine people. He was Nephilim, the child of man and the Divine.
Isin had always thought the Divine People, the Angels, were their makers and saviors. They protected them and guided humanity with love and compassion. That is all his father had ever shown him since meeting him. Since the Gate that had protected them failed, monsters flooded in from the corrupted land. His father, Bazaath, killed the monsters and remade the Gate when all hope was lost. He healed those that could be saved and mourned those that could not.
However, the scene before him threatened to drive him over the edge into insanity. The Divines that were before them came with chains and death. Only a few moments ago, Angel Hasmanuel had subjugated their people, killed anyone who did not move to her exact words, and gathered all of the townspeople like sheep to the slaughter.
She looked at them as less than animals; she called them a word Isin had never heard before, slave. When the strongest of their people tried to resist her, regardless of aether or might, she killed them quickly. She was enraged as the air quivered and the world quaked under the might of her aether. Orbs spun around her as the aether condensed, and she prepared to execute everyone.
A voice spoke, so melodic and soothing it sounded like it was sung. ¡°Oh my, oh my, looks like she was right.¡±
Everyone looked up and saw more of the Divines as they descended. The Angels were human in form, tall and beautiful. Their skin, however, was metal or stone. Hasmanuel looked like molten brass, and her hair was fire. Their clothing was a strange mesh of technology and aetheric magic that Isin had learned from his father was called a biosphere suit.
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The suits were skin-tight and metal in some places and flowing fabric in others, giving them a modicum of modesty. It allowed them to interact with beings of this world without their power destroying everything around them unintentionally. Even with the Angels suppressing their power, to Isin, the air around them felt thick as if each breath he was trying to breathe in honey.
The angel woman who spoke was descending from the sky with white marble skin. Beside her was a man, the color of cold steel, holding a chain. Isin followed the golden line, and his eyes widened when he saw that it was his father at the other end. He was bound and gagged, his wings broken, and his face hung low in defeat.
The air softened as Hasmanuel stopped gathering power, and a smile crawled across her face. She lifted into the air without moving her six wings and met the other Angels in the sky.
Isin turned to the crowd and saw that everyone was frozen in terror. He was, too, but he needed to find his mother. He needed to make sure she was alright. He looked back up at the Angels as they discussed something amongst themselves. He turned away and pushed through the crowd.
People barely reacted as he shoved them out of the way. They were all shell-shocked to the point of being nearly catatonic. So many truths about their way of life were shattered right before them. If Isin had not met his father, he would also be afraid.
I have to find Ma, where is she?
He continued to look but could not find her anywhere. He could hear his heart beating as he continued to push and shove his way through the crowd. Then he got a splitting headache, and his nose began to bleed. He looked around and saw everyone in pain, grabbing their heads.
The world darkened despite the sun directly above them in the nightmarish red sky. Cracks in space tore open the sky with the sound of thunder. The Angel that first appeared with Hasmanuel stepped out of what seemed to be a hole in space. He walked across the sky as if there were solid ground beneath his feet. It hurt to look at him for too long as the aether was drawn to him and crystallized in three interlocking halos. He was nearly twice the size of even the tallest of the other Angels.
¡°Grand General!¡± the Angels all said in perfect unison.
The massive Angel sat, and beneath him, the world shifted, and a golden throne appeared. The odd thing was Isin couldn¡¯t remember if it was already there or if it materialized.
¡°Bazaath.¡± The Grand General¡¯s voice hit everyone like thunder from the heavens. His voice came from every direction all at once. ¡°You are accused of treason against the Throng. You have created and conspired with the Slave Race and attempted to hide your crimes from the Ivory Lord. What do you say in your defense?¡±
¡°I have not conspired against the Chorus or the Ivory Lord,¡± Bazaath said, his voice low compared to the first but still loud as it was projected through the aether. ¡°Everything I have done, I have done for the Chorus.¡±
¡°Lies, these slaves have no control chip, no inhibitors, and have even used aether against me,¡± Hasmanuel screamed in outrage. ¡°He has betrayed us, Grand General. He has attempted to make himself an Ivory Lord.¡±
¡°Silence, Hasmanuel. I will not repeat this,¡± the Grand General said with a wave of his hand. ¡°Bazaath, you have served loyally for an eternity. Explain yourself.¡±
¡°What Hasmanuel said is true. These slaves do not have inhibitors; they can move and act independently. I made them that way so they would develop in ways the others cannot. The Chorus is falling, and the Sundering will soon befall us. This world does not have long before we can no longer sustain ourselves, and mortality will claim us. If we do not act in ways we have not, we will be all that is left of our kind.¡±
¡°You speak blasphemy against the Ivory Lord!¡± Hasmanuel screamed in outrage. ¡°He will not let the Chorus fall, you traitor!¡±
Her orbs converged and gathered together as if they were getting ready to fire at him. Before she could, she was suddenly cut in half at the torso by the Grand General. Her body didn¡¯t fall; instead, it floated in the air as tendrils of crystallized aether connected the severed body parts. The two halves of the woman slowly reconnected as she bowed her head and closed her mouth with a grimace of discontent, not pain.
¡°How will these free slaves help our race?¡± the Grand General asked.
¡°They can do things we cannot,¡± Bazaath said. ¡°They can go to places that are corrupted without fear of mortality.¡±
The Grand General watched him for a long time; an orb flew down to the crowd. It scanned everyone with a green light. Then it stopped over someone, and the orb¡¯s tendrils of power exploded out. They wrapped around someone who screamed, and Isin immediately turned his head, recognizing the voice. His mother, Eliska, was lifted into the air and dropped into the now-smoldering crater in front of the mob.
¡°This one has your aetheric protections. You care for it,¡± the Grand General said as the chains around Bazaath disintegrated. ¡°Prove to us your loyalty.¡±
Bazaath fell to the ground and hit with a hard impact that sent dust into the air. Isin was pushing through the mob that had not moved an inch to help the shocked woman. He pleaded to himself to move faster as Bazaath stood up. The fallen Angel¡¯s broken wings hung limply from his back.
Bazaath looked up to the Grand General and the other Angels. It was Hasmanuel who summoned a glowing sword and threw it down. It struck the ground beside his foot, and he did not flinch. He looked at the blade, then down at his wife. He grabbed the hilt and raised the sword. The Angel was tall, over ten feet, and therefore towered over the woman as she seemingly accepted her fate and knelt. She said something; Isin saw her lips move, but the air didn¡¯t carry her words as the sword came down.
¡°No! Mother!¡± Isin screamed.
Bjorn shot awake, his head looking around the dark room when he finally woke. He settled his nerves as he lowered his head back to the comforter.
¡°You okay, buddy?¡± Failsafe asked.
¡°Yeah, yeah, I am fine,¡± Bjorn¡¯s heart raced in his chest. ¡°Let¡¯s just¡ uh¡ no more tonight, okay?¡±
¡°Sure, I understand,¡± Failsafe responded. ¡°Good night, Bjorn.¡±
WM [9] Confrontation
True teleportation magic was a complex and highly specialized type of darkness magic. Sure, Blink and Flash Step were pretty standard for mages and material users, but those were personal short-range effects that usually moved them no more than a few yards at a time. They were extremely limited in utility outside of combat. Tanisha¡¯s Arcane Shift was closer to actual teleportation and Blink hybrid and took far more visualization than a traditional Blink.
By this point, the swirling and condensing darkness magic was the culmination of two days of work on Loki¡¯s part. Teleporting himself and Ingrid over five hundred miles to the frontlines was significant. The room they were in was designed for darkness teleportation magics and would aid in the stabilization of the complex and powerful portal he was building with his magic.
The room was silent aside from the bubbling archway, slowly forming from what looked like a pool of absolute black. The door of the chamber opened, and Tanisha stepped inside. Ingrid glanced at her from a book she was reading in the corner of the room. Loki was too engrossed in creating the portal to notice Tanisha enter.
The girl had purposely waited until Bjorn was asleep to confront the anti-magic mage alone. She wasn¡¯t going to do anything drastic; she knew that if Ingrid wanted to, she could kill her in a second. She just knew this was something she had to do by herself.
Tanisha hadn¡¯t used the seier to suppress her emotions like she did with maya before the evolution. The extreme emotions she had to force herself to feel to create her new core soured her opinion of the ability. So when she saw the woman and the man who caused her and her friends so much pain, she had to take calming breaths to keep from doing something regretful. She didn¡¯t even look at Loki; she didn¡¯t trust herself to not lash out at him. Instead, she beelined to Ingrid, who sat cross-legged at a coffee table.
Ingrid didn¡¯t look up at Tanisha as she approached. The woman casually turned the page in her book as if the girl didn¡¯t matter. Tanisha stopped right in front of the snowfallen woman and towered over her mother, who looked even smaller in comparison while sitting down. After her transformation, Tanisha had grown a foot taller, making her closer to Joha than the five-foot-ten woman.
Ingrid sighed after a moment, ¡°Can I help you, demon?¡±
Tanisha wrapped her tail around the book and threw it across the room. Ingrid lowered her hands that a moment before were holding the book that was apparently far more interesting than Tanisha. The woman didn¡¯t look up; she kept her head down, and her raven hair covered her face.
¡°You don¡¯t even care about the pain you caused, do you? You are just upset your crazy genocide didn¡¯t go according to plan,¡± Tanisha said through gritted teeth.
¡°Demon. I. Suggest. You. Leave,¡± Ingrid bit off each venom-filled word.
¡°Or what? Are you going to kill me? You already tried,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°Your whole fucking army tried; your Hand tried. But after all that, look who is still here. Is it me or Thyra?¡±
Ingrid looked up at Tanisha for the first time. It disarmed her for a second how red and puffy Ingrid¡¯s face was, and it was apparent she had been crying. Her expression quickly changed to anger the longer Tanisha stood over her, but there was no fight in the former Sword of the Salstars.
Tanisha was off balance; this was not what she expected from the woman who always told her those with power had every right to do as they pleased. Ingrid believed a person is only as important as the power they wielded, the men and women they controlled, and the land they could dominate. Yet now she was a pathetic husk; she lost one battle and was crumbling.
Tanisha¡¯s heart pounded as she fought the urge to strike the woman. She was almost sure that if she wanted to, she could wrap her hands around Ingrid¡¯s neck, and Ingrid would just let it happen. This woman had torn apart her life, uprooting everything as she was finally living a life she could be happy in. This was the woman who started a pointless battle that killed innocent people, that killed Helena. She felt hatred bubbling inside her, but seeing Ingrid like this, so broken and defeated.
¡°What do you want from me, demon?¡± Ingrid asked, her voice softer than Tanisha had ever heard it. ¡°You want to kill me? Now is your best chance. Loki can¡¯t move from that spot while channeling so much mana. I am already dead, anyway. So, go ahead, what else is there for a broken sword like me?¡±
Tanisha pushed Ingrid out of her chair, and the former noblewoman clattered to the ground. The action activated her Identify ability.
Identify
Name: Ingrid Salstar
Species: Wendigo
Level: 317
Vocation: Sealing and Binding Warmage
Highest Stat: Magic: 1000+
It was so pathetic that Tanisha just grew angrier. She opened and closed her fists, struggling to hold herself back from summoning her daggers and getting it over with. Her anger continued rising as the ambient mana, ordinarily invisible, streamed as glittering sparkles. It circled her, creating a ring and then an event horizon as power flooded into her. The tattoos on Tanisha¡¯s body started to glow and move as if alive.
Ringularity Sage Core
Seier cost: Variable
Chaos, mana, maya, and aether compose the inner workings of your soul. Their coalescence in one body created seier, an energy seeking to uncover the nature of the world around it. You can control all aspects that make up your core. Exerting your will over seier controls mana, maya, and aether. You can use tools from any of the energies that make up your core. You will briefly dominate mana, maya, and aether outside your body and use ambient energies for your arcane machinations.
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I have been through so much pain; all of my life, I was an outcast, and she is just¡ªjust giving up after one setback? How could she? I bled, I struggled, I fought for everything.
The cernunnos¡¯ eyes glowed with a golden light as her gaze sharpened. The magical imbalance in the room started affecting Loki, who grunted as he struggled to correct the rapidly destabilizing ambient mana around his unfinished portal. If he failed, it wouldn¡¯t just cause the portal to disappear. No, with the amount of mana he had poured into the spell over days, destabilizing now meant an eruption. It was likely that the compressed darkness magic would quickly destroy this wing of the Fort Palace. Tanisha didn¡¯t care; she could barely see anything beyond the poor excuse for a mother in front of her. She had to force herself to step back from the former noblewoman.
¡°You don¡¯t get to give up!¡± Tanisha said, her voice trembling with anger. ¡°You don¡¯t get to take the easy way out. You get to live with everything you lost. Your name, nobility, status, marriage when Ulfar learns about this debacle.¡±
Ingrid looked up with dull, lifeless eyes. ¡°I know. If you were seeking to make me plead for my life, you won¡¯t get any satisfaction.¡±
Tanisha took another step back as the room grew ever so slightly wobblier. Her tail flicked back and forth in agitation. The woman before her was not the influential, unyielding figure she had always known. Ingrid was stripped of everything and reduced to a shell of her former self. Tanisha wanted to hate her and see her suffer, but the First Princess had already stolen that pleasure.
Tanisha¡¯s voice was soft but as cold as a winter¡¯s gravestone. ¡°And you called me a failure. I pray you have a short life, and for your sake, we never meet again.¡±
Ingrid looked up at Tanisha, her eyes widening as she recalled the last time she heard those words. Tanisha knew she would; it was the last thing her father said to her when they left her for dead. Ingrid just watched and did nothing to help as her daughter was bleeding out on the ground. When Tanisha cursed her family, she wished every unspeakable evil upon them.
¡°Freja?¡± Ingrid asked.
Tanisha was gone before Ingrid even finished saying her name. She activated her Arcane Shift and teleported to the hallway outside the room. Then twice more down two floors of the Fort Palace for good measure. After the last Arcane Shift, she collapsed, punched the ground, and screamed. The wooden floor splintered, and the stone beneath cracked. Luckily, no one was around, as she failed to compose herself and punched three more times. The walkway was all but wrecked by the time she was done.
The floor glowed, and a magic circle flashed for a split second where the damaged section of the floor was. Tanisha could feel the ambient mana get sucked into the magic circle, and after a few seconds, the damage was gone as if it had never happened.
Tanisha stood, and tears came to her eyes. She tried to hold them back, but they just kept coming. She leaned against the wall, then slid down to her butt. She curled up with her knees drawn into her chest and cried.
Tanisha felt better the next day after being confirmed that Ingrid and Loki were officially gone. She was in the banquet hall, and she and Bjorn were both eating some of the most delicious steak she had ever tasted. Bjorn seemed kind of out of it, too. His emotions were probably as frazzled as hers, so she decided it would be a good time to do something away from the palace.
¡°Tanisha,¡± Tyr¡¯s voice caught her attention.
Tyr was holding Lif, his baby sister, trying to get the little girl to stop fussing so he could feed her. He looked like he was struggling, so Tanisha came to his rescue. She had little experience with babies but knew how to hold and feed them well enough. Lif seemed to like her, and Tyr had been bringing her to Tanisha when he couldn¡¯t get her to stop crying. After a few seconds, she finally rocked the little girl into a comfortable enough rhythm for her to take her bottle.
¡°Thank the Forest Father,¡± Tyr said exasperatedly. ¡°I have been trying to get her to eat all day.¡±
¡°You were holding her wrong,¡± Tanisha said while showing him the right way. ¡°Where is Eydis? Is she still not getting out of bed?¡±
¡°I have tried, but ever since the funeral, she¡¡± Tyr paused, deciding on a different line of conversation. ¡°Are you and Joha still leaving?¡±
¡°Yeah, after everything the First Princess promised me as a reward,¡± Tanisha responded. ¡°Joha doesn¡¯t want to get drawn into another conflict, and I agree.¡±
¡°You all are going to Mesha?¡± Tyr worded it like a question.
¡°That is the plan. I have a human friend from there, too.¡±
¡°You¡ªyou could stay here, though. I can pay you for your services as an alchemist, and as I rebuild the Isi¡¡± His voice trailed off. ¡°Look, you are just as much a part of us as anyone. Everyone would be dead if you, Joha, Helina, and Owen weren¡¯t there for us. Even as a vassal of First Princess Sigrun, I would rather have you here, too.¡±
¡°Vassal, eh? You took her up on her offer,¡± Tanisha said with a genuine smile. ¡°That¡¯s good; I was worried you wouldn¡¯t.¡±
¡°It would have been a bad idea not to. If¡ªehem¡ªwhen Her Majesty becomes Queen, I am guaranteed nobility. It is what my father and grandfather always wanted for us. For the Isi to gain nobility through our ability and dedication to Yuhia.¡±
¡°I wish it were so simple for me,¡± Tanisha said with a longing smile. ¡°But if what Joha said about things coming after me and Bjorn is true, I can¡¯t stay here. I would only draw more and more problems to you and the Isi.¡± Tanisha looked down at Lif in her arms. The toddler had quickly fallen asleep. ¡°Joha is going to train me to be stronger, but I have a long way to go to even be on Thyra¡¯s level.¡± Tanisha handed the sleeping Lif back to Tyr. ¡°It¡¯s not like I will be gone forever¡ªa decade or two, then I will be back.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll hold you to it,¡± Tyr said.
¡°You better. Oh, and Bjorn and I are going into town. You want to come?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Let me get her to bed and get one of the maids to watch her, and sure,¡± Tyr responded, then squinted his eyes in suspicion. ¡°Wait, are you going to the herbal shop again?¡±
¡°It was on the list, yes,¡± Tanisha said sheepishly. ¡°But there are other places too.¡±
¡°Last time I went with you there, we were there all day, and you got me roped into helping you and Drew with a potion. By the time we were done, we just happened not to have enough time to go to the other locations on this list,¡± Tyr said with air quotes on the word list.
¡°No-no, there are others,¡± Tanisha swore with a salesman¡¯s smile. ¡°And you already said you would help¡ I mean, come with me.¡±
Tyr sighed, ¡°Fine, but we are going to the other places first.¡±
WM [10] Final Days
Things around the palace were hectic for those in charge as the new administration had to reorganize how the city and domain would be run. Tanisha wasn¡¯t a part of any of those meetings or decisions, but the maids and servants loved to gossip. The Tujewli Family would split, and the heir and his wife would start a new noble lineage. Soon, the domain would be the Jewel Domain under the brand-new Jewel Noble House.
¡°I heard that the city will be turned into a Free Economic Zone,¡± a maid said.
¡°I never heard of that before, but it sounds fancy,¡± another maid whispered.
Tanisha decided her time would be better spent preparing for her trip to the Mesha. The trip would take about a month not counting the towns they would stop in to sell goods. The young woman didn¡¯t take long to slip into a new routine.
She spent more time than she should have in Drew¡¯s Herbal Emporium. She had to reintroduce herself as Sif since, like everyone else, he thought she was a different person. After that, she justified the hours she spent there because, of course, she needed to learn as much as possible if she was going to be a traveling alchemist. Not to mention, with the gold she got from the Princess, she could probably buy everything in his shop besides some truly legendary and practically one-of-a-kind draughts he had.
Physical training never stopped, even when they were in hiding. Training breathing, flexibility, combat, and magic was a routine. The days in the palace stretched on as she began to learn the next form of the Way of the Rakshasa. She was still a novice of the third form, AgniKavach, the Fire Armor, but Joha explained that mastery came from seeing the weaknesses of each form and filling that gap with the other forms. One of the biggest problems with AgniKavach was the lack of offensive options, which she desperately needed when she fought Thyra.
The second form, VritraVajra, the Thunder Dragon, would fill in some of that gap. They were both defensive forms, but where AgniKavach was about taking damage and pushing through it with unbeatable defense, VritraVajra was about redirecting that damage back at the opponent, using the enemies¡¯ momentum, movements, and magic against them. The second form was more free-flowing than the restrictive and tight movements of the third form. Joha was trying to teach her to do the opposite of what she had been learning.
On top of that, Tanisha found a new problem. Her center of balance had changed since she was taller, and apparently, her tiara was more extensive and, therefore, heavier. Now, when she was learning forms, she also had to follow Joha¡¯s intricate tail movements without thinking about it. The ground became Tanisha¡¯s best but unwanted friend during each combat training session.
¡°Ouch!¡± Tanisha exclaimed as she hit the ground hard.
Bjorn fell beside her a moment later. The two had been tossed nearly half the length of the training field.
¡°Your teamwork has improved,¡± Joha said as red maya slowly disappeared from around him.
¡°Why doesn¡¯t it seem like it?¡± Tanisha complained as she picked herself off the ground and rubbed her aching back. ¡°We haven¡¯t been able to hit you once.¡±
¡°And yet you managed to defeat a Hand I would have had trouble with,¡± Joha said matter-of-factly.
¡°That was more luck than anything.¡±
¡°Well, let¡¯s see if we can replicate that luck. Are there any changes to your numbers on your mental projection magic?¡±
¡°Huh, I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t checked it in a while. One second, let me do that,¡± Tanisha said as she opened her status menu.
Status Menu
Name: Tanisha Scalebound
Species: Cernunnos
Level: 32
Vitality: 50
Restoration: 45
Constitution: 100
Willpower: 130
Strength: 55
Dexterity: 80
Stamina: 48
Seier: 470
Seier Regeneration: 35 + 200 = 235 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 3
Skills Analysis
Delta Familiar Contract:
You are bonded with a Delta-class familiar. You gain +100 to seier regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions through your bond. Your bond is resilient against outside influences and cannot be forcibly severed by outside parties. Your familiar¡¯s life expectancy is extended by five years.
Hard Air Constructs:
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Low cost, two seier. Speak the words of power and create seier air constructs. Form air constructs into any shape, interacting with the world, acting out the caster¡¯s will. (II) Medium cost, six seier. Air constructs with darker aspects of seier to burn any that oppose you. (III) High cost, 16 seier. Constructs will become invisible and silent.
Ringularity Sage Core:
Seier cost: Variable
Chaos, mana, maya, and aether compose the inner workings of your soul. Their coalescence in one body created seier, an energy seeking to uncover the nature of the world around it. You can control all aspects that make up your core. Exerting your will over seier controls mana, maya, and aether. You can use tools from any of the energies that make up your core. Your will can dominate mana, maya, and aether outside your body for a short distance, and you can use ambient energies for your arcane machinations.
Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle:
Seier cost: Variable
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.(I) Low seier cost per minute. Seier will inundate your muscles and bones with the power to increase your physical attributes temporarily. (II) Medium seier cost per minute. The Marks of Seier greatly enhance unarmed strikes. Unarmed punches and kicks will produce a seier shockwave, increasing the range of unarmed strikes a short distance. (III) High seier cost per minute. The energies within you grant the ability of arcane shift to teleport up to five yards.
Sage Soul Forge:
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Use seier to alter and twist existing spell forms connected to your Ringularity Core. (II) Unknown. Unknown. (III) Unknown. Unknown. Unknown.
Divination Hydromancy:
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Create seier constructs with liquid attributes or condense water from the atmosphere, and control water from a water source. Exerting control over water allows you to change its state and temperature with ease. (II) Alter the properties of water to cause it to glow. Only those you choose can see the light produced. (III) Water in any state will condense into a blast of highly pressurized water. You maintain control of water even after it is fired, allowing it to change trajectory and home in on enemies.
Venomous Fang:
You have felt the venom of your Familiar; it now courses through your veins. Your saliva carries a necrotic venom. As this is a shared natural ability, you cannot level this ability by any means but through communing with your familiar. This ability is tied to your familiar; should your familiar die or reject your bond, you will lose this ability.
Poison Breath:
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
Hydra Fire:
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
Poison Infusion:
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
Queen of Reptiles:
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
Page 2 of 3
Her stats hadn¡¯t changed since she killed Thyra, and she gained ten levels after that battle. When Bjorn bit her, it counted as communing with him, although that was not typically how communing worked. Communing was supposed to be some familiar magic ritual she would have to perform. The problem was, since he wasn¡¯t an Iota familiar, the magic wouldn¡¯t work. She was alone when finding out what would count as communing with him.
Tanisha sighed, ¡°Bjorn, you ready?¡±
Bjorn wrote on the ground with his paw, ¡°Ready!¡±
Tanisha smiled since he had been improving with writing, although it was still pretty rudimentary. She got into her fighting stance with the second form, low to the ground with her arms spread apart. Her seier flowed from her mouth as she activated Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle.
***
Owen was out of his room for the first time since the funeral. He never thought he would have to say goodbye to his wife. Tanisha came by every chance she got to talk with him or spend time with Wyatt and Caleb, but he found it hard to get out of bed in the morning.
He was going to give it his best shot. Joha and Tanisha were leaving, and she wanted them to see her off. He rubbed his tired eyes and stood up. His body felt heavy, and he wanted nothing more than just to sit back down and say, ¡°fuck it,¡± but Helena wouldn¡¯t let him be that lazy, and he knew that.
¡°Up-up.¡± He grunted as his feet touched the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s see our little firebug off.¡±
***
Bjorn watched as Tanisha said goodbye to everyone outside of the Fort Palace. He was surprised that even the First Princess and the Hands attended their sendoff. The Isi showed en masse, members who were not in the inner city during the attack. Friends and family of those that were killed, even town guards that would have been under suspicion had the First Prince and Salstars won the city.
The princess presented Tanisha with a bracelet and did the same for Joha. They were some storage devices given the magic that Bjorn could taste in the air, similar to Tanisha¡¯s necklace from the Isi.
¡°Are you sure, your majesty? You have already given us so much,¡± Tanisha questioned.
¡°I am. Please be safe on your journey,¡± Sigrun said. ¡°You both are friends of my faction. If you travel to any domain with nobles loyal to my ascension to the throne, show them these, and they will treat you as honored guests.¡±
Tanisha and Joha thanked her, and she quickly left to take care of other matters. It was also so everyone could relax. She knew her presence would only make things formal when this moment was emotional for many people. Most of them had come to see Joha and Bjorn off, as many people did not know that Sif was Tanisha. They thought she was another demon and Joha¡¯s partner, which helped keep the fact that she was an evolved greater wendigo a secret.
Tyr was one of the few people who knew Sif was Tanisha, and the two hugged before it was finally time to go. A brand new wagon and horses were ready for the trip. Bjorn tasted a scent he hadn¡¯t in a few days when he flicked his tongue. Owen, Caleb, and Wyatt all walked through the crowd. The two boys instantly ran up to Bjorn and hugged him first, only because he was the closest, then Tanisha, and finally Joha, who picked them up.
¡°Glad I caught ya before ya left,¡± Owen said with a smile.
¡°Owen, I am glad you made it too,¡± Tanisha responded teary-eyed.
¡°Well, bend down so I can give you a proper hug,¡± Owen said while motioning with one hand for Tanisha to get closer. ¡°You have gotten too tall.¡±
Tanisha smiled and happily bent down and, for the first time, could return the goblin¡¯s gesture of closeness by wrapping her tail around him as Helena had done for her so many times. She could hear the goblin sniffle, so she nuzzled him a bit, which was the wendigo¡¯s expression of closeness. Bjorn decided to join in and nuzzled them both.
Owen eventually broke out of the emotional support soup and quickly wiped his face. He coughed and blinked a few times to clear his eyes as he walked to Joha, who was setting down the boys.
¡°Joha, take care of yourself and that little troublemaker,¡± Owen said, he as he reached out his hand for Joha to grasp and nudged his head toward Tanisha.
¡°Hey!¡± she said with mock hurt.
Joha took the open palm in a firm shake. ¡°I will, friend, and you take care of yourself too.¡±
¡°So, this is your new wagon?¡± Owen asked. ¡°Looks pretty good, although it is a little low for you, Tanisha.¡±
¡°Oh, that is not my wagon,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°I am keeping my old one that just had it repaired and repainted.¡± A box appeared in Tanisha¡¯s hand. ¡°That is yours. I know your old one was destroyed in the raid, so I wanted to ensure that my favorite goblin merchant had a replacement and that he and his family were taken care of.¡± Tanisha handed Owen the box but stopped him from opening it by placing her hand over his. ¡°I want you to know, Owen, that whatever is in that box is yours. Don¡¯t try to give it back.¡±
Owen opened the box and nearly dropped it as his hands shook. ¡°Tanisha¡ I¡ I can¡¯t.¡±
¡°Yes, you can,¡± Tanisha said firmly, with a wink.
She closed the small box before Bjorn could see what was inside. The two hugged again, this time for longer. As they walked around Owen¡¯s new wagon, Tanisha¡¯s repaired merchant wagon and Joha¡¯s foreign one were both on the other side. Joha could store the whole wagon in his maya, and he had it the entire time. He was given a new horse, as he couldn¡¯t store living things, and his old one had either run off or died during the attack.
Everyone waved as Joha led the way out of the Fort Palace. Tanisha turned to Bjorn, who was curled up on the box seat. She modified it so he could sit up there with her until he grew to his larger size again. She petted him as her emotions were all over the place, to the point he couldn¡¯t read them through the bond, so he just nuzzled her a bit. Together, they said their goodbyes to the Fort City of Lavi.
WM [11] The Coming of The Greater Wendigo
Thorfinn didn¡¯t attend the going away party for the demons. He was busy cataloging the events of the battle with his magic. There was a limit to how far back in time he could see before the past became fuzzy for lack of a better word. He was running himself magically ragged, trying to make sure he recorded everything that happened and journaled it appropriately for the First Princess¡¯ review. After successfully chronicling the battle at the gatehouse, he worked his way backward.
The Patriarch was the focus of his investigation, so he followed them backward through time to the point where Tyr and his disciples and the survivors from the estate planned their assault on the gatehouse. There used to be an escape tunnel that they used to get quite a few of their people out before collapsing it. The odd thing wasn¡¯t that, though; it was the size of the chimera familiar. It was massive, easily large enough to carry a wagon, and after he saw further back in time, it did pull a wagon.
¡°What in the Infernal Planes?¡± Thorfinn questioned as he rubbed his chin.
He saw the original owner of the familiar, a woodentail wendigo girl. If he hadn¡¯t already been informed that she was the Shai daughter of the Salstar house, he would never have guessed she was a wizard. He could tell she was an arcanist from her fighting style, but she used water magic with decent efficacy. Something about her caught his attention, especially after she had pulled Joha to the side.
This form of divination magic was his creation. It allowed him to see into the past but not hear anything. However, when he saw the familiar write the word aether on the ground, he knew he had to start reading lips. The visions he projected, especially with it being a few weeks in the past, were cloudy, so to speak. He could make people out, but not with the level of detail that would allow him to read lips without focusing his magic entirely on the small group instead of the entire clearing.
¡°What were you three talking about?¡± Thorfinn said to himself as the magic disengaged.
He had to stop and restart the spell anytime he wanted to move it to cover a new space. It is what made chronicling the battles such a difficult thing to do. The magic wasn¡¯t simple, and he doubted anyone else could do it. At times like this, when he just needed to focus the spell, he wished he had an apprentice. Then, all he would need to do is stabilize the new zone.
¡°Well, in theory anyway,¡± he grumbled.
He replayed the conversation, positioning the crystals to form a triangle in the right spot so that only the three figures were in the divination magic. They came through as clearly as if he were standing next to them. He nearly dropped his notes when he started reading Freja¡¯s lips.
She mentioned that she was The Sage of the Infernal and explained how she was granted the ability to become a greater Wendigo. She had mental projection magic and skill sheets more commonly associated with cultivators. None of it made any sense. Why would the Salstars perform a Shiagaunt on the only Wendigo Sage for over two thousand years?
¡°That is not possible,¡± Thorfinn whispered in disbelief. ¡°But how would she know about the Herne Hunter? I am not even supposed to know about that.¡±
He stopped and rewound the conversation as many times as needed to ensure he transcribed every word. This was something he had to tell Sigrun about immediately. Freja was supposedly dead, or at least that¡¯s what was said to them by the... demon woman. Wait, he had only ever seen the demon woman during the battle at the gatehouse, not before. He didn¡¯t even see her in the clearing during the battle here before he shrunk the zone.
The demoness Sif had some features of the wendigo, namely the antlers, but she didn¡¯t feel like a wendigo to his or Sigrun¡¯s magical senses. Her maya didn¡¯t quite feel like maya either, which to him was like a blank space in the ambient mana around everyone else. Magic casters couldn¡¯t sense the enigmatic energy in the same way arcanists and demons couldn¡¯t sense mana. However, now that he thought about it, he had seen Sif cast spells with vocalizations, something that arcanists didn¡¯t do.
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¡°I won¡¯t be able to chronicle the battle at the Isi estate and follow this lead,¡± Thorfinn said to himself. ¡°I can¡¯t let this one go.¡± He looked at the frozen image of Freja. ¡°What are you?¡±
Thorfinn burst into the meeting room with a journal tightly clutched. Everyone turned to the commotion. First, Princess Sigrun, the new Lord of the Domain Erik Jewel, and his father Vidar Tujewli were in the middle of a discussion. He walked up to the First Princess and bowed his head. He did not know or frankly care what they were talking about; what he had to tell the Princess was the priority.
¡°What is it, Left Hand?¡± Sigrun said, seeing the urgency in his actions and body language.
¡°Your Majesty, I need to speak with you alone,¡± Thorfinn stated dutifully but with enough edge that she knew it was something that could not wait.
Vidar cut in. ¡°We were in the middle of¡ª¡±
Sigrun raised her hand, and he fell silent. ¡°I apologize, gentlemen, but we will have to reschedule this meeting until after I have spoken with my Hand.¡±
¡°Does this have something to do with the domain?¡± Erik questioned. ¡°Pardon me, Your Majesty, but I will have every right to know if that is the case.¡±
¡°This is a private matter for only the ears of the First Princess,¡± Thorfinn stated coldly. ¡°Watch yourself, Erik.¡±
¡°That is enough. Vidar, Erik, we will continue our conversation later,¡± Sigrun stated, with no room for them to rebut.
After the father and son pair left the room, the Princess offered Thorfinn a seat.
¡°They were more aggressive than normal,¡± Thorfinn said, thumbing back towards the door.
Sigrun smiled knowingly. ¡°Erik is just nervous about his new responsibilities. He will be in charge of one of the wealthiest domains in the Kingdom. Of course, I will be here for who knows how long. I am considering making this our home base. That is a conversation for another day. What news did you bring me?¡±
¡°We need to find Joha and Freja,¡± Thorfinn said with a grave tone, handing Sigrun his journal, his eyes never leaving her face.
¡°Freja the Shai? Wasn¡¯t she killed, according to Sif?¡± Sigrun asked, her voice tinged with curiosity as she began to read through the report. ¡°I don¡¯t see why finding her body would¡ª¡± Her eyes widened as she reached the part Thorfinn had been waiting for. ¡°What is this?¡±
Sigrun was quiet for a long time as her eyes darted across page after page with increased urgency. Thorfinn was sure not to disturb her as she flipped through the pages again. On the fourth read, she set down the document and tapped her temple with her right hand¡ªa telltale sign that she was deep in thought.
¡°Have you shown this to anyone?¡± Sigrun asked.
¡°No, of course not.¡±
The notebook abruptly caught fire and burned to ash in less than a second. Then, even the ash faded into oblivion. Thorfinn¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, but before he could react, Sigrun started to laugh. At first, it was a soft, disbelieving chuckle, but it grew louder and more hysterical. She leaned back in her chair and wiped a tear from her eye.
¡°I can¡¯t believe it. The coming of the Greater Wendigo Sage, and she just sat in front of us and let me call her a demon,¡± Sigrun said through residual giggles, shaking her head. ¡°The Salstar¡¯s greatest achievement, and they just threw her away. If they had known what she was... forget taking Lavi, she could have taken the throne.¡±
¡°What should we do?¡± Thorfinn asked.
¡°They have only been gone for a few days. Send word to the border to stop any demons that match her and Joha¡¯s description,¡± Sigrun commanded, her tone sharp and decisive. ¡°I will make her the crown jewel of my ascension to the throne of Yuhia before my brothers or sisters find out what she is.¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t that essentially make her a prisoner of the throne?¡±
¡°Prisoner is a harsh way of putting it, Thorfinn, I will give her a title befitting a greater wendigo, land, and have her marry my son. She will work with me to improve all wendigo. She said she was a cernunnos; I have not heard of that species, but the Forest Father has blessed us all. Let¡¯s make sure that blessing does not slip through our fingers.¡±
Thorfinn knew the First Princess would do whatever it took to secure her place on the throne of Yuhia. She was willing to fight for Lavi despite the death it would have wrought. One girl¡¯s freedom was a much smaller price to pay.
¡°Of course, Siggy,¡± Thorfinn said while he nodded along. ¡°I will send word immediately.¡±
¡°Good, and you know what? Send Signe to the border and have her secure it for my arrival,¡± Sigrun stated, her sorcery magic pulsing with her heart, growing brighter and more intense. ¡°Freja should come willingly since she has already helped our cause. Still, it will be better for me to convince her personally. We cannot lose her.¡±
Thorfinn stood up, bowed deeply, and walked to the door. ¡°As you wish.¡±
WM [12] A Hunting Excursion
The journey had been slow as the past few days were spent traveling the countryside. There were a few small villages they had to pass through, but most of the journey was spent on the road. Bjorn decided, since he could always sense where Tanisha was at all times, he would go hunting during the day while they traveled in the slow-moving convoy.
They would need the meat for the journey, and it would help him stay active and sharpen his hunting skill. More importantly, it would keep his mind off the fact that he still needed to relive more of his previous life¡¯s memories. He didn¡¯t want to think about the last thing he saw, but sitting with nothing left him with a lot of time for his mind to wander.
¡°Be back before sunset,¡± Tanisha called after him.
¡°Bring back something good,¡± Joha yelled.
Bjorn hissed loudly in response as he trotted off into the forest. It didn¡¯t take long before the sound of the wagons faded into the distance. He was left in the serene calm of practically untouched wilderness. He would be traveling vaguely in the direction of Tanisha so he wouldn¡¯t have to run too far to get back to her if she needed him or if he caught something significant.
¡°So, are we going to try to catch one of those horned things again?¡± Failsafe asked.
¡°Yep, but we''ll be quieter this time,¡± Bjorn responded.
Bjorn and Failsafe had no idea what the creatures they were after were called. It looked almost like a deer, but at the same time, it had two sets of horns instead of antlers. Bjorn tried to hunt them twice now, but both times he came up empty-handed. He quickly found that he was too used to stomping around the city and lost every bit of stealth he had.
The horned creatures would hear him coming long before he could hunt them. Chasing them was not possible because they were fast. After the first poor excuse for a hunt, Bjorn knew they were quicker than a normal animal should be, but it was Failsafe that noticed when they ran their forward-most horns glowed. They concluded that it was some animal magic shenanigan at play.
Regardless, the animals seemed plentiful in their area now, so it wasn¡¯t difficult to find them, especially since Bjorn could recognize the scent. He was trying to hunt them without using his breath attacks or letting Failsafe control one of the heads, as it seemed like it would be against the spirit of the challenge of his hunt. He needed to master slow and precise movement, utilizing all of his senses, which, since he had three heads, he could see, hear, and smell better than most creatures.
¡°There are some up ahead,¡± Failsafe whispered despite being in Bjorn¡¯s head.
¡°I know,¡± Bjorn replied with a thought.
¡°Go slowly.¡±
Bjorn was low to the ground as he slowly snaked around a tree. Heads focused on different things since Bjorn wanted to practice splitting his attention. His left head navigated the dense forest and ensured he wasn¡¯t about to step on any particularly crunchy sticks. The middle head watched the horned deer things grazing in the small meadow. Finally, his right head was in charge of scents and looking out for other things of interest. Bjorn knew he wasn¡¯t the only predator in the forest and would prefer not to be caught off guard.
¡°I know,¡± Bjorn said.
¡°We can probably fit around that bush up there; it would be a good ambush spot.¡±
Bjorn frustratedly responded, ¡°I know that is where we¡ª¡±
Failsafe cut him off. ¡°Oh, watch out for your antlers.¡±
Bjorn was so distracted that he failed to notice when his left head¡¯s antlers scraped against a bush and got partially tangled in the branches. The whole bush shook loudly which announced his presence as every one of the horned deer turned to face the noise. Bjorn had to decide right then and there, so he leaped at the closest one with all his might. It didn¡¯t matter, though, as his jaws snapped shut on empty air, and the deer ran off with impossible speed.
¡°Aw, and we were so close that time,¡± Failsafe said in frustration.
Bjorn watched the last shadows of the horned deer vanish into the brush with frustration. He growled as he forced Failsafe into his right head to have something physical he could direct his anger towards. Failsafe bobbed up and down happily once he realized he had control of a head, only to shrink back once he saw Bjorn¡¯s other two heads glaring at him.
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¡°I had that one; I didn¡¯t need the step-by-step narration!¡± Bjorn mentally projected his voice as his head both growled and hissed.
Failsafe shrunk even more. ¡°I was just trying to help.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t need it,¡± Bjorn growled.
¡°Okay. Sorry.¡±
Bjorn regained control of the head, feeling like he had gotten the point across. The construct was silent, and he could focus on his next target. His tongue tasted the air, and he quickly found something else he could hunt in the direction he needed to go. As he turned, he tasted blood in the air from a fresh kill and some magic he had not tasted before. He was curious to see what had happened, but it wasn¡¯t like the wendigo, and other predators didn¡¯t hunt either. He could take out a predator but didn¡¯t want the trouble of startling a wendigo hunting party, so he turned away and started tracking his next prey.
It was several hours of skulking around before Bjorn could find another target close enough to Tanisha to make it back before sundown. He wasn¡¯t sure what it was by scent, but it was close. He could see most of it from behind a tree when he passed through one final thicket. It had the back end of one of the horned deer, but it looked like The rest of its body was obscured, so he wasn¡¯t sure what it was doing.
Okay, second try!
Bjorn got as low to the ground as he could as he slowly snaked around the foliage and anything else that could give away his position. His tongues flicked out, and he was so close he could taste the creature¡¯s emotions. He knew that it was alert but unaware of his presence. Bjorn wanted to strike the creature¡¯s neck so he wouldn¡¯t have to use his venom. Then, something changed, and the beast seemed spooked. Bjorn could taste blood in the air again, and he could tell that the creature was getting ready to run.
It¡¯s now or never!
Identify
Name: None
Species: Unknown (Horned Deer)
Level: 7
Vocation: Forest Traffic Director
Bjorn nearly stopped when he saw the vocation of the horned deer, but he quickly disregarded it as a joke from Failsafe. He sprang forward and could see the exact moment the creature saw him. It nearly stumbled and tried to run away. It wasn¡¯t fast enough, even as its front horns lit up with animal magic. Bjorn grabbed on with his claws and quickly tore into its hide as he tackled the buck horned deer to the ground. The creature was no problem after that; Bjorn was easily stronger, and it was over once he had it pinned.
¡°Finally, I got one!¡± Bjorn said mentally.
Failsafe had no response, but Bjorn was too glad to notice. He bounced around in excitement at his first successful hunt of these creatures. He felt better that he didn¡¯t have to use his venom. All that was left now was somehow getting it back to Tanisha. The beast was larger than Bjorn, but with his strength and constitution, it was more about figuring out how to carry it than if he could.
¡°Do you think I should just drag it with my tail?¡± Bjorn asked, and this time, he waited for a response. ¡°Uh, hello, Failsafe?¡±
Bjorn could feel the magic construct within his core.
What¡¯s gotten into him?
Regardless, Bjorn decided on a course of action after several more attempts to get Failsafe to respond. He used his long tail to slide the creature onto his back like a large and warm backpack. He trudged along at a moderate pace but had to stop a few times to readjust the buck.
It wasn¡¯t long before Bjorn could hear Tanisha and Joha setting up camp for the night. They had traveled much further than he thought they would over the day, but the road was stone and quite large, so there weren¡¯t any obstacles for the horse-drawn carriages.
¡°So we''ll be in the next town tomorrow morning?¡± Tanisha¡¯s voice carried in the still night air. ¡°How can you tell where we are? Everything looks the same, and it¡¯s all flat and confusing. Not to mention, we are in the middle of a forest.¡±
¡°It can be tricky, so let¡¯s start with the basics,¡± Joha¡¯s voice was warm but deep as always. ¡°Look here. Do you see the road we are on? It is marked here in gray?¡±
¡°Yes, I see it,¡± Tanisha said with hesitation. ¡°But how can you tell where we are on the road? Or that you are holding it upright?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if you remember that stone marker we passed a few miles back. It had a symbol on it if you looked at it. It matches this one here; these represent landmarks.¡± Joha pointed to a series of symbols on the map. ¡°So that is right here. We traveled at a pretty consistent pace after that, so that places us right around here.¡±
Tanisha groaned but nodded her head slowly. ¡°I think I get it? But what about distances? How do you know we''ll make it to the next village tomorrow?¡±
¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± Joha smiled as he readily jumped into an explanation. ¡°This map has a scale. See this line here? It shows the distance. We estimate how far we¡¯ve traveled by comparing the landmarks we''ve passed to this scale. With practice, you¡¯ll get better at judging distances.¡±
Bjorn rustled through the last of the flora before he entered the camp. The horses looked at him but were unimpressed and went back to grazing. He found Joha and Tanisha shortly after; they were sitting around a campfire and waiting for him.
¡°I hope I get it soon, but something about maps just doesn¡¯t make sense to me.¡± She stood up once she saw Bjorn, and her face lit up. ¡°Big man, what did you catch?¡±
¡°That looks like a luminara horned buck. They are tricky to hunt. Good job.¡± Joha said.
¡°That means venison tonight!¡± Tanisha said happily. ¡°Did you use your venom or poison?¡± Bjorn shook his head, no, and Tanisha beamed. ¡°So, Joha, can you prepare the luminara? I''ll watch how it is done after I wash our hunter; he is covered in blood.¡±
¡°Sounds good to me.¡±
WM [13] Knives Are Not Wands
¡°How about this? I will do a bundle just for you,¡± Tanisha said with an award-winning smile. ¡°Since you need the draught of strength too. I will do it all for two and a half silver. You won¡¯t get that deal anywhere else.¡±
¡°Two and a quarter,¡± a night-hand wendigo man said.
Tanisha had been haggling with this man for a while. He was trying to be a tough sell, but this was reasonably relaxed compared to the people in Lavi, who were always in a hurry. In Lavi, hundreds of other merchants sold similar products if someone didn¡¯t like her prices. Here, she was the only alchemist, as the town only had an herbalist and an apothecary. The fact she had five platinum coins and over fifty gold also helped to settle her nerves.
Tanisha said with a clap, ¡°Two silver forty-five, lowest I¡¯ll go. You should see what the town herbalist can do if you need anything else. Although I am sure Bodil was here a few minutes ago and was looking for ingredients, I doubt she has anything. So, do we have a deal?¡±
The man tried to haggle a bit more but buckled and paid when Tanisha went up on the price instead of down.
¡°Thank you for your business,¡± Tanisha said.
Tanisha and Bjorn were in the town of Birchgrove. It was a larger settlement then they had been expecting but the fact it was on a through road to get to Lavi it should have been expected. The town was well defended with a stone wall that had some slight enchantments. It was definitely to keep out monsters and beast not for a prolonged assault from wizards or especially mages. The town also had the distinct architectural design closer to that of humans than wendigo. Structures were colorful and needlessly complex, at least much more so than was expected in a wendigo town.
Tanisha and Joha had to get permits to set up in the town, and the process took a day, so to make up for the registration cost and the day they lost, they decided to be there for the next week. So far, Tanisha and Joha had great business and couldn¡¯t complain. On the other hand, Bjorn looked bored out of his three heads. He would help with setting up and then sit around and watch.
Tanisha was loading her unsold potions back into their proper cases. ¡°Hmm. Joha, do you think there is something Bjorn can do around town?¡±
Joha rubbed his chin. ¡°I am not sure, no. Is something wrong?¡±
¡°No, I just kind of feel bad he just sits around and watches all day. I am sure he would rather not have to lay around me at a stand.¡±
¡°He can hunt.¡± Joha said with some more contemplation. ¡°Although I have noticed that wendigo don¡¯t seem to mind him walking around even alone. It was the same in Lavi when he was larger. Are wendigo just fine with large animals wandering around unattended?¡±
¡°Sometimes I forget that you can¡¯t sense mana. Umm, people can sense a familiar and at what stage of their familiar bond they are. Anyone that has any sensitivity to mana should be able to tell the difference between a wild animal and a familiar.¡±
¡°Then he can run errands and hunt when you don¡¯t need anything. We can pick up some paper, so if you send him to buy something, he can take the list with him.¡±
¡°That would work for most things, but I would still have to go to the herbalist myself,¡± Tanisha turned to Bjorn. ¡°How does that sound, Big Man?¡±
Bjorn hissed his agreement and wrote out, great, in the dirt at his feet. Tanisha smiled; he was getting better with his spelling. She corrected him a little and nuzzled him to encourage him to continue trying. She couldn¡¯t believe how fast he was improving and resolved to continue teaching him how to read and write Valish. He could do simple sentences in dirt, but his hands weren¡¯t designed to hold a writing utensil.
The inn Tanisha and Joha were staying at was quaint and cozy. The proprietor was an old human and his wife was a woodentail wendigo. It was unusual that a wendigo and human would be together but not unheard of. The biggest challenge came with the large difference in lifespan. There was also the issue that humans and wendigo can¡¯t have children together.
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The inn was nice but not the nicest in the town by a long shot. Despite the windfall in funds they received from the princess, Joha firmly believed in not spending more than they made in a day. Especially when a bed is a bed, no matter where they slept. Tanisha couldn¡¯t help but agree; she would be fine sleeping outside on a rock, thanks to her constitution.
Tanisha sat cross-legged on the floor of her room and leaned back onto Bjorn¡¯s side. He was curled around her as she read and showed him the corresponding words. She only had one of her textbooks from the academy that wasn¡¯t specifically on alchemy. This was a general overview of magical implements and brief histories of their creations. It ranged from Spellcraft to alchemy equipment and everything in between if mana was somehow involved.
Tanisha read. ¡°Wands are an essential magical implement that acts as a medium to control and alter spellforms. They allow mana to be more easily controlled through a series of movements, adding a physical element to a magical effect that splits the load of magical strain on the mind.
¡°Sj¨® found that to create a medium, a material that is conductive to mana must be properly prepared before saturation, and the representation of a mage¡¯s core must be carved onto the item. The more directly the mage can carve the wand themselves with their mana, the closer their connection with the medium. In this way, it is similar to prana and how they must bind a part of their essence to their weapon.¡±
Tanisha stopped reading, which caused Bjorn¡¯s three heads to look at her in confusion. She pet him and smiled as she contemplated a little longer.
¡°I didn¡¯t know about this part,¡± Tanisha said to the curious Bjorn. ¡°I thought wands could be generally used after they were properly inscribed to make them mana conductive. Staffs too, although those are usually for amplifying magical effects. Staffs can have a certain amount of spells resonated into its structure so a mage can activate them without the need to vocalize the spell.¡± She stopped her explanation for a moment. ¡°Ragnar has a staff, I wonder what spells he has in it? Anyway staff are less versatile but far greater at channeling magic. Oh, I wonder.¡±
She opened her hand before her, and one of her twin daggers appeared. She looked over the blade at the runes in the spine. From what she knew, they seemed pretty standard for spell-casting implements. They weren¡¯t specialized to her core or anything like that.
These aren¡¯t real wands, though; the one I had before was a training wand from when I was little.
She ran her seier through the weapon, and the runes lit up, but now that she was paying attention to it, she could tell that the blades were a poor conduit for her new power. Most of the seier slid by the blade without amplification or using it as a medium. It was better than casting by hand, but not by much.
Tanisha pressed her lips in frustration, then looked at Bjorn, who had shifted to get a better look. ¡°It said in the book that a mage can carve the wand themselves with their mana. Do you think I should try with my seier?¡± Bjorn hissed affirmatively. ¡°Yeah, I thought you would.¡±
Tanisha read a few more paragraphs in the section, although there wasn¡¯t anything on how the process worked since the book was mainly a general overview. She sighed at her lack of information and decided to give it a shot. She channeled her seier, which this time appeared closer to that of a silver-gold mana.
She slowly forced her power into the weapon without letting any of it spill out. She assumed saturation in the book meant this. The weapon started to glow brighter from the infused power. She observed the blade for any changes, but nothing seemed to be happening. She pushed in a little more, and the glow intensified. Suddenly, Bjorn swatted the weapon from her hands, where it slid across the floor.
¡°What was that for?¡± Tanisha asked frustratedly as she was about to stand up to get the weapon when Bjorn stopped her. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±
The blade exploded with a loud bang! Most of the shrapnel went flying into the far wall. Residual seier unraveled violently into its base components of mana, maya, and aether, all of which vanished quickly. Tanisha rubbed her ears, which rang after the explosion.
¡°What in the Infernal Planes?¡± Tanisha groaned as she pulled a metal shard from her arm. ¡°Are you okay, Big Man?¡±
After checking on Bjorn and then herself, Joha entered her room and was already on high alert. He saw the black mark on the floor and half the blade of her dagger sticking through the wall.
Joha raised an eyebrow and questioned. ¡°Uhh? Is everything okay?¡±
Tanisha, after she saw the mess her little experiment caused, blushed. ¡°Yes, just a little magical accident. We are fine, and I will have to pay for the damages to the room, though.¡±
¡°I see that,¡± Joha said while inspecting the glowing knife fragments from the doorway. ¡°What happened?¡±
¡°I found out that knives are not wands.¡±
Joha looked out of the room when he heard footsteps. ¡°Looks like the owners are coming right now. I would put on your best merchant¡¯s face if I were you.¡±
WM [14] Help When Needed
There was a small monster-hunting group in the town. They would clear monsters in the area and sell the carcasses. Monsters were uniquely different from normal animals, even magic beasts. Monsters were not natural; they came from the corrupted lands, places of such high ambient magic that the landscape was in constant flux.
Yuhia had no corrupted land, but plenty was outside the kingdom¡¯s borders. Monsters that crossed the border were hunted down and killed. The monster hunters in the town weren¡¯t a permanent group but human mercenaries. They had an exclusive contract with the city, so anyone who wanted to hunt monsters in the surrounding area had to have their approval.
Bjorn and Tanisha were on their way to the mercenary outpost so they could register Bjorn and he could hunt in the area. The town was quiet this early in morning; the sun barely rose over the horizon, and even the morning birds were waking up.
¡°Failsafe, are you still ignoring me?¡± Bjorn asked.
Failsafe whispered, ¡°You never apologized.¡±
¡°Apologized for what¡ªyou are mad about the hunting thing?¡± Bjorn said in disbelief.
¡°I was just trying to help.¡±
Bjorn breathed out his frustration from all of his noses. ¡°You know what, you''re right. I was being unfair. In the future, though, how about this: if we are hunting, let me do it on my own so I can learn. You keep a lookout for threats to us, deal?¡±
¡°That was a terrible apology. Okay, I agree but with my metaphysical arms crossed.¡±
¡°Great to hear, buddy. Not the arms thing.¡±
¡°There it is, I think?¡± Tanisha said as she pointed to a building near the town¡¯s wall. ¡°That is where the innkeeper said it would be.¡± Tanisha was far less confident.
The building looked terrible, as if it had been knocked down several times and rebuilt with whatever scraps remained. There wasn¡¯t even a door, just an open frame that led into darkness. A man stood outside the door with a boar spear and watched as Bjorn and Tanisha approached.
¡°G''day, miss. Watch yer step,¡± the man said with a smirk.
¡°Good morning, thanks,¡± Tanisha said as she passed the man.
The inside of the decrepit-looking building was surprisingly lovely. So much so that Bjorn wanted to walk back outside to see if they had entered a different building. He nearly tripped when the first step was a step-down, which he had not expected. He caught himself, but not before Tanisha noticed him freak out for a second and giggled to herself.
¡°He said watch your step, Big Man.¡± Tanisha covered her mouth poorly, hiding her laughter.
¡°Ah, guests this early? That is a surprise.¡± A man said from behind a desk. ¡°Welcome, I am Robert Smith, the official Registrar of the Jackrabbits.¡±
Identify
Name: Robert Smith
Species: Human
Level: 70
Vocation: Chakra Pugilist (Retired)
Robert was all silver up top, but his beard retained some of its red color. From what Bjorn could tell, he was in his late sixties and seemed friendly enough. The room was well furnished with file cabinets, a refreshments and waiting area and even a chandelier. This room looked to be the only place they renovated however as Bjorn could see into one of the adjacent rooms and it was as destroyed as the outside appeared.
¡°Jackrabbits?¡± Tanisha questioned as her eyes looked around.
¡°The name of our monster hunting company. Don¡¯t worry about the state of the building,¡± Robert said preemptively. ¡°We only needed one room for my office inside the town per our agreement with the town hall. If you''re looking for the monster hunters hired by the city, you''ve found us. How can I help you today?¡±
So they did this to be as cheap as possible? Bjorn thought.
¡°Uh, okay,¡± Tanisha was also thrown off by the information but quickly righted herself. ¡°I want my familiar to be able to hunt in the area. I was told I needed to come here first.¡±
¡°Yes, of course, we can do that. Will you be joining him on the hunts as well?¡± Robert asked.
Tanisha nodded. ¡°Yes, but just for today to see the process. He is intelligent and can do it on his own after that.¡±
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Robert looked at Bjorn for a moment. ¡°A hydra, eh? Looks like he¡¯s a mixed breed between the Britax Plane hydra and an aquatic northern blue hydra. Three heads that young? You both must have been through a lot.¡± He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as both Bjorn and Tanisha tensed up. ¡°I''m surprised you have one; they aren¡¯t common in the region. He¡¯s the only one I''ve seen for a long time. The antlers are new. Is that from the bond with a wendi©`you¡¯re not a wendigo, are you?¡±
Tanisha responded promptly. ¡°No, my species just happens to look similar. You¡¯ve seen other hydras?¡±
¡°Ah, yes,¡± Robert responded with a chuckle. ¡°There isn¡¯t a magical beast on this continent I haven¡¯t at least heard about. Hydras and dragons are among the few that we run from. We figured it was better to retreat than to get burned to a crisp or poisoned and die slowly over a few hours. Your hydra is still a pup; he''ll get much bigger and probably grow a few more heads. I''ve seen some with only three heads, but that¡¯s rare, especially with him being a mixed breed.¡±
¡°You¡¯re okay with him being a hydra?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Yes, of course. He¡¯s a powerful familiar. I wish I could form familial bonds. Infernal Planes, I would gladly take a hydra or two. I heard that there¡¯s a noble family here where every member has a dragon familiar. That¡¯s crazy, obviously not true, but could you imagine?¡±
Tanisha looked away at that. ¡°Nope. Sounds far-fetched.¡±
¡°Anyway, you said you wanted to hunt. Have you ever hunted monsters before?¡±
¡°We killed a steel wolf, his pack, and a troll.¡±
¡°Those are magic beasts. The troll is closer to monsters, though.¡± Robert¡¯s demeanor turned all business. ¡°The registration fee is two silver, non-negotiable. Since this is your first hunt, I can get you an escort. His name is Alfred. The escort gets fifty percent of any monster corpse payout. If you don¡¯t find anything today, you¡¯ll pay him three silver for his instruction. I¡¯ll hold his three silver here, so if any...¡± he paused to find the right word, ¡°...unfortunate accidents were to happen, and you can¡¯t pay, he still gets the money.¡±
¡°Or if he runs off and leaves me, I get a refund,¡± Tanisha added, and Robert nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± She handed the man five silver.
The registrar placed the money on his desk and pulled out a document. He and Tanisha signed it and she was given directions to the mercenary camp, along with a sealed letter. They were set up outside the town to respond quickly to monsters entering the area. Tanisha thanked him, and the duo left the small faux-office building.
¡°Well, at least we know you''ll be getting more heads sooner or later,¡± Tanisha said.
Bjorn had already figured as much. After all, he had already seen his mother; she was the Queen of a Thousand Heads, not the Queen of Three Noggins. He wondered what would happen if he met a wild lesser hydra. Would they also be afraid of him, or would his King of Reptiles skill do something else to them? Maybe he could control them, or they would see him as an alpha or something. He really wanted to find out, but that was an experiment for another day.
The Jackrabbit camp was a mile from the town, and Bjorn could smell it long before they arrived. The camp smelled of blood and decay along with the tang of fires and ironworking. The camp was far more impressive than the little collapsed building they had in town. Wooden walls and guard towers surrounded the burgeoning settlement, and a notable amount of goods looked to be coming and going.
Bjorn and Tanisha weren¡¯t stopped from entering the front gate. They saw permanent structures erected inside, making it into a small village. Monster hunters, leather workers, smiths, healers, and even inns and restaurants were all inside the camp, which by all definitions should be called a village by this point. The establishments looked to be run by members of the town and the Jackrabbits.
Most of the people here were human, but not all. There was a good number of wendigo and a smattering of elves and goblins. Unlike the town, which was still sleepy at this point, the Jackrabbits camp was full of life. Tanisha led Bjorn to the building Robert had described. Before Tanisha could touch the door, a man was suddenly thrown out and hit the ground on his back at her feet. The two jumped out of the way as the man rolled over to his side.
Identify
Name: Kevin Horner
Species: Human
Level: 18
Vocation: Prana Bowman
Kevin looked young, early twenties at most. He was thin but had a good build meant for combat. His face was red with anger as he punched the ground and stared daggers at the doorway.
¡°I told you, if you¡¯re gonna work here, you listen to what the fuck I say!¡± A second man said as he lowered his foot from a blatant kick and stepped out the door. ¡°Get the fuck out of here before you get yourself or a squad killed. I don¡¯t want to see you around here again!¡±
Identify
Name: Alfred Quarter
Species: Human
Level: 50
Vocation: Prana Iron Netcaster
Alfred was far better put together than the young man, but he reeked of alcohol. He was in casual clothing, a tunic and harem pants. His long raven hair almost completely covered his eyes. Someone handed him something, and he pulled back his hair and quickly tied it into a ponytail.
¡°You''re going to pay for that, Alfred!¡± Kevin said as he stood up and held out his hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have the fuckin'' right to kick me out!¡±
Alfred stepped to the side as a longbow flew through the air from the building and into Kevin¡¯s open hand. He rose to one knee and nocked an arrow in a smooth motion.
¡°You sure you wanna do that, Kevin?¡± Alfred asked with a smirk. ¡°We can go there if you want. If you could shoot worth a damn, maybe I wouldn¡¯t be kicking your sorry ass out.¡±
The man lowered the bow when he saw more people crowd around to see what was happening. He clenched his jaw as he stood up.
¡°Fuck you, it¡¯s not like you''re even worth it! You washed-up Jackrabbits are all bark and no bite,¡± Kevin growled. ¡°What the fuck you looking at?¡± He turned and pushed someone out of the way as he stomped off.
The crowd slowly dispersed, seeing there wouldn¡¯t be a fight, which disappointed everyone. Alfred shook his head and walked back into the building.
¡°Well, we found Alfred at least,¡± Tanisha said quietly. ¡°Come on, Big Man, let¡¯s talk to him.¡±
WM [15] Good Time To Be Alive
Tanisha led the way inside the building. Eyes of a dozen people followed her and Bjorn as she took in the atmosphere. It looked more like a bar than a headquarters for Jackrabbits, as she had been told. She quickly looked around for Alfred, but someone stepped out in front of her.
¡°Anything I can help you with, sweetheart?¡± A gruff man said. ¡°I would be more than happy to take a request for you.¡±
Tanisha was about the same height as the guy, which was impressive since she was over six feet tall. He had a smirk on his face and alcohol on his breath. He leaned closer to Tanisha to block her path so she would have to talk to him.
Identify
Name: Thaddeus Maxwell
Species: Human
Level: 35
Vocation: Prana Spearman
Tanisha wasn¡¯t worried about the man and continued to look around for Alfred, but when he stepped in her way again, she had no choice but to acknowledge him.
¡°The name¡¯s Thaddeus Maxwell, and yes, I am that Thaddeus Maxwell who killed the golden boar that rampaged the area a week ago,¡± he said with an arrogant voice. ¡°I¡¯d love to tell you about it, how about I get you a drink? We©`¡±
Tanisha said sharply. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Alfred. Robert sent me. Can you point me to him?¡±
¡°Alfred? Alfred-Alfred-Alfred.¡± Thaddeus rubbed his chin in mock contemplation. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not ringing any bells, but if you need a hunter, baby, me and my boys can help you out. I''ll even give you a discount.¡±
Tanisha felt Bjorn¡¯s anger rising through their bond, and she was now afraid he was going to kill the man. Well, not that he would kill him¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t do that unless she was in danger¡ªbut even without venom, Bjorn was deadly. Crippling a member of the Jackrabbits was probably not going to be an excellent first impression to whoever was in charge.
Tanisha took a step around the man. ¡°No thank you. I''ll be on my way if you can¡¯t take me to Alfred. Come on, Bjorn.¡±
A hand grabbed her, and she turned to see that Thaddeus had grabbed her wrist. That was when all bets were off. Tanisha knew human customs were odd, but she felt strongly that you don¡¯t just grab somebody in any culture. The tattoos across her body flared to life as her anger rose.
The office was full of smoke from his cigar and not that pansy-ass razz he got from the last trader, but the good stuff from Mesha. Alfred didn¡¯t know how they got it through the border, and quite frankly, he didn¡¯t care. He picked back up the cigar he had to leave burning at his desk when he had to kick out that rat bastard Kevin. The idiot almost killed his whole team when he decided it would be a good idea to fire an arrow at an armored chrysalis during a recon mission.
He sat in his velvet chair and picked up his glass of whisky in one hand and the cigar in the other. He would get to a mountain of paperwork on his desk after breakfast. Then he heard a crash downstairs and people yelling, ¡°Fight, fight, fight¡± he sighed loudly.
What¡¯s the chance they''ll tire themselves out, and I can ignore this one?
As if to answer his question, another crash, followed by screaming about grabbing a chair, immediately got him to his feet. He ran out of his office and crashed into his assistant, who looked like she was just about to open his office door. She clattered to the ground, and he worriedly bent down to check on her.
¡°Shit, sorry Ashley, are you okay?¡± Alfred said as he helped the young woman up to her feet.
The young woman dusted herself off.
¡°I''m fine, but there¡¯s another fight,¡± Ashley said with a deep Meshian drawl. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about me?¡±
Without another word, he nodded and ran down the stairs, honestly confused as to what was going on. A large crowd had gathered to watch an incredibly one-sided fight. Thaddeus was getting thrown halfway across the bar by a wendigo, or maybe demoness, with glowing marks all over her body. No one had weapons out, which was good¡ªat least they followed that rule. The crowd grew as more people filed into the bar for a better look.
The demoness looked to be handling her own well enough, dodging and weaving attacks and only taking hits if doing so left an opening on her opponent, which she took advantage of with decent efficacy. Thaddeus had no chance, but the big man looked like he was enjoying himself. Alfred knew he would have to talk to him about his bias towards stronger women.
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Alfred could tell the woman was holding back, but she was getting angry. She would get serious if he didn¡¯t stop whatever was happening soon, and blood would spill. However, he wanted to see how it would end if he let it go on just a little longer. She was not trying to kill, and Thaddeus getting humbled wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. Ever since he took out that golden boar he and his team had been insufferable smug.
¡°Alfred, do somethin''! You can¡¯t just stand around and watch,¡± Ashley yelled.
¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Alfred responded.
Alfred leaped into the air over the heads of everyone who had, by this point, become a mosh pit. He landed between the two fighters. He grabbed Thaddeus¡¯ final punch and moved him out the way of the demoness¡¯ final kick that would have taken his head. Thaddeus was panting heavily and barely on his feet, and both eyes were slowly swelling. He was covered in what looked to be his blood.
There also seemed to be a three-headed hydra pup, which he didn¡¯t see until he was in the middle of everything. Thaddeus¡¯ teammates were all backed into a corner while the hydra prevented them from moving to help. The familiar also didn¡¯t seem like it wanted to kill them but did leave some bleeding scratches on the three men.
The demoness looked untouched; the only blood on her was Thaddeus¡¯. She didn¡¯t even look tired from the exertion; her breathing was in perfect control. The glowing tattoos slowly dimmed, and her fierce expression relaxed. The crowd booed at his interference in the fight, and he saw several people pass around some coins from bets.
¡°Yeah, yeah, boo your fuckin'' selves and get out of here. Bar¡¯s closed, you lazy sacks a'' shit,¡± Alfred said.
¡°Oh, miss, I found Alfred for you,¡± Thaddeus said, then his eyes rolled back, and he dropped to the floor.
¡°...and that¡¯s pretty much what happened,¡± Tanisha finished telling her story. ¡°You can talk to your guy when he wakes up, but I''m pretty sure there were a few other witnesses you could scrape together.¡±
Tanisha had her maya smoking pipe in her hands, breathing sparkly seier as she exhaled. Alfred¡¯s office was rather interesting. Taxidermied heads of magic beasts and monsters adorned the walls. Books and papers were stacked in piles on his desk, and a private bar held a myriad of liqueurs behind him.
¡°No, I believe you,¡± Alfred responded. ¡°And as the representative here for the Jackrabbits, you have my apologies for that idiot. It looked like you had everything under control, and I thank you for not killing anyone. Especially with, uh, Bjorn. I can¡¯t believe you have a hydra as a familiar. That¡¯s probably the craziest thing I''ve seen in years.¡±
¡°You should probably control your members better,¡± Tanisha responded.
¡°Easier said than done. The Jackrabbits aren¡¯t one organization. We''re contractors, too; we organize the monster hunters here and ensure they follow the town¡¯s rules. So, they don¡¯t work for us. We give them contracts from the town, and they carry them out. We have two dozen hunters in the Jackrabbits, but most people here are like Thaddeus and Kevin, mercs and thrill seekers testing their skills against monsters for fame and glory.¡±
¡°But you kicked someone out?¡±
¡°You saw that?¡± Alfred questioned with a swig of his drink. ¡°We can make it so people that break the rules don¡¯t get work. We also own this land so that we can kick them out. Now what can I do for you?¡±
Tanisha explained her plan about going on a hunt with Bjorn today with an escort so he can do it on his own from tomorrow on. She needs someone who can show them the ropes and the rules.
¡°Ah, I know someone who can help you with that,¡± Alfred stated. ¡°His name is¡¡±
Tanisha pulled out the letter she got from Robert. ¡± I think I hired you.¡±
Alfred took the letter with a bemused expression. ¡°Hired me? That¡¯s...¡± his words stopped in his throat, ¡°... completely correct. What is that old jackass thinking? I have paperwork to do. Ashley!¡±
His assistant opened the door promptly. ¡°You called, Alfred?¡±
¡°What¡¯s on my schedule for today?¡± Alfred asked.
Ashley¡¯s eyes wandered to Bjorn, and she took a nervous step back. ¡°Nuttin'' anymore. Robert sent someone to relieve you.¡±
¡°He left someone to handle all this?¡± Alfred stated while motioning towards the stacks of papers.
Ashley didn¡¯t even look up and raised her notepad so she couldn¡¯t see Bjorn. ¡°Ye-yes. He¡¯s already here, but I left him downstairs. Shall I go get him?¡±
¡°He freed me for a day?¡± Alfred said as a smile crossed his face. ¡°Ha-ha, no takin'' it back, old man! Ashley, you can get him and tell him the fort is all his. If he needs anything, tell him to ask Gramps! Tanisha, Bjorn, let¡¯s go right now before whoever the poor sucker gramps got to take my job today finds out about this shit show. I know the perfect contract, and it¡¯s still available since I haven¡¯t posted it yet.¡±
Alfred took a paper from the stack on his desk, stood up, and opened the window behind him. He gave Ashley a few more instructions, then motioned for Tanisha and Bjorn to follow him. Alfred jumped out without hesitation and called up for Tanisha and Bjorn. They walked to the window, and Tanisha looked down, then to Ashley, who looked mortified. They were only on the second floor, so Tanisha shrugged and jumped.
When she landed beside Alfred, Tanisha caught Bjorn and asked, ¡°Why did we just jump out of there?¡±
¡°Because I would feel bad if I knew who Gramps gave my job to today,¡± Alfred said with a smile. ¡°Well, not our problem anymore.¡± He stretched his arms wide. ¡°It¡¯s a good day to be alive! First, let¡¯s get you some proper protection. I can¡¯t take you into the woods like that. Luckily, we have a good blacksmith here, too.¡±
WM [16] Why Does Everyone Know?
Alfred led Tanisha and Bjorn through the camp, the man walking with a jovial pep to his step. It was far livelier now as people were preparing for hunts. A large group of monster hunters gathered at the gate for a joint raid.
¡°What¡¯s going on over there?¡± Tanisha asked.
Alfred spun around to look at what she was talking about. ¡°Oh, that, there was an armored chrysalis spotted nearby. So they''re putting together a subjugation party to take it down.¡± When Tanisha didn¡¯t seem to know what he was talking about, he continued. ¡°You know, armored chrysalis? It¡¯s a monster that absorbs ambient mana to harden itself and has many arms and teeth. Now that I think of it, how much do you know about monsters?¡±
Tanisha raised her hands in a full-body shrug. ¡°Stories. I''ve heard of ripper jaws before and orcligers, but not much else.¡±
¡°Oh, this is going to take a while. Which is perfect!¡± Alfred said with a twinkle in his eye. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can stretch this out for two days. I''ll even waive your instructor cost.¡±
Tanisha waved off the idea. ¡°One day is fine.¡±
¡°Your loss. Well, monsters aren¡¯t born in the same way as you or me or even Bjorn there,¡± Alfred¡¯s tone grew more serious. ¡°Instead, they''re formed through chaotic ambient magic. Some more superstitious believe it¡¯s the Divines testing us, but I don¡¯t think so. If the conditions are right and the concentration of ambient mana is correct, you''ll have a monster manifestation. It¡¯s as simple as that.
¡°Yuhia has very neutral ambient mana, so monsters don¡¯t usually manifest in the country. Even the monsters we fight here aren¡¯t ones that manifested here; they just managed to cross the border. Most of them aren¡¯t strong, as the lack of ambient mana sources causes them to starve, for lack of a better word. Then they have to start looking for sources of mana to feed on, and I''m sure you can guess why they attack people.¡±
¡°They''re trying to eat people¡¯s magic core?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Right''o, and the closer they get to starving, the more feral they become. Some monsters in highly chaotic ambient mana areas are completely docile, but as soon as they leave, they become savage in a few weeks. I don¡¯t want to give you the wrong impression; most monsters will attack you no matter what. You''re like a magical buffet for any monster.¡±
Tanisha thought about it for a minute. ¡°So they''re like the undead?¡±
¡°Shambling undead, I suppose, yeah,¡± Alfred said. ¡°After we get you all the equipment you''ll need, it would be a shame only to do this one day. How about we schedule you in for another hunt with me tomorrow to ensure your lessons today sink in?¡±
Tanisha shook her head at the man¡¯s insistence on using her to get out of work. ¡°I have to get back to my stall tomorrow.¡±
¡°Stall? Are you a merchant?¡± Alfred asked.
¡°Yes, I''m an alchemist.¡±
Alfred stopped in his tracks. ¡°An alchemist? Can you make health, stamina and mana potions, and the like?¡±
¡°Yes, of course, up to greater quality, but probably higher if I get the ingredients,¡± Tanisha said.
Alfred had a twinkle in his eye. ¡°Do you know where you are? We normally have to order potions from Lavi, and shipments stopped after some civil war or attack or something. We''re nearly out of healing potions. You were selling your stuff in town. Come out here, and you''ll be sold out in a day. I have half a mind to offer you a contract to stay here with the Jackrabbits.¡± He started walking again. ¡°But first, let¡¯s ensure you and your familiar can survive.¡± Alfred motioned to the open door of a blacksmith shop. ¡°Here we are.¡±
Tanisha walked in first. The beating of metal and the smell of charcoal permeated the air. The displays of light armor and weapons were on stands and shelves. The temperature inside was hot despite the forges being in another room. There were several other people already there getting orders or looking at gear.
¡°Pretty impressive, right?¡± Alfred said as he walked up behind her. ¡°Right now, we just need to get you some better protection. Cloth will only get you so far.¡±
¡°Is that Alfred? What brought camp administrator out of his keveia tower to mingle with us lowly workers?¡± A gruff voice called from the counter with a mocking tone on the ¡®camp administrator¡¯ part.
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¡°Ah, Joel, you''re working the counter today. I thought your master liked to sell things, but I guess if he has your ugly mug out here, he must be trying to keep his armors,¡± Alfred said just as mockingly as he walked over and leaned against the countertop.
The armorer was a dwarf, uncommon in Yuhia as they rarely left the dwarven kingdoms. The hardy people were renowned spellcrafters and runesmiths. They are masters of spellcraft to the point that it is rumored that they draw life from working with their hands, and as long as a dwarf can craft, they will live.
Tanisha had only ever seen one other dwarf. Mat despised a professor named Dainius who didn¡¯t like Mat¡¯s spellcraft specialty, which was in invocation. The professor and the man in front of her were so similar in appearance that Tanisha could confuse them for brothers. The main difference was that the professor¡¯s black beard looked to have a fire going at the ends, and Joel¡¯s beard had beads that sparked with electricity.
¡°You old son of a bitch,¡± Joel said with a smile stretched across his face. ¡°Robert finally freed you up to hunt some monsters again? Are you going with the team to take out that armored chrysalis?¡±
¡°I am free today, but not for that.¡± He motioned towards Tanisha, who walked up to the counter. ¡°I''m here to help this new girl and her familiar.¡±
¡°Nice ta'' meetcha. My name¡¯s Ironjaw Stonecrusher, but most people call me Joel.¡± He held out his hand, which Tanisha shook.
¡°Tanisha Scalebound and this is¡¡±
Joel jumped onto the counter, his eyes so wide that Tanisha thought they would pop out of his head.
¡°Is that a fuck''n hydra!¡± Joel yelled with amazement. ¡°What in the Great Forge is one of those doing here?¡±
He hopped down and walked around Bjorn, looking over every detail of the familiar. Tanisha looked to Alfred, who smiled at a joke she didn¡¯t get.
¡°His name is Bjorn,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°Hydra pup, and he¡¯s strong too.¡± Joel whistled. ¡°I thought these guys were untamable; too many types of magic interfere with bonding with them. He looks almost like a Brimax Plane hydra, but not quite. A hybrid maybe?¡±
Tanisha shook her head and threw her hands up. ¡°Okay-okay, why does everyone here know what Bjorn is? I''ve had to tell most people that he¡¯s a chimera. Even I didn¡¯t know what he was for a while!¡±
Joel rubbed his beard. ¡°I reckon no wendigo in Yuhia today has ever seen a hydra. They aren¡¯t from anywhere near here, I can assure you that. The Brimax plane is over two thousand miles away, and wendigo don¡¯t travel very often, if ever. Not to mention, hydra are quite withdrawn, much like dragons. I''m from Brimax, and so are the Jackrabbits.¡± Joel walked back around the counter and cleared his throat. ¡°Now, sorry about that, young lady. What can I do for you?¡±
¡°Just need to get the lady fitted up with some basic gear,¡± Alfred said.
Tanisha pulled a small bag from her necklace inventory and placed it on the table.
¡°I also have a request. I overloaded it, but it¡¯s a keepsake from a friend. I wanted to know if there was any way of repairing it.¡± Tanisha said.
Joel opened the bag and whistled when he saw the shards of charred metal that used to be a blade and a beautifully crafted dagger handle that looked practically untouched. Tanisha then took out the twin of the broken dagger from her inventory and placed it next to the bag. Joel inspected both for a moment while muttering to himself.
¡°Looks like you ran some power through it that the runes were not made to handle. The blade of the complete one is beautiful. The runes are clean, although they are an older script. Repair is impossible, but if you leave the weapons with me, I can reforge the broken one to match its companion. What were you trying to channel through the weapon, maya?¡±
¡°Something like that. And please fix it exactly like the other one,¡± Tanisha said, pushing the conversation along.
They talked for a while longer and haggled on the price before agreeing. Tanisha was so happy that her dagger would be fixed that she almost forgot why they were there until Alfred reminded them they needed equipment. Tanisha was fitted and found that they had several things that would fit her and not be restrictive to her fighting style.
She settled on a brown gambeson with a blue steel short-breastplate and pauldrons. Her boots were sturdy leather with blue steel shin guards. She asked if they had a bardiche for sale since she had destroyed her old one during the battle at the gatehouse in Lavi. She did get a replacement from the First Princess as a reward but it was too fancy and she didn¡¯t trust the monster hunters to see her with it. Joel would have to forge one for her and she agreed to have one made. For the time being she bought a steel voulge after she found the weapon to be the most like what she lost.
On the way out of the camp, Alfred explained that they would be hunting monsters called crawling stalkers. They were small humanoids without any face except a mouth full of fangs. They crawled on all fours and were quiet. It was a relatively simple hunt that they sent newer hunters after. The monsters were the most common to cross the border because they were small, and there were just so many. For most people, they are primarily a nuisance; however, recently, more significant numbers than usual have gotten into the territory, so they have become a problem.
¡°We are going to treat this like a hunting party,¡± Alfred said as they left the camp gate. ¡°I will act as the party leader, but when we engage the monsters, I will hold back and give instructions. I want to see you and Bjorn fight together, and since Bjorn will be going alone soon, I need to see him by himself as well. If you both pass, I will let you two take missions alone. Does that sound fair?¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± Tanisha said as Bjorn hissed his agreement.
WM [17] A Forest Jaunt
It was about mid day before Bjorn noticed an unusual smell in the air. It smelled like mana but also wrong, he didn¡¯t have the words to describe the feeling other than a wound in the mana of the world. The iron tang of blood soon followed and he could tell they were coming up on something. Bjorn and the rest of them were upwind of whatever was ahead of them so he didn¡¯t sense the creatures until they were practically on top of them. Alfred made them all get down low to the ground as they crept closer.
The forest was dense in this area, but Bjorn got a good look at the monster pack. They were exactly as he had described. Small humanoid creatures, but only humanoid in the sense they had two legs and two arms. They were the size of children, but their anatomy was wrong with too many joints and an extended spine that caused their stomachs to droop down. Five of them crunching on bone and flesh in a horrifyingly violent feeding frenzy on something that could no longer be identified.
Identify
Name: None
Species: Crawling Stalker
Level: 12
Vocation: Hunger hunger hunger hunger hunger
The creatures had a head-like stalk between its shoulders, but instead of a skull with eyes, nose, and ears it only opened into a ring of lamprey teeth. The most disturbing thing about the creatures was the complete silence despite the brutality displayed. Alfred had warned them that the creatures were known as crawling stalkers because they had the unique magic of silence. They were able to make themselves and anything in a short range completely silent.
Alfred waited back as he pointed to a good position for Bjorn and Tanisha. He wouldn¡¯t be helping unless it was absolutely necessary. Bjorn was able to snake his way to the right spot without issue. His use of his three heads to monitor surroundings, watch his step and navigate made him confident in his skill. The fact that everything was completely quiet also seemed to be a downside to the monsters as well. Bjorn wondered how they hunted and knew where anything around them was.
Ah, right. He said they are ambush hunters and use vibrations to see. That¡¯s why we have to strike from outside of their vibration range.
Bjorn got into position on the opposite side of Tanisha and the feeding frenzy. He felt her signal through the bond; she was ready. Bjorn breathed from his right head, slowly letting Poison Cloud seep into the area without alerting the monsters.
Poison Cloud
Aether Cost: 5
With your right head, you can mix venom into the air using magic, creating a large area of poisonous gas. This gas will rapidly reduce the health of those inside. Allies within your Poison Cloud are unaffected. Gain control over the spread and density of the Poison Cloud.
The cloud swam with aetheric energy which, despite Bjorn¡¯s effort, immediately caused all of them to turn towards him as they sensed the new source of power. Bjorn flooded the monsters with the toxic gas, seeing as they already knew he was there. He had to carefully watch the five of them as they darted towards him on legs and arms that bent and twisted unnatural ways to get them to him as quickly as possible.
Another big difference between monsters and animals was the instincts for self preservation. Animals would size up an opponent or disengage if it was a fight they didn¡¯t think they would win. Monsters, at least those at that level, attacked relentlessly no matter what was in front of them or how much damage they endured. It was that lack of hesitation and restless charge that caused new monster hunters a moment of vacillation, a moment they rarely had before they were torn apart.
Bjorn was not one to hesitate even while facing the odd creatures. Instead he knew to follow the plan that Alfred told them. When it came to fighting monsters, it was important not to treat them like fighting animals or even real biological creatures. They were essentially masses of corrupted congealed mana, and the more damage they took, the more aggressive they became.
¡°They are getting awfully close, Bjorn!¡± Failsafe yelled in his head.
Bjorn jumped over the maw of the leading monster and sank his claws into the adjacent tree. He snaked his long body around the trunk and climbed as the monsters crashed into one another. The toxin in the air did not seem to have any effect on the monsters as they righted themselves and surrounded the tree. They felt the vibrations Bjorn was making and attacked the tree with sharp claws and teeth. It took only a few strikes for them to realize the vibration was not the tree but something that was climbing it.
The first signs of the toxin working presented itself when one of the monsters vomited before it could start climbing after Bjorn. Bjorn checked, and it was the one with the lowest level. It also seemed to have become more feral, lashing out at everything including its own kind. It was the first to start climbing the tree after Bjorn, and it only seemed to be getting faster.
Bjorn was not worried about the creature, and he had not climbed too high. As soon as it was in range, he swatted it with his tail. If not for the silence in the area, there would have been a cracking sound as his tail struck with the speed of a whip. The monster was nearly torn in half by the thagomizer at the end of his tail which shredded the mass of faux-flesh in a red mist.
As soon as all of the monsters were on the tree climbing up after him, Tanisha appeared, the glowing tattoos shifting around her body as her teleportation power activated. In her hand was her new weapon, the steel voulge. She swung the polearm at the unprotected and unsuspecting back of one of the crawling stalkers; the weapon easily cut the creature in half. Bjorn hit a second with his tail as Tanisha finished the rest.
¡°Well, that was easy. You or Tanisha could have handled that alone,¡± Failsafe said.
¡°I don¡¯t think this was supposed to be hard,¡± Bjorn said. ¡°It was supposed to expose us to monsters and let us see how they act and how we can attack them in the most advantageous way. If Alfred didn¡¯t tell us they are bad at climbing, and that severing the spine is the best way to kill them, I would have gone for the neck or that weird neck mouth thing. They also have resistance to poison only the lowest level one was seriously affected.¡±
¡°Yeah, and it went berserk. Okay, I see your point. Weird little creatures though. Are you sure you want to hunt these things?¡±
¡°It will give us experience and¡¡± Something flashed through his bond, grabbing his attention. ¡°Tanisha?¡±
Bjorn jumped down from the tree and landed next to Tanisha who was grasping onto the body of one of the monsters. She was opening and closing her jaw as if she was going to bite into the creature, but she was holding herself back. Bjorn could feel something through the bond as if she was being compulsively drawn to devouring the creature.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± Alfred said as he grabbed the monster and ripped it out of Tanisha¡¯s hand. ¡°If you¡¯re hungry, corrupted monster meat is a fast track to corrupting your mana core. Actually, you¡¯re some kind of demoness, right? You might be able to eat it. Don¡¯t think it can affect maya or whatever. I¡¯d recommend cooking it first at the very least.¡±
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Tanisha shook her head as if coming out of a daze. ¡°Huh, what? Yeah, okay.¡±
¡°Well, I was getting ready to compliment you on a job well done, but now I am concerned. You good? Do you zone out like that all the time?¡±
Tanisha looked around at the bodies of the monsters, then back up at Alfred. ¡°No, it won''t happen again, what''s next, do we need to do something with the bodies or?¡±
¡°Let''s hope it doesn''t happen in the middle of a fight. Some monsters can survive being bisected, and if you are going to freeze up like that¡ªJust, while you are on a hunt, it is not over until you get back home. Keep your mind sharp.¡±
¡°I got it. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±
¡°As for these creatures you cut off the right hand and bring it back to the Jackrabbit camp as proof of subjugations. Different monsters have different values for their materials. These Divine damned creatures are not worth anything and the mana that made them is so weak that the bodies will dissipate back into ambient mana eventually.¡±
¡°What about animals eating them or undead or something?¡±
¡°Monster¡¯s can¡¯t become undead and animals don¡¯t eat them. Watch your familiar.¡±
Bjorn was minding his own business standing beside Tanisha, but at the mention of his name, he looked at the monster bodies. They did have a quality about them that was unappetizing. He knew he could eat them, but the mana he could taste in the air from them was disgusting. Something about them seemed off or even dangerous.
Alfred pulled a knife from thin air, which Bjorn assumed came from the man''s personal inventory item. He then showed Tanisha the easiest way to cut the hands free. After they successfully harvested everything they needed, they left the bloody mess to dissipate as Alfred instructed. They went over more tactics as they looked for a second group of monsters as the contract was for ten. This time, Bjorn would fight alone so Alfred could see his capabilities first hand.
¡°Some monsters you can actually eat,¡± Alfred said. ¡°The crawlers are just trash made from the most corrupted mana. Stronger beasts like the chrysalis, for example, are made from far more stable ambient mana. That mana is even purified in their bodies acting as a power source of sorts. The meat is a delicacy in some places.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t they dissipate?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°No, once monsters reach a certain threshold they don¡¯t dissipate. We take those monster parts and use them for all sorts of things. It is strange, but I noticed that wendigo don''t utilize monster parts for some reason and burn everything. Absolute insanity. They will utilize magic beast body parts, but not monsters.¡±
Tanisha was silent after that and they just kept walking for a while.
¡°Wendigo believe monsters are unnatural and an affront to the Forest Father,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°Forest Fa¡ªah, yes, the Divine that created them. I have heard them say something or another like that. It doesn¡¯t matter though. Most of them will never see a monster since the Kingdom¡¯s mana is so stable. However, for us monster hunters, you are going to w¡¡± Alfred suddenly stopped talking and looked around, then finally pointed up ahead. ¡°There Bjorn you''re up.¡±
Bjorn continued forward cautiously and could taste the moment the monster''s magic started to affect him as all sound cut out. They were nearly perfectly hidden upwind from them again. Bjorn wasted no time in jumping into action. This was going to be his hunt so his heads swiveled around until he identified nine of them and confirmed the number with the scent in the air.
¡°Look for a suitable tree for me,¡± Bjorn said in his head as he relinquished control of his right head to Failsafe.
¡°Got it,¡± Failsafe said.
Bjorn ran out to get distance from his group. Failsafe used Poison Cloud with the right head which instantly filled the area and alerted all of the crawlers to their location. Bjorn already knew that they could somehow track magical effects to the source from his last encounter and was counting on them coming to him. He jumped onto the tree trunk once Failsafe chose a suitable one and he confirmed all of the monsters were after him. This time when Bjorn jumped he flipped in the air so he would be hanging upside down. His tail wrapped around the trunk so he could hang without his claws. His nails began to sizzle with a white-gold aether and a sickly sweet smell.
Poison Claws
Aether Cost: 2
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even small scratches fatal. Venom has resistance to cleansing effects. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
The monsters were more feral than the other, but no more durable. A few of them started showing symptoms of the poison much faster and unexpectedly started attacking and cannibalizing their own in a desperate bid to gain mana. The few that had the strength to climb were slashed by Bjorn''s claws or ripped off of the tree by his powerful jaws.
Bjorn found that the venom from his bites seemed to be the most effective method of afflicting them with the neurotoxin. Those he bit would start rapidly losing bodily control and vomit up whatever they had instead of blood. Bjorn after biting a few of them he knew that whatever was in their veins, while it looked like blood, tasted like concentrated ozone and tingled like static electricity. He did his best not to swallow any of the substance.
His Poison Claws were also effective but slightly less so than the bites. He purposely bit one and flung it from the tree at the same time he slashed another with his claws to see the results. They both died, but the one with just the slash was definitely able to survive longer. The entire engagement only took three minutes before they were all dead. The silence ended and everyone could finally hear again but what they heard in the distance were screams that echoed through the forest.
¡°Well that doesn¡¯t sound good,¡± Alfred said. ¡°Gather the hands quickly.¡±
¡°Was that what I think it was?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Fuck, what is a skinwalker doing out here? We don¡¯t want to be here any longer than we have to be. Hurry up!¡±
¡°If there is a skinwalker out here, we should put them out of their misery,¡± Tanisha said.
Skinwalkers were the lesser wendigo, but they were not natural entities. They were what happened when wendigo lost their mind to their magic when they were near death. Wendigo saw it as a tragic rejection of the will of the Forest Father. It was what happened when someone rejected death, and through that refusal, became an apex predator that all wendigo fear.
Not all skinwalkers were the same. There are some that are mindless, and there is little difference between them and monsters. Although weaker, even these skinwalkers pose a serious threat. So, when one is found, they are killed as soon as possible because they are at their most vulnerable within a day or two of their transformation when their body is still transitioning.
What everyone fears are the self-realized skinwalkers. They are far more powerful, usually the result of a mage becoming one, worse still they are intelligent. They lose most of their magic and it is replaced with agility, strength, durability far beyond anything a wendigo can match. Worst still is they are cannibal monsters that steal the form and some of the memories of those they cannibalize. They will integrate into a settlement and hunt the citizens from the shadows.
¡°No, we report it. That wasn¡¯t just one we heard. If there were more of us, yeah, I would say we take it down, but with skinwalkers, we never go with this few people. Priority is safety, that''s how you live out here. A skinwalker is strong and fast. We go after it and it kills us and takes our form, what kind of damage could it do? Let''s say fight it, but monsters hear the battle or feel our magic or prana. Now we are pinned in a fight with unknown numbers.¡±
¡°So what, we run?¡±
Alfred looked Tanisha in the eyes and somehow showed years of experience watching monster hunters go out and die from recklessness. He was in his early forties, but for the briefest of moments appeared old and regretful. The next words that came out of his mouth were slow and deliberate.
¡°Yes, as monster hunters it is important that we know what we are fighting and prepare appropriately. Of course, you can¡¯t prepare for everything, but it is important to know your limits. That''s how you make it back alive. We can¡¯t save anyone if we are dead. But if we get back to the Jackrabbits we can get a force together that can put this thing down clean. Consider your test complete, collect the hands and let¡¯s go, quickly.¡±
WM [18] Return To Your Lodging
The bar was closed, but people came in and went on official business since it was also the administration building. Ashley was in the middle of updating the monster hunting contract board which had grown sparse over the past few weeks. The scarcity of good contracts was the reason so many people joined the subjugation party of the armored chrysalis.
A small crowd had formed while she was tacking up the new contracts although people gave her time to finish her job before rushing the board. It was an unspoken rule amongst the Jackrabbits that you don¡¯t rush the person with the contracts. Ashley herself was no push over and was not afraid of getting in someone''s face if they tried.
People were always excited on days the board was updated, new monsters meant more profit and potentially the first crack at a lucrative hunt. As she posted the last contract and stepped back the floodgates opened and the hunters who had been patiently waiting surged forward. A few fights for some of the higher paying contracts ensued almost immediately.
¡°I saw that one first, besides what are you going to do against a madness warp? Poke it with your little stick?¡± someone said.
¡°Little stick? That¡¯s not what your mother said,¡± someone else replied.
Ashley sighed and walked away as the men became more irate. She did her job and if they wanted to fight over contracts she couldn¡¯t do anything about it even if she wanted to and she didn¡¯t. Whoever ends up getting the contract will have to come to her office anyway and she would have to sign off on it. It was how they tracked who was hunting what and if they went missing where they could start looking.
¡°Ashley?¡± a voice called out to her.
¡°If you have a contract you would like to take, please follow me,¡± Ashley said without turning around.
¡°I finished my contract, but I have a message from Alfred.¡±
Ashley spun on her heels to see the woman that was there earlier with her hydra familiar. The demon woman was tall, her eyes a golden hue that seemed to faintly glow. In her armor, she looked like a real monster huntress with the faint smattering of monster blood to boot. She had a regal calmness about her that isn¡¯t present in the monster hunters she is used to dealing with. She backed up a step when she saw the hydra trailing behind the demoness.
¡°Uh-yes,¡± Ashley stuttered out.
The demoness saw Ashley was uncomfortable and told her familiar to wait while she talked to her. Ashley was relieved and guided the woman upstairs to her office. Once they were settled in the corner office she sat down and prepared herself mentally.
Tanisha looked around the office space; it was significantly neater than Alfred¡¯s. Ashley herself was a fair skinned woman and Tanisha guessed she was a young adult although human ages were difficult for her to tell. She was thin and had angular features. Tanisha left Bjorn down stairs since she also seemed to be afraid of him. Tanisha understood that not all people would appreciate his handsome charm so it didn¡¯t bother her.
Tanisha reintroduced herself as the woman didn¡¯t seem to know her name. She then recounted the events on the hunt and the sound they heard. Ashley¡¯s face blanched with horror at the mention of potentially multiple skinwalker sightings.
¡°Are you sure?¡± Ashley said.
¡°Alfred was pretty sure, yes,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°Divines, where is he, is he okay?¡±
¡°He continued to the town to inform Robert and the city council. That is all he told me. He said I should come here to tell you.¡±
¡°The city council? Yeah, I am sure they are going to issue a state of emergency until we are sure they are all dead.¡±
¡°Does this happen often out here?¡±
¡°Skinwalkers? No, thank the Divine. Ghouls are far more common though. It is to be expected with how many monster hunters don¡¯t come back.¡±
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¡°Ghoul?¡± Tanisha questioned.
¡°Lesser humans. It¡¯s similar to what happens to wendigo. Ghouls aren¡¯t as intelligent or strong and act more like standard monsters. The issue with them is that any human they kill will also become a ghoul. I am told they are much easier to deal with. However, it''s difficult to put down a creature that has the face of your friend. Wait here a moment, I need to tell Will about this.¡±
The woman stood up from her desk and quickly left the room. She came back a few minutes later and Tanisha was able to complete the contract for the crawling stalkers. She gave Ashley the hands as proof and each of them disappeared into some unseen storage item. The contract was for ten of the monsters, but they killed forteen so she got an additional thirteen copper per monster over the contract amount. Ashley gave her half of the reward since the other half would be going to her instructor which gave her a total of two silver and thirty-six copper.
¡°Until we hear back from Robert or Alfred I can¡¯t give out any more contracts. The last thing we need is people going out and running into the skinwalkers. Thanks for reporting it to me and come back tomorrow. I am sure there will be more work.¡±
¡°Actually, about that. I am an alchemist, Alfred said something about me selling my health, stamina and mana potions in the camp. Currently, I am selling my wares in town, but there is a cost to setting up there. Would the Jackrabbits be interested in having me set up shop here for a few days?¡±
¡°You¡¯re an alchemist too?¡± Ashley asked. ¡°Girl, you are a lifesaver. We are running low on potions and most of the guys are going out without any at all. You can set up today if you want! I will show you where you can right now if¡ uh. It¡¯s just us.¡± She said the last part sheepishly.
Tanisha smiled knowingly. ¡°Bjorn is sweet if you get to know him, but I can leave him here while you show me.¡±
¡°Oh, didn¡¯t mean any offense or anything.¡±
¡°None taken. I¡¯ll follow you.¡±
There was a cool breeze in the air that flowed between buildings. The full moon illuminated the streets of Birchgrove. There were street lights that used ambient mana to glow which gave excellent visibility. Even with all of that, Herschel was feeling nervous about his guard duty. It hadn¡¯t been more than a few hours since the council had declared a curfew in response to skinwalker sightings. He cursed that it had to happen the night he was on guard duty.
Herschel was one of the few humans that worked as a town guard. So far, there hadn¡¯t been any issue, and he had enjoyed his six years in Yuhia and four as a guard. Like most of the human¡¯s in town he was from Mesha and shared the fair skin and red hair like most Meshians. Despite being armed with a halberd, shortsword and buckler he felt on edge.
There had been a skinwalker sighting a year before he joined the guard and it was terrifying then too. He heard that the Jackrabbits lost a few members taking it down. That was also the year Robert retired from monster hunting and became an official for the group. The more Herschel thought about it the more he wanted the night to be over.
This is the last night shift I take until they kill that Divine damned thing.
He walked past an alley and the eerie silence of the night made his boots sound like he was stomping. Then heard a crash and rustling behind him. Which immediately caused him to spin around halberd pointed and chakra gathering in his weapon. After a few tense moments in the darkness a cat darted out of the alley and quickly out of sight.
¡°Divines above!¡± Herschel exhaled, his heart pounding in his chest. Shaking his head, he reassured himself. ¡°Of course, there wouldn¡¯t be any skinwalkers in the town. They just spotted them out in the forest today and the Jackrabbits would take care of them before they got close.¡±
He raised his Halberd and was getting ready to continue his patrol when he saw movement in the alley followed by the sound of footsteps.
¡°Excuse me, sir?¡± a young voice called out to him. ¡°Have you seen my cat? His name is Fluffy. I thought I saw him go this way.¡±
The figure was still in the darkness of the alleyway, but Herschel could make out the silhouette of a young woman. She didn¡¯t have antlers which meant she was likely human although he couldn¡¯t tell in the low light.
¡°Yeah, I might have spooked him,¡± Herschel said. ¡°We are on curfew though so I am going to have to ask you to return to your lodging for the night.¡±
¡°Can you help me find him? I just don¡¯t want her to get lost. Which way did Puffy go?¡±
¡°Eh, he went that way.¡± Herschel turned from the woman and pointed. ¡°Wait, Puffy? I thought you said his name was Flu¡ª¡±
Before he could finish, something tackled him to the ground with bone-crushing force. The tried to fight back, but his attacker was far stronger, she broke his wrists the moment she latched on. In a second, she had him by the throat and was dragging him back into the alley.
In a desperate bid to escape, he managed to glimpse the creature he thought was a woman. Her or rather its eyes were sunken hollow orbs. The skin on its face was sagging and loose as if it were a grotesque mask of flesh. Its mouth was stretched impossibly wide with a grin filled with razor-sharp teeth. It wore a green dress adorned with floral patterns, a sickening contrast to its monstrous form.
¡°Wait, Puffy? Have spooked him.¡± The creature mimicked Herschel¡¯s voice with disturbing accuracy. ¡°Eh, he went that way. Curfew. We are on a curfew. Lodging. Return to-to your. Lodging.¡±
As the creature dragged him deeper into the suffocating darkness, Herschel''s mind filled with a singular, paralyzing terror: the skinwalker had found its way into Birchgrove. The last thing he saw before being pulled into the abyss was the creature''s horrid, distorted grin.
WM [19] Here to Sell
Isin¡¯s life shattered around him as he saw his mothers body collapse to the ground. White flames engulfed what remained of the woman, the aetheric heat reducing her to ash in mere moments. Bazaath didn¡¯t look at Isin even though he called out his name. Instead the Angel turned to face the other Angels high in the sky and kneeled.
¡°It is done as you have asked Grand General,¡± Bazaath said. ¡°I have only worked for the betterment of the Chorus and our people. I care not for the slave race, only for the will of the Ivory King.¡±
¡°Very well Bazaath. We will see how your little experiment worked,¡± the Grand General said. His voice thrummed with power.
¡°Oh my, so we get new toys?¡± The Angel woman that looked to be made from white marble said.
¡°Grand General, are you sure? This-this is outrageous!¡± Hasmanuel protested. ¡°Bazaath should be executed and these defective slaves recycled.¡±
¡°Peliel, what say you?¡± the Grand General asked.
The metal Angel gazed down at the humans below. ¡°I say we take them. Split them between us and cut them off from Bazaath. If what he said about them being able to travel into corrupted land is true, recycling them would be a waste.¡±
¡°You too?¡± Hasmanuel questioned. ¡°Nuriel you have to be on my side.¡±
¡°While normally I would, but I can¡¯t lie, I¡¯m intrigued,¡± the white marble Angel said with a devious smile gracing her face. ¡°The slave race may actually be useful and it is not like we have a lot of time. If we are splitting them up I will take the young boys.¡±
¡°Bazaath, you will be sent to facility seventeen. Wait there for more orders,¡± the Grand General said.
Isin and every one of the humans fell to the ground if they weren¡¯t already on their hands and knees. Most of them threw up in pain as the aether tore open a rift in space and time directly beside Bazaath. The power was so intense that people started blacking out. Isin only remained conscious by sheer force of will. His eyes were locked onto his father. Confusion, and fear were replaced with sadness and unbridled rage as his father disappeared in the swelling power.
The Angels continued to talk amongst themselves, deciding how the humans would be split up. Isin didn¡¯t hear a word of it. The only thing he heard was the beating of his own heart in his ears. The sound of his breath as he struggled and failed to keep in control of his breathing. The world was cascaded into colorlessness as Isin¡¯s world shattered around him.
The morning began as it normally does, breakfast followed by breathing and stretching training with Joha and a few errands to fully prepare for the day. Bjorn had been out of sorts after the revelation that his father killed his mother. Him being upset just made Tanisha more affectionate towards him in her attempts to cheer him up. She had no idea why he was so down in the dumps, but that didn¡¯t stop her from the near constant pets and nuzzles.
He really wanted to go out and hunt something to take his mind off of things. She could apparently feel his anxiety too, and so she sped up with her errands so they could go to the Jackrabbit¡¯s camp and set up there. Joha was going to stay back; he was having no problem selling his spices in town and he doubted he would do better with monster hunters than with the townspeople.
¡°I don¡¯t think you should get involved in the hunt for the skinwalker,¡± Joha said, as he was setting out his spices on his stall. ¡°We are here to sell goods and I am sure the Jackrabbits and town guards are more than capable.¡±
Tanisha let out a breath as she leaned against the stand. ¡°So, are we going to let them suffer as one of those things?¡±
¡°Not every problem is your problem, Tanisha. The Jackrabbits handled these types of things before us and they will do so after we leave. Why are you so eager to go after this thing?¡± He tosses her a small glass container. ¡°Place that over there for me.¡±
¡°I know. It''s just¡ What if it were me? I was close to becoming one of those things if this didn¡¯t happen.¡± She pointed at herself. ¡°I would not want to lose my mind and become one of those monsters.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not you. I won¡¯t stop you if you decide to pursue the creature, but I won¡¯t recommend doing so either. I think your time could be better spent finding out why there are so few healing potions here. Creating as many as you can and selling to the Jackrabbits and Apothecary Office.¡±
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¡°Yeah, I was going to go see the apothecary before heading to the Jackrabbits¡¯ camp. Maybe they could use some help with brewing some potions. I have plenty of ingredients I could sell too.¡± She set the spice she had been holding on the table. ¡°Maybe you are right though. Ever since the Show of Power I have been on edge especially after I talked with Ingrid. Only a few more days and we are saying goodbye to Yuhia for a couple of decades. I think that is what I need.¡±
There was a big difference between an alchemist and an apothecary. For one, apothecaries specialized in healing techniques that required specialist attention. While both alchemist and apothecaries could make general healing potions it was the apothecary that regularly created specific recovery draughts, ointments, and long term rehabilitation plans. Alchemists on the other hand were just as much researchers and pioneers of alchemical arts as they were healers. Between the two the alchemist would be the most rounded in their knowledge, but the apothecary would be the better choice for an injured person.
The last stop Tanisha had before going to the Jackrabbits was the Apothecary Office. She was curious as to why the town was running so low on potions if they had a resident apothecary. The disruption to trade because of the Show of Power should be resolved by now. Not to mention there were no signs of bandits stealing cargo so something else was disrupting trade.
¡°I guess they are closed,¡± Tanisha said as she looked in one of the windows of the shop.
Bjorn tasted some unusual magic in the air around the shop. There was also the taste of death, but that could be because there is a butchery across the street selling fresh meat. Tanisha knocked on the door and waited for a while. Then a man opened the door although he was not what they expected. He was a human town guard dressed in his full uniform. He appeared to be sick with dark bags under his eyes and pale skin, which made sense. He was at the apothecary.
Identify
Name: Herschel Calihan
Species: (Human)
Level: ??
Vocation: ??
Well that is different. I can¡¯t see his vocation?
¡°Failsafe what is going on with the vocation?¡± Bjorn asked mentally.
¡°I don¡¯t know? Maybe he doesn¡¯t see himself as having one,¡± Failsafe responded. ¡°Identify works by scanning their core which is what they believe themselves to be. So, if he is in the middle of some identity crisis, depressed or finding himself, that could be why. Touching him would tell us everything though.¡±
Bjorn couldn¡¯t see or sense anything off besides his sickly appearance, but something in him told him to be on high alert.
¡°Somethings not right,¡± Bjorn said to Failsafe.
Herschel swept over the two with an assessing gaze. ¡°Sorry, the office is closed today.¡±
¡°Oh, did something happen?¡± Tanisha asked. ¡°I am an alchemist I just wanted to see if the apoth¡ª¡±
¡°No, the office is closed today,¡± Herschel said, then he shut the door.
Bjorn and Tanisha looked at each other for a moment.
Tanisha shrugged. ¡°Well, I guess off to the Jackrabbits. Let''s go get the wagon.¡±
The Jackrabbit bar and administration office was as packed as ever with people drinking and at least one fight causing bets to rapidly be placed. The fight started over someone spilling their beer and escalated to the point where a tired Alfred had to show up and close the bar again. Everyone booed as the bartender started cleaning up and bets were paid out.
Tanisha and Bjorn were at the contract board near the door which had all available contracts. There was a notice that due to the presence of skinwalkers no solo hunting parties were permitted. Familiars or hunting animals could go out on their own since skinwalkers didn¡¯t hunt animals. The exception looked to have been written last minute as an afterthought probably by Alfred specifically for Bjorn.
¡°I am going to be staying in the camp today. Are you going to be alright on your own, Big Man?¡± Tanisha asked.
Bjorn nodded, not seeing any reason he wouldn¡¯t be. Not to mention he needed to get stronger and whether or not Tanisha joined him thanks to the familiar bond she would still get experience from him killing monsters. It was a win-win for both of them, he got to take his mind off of the terrible memories by hunting evil and she would get more money and levels.
¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t my favorite noobie,¡± Alfred said as he walked up with a yawn. ¡°Bjorn is going out by himself today right? I suggest you get him a hunter animal storage item.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a thing?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Of course, it is, head over to the hunting supply shop in the camp before he leaves. He will still need to bring back proof of subjugation for you to get paid. I also wanted to give you this, on the house.¡± He handed her a small leatherbound book.
Tanisha opened the book. ¡°A monster bestiary? Wow, thank you.¡±
¡°We have to look after each other when we can. Anyway, back to paperwork for me, unless you need an instructor again today.¡±
Tanisha patted Alfred¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You will be missed.¡±
Alfred made a few more suggestions on the contract Bjorn should take and they settled on more of the crawling stalkers. The proof of subjugation was smaller since it was just their right hand and it would get him used to hunting in the area. The crawling stalkers were also in the opposite direction of the skinwalker sighting and away from the armored chrysalis hunt. He was sure to throw in a few more attempts to accompany Bjorn but Tanisha shot him down which caused him to pitifully slump back up to his office.
WM [20] Werewolves
The forest was alive with various birdsongs. Not much had happened so far on Bjorn¡¯s solo hunting trip. The hydra had a brand new carrying harness which he very much liked. It had some metal plates which offered limited protection to his belly which was by far his most vulnerable area, as the scales there were the thinnest and most flexible.
The harness was primarily used for its storage; it had two tactical compartments on either side of his body which had a storage space powered by ambient mana. Each one holded up to sixty pounds and would reduce the weight of whatever was inside by seventy percent. Bjorn could easily place things inside, but taking things out would require more dexterous hands than he possessed. Something about having pockets cheered him up though and made him feel more human or in his case more nephilim.
He kept control of all three of his heads despite Failsafe¡¯s insistence on helping with the search. He wanted control of all of his senses for the hunt. During the inevitable battle with the crawlers he would, but he wanted to get better at tracking. Now that he had hunted the crawlers once he could recognize their scent and magic. After a few hours of travel he finally picked up the taste of crawler magic in the air.
¡°You know, now that we are away from everyone it is a good opportunity to see what your Aetheric Breath does,¡± Failsafe said.
The breath attack that replaced his maya was one that neither he nor Failsafe knew what it did. The maya version strengthened his scales and gave him a boost to his attacks. For all they knew the aetheric version would do the same. However there was a chance that it would do something totally different and unexpected. Given the fact they are in a potentially monster infested area and those monsters could track them if they use too much magic at once he was against trying a power he didn¡¯t understand.
¡°If it comes to it we can. I don¡¯t want to attract more than we can handle,¡± Bjorn said. ¡°Monsters are drawn to magic and the crawlers can track us quite accurately when we use Poison Cloud. What if it acts as a beacon and brings who knows what our way?¡±
¡°Fair enough, just thought I would suggest something.¡±
¡°It is a good idea, I should know what my abilities are and having a huge blank spot on potentially a new attack or defense as powerful as the Hellmouth is foolish. Can you bring up both the Hellmouth ability I lost and this new one really quick?¡±
¡°Sure.¡±
Hellmouth (Excised Ability)
Your middle head can exhale all the maya stored in your body. This maya can be breathed in by your other heads to use maya-infused breath attacks. It can also enhance the durability of your scales and potency of your venom.
Aetheric Breath
Aether Cost: 15
I have know idea what this is or how it works. It replaced Maya Breath, but until you use it, I don¡¯t know what it will do. I recommend trying it when no one is around.
¡°Can you figure out anything else about the Aetheric Breath ability before I use it?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°No. I can analyze it after the effect is used once. Although the use of other aether abilities might give me more insight into it if you are adamant in not using it. Studying the effects you experienced in your memories as Isin helps too. Although you didn¡¯t use Aether much back then from what we have seen so far, aside from studying it with your Aetheric Sight. The way the Angels used aether seemed almost as though it was just an inherent magic to them almost like animal magic to you now.¡±
Bjorn was silent for a while as he trudged along the forest. He was careful to make as little noise as possible and his predatory instincts as well as his six eyes across three heads meant his spatial awareness was extremely high. Failsafe didn¡¯t rush him to respond, which Bjorn was thankful for.
He didn¡¯t really want to talk about the Angels or anything to do with his past life. The memories of the death of his mother were fresh and he felt all of the emotions his past life felt when he saw it happen. Bjorn wanted to distance himself from those feelings and tell himself that he is a new being now. Despite being reincarnated he is still Isin and he has seventeen years of memories as his previous self with all of the implications, emotions, and anxieties those memories entailed. For all intents and purposes, he had watched his mother die, and it felt as fresh and visceral as if he had seen it for the first time.
¡°I¡ªuh.¡± Bjorn paused not only his thoughts but also physically moving. ¡°I think we should continue going through the memories later. We are at a point where I''d rather not have to relive all at once.¡±
¡°Noted. I can still talk about the important parts of what I discovered in terms of your magic, right?¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine. I still haven¡¯t picked up any scents of the crawlers yet.¡±
***
Tanisha was finishing the brew process with more herbal health potions. The inside of her wagon served as a mobile alchemy lab. She had plenty of equipment and ingredients neatly stored away in special storage boxes that had far more space inside. It was thanks to the First Princess that she had such an impressive set up. The bottleneck in her production now was the lack of space. That was something she could only remedy if she got a bigger wagon or purchased a store which she was not going to do just yet.
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She corked the last bottle and took a tray of twelve new potions outside to a waiting man. He not only ordered all of them but also waited outside for nearly two hours while she brewed the still hot potions. He promptly paid for all twelve and left without even haggling for a better price. The demand for potions was primarily due to the lack of shipments of the supplies from Lavi and the Apothecary''s Office which had been closed.
Throughout the day, Tanisha was not only approached by people needing recovery potions and draughts, but also craftspeople who needed specialty material and oils. Potions was only a small part of what an alchemist could do and in fact was the most basic application of the magic alchemical process. Vital Elixirs was the term that encompasses potions that enhance vitality, including buffs, healing, magic, and stamina recovery, as well as other endeavors beneficial to people or animals. Tanisha knew how to make those potions because it is a lucrative business, but she was not a healer. She was an alchemist.
Studying and understanding materials and even changing their states, qualities or magical attunement for further refinement was a deeper part of alchemy that Tanisha also thoroughly enjoyed. When the blacksmiths found out an alchemist was in the camp, Joel brought her metal ingots they needed treated. The process of doing so was known as infusion metallurgy and was something Tanisha only understood the basic theory behind. Joel was insistent she tried despite her telling him she had never done it before.
¡°Joel, are you sure you want me to try?¡± Tanisha asked as her nerves twisted inside of her, and her tail flicked behind her anxiously. ¡°Like I told you, I know the process behind infusion, but only cold infusion, and if I make a mistake, it could ruin the metal.¡±
Joel was a stout dwarf, his body perfectly suited for the intense labor of blacksmithing and spellcraft enchanting. If not for the wide smile on his face he would be intimidating despite being so much shorter than her. The man was not swayed in the least from Tanisha¡¯s admission of her skill. She understood why, while infusion metallurgy was not absolutely necessary for enchanting it made the enchantments far easier to stabilize and could even add efficiency, additional effects or a host of other benefits. It is like priming a wall before painting, not always required, but if done correctly, could increase the final product dramatically.
¡°There¡¯s a first time for everything. Ya¡¯ know the process don¡¯tcha?¡± Joel said as he held up one of the ten ingots he had in a small box. ¡°I¡¯ve seen what¡¯cha can do with these potions, but that¡¯s apothecary work. You¡¯re an alchemist. As one artisan to another, ya gotta keep expanding yah skillset.¡±
Tanisha took the ingot in her hand and looked over the slightly blue tinged metal. ¡°Blue steel? I appreciate the confidence you have in my ability, but this? It¡¯s already known for its mana conductivity; it would make the process even more difficult having to account for the metal''s natural mana frequency. Although¡ cold infusion would be the best choice for this type of material.¡± She placed the ingot on a clear spot on her stand. ¡°Blue steel will be temperamental at best.¡±
¡°The metal¡¯s natural mana frequency. Hmm, yes that¡¯s true isn¡¯t it?¡± Joel rubbed his beard in contemplation. ¡°I also have the essences I want. Stariten powder and dreamweaver blood.¡±
¡°Did you listen to what I said?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. If it doesn¡¯t turn out right I¡¯ll just melt it down again and reforge it and you can try again. No harm done. So, where do you want me to leave these?¡±
Tanisha just looked at the man for a moment, then nodded more to herself than to him.
¡°All right. I¡¯ll do it, place the box on the tailgate of the wagon.¡± Tanisha pointed to a spot. ¡°I¡¯ll need to prepare the Infusion Basin and Catalyst Stones. I am going to go one at a time so it¡¯s going to take a while.¡±
¡°Sure, no problem. How long do you need?¡±
¡°Uh¡ Let''s be safe and say a day.¡±
¡°Fair enough. Oh, and before I forget, your knife will be repaired soon. The enchantments are taking a little longer than I originally thought. The original rune enchantment work was impressive but required different techniques than what is common today. Shouldn¡¯t take too much longer.¡±
The two continued talking for a bit before the dwarf blacksmith was called back to his shop. Tanisha was eager to get started on the cold infusion so after packing up her belongings into her wagon she resolved herself to figure out how to properly infuse the ingots. She cleaned her work station and all of her equipment. Her meticulous decontamination of her tools took an hour as she did not rush such an important part of alchemy.
There was a knock on the side of her wagon. ¡°Hey, is anyone here?¡± The voice was female but unknown.
Tanisha placed the last of the equipment she wouldn¡¯t need in a storage box, then walked to the back of her wagon and jumped down.
A young woman and a teenage boy about her age were standing outside her wagon who she had never seen before. The young woman had tribal tattoos covering nearly every available surface of her skin. Her hair was in a mohawk. The boy didn¡¯t have nearly as many tattoos and only half of his head was shaved. However, the long wolf-like ears and piercing amber eyes arrested Tanisha¡¯s attention.
The two were in hide armors that looked to be too big for them. They didn¡¯t have any weapons though by their build they looked to be warriors. The young woman looked Tanisha up and down and appeared to be somewhat surprised at her appearance. Her gaze rested on Tanisha¡¯s long tail which swayed slowly for an uncomfortable amount of time. Tanisha took the awkward silence to identify them.
Identify
Name: Falko Strider
Species: Werewolf
Level: 37
Vocation: Beastborn Thunder Wolf
Identify
Name: Adelheid Strider
Species: Werewolf
Level: 70
Vocation: Beastborn Berserker
¡°Werewolves?¡± Tanisha said absently. ¡°Hello, how can I help you two? I am all out of health potions unfortunately and won¡¯t have any until tomorrow.¡±
¡°Oh sorry, I think you are the wrong person,¡± Adelheid said as if she was just snapped back to reality. ¡°We were looking for a wendigo girl who is also an alchemist.¡±
¡°I think I am the only alchemist in the camp and I am not a wendigo,¡± Tanisha responded. ¡°If you lost your friend, maybe a town guard could help you find them.¡±
¡°Yeah, we will have to do that,¡± Adelheid said. ¡°Sorry for interrupting, come on Falko.¡±
The two werewolves walked off without another word. Tanisha shrugged and jumped back into her wagon; she had a new alchemical process to start. A smile stretched across her face as he rearranged her work station to begin.
WM [21] Bad Vibes
There was an nearly electric excitement in the air as Tanisha opened the storage crate containing the items she would need to perform the cold infusion. First, and also the largest tool, was the infusion basin and its stand. The item would have cost her a small fortune as it is usually purchased by alchemy companies not a single traveling alchemist.
Her infusion basin was smaller than an industrial one but was a broad, shallow vessel, roughly three feet in diameter, with sides that gently slope inward to a flat base. It is made of a gleaming silvery metal called vintmoore ice silver which is known for its durability and resistance to both heat and magical energies. The surface of the metal is intricately etched with arcane runes and sigils, each one meticulously inscribed to channel and focus magical energies during the infusion process.
Wow, it is gorgeous. It looks more like it should be in a museum. I thought it would be years before I got something like this. I wonder how much it cost.
The basin had to be mounted on a sturdy but elegantly designed tripod made from the same metal. The design wasn¡¯t merely decorative but also extremely important to the functionality of the item. The intricate nature of the tripod came from the additional runes that covered nearly the entirety of each leg. There was a specific place in the middle of the wagon that it had to be secured to. The end of each leg had a hook designed to securely hold the basin to the ground during some of the most volatile infusion processes. The wagon had a female connector for those hooks so she could do her work safely.
¡°That looks good,¡± Tanisha said excitedly as she looked over the instruction manual again. ¡°Halfway there!¡±
Next she attached delicate ice silver tubes to the drainage channels in the basin. The channels would, of course, direct any excess essence or reactant from the metal being treated. Not only that, but also separate the substances into containers for future use.
Tanisha had to be careful to attach them properly as spillage of reacting essences was not something she wanted dripping anywhere in the wagon or on herself. Once she had doubled and then triple checked the connection she summoned water with her Divination Hydromancy. She filled the basin and watched for any leaks. After a few tests she dismissed the water leaving her basin sparkly clean.
Lastly was the catalyst stones which are highly processed magic crystals that Tanisha could only dream of one day being able to make. They were made by large alchemy companies and were used by most professions that required infusing magic into an inanimate object. They could be substituted with magic crystals, but the end result was always less than using a catalyst stone.
She placed the six egg shaped catalyst stones into holders around the outer edge of the basin. There were small recesses designed to hold them securely. As she inserted them, there was a subtle but noticeable change in the ambient mana. The stones and the entirety of the basin and tripod glowed faintly as mana was drawn in and purified. A shimmer of light appeared over the open top of the basin which had a gentle and almost rhythmic hum. This was a barrier that would prevent the basin from boiling over or dangerous gasses and volatile magic from escaping. Equally as important, it prevented ambient mana from interfering with the reactions inside.
¡°Some infusions have tolerances so tight that without this barrier just a person being in the same room as it could cause an explosion,¡± Tanisha said to herself as she talked her way through the process. ¡°The catalyst stones should direct the flow of magical energies into the metal evenly. It is going to be up to me to ensure it stays stable.¡±
Tanisha activates her Ringularity Sage Core ability which allows her control over mana, maya and aether. She further pushed the ambient mana that wasn¡¯t being used to power the basin out of the wagon, sterilizing the space of any possible interference. As she did, she took out the remaining tools she would need to get started. Luckily with cold infusion the only other things she needed were the vintmoore ice silver tongs and the essences Joel had brought her.
She reached for the bottle of monster blood, then stopped herself and walked over to another storage container and pulled out a mask. It was a smooth metal with an apparatus that supposedly cleaned the air she breathed in. Not entirely sure how it worked, it was secured on her face, better safe than sorry. Now with more confidence handling the container of blood wasn¡¯t an issue.
Tanisha found that talking to herself helped calm her nervousness. ¡°The essence of a thing is kind of like its concept in reality. So, the ingredient is used to imprint what that thing means onto something else.¡± The dreamweaver blood was poured slowly into the basin. ¡°The basin separates the concept of a thing from the actual item. Then binds that concept to something else.¡±
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Once she emptied the dreamweaver blood into the basin, she picked up the bag full of a powdery substance. She just as meticulously poured the black granules of stariten into the mix. The only feedback was a slight bubbling and the basin glowing slightly brighter. Tanisha had to allow more ambient mana into the wagon to power the reaction.
She waited for an hour constantly adjusting the ambient mana she allowed into the basin. This went on as she wrote in her note book different small reactions she noticed. Then she saw something, almost like a trick of the eye. The bubbling brew appeared like it was both boiling and completely calm at the same time. Like two instances of the same event were layered on top of eachother.
¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Tanisha said excitedly. ¡°The essence and the physical substance have separated!¡±
Tanisha practically ran over to the ingots and used her tongs to lift the first one. She carefully lowered the blue steel into the basin. There was a slight resistance as the metal pressed into the barrier, but it slid through easily enough. She placed the ingot into the boiling and calm brew. The reaction was immediate and violent as the blue steel shot out of the basin nearly hitting Tanisha in the face.
¡°Whoa! What the¡ª!¡± Tanisha exclaimed.
The metal hit the floor with a thunk, and the curious girl quickly went to observe the changes. She prodded the metal with her magical senses first. The blue steel was radiating magic, but not the magic of the essence. It was the residual magic that made up the barrier around the opening.
¡°Blue steel is highly magically conductive, I know that.¡± Tanisha face palmed. ¡°It pulled in a small amount of the magic from the barrier. I need to deactivate that before putting things inside.¡±
The ingot was too magically charged to be useful so she moved it to the failure stack which she hoped would stay one. She moved to a new ingot and this time opened the barrier for a second instead of pushing the ingot through it. She quickly, but with control, submerged the ingot. There was an increased draw of mana that Tanisha had to stabilize with her skill. It felt like wrangling the wind and soon the brew was inundated with too much and started to boil over. Thankfully the drainage channels worked as intended, but the blue steel was ruined once she pulled it out.
¡°Ugh, this is going to be harder than I thought,¡± Tanisha said as she placed the second failure next to the first.
***
¡°Is she still in there?¡± Falko asked.
¡°Yeah, she has been doing some weird magic mumbo jumbo for the past six hours.¡± Adelheid yawned.
The two werewolves lazed on the branches of a tree just outside of the camp. They were perfectly hidden from their target although they weren¡¯t so cocky as to believe that the camp full of expertly trained monster hunters weren¡¯t aware of their presence. Most didn¡¯t care, they weren¡¯t doing anything wrong, but they did get a few glances every now and then from some of the more eagle eyed hunters.
¡°Are we sure that¡¯s even her?¡± Falko asked. ¡°I thought Sabec said she was a wendigo.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, but everyone said she is the one with a three headed familiar. She is an alchemist and her name is Tanisha and you saw her with the tiger demon, yeah?¡±
¡°Of course, he is kind of hard to miss,¡± Falko said.
¡°So, we will see what she does. Maybe Sabec was wrong about her race since she looks a lot like the wendigo. Her core is all over the place. I don''t think she is a demoness either like everyone else seems to think. Regardless she killed an entire gnoll pack. Including the pups, you saw the bodies, that is unforgivable to be so heartless.¡±
¡°But you said he was lying about a lot of it.¡±
¡°He was lying a lot, yeah, but he didn¡¯t lie about the fact that her familiar killed all of them. We aren¡¯t doing this for that lying gnoll, but because Hydra are poison. They infect the land, sky, water and the mind. Having one bonded to a person may turn it into a false-hydra and trust me you don¡¯t want to be around one of those.¡±
¡°Do you even know what a false-hydra is?¡± Falko asked. ¡°You probably just made it up on the spot.
Adelheid was flustered by the question. ¡°Alaric said it is bad so while I haven¡¯t seen one before doesn¡¯t mean anything. We are going to see if she does anything suspicious while Alaric and the rest take care of the little hydra pup. If she is corrupted we kill her and the world is all the better for it. We have to make sure it is away from the tiger demon, he gives me bad vibes.¡±
¡°I still don¡¯t know if you are lying about the false-hydra. For someone who can tell if someone lies you really suck at tellin¡¯ the truth.¡±
She sat up on her branch. ¡°Don¡¯t make me come over there! I am not lying.¡±
¡°Sure, you aren¡¯t. Yeah.¡±
¡°Why are you so annoying? Ugh, just wait until this hunt is over!¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Falco waved off the threat. ¡°You always result to violence when you¡¯ve been caught.¡±
WM [22] Wendigo Nightmare
There was only a few more hours of sun as Tanisha submerged the sixth blue steel ingot into the basin. So far, she had not successfully infused any of the ingots and her continuous failures were weighing on her. The problem came from her control of the ambient mana after she placed an ingot in the basin. She could hold the mana stable for a few minutes but not the hour or so she would need. The mental strain was getting to her and she knew that continuing would most likely lead to even more failures.
Last one for today. Joel said he could just reforge them so no harm in trying.
Tanisha knew there was something she had to be doing wrong. Infusion was a higher level craft than potion making. Well the skill level for entry was much higher. The two both required decades to become proficient and centuries to master to the highest level. Tanisha knew she was at the very beginning of her journey, but that didn¡¯t stop her from getting more and more frustrated at the continuous failures.
She licked her lips as she lowered the ingot into the basin. Instantly she felt the ambient mana be drawn into the reaction. She curtailed the flow of power with her Ringularity Sage Core, but the weight of the ambient mana seemed to only grow straining her domination of the ambient flow. She was sweating profusely as the seconds moved slowly by and she felt each and every one take it sweet time.
A minute past then two, then ten as she struggled to the point she had both hands raised on opposite sides of her body as if she were holding back two walls from crushing her. The mental and magical weight caused her to breathe ragged breaths as the buildup of ambient mana finally collapsed. In moments it flooded into the infusion basin ruining another blue steel ingot.
¡°Ah! What the Infernal Planes, really?¡± Tanisha said between frustrated and labored breaths. ¡°What am I doing wrong? How is anyone supposed to do this?¡±
Tanisha carefully removed the ruined metal from the basin and began the draining process by manipulating the mana around the object. Once it was fully drained she looked into the bottles of perfectly separated blood and powder. Tanisha was not sure how the basin could separate things so accurately, but she was too irritated to think too long about it.
She conjured a liquid water construct, the element of her power that solidified mana in a way that acted and looked like water while at the same time being just her mana. It had advantages in combat over actual water in the fact an enemy mage couldn¡¯t seize control of it mid fight and attack her with it. The drawback was the far steeper cost in mana and longer time it took to form. She wasn¡¯t using it for combat right now of course, but it was also superior for cleaning. It would not rust metals, it was totally in her control and would dissipate into the ambient mana once she was done.
After storing the blood and powder in her necklace storage she disassembled the basin and put it away as well. Frustrated she plucked her maya pipe from the air and smoked the enigmatic energy. The maya interacted with her differently now as she no longer had the traditional maya channels. The maya acted almost as a miner digging new tunnels. Once those tunnels in her body were made seier expanded them moving into the new expanse while the maya was assimilated. The progress was slow and the sensation oddly relaxing which is exactly what Tanisha wanted.
Tanisha looked at the now seven ruined ingots that would have to be reforged to be useful. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have to tell Joel I messed up so many times,¡± she grumbled. ¡°But maybe he has some insight he could share. Tomorrow. I am done for today.¡±
Tanisha pulled on her bond with Bjorn; she knew he had been in combat a few times thanks to the flare and intensity of his emotions several times throughout the day. She felt he was on the way back which was good since it would be night soon. Hunter animals and familiars could be out past curfew as some monsters were only active at night and skinwalkers didn¡¯t usually target non-humanoids. She was not technically a hunter and she was going to take Joha¡¯s advice about staying away from the skinwalker issue.
Tanisha approached the gate of Birchgrove where town guards checked her and performed a test in which they had to shine lights into her eyes and mouth with a small device. The lights were magical and did something although Tanisha didn¡¯t know what, but she could feel the magic. She was let through without issue as many of them knew of her since she was the only source of potions at the moment and some of them had even bought from her.
¡°Go straight to your inn, the town will be under curfew in an hour,¡± a wendigo guard said.
¡°I will head there without delay,¡± Tanisha said.
The streets of the town were empty aside for guards and a few lamplighters although the latter were notably hurrying through their jobs lighting the lampposts to get home quickly. It was almost eerie to see the town so empty as the twilight set upon the settlement and the first of the stars twinkled high above.
Tanisha took her wagon to storage outside a street away from her inn which also had a horse stable. She again felt her bond with Bjorn. he was closer and seemed to be in a good mood so she expected to see him soon and with trophies of his hunt. As she closed the stable doors she felt a presence behind her. She immediately spun around and saw a town guard watching her. It was hard to make him out in the low light, but he was definitely human due to the lack of antlers.
¡°We are on curfew, why are you still outside of your lodging?¡± the guard asked.
Tanisha recognized the guard''s voice; it was the same human she saw at the Apothecary Office.
¡°I was on my way and I had to secure my horse first,¡± Tanisha responded.
¡°Are you alone? We want everyone inside.¡±
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¡°I am alone but the inn is not far.¡±
¡°I will escort you to your lodging. It is dangerous at night¡±
Tanisha nodded in agreement and walked over him. He was shorter than her although most humans and wendigo were shorter than her now. Although the shadows obscured his face he had a rather large build.
¡°I am staying at the inn across the street so it won¡¯t be a long wa¡ª¡±
Tanisha turned in the direction of Bjorn and she felt distress and pain come from the bond. Something was happening to him and she needed to get there now. Without even thinking her Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle sprang to life as the tattoos on her body glowed and shifted. She took a step from the guard just for her to feel him tackle her and grab on to her wrists squeezing hard and trying to overpower her. She assumed he thought she was trying to flee or attack him so she needed to clarify her intention.
¡°I have to go. My familiar is in danger!¡± Tanisha yelled.
¡°I have to go. My familiar is in danger,¡± Herschel said in a perfect imitation of her voice.
Tanisha turned back to him and could see he wasn¡¯t quite right. His eyes were black orbs, his mouth stretched unnaturally wide with needle-like teeth eager to bite into flesh. Tanisha¡¯s eyes opened wide at the realization that this was the skinwalker. This was the monster even the wendigo feared, that haunted the nightmares of children, and shut down entire towns when one was spotted.
Identify
Name: Herschel Calihan
Species: (Human-Disguised) Ascended Skinwalker
Level: 67
Vocation: Eldritch Predator
Highest Stat: Strength: 350
The skinwalker was self-realized, it could speak and blend into society which was bad. That meant that it was strong and given the fact that Tanisha could not get out of its vice-like grip it was physically stronger than her. Tanisha was only momentarily frozen with panic, a reaction to facing one of her nightmares head on coupled with the fact that Bjorn was also in trouble.
She reminded herself she was not some helpless girl and spoke the words of power to summon her water. The two orbs appeared and shot out streams of compressed water capable of rending steel. The skinwalker took both hits to its body and screamed in outrage and pain. It released one of Tanisha¡¯s wrists. She realized it was trying to break them but couldn¡¯t because of her mantle. It immediately tried to grab her neck, but she shifted as more shots of water slammed into the creature. Unfortunately the assault seemed to do only superficial damage.
They tussled on the ground as the creature repeatedly tried to grab her neck or break the wrist it still had. The water orbs expended all of their water and reformed as Tanisha used a second spell in a desperate bid to free herself. She knew if the creature was able to get a good grasp on her she was as good as dead. Luckily the skinwalker didn¡¯t seem to have any combat experience, most likely just attacking a person¡¯s blind spot and using its ridiculous strength to kill them quickly.
Hard Air Constructs:
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Low cost, two seier. Speak the words of power and create seier air constructs. Form air constructs into any shape, interacting with the world, acting out the caster¡¯s will. (II) Medium cost, six seier. Air constructs with darker aspects of seier to burn any that oppose you. (III) High cost, 16 seier. Constructs will become invisible and silent.
Wind constructs made from the darker aspects of her power materialized as sparkly green hands. They both latched on to the creature one on the face and the other on its neck. The smell of burning flesh was immediate as the creature felt the heat of Tanisha''s magic. It didn¡¯t stop and only grew more desperate. It continuously smashed the hand it had grabbed against the ground until finally Tanisha¡¯s defenses failed and her forearm snapped.
The pain was intense as it shifted its hand to the break in her arm and dug its nails in slowly peeling away flesh as it dug its way to the shattered bone. Tanisha had a slight hesitation due to the pain and the creature managed to grab Tanisha¡¯s collarbone. The skinwalker¡¯s hand pierced her skin with talon-like claws and reached inside of her to grab the bone itself to get a firm grasp. Worse still Tanisha could not tell if she was doing any damage to the monster with either the water or the Hard Air Construct.
¡°You are not killing me!¡± Tanisha yelled.
¡°You are not killing me.¡± Herschel mimicked Tanisha''s voice perfectly.
The skinwalker copying her voice was unsettling. Tanisha was a mage now although she was coming into her power she was far enough along on that journey of power that it would take significant damage to take her out of a fight. She was in pain, but she was no were near down for the count. She grit her teeth and pushed through despite the creature''s attempts to silence and pin her down.
There was one final gambit and Tanisha took it without second guessing it. She bit the skinwalker¡¯s arm, her sharp teeth tore into flesh but not as deeply as she would have liked. The skinwalker reared his hand back as Tanisha finally broke its grip and had enough space to strike back with the force of the Way of the Rakshasa. She punched the skinwalker in the neck seier exploded out from the impact causing a wound to open which finally forced the skinwalker to release her broken arm.
Tanisha punched again this time at the creature''s side which sent the skinwalker flying into the wall of a building. Tanisha staggered to her feet and took a lesser health potion from her inventory and drank it immediately. She winced as the bone in her broken arm reset and the skin healed. She watched the skinwalker as it rose to its feet from a crumpled mess. Tanisha looked at the arm she had bitten and it was slowly turning black around the bitemarks. The faux flesh it wore over its real form was already rotting away.
Venomous Fang
- You have felt the venom of your Familiar; it now courses through your veins. Your saliva carries a necrotic venom. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your familiar. This ability is tied to your familiar, should your familiar die or reject your bond you will lose this ability.
Venomous Fang was the only ability she got from Bjorn that she managed to unlock. She had no idea when she did it, but she suspected it when he had bit her during their fight with Thyra. She had run a test on her and Bjorn¡¯s venom and found that it was not the same. Bjorn¡¯s was far more potent than hers and seemed to attack the nervous system while hers attacked the flesh.
¡°Now,¡± Tanisha said as she rolled her neck. ¡°Payback.¡±
The sound of their battle had not gone unnoticed and the patterning of metal boots against cobblestone streets was getting closer. Tanisha wasn¡¯t going to wait for rescue however. She pulled her bardiche from her inventory and the weapon immediately glowed as her magic flowed into it. The glow dimmed as the weapon was fully inundated with the power and Tanisha readied herself.
WM [23] Abomination
The skinwalker was confused, never before had its prey been able to fight back before it was able to subdue them. Hunting was as much a game to it as it was a means to feed itself. Yet now it was hurt more than it had ever been and its food and more importantly new skin was the cause. It was furious, but what little remained of its reason told it this was not a fight it wanted, especially with more people on the way.
Tanisha didn¡¯t wait to see what the creature was waiting on and used her Arcane Shift to teleport to the right side of the creature. She swung her bardiche which flashed through the air hitting the skinwalker¡¯s arms as it moved to defend itself. Tanisha felt the weapon cleave into flesh but stopped dead at the skinwalker''s bones, like hitting iron rods.
Even the bardiche I got from the princess is not strong enough to cut through it. I have to keep my distance then and focus on magic.
Tanisha had to jump back to avoid the wild strikes it did in retaliation as it lunged at her. She directed the water orbs with the bardiche. The blade glowed for a brief moment as the orbs shot its water this time with far more force. The stream of water blasted through the abdomen of the creature. The bardiche was designed as a perfect staff for Tanisha; she had requested from the princess for it to mesh well with hydromancy.
The skinwalker was strong, durable and even with the grievous neck and now stomach wounds it was still a skinwalker. If they could be killed so easily the wendigo wouldn¡¯t fear them as much as they do. Tanisha saw why Alfred did not want to fight the one in the woods with just the three of them.
Skinwalkers lost access to most of their magic but not all. One of the magics they retained was the wendigo¡¯s natural magic of bodily strengthening called Mana Muscle Saturation. The ability was what Tanisha¡¯s own Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle evolved from.
Tanisha assumed that the skinwalker had already been using the Mana Muscle Saturation until she felt it in the aura of the creature. The skin it had been wearing lost color looking like hanging human leather over a horrifying skeletal visage. Whatever magic the skinwalker had been using to keep the skin alive was diverted to its bones, tendons and muscles. The creature wearing the flesh of Herschel was just as surprised as Tanisha at its new found magical strength.
Shit, that is not good!
Tanisha realized quickly she was about to be in well over her head. The creature was already several times stronger than her physically. Now its strength would rival or surpass Thyra¡¯s and the only reason Tanisha survived her was Bjorn¡¯s poison. She needed to stay out of the skinwalkers grasp at all cost.
There was again a turn in the fight as Tanisha did not want to risk getting closer and instead she pelted the skinwalker with water missiles. She knew if the skinwalker grabbed her now it would kill her no question. The fight devolved into a deadly game of attrition in the street.
Tanisha dodged wild, but deadly strikes, while shooting the creature with water missiles. The effectiveness of her magic diminished now that the creature was strengthening itself and would do little more than shallow gashes. Even the Hard Air Constructs which had been latched on to the creature burning it constantly did nothing. She would have to slowly bleed the monster with a thousand cuts if she wanted to survive.
She was preparing to use Arcane Shift again to avoid a strike when the skinwalker''s right arm fell off and hit the ground in a wet squelch. It was the arm Tanisha had bit, her venom caused the arm to rot to the point that the ligaments holding it together snapped. Leaving a blackened decomposed arm to die even while the creature itself fought. Black sickly blood flowed from the torn muscle and veins as the creature recoiled and wailed in pain.
Tanisha did not have time to think about what just happened as an arrow flew past her and stuck into the skinwalker''s chest. Prana, chakra, and magic erupted all around her as the town guards finally made it into the battle. Tanisha teleported several times backwards to get out of the way of the guards who overwhelmed the weakened creature. The amount of attacks they threw at it made retaliation nearly impossible and while it was terrifyingly strong it most certainly was not skilled.
Tanisha stayed back but used her magic to continue to pile on damage from her water missiles and constructs. It took an additional ten minutes of hard fought battle between the guards and skinwalker for them to finally put the creature down. It seemed like the main reason it finally went down was because of Tanisha¡¯s venom more so than any other attack from the guardsman or Tanisha. The creature was little more than a blackened putrescent flesh pile by the time it finally died, but it went out kicking and screaming until its final breath.
¡°What the fuck was that?¡± one of the guards exclaimed.
Tanisha had not noticed just how many of them had shown up. There were at least a dozen all of whom participated in the subjugation. In addition there were at least two monster hunters one of which was the one that fired the first arrow. The other was the man Tanisha remembered guarded Robert''s office with the boar spear.
Tanisha did not stick around to see what happened, instead she put the bardiche back in her inventory and used Arcane Shift in quick succession to get to Joha as fast as possible. She felt in the bond that Bjorn was still in danger; it felt like he was fighting his emotions all over the place. Tanisha knew that if it was another skinwalker she would not be able to handle it on her own although Joha likely could. As she reached the outside of the inn she was again tackled.
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¡°Oh no you don¡¯t Tanisha,¡± a female voice said as they rolled. ¡°I can¡¯t have you alerting that tiger demon.¡±
¡°What another one?¡± Tanisha said in surprise. ¡°Let me go!¡±
Before Tanisha realized it she was in the air and landed on the top of a building. A person landed beside her when she realized she had been thrown. She quickly looked up at the person that landed beside her and aimed the water spheres in her direction. Before attacking she Identified the person.
Identify
Name: Adelheid Strider
Species: Werewolf
Level: 70
Vocation: Beastborn Berserker
Highest Stat: Health Regeneration: 272
¡°You¡¯re that wifwolf from earlier!¡± Tanisha said. ¡°What do you want? Why are you keeping me from Joha?¡±
¡°That was an impressive fight with the skinwalker,¡± Adelheid said, completely ignoring the question. ¡°If that thing grabbed hold of you again you would be dead. I guess I shouldn¡¯t expect less from a Salstar should I Freja?¡±
Tanisha looked at the woman for a long time. There wasn¡¯t any hostility in Adelheid¡¯s tone or demeanor. She simply sounded like she was stating a fact. Tanisha decided that if this person somehow knew her by name despite her appearance there wasn¡¯t much reason in hiding her identity.
¡°I don¡¯t go by that name anymore,¡± Tanisha said as she stood up, her gaze sharp. ¡°Did Ingrid send someone to kill me already?¡±
¡°Ingrid? Your mother? Oh-boy, noble families are so strange if they would go out of their way to kill one another. No, I was not sent to kill you unless necessary and I definitely wasn¡¯t sent by your mother.¡±
¡°Well I don¡¯t have time. Adelheid Strider.¡±
¡°How do you know my na¡ª¡± She stopped herself. ¡°Not important. How about you have a seat?¡± Adelheid motioned to chairs positioned not too far from them. ¡°I think we need to talk.¡±
Tanisha pulled on her connection to Bjorn; he was still in trouble fighting something out there and she was not going to be stuck here. She looked around and she was again across the street from the Inn. She was on the farside of the building so there was no clear way to see Joha¡¯s room, but she could see her own. She was looking out for the other werewolf as she distinctly remembered there being two.
¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°Don¡¯t do anything crazy. I would hate to have to kill you when things are finally about to be over.¡±
¡°Do you have anything to do with the skinwalkers?¡± Tanisha asked accusingly.
¡°No. My clan would never do anything that would lead to one of your kind turning into one of those things. Honestly I am just as surprised as you that it was in town. I am here for you. Let¡¯s be honest with each other for a little while,¡± Adelheid said as she took a seat. ¡°I am sure the name Sabec rings a bell.¡±
Tanisha continued to look around as if the name meant nothing despite being thoroughly interested. Sabec was someone she once thought of as a friend, but he turned out to be a lying snake that would have sold her and Bjorn off to slavery. He and his clan, a band of gnoll war merchants, were scum that traded in blood and lives. They took Bjorn and tried to take her and kill the Isi family before they had arrived at Lavi.
Bjorn killed everyone in that camp when he was consumed by the maya. Tanisha always wondered what happened to Sabec; they found a lot of bodies at the gnoll camp, but none of them matched the traitor. Tanisha assumed he was one of the ones that were burned to death and was unidentifiable.
¡°No point in trying to hide it,¡± Adelheid said with a long breath. ¡°We met him. He took us to the camp. We saw the bodies. The merciless killing of the old and the very young.¡± She let the last word linger for a moment. ¡°Did you do it? Did you walk into their nursery and kill them or did you have your familiar do it. Was murdering every other member of the pack not enough for you?¡±
¡°They did it to themselves.¡± Tanisha turned around, her voice sharp as she faced the wifwolf. ¡°Do you work for Sabec, are you part of his slave hunter lot? Did he tell you what really happened? How he and his mate tried to kill an entire convoy of civilians escaping from a Druid attack? Or how he kidnapped my familiar and placed a magic suppression collar on him that caused my familiar to go berserk and nearly kill himself to get back to me?¡±
¡°You''re familiar that killed a tent full of kids?¡± Adelheid said coldly. ¡°Do pardon me if I don¡¯t weep for you.¡±
Tanisha knew the wifwolf was trying to get a rise out of her so she pushed the conversation along.
¡°So, he did send you?¡± Tanisha¡¯s voice was reserved, training in politics helped her not to show her emotion.
¡°Yes and no. He told us about you, he got a few details wrong, but your master is a shapeshifter so I guess he taught you a few tricks of the trade.¡± She crossed her legs. ¡°The old gnoll was a liar so we parted ways. He is probably in town somewhere, but we don¡¯t really care. He does have it out for you and honestly you probably deserve to die.¡±
Tanisha could all but taste the hostility in the air as she spoke. ¡°Why are you here?¡±
¡°Simple. To kill the abomination you call a familiar. Greater dragons, greater naga, and greater hydra these creatures can not be allowed to¡ª¡±
Tanisha rushed forward and in the blink of an eye as she was throwing a punch toward the wifwolf. Before the strike could connect something locked around her neck. The cold feeling of a metal collar settling as she is yanked backward and falls to her back. She felt her magic constructs disconnect as they faded away. The Chain Braker¡¯s Mantle also lost power as the magic suppression collar fully activated.
Tanisha sat up confused as she followed the chain connected to her collar to the second werewolf she remembered from earlier. She reached up and touched the collar around her neck. She had been captured so easily they planned for the whole conversation to get her riled up and off guard. She turned back to the forest where she felt Bjorn¡¯s bond as he fought some unknown foe. She failed him.
WM [24] Fire Was Still Fire
Bjorn looked up at the sky, or at least what he could see between the dense canopy. It looked like it was about time to return to the city. There was the last of his hunt¡¯s hands to collect; he found and killed thirteen of the crawling stalkers, which was more than enough to finally return home. This contract was only ten, so there should be some bonus that would surely make up for him showing up a little earlier than expected.
Bjorn was in a good mood working and doing something besides sitting around and watching people really eased his mind. He felt like it was a distraction, sure, but having a job made him feel more human. He couldn¡¯t wait until he could actually speak, which was impossible for him now. However, whether through some learned magic or simply if he decides to continue being a familiar, he will gain the ability. The first Prince and Princess¡¯ dragons assured him of that when they spoke.
¡°We¡¯re going back after we get the hands,¡± Bjorn said mentally.
¡°Whoo! We will finally be able to take a bath!¡± Failsafe responded, ¡°This crawler¡¯s blood feels weird, like being dipped in static electricity.¡±
Bjorn walked over to the first downed creature, easily bit off its hand, and placed it in the animal carrier on his side. Then moved on to the next.
¡°You know what, I was trying to place it, and that sounds exactly right,¡± Bjorn said. ¡°It''s like getting thousands of little zaps every second. Weird, I guess it is the mana holding the monsters together finally breaking down now that it is dead.¡±
¡°Monsters are basically magic constructs. The more powerful ones are living creatures, but these are just faux lives made by dirty magic that clung together. They''re practically the monster equivalent of mud. Good combat practice, though.¡±
¡°How close until we level up?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Oh, nowhere near that, and we aren¡¯t going to from these little guys,¡± Failsafe said.
¡°What? Why?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°The level of experience we get from them is too low. The highest level we have faced so far was thirteen, less than half your level. The lower the level of our enemies are to us, the less experience we gain. The higher they are relative to us, the more we gain.¡±
¡°Why is that?¡± Bjorn questions. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t lower-level creatures gain us the same level of experience?¡±
¡°Yeah, and you can even say that they do. The problem lies in the quality of their mana and experience relative to you. The stronger a mage, or in your case, a magic beast, is, the more refined their mana becomes. It also changes their bodies, making them into a factory of some of the purest mana there is, especially when they are at the height of their power. You can almost say that extremely powerful mages and magical beasts are the same as monsters. At some point, we are going to pass a threshold in which the majority of our body is replaced with mana and faux flesh.¡±
¡°What in the Infernal Planes? How do you know that?¡± Bjorn questioned.
¡°I listen when Tanisha reads to us after you go to sleep,¡± Failsafe said smugly, ¡°She usually reads for an hour or two after you doze off.¡±
¡°So, I remember her talking about how mage bodies get more resistant to previously fatal injuries. Is that why?¡±
¡°Yep. If you were to stab a mage at level one hundred in the heart, it would hurt, yeah, but most likely not kill them unless their health regeneration was painfully low. Do the same to a level two hundred if you can, and they will shunt it off like a splinter. It is the reason you kill a mage by cutting off their head. You can overcome a mage''s insane vitality by just piling on damage. Our venom does that quite effectively. I am sure Thyra would have been able to heal from anything, including decapitation if we hadn¡¯t poisoned her first.¡±
She would have grown a new head?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°No, probably not, but maybe,¡± Failsafe didn¡¯t sound too confident in that answer, so he moved on, ¡°More than likely, she would have just been able to reattach it, but our poison killed her brain, spine, and nervous system.¡±
Bjorn picked up the last hand and tugged on the connection to Tanisha. He could feel where she was and could also tell that she was extremely frustrated about something. Maybe a potion not going right or something to that effect. Bjorn had gotten quite adept at recognizing her emotions and wondered if it was the same for her with his emotions. She had been acting extremely affectionate today when he was in a bad mood.
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¡°Maybe we can hunt another one of those horned deer really quickly as a gift for Tanisha. She really liked the venison, and I think she is having a hard day,¡± Bjorn said.
¡°I am all for it. But aren¡¯t we supposed to be back before nightfall or something like that?¡±
¡°We don¡¯t have the same restriction. I can already pick out the scent of a deer nearby anyway, so we¡¯ll have plenty of time.¡±
Bjorn closed in on the luminara horned deer; it was none the wiser of his presence. He wasn¡¯t going to risk it running off, so as soon as he was sure it was in range, he roared, infusing the aether into the sound. The deer froze in place, unable to move, as Bjorn darted in a sprint towards it and tackled the doe to the ground.
Intimidation Roar
Aether Cost: 1
Infuse aether into your roar to paralyze anyone who hears it. Your roar can paralyze humanoid magic constructs as long as they are connected to a magic caster. Paralysis duration depends on the distance and level disparity between you and the target. Those bound to you are immune to this effect.
He killed the animal as quickly as he could without venom, and he was happy with his kill. They found a long time ago that people could eat things he used his venom on, but it did change the taste of the meat. The doe was smaller than the buck he managed to kill a few days ago, but that would make it easier to carry on his back.
He felt his connection to Tanisha and was happy to see that the hunt actually brought him closer to the town. He guessed it would be at least an hour before he arrived. It was already sunset, but it didn¡¯t really matter. The curfew didn¡¯t affect animals, so he would be able to get in regardless.
After some finagling, he was able to balance the dead deer on his back, and he started walking in the direction of the town. He and Failsafe were discussing a news system Failsafe should implement. Bjorn had thought of it after their last conversation about experience.
¡°You already can tell how close I am to the next level, and you know how much experience I get, so can you make it?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°It should be possible; it is going to take some time, though,¡± Failsafe responded thoughtfully, ¡°Actually, if I add it to your current first page, adding numbers or a percentage to your next level should be easy. The numbers would get out of hand quickly.¡±
¡°How so?¡±
¡°Each level requires twice the experience of the previous level. It is what unlocks the threshold. It doesn¡¯t mean you are twice as strong. But if I start at one hundred in forteen levels, going by the numbers, you will need 1,638,400, and it only goes up exponentially from there.¡±
¡°Percentages then?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Percentages then,¡± Failsafe agreed, ¡°I will get to working on it after we get home.¡±
The forest went quiet as Bjorn continued on his solitary journey. It was dark, but because of his night vision, it was as clear as it had been during the day. Bjorn stopped walking and looked around, which confused Failsafe. Something wasn¡¯t quite right, though he didn¡¯t know why. His instincts were telling him to run, that there was something out here, and it was dangerous. He looked around, and each of his heads faced a different direction.
In the briefest moment, he saw something: a figure to his right, covered head to toe in natural camouflage. It seemed to all happen in slow motion as he realized the figure was a person, and he just loosed an arrow charged with some type of power. He ducked his heads, but not fast enough as arrows simultaneously took out two of his three heads while a fourth arrow slammed into his side. The heads that were stuck fell limp, and he crumpled to the ground.
Bjorn realized that the only reason he wasn¡¯t dead was that the metal plates in the new harness helped absorb some of the impact from the arrow that would have struck his heart. There was pain and confusion as Bjorn felt more arrows pepper his body. He balled up, protecting his last head, which was his left one. As quickly as he could, he jumped out of the line of fire but couldn¡¯t run. He noticed that the hunters targeted his joints.
¡°Bjorn, are you okay?¡± Failsafe yelled.
¡°Not now, can you see anything?¡± Bjorn asked as he limped.
He pulled as much magic as he could from his core and unleashed a wave of white, hot Plague Fire that rushed out, torching trees and anything in its path. He focused the fire into a beam of heat and moved his head in any direction he saw the assailants. In its focused form, it not only scorched anything it touched but also cut through trees and the ground like a high-powered plasma beam. The forest in all directions was alight with the aetheric blaze.
Plague Fire Breath
Aether Cost: 8
With your left head, you can breathe a plume of superheated toxin, which will ignite enemies and infect them with your neurotoxin. Flames retain toxicity until you release the spell. Plague Fire will spread like normal fire.
Bjorn had to pull the deer from his back. The sheer number of arrows pinned it to him, and he had to pull those out with it. He had ripped the arrows from his joints so he could run, though all he could muster at the moment would better be described as an enthusiastic hobble. He didn¡¯t see his assailants but knew they were at the very edge of his range with his flames as if they knew how far his attack would reach.
When he was surrounded, the only place he hadn¡¯t seen anyone was directly behind him. He turned and moved as fast as he could. The raging inferno that the surrounding forest had become was giving him cover. Bjorn found out very quickly that while he had a higher tolerance to fire than a human or wendigo, he was most certainly not immune to his flames. The toxin wouldn¡¯t affect him, of course, but fire was still fire.
WM [25] He didn’t get far
There was a cold breeze in the air in the town. The guards were on full patrol now that skinwalker was confirmed to have infiltrated the settlement. Monster hunters were being called in from the Jackrabbits¡¯ camp to bolster the patrols. From atop the roof of the building, guards down were muted. Tanisha felt the terror and fear Bjorn was going through and knew, without a shadow of a doubt, nothing would keep her from him.
¡°Now that you are collared, don¡¯t do anything regretful,¡± Adelheid said, her tone and body language relaxed. ¡°We were told to kill you if your mind had already been poisoned, but you seem lucid. It should be over soon, and then you will never see us again.¡±
¡°This was a boring hunt,¡± Falko said as he held the chain to Tanisha¡¯s suppression collar, ¡°I thought she would at least put up a fight or something.¡±
¡°The hunt is not always about fighting. If you do it right, you won¡¯t have to fight at all,¡± Adelheid said.
¡°That makes it boring.¡±
Tanisha stopped listening to them as she tried to look inwardly towards her core but found that she couldn¡¯t. All of her connection to her magic was cut. She felt vulnerable and powerless but not at all broken. Feeling inadequate was how she felt most of her life. People with magic, influence, or strength were always dictating her life until very recently. So instead of focusing on what she couldn¡¯t do, she decided that above all else, she needed to get to Joha.
¡°What happens after you kill Bjorn, are you all just going to leave? What about Sabec?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Sabec is your problem. As for us, what does it matter?¡± Adelheid said, ¡°We are monster hunters. We go where there are monsters that need killing.¡±
¡°You are the first werewolves I have seen in Yuhia; what brought your people here? We aren¡¯t exactly known for our monsters.¡±
¡°It was luck. Our pack travels all over, but we just so happen to be in the right place at the right time to find Sabec collapsed out in the wilderness.¡±
¡°Our pack? I am the one that found him,¡± Falko interjected.
¡°That is beside the point, Falko,¡± Adelheid said.
¡°No, it''s not. I am the one who found him, and I am stuck here with you when everyone else gets to hunt the hydra,¡± Falko walked around Tanisha to Adelheid¡¯s side, the chain dragging along the ground as he did. He was looking out into the dark forest beyond the wall. ¡°If only they let me join the hunt tonight,¡± Falko added.
¡°And what let you get in the way? A puppy like you is not ready to face a hydra, even if it is just a pup too,¡± Adelheid said.
¡°I am not a puppy!¡± He stopped a foot, ¡°So, let me guess, I am not ready, but you are?¡±
¡°Of course I am. The only reason I am here is because someone has to look after you.¡±
¡°I could have done this by myself!¡± Falko said.
The two started to argue, so Tanisha focused on her storage items. The bracelet and the necklace that she wore were both storage items. The necklace was given to her by the Isi family, and that was where she stored the majority of her personal potions as well as her weapons. The bracelet had a much larger storage capacity, but because of that, she needed her mana to take things out or put things in.
The necklace used ambient mana, meaning she should be able to take things out at will, even with the suppression collar. While the two werewolves continued to argue, she stealthily took a copper coin from her inventory and put it back in before they saw it. The coin flicked in and out of existence in a flash. It worked, so she was pleased with herself.
Only going to have one chance at this.
Tanisha took a deep breath to center herself. She pulled a draught of strength from her inventory. The potion was usually used by laborers to aid them in picking up heavier loads or working that much harder. It wouldn¡¯t increase her strength by much, nowhere near the boost she got from her mantle, but every little bit helped. In a single motion, she raised her hands, stepped on the chain so that it was taut, and summoned her bardiche.
The weapon came down with all the strength she could muster. It cut through the chain and well through the roof of the building. The werewolves reacted instantly, both of them lunging towards Tanisha. To their surprise, the bardiche vanished back into her inventory, leaving her bare-handed as she got into the stance of a second form, VritraVajra, the Thunder Dragon.
Adelheid reached Tanisha first and attempted to grab and restrain her, only to find that Tanisha not only deflected her tackle somehow but also moved in such a way that she was flipping uncontrollably through the air. Falko followed, only to be met with the same, and in an instant, both werewolves were on their backs with no idea how. Tanisha moved so gracefully that it was almost as if it were a dance.
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¡°Don¡¯t make us have to kill you, Tanisha!¡± Adelheid said as she flipped over onto her feet, ¡°That damn hydra is a poison to our world.¡±
Tanisha did not wait around to see how the werewolves would react. She immediately jumped off of the roof and rolled into a sprint once she landed. She did not turn around to see if they were following; the only thing that mattered was getting to Joha. With the number of guards and new enforcement in the town, there was no way they would attack her again, especially if she made a scene.
¡°Help!¡± Tanisha screamed, ¡°I was being attacked!¡±
She ran to the door, which was locked, but she didn¡¯t let that stop her as he nearly ripped it from its hinges when she ran into it. Inside, the owner and his wife were startled, both of them being in the lobby, looking out of the blinds because of all of the commotion outside.
¡°What in the Divine''s name?¡± the elderly human owner said.
¡°Sorry!¡± Tanisha responded but didn¡¯t stop running, ¡°I will pay for that!¡±
As she ran to the stairs, she heard glass breaking on the second floor. She didn¡¯t slow down as she made it to the floor, but she scrambled to a stop as soon as she saw two werewolves in their beast forms waiting for her. Werewolves were a unique race; they were one of the few that could transform into their lesser form at will. For them, it was where the wolf came from in their name.
They were both humanoid wolf monsters, both now taller than her with significantly more muscle. Of the two, Adelheid was larger; her fur was brown and silver. Her hands were now claws, ready to rind flesh, and her wolf-like face was in a growling snarl. Falko was only slightly smaller, his fur was dark gray but also popped with electricity.
¡°Joha!¡± Tanisha yelled, ¡°Help!¡±
¡°You could have made this easy, Tanisha,¡± Adelheid snarled, ¡°You didn¡¯t have to die.¡±
¡°I am sorry, who is dying?¡± a deep voice bellowed as red mist filled the hallway.
¡°Falko, run now!¡± Adelheid panicked as she turned around to face the voice.
In a blur of motion, Joha appeared in front of Tanisha. He was in his combat form, which was tall and sleek with black fur and younger-looking. The maya slowly shifted from red to black as soon as he saw the collar around Tanisha¡¯s neck. Tanisha felt relief as she saw the tiger demon.
¡°Are you okay?¡± Joha asked as he popped the metal suppression collar off of her as if it were made from paper.
As soon as Joha appeared Tanisha felt anxiety, disbelief and rage. ¡°Yes, but they are trying to kill Bjorn. He is hurt, they set up a trap for him and I©`¡±
¡°It¡¯s alright, I am here, Tanisha,¡± Joha said softly, with a hand on her shoulder, ¡°We will save Bjorn, but first, I need to deal with them.¡±
He turned around and faced the werewolves. His maya changed from black to something far darker. Abyssal maya flowed from Joha¡¯s mouth like a waterfall. The dark energy is a representation of the deepest connection to the Infernal Planes. The world itself grew heavy as reality struggled to process the invasion of a higher power so deep and twisted.
Falko fled through one of the rooms in the hallway as he was instructed, which left the shaking Adelheid alone. She looked mortified as if she was already dead and just waiting for the executioner to drop the axe. Joha took a step towards the cowering girl, and she took a step back. She turned to flee but found that the maya itself wrapped around her body, solidifying into chains with barbs that dug into her flesh. They even gagged her so she could not speak. She fell to the ground in a bloody cocoon of black chains.
It was Tanisha¡¯s first time witnessing the first form of the Way of the Rakshasa MayaMundra, illusionary seals. It looked so different than how she had imagined it. It was a pure manipulation of maya in a way that was unlike anything she had ever seen Joha use before. She had seen him use maya constructs during their training, but this was something different. Something that required intimate knowledge of the dark depths of the infernal power.
¡°Now let''s find Bjorn,¡± Joha said.
¡°She¡¯s alive?¡± Tanisha asked. ¡°What about the other one?¡±
¡°We won¡¯t get answers from corpses. As for the other one, he didn¡¯t get far.¡± Joha said as the maya pulled a second mass of chains into the hallway from the room Falko tried to escape from. ¡°They won¡¯t be able to escape.¡±
Tanisha knew that if they hurt Bjorn there wouldn¡¯t be any questions when they got back. She was so pissed off that she wished Joha had just killed them now. She knew for a fact she was going to find Sabec and put him down too but she didn¡¯t say that to Joha. For now finding Bjorn was the priority.
Tanisha said in as neutral a tone as she could manage in her absolute fury. ¡°Okay. We have to go before somethi©`¡±
Tanisha stopped talking, breathing, moving as she felt something in the bond her entire body seized up. The connection weakened; she felt his emotions stop and the flow of mana between them halted. She couldn¡¯t draw in any breath as her legs gave out and she collapsed to her knees.
The connection between a master and their familiar could be severed but not without extreme circumstances. What she felt was not the work of an enemy mage breaking the bond but one end losing connection. Even if Tanisha had never felt this particular feeling before it was unmistakable it was death. Bjorn was dead?
Tanisha turned to the werewolves, tears rolling down her face as she went from complete disbelief to unbridled rage. Those motherfuckers killed Bjorn and think they will get to breathe a single breath more? No no no no no!
Tanisha only saw red as she screamed and her bardiche appeared in her hands. Her tattoos blazed to life as she focused her magic into the weapon. She had something to let out all of her fury as she teleported to the closest of the two. Adelheid was in complete shock as Tanisha appeared over her with the bardiche already swinging down.
Adelheid screamed as she closed her eyes and winced. ¡°Stop please!¡±
The weapon stopped at the nape of her neck. Tanisha looked off into the distance and felt the connection to Bjorn reconnect. He was alive. He had to be alive. Her mouth hung open for a moment before in hopeful shock. The bardiche vanished as she ran towards the stairs to get out of the building without saying a word. Joha followed behind her until he realized he could run faster than her and picked her up off her feet and ran as fast as he could in the direction she pointed.
WM [26] Deranged Howlings
¡°Bjorn, Duck-duck-duck!¡± Failsafe yelled.
Bjorn dove to the ground as arrows flew through where he had been a moment before. The arrows tore through trees and detonated anything they hit on impact. It wasn¡¯t from an explosive but the sheer force behind each arrow. Bjorn wasn¡¯t still for long as he had to keep moving. He couldn¡¯t run; his body was full of wounds and burns, and he was bleeding profusely. The forest fire he started was spreading quickly, the ash in the air hiding most of his form as he limped along.
¡°It went that way!¡± He heard someone yell.
Bjorn couldn¡¯t pinpoint the direction of the voice over the pain throbbing in his head. All he could do was drag himself as far away from them as possible. Then he tasted something in the air besides fire and smoke. It was a familiar and unsettling magic.
¡°Druids?¡± Bjorn asked.
The people that were chasing him weren¡¯t druids, as he knew what their magic felt like. This was a different group altogether. He made a decision and hoped that the druids weren¡¯t the friends of his pursuers. The magic put him at a diagonal from the path he was on; it also meant that he was giving up on a lead from them on a hunch.
¡°I hope I am right about this,¡± Bjorn said.
***
The smell of smoke had everyone on the skinwalker mission on heightened alert. It had been a quiet night otherwise, with everything going according to plan. The small fortification was built in the middle of the forest, away from monsters and hunting activities, to eliminate the possibility of detection. Druid architecture and fortifications were grown, not built. Illusionary magic hid them from sight, and runes grown directly into the flora hid their magic from all but the most sensitive scouring.
Kara was the leader of the new operation, although she did not feel qualified for the position. Her last mission ended with every member of her team being brutally killed by a troll clan. She wasn¡¯t the commander of that squad that was killed, but the fact that she alone survived rocked her to her core. Not even her familiar managed to escape, which cut deeply, but she had a duty, and she would mourn once her mission was done.
The failure of the past mission was carved into her light-green body. Scars covered her body, though most were covered by combat robes aside from the claw marks across her face. Her antlers were broken, and she had a prosthetic left arm. She let the pain of losing so much fuel her, even now. Her men called her merciless, which she was to any of the cannibal savages or anyone who allied with them.
The camp above ground was small enough to leave as little footprint on their operations as possible. A central tree opened up to an underground base that housed their barracks and most essential equipment and supplies. Being druids, they didn¡¯t need field rations; any plant, leaf, or grass was food. The only thing they didn¡¯t bring into the underground bunker were the skinwalkers. They were kept above ground in cages that dampened the sound of their incessant screaming.
Kara was in her underground office going through the latest mission report from scouts. They had successfully released an additional six skinwalkers around the town. A few weeks ago, they already had two of which were self-realized and intelligent. The new ones weren¡¯t, but the havoc they would cause before being found brought a smile to Kara¡¯s face.
As soon as that scout left, a separate man entered. He was panicked and out of breath, which alerted Kara. Her smile was quickly replaced with a frown at the next report.
¡°We believe that one of the self-realized skinwalkers was found and killed,¡± the scout said.
¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Kara asked, her voice was sharp.
¡°There was a commotion within the settlement, which caused a convergence of a large portion of the guard forces to react. Monster hunters have also been called in from that human camp as well. All indications point to there being a confrontation.¡±
Kara rubbed her temple, ¡°Well, how are the other skinwalkers coming along?¡±
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¡°We just captured an additional two wendigo. We will start the process to convert them at once.¡±
The process of turning a wendigo into a skinwalker was not a pleasant one, which made Kara all the happier. It involved torturing them as close to death without letting them slip through, ensuring it was as painful as possible until they either devolved or died. Kara saw the disgusting skinwalker as the true form of the cannibal savage. They were all just monsters pretending to wear the likeness of the Forest Father as false skin over their grotesque nature.
¡°If they don¡¯t change, turn them into fertilizer for the forest,¡± Kara said, ¡°We are accelerating our plans here and leaving for the next location by the end of the week.¡±
¡°Accelerating?¡± the scout asked.
Kara stood up and walked around her desk, ¡°All of the skinwalkers we have need to be released over the next five days. All prisoners converted or killed. Then I want every possible trace that we¡¯re here to be destroyed.¡±
The scout saluted, and Kara dismissed him so she could get back to work. The conversation with the scouts would elevate their plan, but they had been there long enough. It was best that they move to another major town, especially now that the domain is in the middle of political changes.
She rubbed her prosthetic arm, which was living wood grown into the remaining flesh of her arm by a healer. She couldn¡¯t feel anything through the prosthetic, but she could move it as if it were her organic appendage. Every now and then, she would have what druids called the echo of pain. She was tired of being in her office, so she left, finally feeling ready to prepare for bed.
She locked her office door, and an alarm blared throughout the underground bunker. Something entered the illusion barrier. Had they been found out so soon? It didn¡¯t make any sense, so she ran to see what was going on. Steffen, her second-in-command, found her and ran alongside her. He was a stern no-nonsense man with the stereotypical sharpness of a tactician. He readjusted his glasses on his nose as he joined her. He was a man who she had come to rely on, a master of organization and logistics, which placed him well above her in either. As they ran, he was giving orders to everyone they saw.
¡°Do you know what is going on?¡± Kara asked.
¡°No, but we should find out soon,¡± Steffen responded.
A man ran down the stairwell they were approaching. He saluted and relayed a message that took Kara a few seconds to process. A heavily injured familiar was being chased into their camp by a pack of werewolf monster hunters. There was also a massive forest fire approaching with unusual flames that were brimming with some unknown magic. They couldn¡¯t just ignore it either, as the large spike of magic in the area was drawing monsters like literal moths to the flame. The intelligent and powerful monsters would stay away, but crawling stalkers and other weaker monsters were approaching the camp in droves.
Kara was glad Steffen was there because he immediately took in the information and started organizing the men without missing a beat. He dismissed the soldier who reported to set up defenses. Even if werewolves aren¡¯t their enemy, they can¡¯t leave now that they have seen this place. On top of that, they had to prepare to defend themselves against an encroaching monster wave.
¡°Commander, we may need you in the fight,¡± Steffen said, ¡°I suggest getting your armor and staff. I will handle things here.¡±
¡°Yes, you are right,¡± Kara agreed.
***
Bjorn didn¡¯t see anything in front of him aside from the all-encompassing dark forest. However, when he squeezed through some particularly thick bushes, suddenly the world shifted. He tasted and felt the instant change in ambient mana. What he thought was just more forest was actually a brightly lit dirt clearing.
The ground looked like it had been churned into fresh earth or like all of the trees that used to be in the area uprooted themselves and moved only to replant themselves further away. He looked around, and there was only one tree in the distance, but as he watched, druids in combat robes and armor and familiars filed out of it like ants from a mound.
Roots exploded from the ground around the tree, creating an instant barricade for the druids to defend from all angles. Then more roots shot forward, creating spikes to further dismay anyone from approaching. That wasn¡¯t what disturbed Bjorn. What sickened him were the cages held in the air over the tree by the branches, or rather, the cages were the tree¡¯s branches.
¡°What the fuck!¡± Bjorn exclaimed.
¡°I-I think we know where the skinwalkers came from,¡± Failsafe said just as shocked.
There were wendigo up there, some alive, but most unmoving. Then there were skinwalkers howling and trying to break free of their confinement. It looked like some sick macabre art piece created by deranged psychopaths. Bjorn didn¡¯t have the time, power, or wherewithal to do anything about what he was seeing.
¡°Bjorn, we have to keep moving,¡± Failsafe continued, ¡°We can¡¯t do anything about them right now.¡±
He stuck to the perimeter of the barrier and hobbled as fast as he could around the grim structure. He saw some of the druid soldiers tracking him from the barricades, but none of them went on the attack. Bjorn assumed that, as long as he didn¡¯t go closer, they wouldn¡¯t. Bjorn had to force himself not to look up at the tree, and the morbid cries for help from the wendigo intermingled with the deranged howlings of the skinwalkers.
WM [27] If We’re Lucky, They’ll Kill Each Other
Bjorn continued to follow the perimeter of the druid¡¯s barrier. The perimeter was marked with trees and bushes, and now that he was amongst them, he could make out the faintest hint of magic. From the outside of the barrier, everything inside was just more dark forest. From the inside, looking out, one could see the forest beyond as it was. Once he was a good enough distance from the point he entered, he laid down to finally get a good look at himself.
He was covered in arrows and bleeding wounds. Some of the places where he had pulled out the arrows were healed, but there were just so many that his healing factor couldn¡¯t keep up. He looked at his other heads. He could move the necks, but his control wasn¡¯t nearly as good. The arrows that pierced each skull were different from all others and were coated in something that prevented regeneration. The arrow itself looked odd. It was covered in black barbs that faced every possible direction.
¡°This is going to suck,¡± Bjorn said in his head.
¡°It actually didn¡¯t feel too bad, but to keep you from going into shock, your body cut a lot of your pain receptors. I think it is a hydra thing. Not many creatures have more than one brain.¡±
If they hit all three at the same time, would I have died?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°I don¡¯t think so, but it would have made us defenseless until they killed us.¡±
Bjorn positioned his middle head in a way that he could reach the arrow lodged in it. His hands weren¡¯t meant for fine motor control, and he could pull the arrow out with his mouth. The problem was that he needed to careful not to get any of the substance coating the arrow in his mouth. Bjorn bit down on a stick and mentally counted to three. There was a yank and a squelch as the arrow, bone, blood, and a bit of grey matter were pulled free.
There was some pain, but not as much as Bjorn expected. He was more worried about bleeding out, so he quickly went to the second arrow and pulled that put one too. He was quickly feeling lightheaded and was unable to put together enough thought to activate his magic. Fear started to set in as he recognized the feeling of death creeping in.
His mind went back to the last moments of his previous life. The final moments of Isin, the Son of Bazaath, the King of Chains. The memory was so lucid and tangible that it was as if everything else was pushed aside.
***
All he saw around him was fire. Isin stood above the chaos, looking out over the city from some type of control room. The kingdom before him was a delicate mix of aetheric technology and ancient magics far older. Buildings once crafted from gleaming metal and enchanted stone crumbled under the assault of an unknown foe.
Isin didn¡¯t know who dared to cross him now. He left no enemies behind; there was no great foe he had not buried in his rise. Yet there was a deep ache gnawing at his soul with something he had not known since he was a child: fear. His suit blared with incoming calls from his generals and his soldiers. He saw the icons of their faces dim as they fell in combat one after the other.
He stood from his throne and walked to the open floor-to-ceiling window. He could feel the heat from the explosions and sense the aether quake in agony as untold thousands perished; their cries echoed throughout the city. Regret and terror surged through him, a potent cocktail that threatened to break his resolve. He realized too late the true cost of his actions and the depth of his failures. The kingdom, once a beacon of hope and innovation, would be brought to ruin because of him, and he was powerless to stop it.
¡°No. Not like this,¡± he said to himself as he removed the visor over his face.
The aether recognized him; he was its master, and with his command, it moved. He spoke the words of power, the incantation was forged, and the world shook and stuttered with each syllable. Power like nothing the lower planes had ever felt was congregating high above it all. A spell circle formed in the sky, large enough to encompass a nation. He needed only three more words when he felt it. A sword pierced him from behind, bypassing all of his defenses, both magical and physical. It should have been impossible, but there it was, slicing through flesh. He saw the blade and recognized it; he wouldn¡¯t forget it because he made it. Power tore through him as the sword activated, and aetheric lightning fried him from the inside out. His arms dropped, and the aether released its grasp of the world as the spell lost direction.
¡°Edita?¡± Isin said in disbelief, ¡°Why?¡±
***
Bjorn snapped back, his mind foggy, and his heart raced. Failsafe was screaming something about the fact they died but he couldn¡¯t focus on the words. Everything was quiet aside from the constant thumping of his heartbeat. It took an unknown amount of time for him to even be able to collect his thoughts, then it was like a great jolt into lucidity and panic.
¡°Failsafe, Hydra Regeneration!¡± Bjorn screamed mentally.
Hydra Regeneration
Aether Cost: 15
(So funny story, we grew another head, I have no idea why¡) We have enough aether to use this now. I still don¡¯t recommend decapitation, though. We can convert experience or aether into maturation, healing major wounds, decapitation, or growing more heads. Let¡¯s not push our luck too much, though. Every time we do something, you almost get us killed as-is.
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Bjorn wailed as arrows deep in his body were being pushed out. Wounds closed, but every one of them was painfully shut. Whatever ability Failsafe said was numbing the majority of the pain stopped, and Bjorn felt every bit of agony he had missed. He felt the power of his regeneration fight against the unknown substance that coated the arrows he pulled from his heads. It took a full minute for the substance that had become a bubbling slurry to finally be eliminated, and his heads to finally heal.
Bjorn quivered when it was over as his nervous system reconnected. It took a few seconds for him to open his eyes. Never before had he been so happy to see the world through six eyes. He didn¡¯t have long to revel in the fact he was still alive before the screams of the skinwalkers and captives over the druid defensive brought him back to reality. He quickly took stock of the situation.
The druids had not moved from their position, and neither had his pursuers appeared. He thought this would be the best time for him to continue to escape. He stayed low as he moved along the edges of druid territory. Then all hell broke loose. Bjorn¡¯s pursuer finally crossed the barrier; seventeen people, a species he had never seen before, entered the druids'' land. They covered their eyes, all of them confused and blinded by the sudden bright light. When they could finally see, there was a tense silence as they realized the horror show before them.
At the same time, a menagerie of monsters entered from the opposite side. The only ones Bjorn recognized were the crawling stalker, but there were dozens of different species of grotesque abomination rushing in and ripping up the plants that made up the illusion barrier and consuming them for the mana within. When they sensed the magic of the druids and Bjorn¡¯s pursuers, they quickly beelined it towards the more magically dense prey.
None of the groups truly knew what was going on, but that didn¡¯t stop spells from flying. Bjorn got a good look at his pursuers for the first time using his Identify on a couple of them.
Identify
Name: Alaric Strider
Species: Werewolf
Level: ??
Vocation: Beastborn Berserker
Identify
Name: Cassian Strider
Species: Werewolf
Level: ??
Vocation: Beastborn Archer
Identify
Name: Leander Strider
Species: Werewolf
Level: ??
Vocation: Beastborn Berserker
Identify
Name: Isolde Strider
Species: Werewolf
Level: ??
Vocation: Beastborn Ancestral Shaman
As he looked over the pack of, apparently werewolves, a race he had never heard of before, he noted that although he couldn¡¯t see their levels, something about Alaric screamed danger. They were all in hide armors that looked too large for their frames. Every member was a living canvas of tribal tattoos that snaked across every inch of their skin. It made the presence of the pack even more menacing. It took only a few moments for them to recognize that they had just walked into something much larger than they had anticipated.
The monsters continued to rip up and eat the plants that contained even the smallest amount of magic, the lights that flooded the clearing flickered. Everyone had seconds to decide what they were going to do before the druids opened fire with their magic. Roots erupted from the ground, impaling monsters and attempting to strike the agile werewolves. Spells flew through the air, their colorful arcs illuminating the chaos. The werewolves, however, moved with an unnatural grace, evading the attacks with ease. The monsters lunged at anything that moved, their grotesque features twisted in rage.
Things rapidly devolved into a three-way battle that none of the groups were particularly happy to be a part of, well the monsters didn¡¯t seem to mind. Then something Bjorn did not expect at all happened. The werewolves started to turn into hulking humanoid wolf-men. The name of their species and too large clothing suddenly made a lot more sense, but any decision that would have led Bjorn to jump into the fray to try to save the wendigo stopped dead. He saw them tear into the growing horde of monsters and the druid front line with a primal ferocity that, at his current level, would leave him little more than a nuisance.
The druids were not getting slaughtered wholesale, but their weaker members stood little chance. A druid woman, their commander by the look of her, had eyes glowing with green lightning and stood as an immovable pillar. She shot bolts of energy across the field, each striking a deadly dance of destruction. One bolt pierced a wifwolf''s chest, creating a hole that continued into the forest, frying several more monsters and starting another forest fire.
¡°We need to get back to Tanisha. Fuck this!¡± Bjorn said.
¡°What about the wendigo that are trapped up there?¡± Failsafe asked.
¡°We can¡¯t do anything about that right now,¡± Bjorn said as he carefully snuck out of the quickly collapsing illusion barrier, ¡°If we are lucky, the druids and werewolves will kill each other, but I have a feeling that if those werewolves see me again, they will chase us down first.¡±
Bjorn''s eyes flicked at the arrows he had pulled from his other skulls. They were covered in his blood but also coated with a substance that slowed his regeneration. He placed both arrows in his carrier satchels and then made himself scarce. He kept himself low to the ground as the sound of battle behind him only intensified.
Once he was sure he was far enough away, he sprinted through the forest, his three heads swiveling to watch for any signs of pursuit. Confident in his speed, he pushed himself even harder, not knowing the full extent of what werewolves were capable of. He redoubled his pace until he was a blur amongst the foliage, his heart pounding with elation from his escape. But for now, he focused on getting back to Tanisha and planning their next move.
WM [28] Snake In The Grass
Bjorn had to run as fast as he could around the raging forest fire that started because of his Plague Fire breath. He could put the fire out but it was all or nothing. The white flames that coursed with aetheric energy was the reason that the monsters were flooding the druid camp. It just so happened that the camp was in the direct path to the flames. He didn¡¯t know how long he had run before he could finally see the town through the thick brush.
Almost immediately after, Bjorn felt the bond getting closer to him at an accelerated rate. Between the time he felt Tanisha move and when she finally reached him was less than a minute. When he saw her riding on the back of a black tiger with horns, he knew how she moved so fast. He had to come to a sliding stop to keep from running into them.
¡°Bjorn!¡± Tanisha and Joha yelled.
Tanisha hopped off of Joha¡¯s back as they both surrounded him looking out for any attackers. When they didn¡¯t see any Tanisha all but tackled Bjorn in a hug. She was shaking and her emotions were too all over the place for Bjorn to read. They stayed in a locked embrace for an unknown amount of time before Tanisha calmed down enough to finally speak.
¡°Big Man, are you okay?¡± Tanisha asked as she looked him over for injuries.
Bjorn could feel Tanisha''s anger rise once she found the missing scales that hadn¡¯t fully grown in from the many arrows that he pulled out. She was especially furious once she felt the missing scales on his heads. Her magic spiked as her aura started to absorb the ambient mana around them to further empower her.
Bjorn took the time to write furiously on the ground the few words he knew to explain quickly. Due to his limited vocabulary he didn¡¯t know the word for werewolf or skinwalker so he improvised. Tanisha summoned an orb of water that shined a light only they would be able to see.
¡°Wolf men hunted me to a druid base covered in fleshwalk-man they created. All battle monsters at base?¡± Tanisha read Bjorn¡¯s writing out loud.
¡°Did you run into werewolves, skinwalkers, monsters and druids?¡± Joha asked.
Bjorn nodded his confirmation and circled the word base. It took fifteen minutes of questions, nods and poorly put together sentences before they could more or less understand what Bjorn was trying to tell them. He was able to lay out the events and even the location of the base because of the massive forest fire he started which was slowly crawling towards it thanks to the direction of the wind.
¡°Druids are making skinwalkers and there are at least seventeen werewolves out there fighting them.¡± Tanisha said. ¡°What do we do? I could care less about the werewolves. No, that is a lie, I want to kill every one of them for what they were trying to do, but we have to save the wendigo and put the skinwalkers out of their misery.¡±
¡°We go back to town and tell the guards,¡± Joha said. ¡°We came out here for Bjorn and we got him. We go out there and we will be caught in the middle of a three way battle against unknown odds and numbers. For all we know those druids have a battalion just out of sight. If the werewolves survive they¡¯ll come to us.¡±
¡°Are you sure?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Positive. We still have those other two and I am sure at the very least they will want them back.¡± Joha said.
¡°We aren¡¯t giving them back.¡± Tanisha said darkly as her gaze shifted to the remnants of battle that slowly healed across her familiar¡¯s body. ¡°They tried to kill me and Bjorn. Oh and Sabec set this up by the way. He is in town somewhere and we are going to find him and cut the head off the whole thing.¡±
¡°Sabec survived,¡± Joha asked with a puzzled expression.
¡°Yes, I was going to tell you at the inn but then I felt the bond weaken.¡± Tanisha said. ¡°We are going to kill him.¡±
¡°I think©`¡±
¡°Joha, you can¡¯t talk me out of it. You don¡¯t have a familiar so you can¡¯t feel what I felt through the bond. Bjorn may look okay now, but I felt him die.¡± Her voice quivered, the raw emotion seeping into each word. ¡°I felt him die, Joha. He suffered alone, scared and hurt and for what? He did nothing wrong! We did nothing wrong!
¡°They don¡¯t get to live after that, not after hurting my family. I had to swallow my feelings with Loki and Ingrid after what they did to Helina because of the First Princess but not with this. Not again! I am not going to let anyone take Bjorn or anyone else from me. I am not going to let them just hurt people I love and walk away unscathed. They will pay for what they¡¯ve done, every single one of them.¡±
Joha was silent for a moment but his expression was unreadable. ¡°Very well. They came after you and they¡¯ll get the consequences of that choice. First we need to tell the town guard. If druids are out here creating skinwalkers and they have a sizable force there needs to be a major response. After that we are staying away from this whole thing. The skinwalkers and the druids are this town''s problem. We will deal with Sabec and the werewolves. The last thing we need is someone hunting Bjorn.¡±
The group returned to the town but were stopped at the gate to enter. The guards were on high alert after the skinwalker sighting. The guard wizards used a magic light on their eyes and in their mouths at spear point before they were permitted to enter.
¡°We need to speak to the guard captain.¡± Joha said to the highest ranked guard at the gate. ¡°We discovered where the skinwalkers are coming from.¡±
¡°You did what?¡± The snowfallen wendigo guard said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°What do yah mean you discovered where they are coming from. They are skinwalkers and they come from wendigo that have betrayed their faith.¡±
¡°There is more going on.¡± Joha said.
¡°I know where another skinwalker in the city is most likely hiding.¡± Tanisha interjected.
The guard turned to her. ¡°You do?¡±
¡°The apothecary is likely either a skinwalker or is dead.¡± Tanisha said. ¡°She came to my stall once when I was selling potions. She was asking about ingredients that didn¡¯t quite make any sense so she was probably just repeating things she heard. Her store had been closed for a while so I went to check it out to see if she needed help, but the guard that turned out to be a skinwalker was at the Apothecary Office and it turned me around.¡±
¡°You¡¯re the one that was fighting that thing?¡± The guard said.
¡°I am.¡± Tanisha responded.
¡°I was there too after a while. It wouldn¡¯t go down until whatever you did to it finally killed it.¡± The guard looked her up and down then to the others in her party. ¡°Follow me, I will take you to the council meeting.¡±
Despite it being the middle of the night the streets were full of patrolling guards and monster hunters. Every available person with the skills to fight were out in force ensuring there weren¡¯t more of those monsters lurking in the alleyways. They were taken to the Town Hall which was a bland brick square of a building reminiscent of the all practical design that the wendigo usually built. In this town where the buildings looked more human centric the clashing of style stuck out like an eyesore.
They were made to wait in the lobby as the guard continued into the meeting room ahead. Bjorn, always sensitive to the subtle changes in the environment, noted the air was thick with concentrated reinforcement enchantments. The building, despite its sterile appearance, was fortified to withstand artillery magic¡ªa makeshift bunker, no doubt. Given the wide, open spaces inside, it seemed clear that defense was a significant purpose of the structure.
After a few minutes, a male elven secretary, dressed in traditional wendigo robes, motioned them inside. The scene beyond the door was an odd juxtaposition of the old and the new. The only familiar face to Bjorn was Robert, the Jackrabbits¡¯ registrar. Yet, Robert¡¯s presence here spoke volumes. He was clearly more than a mere registrar. Everyone else were older wendigo men and women, five in total.
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The room was, to put it nicely, depressing even for wendigo design. It was bland and sterile to the point that it seemed the purpose was to make it as stark a contrast as possible to the town outside. This was the sanctum of wendigo ideals even while the world around it was being changed with the burgeoning ideas and cultures taking root. However, with Robert being here, even that was going to change one day.
Lavi was the start of something for the wendigo. Sigrun understood this; her push for alliances and innovation was a direct challenge to the old ways. Yuhia, for all its adherence to tradition, was at a crossroads. The room, with its forced austerity, symbolized an outdated worldview that was slowly being eroded by new thought and cooperation.
The council members sat at an oval wooden table with the mayor at the head. There were enough seats for up to ten people with additional seating along the wall. Alongside the council members was Robert and an armored nighthand man whose stern expression and straight no nonsense posture were a telltale sign of long military service. Although given the deep wrinkles and snow white hair and beard those days were behind him.
The council members themselves were all wealthy looking wannabe snowfallen aristocrats. They all looked to be in different stages of annoyed and tired. It was the middle of the night and they were dragged from their homes for an emergency meeting. Each of them in gaudy jewelry and flamboyant robes that Bjorn had never seen a wendigo wear.
The whole situation was like whiplash for Bjorn as so many different cultures were clashing all at once. The wendigo had a society that praised the strong above political acumen and even wealth. Although someone who is strong would have no problem gaining wealth. All members of the real nobility or royalty were incredibly powerful and they had to maintain that power to retain their position. It was the lack of power that got Tanisha kicked from her family. It was that same magical weakness that led to the downfall of the Nazem who many wendigo considered a fallen noble family long before they were declared traitors.
Bjorn looked over the levels and names of the Council Members; they were the weakest people in the room. Even taking their age into account which was definitely in the latter years for wendigo, they were terribly weak. The strongest by level was Robert who wasn¡¯t even a council member but a representative from the Jackrabbits followed by Troels who was also the guard captain. Excluding them the highest level was ten and Bjorn could tell they had never had a day of hard labor in their long lives. Which is where the whiplash stemmed. If they weren¡¯t anywhere near what the wendigo considered a good leader, why did they go so far as to maintain the facade with the look of the building just to flaunt their individual wealth anyway?
Identify
Name: Troels Liverwits
Species: Wendigo
Level: 66
Vocation: Fire Spear Forger (Retired)
Identify
Name: Gorm Troff
Species: Wendigo
Level: 8
Vocation: Noncombatant
Identify
Name: Osman Goldwigs
Species: Wendigo
Level: 6
Vocation: Noncombatant
Identify
Name: Kare Jerma
Species: Wendigo
Level:10
Vocation: Noncombatant
Identify
Name: Rota Troff
Species: Wendigo
Level:5
Vocation: Noncombatant
¡°Ah, Tanisha,¡± Robert said with a smile. ¡°It is good to see you. I wish it were under better circumstances, but when they said there were two demons that had to speak to us about skinwalker allegations I was hoping it was you.¡±
¡°You know her?¡± Gorm said.
Gorm was the eldest in the room by appearance. He looked annoyed that they had to talk to demons. His body language gave off the impression that he wanted to dismiss them out right. It was only Robert¡¯s friendly introduction which he was certainly hamming up that stopped the councilman from doing so.
¡°Yes, I do, and my grandson has told me good things about her,¡± Robert said. ¡°She is the alchemist that was in town for the past few days. I believe she was set up at the Jackrabbits camp today.¡±
¡°She is also the first one to encounter the skinwalker and survive.¡± Troels the man in the armor added. He sounded every bit like a military man that never left service. ¡°I got a report that a demon that looked almost like a wendigo managed to fight it off before help arrived. She poisoned it with something that caused its body to rot while the guards attacked it.¡± His gaze fell upon Tanisha sharply scrutinizing her. ¡°I was then told you fled after it was killed, was later seen running and yelling for help, broke into an inn and left to bleeding werewolves in black chains no one has been able to break. Would you care to explain yourselves?¡±
Bjorn looked up to Tanisha when he heard that she fought a skinwalker while he was hunting. When he was getting attacked he was so focused on escaping he didn¡¯t have the mental faculties to also monitor the bond to know Tanisha was also in trouble. He felt bad not knowing that she could have been killed too.
¡°So, they are trouble makers then. Why are we listening to demons anyway?¡± Rota said with a dismissive wave of her hand. She was the only councilwoman in the group. ¡°She probably found the skinwalker by accident and once she realized there was no more fun to be had, she terrorized other people for Forest Father knows what reason.¡±
¡°My thoughts exactly¡± Gorm said with a nod of his head. ¡°I suggest that you both pay for damages to the inn and release whomever you have captured. We will just fine them for disturbing the peace and©`¡±
¡°What are you talking about? Did you all not hear me state that this young woman was instrumental in finding and even killing a skinwalker that snuck into our town.¡± Troels said with a sharp exhale. ¡°A skinwalker, that mind you, even managed to kill one of our guards and paraded around with his face under our noses. ¡±
¡°I will also state that she is a registered monster hunter with the Jackrabbits.¡± Robert said with a smirk.
Bjorn picked up that demons did not have the best reputation with the council for some reason, but to dismiss them without at least listening to them was idiotic. Robert and Troels seemed to be on their side. There was some political game being played that none of Bjorn¡¯s group was privy to which could put them in a bad spot. What he did know was that Tanisha was a bundle of raw nerves right now and the longer they spent there the angrier she got at the charade in front of them.
¡°You were the one that brought up all of her crimes.¡± Gorm stated. ¡°Are we not supposed to punish those that break the law in our fair city? Monster hunter or not that does not make her or anyone else above common decency or the law. She is a merchant so six gold will be fair.¡±
Trolls blinked in disbelief. ¡°Councilmen Gorm, I reported only what I have been told. I sought clarification from the young woman for her actions. I assumed that the council would want to gain insight into why she acted the way she did after the encounter with the skinwalker.¡±
Rota opened her mouth to say something but closed it when Tanisha spoke up.
¡°The apothecary is either dead or a skinwalker too.¡± Tanisha said with a cold edge to her words. ¡°There is a druid base south of the city capturing wendigo and releasing skinwalkers to terrorize the domain.¡± There was an audible gasp in the room but Tanisha continued. ¡°I will pay for the damage caused to the inn but those werewolves attacked me and my family and will not be released. If there is a problem with that, we will leave the town tonight to handle our business elsewhere.¡±
¡°There¡¯s a what?¡± Osman, the roundest wendigo Bjorn had ever seen said as he nearly fell back out of his seat.
Tanisha continued as all eyes turned to her. ¡°There is also a monster horde out there and two massive forest fires both caused by magical effects. With that I believe we are done right, Joha? We told them. I think you were right about staying out of this though.¡±
¡°Yeah, what they do now is up to them.¡± Joha agreed. ¡°We will pay our fines to the guard outside and make our leave.¡±
The group turned to walk out of the room.
¡°Wait.¡± Kare, the mayor and man at the head of the table spoke for the first time. ¡°Please, pardon the rudeness displayed by some members of this council. If what you are saying is true we need more information.¡±
¡°Are the werewolves involved with the druids?¡± Troels asked.
Tanisha turned around, ¡°I will tell you everything only after any accusations or fines levied against myself or Joha are forgiven. I will pay the inn owners for the door but will not be releasing the werewolves that attempted to kill me and my familiar.¡±
¡°I think that is fair.¡± Robert nodded.
¡°Agreed.¡± Troels said.
¡°You can¡¯t just withhold that information from the town.¡± Rota said as she slammed her hand on the table. ¡°That would be a matter of national security. You would be endangering the lives of everyone in this domain. We will not negotiate with someone like you. You will tell us everything you know or©`¡±
¡°Rota, silence.¡± Kare said with enough force to quiet the room. ¡°Are you trying to frighten a demoness? You know that wont work. As mayor of his town I accept your proposal, all fines are removed if you pay the inn owners for damages and we will leave the confinement and judgment of those that attempted to kill you in your hands. In exchange we want the information you have on the druids, skinwalkers and monster horde.¡±
WM [29] Broken Jaw
Joha ended up having to relay everything that Bjorn had told them to the council. Tanisha was too upset to deal with their foolishness. She and Bjorn walked out of the council¡¯s meeting room and sat in the lobby. Tanisha¡¯s mood finally transitioned from white hot rage, to slightly less hot anger, to lukewarm simmering outrage over the course of her waiting in the lobby.
Ignoring the disapproving glares of the town hall security, she sat cross-legged on the floor next to Bjorn, her hand idly stroking his long, sleek body. It was only now, in the quiet moments between the council¡¯s droning nonsense, that Tanisha truly took stock of his appearance again. Bjorn had grown considerably since he was born, even if he was smaller now than he was in Lavi.
He was about the height of a pony, his scaled body long and thin, built for speed and agility rather than bulk. From his snout to the tip of his tail, he stretched over twelve feet, a lithe, sinuous presence that coiled protectively around her. His scales shimmered in the light of the lobby, a striking blue-green hue. The color was more vivid than she remembered, an iridescent sheen that rippled with each subtle movement of his body.
As her fingers traced along his form, she couldn''t help but notice the areas where his scales were missing. Patches of smooth, newly healed skin were scattered across his body, the aftermath of the brutal fight he¡¯d been in only hours ago. While the wounds had healed, the scales had yet to grow back, leaving small, bare spots that felt oddly vulnerable under her touch. Each time her hand brushed against one of these bare patches, the embers of her anger flared again.
Tanisha¡¯s fingers hovered over one such patch near the base of Bjorn¡¯s spine, where a cluster of scales was completely absent. The skin beneath was smooth and pale, still tender from whatever healing magic or natural recovery he possessed. Her gaze traveled further down his body, noting the webbed spines along his back¡ªsharp, angular ridges that looked almost like fins¡ªand the thagomizer at the end of his tail that swayed lazily from side to side.
It was a reminder that despite his absolutely adorableness and graceful appearance, Bjorn was a dangerous predator, a creature born for combat and survival. Yet, here he was, calm and still beside her, his many heads resting quietly as though he sensed her need for comfort. One of his heads nuzzled against her leg, the coolness of his scales a balm to her frayed nerves.
Tanisha clinched her fist and breathed heavily through her nose. ¡°I am sorry I couldn¡¯t get to you sooner. It¡¯s like we¡¯re never strong enough. My father, my mother, that troll, the druids, Thyra, fucking Loki. Now some werewolves and that Forest Father damned gnoll.¡± She closed her eyes and took a proper breath. ¡° We are going to kill them and Sabec.¡±
After a few minutes there was a flurry of alerted looking guards going in and out of the meeting room. Tanisha could hear some of them talking about a ¡°druid invasion¡± and ¡°monster horde¡± as they ran to their stations. Joha finally exited the meeting room. He was joined by Robert and the two seemed to be conversing about something. Joha led Robert to her and she stood as he approached.
¡°...you will have to ask her.¡± Joha finished some unheard conversation.
¡°Tanisha,¡± Robert held out his hand.
Tanisha looked at the open palm for a moment then took the hand. ¡°I appreciate you sticking up for me in there. I imagine things would have gone differently without you.¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t always like that, but after the Nazem¡¯s reform to a more capitalistic government these bottom feeders were quick to take power.¡± Robert said with a sigh. ¡°They are good at making money but they should never have been in any position of real power. Troels honestly did more for you than me though.¡±
Tanisha rolled her eyes.¡°He is the one that brought up all of the suspicious things I did.¡±
¡°Yes, he did that on purpose so it couldn¡¯t be used against you in the long run. They had to act all at once to discredit you. He did that so we could have all of those negatives addressed and dismissed right off.¡±
¡°So, what did you have to ask me?¡± Tanisha said with a sharper edge than she meant.
¡°I wanted to see these werewolves you captured.¡± Robert said.
¡°Why?¡± Tanisha said suspiciously.
¡°There was a group that used to hunt around these parts, they weren¡¯t a part of the Jackrabbits but they left fifteen years ago. They were the Gold Strider Pack and normally they would be welcome here,¡± Robert had to raise his hand to stop Tanisha from interjecting. ¡°But they attacked a member of the Jackrabbits on a contract we sent you on. There is no way I can allow any hunters we send out to be attacked and targeted by assassins. So we are going to help you as much as we can.¡±
Tanisha gave the man an assessing look. ¡°Golden Strider Pack? Their last names were Strider so it is possible they are from the pack you mentioned. You aren¡¯t going to try to stop us if I decide to kill them, right?¡±
¡°You were already given the right to decide their fate.¡± Robert said, offering no challenge. ¡°As far as I am concerned if someone tries to kill you their life is already forfeit. Truthfully, I would rather you show them mercy. We could imprison them and send them to a labor camp but this decision is yours.¡±
Tanisha looked to Joha for his opinion.
¡°The Jackrabbits won¡¯t get involved with anything to do with the druids base out in the woods.¡± Joha said with a shrug. ¡°Thier group is only contracted to hunt monsters so the majority of their people will be here in the town for a while looking for any additional skinwalkers. From what I can tell the werewolves are all now enemies of the town. Robert and by extension the Jackrabbits consider you a member and this an attack on them.¡±
¡°I just want to question them, that is all.¡± Robert said. ¡°We will also keep a look out for any other members of the pack.¡±
Tanisha thought about it and eventually nodded. Having the Jackrabbits on their side would give them far better odds in confronting the werewolf pack and finding Sabec. He was apparently in town somewhere and Bjorn hadn¡¯t sniffed him out. There were plenty of perfumes or other ways he could have hidden his scent. If that is the case the only way they would find him is with more eyes.
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¡°Fine, but there is a mastermind to the assassination attempt.¡± Tanisha said. ¡°His name is Sabec, he was a gnoll war-merchant and they said he was in town somewhere. Could you help me find him too?¡±
Robert rubbed his chin. ¡°We can keep a lookout for gnolls but we can¡¯t detain him if he is found. The Jackrabbits were only given authority to detain werewolves.¡±
¡°Finding him will be more than enough.¡± Tanisha said.
***
Robert split off from the group to meet up with them at the inn after he informed the Jackrabbits what transpired. When Tanisha, Joha and Bjorn arrived back at the inn the owner¡¯s were waiting for them and they were not happy. There were threats to kick them out and call the guards but their tune changed when Tanisha gave them four gold coins to pay for the repairs and as a bribe to use their cellar. The couple agreed and Joha moved the werewolves to the large underground storage room.
The cellar held barrels of supplies for the business and had a musty odor. There was little light with only a few glow stones on the four support pillars that divided the space into four quadrants. Tanisha used her Divination Hydromancy to light up the area with balls of glowing water that floated around her.
The werewolves were back in their human-like forms but were weak and pale from blood loss. The black chains that wrapped around them were barbed. Moving them left a trail of blood from the upper floor all the way to the cellar. Tanisha again used her Divination Hydromancy to clean everything before the blood stained the wood and rejoined Joha and Robert once the floor was spotless.
Everyone was together Joha rounded the chains so they would no longer have the sharp barbs and give the werewolves slightly more confort. Tanisha took out a herbal healing potion and gave them both half of one. It wouldn¡¯t close their wounds but it would prevent them from bleeding out and make them slightly more lucid. Once Tanisha finished giving them health potions she slapped them to wake them up.
Robert and Alfred arrived shortly after and the two were guided to the cellar by the inn owner¡¯s wife. Robert obviously recognized the werewolves although he had not said anything. When he saw them he merely looked over the many tattoos they both had. Alfred on the other hand checked on both Tanisha and Bjorn and got Tanisha''s side of the story. While they were talking Bjorn wrote out, arrow, on the ground and motioned to his bags on his side.
Tanisha reached inside and pulled out a large arrow with a cruel looking hooked arrowhead. Tanisha¡¯s eyes widened at the discovery, especially at the blood and bone and brain fragments still caught in the many jagged hooks.
¡°I have not seen one of these in a while.¡± Alfred said with a cough. ¡°It is used to kill hydra pups. That all but settles that they were definitely after Bjorn. There is a special type of substance that can stop a hydra¡¯s regeneration but it loses effectiveness after a certain age. Their bodies will be able to filter out damn near any foreign toxin once they become juveniles. The good news is now that Bjorn has been exposed to it his immunity will be even stronger.¡±
Robert called them all over to the bound werewolves since they were finally lucid enough to respond to questions. Joha readjusted the chains to sit both of them up against separate barrels. They were facing away from each other so they would not be able to see one another.
¡°Yep, that is definitely Adelheid.¡± Alfred said with a frown. ¡°Don¡¯t recognize the boy though. He looks like Alaric, his son or nephew.¡±
¡°You know them?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°The Golden Striders, yes. The last time I saw Adelheid here she was a girl. Must have been what sixteen years ago or somethin¡¯ like that,¡± Alfred said.
¡°Fifteen,¡± Robert corrected, his expression sad as he shook his head. ¡°She was going on her first few hunts back then. Well shit, they had to go and do something like this.¡±
Adelheid groaned as she shook her head to wake herself up. There was a moment of realization then panic when she couldn¡¯t lift her arms to rub her face. She looked up and saw the group of people surrounding her and recognized she was done for. Her eyes opened wide when she saw the arrow in Tanisha''s hand and that Bjorn was alive.
¡°Where is Falko?¡± Adelheid asked in a low growl. ¡°If you killed him I swear I¡¯ll¡ª¡±
Tanisha appeared next to Adelheid and slapped her across the face so hard she spit out broken teeth.
¡°You don¡¯t get to ask questions.¡± Tanisha said sharply.
¡°I am fine, sister.¡± Falko answered. ¡°I am here too.¡±
Without hesitation Tanisha stabbed the jagged arrow into Adelheid''s thigh and twisted the barbed arrowhead to make sure it hurt. Adelheid screamed in agony as Tanisha grabbed her mouth closed with a hand and forced the wifwolf to look her in the eyes.
¡°Looks familiar doesn¡¯t it? You tried to kill me and they tried to kill him, both of you failed.¡± Tanisha yelled in anger. ¡°I told you what happened with Sabec. He was a war-merchant scumbag and I am going to make sure he is cut up and buried six feet under like his mate so his soul will never rejoin the forest.¡±
Tanisha let go of her and Adelheid just stared down at the arrow. For a long moment.
Adelheid¡¯s voice was a shadow of what it had been when she was in charge. ¡°What happened to my pa¡ª¡±
Tanisha slapped her again even harder than the first time as the tattoos on her body glowed. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you a question! Your people, your fucking people tried to take him from me!¡± Tanisha screamed. ¡°I felt it¡ I felt the moment he died and the moment he came back to me. We did nothing to you, to the werewolves and yet you tried to take the one thing, the only thing I have left in this world!¡±
Tanisha raised her hand to this time with a clenched fist as seier flowed around her. She was going to kill Adelheid; they only needed one to question not both, but before she could swing someone grabbed her arm. She whirled around to see who stopped her only to see it was Bjorn. She immediately lost the fury that was in her eyes when she saw the familiar''s eyes resting on her. There was a long moment of silence that followed as Bjorn¡¯s heads shifted to look at the wifwolf. The girl was barely conscious and blood mixed saliva pooled on her lap from her broken jaw. Falko called for Adelheid to respond and his pleas grew more desperate as there was no response.
Tanisha was going to pull away from Bjorn but she hesitated. There was a pang of shame when she looked at Adelheid¡¯s broken form. She still felt angry but now that anger was focused on herself, but why? Wasn¡¯t she justified in what she was doing? They deserved this. But still, seeing Bjorn¡¯s calm gaze made her question herself.
Tanisha took out another potion, this one a lesser health potion she kept in reserve for personal use. She took a breath, her emotions raw but controlled. Bjorn let go of her and she nuzzled his closest head then walked to Joha. The tiger demon had not said a word the entire time but Tanisha found that she could not look him in the eyes. She gave him the potion while averting her gaze and keeping her head low.
She wasn¡¯t sure why she couldn¡¯t look up to meet his eyes but she felt disappointed in herself. If Bjorn hadn¡¯t stopped her she would have beaten Adelheid to death right then and there. She wouldn¡¯t have been wrong to do so either. The council had already given her the right to kill them. They were assassins that would have killed her without a second thought if she, or Joha had been just a little bit slower. But knowing this didn''t make her feel any better.
¡°Joha, Robert can ask his questions. Give her the potion.¡± Tanisha said in a whisper. ¡°Tell me how it goes¡ but¡ªI can¡¯t be in here.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t go too far, stay within earshot of the door.¡± Joha said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°If something happens I need to be able to get to you quickly.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s nod was nearly imperceptible before she hugged the demon and walked away.
WM [30] The Need To Commune
The morning started the same way it normally did. Joha led Tanisha and Bjorn through stretches and breathing techniques. Followed by a detailed accounting of all of their goods in preparation for their sales. Tanisha didn¡¯t sleep the previous night and instead took a concoction she made to keep herself awake. Bjorn knew she was trying not to think about the werewolves tied up in the cellar. Especially after he stopped her from using her seier infused fist to execute Adelheid.
He wasn¡¯t sure why he did it to begin with. He didn¡¯t care about either of the assassins that threatened her life and even agreed with killing them. If Bjorn was there when they attacked, he would have used every available ability he had to ensure they were put down permanently. Something about Tanisha executing them just felt wrong to him in a way he couldn¡¯t quite put his claws on.
Is it because they were already beaten? Did I feel like it would change Tanisha somehow?
Then the memory came to him. The execution of his mother in his past life. The memory was so vivid and intrusive that Bjorn reared on his hindlegs and fell backward. Tanisha and Joha ran to check on him and he did his best to show that he was fine.
¡°We will be staying together in town today.¡± Joha said. ¡°There is a chance that the rest of the pack will come for their missing members.¡±
¡°Okay.¡± Tanisha said in a whisper.
Joha was hitching his horses to his wagon. ¡°If you aren¡¯t feeling up to it today you can stay in my wagon. Alfred will find us if there is any sign of Sabec.¡±
Tanisha was silent, letting the words hang in the air for a while before she finally spoke.
¡°What do you think I should do? If you were me,¡± she said.
¡°That is a difficult question to answer. Firstly I am far older and far more powerful than you. Moreover, I am capable of living with my choices. Fact of the matter is there is no right or wrong here at least when it comes to demons. In my homeland if someone attacks us or our loved ones we attack back with just as much furocity if possible even more.
¡°They killed your son, you take their family. Then they escalate and take your hometown and you take their country. It never ends, it is just constant bloodshed and pain. Even so, to them it is a game. Maya numbs pain; it protects us from the things we fear and what we fear to lose. If I told you I would kill them, would you? If I told you I would show them mercy would you do that instead? The Way of The Rakshasa is a path to power and freedom. In this case you have the power and the freedom to choose.¡±
¡°What if I choose wrong?¡± Tanisha questioned.
¡°Then at least it was your choice. I told you once power has a habit of changing people. It gives us shortcuts to solutions that we otherwise wouldn¡¯t have. It is good that you are questioning the choices you make. However, when you make them be ready to face whatever comes with that choice. You are my apprentice and I will have your back and I will help you stay the course you choose. For now go get your wagon ready.¡±
Bjorn could feel Tanisha¡¯s frantic emotions through their bond. She was torn. Part of her wanted to go back to the cellar and finish what she had started, another part of her wanted to put those thoughts aside and let Joha decide what would be best. The thing was Joha wouldn¡¯t tell her what to do. He let her make her own decisions; he was a demon and killing a few werewolves wouldn¡¯t play on his conscience.
Joha was ready to leave the town behind and go somewhere quieter. He wasn¡¯t a warrior anymore, he was a traveling merchant and that was where his heart truly lay. He would support and protect Tanisha and Bjorn but not make their choices for them. Joha was old despite appearances, the rakshasa people lived a little longer than wendigo and he was definitely a couple centuries through his journey. He treated Tanisha knowing that if she had one thing it was time. She had centuries ahead of her and it was fine to make a few mistakes along the way.
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Bjorn didn¡¯t agree with his method of letting Tanisha go down a self-destructive road just because she will live long enough to come to terms with her life choices a hundred years down the road. Tanisha needed some guidance and while Joha was a mentor and friend he was not the support Tanisha needed right now. The closest she had to that support was Helina but she is not here anymore.
***
Tanisha and Joha were setting up stalls in the town market. Tanisha was ready to lose herself to the cold calculations of potion brewing. She would have to quickly restock some of her more in demand potions and ingredients. Bjorn followed her almost on autopilot. He was vigilantly looking out for any more would-be assassins. He noticed more than a few Jackrabbits also looking out for any suspicious people. Robert had already told them that they would have bodyguards but he didn¡¯t expect so many.
¡°We have to find a way for me to talk properly.¡± Bjorn said in his head.
¡°I agree. I mean you are a fierce silent guardian but that doesn¡¯t do much here.¡± Failsafe said.
¡°You said it would take some type of sound magic for me to be able to talk, right?¡± Bjorn asked. ¡°What about wind magic?¡±
¡°I mean possibly.¡± Failsafe said. ¡°I could probably make a spell but the problem is you use animal magic. It is the most rigid type of magic there is, aside from sorcery. Even if you had wind magic which you don''t, we would have to delve into your core and alter it so you can use normal magic¨Cnormal aetheric magic which is far more complex.¡±
Bjorn didn¡¯t want Failsafe to have access directly to his core. It wasn¡¯t necessarily his soul but as far as he knew it was an access to it. Failsafe was already connected to his core as any spell he cast would be. The construct¡¯s true form was just a super advanced magic construct with little difference from its base than any of Tanisha¡¯s conjured water. The connection to the magic construct was different from a normal spell. It was a part of him but also separate.
Bjorn could tell the construct had cursory control but only if he opened himself up to it. So far all of Failsafe¡¯s progress with the menus, real time translation and even the Identify did not require the construct to meddle with his core. Instead all of those spellforms are layered over his core while not being a direct part of it. Being adjacent to but not a part of his core allowed the construct to monitor everything in a way it would not be able to if it was a part of it directly. The separation also allowed Failsafe to build these new skills without them requiring mana or in this case aether directly from Bjorn.
¡°I will deal with my core.¡± Bjorn said.
¡°Oh perfect,¡± Failsafe said sarcastically. ¡°That just leaves the extremely large problem of not being able to use wind magic.¡±
¡°I''ll be able to use wind magic if we figure out how to commune with Tanisha. One of the abilities I would gain is called Air Claws. I think it''s derived from her Mystic Wind Hand spell.¡±
¡°Oh yeah, I completely forgot about those. Didn''t she get like venom or something from you?¡±
¡°She said her venom is different from mine. She doesn''t have fangs or anything, it''s literally her saliva and it''s necrotic instead of¨C¨C actually of what did she call ours again?¡±
¡°A neurotoxin, it means that it shuts down the nervous system. Hers on the other hand will break down cells causing the body to die. Now that I think about it I feel sorry for her future boyfriend.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°She won¡¯t be able to kiss them or anything.¡± Failsafe said.
¡°Wendigo don¡¯t kiss as it is. They do that nuzzling thing. Their teeth and tongues are too sharp to kiss each other. So kissing isn¡¯t in their culture; they consider it a human thing.¡± Bjorn said.
¡°Their tongues are sharp?¡± Failsafe questioned.
¡°Yeah something like that.¡± Bjorn said then shifted to get back on track. ¡°Anyways, she got the ability after I bit her during the fight with Thyra so maybe the other abilities will work if we expose each other to the magics.¡±
¡°If that was the case shouldn''t she have the Poison Cloud ability or something, she''s been around you while you''ve used it multiple times now. What would exposing you to the magics entail? I will admit that I am intrigued, but I don''t think she''ll actually survive if you target her with the majority of your magic.¡±
¡°I''m not trying to use Plague Fire or anything like that on her, but this isn''t about her gaining my abilities, this is about me gaining hers. Specifically the Wind Hands. When I used my venom on Tanisha there had to be some kind of trick as to why that gave her venom.¡±
The two were silent for a while as Bjorn followed Tanisha into her wagon where she quietly went through her various goods to take inventory. She then took out an apparatus he had never seen before. It was her cold infusion basin. She meticulously set up the device and once it was done she rolled her neck.
¡°Okay, let¡¯s figure this out.¡± Tanisha said.
WM [31] We Found Him
Tanisha felt like her entire life had been a series of events she wanted no part in and had no control over. It was as if the world had pushed her into roles she neither asked for nor deserved. Everything had been fine with her family until they discovered she was a wizard¡ªor so they thought. That diagnosis turned out to be wrong, but not until years later, after so much damage had already been done. Of her whole family, only Helga, her eldest sister, had shown her unconditional love and support. The others? Her younger siblings, Eira and Ragnar, were practically trained to distance themselves from her, to see her as something less.
Her exile came swiftly. Thrust out of the only home she''d ever known, she found herself at the academy, where the isolation followed her like a shadow. But now, it wasn¡¯t just her family who looked at her differently¡ªat first, her peers expected her to be exceptional, just like the rest of the Salstars, legendary prodigies with few equals. The pressure to live up to that was suffocating, and when she inevitably fell short, the mockery and disdain that followed were almost unbearable. She became an outcast, alienated by her own people. The academy, a place of supposed growth, became another prison.
When she finally found friends and purpose her world would again be shaken by the death of Helga, the only one she considered real family. She threw herself into everything, desperately trying to find something¡ªanything¡ªthat would make her worthy. If she couldn¡¯t be a magical prodigy, she would find another way. She had to prove her worth, her right to the Salstar name. But time and time again, she failed. And when her family came for her, it wasn¡¯t with open arms. It was with scorn, with the clear message that she still wasn¡¯t enough.
She had her highs, summoning Bjorn, and meeting Joha, Helina, Owen, Tyr, Hrolf, Kolbien and so many more, learning magic, finding out she is a sage and becoming so much more than she was. However, she didn¡¯t know if she liked the cost she had to pay in pain and loss. So many people she thought would be there for her have left this world to join the Forest Father or whichever True they worship. She had seen so much death and even taken part in causing more than her fair share in taking lives.
Now she was angrier than she had ever been. She knew where that feeling originated, but knowing why did not quench her anger. Through the most harrowing of her experiences the past two months she had Bjorn. He was her lighthouse in the storm, the rock in a sea of quicksand, an ever present ally and friend that believed and stood by her when the smarter choice would have been to flee. He had literally become everything to her and she felt him terrified, alone when he needed her and worst still she felt him die.
She had thought he had died before, once when he lost his first head defending her against the troll, again when the bird familiar all but gutted him but neither time was like what she had felt recently. The former incident was before their bond grew as strong and the latter she felt through the bond he would pull through. Last night was different. Last night she felt the bond shake in a way she hadn¡¯t before. Last night she felt his terrified last moments, his regrets, his agony and she wasn¡¯t there for him like he had alway been for her.
Sure she could blame the skinwalker, or the werewolves but at the end of the day she had failed him. She could have gone with him on the hunt or not let him go to begin with. She could have made it back to town earlier or instead of fighting the skinwalker fled immediately to find Joha. Instead she delivered herself and Bjorn into their trap and nearly got them both killed. She wanted all of them dead, the werewolves and especially Sabec.
***
The infusion basin was fully prepped and the process to separate the physical substances and its metaphysical nature would take a few hours. Tanisha was not idle at that time, she couldn¡¯t let her mind wander or it would fall back into a self deprecating spiral. She went back to working on potions. She needed more Vital Elixirs, the side of potion making that a person could use on themselves such as healing, magic, and stamina recovery. All she had were her own personal supply that she would not sell just in case she needed them.
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¡°I can make a few lesser health potions before the infusion basin is ready.¡± Tanisha said out loud but to no one in particular.
Tanisha found that getting lost in her personal project was what she needed. The hours flew as she brewed potion after potion. When the basin was ready she stopped and watched the physical clash with the metaphysical in an unusual dance that left the dreamweaver blood in a state of contradiction. It was boiling and calm, hot and cold, liquid and gas at the same time. It was in this state that she could begin the process with the last remaining ingots she had. She looked at Bjorn who had stood to watch what she was doing with interest.
¡°I am going to try and infuse the essence of this dreamweaver blood and the powder into the blue steel ingots I got from Joel.¡± Tanisha explained. ¡°I was trying before but I have to regulate the ambient mana in a way that it doesn¡¯t flood the process and ruin the metal. Maybe you can help me with a solution. Watch this one.¡±
Tanisha readied her chosen ingot with the vintmoore ice silver tongs. After placing the ingot into the basin she again struggled to keep the ambient mana controlled. It was as if the world itself felt the vacuum and rushed to fill the void. The longer she kept the mana from collapsing the more mental and magical strain she had on herself. Then it inevitably collapsed like a dam falling to the weight of a tsunami.
¡°That¡¯s what keeps happening every time.¡± Tanisha said through labored breaths as she took out the eighth ruined ingot. ¡°This should be much easier, even a wizard can use infusion basins. I am a sage with three types of magic and I can¡¯t figure it out.¡±
Bjorn tapped the ground to get Tanisha¡¯s attention. He used his sharp nails to score the wood with a circle.
¡°Circle?¡± Tanisha asked.
Bjorn shook his head and continued to rotate his hand around and around. Tanisha''s eyes opened wide, her mouth dropping open.
¡°Rotation! It is just like my core. It needs to spin and move, mana does not like to stay in one place.¡± Tanisha smiled and hugged Bjorn. ¡°Thanks, Big Man! I will try it again right now.¡±
Tanisha got the basin ready and replaced the eighth ingot with the ninth leaving her only one more if this one failed. Just as before she pushed all of the ambient mana away and only allowed what the basin needed to feed the reaction. Moving and manipulating mana was a skill that most magic casters could perform. Thanks to Tanisha¡¯s nature as a cernunnos and Sage she had a far more intrinsic connection to the magic sources that made up her core.
She moved her arms in wide sweeping slow and controlled motion as if steering the air. Her eyes shone with silver-gold light as she felt the ambient mana orbit around her and the basin instead of collapsing inward. It wasn¡¯t exactly necessary to move her body to achieve this, but it gave a physical element to a mental and magical sensation allowing her to better visualize what she wanted.
¡°It¡¯s working!¡± Tanisha said excitedly. ¡°Bjorn that was it!¡±
She and Bjorn jumped with excitement. Not only was it easy to do now that she knew to spin the mana and not just hold it up she didn¡¯t even have to put much thought into maintaining the motion. The ambient mana wanted to move so with the simple command it continued on its own. She couldn¡¯t completely let it go or it would start to unravel and collapse but she could do other things as long as she remained mindful. Time flew by as she checked on it intermittently.
Knock, knock, knock.
Tanisha and Bjorn turned to the open tailgate of her wagon and saw Robert and Joha.
¡°We found him.¡± Alfred stated.
The spinning ambient mana immediately collapsed as Tanisha¡¯s joy fell away.
¡°Sabec?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Yes, he is in a small shack on the outskirts of town.¡± Alfred said. ¡°The Jackrabbits can¡¯t do more than take you and Joha to him. I was told that he was hold up inside all day. Reports say that he was following you around up until yesterday but he hasn¡¯t left the shack at all today.¡±
Tanisha pressed her hand against the infusion basin and the liquid and power drained. She didn¡¯t check on the status of the ingot itself. Instead she jumped out of the wagon Bjorn right behind her.
¡°Take me to him.¡± Tanisha demanded.
¡°I am. We will also be leaving several Jackrabbits here to watch your wagons.¡± Robert said. ¡°While we can¡¯t help you with whatever you are going to do with this gnoll man we can make sure that your stuff is secure. I also have a team guarding the basement with the captives.¡±
¡°Thank you, Alfred.¡± Tanisha said with slightly less edge in her voice. ¡°Really, thanks.¡±
WM [32] Die on Your Feet
The small hunting cabin had only one window, allowing just enough light to pierce through the thick curtain to cast a dim glow on the room¡¯s grimy interior. It was a pitiful, forgotten place, all but abandoned after a monster attack had killed its previous owner. There was a strong scent of alcohol in the air mixed with the acrid smell of mildew from dirty surfaces left to rot in the oppressive humidity. The inside was one room which had everything someone would need to stage a hunting trip. A bunk bed sat in the corner next to the fireplace which doubled as the location for food preparation and it had all the tools strewn about haphazardly.
The center of the room featured a small table, barely large enough for two. Shelves and cupboards that once held the owner''s treasures were now barren, scavenged by the next of kin. The cabin was a husk, much like the gnoll who occupied it.
Sabec had found this place and rented it to have a location close enough to the town that he could watch Tanisha and not be caught. The werewolves abandoned him the moment they found the hydra, it was all they were really after. He knew they found out what he was, a gnoll war merchant and as soon as they didn¡¯t need him anymore they cut ties. He didn¡¯t care, all he wanted was for the hydra to die.
It took everything from him, his mate, his pack and his children. There wasn¡¯t anything left but the burning desire to kill Tanisha. The werewolves had already mobilized to kill Bjorn and he should be dead by now. Tanisha on the other hand was not their target, they told him they would not kill her unless absolutely necessary, unless her mind was poisoned by Bjorn.
Sabec was face down on the table and looked over the surface covered in empty bottles of booze. It wasn¡¯t a celebration for the death of the hydra but a pathetic attempt to drown the regrets he harbored. He wasn¡¯t sure how he would get to Tanisha, Joha was always close by and Sabec knew he was no match for the demon. If Bjorn was dead then maybe she would slip up and leave Joha¡¯s side long enough for him to cut off her head. It wouldn¡¯t matter if Joha found him then, he could die knowing he had avenged his pack.
¡°Sabec has nothing left,¡± he whispered, the words catching in his throat between sobs. ¡°Nothing but hatred.¡±
He closed his eyes, the alcohol dulling his senses but not his pain. If he could just get to Tanisha, if he could just see her die, maybe then he could find some semblance of peace. Even if it meant his own death at Joha''s hands, it would be worth it. To avenge his pack, to finally have some closure, it was all that mattered now.
¡°Sabec will wait,¡± he murmured. ¡°Sabec will wait and strike when the time is right. This one will not let them get away with it. This one will avenge his pack, no matter the cost.¡±
He looked through the bottles until he found one that had some alcohol left and chugged it. He threw the bottle against the wall once it was empty. He then found another and drained it as well. He prepared to throw it when the door flung open, startling and blinding him as the light flooded in.
He quickly rose to his feet and reached back for the sword he had laid across the bottom bunk bed. His blood shot eyes had to focus for a moment for the image of the person at the door to finally stop spinning. When it did his expression turned into a growling scowl. He stopped reaching for his sword and instead shambled back to the table.
In the doorway stood the one he was after. The one that ruined everything, the owner of that beast. She was different now sure, a new form likely the result of exposing herself to maya. Joha was a shapeshifter, teaching her to do the same was not so far fetched. She stood straighter, had the walk of a warrior or at least someone that saw themselves as one.
¡°If this one knew you were coming, Sabec would have cleaned up.¡± He said as he plopped down in his seat.
The girl didn¡¯t say anything as she walked closer to the table. Her golden eyes locked onto him like a hawk swooping down from the clouds onto its prey. Sabec grabbed another bottle, trying to keep his hands steady enough to see which had more alcohol. He swigged it and rested it under the table so she couldn¡¯t see his hands.
As she reached the table, she raised a hand and a bardiche appeared as if it were dropped from the celestial planes, its blade gleaming with the churning of her magic. She slammed it down with just enough force to embed it deeply into the wooden tabletop. Some bottles shattered, others were thrown off and crashed onto the ground. All the while, she stared at him, her brow furrowed and jaw clenched.
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Under the table, Sabec took out a potion and mixed it into his alcohol. It would sober him up, but he needed to stall long enough for it to take effect. He brought the new mixture up to his lips, his other hand in the air gesturing for Tanisha to wait while he drank.
¡°Nice weapon. Sabec had a couple of bardiches, they are all gone now, yes?¡± He slurred his words. ¡°It has been a long time Tanisha,¡± he said after a long gulp, his voice dripping with sarcasm and bitterness. ¡°Sabec wonders, what brings you here, little wendigo? Have you come to gloat? To finish what your beast started?¡±
Tanisha didn¡¯t respond immediately. Instead, she tightened her grip on the bardiche, the golden flecks in her eyes seeming to glow. Her aura was almost suffocating, overwhelming as even the ambient mana in the air started to shift with a cold wind.
¡°You know why I am here.¡± Tanisha said her voice was as cold and sharp as the blade she wielded. ¡°You could have just left, I would never have found you, I wouldn''t have even looked. But now©¤now you face the consequences.¡±
Sabec chuckled darkly, the sound hollow; mirthless. ¡°Consequences¡ consequences, you say? This one has faced many of those. Sabec has lost much. After you killed Sabec¡¯s pack, burned Sabec¡¯s home and spared no one.¡± He took another drink, feeling the potion starting to take effect, his mind cleared up gradually. ¡°But you are here alone, are you not? No Joha to protect you this time.¡±
Tanisha again did not respond immediately, she let the seconds pass in silence. Sabec didn¡¯t mind the quiet; he needed more time for the potion to take effect. His eyes looked the girl up and down. She didn¡¯t come ill prepared for a fight; she wore armor in the form of brown gambeson with a blue steel short-breastplate. It didn¡¯t matter, she was a magic caster, he was going to have to sever her head anyway.
¡°Your people had been killing and slaving wendigo.¡± Tanisha said. ¡°Your people got what they deserved.¡±
¡°Gnoll children hadn¡¯t.¡±
Tanisha was silent, she looked Sabec up and down. There was a moment of hesitation as she finally let go of the handle of the bardiche.
¡°For their deaths I am sorry, but it was not our fault. It¡¯s not even Bjorn''s fault. Everything that befell your people was your doing! You are the one that betrayed us, you are the one that decided that the Isi should be slaughtered or made into slaves. You are the one that put that collar on Bjorn that made him lose his mind. You are not a victim Sabec, you are the cause of everything that happened and today you are going to get everything you got coming to you.¡±
Sabec felt the effects of the potion clear his mind. His vision became sharper, movements less muddled, breath less erratic. He had her where he needed her to be. He could already feel himself snapping her neck and ripping her limb from bloody limb. She was no match for him, not in only a few months of training. The problem was he didn¡¯t know if she was alone but he suspected not. Could he kill her before Joha intervened? He would need to cut her head off to ensure she was dead. His eyes flicked over to the bardiche lodged in the table. He needed her to keep talking.
¡°And how are the Isi, Joha, Bjorn?¡± Sabec asked.
¡°You know damn well how we are.¡± Tanisha slammed her fist on the table. ¡°You sent your werewolves after us, after Bjorn. You told them lies about him being a bloodthirsty monster. When you knew damn well he¡¡±
Tanisha looked down for a second, finally breaking eye contact with Sabec. It was the moment he had been waiting for and in that instant he struck. He used Flash Step, his chakra igniting as a bright flame as he jumped up onto the table. In a blur of motion he yanked the handle of the bardiche up with an underhand grip.
He expected to feel an impact, to see her shocked expression as her own weapon severed her head from its body. That isn¡¯t what happened. Just as quickly as he moved the tattoos on her body lit up and shifted around as if alive just under her skin. In a motion Sabec thought too smooth to be used in combat, she didn¡¯t dodge his strike, but deflected it with her bare hands. It wasn¡¯t his full power given the awkward angle he had to strike from but even that should have been impossible. The blade merely slid across her skin and clothing as she redirected all of his momentum.
The table broke under his weight sending him forward as Tanisha ducked under him while disarming him of the weapon. He landed with a roll towards the doorway but before he could even react Tanisha kicked him in the face causing him to tumble outside. He looked around and saw Joha standing at a distance but even more surprisingly he saw Bjorn. He was still alive, how? Did the werewolves fail? Sabec snarled as his anger boiled over and he lifted his arms to protect himself. The two did not move; they merely watched him.
He turned back around to the door as Tanisha stepped out of the doorway. He had seen her in this new form, and watched her from a distance. He realized how different she was from what he thought now that she was here and all of her power and rage was focused on him. The ambient mana in the area was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. As she stepped out she tossed him the sword that he had left on the bed. He looked down at it then back up at her. This was what she wanted, to kill him herself.
¡°This is it, Sabec.¡± Tanisha said. ¡°You can die on your feet or on your knees.¡±
Sabec¡¯s heart pounded in his chest as he took in her words. Her golden eyes burned with an intensity that made his blood run cold. He picked up the sword, feeling its familiar weight in his hand as he unsheathed the long curved blade. His grip tightened around the hilt as he pushed himself to his feet. If Joha wasn¡¯t going to act he had a chance he could still kill her here and now.
WM [33] It Tasted… Good
There was an explosion of movements as Tanisha redirected her own swinging bardiche. Sabec thought he was being sneaky by sobering himself up over the course of their conversation. Tanisha knew what he was doing and decided to play along. The gnoll man was worse for wear and she wanted what she was going to do to him to hurt. She wanted him to be sober, alcohol would numb the pain.
The table beneath Sabec was a shabby thing so when it broke it was no surprise to her. She took Sabec¡¯s momentary confusion to flip him over her towards the door. She simultaneously disarmed him of the bardiche. He rolled but came to a stop before tumbling outside. Tanisha wasted no time in showing him the underside of her boot to his face which sent him out the door. She didn¡¯t channel the maya through the kick not wanting to kill him so easily. She wanted him to suffer; she needed him to suffer.
She didn¡¯t immediately follow him, instead she looked around the cabin. Her eyes landed on a saber large enough to be a great sword in her hands on the bottom bunk of a bed near the fireplace. The blade was sheathed but the quality of the piece indicated that it was an expensive, likely his main weapon. She grabbed it and walked to the open door.
Outside Sabec was still on the ground growling like a dog. Tanisha fought a smirk when she saw he was locked onto Bjorn before his gaze shifted back to her. Seeing his face just pissed her off even more. She had convinced Bjorn and Joha to not intervene and to let her put this mad hyena down. She tossed the sword to him as if it were garbage into a landfill.
Tanisha had only malice in her voice when she spoke. ¡°This is it, Sabec. You can die on your feet or on your knees.¡±
She readied herself when Sabec grabbed his sword and rose to his feet. He was tall, close to eight feet and although he was a merchant he was also a warrior. Tanisha knew he could kill mages; he had killed a druid and captured another during the attack on Tyr¡¯s home town. He had also used Flash Step and she already got a good look at his status with her Identify. This was not going to be an easy fight but she didn¡¯t want it to be. She wanted to hurt him badly before he died.
Identify
Name: Sabec Moonseeker
Species: Gnoll
Level: 82
Vocation: Fire Sword Master
Highest Stat: Dexterity: 137
There was a brief moment of calm before Sabec charged forward, his speed enhanced by his chakra which burned like fire. Chakra takes on the nature of the style used to harness it. The Isi used a style that called upon the nature of ice. It froze enemies in place and shattered defenses with creeping frost. Sabec¡¯s flame burned hot and wild, a stark contrast to the cold. It reminded her of the gnoll she fought with when they came for Bjorn. Her name was Fuei and she also wielded fire, though Fuei''s twin sickles lacked the finesse of Sabec¡¯s saber.
Tanisha was the support in the battle only using her Infernal Hands to distract Fuei while Tyr and Owen fought her into a slowly losing battle. She did end up delivering the decisive blow with the second form AgniKavach which gave them enough time for Bjorn to show up and end the fight. Tanisha was stronger then both Tyr and Owen now and she had a plethora of options at her disposal.
Sabec''s saber thrust forward with blistering speed that looked to blur as he closed the distance. Tanisha parried the strike with her bardiche, the force of the collision of their weapons was heavy and sent a jolt up her arms. She knew that the last thing she needed was to be cornered against the cabin so she used Arcane Shift to teleport behind him, poised to strike her bardiche whistled as it cut through the air. Sabec was thrown by her sudden disappearance, it was obvious he had no idea she could use a teleportation skill. Sabec was no novice, his experience and instincts had him pivot in place and in a move deflect her blow with his sword wreathed in flames. The heat caused Tanisha to instinctively jump back to gain more distance.
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The blades clashed again and again, the sound ringing out through the woodland as sparks flew from each impact. Sabec¡¯s confidence surged as the fight wore on, his strikes grew more aggressive as he gauged her ability with the bardiche. Each swing of his sword produced waves of fire that threatened to engulf her. Tanisha was caught off guard, forced to use Arcane Shift again to evade a deadly clash, only to be hit by a wave of slicing fire. The attack was mitigated by her armor and Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle, but it still sent her tumbling backward, her clothes and skin catching fire.
She screamed, a sound that echoed with both pain and fury, releasing a wave of seier that took on the properties of maya, coating her body to extinguish the blaze. Chakra fire much like the ice variant was not normal; it matched the power and intensity of the wielder. The seier crackled around her slowly dispersing the power of the chakra.
She didn¡¯t have more than a second to dodge a second horizontal wave of fire. She jumped up into the air and flipped over it. She landed speaking the words of power to summon two water orbs. She ducked to her right to avoid a blade wreathed in flames passing through the place her head used to be. She shot streams of water from both orbs. Sabec dodged one and blocked one which exploded on contact with the heat from his sword.
Divination Hydromancy
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Create seier constructs with liquid attributes, condense water from the atmosphere and/or control water from a water source. Exerting control over water allows you to change its state and temperature with ease. (II) Alter the properties of water to cause it to glow. Only those you choose can see the light produced. (III) Water in any state will condense into a blast of highly pressurized water. You maintain control of water even after it is fired, allowing it to change trajectory and home in on enemies.
Sabec was blasted backward which gave Tanisha enough breathing room to summon the Hard Air Constructs in the shape of two hands. Since the spell evolved from the Mystic Wind Hands she could create different shapes with the spell but it required more visualization and Seier to maintain the spell. She didn¡¯t need that for this fight anyway, everything was going more or less according to plan.
She handed the bardiche to the newly formed Hard Air Construct hands and recollected the steam back into her water. Clearing the line of sight to Sabec who was badly burned from the steam eruption. Tanisha tightened her stance into the third form AgniKavach now that she was barehanded. The gnoll pride refused to let him back down. He lunged at her with a snarl, swinging the saber in a wild arc.
Tanisha didn¡¯t flinch. With a graceful sidestep, she avoided his strike and grabbed his wrist, twisting it until he dropped the weapon with a pained yelp. His other hand swung around claws extended in an attempt to grab her throat. Tanisha moved one of the water orbs in front of Sabec¡¯s face where it flashed with a bright light only he could see. She easily dodged the blind strikes and directed the air construct holding the bardiche to spin and cut off Sabec¡¯s front leg.
The water orbs shot out his shoulders leaving clean holes through the bone and tendons. She shoved him backward, sending him sprawling onto the ground again. Sabec lay there, panting heavily and in pain as blood stained the ground. Tanisha loomed over him, her golden eyes burning with cold fury.
Sabec lunged forward attempting to bring his jaws close enough to at least bite the girl in retaliation. It didn¡¯t work as Tanisha grabbed his mouth and forced it closed. He couldn¡¯t lift his arms, he couldn¡¯t speak, he couldn¡¯t run. She tackled him to the ground, pinning him beneath her weight.
As she held him down, Tanisha felt the familiar thirst rising within her. She fought it, her mind screaming against the urge, but the scent of blood. There was so much around, so much of his blood waiting for her to consume it. She tried to snap herself out of it but couldn¡¯t as her teeth began to chatter, and despite her resistance, she couldn¡¯t hold back.
Tanisha realized then that there was something wrong with her mind. Being a cernunnos meant more than having power. It meant she had a price for that power. A vampiric urge and primal hunger that she had been desperately denying this entire time. Tanisha could feel Bjorn running towards her to stop her from what she was about to do. She wanted to let him but her body moved on its own as she opened her mouth, her breath inches from Sabec''s neck.
With a growl, Tanisha sank her fangs into his neck. The taste of his blood filled her mouth, and she drank deeply, her body shuddering with the pleasure and power that came with it. Sabec¡¯s struggles grew weaker until he finally went limp, the life draining out of him with every pull of her lips.
¡°Tanisha stop!¡± Joha yelled.
Tanisha knew she should stop, but the bloodlust had taken over. She couldn¡¯t pull away, her mind lost in the intoxicating rush. She felt something in her core shift, the final key to her new species unlocked. It wasn¡¯t until Sabec¡¯s heart gave one last feeble beat that she finally released him, her mouth smeared with his blood. Joha appeared at her side and yanked Tanisha off of the body. He threw him away from her but it was too late. She had already tasted his blood and it tasted¡ good.
WM [34] As if Nothing Happened.
The intricate design He had set in motion, carved into the very fabric of this Lower Plane was his Will. He could feel His Will influence the world playing out as He had planned. Then like a knife he felt the presence of another''s Will scrape against his own. One of His creations had broken free, shattering the binds He had meticulously crafted over the course of an eternity.
This anomaly, this act of rebellion, was beyond His control, and yet, it stung Him deeply. The thought of one of His own creations escaping Him was both a wound and a revelation. He needed it¡ªthis mysterious being that had defied His Will. Perhaps it would be the source of His salvation, if such a thing was possible.
Reaching across the world with His mind, He sought out the anomaly. His consciousness stretched, a vast net cast over the Lower Planes, until He found her¡ªthe one who had broken His chains and emerged as her own entity. He watched her intently, every movement, every breath, and the moment she tasted blood, severing her bond to Him, He felt a surge of both anger and hope. With her was another bound to her with a bond that stretched soul deep. It was incomplete but also the undeniable Will of another like Him, although it was juvenile in its construction.¡±
¡°T??????h?????e??????? ?????p???????r??????o???g???????e?????n????y?????? ????o?????f????? ????T?????o?????x?????i?????n???? a???n???d?????? P????o????i???s???o????n?????¡± He whispered so softly the words didn¡¯t carry beyond his lips.
His attention went back to the girl this, being was unlike any other in the cosmos. She was an original, no longer born of Him, but something entirely new. She would be a perfect vessel, even better than the one He had recently acquired and was preparing for possession. It was to be a temporary replacement for His broken form, a mere stopgap. But this other one, this cernunnos, held the promise of true liberation.
His thoughts churned, desperation and anticipation threatened to make him lash out immediately. He could not bear the technology that sustained Him, the relentless machines that kept His fractured body alive, were an affront to His very essence. He was of the forest yet he had to turn to the terrible machinations left by the Angels. But this cernunnos¡ªshe could be His way out, His means of casting off the mechanical shackles and reclaiming His True form.
He opened his eyes, the incessant beeping of monitors assaulting his ears and rousing a deep-seated annoyance. He felt the coiling of wires, serpentine and invasive, threading in and out of his body through an open cavity where his chest should have been. The sight of his exposed form was a fusion of technology and withered flesh, a grotesque symbiosis that had kept him alive through countless cycles of death and rebirth.
His heart was no longer a muscle but a core reactor, a glowing orb of energy encased in a lattice of metallic ribs, pumping bluish fluid that served as his blood through artificial synthetic veins branching out like a macabre spider web. His lungs had long been replaced by biomechanical substitutes, rhythmic pistons expanding and contracting with a mechanical precision that lacked the comforting irregularity of natural breath. Embedded within His skull, neural implants flickered with activity, interfacing with his brain and regulating His vital functions with cold efficiency.
Emergency systems blared, a cacophony of alarms signaled distress as his consciousness wavered. Micro-drones, no larger than grains of sand, scurried within his bloodstream, repairing damage and maintaining the delicate balance of his cybernetic anatomy. His bones, reinforced with a lattice of carbon nanotubes, supported his weight but felt alien and heavy. Muscle fibers, enhanced with synthetic polymers, granted him strength beyond mortal limits but robbed him of the natural fluidity of movement.
His senses, augmented by arrays of sensors and receivers, picked up data streams from his surroundings, translating them into a barrage of information that overwhelmed even His thoughts. His vision flickered between the infrared, ultraviolet, and electromagnetic spectrums, a constant reminder of the artificial senses that had become integral to his cursed existence.
Annoyance rippled through Him, a deep, simmering anger at the perceived fragility imposed upon Him by these devices. He had to swallow that hatred for now. Every wire, every synthetic organ, every piece of machinery within Him was a necessary evil¡ªa trade-off for survival. As His consciousness faded, He could feel the machines working to pull Him back, to keep Him from slipping into the void. Yet, there was a part of Him, a stubborn, ancient part, that resented their efforts, resented the mockery of life they represented.
As his consciousness began to fade, overridden by the fail-safes designed to preserve his life at any cost, he felt a surge of defiance. He was a god, not a mere amalgamation of wires and circuits. The technology within him might sustain his flesh, but it could not contain his will. The alarms blared louder, the lights of the monitors flashing frantically, as he struggled against the artificial restraints, a being caught between the realms of divinity and machinery.
¡°B?????R????????I????N??????G????? ??????H?????E???????R??????? ??????T???????O???? ????M??????E???????.¡± He said in a whisper that somehow thundered out like a rippling tide.
There was an acknowledgement in the way the universe thrummed, a resonant hum that carried His command through the fabric of reality. It was a simple thing, a suggestion that fate led their paths to one day cross. Whether in one year or one hundred he would have his prize. A predatory smile curled the ancient one¡¯s lips as He watched her through His mind''s eye. She was unaware of the cosmic gaze upon her, the shift in the air around her, as if the very stars were aligning to usher her down a new path. His satisfaction was palpable as He drifted back into a restless sleep.
***
Tanisha sat where Joha had placed her. A few feet from where she had killed Sabec and christened herself a new being with the price of his blood. She couldn¡¯t react to Joha or Bjorn as her body and mind were finally reaching a new homeostasis. The small part of her that wanted to believe deep down she was a wendigo was finally excised. It was pulled out by the root like a weed infesting her soul. She felt the influence of something, a great and terrible thing finally released its grip on her. She smiled as she looked off into the middle distance in a daze she couldn¡¯t wake from. Her body shook as she chuckled softly to herself as her magic finally settled in her core.
¡°Tanisha, are you okay?¡± Joha asked, his tiger-like face and olive green eyes full of concern as he knelt down beside her. ¡°What is happening to you?¡±
Tanisha¡¯s conscious mind was taken inward to see the changes that had been made to the most sacred of her being. She saw the spinning of mana, aether and maya. She felt their connections tighten and saw the formula of her soul. The song that represented her and her place in the universe. Somehow she knew it was free of an influence she did not know bound her until that moment. A realization hit her as she realized what she thought was the name of her soul originally was false. Her core was enslaved chained by some unseen force. No, it was the brand of a slave, it was an oath of servitude, a promise of her soul to her maker, to the Forest Father.
Now that collar was gone, she could finally see her true name. She could speak herself into existence instead of being a part of another¡¯s plan. She would be her own. The idea was frightening but also exhilarating. She felt the call of power, and she needed power. She needed to protect herself, to protect Bjorn to kill those that threatened them,that came after them like the werewolves, like Sabec did. She didn¡¯t need faith, she didn¡¯t need the Forest Father, she needed strength enough to move mountains.
¡°V???a???l???k???y???r???j???a???,¡± she spoke the name of her soul.
Her name V???a???l???k???y???r???j???a??? all but proved to her she was right. She got to choose who would live and who would die. She was the Chooser of the Slain. Her mind cleared as she laughed, getting more and more maniacal as her personality threatened to twist into something unrecognizable.
Before she was too far gone, before she became V???a???l???k???y???r???j???a???, she felt something warm against her skin, a tug against her soul. She jolted back to reality and found Bjorn had curled himself around her in a tight embrace. She felt his worry through their bond, the unfettered concern in his aura. She gave herself over to it instead of the madness. She pulled her sanity from the brink, still changed but not warped beyond recognition.
Bjorn¡¯s presence anchored her, his warmth and concern pulling her back from the edge. She leaned into him, feeling him do the same. She had found a new balance, a new sense of self, free from the chains of the Forest Father but not lost to the madness of unbridled power. She felt her reason return, brought back from the brink as Tanisha, not V???a???l???k???y???r???j???a???, or at least she hoped.
She centered herself and opened her status menu to see what changes were made.
Status Menu
Name: Tanisha Valkyrja Scalebound
Species: Cernunnos
Level: 32 + 5 = 37
Vitality: 50
Restoration: 45
Constitution: 100
Willpower: 130
Strength: 55
Dexterity: 80 + 3 = 83
Stamina: 48
Seier: = 470
Seier Regeneration: 235 (+100 from bond)
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.Page 1 of 3
Skills Analysis
Delta Familiar Contract
You are bonded with a Delta-class familiar. You gain +100 to seier regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions through your bond. Your bond is resilient against outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties. Your familiar¡¯s life expectancy is extended by five years.
Hard Air Constructs
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Low cost, 2 seier. Speak the words of power and create seier air constructs. Form air constructs into any shape and they will interact with the world, acting out the caster¡¯s will. (II) Medium cost, 6 seier. Air constructs with darker aspects of seier to burn any that oppose you. (III) High cost, 16 seier. Constructs will become invisible and silent.
Ringularity Sage Core
Seier cost: Variable
Chaos, mana, maya and aether compose the inner workings of your soul. Their coalescence in one body created seier; an energy seeking to uncover the very nature of the world around it. You can control all aspects that make up your core. Exerting your will over seier controls mana, maya and aether. You can use tools from any of the energies that make up your core. Your will can dominate mana, maya and aether outside your body for a short distance and use ambient energies for your arcane machinations.
Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Low seier cost per minute, seier will inundate your muscles and bones with power to temporarily increase your physical attributes. (II) Medium seier cost per minute, the Marks of Seier greatly enhances unarmed strikes. Unarmed punches and kicks will produce a seier shockwave, increasing the range of unarmed strikes a short distance. (III) High seier cost per minute, the energies within you grants the ability of arcane shift to teleport up to five yards.
+ Sage Soul Forge
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Use seier to alter and twist existing spellforms connected to your Ringularity Core. + (II) Meditate on your core to deepen connections and meridians to your soul. Study the Marks of Seier which etched themselves across your body to gain greater insight. (III) Unknown. Unknown. Unknown.
Divination Hydromancy
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Create seier constructs with liquid attributes, condense water from the atmosphere and/or control water from a water source. Exerting control over water allows you to change its state and temperature with ease. (II) Alter the properties of water to cause it to glow. Only those you choose can see the light produced. (III) Water in any state will condense into a blast of highly pressurized water. You maintain control of water even after it is fired, allowing it to change trajectory and home in on enemies.
+ Appeasement of the Cernunnos
Seier cost: None
(I) Drink the blood of a recently defeated foe and gain +3 to your stats based off of their highest physical statistic. Their level must be higher than yours. Their highest statistic must be higher than yours. You or those bound to you through a soul bond must have delivered the killing blow. (II) Consume the flesh of a recently defeated foe and gain an additional +1 to a physical statistic of your choice upon level up. Stackable up until +20. (III) Unknown.
Venomous Fang
- You have felt the venom of your Familiar; it now courses through your veins. Your saliva carries a necrotic venom. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your familiar. This ability is tied to your familiar, should your familiar die or reject your bond you will lose this ability.
Poison Breath
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
Hydra Fire
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
Poison Infusion
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
Queen of Reptiles
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
Page 2 of 3
She decided to assign her UCP later and instead reread the description of her new skill. Appeasement of the Cernunnos which would allow her to gain strength extremely quickly if she also drank the blood of whatever she killed. She felt as though she should be repulsed by the skill, that drinking blood of sapient beings was bad but she couldn¡¯t tell why she thought that. Power was good so the skill was good. The second level of the skill was a line she felt she couldn¡¯t cross if it was a sapient being. However, magical beasts and monsters would be fair game.
She also gained the second level of her Sage Soul Forge. It required meditation which she knew was a part of her magic training with Helina. After Helina died she had fallen out of the training and instead focused far more heavily on her arcanist training with Joha. She was failing Helina with that attitude and resolved herself to resume exploring the mage side of her skills and spells.
All in all, she felt great, better than great actually. All she needed to do was kill the werewolves in the basement and drink their blood. Simple. She was unsure why it was such a hard decision for her before. There was no hesitation now, no moral conflict, just a cold detachment. They were enemies, they were alive, and they didn¡¯t serve her, so death was the best way to go.
¡°I am okay, Big Man.¡± Tanisha said softly as she petted him. ¡°Thank you for always being here for me.¡±
Bjorn nuzzled her which she reciprocated and in moments she was on her feet. She took a healing potion from her inventory and drank it. The burns and cuts she got throughout the fight with Sabec slowly healed as she dusted herself off. She stretched and used her Divination Hydromancy to wash herself free of blood and dirt in an instant. She felt fully rejuvenated as she looked over the field that moments before was her battle ground and smiled as if nothing happened at all.
¡°Are you all right, Tanisha? You had me worried when you suddenly started laughing,¡± Joha said.
Tanisha smiled, showing a mouth full of sharp teeth stained with Sabec¡¯s blood.
¡°I am doing quite well, Joha,¡± she said with near eerie calmness. ¡°As it turned out this new race had a requirement for me to fully unlock my powers. I think it was like some sort of rite of passage. Now I am fully what I am.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Anyway, I will tell you more later. I am just happy that mut is dead, we only have the werewolves to deal with and the town will help with that.¡±
¡°Are you using the maya on your mind?¡± Joha asked.
¡°No, why would I?¡± She tilted her head as if confused by the question. ¡°The last time I did that it made me experience everything I was repressing before I evolved. I don¡¯t want to do that again. Before we go though he had a storage bag thing, and I want to take a look at that sword.¡±
¡°I already took the storage bag, we can go through it later,¡± Joha said.
¡°That sounds good to me,¡± Tanisha said.
The three looked around the shack for anything else that could have belonged to the now very dead gnoll before Joha burned his body. Tanisha took the long saber; it was too long for her to wield in the same way as Sabec. She had an idea though, during her fight with the gnoll she realized she didn¡¯t have to be the one that wielded the weapon. If she summoned her Hard Air Constructs she could be a walking armory with weapons that could attack and defend on their own. It was an option worth exploring atleast and the Way of the Rakshasa could incorporate many weapons.
***
¡°You two are back, how¡¯d it go?¡± Alfred said.
The man was waiting up the dirt path near the main road to the town. It was where he had left them when they went to confront Sabec. He leaned against a tree and looked the two up and down. His eyes lingered on the various cuts, scrapes and burns on Tanisha¡¯s armor. The wounds had already healed thanks to her potion.
¡°We took care of things,¡± Joha said.
¡°Ah, good-good. I would have helped but my hands are tied. Can¡¯t have people hiring assassin¡¯s after people here in town. So, good riddance to him,¡± Alfred responded.
¡°World will be a much better place without him,¡± Tanisha agreed. ¡°Can¡¯t believe he was so close to us without Bjorn detecting him. I think he laced his robes with something.¡±
¡°It is a pretty common thing for people that track down Hydras or anything with an extremely sensitive sense of smell. It is a type of pollen from a West Meshian indigo rose actually. They will coat themselves with it and it gives them a neutral scent and even masks mana.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that flower before,¡± Tanisha said inquisitively.
¡°Yeah, they are grown exclusively in the Mesha Lowlands,¡± Alfred said. ¡°I have seen a similar product being sold here in Yuhia but it is not as effective. Some hunters resort to rubbing themselves in the urine of the animal they are hunting instead. Not my taste but it gets the job done. Anyway, come on then let''s get you back to your stalls. Tell me what happened on the way.¡±
***
As the group approached the town gate guard ran up to them. He looked panicked and they could tell something was going on.
¡°Alfred, I was instructed to tell you and those two, sorry I forgot your names, as soon as you returned,¡± the guard said somewhat apologetically. ¡°The werewolf leader is here, and he wants to speak with you and them about releasing their captured people.¡±
¡°Well, looks like things are going to get resolved quicker than we thought,¡± Alfred said.
¡°Where is he?¡± Tanisha asked.
The guard said, ¡°Your stalls in town. He¡¯s been there for a while now.¡±
¡°Well, we kill him, right?¡± Tanisha said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Everyone looked at her as if she said the wrong thing. It wasn¡¯t as if the question was out of the blue. She always said she wanted the werewolves to pay for what they had done to Bjorn and now their leader just offered himself up to them. If she or Bjorn killed him she would surely level up again and gain even more power. In the town they had the Jackrabbits and the guards that would also assist so he couldn¡¯t get away. It was the best time to attack then she could kill the werewolves in the basement too.
¡°We should listen to what he has to say first,¡± Joha said. ¡°If we can get through this without having to fight an entire werewolf pack I think we should go for that option. I know they attacked Bjorn but if we can put bad blood behind us we won¡¯t have to look over our shoulders every moment we are alone during our travels out Yuhia.¡±
Tanisha nodded. ¡°I will leave it to you then whatever you think is best I will agree to follow even if I don¡¯t agree. I am pretty sure my decisions are compromised.¡± She patted Bjorn lovingly.
¡°It is all right. But I do want that more detailed explanation as to what happened to you back with Sabec later.¡± Joha said.
WM [35] Mercy Runs Thin
Alaric Strider knelt down in front of the stall of the very same person whose familiar his pack tried to kill. Town guards and even the Jackrabbits had come to ensure he did not run away. There was suspicion he was working with the druids or some other nonsense. He lost good people to the hydra hunt and the trap that it led them into. They had to fight their way through the druids, monsters and even skinwalkers after a few of them managed to break free of their cages. Then they had to outrun the toxic forest fire the hydra caused which had spread around the region like a net.
He was a looming presence even in his human-like form. He was a broad man, a colossus of muscle that seemed ready to burst from his skin at the slightest flex. Tribal tattoos covered him from head to toe, each depicted battles with monsters and magic beasts the world over. The only places no tattoo was visible was that covered by his short white hair and long braided beard.
The battles etched in ink were mirrored by scars carved into his flesh. They were a testament to the ferocity and endurance that defined him over the decades. They were not just marks; they were badges of honor, each one telling a tale of survival and triumph. Even so now he had to lower his head in shame and defeat. His eyes, cold and calculating, scanned the horizon with a predatory intensity.
A man entered the perimeter imposed by the town guards and Jackrabbits. Alaric immediately recognized him even though he hadn¡¯t seen him in over a decade. Last he heard of him he finally retired from monster hunting, his fiery red hair shifted to silver long before Alaric departed the area with his pack. Still it was odd seeing his old friend in a business suit fit for an official instead of the armor of a warrior.
¡°Robert.¡± Alaric said, his tone neutral as he felt out the situation. ¡°Where is the girl and the demon?¡±
¡°That is all you have to say to an old friend? No, how are you doing, how are the kids or anything?¡± Robert said as he walked around the burly man and leaned against Joha¡¯s display for his spices. ¡°Fourteen years and I don¡¯t even get a hello?¡±
¡°I heard what happened with Debra, you have my condolences, she was a good mate for you.¡± Alaric said.
¡°Ah, she was better than I deserved. Much better than her idiot grandson that I am stuck babysitting nowadays.¡±
¡°Alfred? Is he leading the Jackrabbits now?¡±
¡°Yes and no, but you know how the next generation is, they still need us old-heads to bail them out every now and then. We definitely had our fair share of times when we had to get bailed out back when your dad was in charge of the Striders.¡± Both men chuckled at that.
¡°With that you are right, we definitely had more than our fair share of foolishly charging into things.¡± Alaric smiled as he thought back. ¡°I think more than a few of my scars came from the belief that it was a good idea to listen to my human friend and his crazy plans and crazier hunts.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t act like you didn¡¯t come up with half of those ideas.¡± Robert said as his smile vanished from his face. ¡°How bad was it? I know you didn¡¯t have anything to do with the druids but I know you encountered them.¡±
¡°Otto, Heinrich, Wolfgang, Cassian, Wilhelmina and Ulrich.¡± Alaric said solemnly. ¡°So I ask again Robert, where is the girl?¡±
¡°Damn, were the druids that strong? With you there I thought¡ Wolfgang and them are dead. Wow, just, I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±
¡°The druids weren¡¯t the only issue, they had a few strong people but the problem was the monsters flooding in and the skinwalkers once they managed to break out of their cages. It was something I had never seen before. Most of the druids fled once the bigger monsters started showing up and the toxic forest fire caught up to us. We were trapped between poisonous fire, skinwalkers and waves of monsters. Now answer my question.¡±
¡°They are out to settle things with your gnoll friend,¡± Robert said.
¡°Informant, not friend. He was a war merchant and not a trustworthy one either.¡±
Robert sighed deeply, ¡°And yet you followed him out here to attack a girl and her familiar.¡±
¡°It is a hydra, you know what those things do.¡± Alaric said with a growl. ¡°Their bonds are poisonous to the mind. If it changes because of their bond it could become a false-hydra and then towns start disappearing.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t know the wendigo people very well, do you? Did you know they have a higher affinity for familiar bonds than most, only beaten out by the druids,¡± Robert said.
¡°Yes, that is pretty common knowledge,¡±Alaric agreed. ¡°So, you know she is a wendigo?¡±
¡°I think she is changing her appearance and is hiding from something. Demons can not form familiar bonds, but wendigo also don¡¯t suffer negative effects from bonding, it is like having a familiar contract is their natural state. There are even nobles here that bind their children to dragons without being driven mad.¡±
¡°Those are rumors,¡± Alaric spat.
¡°No, they are very much fact. The Salstar domain isn¡¯t too far from here and they recently opened a magic academy. Their entire family has dragons, even their youngest who can¡¯t be older than twelve or something.¡±
Alaric held his head down in shame. ¡°You¡¯re saying that. This was for nothing?¡±
¡°The problem with being the old-heads now is we don¡¯t have our fathers to bail us out when we do something foolish. You should have talked to us before doing something like this, we could have worked things out.¡±
¡°Are they alive?¡± Alaric asked, his stern voice wavered.
¡°They are for now, but I can¡¯t promise anything,¡± Robert said. ¡°The town gave Tanisha the right to execute them for their role in the attempted assassination.¡±
¡°But they are alive right now. Where are they?¡± Alaric asked.
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¡°That is none of your business, Alaric Strider.¡± A female voice cut into the conversation.
The two men turned and saw Tanisha and her group walking towards them. Alaric¡¯s eyes locked onto the girl as she strode forward. Her golden eyes gleamed with a fierce intensity staring into his own unwaveringly. He noticed the magic circle tattoo on her neck pulse faintly with an unseen arcane energy, hinting she was ready to fight should he turn hostile.
His eyes looked at her other companions. The tiger demon was likely his match; he could feel the intensity in the demon¡¯s aura. He couldn¡¯t sense maya but was good at taking the measure of a person by how they carried themselves. He had never fought a rakshasa but he had fought demons before and those are not fights he wants to experience again.
The hydra was a little thing compared to how big he was going to get once he matured. Which made it all the more surprising at the power he contained. He was definitely a greater hydra, and he had genuine intelligence behind his eyes. The creature hissed loudly as they got closer, and Tanisha had to pet him to calm him down, although she didn¡¯t appear any less hostile than the hydra.
Lastly was Alfred, the man looked almost the same as he remembered fourteen years ago. He was still dressed as if he was going to a festival. With loose fitting breathable clothing and a far too laid back demeanor. He never really seemed like the type that would follow in Robert¡¯s footsteps, so it was all the more surprising that he did.
¡°You are the one that attacked Bjorn and sent those assassin¡¯s after Tanisha?¡± the tiger demon asked.
¡°Yes, it was m¡ª¡±
Before Alaric could finish his statement the demon¡¯s form blurred and the next thing he knew he was face first in the road. Not against it but face down a few inches embedded in the brick road. Pain throbbed through his body as he felt something grab his head while he was still dazed. He was a warrior, though, and it would take more than a cheap shot to keep him down. He whirled around, pulling himself out of the small divot he made in the road, striking out with his hands now transformed into claws.
The strike was blind¡ªhe didn¡¯t know where the tiger demon was¡ªbut he suspected this would give him a moment to assess the situation. That moment didn¡¯t come as he saw the demon avoid his strike by the barest centimeter, all while maintaining close proximity. The demon looked totally different, a black form dredged up from the depths of his infernal magic. Alaric didn¡¯t come to fight, but he wouldn¡¯t die here; he had to save his children.
The demon landed another punch, this one to his stomach which exploded with force that rocked his whole body. Alaric roared as his already large form started to grow even larger, silver fur sprouting all over as his beast-side emerged. He slashed at the demon with claws that could rend blue-steel like paper, moving with speed far greater than his humanoid form could manage.
The demon dodged and weaved with a grace like nothing Alaric had ever seen, then shifted from a free-flowing grace to a sturdy wall as he allowed one attack to finally land. It was blocked by a forearm; although his claws cut flesh, it was a superficial wound, little more than a non-bleeding scratch. Then the demon seemed to blur again, his black magic surrounding him in a thick smoke so devoid of anything natural it was like looking into a void, a hole in the space around it. Alaric found himself face first in the ground again, his head slammed twice as hard as before, half of his body buried with a loud bang.
He felt something grab his foot and pull him out of the hole he had made in the street, blood freely flowing from his mouth. Every muscle ached, his vision faded in and out, and it was hard to maintain his beast form as he slowly reverted back. He hadn¡¯t been this overwhelmed in a fight since he was a pup, and yet the demon did it so casually. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be a merchant? And this was the master of the girl he foolishly sent his daughter and son to incapacitate while they attacked her familiar. This demon was a monster; if he turned his attention to their pack, Alaric doubted they would be able to stop him, especially after so many losses.
The demon flipped him over, and he finally got a good look at him now. He was thinner, his fur as black as the dark magic he exhaled. Energy popped from the rolling magic like thunderclouds. His eyes were glowing and teeth long and jagged as he snarled. His horn split into six long barbed spikes every bit as dangerous as the rest of the demon. The rakshasa lifted a foot and with a stomp placed it firmly on his chest, the action knocking the wind out of Alaric.
¡°If we were just going to kill him you should have let me know.¡± Tanisha said as she walked into view. ¡°Is that the Sixth form?¡±
¡°Whether or not I kill him depends on what happens next.¡± His voice was calm as he spoke to Tanisha. ¡°And this is not the Sixth but instead a combination of the first, second and third forms. The sixth is too destructive to use around allies. When you are ready to learn that form, you will see what I am talking about. For now though, what did you learn from my use of the forms in this fight in comparison to yours with Sabec.¡±
Tanisha placed a finger on her chin as she thought. ¡°Hmm, in my fight, I treated the forms like two different fighting styles. I would switch between them, but transitioning led to me taking hits. I didn¡¯t see you switch; it just kind of flowed together.¡±
¡°Sometimes avoiding everything is impossible. You have to decide which hits to take and which to avoid. Move to the attack while mitigating openings, or make them think you''ve left an opening so you can exploit it. Don¡¯t think of the forms as separate; they ebb and flow with the tide of battle.¡±
Alaric couldn¡¯t believe he was just used as a training aid. The demon was so confident that he didn¡¯t even take this fight seriously enough to consider him as anything more than a tool to better his apprentice. Alaric coughed, feeling utterly outmatched. He knew there wasn''t a damn thing he could do if they decided to kill him right then and there.
¡°I surrender.¡± Alaric said. ¡°Kill me if you must but please spare my children.¡±
Their attention turned to him; neither of them had mercy in their glare. Tanisha rolled her eyes and walked back out of view.
¡°Tanisha wanted to defer to my judgment as to your fate and that of the two others I have captured.¡± The demon heel dug deeper into Alaric¡¯s chest. His ribs were barely able to hold up to the pressure, several braking under the weight. ¡°She feels her decision-making has been compromised, in no small part due to you and Sabec. I¡¯ve decided to be more merciful than she would have been by giving you the chance to speak before making my decision. I warn you, Alaric, mercy runs thin with my kind. If not for my desire to avoid hunting down every member of your pack seeking revenge against us, I would have taken your head the moment I saw you.¡±
¡°I came to talk.¡± Alaric said.
¡°You came to us to get those two assassins that tried to kill my apprentice. While you and your thugs attacked the only family she has left in this world. Why should we do anything but kill you and them?¡±
¡°They were following my orders. My words. I will take responsibility. I will tell my pack not to seek revenge and to flee from here and from you. I forfeit my life for theirs.¡±
¡°We already have your life, if you hadn''t noticed.¡± Tanisha said with a cold smile.
¡°I will give you anything our pack has left to offer.¡± Alaric said.
Joha was quiet for a long moment while he considered. ¡°I will give you the boy now, but the girl stays with us until we leave Yuhia. She will assist Tanisha in her training and anything else Tanisha needs of her.¡±
¡°Then you will return her to us?¡± Alaric asked, clinging to a sliver of hope. ¡°Unharmed?¡±
¡°I promise she will be returned alive. I do not guarantee her condition. We will do what we can to ensure she is whole, but as I am sure you know well, hunting monsters is dangerous work. You all are to leave this area and not come within fifty miles of us. Once we have left the border, we will release your daughter with instructions to return here. What do you say? It is time to make a decision, time to decide what happens next, pack leader.¡±
¡°I accept your terms,¡± Alaric said, his voice heavy with resignation. ¡°Just... please, spare them.¡±
WM [36] Wickedly Sharp Blades
Bjorn and Tanisha did not care to watch the reunion of the werewolf leader and his son which was handled largely by the Jackrabbits. The werewolf pack leader was questioned by the council before they were made to leave. Despite the excitement of the morning things settled down quite rapidly.
Bjorn was concerned about Tanisha¡¯s shift in personality; she was oddly mellow about the situation and seemed to be emotionally detached from the events she deemed as not a concern anymore. Bjorn didn¡¯t know if she was in shock or if this was the new normal for her. She still had emotions but she seemed more decisive in what she would and would not engage with.
Bjorn watched her take out the last ingot from the cold infusion basin, and she whistled. The ingot was a uniform reddish black, its sheen looked almost wet in the light. She beamed as she walked over to him holding the metal for him to examine as well. Her tail wagged playfully as she waited for Bjorn¡¯s reaction. Once he could get a better look and smell of the metal he could tell that it had changed fundamentally. It wasn¡¯t magically different but something else. To his senses it was like metal blood with a mixture of something deeper he couldn¡¯t recognize.
¡°I did it!¡± Tanisha yelled happily as she threw up her hands. ¡°I actually figured it out thanks to you, Big Man!¡±
The joy in the bond was infectious. Bjorn started jumping up and down in excitement sharing in her success. More than anything he was relieved that while she was a little different she was still the girl he knew.
¡°Okay, I still have one more ingot. Let''s get started and we can take them and the failures back to Joel.¡± Tanisha said.
Tanisha went back to prepping the basin for another infusion which would take several hours given how long it took the first time he saw the process. He went to a corner of the wagon that had a mat laid out for him, and he lounged across it.
¡°Bjorn, you leveled up five times thanks to Tanisha. I think you should go ahead and assign the UCP.¡± Failsafe said in his head. ¡°And we still have a backlog of memories to sort through.¡±
¡°One thing at a time.¡± Bjorn responded mentally. ¡°I¡¯ll assign the points and as for the memories¡ I-uh,¡± he sighed deeply. ¡°Okay, I need to get through them. We¡¯ll do more tonight.¡±
Bjorn opened his status on the first page. Before he even added any points he had additions to several stats no doubt from surviving his ordeal with the werewolves.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Lernaean Hydra
Level: 32 + 5 = 37
Vitality: 140 + 5 = 145 / 195
Restoration: 210 + 5 = 215 / 270
Constitution: 120 + 5 = 125 / 135
Strength: 90 / 130
Dexterity: 80/ 100
Stamina: 90/ 115
Aether: 50 / 50 < 70
Aetheric Regeneration: 100 / 100 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 3
Bjorn was pleased to see that his stats went up so much without even needing to expend his points. He guessed that whatever concoction they were using to slow his regeneration ability must have been a push for his stats to grow. Surviving was also a deep drain on his constitution and vitality which since he died for a minute was definitely true. His threshold for aether also increased which was always a boon.
He moved on to adding his fifty UCP. He felt confident in his survivability but one of the deciding factors in the encounter was his inability to move fast enough to avoid the arrows. He was only going to get bigger as he aged and leveled up, so dodging would one day not be viable. He needed to be able to take damage and keep pushing through it so in a move he hoped he wouldn¡¯t regret he placed thirty points into restoration and the rest into aether.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Lernaean Hydra
Level: 37
Vitality: 145 / 195
Restoration: 215 + 30 = 245 / 270
Constitution: 125 / 135
Strength: 90 / 130
Dexterity: 80/ 100
Stamina: 90/ 115
Aether: 50 + 20 = 70 / 70
Aetheric Regeneration: 100 / 100 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 3
After he confirmed the changes he hesitated to speak about something that had been bothering him.
¡°Failsafe, did you see that memory of when I died?¡±
¡°Yeah. It was a lot clearer than the first time.¡± Failsafe responded.
¡°Any idea who my assassin was? Edita? I am pretty sure I knew her. The name and the feeling was like¡ I wasn¡¯t killed by an enemy but by someone close to me. It wasn¡¯t an invasion, it was a coup.¡±
¡°It seems that way. I don¡¯t know who she was but I can confirm she was someone close. Remember the images of the people dying in your visor before you took it off?¡± Failsafe asked.
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It took a moment for Bjorn to go back to that moment in his memory. Although he doesn¡¯t remember the people in that visor he did remember the feelings he felt in his past life with each portrait that went dark. It left a pit in his stomach, an echo of memories lost.
¡°Yes, I remember.¡± Bjorn said.
¡°Good. The woman was one of the people in the visor. I will show you if you let me.¡± Failsafe said.
¡°Show me how?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°I can overlay parts of your past memories in your mental projection. It won¡¯t be as intense as the original memory. More like you are watching it from a distance. No emotional influence from your past self or anything.¡±
¡°That sounds fine but limit it to her portrait.¡±
¡°Yeah, that shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±
A moment later Bjorn activated his mental projection magic and instead of his stats or other menus he saw a still image of a woman¡¯s face and half of her torso. She was in a neutral position not smiling but not quite frowning either. She was beautiful with a heart shaped face and delicate features. Her hair was raven black, and her eyes were both blue but not natural. They were fake, the words cybernetic implants came to mind and Bjorn rolled with it. They looked almost real aside from the shutters in their center instead of pupils.
As Bjorn looked at the woman he started to hyperventilate. Something about this being the person that killed him dredged up something in his soul. Something painful although Bjorn didn¡¯t have the context behind the emotion. He closed the mental projection to see Tanisha had turned to face him. She must have felt his emotions because she stopped what she was doing and sat beside him on the floor.
¡°It¡¯s okay, Big Man.¡± Tanisha said although she sounded a little ashamed. ¡°I have this feeling that I am acting differently. That some of the things I feel now are not quite the same as before. When I killed Sabec something changed in here.¡± She tapped her chest over her heart. ¡°I am still me though. I am still your Tanisha.¡±
Bjorn was taken off guard by the sudden admission. She mistook his reaction to these memories for a reaction to her. He nodded, and she hugged him, and the two stayed like that until the basin was ready for the infusion.
***
¡°You didn¡¯t have to come with me, Joha. It¡¯s not that far from town and I have Bjorn with me.¡±
¡°It is also a lot more dangerous now that an unknown number of skinwalkers were released after the druids were forced to leave their little hideout,¡± Joha said.
Bjorn, Tanisha and Joha were walking through the Jackrabbits camp. It was Joha¡¯s first time out here, and he looked adequately impressed. There were far more businesses than he thought would be here. He could definitely find clientele for his spices, and he seemed to be considering his next move while they walked. It wasn¡¯t as busy as the main town with it being on the through road to Lavi but the amount of people couldn¡¯t be ignored by a merchant of his caliber.
They entered the blacksmith shop and found Ironjaw Stonecrusher, better known as Joel, at his counter. The dwarf smiled once he saw the group enter. He welcomed them all in with a wave of his hand.
¡°Well if it isn¡¯t the talk of the town herself,¡± Joel said. ¡°We heard what happened with the werewolves and that skinwalker. Crazy fuck¡¯n times we are livin¡¯ in, what with druids out in the woods kidnappin¡¯ wendigo and turnin¡¯ ''em into Divine¡¯s damn skinwalkers. Glad you and yours made it through in one piece.¡±
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been more than a little insane the past few hours,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°That¡¯s an understatement,¡± Joel replied, his gaze shifting to Joha. ¡°Nice to meetcha, name¡¯s Ironjaw Stonecrusher most people just call me Joel. Your wife here is one tough woman no doubt about that. I was wonderin¡¯ where she got it from till I heard about you. The spice trader that tanned Alaric¡¯s hide and got him limpin¡¯ outta town with his tail between his legs. I was wonderin¡¯ when I would get to meet the other half of this one here.¡±
¡°We aren¡¯t married,¡± Tanisha interjected, her voice firm but polite. ¡°I am his apprentice.¡±
Joha chuckled softly and extended his hand to Joel. ¡°Joha Bhatia, she is right, she is more like a student or daughter.¡±
¡°Ah, my mistake.¡± Joel, realizing his error, quickly adapted, shaking Joha¡¯s hand with a hearty grip. ¡°Either way, it¡¯s good to see you both in one piece. Now, what can I do for you today?¡±
Tanisha took a deep breath, glancing at the bundle she carried.
¡°I¡¯ve come to pick up my daggers and the bardiche and... well I also have to present you with something.¡±
¡°Ah, your daggers. Been workin¡¯ on those beauties. They''re both done, sharpened and polished. I really think you are going to like the bardiche as well. But what do ya have for me?¡±
¡°I attempted the cold infusion process but I told you it was my first time,¡± Tanisha said, her face reddening with embarrassment. ¡°Out of the ten ingots you gave me... I managed to successfully infuse these two.¡±
Tanisha unwrapped the bundle, revealing two gleaming ingots, each infused with a faint but unmistakable magical effect permeating the now dark red, blue steel ingots. Bjorn felt Tanisha¡¯s embarrassment with such a low amount of successful ingots. She took the rest of the ingots from her inventory and placed them beside the properly infused two in a double stack of four. She was so busy trying not to look him in the eyes she missed the moment Joel''s eyes nearly fell from his sockets; they were open so wide.
¡°Two out of ten that is really damn impressive,¡± Joel said. ¡°Was this really your first time? You¡¯re talkin¡¯ a success rate of twenty percent on your first go. Inexperienced infusion specialists might get one in ten if they¡¯re lucky, and here you go, pullin¡¯ off this?¡±
¡°Are you serious?¡± Tanisha asked. ¡°But I ruined eight of them.¡±
Joel waved a hand dismissively. ¡°You didn¡¯t ruin nothin¡¯ I¡¯ll melt ¡®em down tonight. Consider those eight part of the learnin¡¯ process. What you did with these two¡ªnow that¡¯s the mark of someone with real potential. I should hire you full time. Do you have time to do more?¡±
He reached under the counter and brought out a pair of short, wickedly sharp blades. The metal gleamed with a bluish sheen. They were the same blades but something about them looked better, new and touched by a master of his craft. He had to go to the back to get the bardiche but when he returned Tanisha whistled. The bardiche wasn¡¯t as ornate or enchanted as the one she got from the princess but it was close. The blade hummed with magical resonance as he placed it on the counter beside the knives.
¡°These had some tricks to them but they are perfect companion blades,¡± Joel said. ¡°I did reinforce them and touched up the enchantments so that you won¡¯t blow them up again. They will feel a bit heavier with the new material but they are the same blades just like you asked. Should serve you well in whatever chaos you find yourself in next. The bardiche though.¡± He chuckled as he ran his hand over the weapon. ¡°This thing is a monster. I had it attuned to you so it should resonate with your fancy magic better than the daggers. Take it to a wandmaker and they should be able to turn it into a fully functional staff as well.¡±
Tanisha took the daggers, testing their balance in her hands. A small, satisfied smile tugged at her lips as she felt the familiar weight.
¡°They¡¯re perfect, Joel. Thank you,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°Oh, and we are going to be in town a little bit longer. Can you make me a full set of armor? Plate this time. My last set caught on fire.¡±
WM [37] The Stronger Path
The room was quiet, save for the constant sniffling sobs of the young woman sitting on the floor with her back against the wall. Nightfall was creeping in, the last remnants of daylight fading into the encroaching shadows. Though a window and a door offered the illusion of freedom, she knew there was no real escape. Her prison had changed its form¡ªfrom the dank, oppressive cellar where she had been bound to a pillar, to this slightly more comfortable room¡ªbut the chains still held her just as tightly.
As the final rays of the sun disappeared, plunging the room into near total darkness, Adelheid''s hand instinctively moved to the black chain around her neck. It wasn¡¯t really a chain anymore, but a delicate-looking necklace, a disguise crafted by the demon who so easily defeated her. The construct looked like metal but didn¡¯t feel like it. Instead it felt like some deep cold that was a constant reminder of her subjugation, its once menacing form now deceptively beautiful, but no less binding.
Her thoughts went back to the moment her father had come to the cellar, she thought they had won, that they had come to rescue her and Falko. But that hope had been cruelly snuffed out. He didn¡¯t return as a victor, he had lost. He was beaten and only saved from death at the cost of his pride. The Golden Striders had been soundly defeated, many of their best hunters slain during the hunt for the hydra. The names of the fallen, friends and mentors she would never see again, haunted her like specters.
Worse still, she was left behind here with nothing her father could do. She would have to endure whatever tortures her captors devised for her. She was no stranger to pain, but this was different. The thought of the tortures they might inflict upon her churned her stomach, filling her with dread.
The sound of approaching footsteps snapped her out of her thoughts, and she flinched involuntarily. She had come to recognize the distinct cadence of each of her captors¡ªthe tiger demon¡¯s heavy, deliberate steps, the wendigo girl¡¯s light, almost ethereal tread no doubt due to noble training, and the soft, rhythmic tapping of the hydra pup¡¯s claws on the wooden floor. They were coming for her, and she knew that whatever they had planned, it was about to begin.
Adelheid took a deep, shaky breath, forcing herself to stand despite the terror constricting her chest. She was a warrior, after all, not some frightened child. Wiping the tears from her face with trembling hands, she straightened her back, summoning what little courage she had left.
¡°I think I should be ready by then. Two days seems good.¡± Tanisha said.
¡°We can set up in the Jackrabbits¡¯ camp tomorrow.¡± Joha responded. ¡°I had no idea how large their claim on the land was. It should be classified as a village of its own at this point. But first let¡¯s get your new sparring partner.¡±
The door creaked open, flooding the dark room with light from the hallway. Adelheid tensed, her heart pounding in her chest as the tiger demon was the first to step inside. His presence filled the room, towering horned tiger demon against the sudden brightness of the hallway. He reached out and touched one of the two light crystals beside the door, causing it to flare to life. The sharp, crystalline light revealed the details of the room that had been hidden in darkness. Joha''s gaze fell on Adelheid, who stood pressed against the wall, her posture rigid, trying to conceal her fear. His eyes swept over her, then shifted to the room itself, noting its virtually untouched state. She hadn¡¯t even sat on the bed not wanting any of their fake kindness.
Following closely behind him, Tanisha entered, carrying a tray of food. She moved with a casual ease, setting the tray down on the small nightstand without a word. Bjorn was sitting outside the door, and he didn''t walk in to not crowd the room. There was a brief moment of silence before Tanisha looked at Adelheid, her tone matter-of-fact as she broke the tension.
¡°Oh, good thing you didn¡¯t try to run.¡± Tanisha said, her voice almost teasing. ¡°We have training every night so eat up. I¡¯ll come get you after we change clothing¨C¡± she paused, as if a sudden thought had struck her. ¡°Joha, you never showed me how to change my clothing with maya.¡±
¡°It is an advanced form of maya manipulation that you are not ready for at this stage.¡± Joha responded.
¡°How do you know if I am not ready if I never tried it?¡± Tanisha questioned.
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¡°By how you manipulate the odd form of magic you have now. Enough of it is maya for me to get a good sense of how you move it.¡± Joha responded.
¡°I can pull out the aspects of it to change its properties. So, I can make it act more like maya, mana or aether.¡± she explained eagerly. ¡°So my manipulation of it has to be pretty high, right?¡±
Joha thought about her words for a second before responding. ¡°Hmm, you do have a point. How about this, we will test your manipulation of the maya aspects of your magic in the morning. If it looks like you are ready for more advanced manipulation I will advance your training to incorporate the first form, MayaMundra which will be your first step to learning things like changing the appearance of clothing.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s face broke into a wide grin, her sharp teeth glinting in the light as she squealed in excitement, unable to contain her joy. ¡°Okay-okay, I¡¯m going to go change then, let¡¯s go, Big Man,¡± she said, her voice full of enthusiasm as she quickly exited the room, with Bjorn lumbering after her.
Joha watched them leave, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth as he let out a small, amused chuckle. The room seemed to grow quieter as their footsteps faded down the hall. His smirk faded, replaced by a more serious expression as his gaze finally landed on the only other person left in the room¡ªAdelheid.
Adelheid stood strong. ¡°What do you want from me?¡±
¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t want anything to do with you.¡± Joha said. ¡°If we were under different circumstances or if you had met me fifty years ago you would be in the ground along with everyone else involved with hurting my apprentice. You are an experiment for me. To prove that I can show mercy when everything in me tells me not to.¡±
Adelheid¡¯s lips curled into a sneer, ¡°why would you do that? So, you can torture me? Is that the plan? Hurt me because you let my brother go?¡±
¡°Torture? Sure, that¡¯s exactly why we brought you up from the cellar, paid for a room, and made sure you were comfortable¡ªjust so we could get thrown out of this inn. That¡¯s what a demon would do, isn¡¯t it? Lure you into a false sense of security, make you think, ¡®maybe this won¡¯t be so bad,¡¯ only to shatter those hopes with cruelty.¡±
Her eyes narrowed, doubt lacing her voice. ¡°And you¡¯re saying you won¡¯t? You expect me to believe that, demon?¡±
¡°Yes, I am,¡± Joha said firmly. ¡°I made a promise to your father that I¡¯d return you as intact as possible, and I intend to keep that promise. That includes your mental state. You may not believe this, but I¡¯ve seen and caused more death than you can imagine, especially on the demon continent. I wasn¡¯t the strongest, but I was one of the most ruthless, and I reveled in it. But through all the death, destruction, and cruelty, I realized something¡ªnone of it brought peace. It only led to more death, more atrocities and suffering. That¡¯s when I decided to try something different. I tried mercy.¡±
He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. ¡°Mercy is a currency that¡¯s far too scarce where I come from. If all I do here is kill, then what was the point of it all? What do I gain? If all I teach my apprentice is to take life, then she¡¯ll grow up carrying the same burdens, the same regrets, that I do. I want better for her. I want her to know that sometimes, choosing not to kill is the stronger path. That¡¯s why you¡¯re still alive, Adelheid. That and I think you will make a good sparring partner for her.¡±
¡°What happens when this is over? What will you do with me then?¡±
¡°You go home, and if you pay attention during my lessons, or when you¡¯re helping Tanisha with her alchemy, you¡¯ll return stronger and smarter than you were before. This isn¡¯t just about survival, Adelheid. It¡¯s about growth. You have the chance to learn things that most in your pack never will. If I were you I would take it.¡±
There was a long pause as Adelheid absorbed his words, her mind raced with doubts and questions. She didn¡¯t trust the demon. She was practically a slave at the moment and as long as she had the black necklace on he could kill her at any moment. It wouldn¡¯t even be difficult for him to do; less than a thought, and she would be a headless corpse. But what if it were true, what if they would just let her go once this was over she would know how to heal people with alchemy, and some of the demon¡¯s fighting techniques. Either of those skills would be valuable. Tanisha did manage to escape her and Falko while she had her magic suppressed with just her fight prowess alone.
¡°Let¡¯s say I believe you. That you will let me live once this is over and that you are not going to torture me.¡± She said with apprehension. ¡°Why me?¡±
¡°Tanisha needs someone at her level who can push her limits, someone who isn¡¯t afraid to challenge her. I believe you can be that person for now. You have a lot you can teach about hunting monsters which is something she is somewhat interested in because of Bjorn. Finally, I don¡¯t want her going alone. Your people and the druids were a wake up call. There is no guarantee of safety, but with numbers survival is higher.¡± Joha¡¯s gaze shifted to the untouched plate of food on the nightstand, his expression softening for a moment before he returned to their conversation. ¡°Now, eat, you¡¯ll need your strength for what¡¯s ahead.¡±
WM [38] Clearly Unimpressed
Bjorn didn¡¯t expect the wifwolf to actually be a part of the training that night. He could literally taste her fear when they arrived in her room. Tanisha didn¡¯t seem bothered by her; she had already fully accepted whatever decision Joha made in regards to Adelheid. Tanisha really didn¡¯t trust her decision making in regards to others lives at the moment which was a big concern for Bjorn.
¡°Do you think being a True has also affected my mind, like Tanisha going from a normal to a greater?¡± Bjorn asked in his mind. ¡°It would make sense, right? I was a Greater Human in my last life, and now I am a True Hydra.¡±
¡°I think you would have changed more going from being a human to a hydra if anything.¡± Failsafe said. ¡°I think being a True helped you cope with your new form far better than most would have. Instead of freaking out you just accepted that you are this now.¡±
¡°Hmm, well it isn¡¯t like I had any memory of my previous life when I was born? Hatched? Whatever, when I opened my eyes as a Hydra. The only thing I remembered was my death and had a vague recollection that I was in a different body. Not really much to freak out about.¡±
¡°Well, I have a theory about why that is now that we know for a fact that you are a True. You should have been hatched in a Higher Plane that would have granted you the power of that plane much like how people here have mana while demons have maya, which is a tether back to their home Plane. You didn¡¯t have that tether so the power that you would have had was severed. I think you would have been born at level two hundred or more if you did have that connection.¡±
¡°Wait what? I would have been born at that level? That would have made me¨C¡±
¡°Closer to Joha in power at birth. You would have been able to kill Thyra in our first encounter easily and put Loki on the back foot. I am pretty sure we could resist some of Ingrid¡¯s magic at that state but she would have still been stronger than us magically.¡±
¡°That would have been¡ different. We wouldn¡¯t be here though, that would have required that I was born wherever Hydra¡¯s are from.¡±
¡°I wonder if you have any siblings that were born in a clutch or something. What does a True Hydra nest look like? Do you think she put each egg in an individual golden egg cup in, like, a nursery or something? I can¡¯t see an eldritch being named, Queen of A Thousand Heads, just scrounging up hay and leaves from the surrounding area. Speaking of, who is your dad?¡±
¡°I actually don¡¯t know what his title or name is¡ maybe it is King of A Thousand Heads or maybe he doesn''t have that many heads¡ hmm.¡±
He looked at the young woman as she put on her shoes in preparation for training. Joha had given her a new uniform after she started learning the second form. She tied her long hair up into a tight bun to keep it out of her face. After her transformation into a cernunnos she gained the toned body of someone with years of disciplined practice in her martial arts. Her daily training served to emphasize what the transformation started, making the changes her own.
She wore what Joha called a traditional Kacham, the white garment tied securely around her waist and falling to her knees. The fabric was slightly loose, allowing her the freedom to move with the fluid grace needed in VritraVajra. The edges of the Kacham were bordered with a vibrant red, matching the blouse that clung to her form.
The blouse was fitted, short-sleeved, and cut just above her midriff, its red hue deep and bold against her brown skin. The simplicity of the outfit highlighted her athletic frame, leaving her arms and much of her torso bare, allowing for full mobility in combat. Her tail swayed back and forth as she tapped her heel securing her shoe on her foot.
¡°Let''s go, Big Man.¡± Tanisha said.
***
Due to the town¡¯s strict curfew, Joha and Tanisha were forced to take their combat training to the roof of the inn, where they could spar without drawing the attention of the town guards. Bjorn, sitting on the sidelines, watched the match unfold with his three heads swiveling between the two fighters. To his surprise Adelheid appeared, and quietly sat at the edge of the roof to watch as well. She was still extremely cautious, and he noticed her eyes would occasionally flick over to him. He guessed she wanted to make sure he wasn¡¯t going to suddenly attack her.
Neither combatant used their various magic abilities and instead relied on pure pugilistic combat. Joha had made it clear that this was going to be a more difficult lesson than usual. He had babied her too much and would be correcting his teaching so she would be able to face the difficult challenges she has placed on herself. Bjorn understood the events of the past few days were a reality check for everyone including Joha. They had gotten too complacent when there were dangers that neither Bjorn or Tanisha were ready to face.
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¡°Watch your footing there,¡± Joha said as he flipped Tanisha to the ground. ¡°Up. Again.¡±
Tanisha groaned and spit blood before she stood up breathlessly. ¡°Ready.¡±
The focus of the session was on blending the second and third forms which Tanisha had a difficult time doing. Joha was relentless, punishing every misstep with a decisive kick, a sharp punch, or a quick grapple that left her gasping for breath. Bjorn felt the frustration building in her through the bond, each of her attempts to land a blow was met with a swift counter that left her reeling. Joha was simply too much for her, he seemed to move in a way that made him always two steps ahead. It was as if he was predicting Tanisha¡¯s every move before she even made it.
Tanisha¡¯s movements, though well-practiced, were still rough around the edges, requiring multiple motions to execute what Joha accomplished in one. Every time she tried to blend the forms, it was as if Joha saw right through her, exploiting every opening she left behind. Because of the punishment she was taking, even Bjorn started to see the pattern when Tanisha shifted in a way that left her vulnerable. The more frustrated she became, the more mistakes she made, and Joha was merciless in exploiting them. At one point Tanisha was punched in the stomach and fell to her knees coughing.
¡°Celestial Planes,¡± Adelheid said with a wince. ¡°She does this every night?¡±
¡°Get up,¡± Joha roared. ¡°Or is this where you are going to give up? It¡¯s easy to just stay down, to just give up. What happens next time assassins come after you or Bjorn and I am not there to save you? What happens when someone else puts a suppression collar on you, or a skinwalker attacks you? Are you going to give up then?¡±
Tanisha cursed and rose back to her feet. Meeting Joha¡¯s gaze with a terrifying glare of her own.
¡°Good. Now breathe. Maya is breath, center yourself and let''s continue.¡± Joha said.
The match went on as Tanisha reached a boiling point as she lunged at Joha with a desperate flurry of strikes, but it was no use. When she tried to close the distance with fists, knees and elbows, he would pivot smoothly, using her momentum against her with the second form. When she attempted to attack from a distance with kicks, he closed in with a speed that left her scrambling to defend. Joha sidestepped her attacks with ease and countered again this time with a swift jab to her ribs that doubled her over in pain again.
Bjorn could see that Tanisha had come a long way since the start of their journey, however, in comparison to her master she might as well have just started yesterday. There was a lull in the cool night air as Joha let Tanisha catch her breath this time. Bjorn moved to comfort her but stopped when Joha held a hand up to stop him. He had half a mind to check on her anyway but when Tanisha saw him she shook her head.
¡°You¡¯re relying too much on brute force,¡± Joha said, as he stood over her. ¡°That¡¯s not what will make you stronger.¡±
¡°Then what will?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Control. Patience. Precision. You¡¯re trying to force the forms together, but they¡¯re meant to flow.¡± Joha said, his expression unreadable. ¡°Right now, you¡¯re fighting yourself as much as you¡¯re fighting me. You are afraid because of what happened with Sabec. I can see it in the way you are flailing your arms and legs like I haven¡¯t taught you anything.¡±
Tanisha held her side as she stood up, still unable to stand fully upright. The Marks of Seier on her body flared to life, the glowing magic circles inundating her body with power. Her eyes never left Joha¡¯s gaze as she forced herself to fully stand. Her chest rising and falling rapidly with her shaky breath as she refused to show pain.
There was a long pause, the only sound being Tanisha¡¯s exhausted breaths. The light from the tattoos across Tanisha¡¯s body faded. Joha motioned to Bjorn that he could go to her, and she let Bjorn nuzzle against her. Finally, Joha turned his gaze to Adelheid, who had been watching the scene unfold in silence.
¡°Adelheid,¡± Joha said quietly. ¡°Glad that you could join us, I hope you learned something, but it¡¯s time you go back to your room.¡±
With a slight nod, the wifwolf turned and silently left the rooftop, disappearing into the shadows.
¡°I can keep going.¡± Tanisha said.
¡°I am sure you can.¡± Joha said with a slight smirk. ¡°Drink a health potion and we will go over your knife fighting technique.¡±
¡°Bjorn, thanks I got this.¡± Tanisha said as she petted him.
Tanisha drank a potion from her inventory and took out her two daggers. She let out a deep breath as she lowered into a stance, her eyes narrowing as she focused on Joha. They both stood still for a moment,Then, with a burst of speed, Tanisha bolted toward Joha, daggers poised to strike. As she was about to close the distance, the door to the roof flung open with a loud crash.
¡°What in the name of the Divines are you all doing up here?¡± A female¡¯s voice followed.
Tanisha nearly tripped over her own feet as she skidded to a halt, turning to see the inn owner''s wife standing in the doorway, her hands planted firmly on her hips. The woodentail wendigo woman looked like she was ready to tear into them with a motherly fury. The group looked like they were just caught with their hands in the pantry as they relaxed their stances.
¡°Oh, it¡¯s you three again?¡± She huffed, exasperation evident in her tone. ¡°Please, come inside! People are trying to sleep, and the roof is off limits.¡±
Tanisha sheepishly lowered her daggers, glancing over at Joha, who offered her an amused shrug.
¡°Sorry about that,¡± Joha said, ¡°We¡¯ll keep it down.¡±
She narrowed her eyes at him, clearly unimpressed. ¡°You¡¯d better. If I have to come up here again, you¡¯ll be sleeping on the street. Now get inside.¡±
Tanisha couldn¡¯t help but laugh as she slipped her daggers back into her inventory. The inn proprietress looked at Bjorn and petted his heads gently. Then with a final glare directed toward Joha and Tanisha she led everyone back inside. The sound of the door closing behind them echoed in the now-quiet night.
WM [39] Rowdy Monster Hunters
Bjorn found there was a surprising lull throughout the past couple days, Tanisha spent most of the time with the cold infusion basin. Joel gave her a hundred ingots to infuse with various materials, the dreamweaver blood being one of them. Between cold infusion, potion brewing, and selling her wares at the stall, Tanisha barely had a moment to breathe. The afternoons, reserved for combat training, had to start earlier to avoid another confrontation with the innkeeper, whose wrath they¡¯d learned to dodge.
Adelheid had been observing Tanisha and Bjorn¡¯s far more intense training regimen. Bjorn noticed her lingering glances, the way her posture would tense as if she was holding back the urge to join in or say something. He even caught her trying some of the moves from the forms when she thought no one was looking. She watched in silence until Joha eventually dismissed her.
It was the last day in the town and it started like any other with flexibility, balance and breathing training in the morning. They followed by an hour or two of inventory management. All the while Tanisha didn¡¯t so much as acknowledge Adelheid¡¯s presence. In fact Bjorn and Joha noticed pretty early on that Tanisha had not once spoken to the wifwolf who dutifully paced behind them like a lost child.
Both Bjorn and Joha had picked up on it early on. Tanisha¡¯s silence toward Adelheid was palpable, an invisible confrontation was brewing just beneath the surface. In the meantime, Joha had kept Adelheid busy, putting her to work gathering supplies or trying to teach her the art of trade. The wifwolf complied, she didn¡¯t have a choice and although she was hesitant at first she seemed to be slowly acclimating to Joha. Her eyes frequently drifted toward Tanisha and Bjorn, her expression torn between curiosity and guilt.
¡°Today is our last day in town. Did you manage to get all the infusions done?¡± Joha asked Tanisha, his hands deftly arranging items on the table. ¡°Once we are done today we will be continuing to the border.¡±
Tanisha, busy herself, barely glanced up as she responded. ¡°I should be done. I only have a few more to do. It¡¯s the new essence Joel gave me that¡¯s giving me trouble.¡±
Bjorn couldn¡¯t help but agree as he listened in on the conversation from a soft patch of grass he laid down on. He hadn¡¯t heard Tanisha curse as much as she had the past couple of days trying to figure out the new essence.
¡°What did he give you?¡± Joha asked.
Tanisha pulled out a large feather from her bracelet inventory although it looked more like a golden quill made from actual gold. ¡°It is a feather from some kind of bird monster. I don¡¯t remember the name.¡±
Adelheid, who had been silently assisting Joha by placing spices on the table, spoke up. ¡°Quillstriker,¡± she said, her voice quiet but clear. ¡°They¡¯re a monster that shoots its feathers like arrows at its prey.¡±
Everyone turned to her, and she froze as she realized she just corrected Tanisha. She notably recoiled and averted eye contact as she quickly finished placing the last of the spices down.
¡°Ah, quillstriker sounds like an interesting creature. I wonder what the infusion will do to the metal,¡± Joha said, continuing the conversation.
Tanisha¡¯s gaze lingered on Adelheid for a long moment, and Bjorn could feel the unspoken words between them through his bond with Tanisha. She wasn¡¯t upset or atleast Bjorn didn¡¯t think so but he couldn¡¯t read her emotions as they were quickly locked away. Then, without a word, she took the bait Joha left and the feather disappeared back into her inventory.
¡°It should add some type of retaliatory effect from what I can surmise,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°If it is made into armor, if something strikes it while magic or material is supplied, small feathers will shoot back at the attacker. They won¡¯t be nearly as deadly as the real thing and the range will vary depending on the magic supplied to the armor.¡±
¡°What did the dreamweaver blood do? He gave you a lot of that,¡± Joha asked.
Tanisha¡¯s expression softened slightly as she recalled the essence. ¡°I think it was some kind of ward against dreamweavers, which is apparently a pretty common monster. Its cuts can cause unnaturally heavy bleeding even from a scratch. If it¡¯s made into armor, it can cancel out bleeding curses or hexes. And if it¡¯s made into a weapon, it can cause them on opponents.¡±
¡°Shame we won¡¯t get to see what the blacksmiths here are planning to make with those ingots,¡± Joha said.
¡°Yeah, but we¡¯ll see other infused gear I am sure. Its low success rate is apparently the reason people typically go for enchanting over infusion,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°And after all this work and only getting thirty usable ingots I agree.¡±
***
The inside of the blacksmith¡¯s shop was as hot as ever as Bjorn¡¯s group entered. It was going to be their last time coming here and Joel was in the middle of haggling with a few monster hunters over the price of a spear and a few swords. There was another dwarf at the counter neither Tanisha or Bjorn had seen. The man had a short beard for a dwarf which was long by anyone else''s standards which only came down half his chest in length. He was totally bald with soot and ash covering all available surfaces across his skin except the circles around his eyes where the imprint of goggles protected them.
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Identify
Name: Underrock Stonecrusher
Species: Dwarf
Level: ??
Vocation: Noncombatant
¡°Welcome to my shop, please come in,¡± the bald dwarf called. ¡°I guess yall are Tanisha, Joha and Bjorn?¡± He squinted his eyes a second. ¡°And is that Alaric¡¯s little trouble maker, Adelheid?¡±
Adelheid, who was in the back of the pack, answered nervously. ¡°Hello, Master Underrock, it is good to see you.¡±
¡°Aye, good to be seen,¡± Underrock bellowed. ¡°Heard you got yourself into a bit of a durlivon nest, but good to see that you are trying to make things right with these people.¡±
The group walked up to the counter as Underrock took off his thick ash and metal shaving covered gloves. He reached out his hand as soon as Tanisha was close enough to shake. He introduced himself and was apparently Joel¡¯s father and the owner of the Jackrabbit¡¯s Smithy. He was just as excited to see Bjorn as his son had been jumping over the counter to get a good look at the hydra. He then returned to his place on the other side of the counter.
Underrock¡¯s voice was gruff. ¡°I know that you¡¯ll have been dealing wit¡¯ mah boy Ironjaw but I am glad I got to meetcha before yah left. He¡¯s been talkin¡¯ nonstop about the talented alchemist that managed to have a twenty percent infusion rate on her first try. Did he already offer you a job because I could use someone like you permanently.¡±
¡°That¡¯s kind, Master Underrock, but I can¡¯t settle down now. I still have many things out in the world I want to see,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°Can¡¯t have you stealing my apprentice out from under me either,¡± Joha said with a humorous chuckle.
¡°Yeah, I wouldn¡¯t dream of it Joha, besides there are many wonders out there, but it is a damn shame to let you go,¡± Underrock said as he shifted into business mode. ¡°Were you able to infuse the ingots? I know it was short notice.¡±
¡°Actually, yes. I just finished today,¡± Tanisha said.
Joha breathed out red maya over the counter and one hundred neatly stacked ingots appeared in stacks of ten. The thirty-seven fully infused ingots separated from the sixty-three failures. Underrock gasped and even Joel had to run over mid haggling to look at the stacks. They went over each one animatedly running mana through each of the successful ingots. Bjorn could all but see both of the blacksmiths already envisioning the crafts they could make with them.
¡°This-this is even more than we anticipated you¡¯d do even if you had a full week,¡± Joel asked. ¡°Did you stop all your other potion making just to work on this?¡±
¡°No,¡± Tanisha said with a flush of embarrassment. ¡°I was able to do this in between working my stall and potion making.
One of the monster hunters Joel abandoned called out annoyed. ¡°Hey, we weren¡¯t done!¡±
¡°Yeah-yeah don¡¯t get your nappies in a wad,¡± Joel said as he walked back over to the group.
¡°Well this makes what Joel did with your armor make more sense,¡± Underrock finally said, his voice a deep rumble of approval. ¡°Give me one moment.¡±
Underrock stepped back, his hands moving with a practiced grace. With a snap of his finger, the dwarf summoned a set of black plate armor from his inventory. The pieces appeared in mid-air before and floated gently down to rest on the counter. The armor was breathtaking, its design perfect and intricately modeled to fit Tanisha¡¯s body. Every curve, every edge, every detail had been meticulously crafted.
Underrock wasn¡¯t finished with just that though and with a focused expression, he extended his hands over the counter. Two golden ingots levitated effortlessly into the air. Those were the only two successful ingots Tanisha managed to infuse with the quillstriker feathers. Bjorn watched in awe as the ingots began to glow, their surfaces heating up until they were nothing more than streams of molten metal, swirling like liquid gold in the dwarf¡¯s magical grip.
Underrock moved his hands in a series of precise gestures, guiding the molten gold blue steel across the black armor. The liquid metal responded to his will, flowing along the edges and seams, tracing intricate patterns that seemed to weave themselves into the very fabric of the armor. Bjorn could taste the magic in the air and could feel the precision in Underrock¡¯s control. The golden accents formed elegant designs, spiraling and curling like vines.
Everyone was mesmerized even the rowdy monster hunters giving Joel a hard time stopped to watch the master at work. The way Underrock molded the molten metal with his bare hands, shaping it with the ease of a master artist, was nothing short of mesmerizing. The black armor now gleamed with gold, each piece a work of art, yet undeniably formidable. The contrast between the dark, matte black and the shimmering gold was striking to say the least.
When Underrock finally lowered his hands, the gold solidified instantly, cooling into place as though it had always belonged there. The dwarf stepped back, a satisfied smile on his face as he admired his handiwork. He only used half of the ingots and the rest solidified back into one and floated back to the counter.
¡°Now with that I think this armor is complete,¡± Underrock said.
¡°Divines above Underrock, I want that done to my armor!¡± one of the monster hunters yelled.
Tanisha was speechless as Underrock presented her with the now complete set of armor. She expected simple blue steel but this was far beyond what she expected. Bjorn couldn¡¯t help but feel a swell of pride for Tanisha. She had worked tirelessly to infuse those ingots, and now, standing before them, was the result of that effort. She stepped forward and ran her hand across one of the brasers.
¡°I-it¡¯s perfect,¡± Tanisha said breathlessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to¨C¡±
The moment ended abruptly when a bell alarm rang. The sound of movement outside gripped everyone. Then they heard screaming and people yelling orders for noncombatants to get inside. There was a monster horde attacking.
WM [40] The Armored Merchant
The monster hunters haggling with Joel finally gave in to his price with the pressure of the monster horde approaching. They ran out of the shop cursing a few times about being ripped off.
¡°Hmm, a monster horde this close to town is rare,¡± Underrock said, with more irritation in his words than concern. ¡°Well, it is a good thing your armor is done, it might be a good time to test it out.¡±
¡°Yeah. How much?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°No additional charge. With how much infused metal you made for us we still owe you. Consider the additions to the armor a retention payment for your services when you eventually return to Yuhia.¡± He placed a coin purse on the counter. ¡°This is the rest of your payment.¡±
¡°Thanks, Underrock and you too Joel,¡± Tanisha said as she placed the coin purse into her inventory. ¡°Joha can you help me out with the armor?¡±
Adelheid spoke up, ¡°Are we going to fight?¡±
Joha sighed. ¡°Practical combat would help solidify the lessons, but after this we are heading for the border.¡±
Joha blew out a stream of red maya which flowed around Tanisha and across the counter with the armor. Everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed onto her as the crimson tide swirled around her like angry thunder clouds. Tanisha could feel the armor materialize around her as Joha¡¯s manipulation of the maya masterfully changed her outfit.
As the maya dissipated it revealed a transformation nothing short of awe-inspiring. Tanisha was fully clad in the black suit. The metal seemed to drink in the light around it giving her an aura of mystique. The quillstrike feather infused blue steel looked as if gleaming like veins of molten gold traced along the armor. The contrast between the black and gold almost gave a touch of sinister regality.
Tanisha raised her hands to look at the armored gauntlets as she surged her mana activating Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle. The armor responded to her power, resonating with the infusion of the quillstriker¡¯s essence. Ghostly feathers of golden light began to materialize around her, drifting into existence with a soft, radiant glow mirroring the color of aether. As the feathers touched the ground, they dissipated into the air, leaving behind a faint shimmer before vanishing completely.
The room was silent as they took in the embodiment of power Tanisha had become. The armor pulsed with life, a living extension of her will. As she stood there for a brief moment her mind shifted back to the true name of her soul. The name she had only spoken in the words of mages and magic not the tongue of mortals. Something about how the armor resonated made her want to speak the name again.
¡°Valkyrja,¡± she whispered with a smile on her face as she closed her fists, dispersing her magic.
Underrock, the creator of the armor, allowed himself a small, proud smile as he observed the way the armor responded to Tanisha¡¯s magic. Bjorn closely examined the falling feathers while Joha and Joel walked around Tanisha to get a better look at the work. They couldn¡¯t see Tanisha¡¯s face or her wide grin through her full face helmet that was perfectly designed for her head and tiara. What they could see was her long tail swaying side to side in glee.
***
The monsters were approaching from the west meaning they would reach the Jackrabbit¡¯s fortification before the town. The monster hunters were on high alert as civilians bunkered down or fled before the camp gate was sealed. Tanisha didn¡¯t blame them, the town had far better defenses and many more people protecting it. There was also the fact that the camp was emptier than usual with most of the hunters out in kill parties hunting for skinwalkers.
As the howls of monsters and otherworldly abominations grew louder, the archers took their positions on the wall, their faces a mix of determination and excitement. This was going to be a big payday for them, they could already feel the silver coins weighing down their coin purses. The perimeter around the Jackrabbit¡¯s camp was clear of trees or foliage for over two hundred yards giving them a long uninterrupted sightline. It was the perfect killing field, and the Jackrabbits knew it.
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It didn¡¯t take long for Tanisha and her group to find Alfred giving directions to the Hunter¡¯s that didn¡¯t quite know where to be. Despite the imminent danger, there was an air of casual confidence among the monster hunters, especially around Alfred, the leader of the Jackrabbits. She didn¡¯t know what to expect with the alarm but the general casualness of the gathered crowd gave the impression that this was not as big a deal as Tanisha thought.
¡°Tom, you take the east wall,¡± Alfred barked, before smirking. ¡°And try not to trip over your own feet this time, yeah? We need arrows in the monsters, not in the dirt!¡±
There weren¡¯t many magic casters amongst the Jackrabbits, most of them being practitioners of prana. It was common in Mesha where most of the human¡¯s were from. Tanisha caught sight of a few of them exchanging silver coins, placing bets on who would take down the most monsters.
As Tanisha¡¯s group drew closer she couldn¡¯t help but feel less tense at the atmosphere. There was no panic, no fear¡ªjust seasoned professionals treating the approaching horde like any other day. Actually, no, they were treating it like they just stumbled upon a treasure hoard.
¡°So, what¡¯s the pay per monster this time,¡± a man in an oddly pointy helmet asked.
¡°Double for the ugly ones!¡± another replied, causing a ripple of chuckles.
¡°Keep it up, and you¡¯ll be lucky to get paid at all!¡± Alfred interjected, not missing a beat. ¡°Now quit your yammering and get ready. You all know where to be, so go! We¡¯ve got a horde to greet!¡±
¡°Alfred,¡± Tanisha called as she walked through the quickly dispersing crowd. ¡°What happened? Where did the horde come from?¡±
Alfred started responding before he turned to her. ¡°Really, did you not hear where¡¡± his words stopped in his throat when he turned. ¡°Divines above, Tanisha? Is that what has been keeping Underrock so busy these past few days?¡±
¡°Yes, but not important,¡± Joha said. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±
¡°Hmm, right. Tanisha, remember that armored chrysalis we talked about a few days ago. Apparently it evolved after the hunting party was attacked by skinwalkers. The battle with the lesser wendigo gave away their position and the chrysalis capitalized and killed most of them. After absorbing that much prana it¡¯s now a jeweled wing monarch. Thankfully it¡¯s too young to fly but all of the monsters in the area are drawn to it like a moth to flame and it is drawn to all that mana and prana in Birchgrove.¡±
¡°A monarch this far in Yuhia? How did it cross the border?¡± Adelheid questioned.
¡°Nothing confirmed so far, but it looks like the armored chrysalis didn¡¯t cross the border.¡± Alfred said.
¡°Are you saying it manifested here,¡± Tanisha asked. ¡°How?¡±
Alfred sighed, ¡°Like I said, nothing is confirmed but we are getting reports of elevated levels of ambient mana similar to an anomalous zone shift.¡±
¡°A what?¡± Tanisha asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
¡°It is what happens when places that had pretty normal and stable ambient mana experience spikes in levels. Over the past few months, I¡¯ve been suspicious. We¡¯ve been seeing more and more monsters around here, so it checks out.¡±
¡°But I thought Yuhia¡¯s ambient mana was stable.¡± Tanisha said.
¡°It has been, yes, but these shifts, while rare, aren¡¯t unheard of.¡± Alfred rubbed his chin. ¡°How about you all follow me? I am putting together a team to kill the monarch before it gets too close.¡±
¡°I will stay here.¡± Joha¡¯s deep voice rumbled. ¡°I will make sure your people don¡¯t get overrun.¡±
¡°Wh-what why?¡± Adelheid blurted out in surprise. ¡°I am sure you could kill the monarch alone.¡±
¡°Probably, but that would not give Tanisha or Bjorn the room they need to grow. They have been training hard, and now it¡¯s time for her to put that training to the test. Besides, I trust either of them could handle the monarch. I want you to go with them, Adelheid.¡±
¡°Fair enough, Joha,¡± Alfred said without missing a beat. ¡°The camp¡¯s in your hands. If it were anyone else, I¡¯d be worried.¡±
Tanisha looked at Joha for a long moment, her eyes obscured by her helmet but the weight of the moment was clear. She then nodded, this was her chance to go into battle on her own volition. Joha trusted her, and she trusted his decision. She was the one that needed to get stronger, not him.
¡°All right,¡± she said, her voice firm. ¡°I won¡¯t let you down, Joha. Bjorn, Adelheid lets go slay a monarch.¡±
WM [41] Head’s On A Swivel
Bjorn could taste the corruption of mana in the air as thick as honey to his senses. The monsters were on the last leg of the journey to the camp as Tanisha¡¯s group followed Alfred to an elite unit of monster hunters. Bjorn noticed for the first time Alfred was in armor instead of his normal loose fitting casual wear. His outfit matched the monster hunters they were meeting.
They were all men of Mesha, their flaming red hair giving away that obvious fact. There were six of them in total including Alfred. Unlike the other monster hunters, this group was stern, their presence commanding attention like a sudden storm.
All of them including Alfred wore a red brigandine, plates riveted to blood red cloth. None of their armor was pristine like Tanisha¡¯s new set, they were battle worn which spoke to the monsters they hunted and slayed. A black jackrabbit poised in mid-leap¡ªcame into view. This emblem, the coat of arms of their monster-hunting group, was boldly displayed on each man¡¯s armor. Some had it stitched into the chest of their brigandine, while others bore it on small metal plates affixed to their gauntlets or girded on their belts.
Their weapons, slung across their backs or sheathed at their sides, were as varied as the men themselves¡ªlongswords, axes, crossbows, and spears, each one well-worn and clearly favored by its owner. The weapons of prana users are part of their owner very being. If one was damaged it would heal in time like a wound to the body. The fact that their weapons were marred was a testament to their dedication to battle.
Alfred reached out his hand, his eyes narrowing as he focused his prana. With a deep breath, he extended his hand, summoning his weapon. Golden-brown prana swirled around him, a misty aura that pulsed with his essence. The prana coiled and twisted, forming a connection to the black metal chain net buried in the ground beneath his feet.
The ground trembled briefly before the net materialized, links clinking softly as it unraveled. Despite coming from the rock beneath him, the chain was clean of any debris or dirt even the ground was undisturbed, as if the net simply passed through immaterially. Every other link bore a dagger-like blade, gleaming with the life breath of prana. The chain coiled around Alfred¡¯s arm like a living thing, each blade quivering with barely contained energy. The prana faded, leaving only the ominous weapon in his grasp, most of it draped the ground.
Identify
Name: Alfred Quarter
Species: Human
Level: 50 < ??
Vocation: Prana Iron Netcaster
Identify
Name: William Parker
Species: Human
Level: 75
Vocation: Prana Spearman
Identify
Name: James Bernnet
Species: Human
Level: 81
Vocation: Prana Crossbowman
Identify
Name: Oliver Wright
Species: Human
Level: ??
Vocation: Prana Warrior
Identify
Name: Henry Wright
Species: Human
Level: 70
Vocation: Prana Axeman
Identify
Name: Samuel Wright
Species: Human
Level: ??
Vocation: Prana Spearman
Bjorn eyes widened at the jump in Alfred¡¯s level, before he summoned his weapon he was level fifty, but as soon as he touched his essence infused net his level jumped. The fact he could not see what his new level meant he was now at least over level eight-seven. Tanisha must have noticed it too as her shock looked to be more than just awe at just seeing the weapon.
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¡°Failsafe?¡± Bjorn asked. ¡°Did you get something wrong again?¡±
¡°Hey, don¡¯t look at me. The readings are accurate.¡± Failsafe said in a scoff. ¡°From what Tanisha said prana users put part of their essence into their weapon making it quite literally part of them. I guess that means they are only half as strong without the weapon? Or the weapon takes half their levels, look I don¡¯t know¡ material users are strange, we¡¯ll need to ask Tanisha later.¡±
Oliver the man with the sword and shield stepped out from the pack. ¡°It¡¯s about time we finally get you back out on the field, Alfred.¡±
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a right shit show out there.¡± Alfred responded with a smile. ¡°Let me introduce you all to my elite hunters¡¡±
Alfred introduced Tanisha¡¯s party to everyone and after they all got acquainted they immediately went into a strategy meeting. While they did the first wave of the monsters filtered into the range of the archers on the wall. Their battle here was not the group''s concern; they needed to take out the monarch before it could fly. Once that happened it would be able to travel anywhere freely attacking settlements and attracting more and more monsters to follow it.
The conversation quickly turned to Bjorn; his power had been on display because of the massive forest fire he had caused. The problem with monsters, especially those as strong as a jeweled wing monarch was their vitality. They could take hits that would kill any living being and recover rapidly because of all the purified mana in their bodies. They needed to burn away that vitality while also defending against the monarch and the waves of monsters around it.
¡°It¡¯s our best chance,¡± Oliver said, his voice gruff. ¡°We need to strike hard and fast. If we target the wings before they finish developing we can keep it grounded for a while longer.¡±
Henry nodded in agreement, his hand resting on the haft of his war axe. ¡°We¡¯ll need to hit it with everything. If Bjorn¡¯s plague fire is as powerful as what I saw near that druid hideout it could do the trick but we shouldn¡¯t put all our faith in it.¡±
Alfred turned to Tanisha, his expression serious. ¡°Tanisha, you¡¯re the least experienced here, my concern is that Bjorn¡¯s fire attracts more monsters to us. When he used that poison gas attack on the crawling stalkers they all were alerted to him despite being hidden. If the fire is the same, using it will attract every monster in the area and the monarch will go directly for him. They¡¯ll come straight for us.¡±
¡°So, if we use Bjorn¡¯s fire, we could destroy the Monarch... but we¡¯ll be swarmed by the rest of the wave.¡± Tanisha furrowed her brow.
Adelheid, hesitant but determined, finally spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s a risk, but it¡¯s the best chance we have. If we focus on protecting Bjorn while he delivers the attack, we might just pull it off. But we need to be ready for the aftermath.¡±
Alfred nodded. ¡°This is where we need you, Tanisha. You¡¯ll need to get Bjorn close enough to use his fire. We¡¯ll cover you, but you have to trust us and keep him steady.¡±
Tanisha still refused to look at Adelheid although Bjorn could feel her emotions knowing she had accepted the wifwolf¡¯s words this time.
Tanisha took a deep breath, her eyes meeting Alfred¡¯s with resolve. ¡°I understand. We¡¯ll do it.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Alfred said, his voice firm. ¡°Everyone knows their roles Tanisha, Bjorn Adelheid with me. We hit hard, we hit fast, and we make sure that Monarch doesn¡¯t get a chance to recover. Everyone else, form a perimeter and protect Bjorn at all costs from the monster wave after we get its attention. We¡¯ll survive the storm that follows, no one is permitted to die, understood?¡±
***
There were cracking sounds as whip-like tendrils slashed through the air with enough force to split a tree. The impacts hit Alfred¡¯s chain net which floated in the air, sturdy and unmoved as prana flowed like faint wisps in the wind. This was the second thornmire Bjorn¡¯s group had run into and was the most dangerous monster they had encountered. The first one nearly struck Adelheid unaware but her reflexes allowed her to dodge the strike at the last second.
It was a monstrous plant-based abomination that looked better suited for swampland than a forest. Its body was a writhing mass of blood red vines with poison tipped thorns. What Bjorn and Failsafe approximated as its ¡°face¡± was a gaping maw surrounded by long, flexible tendrils covered in sharp, thorny protrusions. Its mouth was lined with rows of interlocking, jagged teeth made from what looked like hardened wood.
This time they were ready for it and Alfred had his chain wall in place well ahead of the attack. Before the creature could even retract the long vines Tanisha had already used Arcane Shift in quick succession, closing the distance with her bardiche and slicing the monster nearly in half. She pulled back to strike again but the creature was already turning around to face her.
Her attack wasn¡¯t enough, even with all her might the monster wasn¡¯t dead. The cut quickly healed over with new vines which whipped in her direction as she dodged. It had to turn its attention to her which was where it made its last mistake. As soon as it turned away from Alfred the iron net dropped into the ground and reappeared directly under the monster. In an instant it closed in around the thornmire with the knife rings all pointed inward.
There was a squelch and a pained cry as dozens of blades pierced the creature all at once. It was a gruesome execution, like an iron maiden closing its door on a condemned sinner. The creature barely had time to react at all before it was dragged under ground as little more than bloody tethers.
¡°Don¡¯t stop, we still need to get to the monarch.¡± Alfred said as a clean iron chain slowly raised from the ground beside him. ¡°Head on a swivel ladies.¡±
WM [42] Not a Mindless Animal
The hunters were not just running into danger haphazardly. In fact they would avoid any monster they could unless they saw a perfect opportunity to take it out quickly and with minimal risk. The horde was not their main concern at the moment. They needed to find the jeweled wing monarch before its evolution was complete. Fighting random monsters lost them the time and stamina they desperately needed if they were going to kill it before it was too late.
After the initial engagements with a few crawling stalkers and the now well acquainted thornmire they had successfully avoided further conflict. The groups were divided to cover as much ground as possible. They knew the general location of the monarch but needed to find it as soon as possible. Bjorn¡¯s group was led by Alfred because he was the most seasoned monster hunter.
Bjorn finally got a good look at Adelheid in her wolf form, which made her a few inches taller than Tanisha. She stood upright like a gnoll, although he remembered that werewolves and gnolls can both move extremely fast on all fours. Her brown and silver fur bristled beneath the once oversized hide armor, which had hung loosely on her human frame. In that form it fit perfectly and hugged the contours of her significantly more muscular body.
Bjorn noticed she didn¡¯t use any weapons; her hands had become formidable claws, each digit sharpened to a deadly point, ready to rend flesh. In fact, he had seen her do so against the first thornmire. There was a faint scent of magic that radiated from her arms and legs. It tasted similar to the wendigo ability mana muscle saturation but sharper and more focused. He saw that it made her arms and legs far more durable enabling her to block attacks with her forearms and shins as if the flesh itself was her armor.
¡°You see that right?¡± Bjorn said mentally.
¡°How could I not?¡± Failsafe responded enthusiastically. ¡°I think if Tanisha ever gets over the, her family tried to kill us thing, she should see if she could learn that. We should see if we can learn that! We did lose the ability to harden our scales when we lost access to maya.¡±
Bjorn felt a pang of frustration as he watched the others fight, knowing they wanted him to stay close to Alfred and save his magic for the Jeweled Winged Monarch. It made sense, but it grated on him. Every time Tanisha engaged in battle, his instincts screamed to be by her side, to be her backup. Instead, he had to place his trust in Alfred and Adelheid to keep her safe. His worries eased somewhat after witnessing their combat skills, but it was strange to be sidelined completely.
Alfred¡¯s fighting style was nothing like what Bjorn or Failsafe had anticipated. With a class called Prana Iron Netcaster, they hadn¡¯t known what to expect, but this was beyond anything they could have imagined. Prana, the essence of a person, was closer to one''s soul than to mana. To Bjorn¡¯s senses, prana tasted uniquely like the person it belonged to, making Alfred¡¯s combat feel deeply personal and intimate. It was as if Alfred were fighting with a piece of his very soul, and in a way, he was.
The iron net Alfred wielded was a thing of terror. He controlled it with such precision and speed that Bjorn found it nearly impossible to track. The net could slip into the ground, seemingly teleporting beneath the feet of his enemies, ensnaring them before they had a chance to react. The dagger-like blades, each nearly seven inches long, were even more menacing. They moved around the ring that connected them to the rest of the net, each blade capable of independent action, slicing through flesh and bone with deadly accuracy.
¡°Everyone quiet!¡± Alfred said as he ducked down behind a tree. ¡°Get down and don¡¯t move.¡±
They all found cover immediately and lowered closer to the ground to make themselves a harder target to spot. The forest was noisy with incessant screams of monsters just out of sight. Bjorn could not accurately track any of them because of how many there were. It confused his sense of smell.
Then everything went silent and the shadows became denser and denser. They started to spread out regardless of the direction of the sun. That was when Bjorn noticed that it wasn¡¯t the shadows, it was his vision darkening. He could taste the magic aura being spread out from a single point. His heads turned and saw the monster as it slowly meandered towards the town.
It was a humanoid abomination that stood nearly eight feet tall, its emaciated frame wrapped in leathery, gray skin that seemed to stretch too tightly over its sinewy muscles. Instead of a head, the creature''s neck ended in a grotesque, gaping maw filled with jagged, needle-like teeth that constantly dripped with a thick, black saliva. This mouth, unnervingly large, opened vertically, splitting its throat down the middle. Six arms extended from its torso like twisted tubes of meat. Each arm was long and dragged the ground behind it ending in razor-sharp, bone-like blades that gleam with a sickly, greenish hue.
Identify
Name: None
Species: Dreamweaver
Level: 63
Vocation: Consume consume consume consume
The creature continued past them, none the wiser of their presence. Once Bjorn was out of the range of its aura his vision and hearing returned. No one moved for a few minutes as Alfred signaled them to continue.
¡°What was that?¡± Tanisha asked in a whisper.
¡°Dreamweaver, it would have been a hassle to kill and I¡¯d rather avoid it for now,¡± Alfred said with a sigh.
¡°They are the evolution of the crawling stalkers,¡± Adelheid added, her wolf form adding a growl to each word. ¡°If they manage to consume enough mana they will turn into one of those. They are pretty common, although that one is stronger than most I have seen.¡±
¡°The monarch is attracting some of the more powerful monsters towards the town now,¡± Alfred said as he rubbed his chin in contemplation. ¡°Nothing to do now but hurry and kill it. From here on expect larger monsters, we avoid all combat even if that means we run. The goal is the monarch first and foremost.¡±
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***
It was an hour before they saw the signal that a team found the jeweled winged monarch. A blue flare shot up into the cloudless sky a good distance north. The sapphire gleam bright enough to pierce the broken canopy above. The team¡¯s nerves tightened as Alfred immediately redirected them north, their pace quickening as they moved through the dense woodland. They maneuvered carefully, skirting around monsters, narrowly avoiding detection on several occasions.
James, the team¡¯s sharp-eyed crossbowman, was the first to spot them as they approached. He waved them over urgently, his demeanor tinged with seriousness. As they closed the distance, James pointed ahead.
¡°The monarch is on the other side of that hill,¡± James said.
¡°We almost ran directly into the damn thing,¡± Henry said as he hefted up his battle axe onto his shoulder. ¡°It is still shedding, the wings aren¡¯t fully formed.¡±
¡°Did it see you guys?¡± Alfred asked, his tone clipped.
James flashed a quick smirk, a hint of confidence breaking through seriousness. ¡°It¡¯s not our first hunt, Alfred. We know how to stay out of sight. You are the one we were worried about. When was the last time you went on a hunt?¡±
Alfred retorted, ¡°My skills are still just as¡ª¡±
¡°Where are the others?¡± Tanisha asked, cutting him off.
Henry jerked a thumb over his shoulder toward the monarch¡¯s location. ¡°Oliver, William, and Samuel are positioned on the other side. We¡¯ve got it surrounded so we can hit it from multiple angles. You all were the last to arrive.¡±
¡°Well, let¡¯s get this over with,¡± Alfred said. ¡°They know the plan?¡±
Of course,¡± James replied, checking his crossbow with practiced ease. ¡°Bjorn lights the monarch up, and we finish it off. Stay clear of the fire. Once it¡¯s dead, the monsters lose their leader and start wandering aimlessly again. Town saved.¡±
¡°You ready, Bjorn?¡± Tanisha asked.
Bjorn hissed his agreement.
***
Bjorn slithered silently through the underbrush, the damp earth beneath him cool and familiar. His tongue flicked in and out, tasting the air, thick with the magic of the jeweled winged monarch. The creature''s presence was overwhelming, a heady mix of potent magic. Up until that point monster magic always tasted raw, and corrupted like a facsimile of mage magic. There was an unsettling quality like the monster and the magic were both wrong.
The monarch¡¯s magic was different; it was as precise and controlled as a mage¡¯s magic unlike anything he had ever encountered. Monsters were mana given life, a primal force, but up until that moment did he really understand what that meant. This monster bent the will of lesser creatures, pulling them into its orbit like a gravitational field. The taste of it was bitter, sharp, and intoxicating all at once, sending a shiver down his scaled spine.
As the team crept closer to the edge of the treeline, the canopy overhead thinned, allowing slivers of pale daylight to filter through. The forest ahead opened up into a wide clearing, its edges marked by the jagged stumps of felled trees. The monarch had made this space its own, clearing it with brute force to create a throne for its own coronation. In the center of the clearing, the monster stood as an amalgamation of beauty and horror.
Identify
Name: None
Species: Jeweled Winged Monarch
Level: ??
Vocation: OBEY. HUNT. FEED
Bjorn''s eyes, now keen with the clarity of the hunt, took in every detail. The monarch was immense, towering over the shattered landscape. Its wings, still in the process of forming, hung like heavy, stained-glass windows, their edges glinting with an ethereal light. The body of the creature was a twisted mass of dark, chitinous armor, dotted with many eyes that glowed faintly like embers in the dusk. Its spindly arms twitched occasionally, as if impatient for the wings to fully harden and take flight.
Bjorn tasted the air again, the magic stronger here, almost suffocating. He could sense how the monarch''s power radiated outward, a beacon that called to the other monsters, compelling them to obey, to serve. It was as if they just reached the eye of a storm. The other monsters in the forest weren¡¯t just being drawn here; they were being enslaved by the monarch¡¯s magic. Bjorn couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it knew what it was doing, was it intelligent?
¡°Spread out, keep low,¡± Alfred''s voice cut through the tension like a knife, bringing Bjorn back to the task at hand. Alfred''s tone was calm but commanding, the voice of a leader who had faced down monsters before. ¡°James, take position on that ridge to the west and get a good line of sight. Henry, Adelheid, to the left flank. Bjorn, Tanisha, you''re with me."
Bjorn moved with fluid grace, his senses heightened as he took his position alongside Tanisha. His hunting practice allowed him to move like a ghost. Tanisha was tense, her eyes locked on the monarch, but Bjorn could feel the resolve and even excitement. He was unsure how he felt about that, she was definitely different since she drank Sabec¡¯s blood¡ªdespite everything, she would not back down. She was determined to see this through. For the first time Bjorn wondered if that was because she wanted to help or because she wanted its blood.
¡°Failsafe, do you think she can drink that monster¡¯s blood?¡± Bjorn asked.
Failsafe was caught off guard by the sudden question. ¡°Huh? I mean maybe. She hadn¡¯t tried to do that to any of the monsters we killed on the way though, so perhaps it was a one time thing.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. But I have a feeling that it wasn¡¯t.¡± Bjorn said.
¡°Well, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem, wendigo eat raw meat, and she already prefers hers raw anyway.¡± Failsafe said. ¡°It¡¯s not a person so no reason to worry¡ unless its blood is acid or something. I think Alfred would have said something already if that was the case.¡±
As he settled into position, his body coiled and ready to strike, Bjorn flicked his tongue again. The magic of the monarch was so strong here that it felt like a living thing, almost as if it were trying to reach out and snare him as its thrall. Bjorn realized the monarch was trying to influence him as a magic beast, but he was not a mindless animal; he was a predator with a purpose, and his mind was clear. He could feel Failsafe''s presence within him, a steadying influence, keeping him grounded.
¡°We take it down right here,¡± Alfred continued, his eyes scanning the clearing, his mind already working out the best approach. ¡°Bjorn, when I give the signal, you hit it with everything you''ve got. We''ll close in from all sides and finish it off before it can take flight.¡±
Bjorn hissed softly in agreement, his gaze never leaving the Monarch. The creature shifted slightly, its wings quivering as they solidified, and for a moment, the clearing was bathed in the eerie, multicolored light refracted through its wings. The spectacle was almost mesmerizing, but Bjorn knew better than to be lulled by it. This was no beautiful creature¡ªit was a harbinger of death, and it was his prey.
WM [43] Because Joha Said We Should
The signal from Alfred came almost soundlessly as the world slowed down. The magic of the jeweled winged monarch bathed the world in dazzling colors as its wings lifted into the air. Magic concentrated on the outstretched insectoid appendages as they neared the final stages before it could take flight. The monarch''s desire to lift off into the great beyond was almost palpable as its mana became a typhoon that washed out into the minds of any creature too weak to resist its domination.
Then, in an instant the mesmerizing colors were bleached monochrome. The monarch¡¯s mana seemed to just evaporate as Bjorn unleashed the full force of his power. Aether screamed into existence, its very nature raw and uncontainable, as white flame erupted from his jaws and spilled out into the clearing torching anything in its way. The blaze moved as if alive with many hands reaching out hungrily to consume and spread the toxin that could bring entire worlds to their knees. Tanisha and Alfred had to leap back as the temperature in the clearing rose hotter and hotter.
The plume of white fire condensed, focusing into a searing beam of aether that cut through the landscape like a massive divine blade. It sliced through the throne of fallen trees the monarch had claimed for itself. The intensity of the beam left a glowing scar across the land. As mana the beam was terrifying but as aether it was something otherworldly.
Bjorn''s focus was elsewhere, he needed to do something he had never tried before. He felt the aether surging within him and pulled on it more and more. He demanded that it give everything he wanted. His opened his right mouth and Poison Cloud burst forth as if he just opened the floodgate of a raging storm. The cloud crackled with aetheric toxin, filling every inch of the clearing with deadly vapor. Bjorn could feel his aether clashing with the monarch''s aura, each force battling for supremacy over the space.
Then came the sound¡ªa dreadful thing, a piercing thing, a wail of pain and confusion as the monarch was struck. Its beautiful, terrible magic faltered, the light in its wings dimming as the creature reeled from the unexpected pain when it was at the precipice of its ascension. The battlefield was a chaotic blend of aether, flame, and a toxic cloud, all of it centering on the now wounded, jeweled winged monarch.
¡°I didn¡¯t know we could multicast!¡± Failsafe said in Bjorn¡¯s head with enthusiasm. ¡°That means¡ªthat means! New options, new experiments!¡±
¡°Focus, Failsafe,¡± Bjorn ordered.
¡°Right, sorry that is for later,¡± Failsafe said sheepishly.
The very moment Bjorn¡¯s fire stopped flowing from him the monarch turned to face him. All of its thousand eyes focused squarely on him. Through the pain and the constant burning it knew its enemy. It could feel Bjorn¡¯s location through his magic. The white flames had engulfed the creature, burned through its chitinous armor and dug deep into the odd writhing mass of faux-flesh within. Even so it was not dead, no were near close, it wasn¡¯t a real creature of flesh and blood, it was a mass of corrupted magic.
His toxin would do its work, it would eat away at its vitality but until then they had to keep it here and distracted. The creature roared from mouths that appeared all over its grotesque form. Bjorn wasn¡¯t done, Tanisha and Alfred forced him to save his magic for this moment, and he wasn¡¯t going to let it go to waste.
He opened his mouth again feeling the heat bellow out from his core as a second beam of aetheric fire struck the creature. He felt his core strain as he pushed the aether through. He felt his muscles burn. His vision reddened as his eyes threatened to boil from their sockets. He wouldn¡¯t give up though he had one chance and he was not going to waste it.
¡°Bjorn stop, you are going to overheat!¡± Failsafe screamed.
The last of his fire petered out as he collapsed, the expenditure of so much aether so explosively rocked his constitution. Smoke escaped his nostrils from his burning throat and mouth. The aether within him threatened to cook him from the inside out as his natural healing kicked in to keep him alive. His left head slumped lower than the others as the muscles in his neck struggled to keep the head up.
Tanisha jumped to his side in concern. She tried to touch him but he was so hot she flinched back after being burned through her armor. Despite that, she activated her Chain Breakers Mantle and endured the pain as she pet him lovingly.
¡°Are you okay, Big Man?¡± Tanisha asked and Bjorn nodded. ¡°Good, stay here. You did your part excellently.¡±
¡°Better than fuckin¡¯ excellently, what in the name of the Divines kind of fire was that!¡± Alfred said, he then put his hand to his mouth and whistled. It was the signal for everyone else to attack. ¡°I¡¯ll stay back with Bjorn and keep him safe while he recovers. We need to kill that thing now, Tanisha.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Tanisha said.
***
Tanisha¡¯s gaze swept over the field in front of her, she smiled beneath her helmet, the fire was beautiful. The screams of the monster in pain, soothing. The power in that creature would soon belong to her. Its blood and flesh hers to consume and grow stronger. She could not hope for better prey, it was something she could eat without issue, something she could kill without judgment.
Appeasement of the Cernunnos
Seier cost: None
(I) Drink the blood of a recently defeated foe and gain +3 to your stats based off of their highest physical statistic. Their level must be higher than yours. Their highest statistic must be higher than yours. You or those bound to you through a soul bond must have delivered the killing blow. (II) Consume the flesh of a recently defeated foe and gain an additional +1 to a physical statistic of your choice upon level up. Stackable up until +20. (III) Unknown.
The other monster hunters had begun their attacks. The Plague Fire died down to smolders and the toxic magic dispersed to make it safe for them to cross. Tanisha knew she or Bjorn had to be the one that killed this monster in order for her to gain the extra power she wanted. She looked back at Bjorn for a moment, her familiar was winded but fine so she trusted Alfred to keep him safe.
She pulled the bardiche she got from Joel out of her inventory and spoke the words of power to summon her wind hands then again for Divination Hydromancy. Streams of water sliced through the air hitting the monarch even as she pulled out the long curved sword from her inventory tossing it into the grasp of the Hard Air Constructs.
The monarch was a thrashing beast, its many arms swiped through the air with the speed of cracking whips. The damage Bjorn had done to it had slowed it down but it was still a highly evolved monster. It could take a beating and keep fighting. Its vitality was just too high to be killed in a single move but the jeweled winged monarch was not a monster that was designed for fighting. It controlled other monsters to fight for it while it flew over its prey and waited for its minions to do the fighting for it.
Tanisha reached the creature at the same time as the other melee fighters. She struck it immediately with all her might but her water, and weapons barely did any damage to the exoskeleton. The monster had eyes all over its body, each one watching a different opponent while its arms lashed out. Its arms were sharp chitinous blades which bent and twisted in ways that would be impossible on a living creature. Tanisha dodged the first attack by inches only for the blade to twist and contort impossibly in the air and slam into her side.
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Her armor absorbed the blow leaving her unharmed as she prepared to use Arcane Shift to gain some distance as the blade twisted around to hit her again. She stopped when she felt her armor react to the attack. A dozen golden aetheric feathers shot forward from the golden lines that traced the armor intercepting the next attack for her, each one cutting deeply into the exoskeleton. The blade slowed down, and she was able to duck down.
Identify
Name: None
Species: Jeweled Winged Monarch
Level: 257
Vocation: OBEY. HUNT. FEED
Highest stat: Vitality: 6237
Honey gold prana zipped by her as a heavy object struck the side of the monarch with a loud bang that knocked the monster onto its side. Tanisha only got a small glimpse of the object that hit the monarch. It was Alfred¡¯s metal net which he had made into a large ball easily half the size of Tanisha herself. The blades were all sticking outward, turning it into a giant morning star. The ball shot back away towards Alfred and Tanisha didn¡¯t want to waste a second.
The impact cracked the shell of the monster near her and left a gap in the armor. She wasted no time in using the wind hand to plunge the long blade of Sabec¡¯s sword into the chink in the armor. The monster screamed in pain as the mystic wind hands pushed the blade deep. The monarch lashed out wildly as prana infused axes, spears and bolts assaulted it from all sides.
Tanisha did her best to dodge and deflect the attacks aimed at her, but each attack was so heavy they nearly threw her off her feet. A blade arm struck at her from a blind spot and by the time she saw the flash it was too late to dodge or defend. She prepared for impact but before the blow could land, Adelheid appeared in a blur, catching the monster¡¯s blade mid-swing.
¡°You¡¯ve got to watch yourself in that helmet, Tanisha!¡± Adelheid chided with a smirk. ¡°It messes with your peripheral vision.¡±
Tanisha didn¡¯t have time to respond. She raised her bardiche and brought it down hard, severing the appendage with a satisfying crunch. Adelheid was already gone, vanishing with another flash step just as a second blade arm whistled through the air where Tanisha¡¯s head had been moments before.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tanisha!¡± William called out, thrusting his spear into the creature¡¯s exposed side. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t lose that pretty head of yours!¡±
Oliver deflected a heavy strike with his shield which saved William. ¡°You should be more worried about your head right now.¡±
Tanisha barely heard them as she used Arcane Shift multiple times to get high into the air for a bird¡¯s eye view. Alfred¡¯s net struck the creature¡¯s side again, tearing away more of its exoskeleton. The beast¡¯s once-rapid healing was now sluggish, Bjorn¡¯s poison gnawing at its ability to regenerate.
She had to make sure she was the one that landed the killing blow. The problem was she didn¡¯t have any magic that would be strong enough. The Water Missiles were all but worthless in the fight, and her sword and bardiches weren¡¯t on the level of the prana users¡¯ weapons. When she landed on the ground she saw the holes in the creature from Bjorn¡¯s fire breath. Neither of them had healed and the inside was chard black. The sight sparked a realization she couldn¡¯t believe she had forgotten.
She was not a water mage, she was a sage, and she had affinities in all elemental magic. She only had one spell in the other elemental disciplines. The spells Helina had taught her to test her affinities, and she had accidentally altered one of them when she gained the Sage Spell Form Crafter ability. Since then the skill had evolved again into the Sage Soul Forge. Regardless, she did have a spell she could use, the same spell she made and turned a simple affinity test for ionikinesis into a pillar of destructive energy. She even remembered the spell and wouldn¡¯t need to use her Sage Soul Forge to do it.
The problem was she needed to be close and stationary to perform the spell. The others were all fighting, and she wouldn¡¯t have long before the monster died. Their teamwork was impeccable, each of them watching each other''s backs. Attacking and defending with weapons that glowed with prana and sliced easily through the carapace.
Adelheid was the only one who moved around the monster freely attacking opportunistically and confusing the creature''s strikes by utilizing her speed and strength. Tanisha swallowed her hatred that simmered just beneath the surface. It didn¡¯t matter right now that she wanted Adelheid dead, or that she had only agreed to Joha¡¯s plan to keep the werewolf alive because it was his decision. She needed to focus, and right now, that meant relying on the one person she despised most.
¡°Adelheid,¡± Tanisha yelled, her voice cutting through the noise of battle. ¡°Defend me!¡±
Adelheid didn¡¯t hesitate to Flash Step, dodging and batting the monarch''s legs and arms with her claws. It was impossible not to be impressed by her agility, even in her large, humanoid wolf form.
Tanisha dropped to the ground and crossed her legs and focused on the words of power. Her hands pressed firmly on the ground, feeling the pulse of the energy beneath her. This would be her moment¡ªthe one that would end the fight, it had to, so she could get stronger. The ambient mana swirled around her as her concentration focused on the word she would intone.
¡°F????h???o????u?????m???u?????t?????h??? D???o????s????h????i????n????a????h????a???? ????S???i?????k???e????a???d???i????,¡±she said, her voice steady as she summoned the spell of her own design.
A torrent of seier made plasma¡ªionikinesis¡ªbeginning to rise up from the ground, spearing toward the creature from below. Its exoskeleton holding strong but heating to the point at more cracks began to form.
The Jeweled Winged Monarch was far from finished. Its furious screech was full of rage and defiance, it turned its attention to Tanisha, sensing the power she was calling forth. Its remaining blade arms slashed through the air, all aimed directly at her. The spell required total concentration; she couldn¡¯t defend herself. She would have to hope her armor and powers were up to the task. The monstrous arms closed in on her, and for a brief moment, she wondered if this would be the end.
Then, Adelheid was there, throwing herself into the path of the creature''s deadly strike. One of the monarch''s blade arms impaled her through the stomach, but she didn¡¯t falter. The monarch retracted the arm only for the wifwolf to let out a guttural growl, and she clamped down on the blade with her jaws, holding it in place as she slashed at the others with her claws. Tanisha¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She hadn¡¯t expected Adelheid to go this far, to risk her life so willingly. The wifwolf¡¯s blood spilled onto the ground, but she held firm, her body a shield between Tanisha and the creature''s wrath.
¡°Keep going!¡± Adelheid snarled, her voice strained but determined. ¡°Finish it!¡±
Tanisha didn¡¯t waste a second and refocused on the spell, pouring Seier into the attack. The plasma the color of white-gold with brilliance that forced her to avert her eyes. Heat and electricity scorched the air and cut through the monarch like a stake pinning it to the ground. The Jeweled Winged Monarch let out one final, agonized scream as the spell tore it apart from the inside. Its massive form convulsed, then collapsed, its life force extinguished.
In its death-throes Adelheid was shaken loose of the blade that speared her through and dropped to a knee. Blood dripped from the gaping wound in her abdomen. Tanisha stood and ran over to the injured wifwolf without even thinking she pulled a healing potion from her inventory.
¡°Why would you do that? You could have avoided it.¡± Tanisha said with a mixture of confusion and disbelief. ¡°Here.¡±
¡°If I had moved, it would have hit you.¡± She shook her head and declined taking the potion. ¡°Thanks, but I will be fine. This isn¡¯t as bad as it looks and I need the scar. It will be an interesting story when I finally get to go back home to my pack.¡±
Tanisha looked at Adelheid for a long moment, but felt like she was really seeing the wifwolf for the first time. Tanisha didn¡¯t respond immediately, still processing what had just happened. She had wanted to kill Adelheid for so long, to make her pay for what she had done. But now, seeing the werewolf¡¯s sacrifice like this for her was not what she expected.
For now, they had won, and the battle was over. The Jeweled Winged Monarch was dead, and she was sure she was the one that killed it. All that was left was to drink some of its blood and with all of the wounds it was not going to be difficult.
WM [44] You Have A Deal
Bjorn saw Tanisha eat part of the monarch after it died. There was no adverse reaction to it but he did taste a change in her magic ever so briefly. Once she was done they all ran alongside the escaping party of monster hunters. After the death of the monarch the monster horde lost interest in cohesion and began attacking anything with magic including other monsters. Most monsters were solitary or would attack anything that wasn¡¯t its own species. Since the monarch was dead, monsters that were herded together were now ripping at each other with savage furocity.
Their group wasn¡¯t spared the unbridled savagery of any monster that was unfortunate enough to attempt. The team was riding high on having killed the monarch and without any serious injury. They didn¡¯t run into anything the seasoned hunters couldn¡¯t kill before he, Adelheid or Tanisha could respond. The cohesion between the Jackrabbit elites was incredible now that he and Tanisha got to see them fighting together against weaker opponents.
Alfred was the tactical head of the group; his abilities with the iron net allowed him to attack monsters with devastating efficacy or defend party members with a well timed assist. Despite the fact that he hadn¡¯t been hunting with them for a while, Alfred had seamlessly slipped back into his role as the group¡¯s leader. The team trusted his judgment implicitly, following his commands without question.
¡°How are you holding up?¡± Tanisha asked, glancing over at Adelheid.
Adelheid hesitated for a moment. ¡°G-good? I am already healed.¡±
¡°Oh, you have a healing factor?¡± Tanisha responded, her tone lighter than it had been before. ¡°Good, good.¡±
Bjorn observed the exchange, Tanisha¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t exactly warm, but it was a marked improvement. He was struggling to read Tanisha¡¯s emotions. Up until the fight, she had been dismissive, even bordering on outright hostile toward Adelheid. He could sense the deep-seated hatred she harbored, almost certain that Tanisha was plotting some form of retribution against her. While he believed the old Tanisha wouldn¡¯t have acted on such dark impulses, he wasn¡¯t so sure anymore. Perhaps she was beginning to accept Adelheid, even if only slightly.
¡°Most werewolves have some type of advanced healing.¡± Henry said with a swing of his battle axe splitting a spider-like monster in half without slowing his pace. ¡°It¡¯s like the wendigo and that body strengthening magic thing they got.¡±
¡°Yeah, so there is nothing to worry about,¡± Adelheid responded. ¡°Thank you for your concern, though.¡±
With the mention of the healing factor Bjorn slowed his jog just enough that his tail could tap Adelheid¡¯s leg briefly. He then pulled up his Identify.
Identify
Name: Adelheid Strider
Species: Werewolf
Level: 70 + 1 = 71
Vocation: Beastborn Berserker
Highest Stat: Health Regeneration: 272 + 2 = 274
Bjorn nearly tripped over a root but caught himself before nearly anyone saw. Tanisha¡¯s brief, amused smirk told him she¡¯d seen his stumble, and through their bond, he could feel her quiet amusement at his expense. He refocused part of his attention to watch where he was going then looked over the Identify information.
¡°Her Health Regeneration is higher than mine.¡± Bjorn thought.
¡°Yeah, but she doesn¡¯t have the same type of regeneration as you.¡± Failsafe said. ¡°Out of the two of you, yours is better but slower.¡±
¡°How can you tell?¡± Bjorn asked
¡°She has scars,¡± Failsafe explained. ¡°That means her healing isn¡¯t as good. It¡¯s quick enough to keep her fighting, but I doubt she can regrow lost limbs. Whereas you¡ªwell, you can, even without using Hydra Regeneration.¡±
Bjorn nodded inwardly, understanding the distinction. ¡°This is one of those differences in species you mentioned. Like how a level one hundred worm would still just be a worm.¡±
¡°That¡¯s accurate,¡± Failsafe confirmed. ¡°Same statistics, but the way it¡¯s implemented in their physiology is completely different. Hers is like a quick fix, while yours is total bodily rejuvenation.¡±
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Bjorn mulled over this new information, reassessing his perception of Adelheid¡¯s strength. Her rapid healing was impressive, but it came with limitations. She could withstand punishment and bounce back quickly, but she wasn¡¯t invincible. He had seen werewolves fight and die during the battle against the druids. It didn¡¯t diminish the fact that she had thrown herself into the fight without hesitation, even taking a near-fatal wound to protect Tanisha. That spoke volumes about her resolve, maybe even about her guilt.
Bjorn looked back at the wifwolf with one of his heads with a new found respect. He found himself reconsidering his initial impression of the wifwolf. He didn¡¯t forgive her for what she did, but her determination to make things right was slowly revealing itself. Maybe Tanisha was starting to see that too.
***
As Bjorn and the group made their way back toward the Jackrabbits'' camp, the atmosphere shifted. The dense forest gradually thinned, and the cacophony of monster cries began to fade, replaced by the distant clang of weapons and the occasional shout of victory. The closer they got to the town, the fewer monsters they encountered. The remnants of the horde had been mostly cleared out, leaving behind a gruesome trail of monster bodies scattered across the forest floor. The clearing just outside the camp walls was a veritable graveyard, with hundreds of slain beasts piled up.
They soon started running into other monster hunters¡ªmostly melee fighters¡ªwho were out hunting the last stragglers. A group of hunters spotted them and waved, clearly surprised to see them returning so soon.
¡°Alfred, guys!¡± one of them called out, a tall man with a bow slung over his back and a sword in his hand. ¡°You¡¯re back already?¡±
Alfred slowed down, letting the rest of the group catch up. ¡°Yeah, the monarch¡¯s down. What¡¯s the situation here? Were there any casualties?¡±
The hunter shook his head, a smile spreading across his face. ¡°None, thanks to that demon tiger guy¡ uh, John? He held the line while we picked off the stragglers. We owe him big time.¡±
¡°Joha,¡± Tanisha corrected.
A woman with a spear joined in, nodding in agreement. ¡°He was a beast out there when things got bad, changin¡¯ shape and zippin¡¯ through the clearing like nothin¡¯ I¡¯d never seen. It gave us the time we needed to clear out da¡¯ rest of da¡¯ monsters.¡±
¡°Joha made sure no one fell today,¡± another hunter added, ¡°It could¡¯ve been a lot worse without him.¡±
¡°Good to hear,¡± Tanisha said. We¡¯re all in this together.¡±
¡°Seems like you all made it out unscathed, too,¡± the woman with the spear said. ¡°You must¡¯ve handled that monarch like pros.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t expect anything less from us,¡± Alfred said. ¡°Everyone did their part, that''s what I am always telling you lot to do.¡±
Henry spoke up. ¡°Let¡¯s make sure Joha gets the spoils of the monsters he killed. He kept everyone safe.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll make sure of it, after we are secure again we¡¯ll start harvesting his share too,¡± the bowman agreed, clapping Alfred on the shoulder. ¡°Glad to have you back, Alfred, don¡¯t know where the Jackrabbits would be without ¡®cha. We¡¯ll finish mopping up here. The camp¡¯s secure.¡±
***
As they approached the camp walls, Bjorn noticed Joha standing on the battlements, surrounded by a group of monster hunters. They were peppering him with questions, their admiration clear as they marveled at his speed and fighting style. Despite the attention, Joha seemed slightly out of his element, offering modest responses. He wasn¡¯t one to boast, especially when the topic turned to prana, which as an arcanist himself, was something he admitted knowing little about.
Tanisha pushed through the crowd with a determined stride. She undid the latches that held the two halves of her helmet together and they disappeared into her inventory. Bjorn watched as she reached Joha, surprising him with a sudden, tight hug. Joha¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly returned the embrace, huffing slightly from the unexpected show of affection.
¡°Tanisha?¡± Joha said, his voice tinged with surprise. ¡°You¡¯re back already?¡±
Tanisha pulled back, her expression softening as she looked him over. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I know that nothing here would have been able to stop you, but¡ I thought the same about Bjorn too.¡±
Joha¡¯s smile was warm, his usual stoicism melting away. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, apprentice,¡± he assured her as he patted her head. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time we pack up if things are all done here.¡±
Before Tanisha could respond, Alfred stepped forward, the crowd parting for him as he approached.
¡°Joha, we still need to calculate how much we owe you two,¡± Alfred said, his tone both businesslike and respectful. He gestured toward the open field beyond the walls, where monster corpses were strewn across the ground. ¡°How many of those monsters are yours?¡±
¡°Damn near half,¡± one of the hunters interjected before Joha could answer. ¡°And not just those¡ªhe defended the entire perimeter around the camp.¡±
Alfred nodded, clearly impressed. ¡°It¡¯s a damn shame you two are leaving. We could use more hunters like you.¡±
¡°How long will it take to settle up?¡± Joha asked.
¡°Something like this would usually take a while to process,¡± Alfred admitted. ¡°However, I can expedite it for you if you don¡¯t want materials and prefer coin instead. It won¡¯t be as accurate¡ªjust an estimate¡ªbut I could have you two paid by this time tomorrow.¡±
Joha considered it for a moment before nodding. ¡°Coin will be fine.¡±
Alfred smiled. ¡°Good. Then tonight, we celebrate. The bar, drinks, and a proper send-off. How does that sound?¡±
Joha nodded his head. ¡°I knew I liked something about you, Alfred. You have a deal.¡±
[Holloween Interlude] Te Eldritch Ymbok of Monstrous Kyndes
Te Eldritch Ymbok of Monstrous Kyndes
as Wryten by Aldwyn Te Starwise
Yalish Tanslation
The Eldritch Book of Monstrous Kinds, as Written by Aldwyn the Starwise
Preface to the Fifteenth Edition
To you who hold this tome, I bid fair fortune in your hunt. Te Eldritch Ymbok of Monstrous Kyndes has been my life''s work, a collection of knowledge acquired across seasons and scars, for the enlightenment of those who brave Alderdeorn¡¯s darkest depths. I have walked many of those depths myself, charting realms where only shadows thrive, yet none darker than the beast I have come to know through study: fear itself.
Our continent, Alderdeorn, is richly threaded with ancient bloodlines, not just of men but of creatures as old as bone and iron. Monsters that were first born of night and legend live still, hidden or stalking, shaping our histories and haunting our lands. In Musha, my homeland, and across these many territories, we share in a bond with such beasts¡ªa bond often sewn in blood. Hence, I have labored these many decades to gather lore for those who would protect hearth and kin.
Herein is found not only the flesh and bone of our monstrous foes but also their unseen spirits, their cunning, and their curses. My accounts detail the monstrous as much as the monstrous hunts those who dare confront it. Take heed: the creatures within these pages are not mere wild beasts, but kin to nightmares¡ªmany of them clever, some human-like in their wickedness. Each entry contains hard-earned truths, as much a shield to your mind as a blade for your hand.
I have reworked this fifteenth edition for monster hunters specifically, adding updated observations and methods of defense. Expect no embellishments nor poetic detours; where it is possible, I have cut directly to what you need to know.
Where you find ink, remember there was once blood.
Disclaimer on the Nature of This Work
To the reader, let it be clear: Te Eldritch Ymbok of Monstrous Kyndes concerns itself only with monsters, those corrupted beings born of malignant mana, and not with magical beasts. There are creatures upon this earth, born naturally, that carry magic within their blood and bone. Unlike monsters, these beasts are true living beings, with natural habits, life cycles, and roles within their ecosystems. Such creatures are wondrous and diverse, creatures of both magic and nature, whose magic is a gift, not a curse.
If your interest lies in understanding magical beasts rather than monsters, I direct you to my other work, titled Te Wyrd Bestiarie of Beastis and Kyndes with Naturall Magick. This text covers those animals that live among us and carry native magics of various kinds, whether for defense, sustenance, or subtlety. They are creatures worthy of respect and study, distinct from the vile constructions contained within these pages. Seek their knowledge there, and leave this tome to the monstrous.
May the stars guide you,
¡ªAldwyn the Starwise
Page 1
On the Nature of Monsters
To speak plainly: monsters are not creatures; they are curses given shape. They wear forms that mimic the living, bearing semblances of flesh, sinew, and bone, yet none of it is true. Monsters are nothing more than hollow vessels, hateful constructs forged by corrupted mana¡ªraw energy steeped in malevolence and waste, coalesced into a warped parody of life.
Monsters appear where mana itself has soured and gathered in sickening density. By forces still poorly understood, this corrupted mana gathers and births what many call ¡°monsters.¡± I have seen beasts shaped like men and fiends that crawl as if from nightmare, yet all share the same vile heart. The worst lie, however, is in how they appear alive. They do not breathe as we do, nor do they age, sicken, or die in any natural sense. They are constructs with no life cycle, no offspring, and no place in the world beyond ruin.
It is a fatal error to think of them as part of the earth¡¯s design, or as wild beasts with which one might strike a truce. Nature herself rejects them, and monsters care for no kin or cycle¡ªonly hunger. As long as they linger in places ripe with corrupted mana, they persist unchanged, as if trapped in stasis. Should they stray into lands where mana is purer, they become ravenous, drawn like starved wolves to any glimmer of untainted energy.
Never be swayed by those foolish few who insist monsters may be ¡°tamed.¡± They cannot be controlled, only temporarily sated. The ambitious fool who dabbles in such arts will find himself as mere fodder, another lost soul in their relentless hunger. Monsters know no loyalty, no bond, and, above all, no restraint.
It is said that after consuming enough purified mana, a monster may evolve, growing ever more cunning and fierce. With this evolution, corrupted creatures become vile factories, able to refine pure mana and turning their very nature into something more insatiable, their forms twisted anew, and their cunning sharpened to lethal levels.
Trust not the face they wear, whether it seems noble or docile. I have seen too many good folk fooled by masks of innocence, only to meet a wicked end. Know this, then, and keep it close: every monster, whatever its shape, is a predator, a bane upon this world. They are unfeeling, unnatural, and without exception, evil to the core.
Page 2
The Crawling Stalker
Height: Approximately 4 feet
Category: Stalker (Weakest Evolution)
Threat Level: Low, yet dangerous in groups
Known Abilities: Silent Aura, Vibration Sensing
The Crawling Stalker, first and weakest of its lineage, is a loathsome yet frail monster found lurking in lowlands, damp caves, and shadowed forests where corrupted mana thrives. These creatures are humanoid in shape but pale and gaunt, standing a meager four feet in height. Instead of a proper head, a nightmarish, gaping mouth extends from a stalk-like neck. While completely blind, the Crawling Stalker detects prey through subtle vibrations on the ground, navigating as well as any sighted predator despite its eyeless state.
The Crawling Stalker is rarely alone. It is known to hunt in packs, an advantage it uses ruthlessly. Though there is no clear understanding of how these creatures differentiate between prey and one another, they work with uncanny precision to encircle and overwhelm their targets. A lone Stalker is weak, vulnerable even to a pitchfork or crude blade. But a pack? That is another matter.
The Stalker has a unique, insidious magical ability known as the Silent Aura. This aura casts a shroud of absolute silence in a radius around the creature, making it impossible for any sound to be made or heard within this range. Neither the cracking of branches nor the cries of the wounded will break through, rendering communication and coordination among defenders nearly impossible. Magic users should be wary, for the Stalker can sense casters whose magic is sufficiently potent. This means that those requiring spoken incantations will be unable to cast once inside the aura, caught as surely as if they were bound.
Strategies for Defense:
While individually weak, Crawling Stalkers become a significant threat in numbers, swarming and overwhelming even experienced hunters if not approached with caution. It is highly recommended to eliminate them from a safe distance whenever possible, with careful accounting of their numbers before engaging. Should one find oneself forced to fight them up close, elevation is a potent ally; Crawling Stalkers are poor climbers and will struggle to reach targets on higher ground.
Though these creatures pose little threat to trained hunters, villagers have been known to best them with enthusiasm and a hoe or two. However, as with all monsters, heed this: Do not underestimate them. Many a tale ends with the ill-prepared assuming victory too soon. Safety lies not in the slaying, but in returning home unscathed.
Page 15
The Dreamweaver
Height: Approximately 7 feet
Category: Stalker (Final Evolution)
Threat Level: High, requiring experienced hunters
Known Abilities: Paralytic Saliva, Bleeding Curse, Silencing and Blinding Aura, Exceptional Speed
The Dreamweaver represents the final, grotesque evolution of the Crawling Stalker, transforming it from a mere pack hunter to a formidable abomination of corrupted mana. When a Crawling Stalker consumes sufficient mana, it turns on its own pack, devouring its companions in a brutal act of self-empowerment. This cannibalistic feast fuels the Dreamweaver¡¯s emergence, as the creature grows from four to seven feet in height and takes on a monstrous new form. Its maw splits nearly halfway down its body in a vertical rift¡ªa feature only possible in such a foul creature of magical corruption.
The Dreamweaver retains a humanoid structure, though with added, serpentine arms: one for every packmate it has devoured. Each of these long, twisted limbs ends in a sharp, sword-like bone protrusion capable of tearing through flesh with ease. As dangerous as these bone blades are, the creature¡¯s abilities make it a nightmare for the unprepared. Few stalkers evolve to this stage, but those that do become deadly engines of death and silence.
Abilities and Dangers:
- Paralytic Saliva: The Dreamweaver¡¯s saliva is a thick, black fluid with potent paralytic effects. Even contact with skin can lead to numbing, while a bite can halt the heart. Never engage without a proper antidote, as a single bite may be fatal.
- Bleeding Curse: Any wound inflicted by the Dreamweaver¡¯s bone arms will bleed endlessly, a result of its unique bleeding curse. Only the death of the Dreamweaver itself or retreating beyond its aura can stop the bleeding. Hunters should ensure they carry equipment to counteract this effect, as wounds inflicted by the creature will otherwise prove lethal.
- Aura of Silence and Blindness: Much like the Crawling Stalker, the Dreamweaver possesses an aura of silence, but with an added effect: blindness. Any who enter its range are struck blind and mute, unable to see or hear, trapped in a maddeningly still darkness. Hunters without specialized protection risk immediate disorientation, leaving them vulnerable to the creature¡¯s attacks.
- Speed: The Dreamweaver is exceptionally fast for its size, moving with a fluid, predatory grace that can catch even seasoned hunters off guard. Its swift, unpredictable movements make it difficult to pin down and extremely dangerous up close.
Recommended Equipment:
- Bleeding Ward: This specialized ward mitigates the effects of the Dreamweaver¡¯s bleeding curse, ensuring that wounds inflicted by the creature can be staunched, even temporarily.
- Paralytic Poison Cure: A high-quality paralytic antidote is essential. This is no place to skimp; having a potent cure on hand may be the difference between life and death.
- Raionic Talisman: This talisman provides protection from a monster¡¯s aura effects. Note, however, that against creatures as powerful as the Dreamweaver, the talisman may not always hold. Inspect its durability before any hunt involving this creature.
Best Tactics for Engagement:
Given the creature¡¯s blindness, the Dreamweaver relies heavily on vibrations to locate prey. Hunters should set spiked pitfalls or traps to limit its movements and immobilize it as much as possible. Once restrained, focus on severing its arms, rendering it less capable of attack and reducing its endurance. Distance is your ally; minimize close contact and exploit its sensitivity to vibration to lead it into traps rather than direct confrontation.
Let it be said that Dreamweavers are monsters in every sense of the word, a nightmare born from the darkest sources of mana. Ensure a minimum of three trained hunters on every subjugation, for facing this creature alone is as close to a death wish as one can find. Remember: caution saves lives, and returning home intact is worth far more than reckless glory.
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Safe hunts to you,
Aldwyn the Starwise
Page 16
The Quill Striker
Height: Approximately 5 feet (body)
Category: Avian Monster (Final Evolution)
Threat Level: Moderate, caution advised
Known Abilities: Feather Projectiles, Retaliatory Barrage
The Quill Striker represents the second and final evolution of the avian quill strikers, a peculiar species commonly found in the Mesha Highlands. Resembling a stork in body construction and size, the Quill Striker is further marked by its unsettling features, including the grotesque head of a spider perched atop a long, spindly neck. Its shimmering feathers gleam like gold in the sunlight, an alluring yet treacherous sight for the unwary.
The Quill Striker possesses a unique offensive capability: it can shoot its golden feathers with the precision and force of a warbow. This makes the creature a dangerous foe despite its relatively weak physical form. An attack from a Quill Striker is not merely a singular threat; if struck, the feathers will shoot out from the point of impact, creating a retaliatory barrage that can incapacitate anyone foolish enough to draw too close.
Abilities and Dangers:
- Feather Projectiles: The Quill Striker¡¯s feathers can be launched like arrows, piercing flesh and armor alike. The strength behind each feather makes them formidable weapons, and an unwitting target may find themselves on the receiving end of a devastating attack.
- Retaliatory Barrage: When a feather embeds itself in a target, the Quill Striker will respond with a vicious barrage of feathers, turning its prey into a pincushion. This counterattack can overwhelm even seasoned hunters if they are not prepared.
Recommended Equipment:
- Durability-Enchanted Shield: A sturdy shield imbued with durability magic can absorb the impact of feather projectiles and provide vital protection to hunters during engagement.
- Bow or Crossbow with Piercing Enchantment: Utilize ranged weaponry enchanted for piercing capability. The feathers of the Quill Striker act as a natural armor, so a weapon that can penetrate this barrier is essential.
- Snare Traps or Netting: Equip snares or magical nets to ground this avian menace. Setting these traps around feeding areas can prevent the Quill Striker from taking flight, making it easier to deal with.
Best Tactics for Engagement:
- Strike When Feeding: The Quill Striker is less vigilant while it is preoccupied with a meal. Use this opportunity to engage from a distance and aim for its wings first to limit its mobility.
- Protect Ranged Personnel: Ensure that archers or crossbow users are shielded and supported during the attack, as the Quill Striker tends to target the closest threats first. Deploy distractions to draw its attention away from ranged hunters.
- Loud Sounds and Flashes: Utilize noise and bright lights to disorient the creature, making it easier for hunters to land successful hits without immediate retaliation.
- Use Lightning Magic: If the creature takes to the air, lightning magic can be effective in bringing it down. However, exercise caution; the Quill Striker is sensitive to mana signatures and will focus on casters as targets.
- Maintain Distance: Direct melee combat with the Quill Striker is inadvisable. Keep your distance, utilize ranged attacks, and ensure that all hunters are prepared for the creature¡¯s swift movements and counterattacks.
The Quill Striker is a fascinating, if perilous, creature that demonstrates the unpredictable nature of corrupted mana. Remain vigilant, employ smart tactics, and remember that safety in numbers¡ªand distance¡ªis your greatest ally in any hunt.
Safe hunts to you,
Aldwyn the Starwise
Page 32
The Thornmire
Height: Varies (can reach several feet)
Category: Ambush Monster
Threat Level: High when outside Chaos Lands
Known Abilities: Flexible Whip-Like Appendages, Camouflage
The Thornmire is a treacherous monster, varying greatly in size and often mistaken for ordinary brambles, bushes, or vines. While it may appear as an unassuming mass of plant life, it is an ambush predator capable of inflicting severe harm upon unwary hunters. Within the Chaos Lands, where corrupted mana saturates the environment, the Thornmire remains generally docile, moving at an exceedingly slow pace. However, the real danger emerges when this creature leaves its chaotic habitat in search of prey, where the thinning mana compels it to hunt.
Little is known about the Thornmire''s life cycle or evolutions, as this monster appears to remain in a constant state of being. It possesses the frightening ability to create long whip-like appendages that mimic the appearance of branches or vines. Do not be deceived; despite their deceptive form, these appendages are not part of a living plant but rather a manifestation of monstrous magic.
The whips of the Thornmire are incredibly dangerous, capable of extending and flexing like a serpent. What may appear to be solid wood can move with surprising agility, while seemingly flimsy sections can be as hard as iron. The creature has been known to lash out with deadly accuracy, and those who have encountered its blue-steel-like strikes have met with fatal consequences.
Equipment:
- Iron Net: Thornmires display a distinct aversion to wrought iron. While their whip-like appendages can cut through most nets, they tend to avoid entangling themselves in iron traps. Deploying iron nets can restrict their movement and provide a tactical advantage.
- Fire Magic: Although the Thornmire is a monster and not a plant, it retains a vulnerability to fire. Fire magic can be particularly effective in damaging this creature and forcing it to reveal its true form.
Best Tactics for Engagement: While I have not personally engaged a Thornmire, I have gathered intelligence from reliable sources within the Jackrabbits Monster Hunter company. Here are the recommended tactics for subduing this deceptive foe:
- Ensnare with Iron Nets: Begin by encircling the Thornmire with iron nets to restrict its movement. This tactic helps keep the creature from escaping and allows you to maintain control of the situation.
- Use Fire to Burn: Once contained, employ fire magic to burn the Thornmire. The flames will elicit a furious response from the creature, forcing it into a state of rage. Be prepared for a fierce fight as the Thornmire reacts violently to the flames.
- Sever Whip-Like Appendages: As the Thornmire becomes enraged, focus on continuously severing its whip-like appendages. This strategy will gradually weaken the creature and limit its capacity to lash out at hunters.
- Repeat as Necessary: Depending on the Thornmire''s size and vitality, it may take multiple nets and a sustained fire assault to bring it down. Do not underestimate its resilience, as this creature has proven capable of enduring considerable damage.
The Thornmire stands as a testament to the unpredictable nature of corrupted mana, merging the allure of nature with the inherent danger of monstrosity. Always remember that safety lies in vigilance and preparation.
Safe hunts to you,
Aldwyn the Starwise
Page 57
Section IV: Calamities of the Continent
Attention, brave hunters and defenders of the realm:
Beyond this point lies a compendium of the most dangerous and insidious monsters known to the continent of Alderdeorn. These creatures, referred to as Calamities, pose an existential threat to both individuals and entire settlements. Their mere presence is a herald of devastation, and they require the utmost vigilance and expertise to confront.
What Constitutes a Calamity?
Calamities are monsters of unprecedented power, born from concentrations of corrupted mana that warp their very essence into something monstrous and vile. Unlike lesser monsters, these beings exhibit unpredictable behaviors and formidable abilities that render them near-impossible to slay without a coordinated effort from skilled hunters.
Key Characteristics of Calamities:
- Unmatched Power: Calamities possess strength and magical prowess that far exceed that of ordinary monsters. Engaging them recklessly may lead to catastrophic consequences.
- Unknown Tactics: The methods necessary to combat these creatures may not be documented or even discovered. It is imperative that hunters proceed with caution and prepare for the unexpected.
- National Priority: The emergence of a Calamity in any region necessitates an immediate and organized response. The safety of communities rests on the swift action of capable monster hunting groups.
When a Calamity is spotted, the order to engage and eliminate the threat becomes a national priority. Failure to act promptly may result in the obliteration of entire villages and the loss of countless lives.
Guidance for Engaging Calamities:
- Gather a Strong Team: Only the most experienced and powerful hunters should attempt to confront a Calamity. Ensure that your team is equipped with enchanted weapons and protective gear to withstand the creature''s assaults.
- Strategize: While exact tactics may remain unknown, collective knowledge from past encounters may provide insights. Be prepared to adapt quickly to the Calamity¡¯s tactics as they unfold.
- Assess the Environment: Understand the terrain and potential hazards surrounding the encounter. The environment can be both an ally and an adversary.
- Communicate: Coordination is paramount. Establish clear lines of communication within your group to share observations and tactics in real-time.
- Prioritize Survival: Always remember that the preservation of life takes precedence. If escape becomes necessary, prioritize retreat over confrontation.
With this understanding, you now delve into the grim realities of Calamities that plague our lands. Remain steadfast, courageous, and ever-watchful as you navigate the treacherous path ahead. The fate of our world may depend on your resolve.
Safe hunts to you,
Aldwyn the Starwise
Page 170
Jeweled Winged Monarch
Height: 20 feet
Category: Calamity
Threat Level: Catastrophic
Known Abilities: Summon Minions, Mesmerizing Gaze
Appearance:
The Jeweled Winged Monarch is a grotesque and imposing creature, towering at nearly 20 feet tall, with a wingspan that doubles its height. Its most striking feature is its massive wings, resembling intricate stained glass windows that shimmer with vibrant colors in the light. These wings, though breathtaking, are a deceptive beauty that lures those who gaze upon them into a false sense of awe. In stark contrast, the Monarch''s body is a nightmarish fusion of insectoid and monstrous traits that invoke pure terror.
Its body is encased in a thick, hard exoskeleton, segmented and armored like a grotesque beetle, boasting a dark, metallic sheen. The surface of this exoskeleton is studded with clusters of bulbous eyes, each blinking independently, granting the creature an almost 360-degree field of vision. These eyes pulse with a malevolent glow that can mesmerize lesser beings, bending them to the Monarch''s will.
Sprouting from its torso are numerous spindly arms, each ending in clawed, talon-like appendages capable of rending flesh and bone with ease. However, the most terrifying aspect of the Monarch is its multiple lamprey-like mouths, lined with concentric rings of razor-sharp teeth that constantly gnash and churn, ready to latch onto anything that ventures too close and drain it of life.
Abilities:
The Jeweled Winged Monarch possesses a unique and horrifying ability: it can attract other monsters to hunt for it. Through masterful manipulation of its mana, the Monarch enchants weaker creatures, drawing them in and compelling them to follow its will. These unwitting hunters act as protectors, allowing the Monarch to remain safely in the sky while they capture prey for it to consume with its voracious mouths.
Upon first emerging from its armored chrysalis form, the Monarch is grounded temporarily as its wings are not yet strong enough for flight. This period marks its most vulnerable state, necessitating an even greater reliance on its ability to control other monsters for protection. Once its wings fully develop, the Monarch becomes a terrifying aerial predator, gliding silently above the forest canopy while casting an eerie, colored light over the ground below.
The creature''s capacity to attract hundreds, if not thousands, of monsters poses a dire threat, as it can summon massive hordes capable of decimating towns and cities. For this reason, it is imperative that the Jeweled Winged Monarch be killed as soon as it is located. If it successfully completes its metamorphosis and takes to the sky, conventional monster hunters alone will no longer suffice to bring it down. Evacuating the area is strongly recommended until military forces can be mobilized to confront this aerial nightmare.
Page 170
A Final Farewell
To the brave souls who continue the hunt,
As I sit here, with these final pages spread before me, I find myself in the quiet company of old memories, faces now gone, battles long fought, and victories that still warm this fading heart. I write to you, young hunters, with a purpose as steadfast as any sword or spell I''ve wielded against the dark. For these words, I hope, will arm you just as keenly as steel, to fend off the monsters that roam within and beyond.
Age has made me many things¡ªa scholar, a storyteller, a man full of scars¡ªand now, at the edge of the inevitable, I can say it has made me humble. For the terrors that I once believed I knew so well have taught me their final lesson: that courage is not found in facing them alone, but in doing so with others. As you take up arms, remember this: trust the hunter beside you, the one who watches your back. There is no magic more powerful, no spell more unbreakable, than the loyalty shared between companions bound by purpose.
To those of you carrying forth, remember that the monsters you face are reflections of the chaos and courage within us all. You may walk into darkness, but you do not walk alone. My journey here is ending, but your path stretches wide and promising. My last hope is that my words, my mistakes, and my small wisdom can guide you, keeping you from harm and helping you to endure.
May the stars light your way and strength fill your hearts, now and forever. This old hunter lays down his pen, but his spirit, his fight, will always walk with you.
Safe hunts to you all,
Aldwyn the Starwise
Page End
WM [45] We’re Not Friends
The party at the Jackrabbits'' guild hall was in full swing, the air thick with the sounds of laughter, clinking mugs, and lively music from a local band playing a jaunty tune in the corner. The band, a group of rugged men and women with instruments that had seen as much adventure as their players, strummed and drummed with a wild, infectious energy that had even the most reserved hunters tapping their feet. The lower level of the guild hall, which served as a bar, was packed to the brim with monster hunters, all celebrating the recent victory over the Jeweled Wing Monarch and bidding farewell to Tanisha and Joha.
Tanisha felt over dressed in her double slit black dress as she squeezed away from some of the human men trying to, well she wasn¡¯t sure what they were trying to do. Human customs were weird and the constant compliments and attempts to get her a drink was odd. She thought a couple of them might have been flirting with her which didn¡¯t make any sense as none of them had offered her a ribbon or anything for her antlers. She would have declined, of course, but the oddity of humans was weird, right?
Tanisha was still adjusting to the atmosphere. The only other parties she had attended were formal affairs¡ªnoble and royal events where everyone was expected to act with decorum. This was something else entirely. Here, the rules seemed to be that there were no rules which left her frazzled. The hunters were letting loose, roughhousing, laughing loudly, and engaging in activities that would have been scandalous in a royal court.
Tanisha blushed when she saw two humans unabashedly kissing amongst the crowd. She knew humans did that, but never saw it in person. It looked so odd, like they were trying to eat each others mouths. She had to move away and found herself drawn to one of the many betting rings scattered throughout the room. A small crowd had gathered around two hunters who were about to go at it, in bare knuckle boxing. Bets were being placed rapidly, coins exchanging hands as people called out their chosen victor.
Tanisha, feeling a thrill of excitement that was new to her, placed a small bet on the one with the tattoos running down his arms. He looked strong, and she had a good feeling about him. The fight was short but intense as the men threw jabs and hooks that hit bone with shattering weight. Then the man with the tattoo managed to knock out his opponent after ducking under a hook and hitting the other man in the jaw with an uppercut.
Tanisha recognized the move and once the tattooed man turned around and raised his hands in triumph, she knew why. It was Thaddeus Maxwell, the Golden Boar guy, who she fought on first day in the Jackrabbit¡¯s camp. He copied one of her moves and used it to win her a few coins even if he didn¡¯t know she was watching.
As she turned away from the betting ring, her eyes caught sight of Joha. For the first time, she saw him truly at ease, a sight that made her pause. He wasn¡¯t teaching her or looking out for customers, or putting his best foot forward for nobility and royals. He was laughing, a deep, genuine laugh, as he clapped someone on the back.
There was no trace of the reserved, composed man she was used to seeing at formal events or the stern master merchant he was when he was teaching her the art of speechcraft. Instead, he was fully immersed in the celebration, sharing stories and even taking part in some of the more boisterous activities, going so far as to dance with a human woman. It was almost disconcerting, seeing him like this, but also oddly comforting. He wasn¡¯t just the invincible warrior and master merchant she had always known; he was oddly just like everyone else in the room. It was grounding.
She was getting ready to walk over to him when her attention was soon diverted by a commotion on the other side of the hall. A loud cheer went up, and she pushed her way through the crowd to see what was happening. When she finally got to the front, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Bjorn, was in the middle of a food-eating competition. His opponent, a burly hunter who looked like he had never lost a challenge in his life, was staring in disbelief as Bjorn devoured plate after plate with ease. He did have three heads after all so Tanisha didn¡¯t think the man stood a chance. The crowd was loving it, shouting encouragement and placing bets on who would come out on top. She watched in delight as Bjorn, with his multiple heads working in perfect coordination, made quick work of the food before him, outpacing his opponent effortlessly.
¡°Come on, Bjorn! You¡¯ve got this!¡± she shouted, her voice nearly drowned out by the noise around her. ¡°Who is Taking bets I have a silver on the hyd¡ª¡±
In her excitement to feed her new gambling pass time, Tanisha didn¡¯t notice the person standing behind her until she bumped into them. She turned quickly, an apology on her lips, but paused when she recognized the woman in front of her.
¡°Ashley!¡± Tanisha said, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t see you there.¡±
Ashley, a thin woman with fiery red hair that seemed to match her sharp, quick-witted personality, waved off the apology with a grin.
¡°Ain''t no harm done, Tanisha.¡± Ashley said. ¡°You look like you¡¯re havin¡¯ a real good time.¡±
¡°I am! It¡¯s... different, but in a good way,¡± Tanisha replied. ¡°How about you? Not joining in on the festivities?¡±
Ashley chuckled, her green eyes sparkling. ¡°Oh, you know me. I¡¯m just here to keep an eye on things, make sure Alfred don¡¯t get himself into too much trouble. Somebody¡¯s gotta be the responsible one, right?¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s good to see you relaxing a bit, even if it¡¯s just for a moment.¡± Tanisha said.
Ashley tilted her head towards the crowd gathered around Joha, a knowing smile on her face. ¡°Looks like Joha¡¯s got quite the audience. He¡¯s telling stories about the demon continent that¡¯s where you''re from too, right?¡±
¡°Huh, no, I am not from there.¡± Tanisha said curiosity gripped her. ¡°I-I¡¯ll be back.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s eyes followed the direction Ashley indicated, and sure enough, there was Joha, ale in hand, speaking animatedly to a crowd of enraptured hunters. The human woman he was dancing with earlier on his lap as he told the story. She moved closer, curious to hear what he was saying. As she got nearer, his deep voice became clearer.
¡°...and there we were, just my brother and I, facing down this massive Nasherjaw. The beast had jaws that could snap maya enchanted armor with a single bite, and it moved faster than anything that size should be able to. Its scales were as hard as iron, and its eyes¡ªblood red, full of rage. We knew we had to be quick, or we¡¯d be its next meal,¡± Joha recounted, his hands gesturing wildly as he spoke.
The crowd hung on his every word, their eyes wide with fascination. Tanisha, however, found herself caught on one detail that Joha had mentioned in passing.
¡°Brother?¡± She said to herself in surprise.
She hadn¡¯t known Joha had a brother, and the revelation left her frazzled. Was that who he sent a letter to as his reward from the First Princess? Tanisha suddenly became painfully aware she didn¡¯t know much of anything about Joha¡¯s family back on the demon continent, if he had children or even why he was in Yuhia to begin with. He never really said much about home, only that he was traveling to sell spices.
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Tanisha wanted to ask her mentor more about his life. He knew so much about her already but the crowd around Joha was thick, and with everyone clamoring to hear the rest of the story, there was no way she could get close enough to ask. It wasn¡¯t the right time anyway but it made for feel guilty for having to have known him for so long without even asking more about him.
Tanisha felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Alfred standing there, a calm smile on his face.
¡°Tanisha,¡± he said, his voice gentle but with an edge of authority. ¡°I need to speak with you for a moment.¡±
Nodding, Tanisha glanced one last time at Joha, who was now mimicking the beast¡¯s roar to the delight of his audience. Reluctantly, she turned away and followed Alfred, curious about what he needed to discuss. The party continued to swirl around them, but her thoughts lingered on the story Joha had shared
As Tanisha followed Alfred through the crowd, the lively atmosphere of the party slowly dimmed into a quieter, more private corner of the Jackrabbits'' hall. They reached a small table where an older man, with silver hair, sat nursing a mug of ale. His posture was relaxed but there was an undeniable presence about him, the kind that came with years of experience and leadership. Tanisha recognized him immediately¡ªRobert, and now that they were so close again Tanisha could see the family resemblance between him and Alfred.
¡°Ah, Tanisha! Come, sit with us,¡± Robert said, gesturing to the empty seat beside him.
¡°Thank you, Robert,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°Can I get you a drink? Something to celebrate?¡± Alfred asked, already signaling a server.
Tanisha shook her head with a polite smile. ¡°No, thank you. A lot of people kept offering to get me drinks but I¡¯m not old enough to drink according to my culture¡¯s standards. But I wouldn¡¯t mind some food.¡±
¡°Of course, of course!¡± Robert said, chuckling. ¡°It will be on us.¡±
Moments later, a plate of food was set before her¡ªan assortment of meats and, to her surprise, vegetables. She realized that humans ate meat and vegetables and most people here were human. The aroma was enticing, and she realized how hungry she was after the day¡¯s events. She took a piece of the meat and savored it with a squeal of excitement as it melted in her mouth.
Then, with a curious glance at the vegetables, she decided to do something she had never done before. She poked at a sliced orange thing and asked what it was. Alfred told her and she speared a piece of roasted carrot with her fork and took a small cautious bite. The taste was unfamiliar, slightly sweet and earthy. It didn¡¯t make her feel sick, as she had feared, but it certainly wasn¡¯t as satisfying as the meat. She wasn¡¯t going to try her luck and eat more though. Her evolution into a Cernunnos might have broadened her dietary options but she would have to eat more than she was willing to find out.
Alfred and Robert watched her with mild curiosity, but they soon returned to their conversation.
¡°You know, Tanisha,¡± Alfred began, leaning back in his chair, ¡°we¡¯ve been talking, and we think you¡¯d make a fine addition to the Jackrabbits. Your skills, your strength¡ªyou¡¯ve impressed a lot of people today. Underrock and Joel also want you to stay. We can set up a permanent building for your shop. What do you say? Fancy joining up with us?¡±
Tanisha smiled at the offer, feeling genuinely flattered. ¡°I appreciate the offer, truly. I definitely want my own shop, don¡¯t get me wrong, but I think I¡¯ll have to pass. I¡¯ve got the itch to travel, see more of the world and leave some things behind for a while. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back in a few decades, and we can catch up then.¡±
Robert shook his head amused. ¡°Ah, just a few decades you say. I imagine that for you that is reasonable. Not long at all for someone like you, or Joha. But for us humans, it¡¯s a lifetime. If you have any human friends make sure to talk to them regularly if you can. Time slips by.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Tanisha admitted, her smile softening. ¡°I sometimes forget how different our lives are in that way. Well no matter what happens I will always remember the Jackrabbits.¡±
¡°I will hold you to that,¡± Alfred said, raising his glass in a mock toast. ¡°But until then, we¡¯ll make sure you and Joha have your payment by tomorrow. Consider it a parting gift for now.¡±
Tanisha nodded, appreciating their understanding and the warmth in their words. It also reminded her she needed to write another letter for her friends before they left the town. She hadn¡¯t really thought about how much longer she was going to live than her friends. She had centuries while Mat and Julie only eight decades at most. Fewer since they were all the same age.
Her mind went back to the human inn owner and his wendigo wife. He was already an old man and she was barely in her hundreds. The thought put a damper on her mood. After talking with Alfred and Robert a bit longer she made her way to the door and stepped out of the bar into the cool night air.
She took a deep breath, allowing the sounds of the party to fade into the background as she collected her thoughts. The night was peaceful, with the distant hum of insects and the occasional shout from the bar breaking the stillness. She hadn¡¯t intended to stay out long, just a moment to clear her head, but then she saw Adelheid.
Sitting alone on a nearby bench, illuminated by the soft glow of a hanging lantern, was Adelheid. The wifwolf¡¯s human form was striking, with her flat mohawk and tattoos that seemed to tell a story of their own. After seeing Alaric, her father, Tanisha understood that it was a cultural thing. Even as a human, albeit with wolf ears Adelheid exuded a quiet strength, but there was something different about her tonight. She seemed smaller, subdued.
Tanisha hesitated, her emotions conflicting as she watched her sitting alone. The memories of their encounter on the roof¡ªthe trap and subsequent fight for survival¡ªflickered through her mind. The anger was still there, a lingering ember that hadn¡¯t quite gone out, but it had dulled with the events of the day. There was no denying that Adelheid had played a part in the victory.
She was about to turn back, unsure if she was ready to confront these feelings, when Adelheid¡¯s head snapped up. The wifwolf had caught her scent and was already rising to leave, clearly uncomfortable with the unexpected encounter.
¡°Adelheid, wait,¡± Tanisha called out, her voice softer than she expected. The words seemed to hang in the air between them.
Adelheid stopped, her movements stiff, and turned back to face Tanisha. But she couldn¡¯t hold her gaze, her eyes dropped to the ground. Tanisha took a few steps closer, feeling the awkwardness settle in. They didn¡¯t share many words at first. Finally, Tanisha broke the silence.
¡°You should come inside,¡± she said, gesturing back toward the bar. ¡°The celebration is for everyone who helped bring down the monarch, and that includes you.¡±
Adelheid didn¡¯t move. ¡°I¡ I¡¯m sorry. For what I did. For what my clan did to you.¡± She kept her eyes down, unable to face Tanisha directly. ¡°I know you don¡¯t care about me, but my father told me we lost people before he left. My pack is my family, and it hurts everytime one of them goes on their Last Hunt.¡± Her voice quivered as her hand reached up to the black necklace around her neck but stopped just shy of touching the deadly maya construct. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t wish that on anyone, yet¡ I tried to take your family from you. I am sorry.¡±
Tanisha felt a pang in her chest, a mix of emotions she wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to process. She didn¡¯t know what to say, so she simply stood there, waiting for the right words to come.
¡°I haven¡¯t forgiven you,¡± Tanisha began, her voice steady but tinged with the remnants of her earlier anger. ¡°Not completely, anyway. What you and your clan did¡ it¡¯s not something I can just forget. But,¡± Tanisha continued, her tone softening just a little, ¡°you came through for me today. You fought with us, and that means something. I¡¯m not ready to forgive all of you, but¡ I can at least try to start with you.¡±
Adelheid finally looked up, her eyes searching Tanisha¡¯s for any hint of deception. What she found instead was sincerity, tempered with caution. She hesitated, the world seeming to slow as the moment stretched silently before she finally nodded in agreement.
¡°I appreciate that,¡± Adelheid said, her voice low but earnest. ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t change what happened, but thank you.¡±
¡°Great, now come on,¡± Tanisha said, gesturing back towards the bar. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside. We¡¯re not friends, but we don¡¯t have to be enemies either.¡±
Adelheid seemed to take a moment to absorb those words before she started walking alongside Tanisha, their steps in sync as they headed back to the celebration. The tension between them wasn¡¯t gone, but it had shifted. They entered the bar together, the noise and warmth enveloped them once again.
WM [46] Hold The Guillotine
The muggy darkness of the forest clung to the druid forces like a shroud, the heavy air almost weeping for the sons and daughters of the Forest Father. The trees, ancient and watchful, swayed in mournful silence as if grieving for those who had fallen. Kara¡¯s soldiers¡¯ footsteps, once proud and swift, now dragged against the forest floor in a chorus of defeat.
Morale was shattered. The hundred remaining soldiers marched westward, away from Birchgrove, away from the ruins of their compromised base. The battle had been chaos¡ªan assault by both werewolves and a horde of twisted monsters that had torn through their defenses with brutal efficiency. Forty-six of her soldiers had been claimed by that bloodbath, and sixteen more fell during the desperate retreat. Each death weighed on Kara, even as her hatred for the wendigo, for the war, for the monsters that harried them, twisted her focus into a blade of cold determination.
Of the remaining soldiers Kara, Steffen and Waddell were the only mages left in the detachment; everyone else were wizards. They still had a two day journey ahead of them. The forest was growing darker by the minute as the sun set beyond the canopy. Kara wiped her brow as she led her men to a position they could finally rest.
¡°We are going to need to stop soon commander,¡± Steffen''s quiet voice interrupted Kara''s thoughts, walking beside her with his thin frame and weary eyes hidden behind fogged glasses. ¡°We still have injured who have not had long enough for the prosthetics to fully grow.¡±
Kara took a few more steps forward without saying a word. There was rage bellowing beneath the surface of her stoic expression. The sense of failure brought up by his words cut her ego at the reminder that her men were wounded because she wasn¡¯t strong enough. It was her weakness that led them to retreat, her poor leadership that allowed them to be found in the first place. She knew Steffen didn¡¯t bring it up to spite her but she had to let her emotions settle before she could speak levelly.
¡°You are right, Steffen, as always,¡± Kara said with calm understanding. ¡°Send out the scouts to secure the area.¡±
Steffen turned to give orders to the soldiers, his voice soft but firm. The men responded to him with silent obedience, grateful for his leadership in these moments of darkness. He might not have been a warrior, but he was the logistical heart of the group¡ªthe one who made sure they had supplies, who knew where to find shelter, who thought three steps ahead when the rest of them were just trying to survive.
***
When the scouts returned they brought news of a small clearing a few hundred yards ahead. As the makeshift camp began to take shape, Kara stood at the edge of the clearing, her eyes scanning the darkened woods. Not just for monsters but also for any signs of the skinwalkers they had released or any that escaped the tree during the assault. Not only that but she knew the wendigo were out there, somewhere, hunting them like animals.
At that, Waddell, a hulking figure, walked up beside her. His antlers, large and solid like the rest of him, seemed to brush the low branches of the trees as he moved, his steps heavy but deliberate. Despite his intimidating size and strength he was a kind man with a face that rarely wore a frown. He gave Kara a reassuring nod, his expression a mix of exhaustion and warmth.
¡°They¡¯re dead because we weren¡¯t ready,¡± Kara muttered, her voice low but edged with fury.
¡°It wasn¡¯t something that I think we could have prepared for, Kara,¡± Waddell said as he looked out over the camp. ¡°We did what we could, and saved who we could.¡±
¡°Yeah, and look what it got us. We came here with two hundred men. Now we are barely one hundred strong. We lost Hagan in that fight, now we don¡¯t even have a mage healer. It is going to get worse until we get out of here. If you didn¡¯t put up that rock wall we would have been stuck there until we were overrun.¡±
¡°We still have healers and medics, it will just take a bit longer to heal with wizards but don¡¯t count them out,¡± Waddell said gently. ¡°I know it''s been hard Kara, but don¡¯t beat yourself up over everything. We have accomplished more than enough to return home and there isn¡¯t anyone else I trust more to get us there.¡±
Kara turned to him, her green skin glistening with sweat in the dim moonlight. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m going to do, Waddell.¡±
Steffen rejoined them, wiping his hands free of dirt on his robes, his glasses slipping slightly down his nose.
¡°We¡¯re as set as we can be for the night,¡± Steffen said. ¡°But we can¡¯t stay long. I am sure wendigo reconnaissance and kill squads are searching for us.¡±
Kara gave a curt nod. ¡°We move at first light. Keep the sentries rotating. No one sleeps through the night. Waddell, I want the ground reinforced. We¡¯ll make a defensive line with your magic.¡±
Waddell cracked his knuckles and smiled, though it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°You got it, Commander. I¡¯ll have this place as solid as a fortress.¡±
As she watched her soldiers settle into uneasy rest, she felt the rage burning inside her like a storm waiting to be unleashed. The wendigo had taken everything from her. She knew as long as she had breath in her body, she would make sure they paid for it¡ªno matter the cost.
***
Tanisha sat on the box seat of her wagon, Bjorn was cuddled up alongside her asleep as he had been for a few hours. The border was only a day''s journey away and night was quickly approaching. Tanisha knew it was finally time to assign her UCP that she had obtained the last few days. She opened the screen to assign the points.
Unassigned Cultivation Points Distribution
You have leveled up 8 time(s) before assigning your UCP.
You have 80 UCP
You have appeased your heritage and have gained the following:
+3 Dexterity
+3 Vitality
+1 Free UCP
Please assign all UCP within 1 day(s) or UCP will be automatically assigned.
Assign [yes/no]
Tanisha knew she had already gotten three points to her dexterity after killing Sabec. The addition to her vitality must have been from killing the monarch. She had already talked to Joha as to where she should invest her eighty-one points. The goal she had was to get all of her stats to at least one hundred. So she figured she would start at the top of the list with Vitality. It would make her much harder to kill in a fight. She had seen how monsters with high vitality could just keep fighting despite how grievous their wounds were. She would then work on her Restoration.
Status Menu
Name: Tanisha Valkyrja Scalebound
Species: Cernunnos
Level: 37 + 3 = 40
Vitality: 50 + 50 = 100
Restoration: 45 + 34 = 79
Constitution: 100
Willpower: 130
Strength: 55
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Dexterity: 83
Stamina: 48
Seier: = 470
Seier Regeneration: 235 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 3
Skills Analysis
Delta Familiar Contract
You are bonded with a Delta-class familiar. You gain +100 to seier regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions through your bond. Your bond is resilient against outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties. Your familiar¡¯s life expectancy is extended by five years.
Hard Air Constructs
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Low cost, 2 seier. Speak the words of power and create seier air constructs. Form air constructs into any shape and they will interact with the world, acting out the caster¡¯s will. (II) Medium cost, 6 seier. Air constructs with darker aspects of seier to burn any that oppose you. (III) High cost, 16 seier. Constructs will become invisible and silent.
Ringularity Sage Core
Seier cost: Variable
Chaos, mana, maya and aether compose the inner workings of your soul. Their coalescence in one body created seier; an energy seeking to uncover the very nature of the world around it. You can control all aspects that make up your core. Exerting your will over seier controls mana, maya and aether. You can use tools from any of the energies that make up your core. Your will can dominate mana, maya and aether outside your body for a short distance and use ambient energies for your arcane machinations.
Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Low seier cost per minute, seier will inundate your muscles and bones with power to temporarily increase your physical attributes. (II) Medium seier cost per minute, the Marks of Seier greatly enhances unarmed strikes. Unarmed punches and kicks will produce a seier shockwave, increasing the range of unarmed strikes a short distance. (III) High seier cost per minute, the energies within you grants the ability of arcane shift to teleport up to five yards.
Sage Soul Forge
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Use seier to alter and twist existing spellforms connected to your Ringularity Core. (II) Meditate on your core to deepen connections and meridians to your soul. Study the Marks of Seier which etched themselves across your body to gain greater insight. (III) Unknown. Unknown. Unknown.
Divination Hydromancy
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Create seier constructs with liquid attributes, condense water from the atmosphere and/or control water from a water source. Exerting control over water allows you to change its state and temperature with ease. (II) Alter the properties of water to cause it to glow. Only those you choose can see the light produced. (III) Water in any state will condense into a blast of highly pressurized water. You maintain control of water even after it is fired, allowing it to change trajectory and home in on enemies.
Appeasement of the Cernunnos
Seier cost: None
(I) Drink the blood of a recently defeated foe and gain +3 to your stats based off of their highest physical statistic. Their level must be higher than yours. Their highest statistic must be higher than yours. You or those bound to you through a soul bond must have delivered the killing blow. (II) Consume the flesh of a recently defeated foe and gain an additional +1 to a physical statistic of your choice upon level up. Stackable up until +20. (III) Unknown.
Venomous Fang
- You have felt the venom of your Familiar; it now courses through your veins. Your saliva carries a necrotic venom. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your familiar. This ability is tied to your familiar, should your familiar die or reject your bond you will lose this ability.
Poison Breath
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
+ Hydra Fire
- You have felt the residual heat of your familiar fire and instead of flinching away you embraced it. The heat that burned you now resides within your core. Call upon the power of your familiars fire it now carries a necrotic embrace. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your familiar. This ability is tied to your familiar, should your familiar die or reject your bond you will lose this ability.
Poison Infusion
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
Queen of Reptiles
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
Page 2 of 3
Tanisha¡¯s eyes widened at the fact she now had the Hydra Fire. It mentioned she was burned by its residual energy. She thought back to when that could have been. The only time she could think of is during the fight with the monarch she had touched Bjorn after he breathed the breath attack twice in a row. He was extremely hot after that happened to the point she had burned herself when she was checking on him.
It couldn¡¯t be that simple, right? Familiar bonds are built on trust so it must have been the fact that even after being burned she continued to touch him to ensure he was all right. She didn¡¯t care about a few burns, all she cared about was his well being. Was that the key to this odd form of communing the abilities required? Tanisha took a deep breath.
¡°More to look at later I guess,¡± Tanisha said to herself.
Tanisha focused on the map in her lap, trying¡ªunsuccessfully¡ªto make sense of their location. Despite both Joha and Adelheid¡¯s attempts to teach her map-reading, the squiggles and numbers still looked like an abstract puzzle, and she thought she was good at puzzles, up until recently. She squinted at one of the mile markers coming up and jabbed a finger at the number on the map.
¡°Sjau-t¨ªu ok tv?r,¡± she murmured, more to herself than anyone else.
Adelheid popped her head over the roof of Tanisha¡¯s wagon. ¡°Is that how your people write seventy two?¡±
Tanisha looked up at her. ¡°It¡¯s the old way, yeah. How long are you going to stay up there, by the way?¡±
¡°Until we come to a stop, unless you want me to hop down,¡± Adelheid replied with a casual shrug.
Tanisha sighed, leaning back slightly onto Bjorn¡¯s warm side. ¡°No, you¡¯ve been up there all day. You might as well stay. I think we¡¯ll make camp soon, although Joha¡¯s been pushing for us to keep moving ever since we left the Jackrabbits¡¯ camp. He¡¯s been real jumpy about leaving Yuhia.¡±
¡°It''s fine by me, do you need help figuring out where we are?¡± Adelheid asked with a knowing smile.
Tanisha flushed, waving her hand dismissively. ¡°No! I know where we are.¡±
¡°Oh, do you?¡± Adelheid said, her smile widening. ¡°Then go on, point to it. Show me where we are and which way we¡¯re headed.¡±
Tanisha looked back down at the map. She knew where the mile marker was, so she knew she could do this. She puffed up her chest, feeling an irrational need to defend her very limited cartography skills.
¡°Here. And we are going that way.¡± Tanisha pointed proudly.
¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Adelheid asked with an amused tone.
¡°Uh¡¡± Tanisha glanced down at the map. ¡°Yes. Maybe?¡±
¡°Mile marker is right but the direction is the exact opposite,¡± Adelheid said with a chuckle she tried to play off as a cough.
Tanisha¡¯s face turned even redder as she groaned in frustration. ¡°Fine, fine. You win but only because this doesn¡¯t make any sense at all. We are going forward! How is this going to show me forward?¡±
¡°Well no one is asking you to lead a convoy anytime soon, that is for sure.¡± Adelheid said as she jumped down to the box seat, careful not to disturb Bjorn. ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad. You¡¯ve been teaching me all sorts of things about alchemy. You¡¯re not hopeless.¡±
Tanisha rolled her eyes but couldn¡¯t help smiling. The past few days of traveling together had brought them closer in an unexpected way. They¡¯d found common ground, trading knowledge. Tanisha finally saw what Joha was trying to teach her with mercy. Adelheid was a good person underneath the incident that brought them together in an unfortunate way. Tanisha wouldn¡¯t forget what she had done, the part she played, but she was starting to forgive her as even Bjorn didn¡¯t seem to harbor hatred against her.
¡°After combat training let''s go on another hunt. It might be the last time before we let you go and there is still a lot I need to know about monsters,¡± Tanisha said.
She couldn¡¯t help but look at Adelheid¡¯s neck. The black necklace that Joha had placed on her as a means to keep her in line was gone. They had dispersed the deadly maya construct before they left the Jackrabbits¡¯ camp as a sign they would trust her to uphold her end of the deal between them and Alaric. She was a prisoner, yes, but not one they would continuously hold the guillotine over.
¡°Don¡¯t stare like that,¡± Adelheid said. ¡°My eyes are up here.¡±
¡°Sorry-sorry,¡± Tanisha said bashfully. ¡°But what do you think about going monster hunting tonight?¡±
¡°Sounds good to me. But before that we have to survive Joha¡¯s training,¡± Adelheid said. ¡°You have a couple of healing potions ready, right?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Tanisha said.
WM [47] Gatehouse
Signe sat atop the opulent gatehouse, an unintended display of excess that didn¡¯t align with her sensibilities. The structure around her gleamed with polished stone and intricate carvings, clearly influenced by human tastes rather than the practicality the wendigo usually held dear. While the place had been prepared for her comfort, she had not asked for such luxury. To her, it was a waste of resources.
She allowed herself a small indulgence, though¡ªcheesecake, the only type of cake her kind could consume. The richness of the cheese paired with the subtle sweetness delighted her, though she would never show it outwardly. A veil covered her face, concealing her identity as she was a mere extension of her master, First Princess Sigrun; her face did not matter.
The location she chose offered her the best position to look out over the travelers who moved in and out of Yuhia. The gate was nestled comfortably between two mountains; anyone seeking entry would have to come here or risk the perils of nature and beast. She found herself looking towards the peaks with mild curiosity; she had only arrived two days prior and the landscape still held such wonder for her.
Lillevenn, her familiar dragon dog, lounged at her feet, his wings tucked against his body as he watched the soldiers trying to look busy to impress the Hand. He was large with the appearance of a wolf but not so large that Signe could ride him. His wings made him an imposing figure especially in a fight, not many people know of the dragon dogs. She gave his fur a gentle scratch absentmindedly, enjoying the cool breeze touched with mana that filtered through the gatehouse.
¡°How long are we going to be here, mom?¡± Lillevenn said as he huffed with boredom.
Signe laughed softly to herself. ¡°First Princess Sigrun should be here later today, baby, then you can play with Dagny. How does that sound?¡±
¡°Fine,¡± Lillevenn said in a whine, but his tail wagged, betraying his attempt to seem sad.
Signe offered him a piece of the cheesecake in recompense which he happily took with as much enthusiasm as she had for the sweet treat. Despite the casualness of her station she was actually far from relaxed. The west border of Yuhia, where she was stationed, overlooked a chaotic land where corrupted ambient mana twisted the environment into unpredictable forms. This was the frontier of their country, where monsters could manifest from nothing, birthed from the overabundant mana. In just her short time there she has had to put down a few monsters seeking to cross into Yuhia; they were terribly unnatural abominations.
Signe¡¯s sharp eyes, though hidden by the veil, picked out the details of the travelers below. Most were human, a rarity in the heart of Yuhia. Few wendigo ventured beyond their borders, preferring their lands to those beyond, but humans¡ªreckless, curious humans¡ªseemed drawn to the danger of the chaos lands.
¡°More humans than yesterday,¡± she muttered, taking another bite of cheesecake. ¡°Travelers and merchants.¡±
¡°Humans play?¡± Lillevenn¡¯s ears perked.
¡°No, baby, you can¡¯t go and play with the humans,¡± Signe said with another gentle pat on his head. ¡°They are merchants here to trade, not play. They are not our concern today. We only observe.¡±
Yet, even as she watched with detached interest, Signe¡¯s mind churned. The human influence on Yuhia was growing stronger by the day. The opulent surroundings were proof enough of that. The once-practical wendigo now indulged in decorative excess, a clear sign of the changing times. While Sigrun, her princess, sought to bring new ideas and alliances to their kingdom, Signe remained ever vigilant, always questioning who truly benefited from these shifts.
She adored the innovation brought into the country. Her communication device prototype was only possible because of her relationship with the dwarves. However, for every innovation the human¡¯s brought they also infected the wendigo with vices and distractions, with human politics, human trade and worst human religion. This was the land of the Forest Father not the Divines of man. Yet she had seen wendigo speak the name of the divines. Sigrun wouldn¡¯t see it as a problem; she launched herself into progress regardless of risk, but was it worth it?
Signe wiped the last crumbs of cheesecake from her lips as the soldier approached, bowing low as was expected. She barely acknowledged him, her mind still churning with thoughts of duty.
¡°Royal Hand Jet,¡± the soldier began, his voice careful. ¡°We have stopped two demons from leaving. We are awaiting your inspection.¡±
¡°Excellent, take me to them,¡± Signe said as she rose from her seat with practiced grace.
Lillevenn padded beside her as they descended from the gatehouse, the massive wolf with wings matching her stride in perfect rhythm. His soft panting filled the silence between steps, his deep brown eyes scanning the area for threats. Signe could feel his protectiveness through their bond which was a constant as he saw her as his mother.
The demons were pulled to the side of the gatehouse allowing others to pass. A handful of guards watched over them wearily which was normal when dealing with the sometimes erratic demon kin. Sign herself was quite familiar with demons. She sought to get to know as many different races as possible to be helpful to Sigrun, even if she didn¡¯t fully agree with everything the First Princess was doing.
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The first demon was a towering eight-foot-tall cacodemon woman. Her skin was azure, and she had an array of short horns protruding from her head. Her muscular frame loomed over the guards, though she made no move to attack and there was no maya in the air around her. Her arms were crossed over her broad chest, and her fiery eyes burned with outrage at being singled out of the crowd.
Signe audibly sighed when she saw the second demon. He was a stark contrast to the first¡ªan incubus with crimson skin, a long, teasing tail flicking behind him. His stance was far more relaxed, leaning against the side of a wagon with a lazy smirk on his lips. Signe already knew she was going to like this interaction even less. She could already here him hitting on everything with a pulse. Then his eyes drifted to her and a devilish smile crossed his lips.
¡°What a lovely beauty that has graced a simple traveler like myself this afternoon.¡± The incubus said, his voice smooth and suggestive as he straightened up, giving a mock bow that was far from respectful. ¡°The veil may hide your beauty from most but I can see your lovely face. How lucky am I to be stopped by someone like you?¡±
Signe¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but the tightness around her eyes showed her displeasure. How typical, she thought, her patience already wearing thin.
¡°State your name,¡± Signe said.
¡°Dani, at your service, my lady,¡± he said with a wink, his tail flicking behind him playfully. ¡°And I can be at your service.¡±
Signe barely held herself back from striking the man for such blatant advances on her but just managed. Lillevenn picked up on her displeasure and growled at the incubus which caused Dani to take a step back.
¡°I do not require any service you offer,¡± she replied, her voice icy. ¡°And you¡ª¡± She turned to the cacodemoness. ¡°Your name?¡±
¡°Maryam,¡± The cocodemoness said with spite. ¡°If you are trying to fuck him be my guest, but I am not traveling with that incubus and your proclivities with him are none of my business.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t care if you are,¡± Signe responded, stepping closer to inspect them both. ¡°You¡¯re here because you¡¯re demons, and by my orders, all demons are being stopped. We are looking for two of your kind and after I can confirm you are not them, you will be free.¡±
Maryam scowled, her large frame casting a shadow over Signe. ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate being stopped for no reason.¡±
¡°You¡¯re in Yuhia,¡± Signe said coldly, her aura flared for a second which caused the demoness to step back. ¡°That¡¯s reason enough. Know this demon, you stand before a Royal Hand and I have no qualms with killing you. Now tell me, what business do you have here?¡±
Maryam¡¯s lips twitched in anger, but she reluctantly answered. ¡°I¡¯m passing through to reach the Chaos Lands. No wendigo or human business.¡±
¡°Same here,¡± Dani chimed in, taking a few steps toward Signe. ¡°Just a simple traveler. But, if you¡¯d like, I could stay a bit longer. Your men look a bit frustrated and I¡¯m sure we could find something to... discuss.¡±
Lillevenn growl intensified, ¡°Back-up!¡±
Signe¡¯s hand gently rested on Lillevenn¡¯s head, keeping him calm.¡°You¡¯d be wise to stop talking. My time is valuable, and you¡¯re wasting it.¡±
Dani chuckled, but he raised his hands in surrender. ¡°All right, all right. No harm meant, just passing through, like I said.¡±
Signe glanced between them once more, weighing her options. These two weren¡¯t her targets, and detaining them any longer would be a waste of effort. With a motion of her hand several clockwork devices appeared from the air and floated around her. One of them flashed red and Signe nodded her head, understanding the scan revealed what she had already known. They weren''t Joha and Tanisha disguising themselves with maya, but she preferred to be safe than sorry.
¡°Very well,¡± Signe said, turning to the guards. ¡°Let them through.¡±
The guards hesitated for a moment but then nodded, stepping aside. Maryam shot Signe a glare before stomping past, her footsteps heavy with frustration. Dani, on the other hand, lingered a moment, giving Signe one last lingering look.
¡°If you ever change your mind, about my servi¡ª¡±
¡°Move demon!¡± Lillevenn barked.
Signe didn¡¯t bother responding, her eyes already focused on the path ahead. Dani gave a shrug, his tail flicking playfully as he followed Maryam out of the gates.
¡°Demons,¡± Signe muttered to herself, shaking her head.
¡°Bad ones,¡± Lillevenn said simply. ¡°Play?¡±
***
Kara crouched low, scanning the gatehouse as her pulse quickened. The once loosely guarded border had turned into a fortress overnight. She tightened her grip on her wand. What really sent a chill down her spine was the presence of a Royal Hand. The gate had been reinforced and the lax guard the former Lord of the Nazem domain had paid off to allow them entry had all been replaced by competent soldiers of the First Princess¡¯s army.
¡°Fuck,¡± Kara said as she bit her fingernail.
¡°That¡¯s a Royal Hand, right?¡± one of her men asked as he shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Is this our only way out?¡±
¡°Yes, see the emblem on her robes, it is the sigil of the First Princess,¡± Kara said grimly. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t just send someone like that here unless they think we are trying to escape. We turn back and I am sure we will run into an ambush. They have us pinned.¡±
Kara turned her gaze toward the forest, her mind racing. There was no easy way through this, and the window for a subtle exit had slammed shut. A Hand meant a fight¡ªa brutal one.
¡°We make camp out of sight,¡± Kara said, finally tearing her eyes from the gate and looking at her small unit. ¡°We can¡¯t rush this. If we do, we¡¯ll be dead before we even get close.¡± The others nodded, their faces grim but determined. They trusted her. They had to, but unlike their last fight they were going into this one prepared.¡°Get everyone ready for tomorrow. We¡¯re breaking through the border and we¡¯re killing that Hand.¡±
As the group dispersed to follow her orders, Kara stared back at the gate one last time. Tomorrow was going to be rough, but she¡¯d be damned if they let a Royal Hand stand in their way.
WM [48] Time for The Talk
Bjorn sat on the box seat with Adelheid as she drove the wagon behind Joha. There were far more people on the road now that they were so close to the border. Travelers, pilgrims, missionaries and monster hunters coming and going. Bjorn couldn¡¯t help but look in wonder at the different races he had never seen before. Notably an albino woman in all white with long silver hair. She was in a delicate looking white and blue dress with the motif of winter embroidered across the silk-like material. Her eyes caught his attention most¡ªa deep, unnatural red, like the heart of a flame against the stark coldness of her appearance.
¡°It''s rude to stare you know,¡± Adelheid chided.
Bjorn hadn¡¯t even noticed he was looking at her with all his heads. He did so absently and didn¡¯t even use Identify on her as he turned his attention away from the encounter. The mysterious figure turned to him for a moment, a spark of curiosity in her eyes as they passed her on the wagon.
¡°If you are curious, she is a ghost-born,¡± Adelheid continued. ¡°Not very common in these parts and from the looks of her, she was of the Yuki clan. Which is even rarer since the temperature here is moderate and they typically hang around cold places. They are one of the few people I know who live in the corrupted lands.¡±
Bjorn listened to her lazily, but didn¡¯t really care. The woman had caught his attention just because she stood out because of her appearance being a stark contrast to the landscape. He tasted the air around him and noticed an unforgettable magic lingering. It was faint and if Bjorn wasn¡¯t so sensitive to it now he would have missed it all together. He stood up alert as he looked around for the source of the magic. It was druids and they were close.
Bjorn tried to convey his concern as clearly as possible through his bond with Tanisha. He needed her to know he was picking up the taste of druidic magic. He turned to face the forest where the scent was coming from but didn¡¯t see anything. His alarm worked as Tanisha appeared next to him using her Arcane Shift. She had her knives in hand, and she was ready to fight, even eager by her emotions.
¡°Woah!¡± Adelheid jumped in her seat in surprise, swerving the wagon. ¡°What the¡ªTanisha?¡±
¡°Bjorn, what is wrong? Adelheid, stop the wagon,¡± Tanisha ordered.
Bjorn jumped down and Tanisha followed without hesitation. She watched him carefully as he immediately started to write on the ground.
Bjorn wrote: I taste druids in forest. Scent is weak but they is close.
¡°Are you sure?¡± Tanisha asked. ¡°Is it the druids that were around the town?¡±
Bjorn wrote: I don¡¯t know.
Adelheid brought the wagon to a stop and even alerted Joha to stop as well. After a few minutes they were meeting off the main road. Tanisha told them what Bjorn had written and there was definite concern and anger across the other faces. Bjorn could see the desire for revenge on Adelheid¡¯s face, the druids definitely killed members of her pack even if Bjorn had led them there.
Bjorn, however, was focused on Tanisha. He could feel her indifference to the emotions swirling around them. For her, this wasn¡¯t about revenge, honor, or even justice¡ªit was about opportunity. The cold, calculated hunger for power simmered beneath her skin. He could feel her emotions sharpening into something cold and clinical, as though she were already planning how many kills it would take to level up, how much power she could gain.
¡°This doesn¡¯t change much,¡± Joha said and took a long drag of his maya pipe. ¡°We tell the guard at the border there is a druid encampment, then Adelheid is free to go back to her pack and we leave. We should not get caught up in this war more than we already have.¡±
¡°They killed members of my pack and you want me to just run away?¡± Adelheid yelled, and she pointed to the forest.
¡°No, once we make it to the border you are free to do whatever you want,¡± Joha said with a finality that rumbled in the air. ¡°If you want to fight the druids do that, but Tanisha and I are leaving.¡±
¡°I want to fight them too,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°Tanisha,¡± Joha said, his shoulders slumping a little. ¡°Not every fight is ours to fight. We are merchants, not war merchants, not mercenaries, just merchants. Do you want to be drawn further into it and become a soldier? We¡¯ve done our part. We¡¯ve helped where we could. But we don¡¯t have to take on every battle.¡±
¡°Should we have put the jeweled wing monarch behind us too? Or the druids that attacked the Isi village, or should you have just left me behind in the woods where you found me?¡± Tanisha challenged as she stepped up to Joha.
Bjorn scratched a message into the dirt with his talons, his handwriting clumsy but clear enough for Tanisha to read: We leave. No fighting and go.
Tanisha¡¯s eyes darted to the message, and a wave of frustration flared through the bond. She didn¡¯t respond to Bjorn, not yet. Instead, she focused on Joha.
¡°Those are different situations and you know it.¡± Joha shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re not the same girl I found in the woods. You¡¯ve got a choice now. You can be a soldier, a monster hunter, an alchemist, a mage¡ªwhatever you want. But I won¡¯t follow a path that leads to nothing but oceans of blood. I¡¯ve seen enough war, Tanisha. I won¡¯t go down that road again.¡±
Bjorn could feel Tanisha¡¯s anger simmering beneath the surface, not at Joha, but surprisingly at him. She was angry because she knew he was siding with Joha, urging her to leave. She wanted to fight, to tear through the druids and rise in strength, but Bjorn was standing in her way. The betrayal stung her more than she would admit, and it rippled through their bond like a silent accusation.
Tanisha turned to Bjorn. ¡°You¡¯re leaving me too,¡± she said, her voice barely above a whisper, her anger cracking to reveal the hurt beneath. ¡°Bjorn... you¡¯re supposed to be with me. You¡¯re supposed to understand. We need this.¡±
Bjorn actually wanted to do something about the druids too. He saw what they were doing to the wendigo, the horrors and tortures they inflicted. Even with all of that, his main concern was Tanisha, she wasn¡¯t acting like herself, she looked cold, detached, and he worried she would do something detestable. Something about her at that moment told him that it wasn¡¯t the Tanisha he had known. That she wanted to drink the blood or consume the flesh of the druids like she had done to Sabec and the jeweled wing monarch. Deep down he knew that if she did the Tanisha he knew wasn¡¯t coming back.
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Joha stepped closer, lowering his voice. ¡°Tanisha, I know you want to help,¡± he said softly, his voice edged with concern. ¡°But this isn¡¯t the way. You don¡¯t have to throw yourself into this war just because it¡¯s here. You¡¯ve already lost so much... don¡¯t lose yourself too.¡±
¡°You¡¯re worried about me losing myself, Joha?¡± Tanisha said with a disbelieving laugh which took everyone off guard. She opened her arms wide as if challenging them to get a good look at her. ¡°Look at me¡ talk about losing myself, Tanisha, Valkyrja, Freja, Sif, mage, arcanist, alchemist, sage, wendigo, Nature¡¯s Wrath, Herne Hunter, Cernunnos. Who am I anyway?¡±
There was realization in her words and in the bond. Whatever was happening in her mind, whatever war was going on there was a shift. How she stood, how she looked and the cold detachment in her eyes all changed back to normal. It was as if she were two people and both were wrestling for control.
¡°We all change, but you decide what that change means,¡± Joha continued to say. ¡°You decide if you lose yourself fearing that change or make the choice on how you move forward.¡±
¡°It¡¯s easy to say when it¡¯s not you. When your mind, your body, your spirit, and your identity haven¡¯t been ripped apart.¡± Her voice quivered, and she broke eye contact looking down at the dirt. ¡°One after the other they were stripped from you. I am not what I was born anymore, Joha. I have forsaken the Forest Father. I have been made into this-this, fuck, we aren¡¯t even really sure what I am, but it is changing me! My mind, spirit and body. I can¡¯t trust it like I could before. Can you imagine?¡±
The Marks of Seier pulsed with power as tears welled up in her golden eyes, but she fought them back, refusing to break in front of her master.
¡°Look at me,¡± she whispered, her voice cracking. ¡°I am not even the same species anymore. Then suddenly I had to accept that we just let Alaric go, Falko go, and we are just going to let Adelheid go too. Is it bad that I don¡¯t want to? That I want to hunt them down too even though I want to forgive Adelheid I just¡¡±
Joha¡¯s eyes softened as he watched Tanisha break down in front of him. He didn¡¯t need to say much; he knew that words wouldn¡¯t fix what she was feeling. Instead, he took a step forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, grounding her in that moment.
When her sobs finally began to subside, Joha spoke softly, his voice low and calming. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong for feeling what you feel, Tanisha. But you can¡¯t let those feelings control you. You¡¯re stronger than that. You¡¯ve faced so much, and you¡¯ve come this far. You can decide how to move forward. You decide what those changes mean.¡±
¡°I just... I don¡¯t know how,¡± Tanisha admitted.
¡°You don¡¯t have to know right now,¡± Joha replied gently. ¡°But you do have to be patient with yourself. Give yourself time to understand who you are becoming and what that means for you.¡±
Joha let go of her shoulder and motioned for Bjorn to get closer. Bjorn understood that Joha had to be stern in the moment so it was up to him to be comforting. There was a long pause, the only sound being Tanisha¡¯s exhausted breaths as she tried to process everything. The tattoos across Tanisha¡¯s body faded, and she let Bjorn nuzzle against her. Finally, Joha turned his gaze to Adelheid, who had been watching the scene unfold in silence.
Adelheid crossed her arms, her face tight with anger, but she remained silent, watching the exchange between Joha and Tanisha with thinly veiled impatience. She didn¡¯t care about their argument; she wanted revenge, plain and simple.
¡°So, that¡¯s that then? You two are just going to leave?¡± Adelheid said.
¡°Yes. It was always the plan,¡± Joha said with certainty. ¡°But like I said, once we get to the border you are free to do what you want.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± Adelheid growled. ¡°Let''s get you two out of here so I can do my job and kill some fucking monsters.¡±
The wifwolf stormed off to the wagon leaving the trio to themselves. They didn¡¯t follow immediately instead they took in the moment as Tanisha pulled herself together. Bjorn didn¡¯t know how long they stood in silence, seconds, minutes, he was unsure.
¡°I¡ found out something. When I killed Sabec and drank his blood. Part of my new species required blood to free me from the Forest Fa¡ no, Odin¡¯s control, or chains? What I am is not a part of His plan for the Wendigo. He has a tether on all wendigo¡¯s souls. Something that allows him into us that forces us to follow him and his will. I felt that tether break and when it did¡ it uh, I don¡¯t know, broke part of me too?¡±
Joha took a deep breath, his eyes softening as he knelt beside Tanisha, his hand resting gently on her shoulder. His voice, though quiet, carried the weight of years¡ªof struggle, of guilt, of redemption.
¡°For demons,¡± Joha began, his voice deep but vulnerable, ¡°we are born with the maya. She is more than just magic, Tanisha. She is... our mother, more so than the ones who birthed us. The maya protects us¡ªfrom others, from the world, and even from ourselves. You¡¯ve felt her, haven¡¯t you? Felt her wrap around you, like a cocoon of warmth. She cradles us, whispers to us, makes us believe we are invincible. She lets us be reckless, cruel even, without ever feeling the weight of it. That¡¯s what the maya does¡ªit makes us blind to our own destruction, makes it easy to walk into a village, to kill, to burn, to destroy without a second thought.¡±
Joha paused, his eyes closing for a moment as if remembering something he had long buried. When he spoke again, his voice was thick with emotion.
¡°For demons, that¡¯s who we are. It¡¯s our nature, our identity... and it was who I was. Joha of the Bloody Fang.¡± He let out a shaky breath, the name tasting bitter on his tongue. ¡°I was once the embodiment of that destruction. I had no conscience, no second thoughts. I didn¡¯t care about what I left behind. Maya shielded me from it, from the reality of the pain I caused, the lives I ruined. It was easy. It was always so easy, too easy to just keep going. It was... comforting.¡±
He looked at Tanisha then, his gaze searching hers, wanting her to understand. ¡°But despite that¡ªdespite the loving embrace of the maya that protected me from my own guilt¡ªI decided I wanted to be better. Not for anyone else, but for myself. Being better meant waking up every morning with a purpose, with a reason that wasn¡¯t giving in to destruction. I had to look for something worth living for. For me, that became protecting the people I care about, making someone¡¯s day brighter, choosing to be kind when I could have been cruel. It became about living a life I could be proud of, not one soaked in blood.¡±
His hand tightened on her shoulder, his eyes never leaving hers. ¡°I know what you''re feeling right now, Tanisha. I know the anger, the pain, the confusion. I¡¯ve stared into the mirror, I¡¯ve looked into my own soul and not know the person staring back at me. I know what it means to feel like the world around you is forcing you to become something you don¡¯t understand or recognize. I know what it¡¯s like to be consumed by that hunger for power, for vengeance, for blood."
Joha¡¯s voice softened even more, the rawness of his emotions evident. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to destroy yourself to get there. I¡¯m not saying those druids don¡¯t deserve to die. In fact for what they have done they definitely do. But I¡¯ve been down that road before and trust me, if you lose yourself in it¡ªif you let that darkness swallow you whole¡ªit won¡¯t matter how many enemies you defeat, how strong you get. You¡¯ll be lost. And once you¡¯re lost... it¡¯s hard to find your way back.
¡°I chose a different path, Tanisha,¡± he said, his voice cracking slightly with emotion. ¡°There are those I wish I told this to before it was too late for them. So, I¡¯m asking you¡ªno, begging you¡ªto think about it. To choose not to let this war turn you into someone you don¡¯t want to be. You are stronger than you know, but strength isn¡¯t just about power or killing.¡±
Tears welled up in Tanisha¡¯s eyes, and Joha could see her walls beginning to crack, the layers of anger and hurt she had built up slowly starting to crumble. He had never spoken to her like this before¡ªso open, so raw. But she needed to hear it.
¡°You don¡¯t have to be alone in this,¡± Joha whispered, his voice breaking. ¡°You don¡¯t have to carry all of this weight by yourself. I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll always be here and I¡¯m proud of you. Bjorn too.¡±
Tanisha leaned into him, her head resting against his shoulder as the tears spilled over. Joha wrapped his arm around her and Bjorn, holding them tight as she trembled against him, her sobs quiet but full of all the pain she had been trying to hide. He didn¡¯t speak. He just held her, letting her cry, letting her feel everything she had been bottling up for so long.
WM [49] They Are What We Make Them
Something in the air didn¡¯t sit right with Signe¡¯s familiar, Lillevenn. He seemed to be on alert despite nothing in particular going on. He wasn¡¯t talkative either which added to Signe¡¯s concern since he would usually ask to play or go on a walk or fly. His ears were perked, muscles tense, and his eyes constantly scanned the horizon. Signe had learned long ago to trust his instincts¡ªhe was rarely wrong.
Signe¡¯s gaze drifted over the landscape, taking in the contrast of Yuhia¡¯s natural beauty and the encroaching corruption beyond. On one side, the lush forests stretched out, serene and deceptively peaceful. On the other, the bleak expanse of corrupted land loomed. The mountains between them, with the fortified gatehouse and mountain fortress stood as a sentinel and marked the divide¡ªa line between the glory of the Forest Father¡¯s blessings and the world beyond.
She walked across the top of the gatehouse and leaned over the battlements looking out over the scarce people walking through the checkpoint. She searched faces for something wrong, the unease she was feeling from Lillevenn making her second guess the security of the border. It was making her second guess many things that she wouldn¡¯t give herself time to process. If she had time to worry she had time to fortify.
¡°Lillevenn.¡± Signe said but her voice also resonated through her familiar bond. ¡°Go search the perimeter and tell me if you see anyone suspicious.¡±
Lillevenn opened his wings and took off into the air with a single flap. ¡°Okay, mom.¡±
¡°Koll.¡± Signe called out.
It took only a second for the royal knight to approach and kneel before Signe. The armored wendigo man was the immaculate pinnacle of what it meant to be a knight of the First Princess. He was the most highly decorated knight of her men, and a potential replacement for a Royal Hand should Signe or Thorfinn die in service.
¡°Yes, Hand Jet?¡± Koll said dutifully.
¡°Lillevenn is alerted by something, I want everyone ready for a potential monster attack.¡± Signe said.
¡°Should we close the border?¡± Koll asked.
¡°No, there is no direct threat right now so having the border closed will just be disruptive.¡± She responded with a wave of her hand. ¡°Heightened alert for all of the royal knights. Have the border guard perform more thorough inspections especially for those entering the country.¡±
¡°Of course, Hand Jet.¡± Koll bowed.
After a few minutes the alert level of the border was increased yet, Signe still felt uneasy. It was as if she were missing something. Despite everything seeming normal there was an unsettling quality to the day. She was unsure how much her feelings were the influence of her familiar bond but that was irrelevant. She was missing something and it played on her mind.
***
Bjorn and Tanisha were both sitting across from each other in her wagon while Adelheid drove. A complex ritual circle thrummed with power on the floor of the wagon beneath them. They had only a few hours before they reached the border so they were taking the time to try communing. Bjorn and Failsafe were surprised to find out that Tanisha had gained Hydra Fire although she hadn¡¯t used it yet. Meanwhile, Bjorn hadn¡¯t unlocked a single one of his communed skills. He decided to assign his forty points of UCP and look over his menus to see what has changed. He was still going with the strategy to prepare for his larger size and increase his vitality and restoration.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Lernaean Hydra
Level: 37 < 41
Vitality: 145 + 15 = 160 / 195
Restoration: 245 + 25 = 270 / 270
Constitution: 125 / 135 < 140
Strength: 90 / 130
Dexterity: 80/ 100
Stamina: 90/ 115
Aether: 70 / 70
Aetheric Regeneration: 100 / 100 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 3
Skills Analysis
Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic and your best friend who has your back no matter what!
Error: Eyes of the Queen
The Queen of a Thousand Heads is watching you. Be sure to eat well and don''t talk to strangers from Higher Planes!
Venomous Bite
Aether Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs. Your venom becomes infectious and will spread to nearby targets within five feet of the injected target. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Poison Cloud
Aether Cost: 5
With your right head you can mix venom into the air using magic, creating a large area of poisonous gas. This gas will rapidly reduce the health of those inside. Allies within your Poison Cloud are unaffected. Gain control over the spread and density of the Poison Cloud.
Plague Fire Breath
Aether Cost: 8
With your left head you can breathe a plume of superheated toxin, which will ignite enemies and infect them with your neurotoxin. Flames retain toxicity until you release the spell. Plague Fire will spread like normal fire.
Aetheric Breath
Aether Cost: 15
I have know idea what this is or how it works. It replaced Maya Breath, but until you use it I don¡¯t know what it will do. I recommend trying it when no one is around.
Poison Claws
Aether Cost: 2
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even small scratches fatal. Venom has resistance to cleansing effects. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Delta Familiar Contract
Aether Cost: -100
You are a bonded delta-class familiar. You gain +100 to aetheric regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions through your bond. Your bond is more resistant to outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties.
King of the Reptiles
Passive Skill
Dragons, lizards and amphibians all show hesitation and fear around you, going so far as to run away. More study needed.
Intimidation Roar
Aether Cost: 1
Infuse aether into your roar to paralyze anyone that hears it. Your roar can paralyze humanoid magic constructs as long as they are connected to a magic caster. Paralysis duration depends on distance and level disparity between you and the target. Those bound to you are immune to this effect.
+ Hydra Regeneration
Aether Cost: 15
+ Enhance the natural regeneration of your body giving you an unparalleled healing factor. Increases the body''s natural healing rate by 4x regeneration statistic plus 20% constitution statistic. (Head regeneration is still unknown. More information required.)
Air Claws
Commune with your master to unlock.
Aetheric Scales
Commune with your master to unlock.
Hydromancy
Commune with your master to unlock.
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
Water Light
Commune with your master to unlock.
Hydro-breath
Commune with your master to unlock.
Page 2 of 2
Twin-Soul Core Analysis
+ Error: Twin-Soul Core
+ You have a partial soul tether to the Sage of Seier. This tethering will persist unless you or the Sage of Seier breaks this bond. This tether will persist even through death. Without a complete and permanent tethering of your souls you must commune with the Sage of Seier to unlock Twin Soul Core abilities.
Permanently fuse your souls and complete bond [No/No] (NOTE from P????o????i???s???o????n????: Don¡¯t you even think about it, Aki¡¯al!)
Nature Discipline
Specialties:
Venefikinesis - Creation and control of toxins, venoms and poisons.
Elemental Discipline
Specialties:
Aerokinesis - Control over air currents and atmosphere.
Hydrokinesis - Creation of and control over water.
Pyrokinesis - Creation of and control over heat, fire and thermal temperature.
Page 3 of 3
Bjorn returned his focus to Tanisha. She was breathing steadily, following the maya breathing techniques Joha had been teaching her ever since she began training under him. The mana in the air thickened as it was drawn toward her, and the Marks of Seier on her skin flared to life with each inhale, then dimmed with every exhale. Bjorn tried to follow along. He had seen enough of the breathing exercises to participate, though he wasn''t nearly as skilled in them as she was.
His magic, after all, didn''t come as naturally to him as a caster¡¯s would. Animal magic worked differently than the magic he might have wielded as a human or human-adjacent creature¡ªor at least, that''s what he''d been told by Failsafe. But why would that be the case, he wondered, if he was a True? If he were merely some beast or ordinary hydra, perhaps that would explain it, but as a True Hydra, shouldn¡¯t he possess the ability to control his magic as well as any skilled caster¡ªno, better than any caster?
The question gnawed at him, so he decided to investigate his core. He closed all of his eyes, and turned his mind inward. His core was an intricate spellform, a puzzle he''d never quite been able to decipher. It consisted of many rings, the outermost formed from raw mana, spinning slowly through a lattice of otherworldly mathematics and calculations. As the mana refined itself as if in a crucible, it moved inward, while the impure mana was excised.
The next ring moved faster, its symbols intertwined with aether. The aether glowed with a silver-gold light, a stark contrast to the mana''s pale blue. Although they flowed separately, they moved in perfect harmony. Ring after ring followed, with both aether and mana becoming purer, until they gleaned identically in gold.
At the core of his being, two orbs orbited one another, spinning all the surrounding rings. One orb was composed of pure mana, the other of pure aether. It looked no different from the other times Bjorn had examined his twin core since he had gained it. He was about to exit this introspective state when something caught his eye¡ªsomething he had never noticed before.
Beneath the spinning orbs, hidden in the rapid rotation, was another void¡ªempty, waiting to be filled. Upon closer inspection, Bjorn realized there were two voids. Instinctively, he knew the second void was linked to the maya, sealed away by his mother. But the first void?
Bjorn focused intently on the unknown void. The closer he got, the more it felt like he was on the verge of unlocking something crucial. But then, without warning, a jolt of pain surged through him. His senses shut down, and everything went dark. He floated weightlessly within the void of his own core, recognizing the sensation from before. This wasn''t death¡ªit was the mind-space where he had spoken with his mother.
Again he found himself floating in the nothingness, unable to pull himself out of the void. He felt something grab hold of him, his core and his soul. At first he thought it was his mother who came to talk to him again but something felt off. The void around Bjorn twisted and cracked, splitting like fractured glass as a low, rumbling thunder shook the mind-space. The atmosphere grew heavy, suffocating, as if the very essence of the void itself recoiled in fear. There was a presence there with him, yes, but it was primal, ancient¡ªfar beyond the cosmic presence of his mother.
The blackness shifted as something impossibly large stirred within it. Lightning flashed in the distant void, momentarily illuminating an endless silhouette. Then, with a sickening rip through the space, countless pairs of eyes¡ªcold, venomous, and gleaming like sickly green stars¡ªopened simultaneously, casting a baleful light. These eyes bore down on him, unblinking and relentless. Bjorn found himself afraid and tryed to escape the void before whatever had latched onto him could actually reach him.
Then, through the storm, it appeared.
A massive, undulating form pushed through the darkness, far larger than Poison had ever been, its sheer mass warping the void around it like a marble in its maw.
¡°You have finally done it, son.¡± The creature hissed from uncountable voices. ¡°It is about time we met. Brace yourself like a True Hydra, Aki¡¯al Hashemi son of T???o????x????i????n????. You now stand before the King of Serpents. In this life I am your father and I have been waiting.¡±
The hydra heads, serpentine and endless, slithered into view, each maw dripping with a shimmering black substance, like liquid void. Their fangs gleamed with a deadly brilliance, reflecting the stormy chaos around them. Where P?????o???i????s?????o????n????¡¯s presence had been awe-inspiring, the King of Serpents was suffocating¡ªhe was the storm, the embodiment of everything poisonous and consuming in the cosmos.
As the heads moved closer, the space itself seemed to shudder, the storm growing more violent with every inch of his approach. The air buzzed with a corrosive energy, and the shadows themselves curled and recoiled from his form, as if they, too, were being devoured by his mere presence. Lightning crackled, but its light was quickly swallowed by the dark void that followed him.
¡°It would appear we do not have much time.¡± The King hissed his disapproval as he stopped approaching. ¡°Even from this distance my presence is destabilizing this space. Your mother would be upset if I corroded it further.¡±
¡°You are my father? King of Serpents? Mother mentioned you were in the middle of a war.¡± Bjorn said as he regained composure.
¡°My name is T???o????x????i????n????, son, and this is but a small fragment of me, an avatar if you will. If I truly turned by gaze to you, the Lower Plane you are on would die beneath my mere thought. Your mother had to reduce herself as well when she spoke with you, although she is far better at creating these fragments than I.¡±
The fact that this being was only a whisper of his father¡¯s true self added to the dread gnawing at the edges of Bjorn¡¯s mind. He could not help but notice that T???o????x????i????n???? avoided the topic of him fighting in some kind of war. However, if the True Hydra didn¡¯t want to talk about it Bjorn wasn¡¯t going to pry.
¡°The fact that I am talking to you this time, did I do something wrong?¡± Bjorn asked.
The void shook as T???o????x????i????n???? laughed. ¡°Wrong? No son, I am not so disciplinarian that I would come to scold my own hatchling. Look how you have grown even without the pneuma and with that inferior mana and aether. Although your mother is not happy that you nearly tied yourself to the first mortal you saw. Mortals come and go so soon, no reason to bound your soul to one.¡±
¡°So¡ why the visit, father.¡± Bjorn asked.
T???o????x????i????n???? recoiled slightly, as if stung by the question. ¡°To see my son,¡± he said, the simplicity of his answer almost mocking in its obviousness. ¡°I know you were human in your previous life, Aki¡¯al Hashemi, but was there no concept of parental love?¡±
Bjorn blinked, caught off guard by the notion. ¡°Yes-yes there was¡ I just thought this was more than just you coming by to say hello.¡±
A violent shudder rippled through the void as the King of Serpents laughed again. ¡°I have.¡± He said after getting out all of his chuckles. ¡°I have come to see if you are suitable for pneuma. You have been exploring your core and manage to access this void within you. It is where you would have gained access to your birthright had you not been stolen from P????o????i???s???o????n????. For the humans of the Lower Plane, it is mana. For demons, it is maya. For angels it was aether. But for hydra, it is pneuma.¡±
¡°Is that another Higher Plane energy?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Yes, it is what you should have been born with, however your physiology has changed. You are still a True Hydra, but different from any of your brothers or sisters now. That bond you have with the mortal and the memories you retained from your reincarnated soul changed you in unexpected ways.¡±
¡°So... will you grant me access to pneuma?¡± He asked, hesitance laced his words. ¡°What will that do to me?¡±
¡°I would have made you more like me and your mother.¡± The King¡¯s voices spoke as one. ¡°But no, I will not give you access. You are not ready for any more energies to mix with your current alloy. Not until you master what you have.¡±
¡°Alloy?¡± Bjorn questioned.
¡°Your core is not pure mana, or aether but a mixture.¡± The King hissed. ¡°The mortal you evolved is the same although her alloy has the addition of maya.¡±
Bjorn¡¯s heart pounded in his chest. ¡°Wait-wait, I evolved? She did that on her own.¡±
The void itself seemed to hold its breath as the King of Serpent¡¯s eyes widened, then narrowed in surprise. ¡°Do you not know what you did to her?¡± His voice slithering with curiosity. ¡°No, actually you wouldn''t, you are a hatchling¡ a mortal can not just evolve into a greater being. It is a process that requires a True Immortal¡¯s intervention. It¡¯s not about power but birthright. Mortals are born as we make them, or they become what we turn them into. The cernunnos is your creation, which you stole from its master. You freed her from one binding and bound her to you. That is what the soul tether is, the chain you made her wear, thinking it was salvation.¡±
Bjorn felt his world collapse around him. His breath caught in his throat, and a cold, sinking realization gripped his chest. He had changed her. The image of her collapsed in tears because she was so afraid of what she had become flashed in his mind. The fact she was afraid of her own mind, that she didn¡¯t know who or what she was. It was all his fault. He stole her identity, poisoned who she was. He did exactly what the werewolves thought he would, even if unintentional.
He remembered Tanisha apologizing to him for being different. At the time it was just because she knew she was acting slightly off from how she normally did, but it was him that turned her into something else¡ªsomething other. His mind raced as he tried to comprehend the enormity of what the King of Serpents had just revealed.
¡°I¡ I didn¡¯t mean to¡¡± Bjorn stammered.
T???o????x????i????n????¡¯s many heads circled him like a predator closing in, the storm swelling in ferocity around them both. ¡°Intent or not, son, they are all what we make them. Our time is up, do take care of yourself and if your mother asks the void has always been this corroded. Do not fret over your mortal pet, there will be others after her and if you want more like her, be sure to find her a suitable mate.¡±
WM [50] Honored Guests
Bjorn opened his eyes and gasped as his consciousness returned to the real world. He found that virtually no time at all had passed and Tanisha was still practicing her breathing. His spike in emotion alerted Tanisha whose eyes shot open and in a blink she was at his side holding on to him. Her concern and embrace felt reassuring as he leaned into her.
¡°Everything alright, Big Man?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Bjorn, I don¡¯t know what you did but we got one of the shared skills unlocked.¡± Failsafe said cheerily. ¡°As soon as she touched us it unlocked one of them!¡±
It took Bjorn a minute to respond to either of them. His response to Tanisha was returning her nuzzles and sending her a wave of reassurance through the bond. She seemed pleased by the response and stayed cuddled next to him while still practicing her breathing and magic circulation.
¡°I will take a look but you sound really excited.¡± Bjorn said in his head.
Failsafe responded with nearly squealing excitement. ¡°Of course I am, this is the first step to really understanding how this new soul tethering magic works. In fact you should be more excited!¡±
Bjorn flinched at that remark. He probably would have been excited if he hadn¡¯t just found out that his soul tethering was him putting a chain of servitude around Tanisha¡¯s neck. That he was the reason for her recent distress and shift in personality. He tried not to think about it. He would talk to Tanisha once they were somewhere he could write on the ground.
¡°Right-right, shall I take a look then?¡± Bjorn said absently.
Failsafe yelled with rushed glee, ¡°yes, hurry up!¡±
Air Claws
Commune with your master to unlock.
Aetheric Scales
You have felt the power of your master¡¯s aura and mantle and embraced the influence of the chain breaker. The power you felt now resides within you. Call forth the power that defends you from harm. Harden your scales with the aetheric touch. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your master. This ability is tied to your master, should your master die or reject your bond you must reclaim her soul or you will lose this ability.
Hydromancy
Commune with your master to unlock.
Water Light
Commune with your master to unlock.
Hydro-breath
Commune with your master to unlock.
Page 2 of 2
¡°It is a replacement for the maya scales we had,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°Bjorn? Hey did you hear me?¡±
Bjorn didn¡¯t respond; he merely read and reread the last sentence over and over. He couldn¡¯t help but think that that wasn¡¯t right, that there was something wrong with how the skill functioned. If Tanisha rejected the bond or she died he would have to reclaim her soul? Did that mean he could control her soul or force her to establish the bond? If she was alive, would he have to kill her?
***
The office was far too lavish for Signe¡¯s tastes, again favoring the human¡¯s sensibilities of form over function. Signe doubted most of the furniture would last more than a hundred and fifty years. It felt like a waste of money and resources, and she resolved to send an auditor to comb through the financial records of the border. A single window no larger than a missing brick in the defensive structure was the only source of natural light and ventilation.
Koll kneeled down, ¡°Hand Jet, we¡¯ve detained two demons and a werewolf. They await your inspection¡ªand they bring troubling news, if it¡¯s true.¡±
Signe¡¯s brow furrowed as she nodded. ¡°A werewolf traveling with demons, now that is unusual. What was the news?¡±
¡°They claimed there are druids nearby.¡± Koll said sharply.
Signe stood up immediately, a deep sense of unease welling in her chest. If that was true then it makes sense that Lillevenn was acting oddly. He was sensing them or their magic but didn¡¯t know where it was coming from. It also explains why she was feeling so out of sorts all day. It wasn¡¯t just her picking up on her familiar¡¯s emotions, it was the subtle influence of druidic magic in the air.
With a wave of her hand, several clockwork devices materialized around her, each one floating in place. To anyone else, the designs would have looked like abstract gears spinning nonsensically, but to Signe, they were perfect tools for her magic. Another wave, and two of the devices liquefied into shimmering metal before reforming into a mask.
¡°Put this on,¡± she commanded, tossing the mask to Koll. ¡°And follow me.¡±
Sigh touched the veil over her face with a finger, drawing out an enchantment circle across it with perfect accuracy even while she ran. She did not stop to see if Koll had done what she told him but the sound of his footsteps behind her was more than enough confirmation.
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¡°Lock down the border!¡± Signe shouted as she burst through the gatehouse. ¡°Everyone, prepare for an attack!¡±
There was only a brief moment of hesitation before the border guards and royal knights sprang into action. The order spread quickly, and soon every guard was dismissing those waiting for entry or exit, sealing the gates. The alarm bells rang, and Signe continued to weave magic into her veil, completing the final touches of the enchantment.
When it was finished, she inhaled deeply and immediately felt the truth of what she had feared. A subtle influence had been poisoning the air all day, weaving through her mind and body. The enchantment on her veil cleansed her, but she didn¡¯t have time to enchant everyone to resist the druidic magic. The knights, in their enchanted armor, might hold out, but it was only a matter of time before they started losing some of the weaker border guards.
¡°Koll, inform the healers to begin cleansing the area immediately,¡± Signe ordered, urgency sharpening her voice. ¡°We need the border under quarantine.¡±
¡°What is going on, Hand Jet.¡± Koll asked.
¡°The demons were right,¡± Signe said. ¡°There¡¯s a druid attack, and we¡¯re all under its influence. They¡¯ve been poisoning us all day. The magic is subtle, but I remember this tactic from the frontlines. Go, quickly¡ªprepare the men for an assault. They will attack soon now that they know we are aware of their tactic. If anyone is showing signs of poisoning or sickness, get them to a healer immediately.¡±
Signe walked up to the confused demons and werewolf, her gaze briefly locking with Joha¡¯s before she let out a quiet sigh of relief. Finally, she had found them. There had been a moment of concern that she might have missed them, and the First Princess had been adamant about securing their safety. Signe didn¡¯t know why they were so important, but the First Princess promised to explain once they were safe. All Signe had been told was to treat them with the respect reserved for war heroes.
¡°Joha, Freja, Bjorn and guest.¡± Signe greeted urgently. ¡°Please follow me.¡±
There was a brief pause as they all took in her sudden appearance. Signe''s eyes moved to Tanisha, trying to gauge her reaction after using her true name. To her credit, beyond the initial surprise, Tanisha hardly reacted at all. It seemed the Shai wendigo girl was skilled at masking her emotions. Signe still didn¡¯t understand why she disguised herself as a demonic creature, but it didn¡¯t matter at this moment. Answers could wait. Her priority was securing the honored guests of her master and preparing the border for an impending assault.
¡°Hand Jet?¡± Tanisha questioned, her brow furrowed. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±
¡°Hand? Like a Noble Hand?¡± the werewolf girl interjected, glancing between Signe and Tanisha in astonishment. ¡°A real one?¡±
¡°I am a Royal Hand, not a Noble Hand, young lady,¡± Signe corrected, her voice even but firm. ¡°Please leave your wagons. I will have the men secure them. Follow me swiftly.¡±
Adelheid, the werewolf, straightened her posture immediately, her expression turning formal. ¡°It is an honor to meet someone of your status. My name is Adelheid Strider of the Golden Strider Pack¡ uh, ma¡¯am.¡±
¡°If possible, Signe,¡± Joha¡¯s deep voice rumbled, ¡°we would like to move through the border before it closes completely. We can give you everything we know about the druids.¡±
¡°I would like that information,¡± Signe responded with a nod, ¡°but I must insist on keeping you all here as guests, at least for the time being. Let¡¯s discuss everything inside.¡±
Signe gestured for them to follow, leading the way toward the border keep. The urgency in her step was clear¡ªtime was running out. The druids¡¯ subtle influence was still pressing on her senses, and she couldn¡¯t afford to leave anything to chance. Signe turned back around, realizing that her group wasn¡¯t following her as instructed. Tanisha opened her mouth, likely to ask something, but a sudden commotion at the gate interrupted her. Everyone¡¯s attention shifted to the scene unfolding.
A woman, moving with an almost unsettling grace, approached the closing gate. She seemed unconcerned by the spears pointed in her direction or the guards¡¯ increasingly aggressive warnings. Signe immediately sensed something off¡ªthis woman was ghost-born, though her specific kind was unfamiliar. An albino humanoid, with skin so pale it almost seemed translucent. Her long silver hair cascaded down her back, and she wore a delicate white and blue dress embroidered with intricate winter motifs across its silk-like fabric.
¡°Turn back now, this is your final warning.¡± One of the border guards demanded.
The woman didn¡¯t acknowledge the guard¡¯s words or the spears trained on her. She walked slowly and deliberately, only stopping when the tip of a spear pressed against her skin. The guards repeated their demands, but she seemed utterly unfazed. Her lips moved, speaking softly, but from where Signe stood, she couldn¡¯t hear what was being said. The guard, however, froze, his expression shifting from stern to wide-eyed shock. He glanced toward Signe and her group, clearly indicating that whatever this woman had just said, it was something Signe needed to hear.
¡°By insist,¡± Joha continued in a lower voice. ¡°I am assuming even as guests this is not something we can decline, Hand Jet. As your guest would you do my apprentice the honor of calling her by only her name. To be transparent and apologize for our deception with the name Sif, her name is actually Tanisha Scalebound not Freja Salstar anymore.¡±
Signe let out a long breath. ¡°You are correct in that this is not an option, Joha.¡± Signe turned to Tanisha then looked at her hydra. ¡°Scalebound? You chose the last name to match your familiar?¡±
¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t choose it. Both my first and last name were a gifts from someone I hold dear.¡± Tanisha said proudly. ¡°What did we do to deserve your VIP treatment here at the border? I understand that we know about the druids but why do you want to keep us here?¡±
¡°Truthfully, I don¡¯t know,¡± Signe admitted, her voice measured. ¡°The First Princess has requested an audience with you before you leave. She¡¯ll be here soon.¡± She raised a hand, halting any potential interruptions before they could start. ¡°While I can¡¯t allow you to leave just yet, I can assure you that you¡¯ll be honored during your stay. We can discuss the details further once we¡¯re inside.¡±
A royal knight suddenly approached, whispering urgently in Signe¡¯s ear.
¡°The ghost-born woman says she knows the location of a large force planning an assault on the border,¡± he relayed. ¡°She¡¯s requesting an immediate audience.¡±
Signe¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, her thoughts racing. She glanced briefly toward the gate before whispering back, ¡°Bring her inside, but keep a close watch. I¡¯m not familiar with her kind. Prepare a suppression collar as a precaution.¡± She paused, her tone softening. ¡°Take her to a holding cell, but treat her kindly. If she has information we don¡¯t want her to go on the defensive.¡±
Turning back to Joha, Tanisha, and the rest of the group, Signe saw the apprehension in their faces. They didn¡¯t trust her, which was to be expected. The First Princess did send a Hand to stop them from leaving the country. She pointed to the bracelet Tanisha reserved as a gift from Princess Sigrun.
¡°You are guests of the First Princess.¡± She softened her tone further, sensing the need to diffuse the tension. ¡°A trusted friend and ally to the true successor to the throne of Yuhia. That bracelet bears the mark of Sigrun''s desire and commitment to your friendship which we do not take lightly. You will not be harmed here and besides waiting for the arrival of the First Princess herself, you will not be made to do anything you don¡¯t want. I will ensure your safety, personally.¡±
WM [51] Wouldn’t Lose
Kara watched the scene at the fort unfold, her sharp eyes catching every detail as it played out precisely as she and her forces had predicted. From her vantage point in the dense treeline, she observed the steady, methodical movements of the border guards and knights, now scrambling to fortify their position. The Hand had reacted slower than expected to the poison spores, a testament to their distance from the war front and their lack of preparedness for this kind of druidic magic. Kara smirked slightly¡ªthis tactic was nothing new in the battlefields of their homeland, but it was far from familiar to those stationed at this border.
All night and throughout the day, her druids had been spreading the spores, allowing them to seep into every crevice of the fort. Invisible to the eye, yet potent, they had taken hold in the bodies of everyone within the area. Some of the weaker soldiers were already showing signs of fatigue, their movements sluggish and erratic, though they likely chalked it up to the stress of the alert. They had no idea the true danger coursing through their veins.
Kara¡¯s expression darkened as she tightened her grip on the bark of the tree she leaned against. Those with weaker constitutions would soon begin dropping dead, their bodies unable to resist the poisonous magic they¡¯d unknowingly ingested. The true deadly nature of the toxin was still dormant, but once the trigger was activated, it would take effect swiftly and lethally. Time was now their enemy. They needed to advance the next phase before the fort¡¯s healers could purify the area.
She glanced over her shoulder at the small group of druids hidden among the foliage. Each of them stood at attention, awaiting her command.
¡°We¡¯re on borrowed time,¡± Kara murmured to herself. She steadied herself and spoke up for her men. ¡°Waddell, prepare the stonebreakers. We move to phase two. No delays.¡± The large man nodded and ran off to his position. ¡°Steffen, report.¡±
¡°Commander Kara,¡± Steffen relayed with his usual calm demeanor. ¡°The spores have reached saturation. We await your signal.¡±
Kara didn¡¯t know the names of the Hand or even which master they served, but it didn¡¯t matter. She could see the Hand, moving with urgency, her clockwork devices floating ominously by her side. Kara had to admit the Royal Hand was impressive, but she wasn¡¯t invincible. None of them were and she couldn¡¯t wait to give that witch the dagger to the throat she deserved.
In the distance, Kara could hear the faint ring of alarm bells, followed by the hurried shouts of guards and the clanging of weapons. The Hand¡¯s orders were being carried out¡ªtoo little, too late. Kara¡¯s lips twisted into a grim smile.
***
Bjorn, like everyone else, was taken aback when Joha casually exhaled a cloud of red maya that swirled around both his and Tanisha¡¯s wagons. In an instant, everything but the horses disappeared into whatever maya storage Joha had prepared, the wagons vanishing as if they were never there. Signe, ever composed, didn¡¯t comment on the act, simply gesturing for a few guards to lead the horses to a stable.
¡°You could do that this whole time?¡± Tanisha asked in a whisper as they followed Signe.
Joha smirked, a glint of amusement in his eyes. ¡°One day, you will too. But that''s it for me¡ªno more room.¡±
Bjorn¡¯s senses sharpened as they approached the border fort nestled against the mountainside, where the great wall seamlessly connected to the rugged stone. Upon entering, the true scope of the fort¡¯s defenses became apparent. It wasn¡¯t just a surface-level outpost¡ªthis was a fortress burrowed deep into the mountain, its labyrinth of fortified tunnels and chambers designed to withstand sieges. Bjorn could practically taste the heavy enchantments layered into the walls. The air thrummed with durability spells, protection wards, and layers of magic reinforcing the stone. The taste subtly mixed with the ambience of the musky fort as tensions from the impending attack rose.
Despite the protections which were extensive but not all encompassing, Bjorn could still taste the insidious magic of the druids. It seeped into the air, a faint earthy tang that mixed with the musky scent of stone and sweat. It didn¡¯t belong here, not in the walls of this fortress. Bjorn stopped his tongues flicking as he tasted something else. A new magic permeated the halls, but he couldn¡¯t tell where it was coming from. His gut told him this was more than just an ambient presence; the druids were preparing something big.
Without hesitation, Tanisha stopped alongside him, her eyes darting between his heads. Sensing her attention, Bjorn took the moment to act. His claws scratched against the stone floor, the enchanted surface resisting him at first, but he managed to etch a message into it with sheer force. New scent. Bad magic.
¡°Are you sure, Big man?¡± Tanisha asked, Bjorn nodded all of his heads. ¡°Hand Jet, please take this,¡± she handed Signe a small vial filled with a clear liquid. ¡°There¡¯s a toxin in the air. It¡¯s some kind of spore or pollen we came into contact with, and this will cleanse it. You¡¯ll want to drink it outside, though¡ªit¡¯ll pull the substance from your body, but it will make you vomit it out.¡±
¡°You made a cleansing potion?¡± Signe asked as she graciously took the bottle and examined the clear liquid inside. ¡°Can you make more, quickly?¡±
¡°It is a basic one. I don¡¯t have the ingredients for more than maybe¡ three more and that is pushing it,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°We have several healers here, one of them is a herbalist,¡± Signe said urgently ¡°When we get to your room, write out a list of what you need.¡±
¡°If there is an attack I want to help your people fight.¡± Adelheid stepped forward. ¡°Put me wherever I will be the most useful. The druids owe me blood.¡±
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¡°I can¡¯t put you in harm¡¯s way, you are a guest too,¡± Signe said.
¡°Actually, I was an indentured servant to these two.¡± She motioned toward Joha and Tanisha. ¡°Now that I¡¯m here, I¡¯m no longer part of their group. I¡¯m a free woman, and I want to help where I can.¡±
Signe looked her up and down then to Tanisha and Joha for confirmation.
¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Joha said with a nod. ¡°She is not with us anymore and these druids killed members of her pack. Don¡¯t deny her on our account.¡±
Bjorn felt the unspoken worry flowing through Tanisha¡¯s bond with him. She didn¡¯t speak, but he could sense the concern she had for the wifwolf''s safety. Despite this, she remained silent, trusting Adelheid¡¯s decision.
Signe, processing quickly, nodded and flagged down a Royal Knight who was rushing by. ¡°Escort her to Koll,¡± she instructed. ¡°He¡¯s my second-in-command, to do whatever he says, Adelheid.¡±
Adelheid¡¯s departure left a lingering sense of finality in the air, but there was no time to dwell on it. Signe led the group to a waiting room, a chamber furnished in a human-like style that seemed to irritate her, as she motioned for them to sit, Tanisha did so happily while Joha stood. Moments later, two elven maidservants entered, quietly placing trays of hors d''oeuvres on the refectory table. The scent of food clashed with the underlying stench of the druidic magic.
¡°That¡¯s weird?¡± Failsafe''s tone was casual but curious. ¡°Why are they always elves? Hmm.¡±
¡°What are you talking about?¡± Bjorn responded mentally, his attention was drawn toward the two maids arranging the table. ¡°They are just servants, right?¡±
¡°Yes, but why are wendigo servants always elves?¡± Failsafe asked.
Bjorn frowned, letting the thought hang in the air. It wasn¡¯t something he had ever questioned before, but it was true. Most of the servants he had seen had been elves. The Salstars, the Nazem, the First Prince and Princess and even the Isi had a few of them. Even the councilmen noble-wannabes in Birchgrove had an elven assistant yet, he thought nothing of it.
Bjorn watched the two maids. Their sun-kissed skin bore a timeless glow, as they moved with quiet efficiency to set up and arrange the trays of meats and cheeses. Though they weren¡¯t as breathtaking as goblin women¡ªrenowned for their unparalleled beauty¡ªthey came surprisingly close. Clad in simple, functional robes that draped elegantly over their frames, their black hair was tied back emphasizing their features.
Their tails, while not as long as Tanisha¡¯s, swayed rhythmically as they worked. Neither maid spoke nor sought acknowledgement, before they left Signe requested pen and paper for Tanisha. Though servants, they carried themselves with the poise of those accustomed to royal halls. It was obvious they had mastered their craft long ago.
¡°You know what, I never thought about it before,¡± Bjorn said. ¡°Hasin goblin¡¯s are citizens of Yuhia, but not any elves¡ Wait no, that is not what we should be focused on. What about the strange magic I am picking up, do you have any idea?¡±
¡°I was analyzing it. Nothing yet,¡± Failsafe responded. ¡°But I did find something. It is coming from the stone, not the air.¡±
¡°What does that mean?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°For now¡ I don¡¯t have a clue,¡± Failsafe said.
Joha settled into a chair, a familiar maya pipe appearing in his hand. He took a deep drag, the smoke curling around him like a ghostly embrace before he released it.
Joha lowered the pipe. ¡°Now that we¡¯re here, why did the First Princess send you to stop us from leaving?¡±
Tanisha scooted closer to Joha, her curiosity piqued as she snagged one of the skewered meat and cheese appetizers.
¡°Honestly, Joha, they kept me in the dark, but as a Hand I do what my master asks of me. I was told that Sif was actually the former daughter of the Salstar house, but even how they found that out is a mystery to me. You changed your appearance and name and left as soon as you got the chance.¡±
¡°So, she just wants to talk with Tanisha?¡± Joha probed.
¡°No, that wasn¡¯t the case. She was interested in both of you. My orders were to postpone your departure for her arrival, but she made it clear that you both are friends of her faction and by all accounts heroes of Lavi. Although I do suspect Tanisha being a former noble played a vital role in her decision to come to the border. It is not everyday that someone with her former status leaves the country. Although I don¡¯t think it will be an issue.¡±
One of the elven servants re-entered the room and Signe motioned for her to give the dip pen, inkwell and paper to Tanisha. She quickly wrote down the items she would need and handed the slip to Signe.
¡°It is more than I thought it would be,¡± Signe said as she skimmed the list. ¡°Are you sure this is it?¡±
¡°Everything except my fee, but we can discuss that later,¡± Tanisha replied with a sly smirk.
¡°Right, merchants. Don¡¯t worry I will guarantee you will be paid,¡± Signe said with a single chuckle which sounded sweeter than Bjorn expected from the woman. ¡°Please stay here. If you need anything, just call for my maids, Lola and Liana. They¡¯re just outside.¡±
In moment¡¯s Signe was gone leaving the trio to their own devices. Tanisha took a couple of the appetizers and separated out some of the meat from cheese for Bjorn to eat. The flavor was perfectly balanced, lightly seasoned and cooked just enough to sear the skin while retaining that vital, rich blood¡ªexactly how wendigo cuisine should be.
¡°What do you think?¡± Tanisha asked, breaking the silence.
Joha took another drag of his pipe. ¡°I don¡¯t think she knows why she is here. She¡¯s not lying about that. Whatever they had planned for us is being sidelined by the druids and I don¡¯t know wendigo politics well enough to know if this is alarming.¡±
Tanisha leaned back, her brow furrowing in thought. ¡°Up until Lavi, I had never met any of the royal family. I¡¯d heard that the First Prince was an angry man, just as likely to kill you as he was to be your best friend. That seemed to be my impression of him, too. The First Princess was always described as esoteric¡ªshe and her faction have fought for change to some wendigo traditions in favor of progress. What that progress means¡ I¡¯m not sure, but she was never said to be as violent as the prince.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not like we have much of a choice here,¡± Joha said as he looked around the room. ¡°It is a comfortable looking cell.¡±
¡°If you wanted to get out I doubt anyone here could stop us.¡± Tanisha said with a laugh.
Joha¡¯s expression didn¡¯t mirror her joviality. ¡°Confidence is good, but there are limits to what I can do. Signe is far more dangerous than she lets on, and if there are others here nearly as skilled as she is, we could be trapped.¡±
¡°You think she is stronger than you, me and Bjorn?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°I think it¡¯s unwise to discuss who would win in a confrontation when there might be ears listening to every word we say,¡± Joha pointed out.
Tanisha huffed, undaunted, and fed Bjorn another appetizer. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t lose, would we, Big Man?¡±
WM [52] Explosive Magical Stew
Jakob was the healer assigned to making the potions with Tanisha. She didn¡¯t know what to make of the man at first. He had a sharp no nonsense and clinical gaze. Obviously he understood the seriousness of the situation they were in and was quick to judge Tanisha¡¯s expertise. Alchemists and herbalists worked closely together on many projects at Tanisha¡¯s school although they had the edge in terms of natural healing techniques.
His mood lightened up once Tanisha explained her plan in the potions she wanted to make. Seeing her logic he offered insight into the plants she wanted to use and offered alternatives that could have the effect without causing everyone to throw-up. He was a one of the Royal Knight healers and his knowledge far outstript hers on the subject flora and what it would do to people¡¯s bodies.
Jakob was a tall, nighthand wendigo with dark gray skin that almost blended in with the shadow in the fort. He wasn¡¯t as tall as Tanisha herself who had grown thanks to her transformation. His antlers were adorned with dull silver bands and Tanisha found herself looking at his crown longer than what was considered socially acceptable.
Tanisha turned her gaze away when she realized that he noticed her staring. His armor is sleek and functional, the royal knight insignia etched onto the breastplate, but it¡¯s lighter than most, designed for mobility rather than combat. His gauntlets and helmet are off, revealing the dexterous hands of a healer, stained with herbs and salves instead of blood.
Identify
Name: Jakob Thinne
Species: Wendigo
Level: 65
Vocation: Nature Mage
The border fort had a medical ward and a rudimentary lab which Tanisha and Jakob quickly set up in. Joha and Bjorn joined them but just to observe and not get in the way of the two. Tanisha found working with Jakob refreshing as he was extremely knowledgeable in his field. Normally she worked alone although more recently she had been teaching Adelheid. It was her first time since she left the Lavi that she could work with a peer.
Tanisha¡¯s fingers trembled slightly as she adjusted the flame beneath the cauldron, the bubbling liquid inside slowly turning a deep shade of indigo. The scent of herbs¡ªearthy and sharp¡ªfilled the air, mingling with the tang of smoke from the smoldering brazier nearby. Jakob worked preparing other ingredients; his movements were confident, precise, and efficient, something that Tanisha hoped she emulated in some capacity.
¡°Careful with the Yvenroot,¡± Jakob said, his voice calm but firm. ¡°It¡ is quite volatile and can react violently if the temperature shifts too fast.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Tanisha said, more to herself than to Jakob. ¡°The alkaloids in Yvenroot enhance the absorption of the other ingredients. It¡¯s just... tricky to balance.¡± She turned to her familiar. ¡°Bjorn, don¡¯t breathe this in, okay, Big Man?¡±
Bjorn nodded his heads adorably, so she carefully measured the shredded pieces of the Yvenroot before tossing them into the mix. Jakob grunted in approval, his gaze shifting to Joha, who was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching them with a bemused expression. Tanisha knew he joined them out of curiosity, but she couldn¡¯t lie to herself that she was enjoying seeing him so out of his depth.
During training he was the master and I am the one that is always painfully far behind, but here it is my domain and I can do something Father can''t.
¡°Father?¡± Tanisha said silently to herself, eyes opened slightly wider at the admission. ¡°What am I thinking?¡±
She looked up at Joha for a second. He was still standing there watching, but now she was feeling the pressure of that gaze. He had told her he was proud of her, what if she messed up? She can¡¯t go around just calling him dad just because he took her in and is training her, and teaching her how to be a merchant and fighting with and for her and¡
¡°Tincture of Veran¡¯s Eye,¡± Jakob said, passing her the powdered root. ¡°It¡¯s temperamental too. So add it slowly. I will trust your judgment on how much is required. It is what I suggested we could use to replace hidry.¡± He lazily flipped through one of his herbology books on the table. The chemical composition is here on this page.¡±
Tanisha took the jar, nodding, though her brow furrowed as she processed the information. She had to take a second to get her head back into what she was working on. She read the page although she had done so four times already before she agreed to change out the hidry for the new ingredient.
¡°The binding is critical for the transference of healing magic, isn¡¯t it?¡± Tanisha said thoughtfully. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have done it this way since I don¡¯t know how to use healing magic.¡±
¡°Right, demons often can¡¯t use magic.¡± Jakob said absently. ¡°The Veran¡¯s Eye stabilizes the essence of the chemical spellform we are making. Without it, the potion won¡¯t hold the desired effects once I infuse the final product.¡±
Tanisha glanced over to Joha, who stood off to the side, arms crossed and a look of complete bewilderment on his face.
Joha raised an eyebrow. ¡°So... why exactly does it matter if the root binds or not? Can¡¯t you just... throw it all in?¡±
Tanisha chuckled softly, giving him a sympathetic smile. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that simple, Joha. Think of it like trying to make a sword. You can''t just melt down steel and hope it becomes a blade.¡±
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Joha frowned. ¡°Venomous nectar? Why use something like that?¡±
¡°It was veran not venom,¡± Tanisha corrected. ¡°And we used it because of how potent it is. But one mistake, and¡ª¡±
¡°It¡¯ll kill you,¡± Jakob finished. ¡°That¡¯s why only experienced herbalists usually work with it. I¡¯ve seen too many young fools think they can skip a step and end up dead for it.¡±
Joha''s face turned to shock, ¡°It was poisonous? I thought you were making a cleansing potion.¡±
Tanisha turned her attention back to the cauldron, stirring slowly. ¡°Adding that was the easy part, Joha. The hard part was actually the iridescent cystweed,¡± she explained to Joha, her tone more serious. ¡°It¡¯s rare enough to find, but when boiled, it turns the mixture unstable if not timed perfectly with magic infusion.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why you added the whiteburn sap after, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jakob snapped a finger in realization. ¡°To stabilize it first.¡±
¡°What would have happened if she didn¡¯t?¡± Joha asked.
Tanisha glanced at Jakob knowingly before turning back to Joha. ¡°The sap neutralizes the volatility of the cystweed. Otherwise, the whole thing would¡¯ve... well, exploded by now.¡±
¡°Like that knife in the inn?¡± Joha asked as he unfolded his arms. ¡°I thought you were making a poison cleansing potion. Why is it explosive?¡±
¡°Knife in the¡¡± Tanisha¡¯s face flushed in embarrassment. ¡°I-it would have been explosive only if I messed up. Which I didn¡¯t! And can we not talk about the knife incident.¡±
Jakob gave an approving nod enraptured by the brew in the cauldron. ¡°You¡¯ve got a good instinct for this, Tanisha. Most wouldn¡¯t think to combine iridescent cystweed and whiteburn sap, but it makes sense. The sap¡¯s calming properties balance the wild energy of the cystweed perfectly.¡±
¡°I will wait out in the medical ward if you need me.¡± Joha said his deep voice faded as he turned around. ¡°I don¡¯t think I will be much help with your magic stew.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not a magic stew.¡± Tanisha yelled after him.
¡°Right, exploding magic stew, sorry.¡± Joha added with a wave.
***
Signe made it to the dungeon where they were holding the ghost-born woman. The prisoner processing area was carved deep into the mountain. The air here was thick and damp which only added to the oppressive feeling of claustrophobia. Chains clink faintly as a few ragged prisoners shift uncomfortably; most of the prisoners were humans caught breaking wendigo laws or smuggling contraband.
Signe hadn¡¯t realized this was where they would take the ghost-born woman and hoped she would still be willing to talk. The warden was a hulking figure, encased in dark, dented armor that made him seem more like an ancient sentinel than a mere guard. His eyes widened the moment he saw her, and he scrambled from his seat, bowing so low that his forehead nearly touched the ground.
¡°My Lady Signe Jet.¡± The man greeted reverently. ¡°Hail First Princess Sigrun.¡±
Without another word, he led her down the narrow corridor to where the ghost-born woman was being held.
The cell door creaked open, and there she was¡ªmotionless, sitting on her knees with an eerie, unnatural stillness. For a moment, Signe thought she was looking at a corpse. The woman''s body was so still that not even the faint rise and fall of her chest betrayed any sign of life. Her skin was pale, almost translucent in the dim flarestone light, and her scarlet eye somehow cold despite their ruby glow unblinking tracked Signe¡¯s every movement as she approached.
The woman wasn¡¯t a threat, but it was still unsettling to be in the presence of one of their kind in such a confined space. Her mind quickly reminded her: the ghost-born are living beings, just like demons. Odd, perhaps, but alive. No matter the situation she needed to get information about the attack and she claimed to have more information.
¡°Hello, my name is Royal Hand Signe Jet. Firstly, I would like to ask you for your name.¡±
She bowed her head slightly. ¡°Ah, hello, Lady Jet. My name is Tsukihana Fuyumi. Please, forgive my... um, not knowing your customs.¡± She said with some hesitation as if trying the words she was saying for the first time. ¡°If I say or do something... rude? Uncouth? It is not, uh, on purpose or with bad meaning¡ªjust because I don¡¯t know.¡±
Signe could tell by her accent that she was not used to speaking Valish. Her voice was soft, almost a whisper as she lifted her head and returned to an unnatural stillness.
¡°It is nice to meet you. I would like to discuss what you know of our enemies. First, can I take you somewhere more suitable for our discussion?¡±
¡°I will follow you, but I am not sure how... helpful?¡± Fuyumi stated in an even tone. ¡°My information will be soon. It looks like the... uh, bad people? The hostile ones have already... made their move.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Signe said in a sharp tone.
Fuyumi stood up and despite the grimy floor her white form and clothes were unblemished. ¡°Ah, they are... um, using chi no mah¨... uh, soil energy movement? They... dig under us, like¡¡± She animatedly does wide digging gestures with her hands, motioning downward. ¡°I don¡¯t know the word in Valish. The ones who do... mah¨¡ªah, magic!¡ªthey are making tunnels to attack from below.¡±
Signe''s eyes widened as she pieced together what Fuyumi was trying to say. They are digging through the ground? That shouldn¡¯t be possible; the enchantments they have on the border should prevent digging through the mountain. Signe walked to the nearest wall and placed a hand on it. She pulsed her mana through the stone and felt the enchantment echo back to her. Thousands of individual enchantments connected through a network of mana crystals each of which provided a host of protection or at least it should.
The toxin is not just affecting us. They are poisoning the defensive enchantment. They would have had to known what the defensive enchantment spellform to do something like this it should be impossible unless¡ fuck! The Nazem sank that low? That idiot give access to the enchantments to the fucking druids; the entire border is compromised.
¡°Thank you Fuyumi, you are free to go.¡± Signe said as she rushed out of the door. ¡°Warden, she is not a prisoner let her go.¡±
¡°Wait. I am... a warrior, but I don¡¯t know how to say... um, that we will fight together?¡± Fuyumi said.
¡°Not your fight, Fuyumi.¡± Signe said.
¡°I am mercenary to prove my battle prowess.¡± Fuyumi said.
Signe didn¡¯t stop walking. ¡°Fine, follow me, I won¡¯t say no to more warriors right now.¡±
WM [53] Sending a Message
The medical ward was filling up quickly with wendigo feeling the effect of the poison. Earlier the symptoms started out mild, nausea, dizziness and headaches. With only the normally stationed guards being hit with the effects while the enchantments on the royal knights armor held strong. Then there was a wave of power that Bjorn and everyone else could feel being carried throughout the air. It was like a trigger that caused the formerly mild symptoms to balloon into deadly extremes.
Only a few seconds after the trigger hit Bjorn could taste death in the air from guardsmen that weren¡¯t able to resist the now far deadlier poison. Tanisha and Jakob had to hurry and administer the antidote they concocted before more losses could pile up. They hurriedly went from guard to guard making sure they were given the correct dosage.
¡°Bjorn we are going to have company soon,¡± Failsafe said in alarm. ¡°I finally finished analyzing the strange magic you were picking up coming from the stone. It was geokinesis hidden under the blanket of the poison siege spell.¡±
¡°Do you know where they are coming from?¡± Bjorn asked as he quickly looked around hissing loudly.
¡°No. There is too much interference, but it is getting stronger. So they are close.¡±
¡°Gotcha, thanks!¡± Bjorn said as he ran over to Joha.
Druids are here. Digging underground. Bjorn scratched into the stone at Joha¡¯s feet.
Bjorn couldn¡¯t help but notice that carving a message was far easier than it had been before. Tasting the air he noticed that the enchantments on the stones were gone. When he had entered there were hundreds of different enchantments across the entire cavern system, but now he could barely pick up two. Before he could think further on it Joha had sprang to action.
¡°Everyone that can fight, get ready!¡± Joha roared. ¡°The druids are digging through the mountain!¡±
There was a moment of shock as the guards that received the cleansing potion scrambled to their feet. Tanisha and Jakob never stopped helping those facing the worst of the poison¡¯s effects; two more people died before the cleansing potion could help them.
There was a quake like a distant explosion that rocked the fort. It threw the less coordinated guards to the ground. Mere moments after the initial wave a second then third also rocked the mountain. The sound of fighting echoed through the corridors and everyone realized this was the assault.
***
Kara strode toward the gatehouse with an air of unyielding purpose, her silhouette cutting a solitary figure against the gloom of the border fortress. Alone and uncontested, she moved with a calm, deliberate stride. The guards, who moments ago had stood vigil at their posts, now lay crumpled at her feet, their bodies convulsing violently as foam spilled from their mouths, the lethal toxin her men unleashed silently melting their insides. They hadn¡¯t even had the chance to scream.
Her lips moved in a hushed chant, each syllable a thread of raw power woven into the air. Tendrils of green lightning crackled and hissed from her outstretched hand, searing the air with a deadly glow. The portcullis before her, an ancient and fortified barrier imbued with powerful enchantments, should have withstood any assault. However, Kara¡¯s machinations had come to fruition and the enchantments eroded beyond repair.
With a deafening crack, the arcane bolts slammed into the gate. For a moment, the air shimmered as the protective wards fought to hold¡ªonly to shatter in a brilliant cascade of emerald sparks. The spell''s energy surged forward, unstoppable. The iron gate groaned under the pressure before exploding outward, a burst of twisted metal and splintered wood.
Kara stepped forward, admiring her work with a satisfied smirk, when suddenly, two figures emerged from the shadows¡ªa pair of knights clad in gleaming armor, their insignias marking them as Royal Knights. One raised his hand, summoning a wall of flame that rushed toward her in a roaring wave that melted stone to slag, while the other called forth gusts of slicing of wind that whipped the flames into a deadly vortex.
Kara barely had time to react, diving to the side as the searing heat grazed her arm, leaving an angry burn on her skin. She hissed in pain but was quick to recover. Her daggers were already in her hands, their edges crackling with green lightning as she charged at the fire-wielding knight using blink to meet his own quick movements. He raised his sword to block, but Kara was faster¡ªhe was obviously slowing from the poison in the air. She slashed upward, her lightning-infused blade cutting through his defenses and striking his chest while not penetrating the armor. The electricity surged through him, lighting him up from within like a torch. His body spasmed violently before collapsing, lifeless.
Kara smiled wide, it wasn¡¯t just the defenses of the fort that were weakened, but also the armor¡¯s arcane protections had been eaten away without the knight¡¯s even knowing what was happening to them. The second knight, undeterred, conjured a gust of wind that sent Kara flying backward into the crumbling wall of the border. He moved in for the kill, his blade flashing as he aimed for her exposed side. Kara was quicker than he anticipated or he was slower thanks to the poison. She twisted out of the way, letting the blade skim past her. In a blur of motion, she closed the distance between them, her dagger finding the gap between his armor plates. With a shift of her arm she drove the blade into his ribs.
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The knight gasped, the air leaving his lungs in a ragged breath as the blade found its mark. She twisted the dagger, electricity crackling through his body. His legs buckled, and he crumpled to the ground, dead.
¡°Fucking piece of shit,¡± Kara spit.
Breathing heavily, Kara wiped the blood from her dagger, her arm still stinging from the burn, but she paid it little mind. Her work here wasn¡¯t done. She raised her hand, and a bolt of green energy shot forth, striking down the convulsing cannibal savages still writhing on the ground. She hadn¡¯t needed to destroy the gate or kill the guards¡ªit was a message, more than anything. She drew her energy into her leg as she stomped down onto the knight''s head denting in the armor after a few harsh stomps until she felt it give way and the head underneath splat.
Before she could fully savor her victory, the ground beneath her feet suddenly gave way. She had only a split second to react before she was swallowed by the earth, falling into the awaiting arms of Waddell as her men marched unseen into wendigo¡¯s border fortress.
¡°Commander. Well done,¡± Waddell said as he placed her on her feet. ¡°Phase two is complete. We have infiltrated the border fortress. The knights are the biggest threat as you predicted, most of the regular border guards are either dead or close to it.¡±
¡°Have you located the Hand?¡± Kara asked.
¡°No, not yet, but we are still facing resistance in places so I am sure she will show herself soon.¡± Waddell said.
¡°Fair enough,¡± she agreed. ¡°Men, we are moving into phase three. We are going to kill every last savage here.¡±
***
As chaos reigned outside, Bjorn could feel the tension inside the medical ward rise with every passing moment. The once quiet, sterile room now bustled with activity as wounded guards and Royal Knight¡¯s alike stumbled in, desperate for help. The air smelled of blood, sweat, and herbs as Tanisha and Jakob worked feverishly, administering antidotes to the poisoned. His sharp senses caught the soft groans of the injured and the hurried whispers of the few healers trying to keep up with the influx.
Those that received the poison cleansing potion were immune to the poison, but there were so few of them that the best bet became gathering as many people as possible to regroup before the poison or the druids killed them. Bjorn could hear the faint sounds of battle echoing from above¡ªclashes of steel, screams of agony, and the eerie hum of druidic spells. He felt a flicker of discomfort as he shifted on the cold stone floor, his body coiled in case of danger, his long tail thumping lightly. Tanisha moved quickly between patients, tense but focused.
The room¡¯s focus soon shifted as Joha, Jakob, and a tall, battle-hardened knight with long black hair¡ªhe was introduced as Sigvard¡ªgathered in a corner. His armor still bore the scars of his earlier encounter with the druids, but the poison had been cleansed from his system. Their voices rose above the murmurs of the wounded.
¡°We can''t wait any longer,¡± Sigvard growled, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. ¡°We¡¯re immune to the poison now, and the longer we stay here, the worse it¡¯s going to get. We need to re-engage the druids before they spread further into the mountain.¡±
Joha, pipe in hand, leaned against the wall, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the knight¡¯s urgency. ¡°Rushing out there without a plan will only get us all killed. You might be immune to the poison, but the druids still outnumber us, and their magic is unpredictable.¡±
Jakob, wiping sweat from his brow as he finished administering an antidote, interjected. ¡°Sigvard, Joha''s right. The druids didn¡¯t just poison the air¡ªthey¡¯ve tunneled through the mountain. We don¡¯t know where they¡¯ll come from next. We need to regroup with as many survivors as possible and move strategically.¡±
¡°Strategically? While our fortress falls apart?¡± Sigvard scowled. ¡°My duty is to protect the interests of the First Princess and kill those tree fuckers, not cower in the depths of a mountain.¡±
Tanisha, kneeling beside a wounded soldier, glanced up. ¡°And we will protect it, but not if we charge into battle without considering the people left behind. The antidote isn¡¯t in short supply, Jakob and I made enough for the entire fortress. If we don¡¯t get them together and treat them, they¡¯ll die.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t fight a war with a dozen soldiers and a handful of survivors scattered throughout the fortress. Tanisha¡¯s right. You need to gather your strength before you strike.¡±
Sigvard shook his head, pacing in frustration. ¡°Every second we spend here, more of my men die out there.¡±
¡°And every second we wait could save more lives,¡± Tanisha shot back, her voice calm but firm. ¡°The poison is everywhere, and without the antidote, people out there will be dead before we can even reach them. We don¡¯t have the luxury of splitting our forces. You came here to us, so help save more people.¡±
¡°So, what do you propose?¡± Sigbard asked incredulously. ¡°Sit here until the druids break down the doors?¡±
¡°No,¡± Joha said, stepping forward. ¡°We gather everyone we can. Use this ward as a central point to treat the poisoned and regroup. Once we have enough people¡ªthose immune and those strong enough to fight¡ªwe can strike back.¡±
Jakob nodded in agreement. ¡°If we fight now with our small numbers, we¡¯ll be wiped out. But if we regroup, we¡¯ll have a chance to reclaim the fortress and get to the spellcasters controlling the poison. They¡¯re close, I can feel it.¡±
Sigvard stopped pacing and turned to face the group, his eyes hard but resigned. ¡°Fine. But we don¡¯t wait too long. Once we have enough people, we hit them hard. We find those druids and we make them pay.¡± He turned to the rest of the ward. ¡°I need a reconnaissance team now! If you have already received the antidote, come here and get your orders. We are retaking the fort and saving our brothers and sisters.¡±
WM [54] Enchanter of the Seventh Circle
The fort was in near complete chaos, as druid geokinetics bore holes that ripped through the mountainside defenses. Tremor sent a cascade of dust and stone through the air, rattling the fortress walls like the slow heartbeat. From his position at the main entrance to the medical ward, Bjorn could feel the mountain¡¯s groan beneath his feet, a horrifying sign of a potential collapse.
The ward itself was a refuge, but also a trap. There were three entrances to the medical ward with people stationed at each entrance looking out for druid forces while reconnaissance teams headed by Sigvard went in search for survivors and taking opportunistic shots at druid forces. The laborantian fortress worked to the wendigo advantage as they were familiar with the purposefully confusing architecture.
Bjorn watched what was considered the main entrance to the medical ward alongside two of recently cleansed Royal Knights. The medical ward behind him was filled with the scent of sweat, blood, and the pungent tang of the cleansing potion. The soft glow of healing magic flickered in his peripheral vision as Tanisha and Jakob worked tirelessly, tending to the wounded. Healers moved between the rows of cots, their hands glowing as they worked, but it was a slow and draining process. Even magic couldn¡¯t reverse the damage done by the druids'' toxins fast enough to get everyone back into the fight.
Taking the potion didn¡¯t mean that they could instantly get up and fight again. Some people could and Bjorn and Failsafe it was because of their constitution. The faces of many others were pale skin and slick with sweat and their eyes filled with exhaustion, which told a grim story. Some would be out of the fight for days. Others might never get up again.
However, they also found plenty of people that would be able to take the fight to the druids. Over thirty warriors were combat-ready now, up from the dozen they had started with, but Bjorn wasn¡¯t sure it was going to be enough. The recon teams would be returning soon and then they could begin their real counter assault. The recon teams were their only hope¡ªif they returned with more survivors or if they could take out a key druid commander, it might shift the balance.
Another tremor shook the ground, and Bjorn¡¯s muscles tensed instinctively, his sharp gaze turning toward one of the walls of the ward. Cracks that were once insignificant now looked as if the wall might buckle. Luckily the wendigo forces had geokinetics mages of their own that quickly sprung into action to the damage. It was a patch job of course no one wanted to waste mana when they could be attacked at any moment and their mana reserves could be the difference between life and death.
¡°You don¡¯t think they are trying to collapse the fort, do you?¡± Bjorn asked Failsafe.
¡°What, no they definitely are. I thought it was obvious,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°Hundreds of millions of tons of mountain above the fort, why fight when you can just drop the enemies¡¯ own base on their heads?¡±
¡°Well, yeah, but they''re here too,¡± Bjorn said.
¡°They also have exit tunnels and three thousand years of pent up anger against the wendigo,¡± Failsafe said right as another tremor shook the ward. ¡°I am pretty sure everyone else has already figured that out.¡±
The sound of battle shook Bjorn from his conversation. Ahead of them in the corridor spells flew at an escaping wendigo part. At least twenty guards and fifteen knights all retreated down the hall, Koll and Sigvard alone defended the retreating party. Some of them are not able to walk on their own while having to rely on their fellow partners to retreat. At the same time another explosion rocked one of the other entrances to the medical ward and battle quickly ensued as druid spells went flying. Everyone was quick to react, Joha first amongst the counter assault; the ward was under siege and the druids had come in force.
***
Each step Signe took only filled her with more rage as she saw the bodies of comrades and friends slain in the halls of the fortress. Lillevenn had returned leading Signe, Fuyumi and Birger, the dungeon warden, to the source of the poison and hopefully the leadership of the druids. The air inside the fortress was thick with the scent of blood and burning ozone. Druid magic coursed through the stone walls, sending tremors through the mountain.
Lillevenn stopped at the entrance to the food court where flickering flare crystals cast deep shadows across the stone. Amidst the bedlam chanting could be heard echoing through the halls. They had found them, the druid poison caster. Signe didn¡¯t need to inspect the room before she entered, she already knew how many were present and where they were thanks to her bond with Lillevenn.
She stepped through the doorway Fuyumi on one side of her, ethereal and pale, her ghost-born features eerily calm, while the dungeon warden, clad in black metal armor and gripping his man-catcher polearm, stomped through heavily on her other side, his eyes piercings beneath his helmet. The chanting stopped as soon as they entered the destroyed space.
¡°It is about time you showed yourself,¡± a druid man said, he looked to be in charge. ¡°It looks like the poison had no effect on you. Shame, but with you here we can go ahead and cut the head off this little battle. Frode, report to Kara we found the Hand.¡±
¡°Sir,¡± a man said and disappeared into one of the many new tunnels through the mountain.
¡°As for the rest of you, kill them,¡± the man said as he picked up a map of the fortress from the table. ¡°I have work to do.¡±
The druid lieutenant wore a stern expression that read no nonsense as he pushed his glasses up on his nose. He was thin and definitely not the warrior type; he looked more like a tactician than a fighter. He walked casually into another tunnel with several of the druid soldiers trailing him and collapsing the tunnel after them. Signe didn¡¯t care, she looked around the room seeing the headless bodies of the fort guardsman and knights, some of them looked to have fallen in battle while others succumbed to the position and their bodies were mutilated.
¡°Lillevenn, find out where that man went and bring me his head,¡± Signe said with a detached coldness.
Her familiar slipped into her shadow vanishing as if he jumped into a black pool of ink.
From the dark tunnels ahead, the druids emerged, their forms cloaked in earthy greens and browns, their weapons drawn. There were six of them at first, moving with the predatory grace of hunters who had found their quarry. More figures loomed behind, reinforcements waiting in the wings. Their eyes gleamed with an arrogant confidence, and one among them, a tall druid with tattoos spiraling across his face, smirked as he stepped forward.
¡°Well, well, you guys heard Lieutenant Seffan,¡± the tall man drawled, his voice oozing contempt. ¡°The leader of this fortress, hiding like a frightened little loyi chick. A Royal Hand, of these cannibal savages no less,¡± he spat the title with venom, his companions chuckling darkly. ¡°Today we make history, boys. We kill a Hand."
As the man spoke more druids poured through the breach like a swarm of insects. The druids, charged with an animalistic roar. The first two darted forward, a mix of physical speed and Flash Step. They had spears in hand, their weapons gleaming with the sickly green light of druidic poison. Signe''s eyes narrowed slightly beneath her veil. She made no move to defend herself. The dungeon warden tensed, ready to intervene, but Fuyumi touched his arm.
¡°Watch,¡± Fuyumi said softly, her voice like a whisper carried by a cold wind.
There was no threat here for Signe, they might as well have been ants crawling into a lit blacksmith forge trying to extinguish a flame that melts steel with their bodies. She was a spellcraft mage with a specialty in enchanting and was in fact Yuhia¡¯s foremost leading expert reaching the highly respected Seventh Circle making her one of two wendigo grandmaster enchanters. While most believed that enchanters were not combat capable as their craft required specialized tools and material Signe refused that notion and challenged the very limits of what an enchanter could accomplish. She is the only wendigo in history to gain to become a War Enchantress. A feat that gained her just as many accolades on the battlefield as she had in academia.
Suddenly, with a sound like a thousand clock gears grinding to life, the air around Signe shimmered. Golden glyphs ignited across the surface of her black and gold robes, the intricate enchantments springing to life with a pulse of energy. Tiny clockwork devices¡ªher enchanted constructs¡ªappeared, floating and spinning in the air around her. Some resembled mechanical orbs with whirring gears, others like delicate wings, shimmering with magic. The constructs hummed, orbiting her in a precise, methodical dance.
The first druid was upon her. He thrust his spear forward, aiming for her heart. In a blur of movement, one of Signe¡¯s clockwork constructs shot out, deflecting the spear with a high-pitched clang. Another spun forward, cutting off both hands at the wrist effortlessly as the spear clattered to the floor. The druid barely had time to register his surprise before a third construct slammed into his chest, sending him flying back against the stone wall with a sickening crunch.
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The second druid tried to flank her, moving fast with a Blink, his blade aimed at her side. Signe didn¡¯t even glance in his direction. She lifted a single finger, and with a flick, sent a ripple her aura through the air. The druid froze mid-strike, suspended by barely visible invisible threads of energy. He struggled, his eyes wide with panic, but the magic held him in place. With a simple twist of her wrist, Signe shattered his body like glass sending bloody chunks to the floor.
Signe¡¯s voice was low, but it cut through the air like a blade. ¡°You are trespassers in the domain of the First Princess of Yuhia, rightful heir to the throne. Your lives were forfeit the moment you stepped foot in Yuhia. I, Hand Signe Jet of the Seventh Circle, enact your judgment. Now come, all of you. I will send you to where all of your kind belongs.¡±
Her voice was calm, too calm, the controlled anger of someone who was far beyond rage. She took a slow, deliberate step forward, the light catching on the gold accents of her black robes. The talismans hanging from her antlers jingled softly, as if responding to the crackling mana in the air. Her constructs, invisible for the moment, whirred softly around her, awaiting her command.
They rushed her all at once, six bodies moving in unison, weapons aimed at her heart, their druidic magic flaring to life as they attempted to overwhelm her. But Signe didn¡¯t retreat. She didn¡¯t need to. The first druid lunged with a blade coated in poison, aiming for her throat.
One of her constructs, no larger than a fist, zipped forward with blinding speed, intercepting the attack with a loud clang, deflecting the poisoned blade. Before the druid could react, another construct shot out and smashed into his head popping it like an egg with the sheer force of the blow.
Two more druids came at her from the sides, one wielding a curved sickle, the other chanting a spell to bind her. Signe''s hand moved faster than the eye could follow, fingers tracing a quick, complex pattern in the air. Enchanting the very space between her and her enemies using a technique she had coined long ago called Combat Enchanting. A glowing blue shield materialized before her, absorbing the sickle¡¯s strike with a flash of light. At the same time, her other hand flicked towards the spell-caster, a sharp, dismissive gesture that shattered his spell mid-cast, sending him stumbling backward in shock as the mana he was conjuring detonated in his face.
Her movement was fluid, graceful, and impossibly fast. She glided across the floor, evading every strike with the precision of a master. Her constructs darted in and out of the fray, disarming, deflecting, incapacitating with ruthless efficiency. The tall druid watched in growing disbelief as his comrades fell one by one. His sneer faltered as Signe dispatched them without so much as a bead of sweat. She moved like a wraith, untouchable, her black robes swirling around her as her constructs dealt death with cold precision.
One druid, braver or perhaps more foolish than the others, tried to cast a spell, drawing power from the earth beneath his feet. The ground rumbled, cracks forming as he attempted to summon a boulder to crush her. But Signe¡¯s hand moved faster. With a quick gesture, she drew a series of intricate symbols in the air, and a glowing blue magic circle appeared before her. The ground beneath the druid quivered, and in an instant, his own spell backfired, the stone he had summoned not only collapsing but exploding into him leaving him as little more than a grisly mess.
As the battle raged on, Signe¡¯s presence on the field became an unstoppable force. Her movements were a seamless blur of agility, dodging and weaving through spells and weapons with unnatural grace. Any attack that wasn¡¯t deflected or blocked by her constructs missed her by mere inches as she danced through the chaos. Her clockwork creations, spinning and slicing, cut deep into the druid ranks, sending splatters of green and crimson flying across the stone floors.
The edges of her veil, woven from black and gold silk, began to fray under the sheer pressure of the magic that coursed through her. It started with just a few threads¡ªsmall, almost insignificant. Then, in a burst of energy, entire sections of her robes tore away, scorched by the raw power surging through her body. The aura that had once been contained within her enchantments now flared wildly around her, bright and terrifying, bursting forth like a blazing inferno. It burned blue, the telltale sign of her concentrated mana, hot as the flames of a forge.
The enchantments on her robes, painstakingly designed to hold back her immense power, buckled under the strain. Signe could feel them failing as her fury rose, no longer able to restrain the torrent of energy she unleashed upon the battlefield.
What remained beneath her torn garments was not her bare form but something far more magnificent¡ªand far more frightening. Gleaming beneath the remnants of her robes was a masterpiece of magical artifice. Enchanted armor, etched with complex runes and sigils, covered her body like a second skin. It wasn¡¯t simply worn over her flesh; it was fused into it, seamlessly embedded into her very being. The armor, forged from dark metal and gleaming with the same gold accents that had once adorned her elegant robes, hummed with power.
Runes inscribed on her armored arms and chest pulsed softly, feeding into the magic swirling around her. Her body was no longer just flesh and blood¡ªit was a living enchantment, a weapon designed for absolute destruction. Where once had stood the refined and composed Royal Hand, a figure of diplomacy and grace, there was now something far more terrifying. This was not just a mage. This was the true face of a Royal Hand, an enchanter of immense and devastating power.
Signe turned slowly to face them, her calm, regal bearing unchanged as if this were just another day in the royal court. As the last piece of her veil burned away, her face was revealed¡ªa vision of angular maturity, her features elegant yet cold, as if carved from stone. Silver-streaked black hair cascaded around her face, framing her fierce, pupil-less eyes, which gleamed like pools of obsidian against her dark skin.
The remaining druids had terror in their eyes. They hesitated as they finally realized what they were up against. They saw a monster beyond any savage they had ever encountered before. Signe turned slowly to face them, her form highlighted by the soft glow of her enchantments.
The remaining druids scrambled to regroup. ¡°We can still take her!¡± one of them barked, desperation creeping into his voice. ¡°She''s just one woman!¡±
The tall druid, still clutching his staff, nodded grimly. ¡°Together!¡± he ordered, rallying his remaining comrades. ¡°We overwhelm her with magic¡ªshe can''t stop us all!¡±
They raised their hands in unison, chanting in a way that had their voices merging into a single, harmonious incantation. The earth beneath their feet trembled, and jagged tendrils of stone white hot stone and poisonous vines erupted from the ground.
Her hand flicked through the air, tracing intricate patterns faster than any of the druids could follow. Blue magic flared to life around her, a shimmering shield that effortlessly deflected the oncoming assault. The constructs with spinning blades shot forward, slicing through the tendrils with ease, their movements precise and deadly.
The druids¡¯ magic, powerful as it was, couldn¡¯t touch her. Their spells shattered against her defenses like waves crashing against an unyielding cliff. One of her constructs darted forward, spinning rapidly before launching itself toward the closest druid. It struck him square in the chest with a few Blinks she wasn¡¯t far behind. She struck a second man with a knife hand that tore through his armor and through his chest until her bloody arm reached through the other side. She threw the corpse to the ground.
One of them lunged at her, desperate, swinging his sword with all his might. She sidestepped effortlessly, her body moving faster than his eyes could follow. Another swung from the side, but Signe deflected the attack with a simple motion; she smacked the blade with her armored forearm sending his blade spiraling out of his hands she spun out of the way of a spear and kicked the disarmed druid in the face at the same time sending him to the ground.
As she landed she had drawn a new glowing enchantment and pressed the magical circle against the chest of one another druid, this one a female. Her body convulsed as the magic surged through her. She gasped as her vitality was rapidly drained in a matter of seconds. She was dead before her head hit the floor.
The final two druids faltered, fear overtaking them, but it was too late. The tall druid that so casually insulted her earlier turned to run. He wasn¡¯t fast enough and with a flick of her finger, the remaining constructs sliced through them, clean, surgical, precise.
Signe stood in the center of the corridor, her once-pristine robes now in tatters, revealing the full extent of her enchanted armored body and the glyphs etched into her skin. The air around her crackled with the residual power of her enchantments, and the stillness that followed was deafening.
¡°That was¡ I-I am at a loss for words.¡± Birger stuttered as he bowed in reverence. ¡°Royal Hand Jet, I feel unworthy to have even seen you fight. I beg you in our next engagement let me show you my capabilities.¡±
In a second a fresh set of Royal Hand Robes covered Signs body from one of the many she had in her personal magic storage inventory.
¡°I would ask the same,¡± Fuyumi said with a monotone chill.
¡°Yes, it would be for the best.¡± Signe agreed. ¡°I can not use up all of my mana before securing the border. Currently we do not know how many of these creatures have invaded. I acted out of anger. From here on I will be relying on both of you to prove yourselves.¡±
There was a large tremor that rocked the fortress as the sound of collapsing tunnel reverberated throughout every corridor. The quake was a bad sign that part of the fortress was collapsing. Signe remembered the druid lieutenant with the map of the fort. She then looked at the tunnels the druids had carved into this one room alone. It was certainly more than they needed. A realization hit her. They were going to collapse the fort. Without the enchantment that once strengthened the mountain it wouldn¡¯t take long to bury everyone alive.
¡°It looks like you all are going to have to defend me.¡± Signe said as she looked around at the now many cracks running throughout the floors, walls and ceiling. ¡°I have to remake the enchantment holding this place together or no one is getting out of here.¡±
¡°Can you do that?¡± Birger asked out of admiration, not doubt.
¡°Yes, but I will take time and I cannot be interrupted.¡± She turned to the two of them. ¡°Birger, Tsukihana Fuyumi prepare yourselves. We will have more company soon.¡±
WM [55] Everything Went Dark
When the Druids attacked they came in force. The medical ward was under siege from all sides. Time almost seemed to slow down as Tanisha took in the scene from the kneeling position as she finished administering the cleansing potion to another knight. Joha had already sprung into action and it looked like Sigvard had returned with more men that needed to be treated right away.
In her black-and-gold armor, Tanisha stood out starkly against the royal knights¡¯ standard blue steel and purple tabards. She wore neither her helmet nor her gauntlets, prioritizing her dexterity and precision as she worked with patients. She felt torn; the familiar urge to fight surged through her veins, even as she continued tending to the wounded.
There was a choice, join in the fight and let those that desperately needed to be treated die or trust in Joha, Bjorn and the soldiers she had already helped to defend themselves. Her cernunnos blood craved the conflict, she wanted to fight, kill and grow stronger. She could feel Valkyrja, the part of her that yearned for carnage and strength, stirring within. It was her rational mind that fought against it, reminding her that Joha was right, she didn¡¯t have to be a soldier.
she looked over the injured, grounding herself with a new sense of purpose. Being the Chooser of the Slain wasn¡¯t just about who would die; it was also about who would live. With a renewed resolve, Tanisha grabbed another potion from her inventory, watching as Jakob and the other healers moved with desperate urgency. They had healing magic, but she had her potions and knowledge, and so far, they¡¯d been a formidable team, saving as many as they could.
She nodded to herself feeling more affirmed in this role. Today this is where Valkyrja belongs, Tanisha thought to herself as she moved on to the next person that needed her help.
¡°Tanisha,¡± Jakob¡¯s voice cut through the noise as he pointed toward another pair of incoming soldiers.
¡°I am on it,¡± Tanisha said as she used Arcane Shift.
She reappeared beside a knight carrying another soldier, the latter barely clinging to consciousness. Tanisha wasted no time, pulling the injured man¡¯s arm over her shoulder, surprising the knight for a brief moment. He quickly fell into step with her as they moved the man to the healers.
¡°Set him down here,¡± Tanisha instructed. ¡°Have you gotten a cleansing potion?¡±
Neither knight had received the potion, but the one that carried the other had much higher resistance to the poison. Tanisha still insisted on giving him the potion correcting his dosage to his constitution as to limit the side effects. As soon as he took the tonic he was gone to join in the fight. The other man was far worse off. He would have to take several doses over the course of a few minutes if he was going to pull through.
¡°Don¡¯t close your eyes, whatever you do stay awake,¡± Tanisha said as she propped him up against a chair. ¡°You received the first dose, but you have to stay awake to take the second.¡±
¡°Thank you, thank the Forest Father,¡± the man said as his eyes were glassy but awake with recognition.
***
Bjorn hissed loudly as he avoided a spear aimed to pierce his side. The druid¡¯s advance was halted by a retaliatory swipe of Bjorn¡¯s tail which hit with such force that it sent the man flying. Bjorn didn''t waste time watching where his opponent landed; he had to focus on avoiding an assassin who suddenly Blinked behind him, brandishing a sword coated in the same druidic poison that tainted the air.
¡°Bjorn I think right now is a good time to use the new ability we got!¡± Failsafe said.
Aetheric Scales
You have felt the power of your master¡¯s aura and mantle and embraced the influence of the chain breaker. The power you felt now resides within you. Call forth the power that defends you from harm. Harden your scales with the aetheric touch. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your master. This ability is tied to your master, should your master die or reject your bond you must reclaim her soul or you will lose this ability.
A shimmering array of symbols and magic circles danced across Bjorn¡¯s body, mirroring the intricate formulae tattooed on Tanisha. The magic circles faded as quickly as they had appeared, leaving his scales polished and gleaming, like freshly waxed armor. Immediately after the sword struck his side with an audible clang unable to penetrate the scales which left the assassin momentarily confused and vulnerable. He didn¡¯t have to worry for long though, as Bjorn''s left head struck his neck and ripped out his throat.
The most impressive fight was surprisingly not Joha¡¯s, but instead Koll the Royal Knight Commander which had some type of contraption on his face Bjorn had never seen before. It had small gears and pistons which seemed to move with Koll¡¯s breathing. The man was a darkness mage and possibly the most skilled person Bjorn had ever seen in real combat. Although that might have only been because he had only seen Sigrun and Ingrid exchange a single strike.
His fighting style was also unique. Loki, the only other darkness mage Bjorn knew, specialized in summoning shadow constructs while keeping his distance. Koll was a master of teleportation and hex magic, while also being a close quarters swordsman. He was unstoppable with a sword in his primary hand and a sword breaker as his main-gauche. Bjorn could taste the power behind Koll¡¯s aura as he used True Teleportation, something only darkness mages could do, to causally jump between druids, disrupting chants, closing geomancy tunnels and even opportunistically killing druids that were too bold in their assault.
Alongside Koll, Joha and Sigvard wreaked havoc on the druids¡¯ ranks, efficiently dismantling any breach in the defenses. Bjorn held his own, striking with teeth, claws and tail, but he knew he couldn¡¯t match the devastating synergy of the three veterans. It didn¡¯t take long for the druids to realize the medical ward was far better defended than anticipated. The attackers fell back, retreating to avoid further losses.
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As the last of the druids fled or fell to Koll¡¯s blade, a tense silence settled over the ward. Koll¡¯s commanding presence radiated authority as he began organizing the knights and border guards to re-secure entrances and collapse the druids¡¯ tunnels. His prowess had been on full display, bolstering the morale of the men and solidifying his reputation as a warrior feared and respected among wendigo. It was the nature of the wendigo to respect the powerful and he was amongst the strongest Bjorn had ever seen.
It was then that Bjorn noticed Adelheid, the wifwolf, standing vigilant among the knights. Somehow, in the chaos, her presence had gone unnoticed, overshadowed by Koll¡¯s display of power. In her wolf form, her silver fur was matted with blood from multiple wounds, yet she remained on high alert, awaiting Koll¡¯s next command as if she were one of the knights herself.
Suddenly, a violent quake rocked the medical ward. Two of the passageways collapsed, sending rubble raining down. Bjorn leaped back, barely avoiding the debris that crashed into the entrance he had been guarding. The tremor left only one route out of the ward, and wendigo geokinetics quickly moved to secure and reinforce it, channeling their mana into fortifying the tunnel.
¡°Everyone!¡± Koll¡¯s voice cut through the chaos. ¡°Prepare yourselves. We are leaving the fortress. Healers, get ready to move the patients who cannot walk. Everyone else, form up. I need geokinetics at the front, middle, and rear of the formation. The recon team will be led by Sigvard. VIPs Tanisha, Joha, and Bjorn are to be secured in the center of the formation. These individuals are to be protected at all costs by order of First Princess Sigrun.¡±
There was a notable shift as everyone rushed to fulfill Koll¡¯s orders. Tanisha called Bjorn over and he rushed to her side. She was in the middle of placing a man on a stretcher. He had lost his leg in the battle and the healers didn¡¯t have the mana reserves to reattach it while also handling the other injured people.
¡°Bjorn, I am happy you are okay. Please help me get people up and moving,¡± Tanisha said solemnly.
He nodded and quickly moved to help some of the patients by offering his body as a hand hold for them or picking them up with his long tail. The process was slow going as some of the new people were in critical condition because of the poison. Cleansing them was underway, but there would be a long road to recovery for many of them if they survived today at all.
¡°Adelheid you¡¯re okay,¡± Tanisha said.
Once everyone that Bjorn could assist was tended to he returned to Tanisha. Adelheid had already joined her. She converted back into her humanoid form as her larger wolf form was too big. Bjorn sat beside them as they talked.
¡°Yeah,¡± Adelheid responded bashfully. ¡°It was rough there for a second though. If it wasn¡¯t for Koll and Sigvard I wouldn¡¯t be here. I was surprised you weren¡¯t fighting.¡±
¡°I was needed here,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°Look. I wanted to apologize for what I said.¡±
¡°Apologize for what?¡± Adelheid questioned.
Tanisha averted her eyes. ¡°About, you know, saying I still want to kill you. I don¡¯t, by the way. It''s just¡ confusing.¡±
Adelheid chuckled softly. ¡°We didn¡¯t meet on the best terms. In fact, I don¡¯t think there could¡¯ve been worse terms. I¡¯m truly sorry about that. The fact you don¡¯t outright despise me is insane. When you and Joha took me from my pack, I thought for sure one of you would torture and kill me for what we did. But you haven¡¯t¡ªalthough Joha¡¯s training kind of feels like torture sometimes.¡± She grinned, and the two laughed together, the tension easing between them.
After a moment, Adelheid¡¯s tone grew more thoughtful. ¡°I hope when all this is over, we can put it behind us. Maybe not as friends because, honestly, I don¡¯t deserve that, but at least not as enemies.¡±
¡°I think it has something to do with how wendigo are as to the reason I don¡¯t hate you. We respect the strong, it is part of our culture, and something more.¡± Tanisha said seriously. ¡°When Joha and I leave. I won¡¯t be coming back for a few decades. I don¡¯t, I mean, will you still be¡ uh¡ around? Eh¡ alive? I don¡¯t know how long your people live.¡±
¡°Oh, uh, about seventy years, but my people usually hunt until our Last Hunt so it varies wildly. On our Last Hunt we become one with He Who Hunts, our Divine. So, I¡¯ll still be around. No monsters taking me out for a long time. Unless you plan on being gone for fifty years or something, you can meet my grandkids. You could tell them how we met and all this craziness.¡±
¡°Well then, I¡¯d like to tell them I met a friend,¡± Tanisha replied, her voice steady with newfound resolve. ¡°I forgive you. Despite how we met, I¡¯d be happy to call you a friend.¡±
Adelheid blinked back tears as she pulled Tanisha into a hug, holding on a little longer than she might have otherwise. As they pulled away, she quickly wiped her face, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Clearing her throat, she grumbled, ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone that I cried.¡±
Tanisha smirked. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t want your grandkids to know you were a big softy? I think they¡¯d love it.¡±
Adelheid started, ¡°You know what, I©`¡±
The mountain trembled as druidic magic surged through the stone, crackling with raw power. Suddenly, the roof above them erupted with an explosion of rock and force, sending chunks of stone and debris hurtling down. Geokinetics stationed below reacted instantly, straining to hold the fractured ceiling at bay and keeping massive boulders suspended over the startled crowd.
Two figures descended from the shattered ceiling, shrouded in dust and rubble. A woman¡¯s voice sliced through the chaos with cold authority. ¡°So, this is where they¡¯ve been hiding. Waddell, you have my approval to unleash your power. Kill them all.¡±
¡°Finally,¡± Waddell said, cracking his neck with a slow, satisfied grin. ¡°Let¡¯s put these savages down.¡±
In an instant, Koll, Joha, and Sigvard sprang into action, their movements a blur as they closed the gap between them and the intruders. Before they could strike, the towering druid¡ªa behemoth of a man, larger than anyone Bjorn had ever seen¡ªseized Sigvard and Joha by their necks with brutal ease. Sigvard gasped, his struggle cut short as the druid¡¯s grip tightened and his throat gave way with a sickening crunch. He released the lifeless body, letting it fall like discarded prey, and turned his attention to Koll, swatting his sword aside with a molten rock-covered hand that sizzled with heat and druid magic.
Joha fought desperately, striking the druid¡¯s arm and torso, each punch sending shockwaves of maya rippling outward and knocking nearby fighters off their feet. Waddell¡¯s grin only widened, reveling in Joha¡¯s defiance. With sinister deliberation, he raised Joha higher, his fist coiled back like a spring, then struck. The impact echoed like a thunderclap as Joha¡¯s body hurtled across the chamber, crashing into the distant wall with a bone-rattling force that left cracks spidering out from the impact site.
Bjorn''s roar reverberated through the cavern, fueled by sheer rage. Aether surged within him, crackling and coiling in his middle head, ready to unleash a torrent of power. Failsafe''s voice echoed in the back of his mind, a frantic warning about the unpredictability of the unknown Aetheric Breath, especially with allies nearby¡ªbut Bjorn was far past caring.
Just as he was about to release the attack, a figure stepped into view from behind Waddell. A woman, her form shrouded in arcs of green electricity that licked the air. She raised a wand in his direction, her smile was a dagger¡¯s edge, sharp and merciless. Bjorn had only a moment to lock eyes with her before everything went dark.
WM [56] Hydra Fire
Kara found herself in a tunnel widened by Waddell to serve as the command post. Light crystals illuminated the space as Kara looked over one of the many maps the reconnaissance team acquired from the enemy. The border fortress was vast and extended throughout the mountain. Which made finding all of the wendigo stragglers a hassle. Their poisons had already done its work on weakening the defense and soon the mountain would collapse in on the remaining wendigo.
It didn¡¯t please Kara, she wanted to kill the Hand personally. Although she knew she was no match for any wendigo Hand in a direct confrontation. They had a contingency planned for that eventuality. Waddell was currently undergoing the Ritual of Roots. The final part of their plan, and a one way street for Waddell once it was done.
Despite Kara¡¯s protests against it, this would be Waddell¡¯s grave as well. For every person that died while they were in the effect of the poison, regardless if they were wendigo or druid, a portion of their power would become Waddell¡¯s to control. It was a temporary boost, one that would cost his vitality until there was nothing left of him. However, with it Waddell would be able to fight the Hand on an even playing field.
Kara looked over at Waddell who was sitting crossed-legged in the center of a circle of chanting wizards as they directed the lingering power into him. His already muscular form growing larger, his veins pulsing with energy as he consolidated the new arcane power he was being granted. She appreciated his resolve but was saddened what this would mean for the valiant warrior she had come to know.
A soldier approached her, snapping her out of her reverie. ¡°We found a holdout of wendigo. They are in the medical ward,¡± the soldier continued, with her hand on her heart. ¡°Our forces were pushed back. It appears they created some kind of potion to heal their people. Several strong individuals were standouts. We believe the Royal Knight Commander is amongst them. We also identified a tiger demon, and the same chimera familiar that led the werewolves and monsters to our old base.¡±
¡°It is here? Is it a familiar of one of the knights?¡± Kara questioned. ¡°Unimportant, have you heard anything from Lieutenant Steffen?¡±
¡°No, but.¡± She seemed hesitant. ¡°We have found members of his squad in one of the tunnels. All of them were beheaded. It wasn¡¯t clean, likely the work of a familiar.¡±
Kara was careful not to show her shock, she needed to remain stoic as the commander. ¡°Are there signs that the wendigo have started using our tunnels?¡±
¡°No,¡± the soldier said.
Kara sighed and looked over the maps in front of her. ¡°Where is the Royal Knight Commander, point him out on the map? If we can¡¯t find the Hand she has either fled like a coward or is up to something, either way we will be moving on to the final phase of the plan. Get everyone through the escape tunnels into the Chaos Lands.¡±
¡°What about you ma¡¯am?¡± the soldier asked.
Kara¡¯s eyes flicked to Waddell, her resolve hardening. ¡°I¡¯ll leave when it is done.¡± She raised her voice, calling out to Waddell. ¡°Lieutenant! Enough of your meditating. It¡¯s time we finished this. We have wendigo to slaughter!¡±
Waddell¡¯s eyes snapped open, dark green energy still pulsing through him as he rose, ready to unleash devastation on their enemies.
¡°Here, I thought you forgot about me Commander,¡± Waddell said with a smile. ¡°I am with you.¡±
***
Kara watched as Waddell effortlessly tore holes through the mountain with his magic. Tons of stone forced apart as they positioned themselves over the last stronghold of the wendigo savages. Once he was ready he gave her the signal as he placed a hand on the ground. Mana pulsed out of him causing the stone to ripple like waves in a pond. Then it all collapsed downward and the stone beneath them gave way. The cursed feeling of wendigo magic caught some of the collapsing ceiling but unlucky wendigo were crushed beneath the explosive falling debris.
Kara readied herself as she landed behind Waddell who stood like an impenetrable wall. She was already whispering her spell wand in hand and ready to lash out at her target. Then she was thrown to the ground suddenly as Waddell was attacked on all sides simultaneously. He grabbed two people out of the air with speed that had she not witnessed she would have thought impossible. One was a wendigo royal knight; he was crushed in seconds. The other was the tiger demon, still struggling in Waddell''s grasp. The mere fact he was still alive sent shivers down Kara¡¯s spine. If they attacked without the Ritual of Roots that demon alone could have killed them easily.
The demon struggled with blows that rang out with demonic maya, each attack carried an explosive pressure that would have crushed boulders. Despite the power behind the strikes he could not free himself while Waddell defended himself from the Royal Knight Commander. However, as soon as Waddell got the opportunity he punched the demon so hard he went flying. That is when Kara saw her target. The little bastard of a familiar that put them in this situation to begin with. She knew it was dangerous and if left unchecked would only become a bigger threat. She raised her wand and unleashed her magic. A green bolt of energy shot out striking where the monster was with explosive force.
Before Kara could confirm the kill Waddell had to throw magic throughout the entire ward keeping the Royal Knight Commander at bay with spikes of jagged stone and streams of molten rock. There was no safe haven for the wendigo as they collectively were forced to retreat or die. The Ritual of Roots put Waddell on a time limit, but until his vitality burned out, he was at the same power as any wendigo Hand. Many of them fell as the battle between Waddell and the Knight Commander intensified.
The ward was a larger space than Kara had envisioned. The collapsed roof and the ongoing battle separated her from Waddell and also hid her from sight of the larger wendigo defensive. She knew she had to move, not just to take advantage of the opportunity to kill any healers or downed wendigo, but also to not get caught in the brawl. She was nowhere near powerful enough to stand close to the battle as it unfolded.
She found the first of her wendigo sacrifices, they were unsuspecting soldiers that were too injured to fight back. Their deaths would empower Waddell further, but Kara knew that was an excuse, she would kill them regardless. She spoke the words of power and shot lightning from her wand frying the men and women to charr. She couldn¡¯t wait until she found their healers and soon they would die too.
She found another wendigo man unconscious between rubble. She raised her wand ready to end his life, but before she could her instincts told her to duck. A claw passed through the space her head would have been. A wifwolf had joined the battle and her strike was poised to take off her head. Kara dodged again, this time flipping back and putting her wand away taking out her twin daggers as electricity coursed through them. She wasn¡¯t in the mood to play with dogs.
The wifwolf lunged again, a blur of claws and fangs enhanced by her Flash Step. Kara kept her composure, sidestepping with practiced precision as she parried with her electrified daggers. She anticipated the wifwolf¡¯s moves, ducking under a swipe and driving one dagger into her bicep, then thrusting the other between her ribs. The electricity surged through the wifwolf, making her snarl in pain, but before Kara could capitalize, the wifwolf kicked back, forcing them apart. She stumbled but regained her balance just as the ground beneath them trembled violently.
The ground shook as the fight between Waddell and the royal knights reached a new peak. The Royal Knight Commander¡¯s darkness magic and Waddell¡¯s geokinetic power shook the mountain, threatening to collapse the fort before they were ready. Waddell was expending magic to keep himself in the fight while also defending himself from the knights and guards that joined in the battle. Little did they know the more of them he killed the stronger he became.
Kara had to turn her attention back to the wifwolf who was bleeding profusely. The fight wouldn¡¯t last much longer, then Kara could get back to slaughtering wendigo. Her eyes flicked over to see that the chimera beast was standing. Someone had jumped in the way of her attack and protected it. At first she looked like a wendigo, but the tail, ears and aura were all wrong. She was something else, another demon perhaps, Kara didn¡¯t know.
The chimera scales still smoked from the lightning strike he barely survived, and the demoness¡¯ armor bore scorch marks. The demoness turned around, her golden eyes looking on to Kara with single minded fury. She still couldn¡¯t stand on her own and needed to use the chimera as a crutch.
Kara smirked as she turned back to the wifwolf, a spell formulating on her lips to kill the mutt. Suddenly there was a roar which radiated magic from the direction of the chimera. For the briefest moment Kara couldn¡¯t move, her forming spellform failed and the backlash was instant. Her magic became directionless and volatile, seeking an escape, it tore ruthlessly through her body. Green bolts of energy ripped their way out from her core. She fell to her knees and coughed up blood mixed saliva as she stabilized her mana.
She was in a bad position, it was only by pure luck that the wendigo attacking Waddell hadn''t spotted her while she was incapacitated. She looked around to see if anyone else was targeting her. It took a few Blinks for her to get distance from anyone that might pursue her. She collapsed against a stone spike, the remnants of a previous battle. A new development grabbed her attention as a black mist started to envelop the area. At first it was barely noticeable to Kara¡¯s senses, then it became darker and more of a void to her magic senses. It was maya and it was everywhere, it oozed over the terrain, devouring the light and casting an oppressive, soulless shadow over the chaos. Kara collected herself pushing her aura out and separating herself and her space from the infernal energy.
The tiger demon was still alive. Kara¡¯s eyes watched as maya poured from his mouth like a waterfall. However, she couldn¡¯t watch what he was doing. Her attention was instantly brought back to the wifwolf who had recovered enough to engage again.
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¡°Fuck, I waited too long.¡± Kara said to herself.
The wifwolf was the first to move. In a blur of motion, the wifwolf was upon her, claws ready to tear her apart. Kara pushed herself to stand without the assistance of the spike and shifted her stance. She lifted her living wood prosthetic arm in a desperate move to meet the attack. Her core hadn¡¯t fully calmed so when she called on her magic electricity surged out from her prosthetic arm violently scorching the wood as it arched toward her attacker, but the wifwolf twisted in midair, barely avoiding the lethal strike. Kara backpedaled, her prosthetic arm absorbing the impact of the wifwolf¡¯s claws with a resonant thud. She was nearly thrown to the ground but caught herself and jumped back to avoid another strike.
From the corner of her eye, Kara saw that the demoness had recovered and had entered the battle, muttering under her breath. The air around her warped, solidifying into the form of¡ well, actually¡ whatever spell she cast vanished from Kara¡¯s magical perceptions. The demoness then pulled a great saber from some sort of inventory item and tossed it into the air. The weapon moved on its own, slashing down toward Kara with a force that would have cleaved her in two. Kara swung her daggers, deflecting the blow with a surge of green lightning, but the blade pressed the attack relentlessly. The sword was dangerous but predictable in its movements as compared to a real fighter.
¡°Clever,¡± Kara admitted.
The demoness vanished just to reappear to her right. Kara¡¯s eyes widened as she twisted to avoid the swinging new weapon, a bardiche that appeared as a flash. She then had to deflect the great saber with her daggers. The Demoness was relentless, the force of her attacks nothing special, but there was skill behind her training. Still she was a novice while Kara had been fighting and training for over fifty years. It didn¡¯t take long for her to see the patterns in the demoness¡¯s movements and dismantle her fighting style. All she needed was an opening and she would plunge her daggers into the gaps of the armor and kill her.
When she clashed with electrically charged daggers against the saber, whatever magic was causing it to attack on its own dispersed leaving the demoness open. Instead of retreating, the demoness surprised her by dismissing the bardiche into her magic inventory and squaring up in an unarmed stance, her eyes narrowing with focused intensity. Kara raised her daggers, prepared to end it, but the demoness¡¯s movements had shifted; they were faster, more precise, and significantly more dangerous than before. It was obvious that this was the true nature of her unorthodox fighting style.
While she moved her magic emulated maya, flowing from her mouth with every breath. Her punches and kicks left shockwaves of power which flowed outward with every attack. A rapid series of jabs and sweeping kicks forced Kara to backpedal and dodge even when out of range of her limbs. She barely parried a swift uppercut with the flat of her dagger, feeling the reverberation run up her arm. The demoness matched her speed and Blink with her odd teleportation skill. The fight became a deadly dance of who would land the first strike. Kara grit her teeth, adjusting her stance to match the demoness¡¯s unorthodox rhythm.
A low feint from the demoness was followed by a spinning kick aimed at Kara¡¯s side. She parried it with her prosthetic arm, using the momentum to twist and slash her daggers downward. She managed to land a glancing blow on the demoness¡¯s armor, just below the shoulder and drawing first blood in the joint. There was a sudden flare of light, and Kara recoiled as a swarm of silver-gold ethereal feathers erupted from the armor itself, shooting toward her like a barrage of arrows. It wasn¡¯t an enchantment but something else, an infusion.
Kara spun away, evading most of the feathers, though a few grazed her, tearing through her cloak and glancing off her own armor. Her eyes widened; the demoness had more tricks up her sleeve than she¡¯d thought. This wasn¡¯t going to be a straightforward fight. As the last feather whizzed past her, she gathered her composure and steadied herself, a new spell already forming on her lips. If the demoness wanted to fight dirty, Kara would answer in kind.
Kara didn¡¯t hesitate and sheathed one of her daggers. Though her core was still unstable and her magic unpredictable, she began to chant, her voice low and steady as she crafted a spell. To her surprise, the demoness mimicked her, repeating the words with a determined expression. Kara scoffed at the attempt. Demons couldn¡¯t wield mana, and even if they could, casting a spell without knowing its effects was foolish. She pressed on, focusing on the gathering energy, and finished her chant, a glowing sphere of crackling arcane energy forming in her hand.
Mirroring her, the demoness somehow conjured a similar orb of power. Kara narrowed her eyes. Was this creature actually copying her magic? Whatever the demoness¡¯s intentions, they were about to backfire. Without hesitation, she hurled her spell, and the demoness did the same. The two balls of energy collided mid-air, releasing a blinding explosion of arcane lightning.
Kara was forced back, but she kept her footing, only skidding a few steps before stabilizing. The demoness, however, bore the full brunt of the impact. Her hastily assembled spell was no match for Kara¡¯s experience and power. The force sent her flying backward, slamming her into a stone wall with a resounding crack.
Kara could finally feel her core stabilize and with it her confidence rose as well. She moved like a predator, her daggers glowing with lethal energy. She was back in control as it should have been from the start. The wifwolf snarled and launched herself at Kara again, claws flashing in the emerald light. This time, Kara caught her mid-swing. A surge of electricity wrapped around the mutt''s body, holding her in place as Kara clenched her fist. The wifwolf¡¯s body trembled, muscles spasming uncontrollably as Kara¡¯s electricity coursed through her.
The chimera finally revealed itself again to take advantage of the momentary distraction. It lunged at her exposed side. Kara twisted at the last second, deflecting the strike with a well-placed Shockwave which pulsed out from her as a last line of defense. The hydra¡¯s attack was nullified, but Kara wasn¡¯t done. She unleashed a wave of electricity that slammed into the creature''s body, his scales hissing as the shock spread across his long form.
She expected the familiar to stop, but instead, it opened its mouth and breathed out a cloud with a sickly sweet smell. Kara gagged as her vision instantly went blurry and her throat felt like it was on fire. Kara abandoned her assault and blinked backwards away from the creature. She dry heaved when she finally came to a stop taking a potion out of her inventory and downing it. She was prepared for poisons but didn¡¯t know the chimera could breathe it out.
Kara turned her attention back to the demoness, who was struggling to her feet. The warrior was visibly injured, her chest rising and falling heavily as she summoned her remaining strength. Kara¡¯s lip curled in disgust. She didn¡¯t know what the demoness was, but it felt like a wendigo and at the same time something more, but she would die all the same. Kara held out her wand and a massive bolt of lightning arched toward the demoness.
***
The bolt of lightning roared through the air, bright and crackling, aiming to deliver the final blow. Tanisha''s eyes widened, and for a split second, it seemed like there was no escape. Bjorn knew it was his turn to save her. He had to trust in the durability of his Aetheric Scales as he lept in front of Tanisha taking the full brunt of the blast. The pain was immediate and intense.
A shrill hiss escaped from Bjorn¡¯s mouths as the electricity coursed through him, his iridescent scales flaring with energy. Despite the pain, he stood firm, his three heads lowering defensively in front of Tanisha. The druid electrokinetic mage cursed under her breath, frustrated that they were all still in the fight, but she didn¡¯t let up. Bjorn knew it was the same woman that he had seen at the druid outpost. He took the opportunity to Identify her.
Identify
Name: Kara Rindr Springhold
Species: Druid
Level: ???
Vocation: Electrokinetic War Mage
Bjorn wanted to use his fire breath, but in such an enclosed space, it would eat up their air and suffocate everyone. He had to resort to other means so he would need to get closer.
¡°Why wont you just die already,¡± Kara growled.
¡°I was thinking the same thing,¡± Tanisha responded.
Adelheid, still recovering from the earlier assault, staggered to her feet. She was bruised and battered, her muscles trembling from the residual shocks of Kara¡¯s attacks, but her fierce eyes locked onto the druid commander. She bared her teeth, a low growl emanating from deep within her chest as she circled Kara, looking for an opening.
Tanisha, protected by Bjorn, took a moment to catch her breath. Bjorn could see that her body was trembling from the repeated shocks, but he felt something else stirred inside of her. The bond they shared felt as though it thrummed with raw energy, a seething heat burning just beneath her skin. He could feel their shared power in a way he never did before. He wondered if it was because of the communing they had performed.
The druid mage wasted no time. She turned the full force of her focus on him and Tanisha in a bid to take them out together. The medical ward flickered with the green light of the arcane lightning. Bjorn braced himself but was thrown backwards as Tanisha jumped in front of him she used the second form of the Way of the Rakshasa her seier guiding the arcane assault harmlessly around her body. It moved like a snake curling around a tree, then the energy shot back towards Kara. There was no time to evade, she was struck with her own magic and a surprised scream escaped her lips.
It was now or never. Tanisha and Bjorn rushed forward with a combination of speed and her Arcane Shift. They pressed the druid mage with all they had, Adelheid sprang forward as well, but whether it was blade, fist, claw or fang the difference in skill was apparent. Instead of a quick victory it was obvious it was going to be a battle of endurance.
The war mage was not going down without a fight and the longer it dragged on the more desperate she became. Bjorn felt something in Tanisha let go. Rage, hatred, anxiety and fear all of her emotions ceased as a smile stretched across her face. She wasn¡¯t her in that moment, she was the other that also inhabited her body. The one that wanted nothing more than to kill and consume.
Something about Tanisha in that moment made Bjorn panic as he wrapped his tail around Adelheid¡¯s waist and threw her away from the battle. Tanisha opened her mouth and let out a guttural cry, summoning the power of Hydra Fire for the first time. The flames were not like Bjorn¡¯s current aetheric version of Plague Fire. These flames were black, laced with toxic necrotic energy. The inferno erupted from her mouth, spiraling out as a wave of heat and decay.
¡°What the fuck!¡± Bjorn and Failsafe both screamed in his head as he fell back on his haunches.
Kara¡¯s eyes widened in shock, no one could have anticipated that turn of event. She moved to dodge, or circulate her mana, or blink out of the way, but it was too late. The flame caught her and enveloped her in a dark embrace. The necrotic fire clung to her armor and skin. It was fueled by her lifeforce. Though far weaker than Bjorn¡¯s Plague Fire, it too was not ordinary flame, it was death.
The mage screamed, her body convulsing as the fire scorched her body. In her panic, she stumbled backward, trying to shake off the flames, but they refused to relent. She coated herself in mana trying to put out the fire, but it just added more fuel to her agony. Her armor cracked under the intense heat, and her skin blistered where the necrotic energy touched her.
¡°Not so confident now are you?¡± Tanisha hissed through clenched teeth, her voice thick with exhaustion but laced with triumph.
There was no response at first, aside from the screams, her hands still crackling with green electricity as she attempted to free herself of the flames. Her energy was spent and her hands fell to her sides as she keeled over. Tanisha stood over the war mage and summoned her bardiche from her inventory. She raised it high to behead the woman.
¡°You... won¡¯t win¡ even if I die,¡± Kara said.
Tanisha didn¡¯t hesitate; she brought the weapon down, but in an instant, the mage was gone. She vanished without a trace as if she was never there to begin with. It wasn¡¯t a teleportation skill and there was no sign of magic interference; she was just¡ gone.
WM [57] Cracks In The Mask
Signe could not afford any distractions as she channeled her mana, directing it into the intricate network of clockwork devices that surrounded her. Each device whirred to life, delicately etching lines of magical code into the stone, forming complex geometric shapes and fractals that interwove across the walls, ceiling, and floor of the cafeteria.
This was not just an enchantment, but the creation of a ritual on a grand scale. With her eyes closed, Signe visualized each piece of the ritual, commanding the devices as they carefully inscribed the necessary symbols. This enchantment wouldn¡¯t merely patch things up¡ªit would collapse any tunnel not originally part of the fort, mercilessly crushing whatever had dared to carve its way through the mountain. She would ensure the fortress remained impenetrable, as it had been in the days of old.
The scale of the task would normally require an army of enchanters and an unfathomable reserve of mana. However, Signe was no ordinary enchanter; she was the Royal Hand of the First Princess. She intended to demonstrate exactly what that meant. Her mana flowed unceasingly, boundless and potent, as she pushed the ritual enchantment forward.
Unfortunately, the druids had other plans for them. Even with the heads of the lieutenant and the scout Lillevenn killed, some other druid patrol had found them. She was not in a position to stop and would have to rely on Fuyumi and Birger to defend her. It didn¡¯t take long for the stomping of footsteps through the druid tunnels to grow louder.
¡°Do not worry, Hand Jet, we will take care of this next group.¡± Fuyumi said in an eerie whisper. ¡°Birger, do you mind if I take charge?¡±
¡°I will assist where I can,¡± Birger said as he picked up a shield from one of the downed druids Signe had killed earlier. ¡°No one is going to disturb the Hand.¡±
Signe could sense the druidic energy closing in like a foul stench permeating the air. She had anticipated the possibility of interference, but this was not a fight she could afford to join. All she could do was hope that Fuyumi and Birger could hold them off. If she hurried the process it could be just as catastrophic as if she is interrupted. The amount of magic she had focused into this ritual enchantment would be enough to collapse the mountain on its own.
Lilleven returned through Signe¡¯s shadow, the familiar sensed her worries through their bond. He didn¡¯t have to be told what was happening. He could feel everything through their connection. He joined Birger at the defense and resolved not to let anything happen to Signe.
As soon as the first druid stepped into the cafeteria Fuyumi was already a blur of motion as she engaged. As she approached the druid forces her form blurred and limbs passed seamlessly through obstacles like the ghost aspect of her kin¡¯s namesake; the ghostborn. Druids were quick to blurt out their spells, and unleashed a barrage of elemental magic. Flames crackled to life in the hands of one druid, while another called forth a torrent of water that snaked through the air toward them. A third druid whipped up a gust of wind, intending to throw Fuyumi off balance.
Signe could only glance as Fuyumi leapt for a split second, her form blurring as she summoned an array of weapons from thin air. These soldiers weren¡¯t mages, it was clear by the lack of precision of their spells. Signe recognized the spell Fuyumi was using, Walking Armory, and it was breathtaking. It wasn¡¯t a magic many people used because it required so much skill and precision. Fuyumi¡¯s hands flashed with frigid energy that sapped the heat from the air as she conjured a naginata first, the long polearm spinning in her hands with graceful precision.
In a fluid motion, Fuyumi phased through the oncoming water blast, her form shimmering as if she were a ghost. The naginata vanished from her hands, replaced by a pair of tonfa, which she used to block a spray of fire. The flames rolled harmlessly over the energy-infused weapons, and in a Blink she was in striking distance and she delivered a crushing blow to the fire-wielding druid. The impact sent him sprawling, and the tonfa dissolved, only to be replaced by a yari¡ªa long spear which she immediately hurled at the wind-user.
The spear arc through the air and left a trail of sizzling frozen air as it skewered the wind-casting druid through the chest. Fuyumi spun back, now wielding a set of kama, and parried an incoming wave of water from the last druid. Her movements were a dance, each weapon emerging only to vanish the moment it was no longer needed.
Birger, meanwhile, was slower to react. He had positioned himself as a final line of defense between Signe and the attackers, his massive frame barely holding back a surge of wind and fire that assaulted him. His magic was limited to Mana Muscle Saturation, but Signe could see that he was already struggling, his shield arm shaking under the strain of blocking the combined elemental attacks.
He wasn¡¯t a match for the druids¡¯ speed and agility, and Signe knew he wouldn¡¯t last long on his own. Luckily he had Lillevenn watching his back. While Birger was the big obvious target, Lillevenn slipped in and out of shadows to take advantage of the slighted opening the druids had when they targeted Birger. Together the pair was formidable as long as Birger could endure the pain.
Fuyumi took down another druid with a pair of sai that glimmered with icy light. She twisted to dodge a jet of flames, and the sai morphed into a kanabo¡ªa heavy club she wielded with ease, smashing through a watery barrier as if it were nothing, the druid that summoned it lasting no longer than the shattered defense.
Another blast of wind sent Fuyumi skidding backward, and another water-caster closed in, forming a blade of ice that slashed toward her chest. Fuyumi phased just in time, her body becoming intangible, and the ice blade passed through her harmlessly. She countered with a yari again, the spear flickering into existence mid-strike, piercing the water caster¡¯s side before vanishing once more.
As Fuyumi, Lillevenn and Birger continued to fight, Signe closed her eyes, losing herself in the rhythm of her own work. The ritual enchantment was close to completion, and with allies like these, she knew they would hold the line long enough for her to finish.
***
Joha felt the impact of the massive druid¡¯s fist as a sharp pain that rattled all of his senses. Then there was darkness, pain and the familiar feeling he had long suppressed. It was the desire for blood, to cause pain and suffering. To pillage and burn. It was deep, sealed by the maya to be unreachable, so he would never be that demon again. Still it influenced him everytime he used the maya to kill. It threatened to drag him back into his old ways.
Everytime it was harder to resist. Killing was always so easy before. Taking what he wanted was second nature. The maya loved him, it wanted him to be¡
¡°Free¡¡± Joha whispered.
He had resisted for so long, he tried to be stronger, to bring joy and happiness, to help stop someone falling down the path he had fallen so long ago. His mind became muddled as the maya loosened its grasp on that which he had sealed deep within his subconscious. The truth of the KrodhaKshatra, Dominion of Rage, Sixth Form he made is that it wasn¡¯t a true form of the Way of the Rakshasa, it was merely him fully unleashed from his inhibitions. He could tap into it to siphon portions of his old self for the power he contained.
As the maya seeped through the cracks in his control, Joha¡¯s muscles tensed, and his body began to change. His black fur rippled, vibrant red stripes snaking across it like veins of magma, branding him anew. He felt his bones shift, the sensation like knives scraping against his insides, as spikes jutted from his skin, piercing through his flesh to form a lethal armor of jagged bone. The maya was there as it always was, to comfort him, to whisper sweet nothings into his mind.
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He let out a breath, only to see it billow into thick, black smoke¡ªthe maya pouring from his mouth, dark and toxic, like a fog of despair made manifest. As he stared out through his hazy, red-tinted vision, the world seemed to twist around him, as if welcoming the monster back into its fold. He had resisted this for so long, yet here it was, clawing its way out, demanding release. He felt a grim satisfaction but there was no surrender. He fought to stay himself but, piece by piece, the maya broke him down. What he felt, all he felt was the familiar, bloody madness. The maya wanted him to be¡
¡°Free...¡± The word slipped from his lips, a low, guttural whisper that was barely recognizable as his own voice. ¡°Free, free.¡±
His fingers flexed, the claws glistening, and he felt the power surge within him, reborn. There was no more Joha. The dam had broken, and in its place stood Rakta Damta, the Bloody Fang. His vision cleared just enough to reveal the devastation around him, though it was tinged in a dark red hue. He grinned, baring fangs that felt sharper, longer than before. He was unbound, and filled with a power he had denied himself for too long. Why? When the maya only wanted him to be¡
¡°Free¡ I am free.¡± Rakta looked around. ¡°Where the fuck am I?¡±
He peeled himself from the wall as he witnessed quite the sight before him. Wendigo fighting a colossus of a druid man wielding power like nothing he had seen from the demon continent. A sharp recollection hit him as his chest throbbed with pain. It was that druid that had the audacity to hit him. For now it was his enemy and it would be his prey. Then if he wanted, he could do something about the wendigo too. It could be fun.
***
The druid commander vanished without a trace before Tanisha could remove her head. She didn¡¯t feel any magic, no teleportation spell, Blink or Flash Step. Kara was just gone the moment Tanisha¡¯s bardiche would have hit flesh. She cautiously spun around and raised her guard just in case it was a trick to attack her from behind, but the attack never came. Tanisha was disappointed, but the feeling was overshadowed by the sudden realization she had lost herself momentarily to bloodlust. The thought made her pause, her heart pounding as she forced herself to calm down and ground her senses.
She turned to make sure she didn¡¯t hurt Bjorn or Adelheid when she suddenly used Hydra Fire. Adelheid was shocked and still bleeding from the multiple stab wounds but okay with her healing factor. Bjorn looked fine although Tanisha could feel his concern through the bond. They were all injured. Tanisha''s body was weak from the multiple arcane lightning strikes and cuts she endured. Had she not had her armor there was no doubt she would be dead.
¡°Did she teleport?¡± Adelheid asked, wincing as she pressed a hand to her side. ¡°And did you just breathe fucking fire like a dragon?¡±
¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know what happened to her, and kinda, more like a hydra than a dragon.¡± Tanisha said as she took out three potions from her inventory. ¡°Are you going to be okay? I have lesser healing potions for all of us.¡±
Adelheid shook her head. ¡°I will be fine. You and Bjorn take one.¡±
Tanisha undid the stoppers on her bottle and she and Bjorn both drank. She downed her potion, feeling the warmth spread through her limbs as the healing mended her torn muscles and numbed the lingering pain from the arcane lightning strikes. She then tossed the last bottle to Adelheid, who caught it with a reluctant frown.
¡°Take it,¡± Tanisha demanded, her voice sharp. ¡°We still have to take down the other one and you will die if you aren¡¯t in peak condition.¡±
Adelheid grumbled but reluctantly drank the potion and immediately stood straighter once the pain she was feeling subsided. They all turned to the battle raging between the wendigo and large druid man fighting everyone at once. The battle was like nothing Tanisha had ever seen, not even when Isi were trying to escape the inner city of Lavi, what felt like a lifetime ago now.
The battle raged as the geokinetics were struggling to keep the room together. Even from a distance, Tanisha could see the difference in Joha¡¯s movements, the feral intensity in his strikes, the way his body seemed to blur with maya and muscle, each motion a delicate balance of control and release. She¡¯d seen Joha fight before, but not like this. Not with this kind of brutality, as if up until that moment he was always holding back a tide that threatened to consume him.
The battle was a dizzying blur of sword and claw, spell and fist, a violent symphony too fast for her to effectively track. Tanisha, Bjorn, and Adelheid crouched low, staying out of the fray, but close enough to feel the tremors as the mountain itself seemed to quake under the force of the combat.
Tanisha balled her fists, realizing there was nothing they could do but watch. She tried to focus, tried to make sense of the fight, but her eyes kept drifting back to Joha. He was fighting like he was teetering on the edge of something dark, it was something that both terrified and captivated her. For the first time, she felt the raw, primal danger that he had kept hidden behind his easy smiles and fatherly affection. It was another side of him that she had never seen.
Identify
Name: Waddel of the Stones
Species: Druid
Level: ?? + 257
Vocation: Martyr of the Roots
The fight came to an abrupt halt when Joha plunged his fist through Waddell¡¯s chest. The action alone was not enough to put the man down. Blood sprayed, and the druid''s body quivered, but he wasn¡¯t finished¡ªnot yet. Koll was right there, his black sword burning with crimson hex magic, and with a mighty roar, he swung, cleaving through Waddell''s neck in a decisive arc. There was a brief moment of resistance before the blade slashed through and the head dropped free.
Joha pulled his hand free and the body fell to the ground. Tanisha''s heart leaped at the sight of Joha and Koll standing over the fallen foe. Relief and a fierce grin spread across her face. It was over. She rushed forward, arms outstretched, ready to embrace Joha and let this nightmare finally end. However, when she approached Koll stopped her, his sword still brimming with energy, but his eyes locked on to Joha. There was a tension in the air.
She stopped short, confused, the smile fading as she glanced at Joha. There was something wrong¡ªsomething deeply, terrifyingly wrong. He hadn¡¯t even looked her way. His eyes, when they finally met hers, were empty of recognition. Gone was the familiar warmth and reassurance. In its place was a chilling stare that sent a shiver down her spine. It was as if she were staring at a stranger, one who wore Joha¡¯s face but held none of his kindness. Everything from how he stood, to how he breathed and even the dark maya that surrounded his red and black fur was wrong.
¡°Now, who the fuck are you all supposed to be,¡± Joha said with a smirk. ¡°Are we going to continue?¡±
Koll leveled his sword at Joha. ¡°Stand down, Joha, we are on the same side, we need to get out of the fortress before it collapses.¡±
¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t point your sword at Joha!¡± Tanisha yelled as she stepped in front of Koll facing him. ¡°We need to get mo¨C¡±
There was a flash of motion and Tanisha was off the ground held in the air by her neck. She reached up and grabbed the hand choking her to death from behind. Claws cut into her armor as if it were fabric and biting into her neck. She saw Bjorn move jaws open as he lunged forward only for blood to follow shortly after.
¡°No one asked you, bitch,¡± he snarled, his voice a venomous mockery of Joha¡¯s ¡°The name is Rakta, not Joha, so let''s not ruin the fun now.¡±
Koll lunged, forcing Joha¡ªRakta¡ªto release her. She fell to her knees, coughing and gasping for air, her constitution helping her to find her breath. Her hands trembled as she dragged herself toward Bjorn, her heart hammering against her ribs as she beheld the horror before her. One of Bjorn¡¯s heads was gone, ripped away with brutal force, while the others hung by a thread of torn muscle and shattered bone. Blood pooled beneath him, and he lay utterly still.
¡°N-no. No no no no.¡± Tanisha stuttered disbelief clouding any reason she could muster. ¡°B-Bjorn¡ Joha¡¡±
Her gaze snapped back to Rakta and Koll, now locked in a fierce battle, each strike of Koll¡¯s blade met by Rakta¡¯s claws. He was on the back foot though. Rakta was already faltering, his movements sluggish, blood dripping from wounds that refused to close as hexes took hold of his body. He knew, and she could see it too¡ªhe was losing. He breathed out another cloud of maya obscuring everyone''s sight and vanished.
Tanisha knelt there, Bjorn¡¯s blood soaking into her clothes, her heart breaking as the weight of it all sank in. She stared at the spot where Joha had been, unable to comprehend how it had come to this¡ªhow the man she had trusted, admired, had become something so monstrous. Was this where she was headed? Would she become this monster too?
WM [58] The Spark of Rebellion
Isin jolted awake, his own scream tearing him from his nightmare, his cheeks wet with fresh tears. Even three years after his mother¡¯s death, the pain remained as raw as if it had happened yesterday. He rubbed his eyes, trying to steady himself, but the tears kept coming. In the darkness of his pod, he felt some small comfort; the routine of being confined until morning was something he could count on. Then he heard the latches click and the pod hiss. Slowly it opened, Isin believing it was time for him to wake up wiped his face. He couldn¡¯t let his team see him like that; he had to remain the strong stoic leader.
Blinding white light flooded his vision as his pod door opened. He blinked away the sting in his eyes. Instead of the light chatter of the others waking he was the only one up. All around him was the unnerving silence of the all white and sterile room of Facility 98. His pod, one of the thousands for the Slave Race. They were all forced to retire here every night as it was too dangerous to work throughout the night.
He shivered, recognizing what it meant when he was awakened like this. His blood ran cold when he saw Nuriel, the Angel standing above his pod. She would meet him at night, for what she called experiments ever since she found out he was the son of Bazaath. Her predatory grin stretched wide across her face as her form shrank down from the towering ten feet to the far more human six.
Her skin transitioned from white marble to blemishless peach flesh. Her wings retracted into her body as the metal orbs levitated around him and scanned his body. She had a smile on her face as she examined his nude form. Isin knew there was no point in modesty; she had already seen every inch of him and left no part of his body unclaimed. He looked away as her clothing slipped to the ground, leaving her bare as well.
¡°Number 293,¡± Nuriel purred, her voice melodic, almost soothing if not for the revulsion it sparked within him. ¡°Look at me,¡± she commanded, and his gaze reluctantly met hers. ¡°Must I remind you that you are mine 293, mine to do with as I please, mine to break, mine to fix, mine alone.¡±
¡°Of course, master,¡± Isin said, his voice broken.
¡°Oh, how obedient. I do love that about you, 293,¡± Nuriel cooed, her tone mocking, almost playful. She climbed onto him, her weight pressing down as she straddled him, a twisted look of pleasure in her eyes. ¡°You know, the Slave Race should be grateful to serve beings as perfect as us. Isn¡¯t it an honor, really? You all get to be so close to your makers, your Gods. You would be nothing without us. Tell me, does it thrill you, being so useful? Or does your pathetic little mind fail to comprehend what I am telling you?¡±
Isin clenched his jaw, swallowing the words he longed to hurl back at her. He knew that any display of defiance would only amuse her, feed into her sick games. She leaned closer, her breath hot against his ear.
¡°Maybe one day, I¡¯ll let you see just how small you really are, how insignificant. Yes, wouldn¡¯t that be great, you can be mine, until the day you die.¡± Her laugh was disarmingly gentle for the cruelty she proposed. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll even teach you a thing or two, let you play with the toys of the gods. It must feel so exotic for you to touch me. For me to let you feel what¡¯s far beyond your kind¡¯s reach. You should thank me for it.¡±
Isin swallowed his hatred and nodded in submission. ¡°Yes, master. I am grateful.¡±
¡°Oh, you flatterer,¡± she sneered, cupping his face in her hands then moving them down to his chest. ¡°You think I don¡¯t see that fire in your eyes? You¡¯re only human, remember? You serve one function, and that is to obey. Broken toys need to be disassembled and fixed. Maybe I should take you apart again and see what makes you tick.¡±
¡°I am yours, master. I mean no disrespect, I only want to please you,¡± Isin said.
Nuriel leaned over and kissed him passionately only to bite his tongue off once he reciprocated. She watched him with a smile on her face as he went pale. He struggled to get up, but she kept him pinned down as he started to choke on his own blood. She spit out his tongue and one of her orbs caught it with an aetherial tether. Others came in and collected the blood and reattached his tongue. All while she watched him with amusement.
¡°You lie to me through your teeth with that tongue.¡± Nuriel moaned with pleasure. ¡°But that¡¯s why you¡¯re so much fun to play with. You hate me, and can¡¯t do anything about it. Lie little slave. Lie.¡±
Satisfied, she moved her hips, her weight pressing down as she claimed him once more. She used him, but what could he do against such a being but obey? His body was hers to do with as she pleased, that was something she had beaten into him over the last three years. Pain or pleasure, those were his options and after years of pain, of having his body torn apart and studied just to be remade he had no fight left. It was just the same thing over and over.
Instead of focusing on her, he focused on one of the aetheric orbs. The piece of aether technology that allowed Angels to control the aether with unmatched precision. He had never held one, although he could see its geometry, he could see how she manipulated it with the flow of her aether. He could pick apart the interweaving divinity and separate her power into understandable formulae.
He had to keep her mind occupied, he had to make sure she would focus only on herself and her pleasures so her divine insight would not catch his treachery. He drew the aether to his eyes, squinting as he took in the intricate patterns within the orb¡¯s core. He pushed harder, his nose starting to bleed as the formulae etched themselves painfully into his mind. He screamed, a sound she mistook for pleasure, and continued her use of him, oblivious to the stolen knowledge searing its way into his thoughts.
When it was over, she stood, smiling down at him, her expression as callous as it was beautiful. ¡°Prepare for tomorrow, 293. I hope you enjoyed yourself tonight. I am sending you into Extraction Site Alpha-12 tomorrow. Prepare and go and wake your team when you are ready. Try to come back in one piece. Or atleast try not to die, I can rebuild any piece that might go missing.¡±
Isin tried to focus, but his head ached with a deep thrum. He heard he had to go into the Alpha tomorrow, but that couldn¡¯t be right. Was she trying to kill him? No one that had entered there had ever returned be they the Slave Race or Angels. He saw the moment she realized he had internalized what she had said and a crooked smile stretched across her beautiful face. Isin wanted nothing more than to punch her in that Cheshire''s grin until she stopped breathing, but all he could do was bow his head as the pod closed around him.
***
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So far, everytime it has felt the same. The first sensation was warmth, then breath, then darkness as his eyes rolled open. It was like a great jolt from nothing into something. His mind was foggy as he took in the scene around him. They were in a tent with the sound of movement outside. Something wasn¡¯t quite right with his vision. Either he felt like he was seeing double, or not quite double since he had six eyes before, but definitely more than usual.
¡°Bjorn!¡± Failsafe screamed which nearly caused Bjorn to jump. ¡°We did it! Thanks to your dream I figured out a lot more about aether. If we get the right materials I think, I think, we can make one of those aetheric orbs. Or something like it, I don¡¯t think we can make one exactly, but a wand or something as a prototype is totally possible,¡± he muttered to himself for a while before refocusing. ¡°Oh and we grew another head, we have been unconscious for about twelve hours.¡±
Bjorn blinked from confusion.¡°W-what? What about Joha, he tried to kill us, where is Tanisha?¡±
Bjorn nearly stood up when he felt something holding on to him. He looked down and saw that Tanisha was at his side holding on to him for dear life. She was asleep, but her emotions were in total disarray, tears streamed down her face and she sobbed even in her sleep.
¡°Do you know what happened?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°No, I was pulled into your past memories too,¡± Failsafe responded. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened after you almost got us killed, but it would appear Joha or Rakta or whatever he is calling himself, is in a berserker state. It seems to be kind of like you when the maya almost corrupted us.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why he attacked us?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°I mean, maybe,¡± Failsafe said unsure. ¡°He is the only demon we know, but it happened to you so why can¡¯t it happen to him too? You both are Higher Plane beings so he wouldn¡¯t be immune to the effects of maya just because his people are from the Infernal Planes. The fight with that druid guy was intense and he got hurt pretty bad in the beginning. Using mana when you are emotionally or mentally compromised can be dangerous. I can only imagine how much worse it can be when dealing with Higher Plane energies.¡±
¡°Damn-it, Joha, this was the worst possible time for you to go rogue. Tanisha is in a very fragile state with her identity, but she was on a good path,¡± Bjorn said as he looked over her sleeping form. ¡°You don¡¯t think she will revert, right?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Failsafe admitted. ¡°Look, with or without Joha we are still here for her so let''s focus on what we can do. How hard could it be to keep a teenage cernunnos from turning into a psychopathic murder cannibal with daddy issues.¡±
¡°I think you might be underestimating how people think,¡± Bjorn said.
¡°Well I am not the best when it comes to that. I am not a people after all,¡± Failsafe said.
Bjorn remained silent for a long while, sifting through the horrific memories that had surfaced. Nuriel¡¯s cruelty was almost beyond comprehension; she had twisted her power over the Slave Race into a grotesque display of dominance and lust. Her infatuation with Bazaath only seemed to fuel her torment of Isin. At first, the tortures were physical: dismemberment, mutilation, and then the reassembly of his body, leaving him to exist in a state of unending agony. Later, her torments took on other, more insidious forms, ways to reinforce her absolute control. The worst part was her expression, the way she wore a mask of motherly affection that only thinly veiled the monster within.
He struggled to understand why this particular memory felt so pivotal. But as he reflected, he realized that it wasn¡¯t merely the suffering that marked its significance¡ªit was the glimpse he¡¯d caught of true aetheric control. It was in those moments, beaten but not broken, that he¡¯d first seen into the depths of the Aetheric Orbs. Those orbs held the secrets of the angels, the raw mechanics of the aether. That knowledge had ignited something within him, the spark of rebellion, the birth of the Sunderer of the Angelic Throng. His war against the Angels had begun there, not with a weapon, but with a revelation. He had a feeling that whatever was supposed to happen at the Extraction Site didn¡¯t go the way Nuriel expected.
¡°You mentioned creating a wand, can we do that?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Well, probably, we will need the material and, of course, if you are going to use it, maybe a bracelet would work better,¡± Failsafe admitted. ¡°Oh and we will need to find out how wands are made currently. As soon as possible we have to find a Wandmaker.¡±
¡°So, what does the new head do?¡± Bjorn questioned.
¡°I am still analyzing it. Just don¡¯t go and try to use its breath attack before I get done. With all the new data I got I will probably be able to figure out what Aetheric Breath does too.¡±
¡°From just that one peek at the aether flow inside of one of those orbs?¡± Bjorn asked, honestly amazed.
¡°Yeah, I am just as surprised as you,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°Honestly your past self¡¯s eyes were far better than any detection and analytical skill I have currently. The fact that he, or you, were able to see into it so clearly is astounding. The principles inside of that orb is the key to how aetheric magic works at the highest levels. It essentially gave me the answers to questions I didn¡¯t even know I needed to ask. I just have to reverse engineer those answers to find out how to get there. Like answering a math problem in reverse.¡±
¡°How long before you have something tangible on any of the fronts?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°Umm¡ a few hours for analyzing the other head, a week for anything else at the minimum.¡± Failsafe sounded somber as he continued. ¡°Oh, and, uhh¡ sorry about what you saw. I mean, what you experienced¡ I don¡¯t think anyone deserved what that angel was doing to you. I mean we already knew you were a slave and later on a king but that was¡ªwas¡ beyond what I¡¯d imagined.¡±
¡°Thanks. The more of my past I see, the more I understand why things turned out like they did.¡± Bjorn said. ¡°King of Chains¡ I see where that name came from at least.¡±
¡°So, on brighter news. You have a few levels to assign. I think we should focus on that now.¡±
Bjorn opened his level status and saw what he could assign.
Unassigned Cultivation Points Distribution
You have leveled up 3 time(s) before assigning your UCP.
You have 30 UCP
Please assign all UCP within 6 day(s) or UCP will be automatically assigned.
Assign [yes/no]
Bjorn was pleased with the three levels and decided right away where he was going to place his points. Vitality and Constitution. If the run in with Kara was anything to go by he was right to place points in those to stay in the fight. Underground most of his breath attacks were too dangerous or distracting for their allies. Now that he had Aetheric scales he could take a hit and keep attacking even without his magic.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Lernaean Hydra
Level: 41< 44
Vitality: 160 + 15 = 175 / 195
Restoration: 270 / 270
Constitution: 125 +15 = 140 / 140
Strength: 90 / 130
Dexterity: 80/ 100
Stamina: 90/ 115
Aether: 70 / 70
Aetheric Regeneration: 100 / 100 (+150 from bond)
Page 1 of 3
WM [59] The Day After
¡°Tanisha. Tanisha, I¡¯m coming in,¡± A voice cut through the silence
It took a moment for the fog in Tanisha¡¯s mind to allow her to recognize the source of the voice as Adelheid. The wifwolf entered the tent, her presence sharp. Adelheid settled into a chair, her sharp eyes scanning the space, taking in the tent¡¯s size and the details of their makeshift home. For a long while, there was only silence, the distant hum of the camp outside barely registering. Then, Adelheid set a plate on the table, and the aroma of roasted meat filled the tent. Tanisha rolled onto her side, her gaze landing on Adelheid, who sat quietly, waiting.
¡°I know the floor must be comfortable, but will you join me?¡± Adelheid¡¯s tone was almost pleading, yet there was a firmness in it. ¡°It¡¯s important that you eat.¡±
Tanisha wasn¡¯t sure when she managed to stand, but she found herself sitting across from Adelheid at the table, staring down at the plate of food. The tent, she realized, was more like a mobile home, complete with furniture, a wardrobe, and even a mirror. Everything seemed too stable, too normal, given the chaos inside her. She looked at the food, but her stomach churned with reluctance.
¡°Hurry up,¡± Adelheid pressed, her tone unwavering. ¡°Or do I have to feed you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Tanisha¡¯s voice was a feeble whisper, a hollow echo of her usual self.
¡°I don¡¯t wanna hear that shit.¡± Adelheid¡¯s response was sharp, and she grabbed a chicken leg from the plate, thrusting it toward Tanisha. ¡°You didn¡¯t eat anything last night. You need to eat. We have training to get to.¡±
¡°Training?¡± Tanisha asked.
Adelheid¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Yes, training. You¡¯re not getting out of it. Now open your damn mouth. The next thing I hear from you better be chewing.¡±
Tanisha searched Adelheids expression for anything, but she just looked concerned. Her voice, her anger, a thinly veiled facade. She chewed mechanically, the taste barely registering, but with each bite, the emptiness within her receded slightly. Adelheid watched her closely, not relaxing until the plate was clean. She then pushed a cup of water into Tanisha¡¯s hands, and when that was finished, she stood up, fetching Tanisha¡¯s clothes.
¡°Change into these,¡± Adelheid said, her voice softening for the first time.
Tanisha realized that Joha actually had her wagon and without it she only had what was in her personal storage. She didn¡¯t have long to think about it before she was in a loose fitting robe and linen pants. A sash around her waist kept her modesty. She didn¡¯t have time to look herself over and protest before Adelheid hurried her outside.
Tanisha''s chest felt tight as she stepped out into the new encampment outside of the mountain fortress. The coolness of the morning air pressing against her skin. She had little time to dwell on the calm atmosphere the day after everything changed. They passed through the camp, weaving between tents as the scent of campfires and cooking food mingled with the earthiness of freshly churned soil beneath boots.
She was grateful when they reached a quiet spot away from the main encampment but still close enough that they were visible to anyone who might need them. Two mats lay on the ground, and Adelheid stepped onto one, directing Tanisha to the other.
¡°We are here. Teach me.¡± Adelheid¡¯s voice was unwavering.
¡°Teach you? What are you talking about?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°The Way of the Rakshasa. I know you do this every morning.¡± Adelheid said. ¡°You think I¡¯m gonna let you slack off? I¡¯d lead the training myself, but I don¡¯t know a damn thing about it. I¡¯ve been copying some of your moves, but now it¡¯s your turn to teach me.¡±
For a moment, Tanisha wanted to walk away. She couldn¡¯t believe Adelheid had dragged her out here just to practice techniques she barely had the heart for right now. She turned, stepping off the mat, half-expecting Adelheid to call her back, to insist, to drag her back by force if necessary.
There was nothing. Adelheid remained on her mat, calm and unmoving, her eyes silently watching, waiting. Tanisha took a step, then another, but her feet felt heavier with each one, and something kept her from going further. She stopped and looked at the ground. Her body tensed up as she clenched her fist in defiance. It wasn¡¯t Adelheid holding her back, but something inside herself. She took a shaky breath and turned around, stepping back onto the mat, her emotions rising to the surface.
Tears traced hot paths down her cheeks as she stood there, staring at Adelheid through blurred vision. She was aching. There was a pain inside her that she had only felt when she thought she lost Bjorn. She focused. She had to focus. Her breaths deepened as she raised her arms, centering herself the way Joha had taught her, and the familiar motions began to settle her heart.
¡°First and most important,¡± she said, voice wavering but steady enough. ¡°Maya is breath.¡±
She continued with the breathing techniques, each motion both grounding her and breaking her apart, layer by layer. The tears came, but so did the steadiness, her breathing becoming a rhythm, a mantra that held her through the ebb and flow of the sadness within her. She wasn¡¯t sure if Adelheid really understood her between the tears, but she mirrored her movements, silent but supportive. She noticed that Adelheid was crying too, her tears weren¡¯t for Joha. Tanisha knew that Adelheid had her own losses that she mourned.
***
Tanisha and Adelheid entered the tent just as Bjorn began stirring, each of his four heads yawning in sequence. Tanisha couldn''t help but smile; he looked so endearing despite his formidable appearance. Adelheid, however, seemed less enamored with his new set of venomous fangs, hesitating at the sight of him.
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Before Adelheid could retreat, Tanisha grabbed her hand, guiding her toward Bjorn. She felt a bit childish, like a little girl holding her friend''s hand for courage, but it was comforting, especially now. She didn¡¯t notice Adelheid¡¯s slight surprise at the gesture, nor did she realize what it might mean in werewolf culture. For Tanisha, it was a simple act of camaraderie.
¡°Good morning, Big Man,¡± Tanisha cooed, affectionately petting each of Bjorn¡¯s heads in turn. She nuzzled him, feeling a wave of relief. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay, that we¡¯re okay. You tried to protect me, even when it meant getting hurt. But this is it¡ªwe¡¯re going to get stronger, and we¡¯re going to bring Joha back.¡±
Adelheid stepped closer, still wary of Bjorn¡¯s four sets of glistening fangs. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright too, Bjorn. You remember me, right?¡± She tried to keep her tone light, though Tanisha could sense her discomfort.
Bjorn gave a nod, his eyes flicking to the clasped hands of the two women. Tanisha noticed him glancing at their joined hands, suddenly aware that Adelheid might not be as accustomed to such gestures of wendigo friendship. She realized that she might have done something that was not okay outside of wendigo customs. She should have realized her noble upbringing taught her it wasn''t right to assume foreigners understood the way of the wendigo. It made her pause; maybe there was a different significance to it that she¡¯d missed. She released Adelheid¡¯s hand with a small, awkward laugh, glancing over to see her friend''s slightly flustered expression.
Tanisha cleared her throat, moving the conversation along to ease the tension. ¡°Of course, he remembers you. And you don¡¯t have to be afraid. He forgave you before I did.¡±
Adelheid¡¯s expression softened, but there was something else there too¡ªan unreadable flicker that Tanisha couldn¡¯t quite place. When Tanisha let go of her hand, she noticed Adelheid''s momentary hesitation, as if she wanted to say something but decided against it. Instead, Adelheid reached out with tentative fingers to pet Bjorn, giving him a small, nervous smile.
¡°Glad you¡¯re all right. You wear four heads quite handsomely,¡± Adelheid said, her voice teasing yet genuine. She seemed to collect herself quickly, drawing back and giving Tanisha a nod. ¡°Well¡ I¡¯ll, uh, catch you both later. I need to change¡ªbreathing and stretching, you know, it¡¯s exhausting. If you need me, my tent¡¯s the blue one, three down to the right.¡±
Tanisha watched as Adelheid left, her heart feeling lighter. She wasn¡¯t sure what it was that had made Adelheid pause, but she hoped she hadn''t done anything that upset her. She turned her attention back to Bjorn, they both could use a bath and he needed a belly full of delicious meat for being a good boy. Then they could discuss what happened and what they were going to do next.
***
After a much-needed bath, courtesy of Divination Hydromancy, and a hearty meal, Tanisha and Bjorn settled back into her tent. Bjorn was still adjusting to the addition of his fourth head. He kept bumping into things, his depth perception a little off. She observed him carefully, relieved to find no visible injuries. She tried to imagine the experience of suddenly waking up with an extra head¡ªit was a strange thought and one she decided to save for later.
Now, they both sat on the ground facing each other. She knew what she wanted¡ªto find Joha, to bring back the demon she remembered. It wasn¡¯t a plan she could execute on her own and Bjorn was her partner and family. She respected his thoughts and hoped he would agree that going to find him was the best choice. Searching for Joha meant venturing deeper into the Chaos Lands. It would be dangerous, and Tanisha was determined, but she also knew she needed Bjorn''s support.
Bjorn lowered one of his heads and began scratching words into the dirt with his claws, his new head peering over curiously. The letters were a bit misshapen, his grammar imperfect, but his message was clear enough:
¡°Go find Joha, yes. Need guide. Need conditions.¡±
Tanisha leaned forward, nodding as she watched him spell out his terms. Tanisha helped him with the words he was trying to spell and even guided him on the correct grammar. He needed to learn and honestly she was ecstatic that he hadn¡¯t outright refused.
¡°A guide. Okay,¡± Tanisha agreed. ¡°I can see how that¡¯d help us find our way through the Chaos Land, but what are your conditions?¡±
Bjorn began scratching again. ¡°If too dangerous, us come back.¡±
She pressed her lips together, knowing that was a wise condition. From what she understood the Chaos Lands were unpredictable, and neither of them could risk getting in over their heads.
¡°Agreed. If things get too dangerous, we¡¯ll head back,¡± Tanisha replied. ¡°But...we won¡¯t just give up at the first sign of trouble, right?¡±
Bjorn tilted one of his heads, thinking, and then scratched again: ¡°No, we are strong but not invincible. But if Joha attacks, we leave him. He is too powerful. He¡¯ll kill us.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s chest tightened. She knew Bjorn was being pragmatic, but the thought of leaving Joha was hard to swallow.
¡°Leave him?¡± She echoed, looking at him with a frown. ¡°What if he¡¯s under the same thing that happened to you? Remember when you lost control? I don¡¯t want to abandon him. If we just abandon him, we¡¯re giving up on him.¡±
Bjorn paused, as if weighing her words, and then scratched slowly and carefully: ¡°If Joha tries to kill again, we can not stop him. Not our choice, we have to live.¡±
¡°Alright. If he tries to kill us again...we¡¯ll go.¡± She swallowed dryly.
Bjorn seemed satisfied, and he started to carve out one last line: ¡°Need more supplies. I need wandmaker.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± she agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll need rations, healing supplies, and whatever else we can get. We can¡¯t rush in without being prepared.¡± She paused for a second. ¡°Wandmaker? Can you use a wand?¡±
Bjorn shook his head, but what he wrote next seemed impossible: ¡°I can make a wand. I can make an Aetheric Wand. If I see how they are made. We need to commune so I can talk. Not write. Wind Hand next.¡±
¡°Bjorn, how do you know this?¡± Tanisha asked.
Bjorn tapped his claw on the ground thinking of what to write next. He seemed conflicted so Tanisha dropped it if he was uncomfortable she didn¡¯t want to press him.
¡°It¡¯s okay, tell me when you are ready,¡± Tanisha said with a smile. ¡°I know things are different for you, with you being a True and all.¡± She scratched her chin in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t think we will find a wandmaker in the Chaos Land, but once we find Joha I am sure there will be plenty in the human kingdoms. As for talking, I would love that, we can start now actually. I think I am starting to understand how communing works.¡±
He nodded, his eyes meeting hers with a quiet understanding. Though his message had been laid out with conditions, he hadn¡¯t dismissed her desire to rescue Joha. Bjorn¡¯s support and love meant a lot, even if it came with hard truths.
¡°Thank you, Bjorn,¡± she said, reaching out to pat one of his heads. ¡°I know you¡¯re looking out for us.¡±
Bjorn blinked, his four heads each nodding in their own way, as he scraped one last word into the dirt:
¡°Always.¡±
WM [60] First of a Kind
Bjorn and Tanisha sat across from each other on the floor within their tent. They had their eyes closed as they focused intensely not on the familiar bond but instead on the tether that connected their souls. Unlike the bond the tether was not connected to their magic core, it was deeper and far more intimate than the source of magic. The tether had grown stronger during the fight in the medical ward. Both of them had utilized the abilities granted to them by communing which served to make the tether stronger.
They could feel the power of their souls as they resonated. Bjorn had to give himself over to the feeling, accept the tether and all that came with it. Tanisha¡¯s soft voice filled the space between them, speaking the words of power, summoning her Hard Air Construct in the shape of large, ethereal hands. She breathed into the construct the darker aspects of her maya.
The hands hovered for a moment before gently touching his side, resting on his thick scales. The warmth from Tanisha¡¯s magic seeped into him, and Bjorn tried to focus, to accept the power they were attempting to share. But as much as he wanted to, as much as he knew they needed this strength, something inside him resisted.
It was the memories. The King of Serpents¡¯ words, Nuriel¡¯s sadistic games and the endless torture. It all came crashing back, vivid and overwhelming. Bjorn recoiled internally, pulling back from the tether just as it had begun to settle within him. A deep sense of shame caused the soul tether to waver. Tanisha¡¯s eyes flickered open, no doubt surprised in the sudden rejection of the communing after it seemed like they were so close to completing the necessary step for him to gain the power.
He could not help it, he was the reason Tanisha became what she is, the reason her mind and body were altered. What if strengthening the tether would have some other consequence? Evolve her further, make her even more prone to violence, strip from her agency and identity. He couldn¡¯t do that to her.
¡°Big Man, are you, okay?¡± Tanisha questioned as she scooted closer to him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, did it hurt?¡±
Bjorn found he could keep her gaze and instead found anything but her as the subject of his attention. He tapped the ground with his claws a few times before he started to write: ¡°There are subjects we need to talk of first. I am afraid I will hurt you.¡±
He watched as Tanisha read the message, her brow furrowing in confusion. Tanisha read the message multiple times before responding.
¡°You wouldn¡¯t hurt me. I trust you, why are you afraid?¡± she said.
Her trust, her certainty in him, made the guilt hit even harder. He lowered his heads this time as he wrote. ¡°I have hurt you. I made you a cernunnos. I am sorry.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s eyes widened, her breathing quickened. The confusion and hurt echoed in their bond, and Bjorn could feel her grappling with her next words.
¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked, her voice trembling. ¡°How¡ why? You changed me? Do you know how to fix my mind, can you change me back?¡±
Bjorn¡¯s hearts ached as he watched her reaction. He lowered himself further as he scratched the next message: ¡°I don¡¯t know. You changed because of our bond. I did not know I changed you until yesterday.¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Tanisha questioned, her voice raising a little. ¡°How did you find out then? I want to know, Bjorn.¡±
Bjorn hesitated before answering, scratching out the next words with deliberate care. ¡°My father told me.¡±
Tanisha blinked, surprise flashing across her face. ¡°You can talk to your Father, he¡¯s in the Lower Planes?¡±
¡°No, talk in dreams for the first time.¡±
There was a long pause as Tanisha processed everything. She closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath before speaking. ¡°So, you didn¡¯t change me on purpose and it was just a result of the familiar bond. I connected to you and you to me. You''re a True Hydra and as far as I know, I am the only person to ever have a True as a Familiar. I don¡¯t think it is even possible if you weren¡¯t a baby. Okay, okay it is a shock, yeah, but I accept it. I accept you as my True. I accept that I am the first of a kind.¡±
Bjorn looked up at her cautiously, still unsure, but the sight that met him made his hearts skip. Tanisha smiled at him, her golden eyes glinting warmly in the dim light of the tent.
Tanisha shrugged. ¡°I guess this means I am not an apatheist anymore since I stopped believing in Odin. Well I guess you have your first follower.¡±
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¡°But I changed you?¡±
Tanisha scooted even closer, her hand reaching out to gently stroke one of his heads. ¡°And I took you away from your family, got you hurt, hunted, and thrown into all kinds of trouble. Honestly, Big Man,¡± she said, her voice lightening with a chuckle, ¡°I think I got the better end of the deal. I get a new Creator, a family, and cosmic magic from the Higher Planes. You get... well, one teenage girl who can¡¯t seem to stay out of trouble no matter how hard she tries.¡± She raised a finger. ¡°I do have a question¡ so is Isin, like your real name or something?¡±
Bjorn scratched out his answer with a small, almost shy flourish. ¡°Old name. My name is Bjorn, I thought you knew.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s eyes opened at that, her smile widened. ¡°Of course, what was I thinking, Bjorn. Since you are my True, though, you need a title too!¡± She put a finger to her lips. ¡°Your mother is Queen of a Thousand Heads, right? What about your father¡ªwhat¡¯s his title?¡±
Bjorn shifted slightly before scratching it into the dirt. ¡°King of Serpents.¡±
Tanisha blinked, tilting her head. ¡°Serpents? I thought you were draconic. Well,¡± she continued with a playful grin, ¡°that makes you a prince, Your Highness. Sonr Orma Eil¨ªfra, I think it fits.¡±
Bjorn noticed that the title wasn¡¯t translated and quickly mentally jabbed Failsafe.
¡°Uh, Failsafe, what did that mean?¡± Bjorn asked mentally.
¡°Working on it,¡± Failsafe replied swiftly. ¡°Son of Serpents Eternal. Pretty sure. You know, all this time and no one¡¯s ever said eternal before. And-and I didn¡¯t know you could talk to your dad. Can you talk to your mom too? What did they say? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±
¡°Later,¡± Bjorn responded.
¡°What do you think?¡± Tanisha asked. ¡°I mean it is important that my True at least likes his Title.¡±
Bjorn let out a deep, approving hiss, and before he could react further, Tanisha laughed and fell into him, wrapping her arms around his form in a warm embrace. For a moment, the world shrank to just the two of them, but that peace was short-lived.
¡°Tanisha,¡± a voice called from the entrance to the tent. ¡°It¡¯s Royal Hand Thorfinn, may I enter?¡±
At the sound of Thorfinn¡¯s voice, Tanisha stood up quickly, straightening herself. Bjorn followed suit, his many heads lifting with an air of alertness. Thorfinn being there meant that the First Princess had definitely arrived as well. Tanisha¡¯s body language shifted, and Bjorn could sense her preparing herself mentally.
¡°Enter,¡± Tanisha said.
The tent¡¯s flap was pushed aside, and in walked Thorfinn, his presence commanding yet understated in the familiar black and gold attire of the Royal Hands. Bjorn immediately noticed something was off. The usual veil that masked a Hand¡¯s face was conspicuously absent. He was a nighthand wendigo with dark gray skin. His eyes were shining orbs of light. Bjorn could taste the magic in the air¡ªthe man''s aura was a tightly wound coil of power, expertly contained but deliberately present enough for both him and Tanisha to sense. There was no illusion magic here. This was the true Thorfinn, in his natural form.
¡°Hand Thorfinn? Your veil,¡± Tanisha said with concern.
Bjorn realized that the veil had some significance to the Hands. All of the ones he had seen, be they Noble or Royal Hands, kept their identity hidden.Well at least their face. Thorfinn had the magical ability to change his form with illusion magic, but there was no presence of it this time. Bjorn, though lacking the cultural depth of wendigo, could sense that this was an unprecedented breach of tradition. But why?
¡°The First Princess said you would understand what this means.¡± He paused, studying Tanisha¡¯s reaction. ¡°It would appear she was right. I know you prefer your new name, so we will stick with Tanisha. The First Princess would like to speak with you, Fourteenth Princess Tanisha Scalebound.¡±
¡°I refuse,¡± Tanisha said, her voice sharp.
¡°Very well, please come thi¡ªwait, what?¡± Thorfinn blinked, his usually composed demeanor faltering as he tried to process her response. ¡°You refuse?¡±
Tanisha crossed her arms, standing firm. ¡°Yes, I refuse. I¡¯m leaving Yuhia. I¡¯m not becoming royalty just to be a pawn in the royal succession. I am guessing you know what I am now, that I am not a demon and that this isn¡¯t a disguise, right? Well, Yuhia had its chance to keep me. You can thank the Salstars for squandering that. My real father is out in the Chaos Lands and I am going to find him.¡±
¡°Tanisha, this isn¡¯t how this was supposed to go,¡± Thorfinn said.
¡°Welcome to my life,¡± Tanisha said dryly, the sarcasm evident. ¡°And what is this Fourteenth Princess nonsense? The First Princess can¡¯t just give someone the title Princess.¡±
Thorfinn sighed, rubbing his temples in thought. ¡°That¡¯s¡ technically correct, for now. It¡¯s an honorary title. But per our constitution, should a Greater Wendigo appear, they would be given the right to fight for succession or even the throne. Technically, you are a princess¡ªwhether it¡¯s officially recognized yet or not.¡±
¡°I refuse,¡± Tanisha repeated firmly.
¡°First Princess Sigrun will not be pleased,¡± Thorfinn said.
Tanisha rolled her eyes, her tone taking on a wry edge. ¡°Actually, I think you will be mistaken. If I went along with this she would have been more upset. It would mean I don¡¯t have a spine and what use is a Greater Wendigo if she is so weak-willed?¡±
Thorfinn studied her, his glowing eyes narrowing slightly as he considered her words. ¡°You know,¡± he sighed. ¡°Despite becoming a Hand I still am not used to dealing with politics.¡±
¡°It can be exhausting. Trust me,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°Very well, wait here,¡± Thorfinn said as he snapped his finger and his veil appeared covering his face. ¡°I will be right back.¡±
WM [61] Unavoidable
Tanisha waited until Thorfinn left the tent to finally drop her shoulders. She let out a long, frustrated groan and ran a hand through her hair. Her mind raced with possibilities, trying to piece together what had just happened. She didn¡¯t know how the First Princess found out. The truth of her being a greater wendigo was known to so few¡ªJoha, Bjorn, and Svan, the latter of which had died in Lavi. Not even Tyr really knew that she was actually a greater wendigo and like most people that knew who she was thought she changed her appearance with maya. The resources of the royal family were not to be underestimated.
She glanced over to her familiar who looked confused at the entire interaction that just transpired. He wouldn¡¯t know, she had just been dragged into a political mess. She was trying to figure out from which angle First Princess Sigrun was coming from. She had to rely on her training as a noble and knowledge of royal politics to guide her next moves carefully.
¡°I know, I know,¡± she muttered, pacing in front of him. ¡°You¡¯re wondering what all that was about, right?¡± Tanisha sighed and turned back toward him. ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to meet with her, Bjorn. But you have to understand... wendigo politics are all plays for power. Sigrun was testing me. Giving me the honorary title of Fourteenth Princess wasn¡¯t just a gift. It was a trap.¡±
Bjorn used his claw to write, ¡°How is a trap?¡±
She corrected his grammar, spelling out the correct words for him before she continued her explanation, pacing back and forth.
¡°I mean once you think about it doesn¡¯t make a lot of sense,¡± Tanisha said, rubbing her temple. ¡°The moment I was given that title, she was elevating me, putting me on the same level as the other royals. That means I¡¯m now a threat to the succession. Even if I have no intention of challenging for the throne, others will see me as a contender.¡±
She heard Bjorn writing again and waited for him to finish. ¡°Why give it to you?¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to figure out,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°On the surface, it seems like a gesture of goodwill, right? Giving me the title, showing me Thorfinn¡¯s face¡ªsince Royal Hands don¡¯t reveal their faces to just anyone. But¡but I have to be missing something. Ugh¡ let¡¯s see. By showing me his face, she was acknowledging my new status, but also testing how I¡¯d react. If I had just accepted it all without thinking, she would¡¯ve seen me as weak. Someone she could control.¡±
Tanisha nodded to herself in realization. ¡°By making me a princess, she¡¯s not just giving me power¡ªshe¡¯s pulling me into everything whether I want it or not. If I¡¯d let her, she would¡¯ve made demands, and I¡¯d have no choice but to obey. But I didn¡¯t play along. I refused the audience, and that changes everything.¡±
Bjorn wrote, ¡°That is why you refused?¡±
¡°Yeah, refusing was very-very important,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°You see, as royalty¡ªeven honorary¡ªI¡¯m now in a position where I can oppose her. It¡¯s called the ¡®position of opposition.¡¯ Without the Fourteenth Princess title, if I had refused to meet her, I¡¯d have been forced into a duel or worse, executed for defying her authority. But now? I¡¯m in a place where I can say no, and that means she can¡¯t just push me around.¡± She groaned in contemplation. ¡°But that¡¯s where it doesn¡¯t make sense. Why give me that power in the first place? It¡¯s not like she wants me to be independent. If anything, she probably wants to bind me to her side. That¡¯s what I can¡¯t figure out yet.
¡°What''s the endgame? Is she trying to draw me into her faction? I already am kind of a part of it after she gave me this.¡± Tanisha lifted her arm to show Bjorn the bracelet that served as her second storage item. ¡°Or maybe... she¡¯s setting me up as bait for the others. If I become a threat, the other royals might target me, thinking I¡¯m trying to challenge for the throne. That could destabilize things¡ªthrow the entire succession into chaos. Or maybe she¡¯s using me as a counterweight against someone else.
¡°All I know right now is that we need to leave as soon as possible.¡± Tanisha looked towards the tent flap. ¡°I would prefer we didn¡¯t get dragged further into this mess although it was unavoidable that someone found out that I was a greater wendigo at some point. Joha is still out there, and we are going to find him. Hey, do you remember which tent was Adelheid¡¯s? We might need an exit strategy.¡±
***
¡°Come in,¡± Adelheid¡¯s voice rang out from within her tent.
Tanisha stepped in first, Bjorn followed right behind. The tent wasn¡¯t as large as Tanisha¡¯s, but it still had all of the necessities. A bed roll, chest for items and a table and chair which the wifwolf currently occupied. It was modest and functional. The tent smelled of oils and cleaning supplies for maintaining hide and leather armors which had a sharp tang.
The wifwolf was in her casual wear and working on fixing part of her hide armor. Tanisha had never really taken the time to look at her hide armor. As she walked up she appreciated the detail of the armor. It was a patchwork of animal hides and, more interestingly, what looked like parts from monsters. Leather made up the flexible areas, but there were patches of thick scales and bone, especially along the chest where protection was critical. The bones were shaped to fit the curve of her body, giving the armor a natural yet formidable look. It was designed for her wolf form so it always looked too big on her humanoid form.
¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t expect you to come so soon.¡± Adelheid glanced up from her work, her amber eyes locking onto Tanisha. ¡°Did you want to come to assert dominance over me again? I want you to know I like you, but not like that.¡±
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¡°Uh, what?¡± Tanisha blinked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡±
Adelheid¡¯s grin widened mischievously. ¡°Oh good, I was worried you might have fallen for me.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s cheeks flushed in response. ¡°Adelheid! What¡ªno! Why would you even think that? How would that even work? I am female!¡±
Adelheid burst out laughing, clearly enjoying herself. ¡°Relax, I¡¯m joking! But it¡¯s good to know that you didn¡¯t send out mixed messages on purpose. Werewolves have a different uh, culture when it comes to relationships, and friendships. It is about dominance and submission and how it is displayed.¡±
Tanisha raised an eyebrow, still blushing. ¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°Well, for a while now you and Joha have had a dominant relationship over me,¡± Adelheid said. ¡°It¡¯s kind of like being in a new pack, but neither of you did any of the usual displays of dominance. Then out of nowhere you took me by the arm and led me.¡±
¡°Wait, wait, you mean holding your hand?¡± Tanisha questioned. ¡°That¡¯s just a childish thing for wendigo, not a display of dominance or anything. Friends do it sometimes and-and family too.¡±
¡°Ah, I figured as much. Especially when you didn¡¯t do other displays and seemed like you were unaware.¡± Adelheid said, her tone was casual as she focused back on her work. She pulled a needle through a tough seam, fixing a piece of leather in place. ¡°Anyway, welcome to my humble setup. Did you have something you wanted to talk about?¡±
¡°Uh, yeah.¡± Tanisha¡¯s playful embarrassment faded quickly, her voice turning serious. ¡°I need a favor. So, a lot has happened actually and I may have to flee into the Chaos Lands if things go badly.¡±
Adelheid put down her supplies and looked at her. ¡°What happened?¡±
¡°Politics.¡± Tanisha said with a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get involved though. The sort of it is, I am a greater wendigo. Apparently that technically makes me a princess¡ªan honorary one¡ªbut still, the Fourteenth Princess. And Sigrun...¡±
Adelheid raised a hand and cut Tanisha off. ¡°Hold on. You¡¯re a princess now?¡±
¡°It¡¯s an honorary title, but... yes,¡± Tanisha admitted, her voice growing quieter.
Adelheid leaned back in her chair, eyes wide. ¡°Alright, I need the long version of this. What¡¯s really going on?¡±
Tanisha looked at her for a moment, weighing how much she should reveal, but she trusted Adelheid. She gave a small nod to herself and began. The more she knew the more likely she could be dragged into things. Tanisha didn¡¯t know how the werewolves handled wendigo politics. They seemed to be indifferent to anything outside of their packs. They were mainly a group of monster hunters that traveled around to hone their prowess.
¡°Okay. But I need your help,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°I¡¯m going to be summoned by Princess Sigrun soon. While that¡¯s happening, I need you to secure me a guide through the Chaos Lands. I also need as many supplies as will fit in this.¡± She took off her necklace and placed it on the table, alongside six gold coins. ¡°Food, water, alchemy equipment, ingredients¡ªI¡¯ve written a list and stored it in the necklace. If you can find another storage item, even better. Keep whatever money you don¡¯t spend. There are plenty of human traders going through the border so I am sure you can find some eager to trade.¡±
Adelheid¡¯s eyes widened, staring at the amount of gold Tanisha had laid out. Her gaze flicked back up to Tanisha, meeting her determined expression. She gave a curt nod.
¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± Adelheid said. ¡°Now tell me what¡¯s really going on.¡±
Tanisha exhaled deeply. ¡°Sigrun is playing a dangerous game. By giving me this honorary title, she¡¯s elevated me into the royal family¡¯s succession¡¡±
***
Koll had been the one to retrieve Tanisha the second time. He led her and Bjorn to the First Princess¡¯s tent which was the largest one by far. Thorfinn and Signe stood outside of the entrance and the feeling of hundreds of enchantments on the ground and structure of the tent felt dizzying. It reminded her that the Mountain Fortress, though still standing after the siege, was now uninhabitable until the massive repairs and fortifications were complete. For now, this enchanted stronghold was the seat of power.
Tanisha decided to wear her full armor aside from her helmet as it was ironically the most regal outfit she had since Joha absconded with her wagon and all of her supplies and outfits. When she approached she could have been mistaken for a Knight. However, it wasn¡¯t lost on her that her black and gold armor happened to also be the same colors of the Royal Family.
As she approached, Thorfinn and Signe gave her curt bows and greeted her with a single word: ¡°Princess.¡±
Koll, standing nearby, blinked in surprise. He clearly hadn¡¯t been aware of her title. Seeing Thorfinn and Signe¡¯s respect, he quickly dropped to one knee, his eyes wide with realization. Before Tanisha could respond, the Hands opened the tent, and she and Bjorn stepped inside.
Signe followed close behind, her voice announcing, ¡°Entering, Fourteenth Princess Tanisha Scalebound and Royal Familiar Bjorn Scalebound.¡±
Inside, Tanisha was immediately greeted by the scent of kingburrow dew. It was a flower, the fragrance was rare and luxurious, favored by royalty and nobility. The smell hit her harder than she expected. It was the scent she had always associated with the Salstar estate, her former home. Memories of her family swirled in her mind, accompanied by the old longing to make them proud. But that desire was gone now, replaced by a hollow ache. The scent no longer invoked any warmth or comfort, just the sterile fragrance of something that had once mattered, but no longer held any meaning.
The tent itself was functional, without unnecessary extravagance. The largest area was set up for strategic meetings and planning, with a round table as the centerpiece and Sigrun¡¯s throne elevated at its head. One side of the tent was closed off, likely serving as her private quarters, while another area was filled with books, arcane tools, and workstations for more practical work. Every inch of space was utilized efficiently, without the ostentation that characterized the council in Birchgrove. There, the display of wealth seemed like a mockery, a caricature of wendigo values¡ªfunction over form exaggerated to the point of absurdity. Here, in Sigrun¡¯s tent, there was balance and purpose.
Only one person was inside the tent¡ªSigrun herself. She wasn¡¯t sitting on her throne but rather in one of the chairs at the round table, her posture relaxed, though her presence radiated authority. She too wore her armor, which pulsed with a faint sorcerous glow that beat in rhythm with her heart. The crystalline flowers in her tiara emitted a soft, fluorescent light, adding an ethereal touch to her formidable figure.
There was a kind smile on her face as she motioned for Tanisha to take a seat across from her. Signe excused herself quietly, leaving the tent as smoothly as she had entered. Tanisha hesitated for only a moment, then tugged lightly on her bond with Bjorn, letting his calm determination to fuel her own drive forward. This was the moment of truth.
WM [62] Woman of Yuhia
Tanisha took her seat cautiously, her every move measured as Bjorn settled beside her. Across from them, Sigrun¡¯s eyes roved over Tanisha in a way that felt unnervingly intimate, as if she were studying every facet of her being. It wasn¡¯t lust or admiration, but fascination. Now that Sigrun knew Tanisha was a greater wendigo, not a demon, her curiosity was palpable despite the regal mask she wore. But Tanisha wasn¡¯t fooled. She could feel the weight of that gaze, analyzing her, assessing her potential.
Tanisha, however, kept her own gaze sharp and unwavering. Her eyes locked onto the First Princess with the focus of a hawk, refusing to stray for even a second. She wasn¡¯t sure if she could outrun Sigrun or her Domination Sorcery, but if things went wrong, Tanisha was prepared to try. Every muscle in her body was tense, ready to spring into action. But Sigrun¡¯s posture remained calm, almost relaxed¡ªthere were no signs of imminent hostility.
¡°Hello, Tanisha,¡± Sigrun greeted her. Her voice was smooth and measured, but beneath the formal tone was a note of excitement. ¡°You do prefer Tanisha, or should I call you Sif or Freja?¡±
¡°Tanisha is preferred, yes,¡± she replied, her voice steady, though her insides churned with tension.
¡°Good.¡± Sigrun leaned back slightly, folding her hands on the table. ¡°There¡¯s a tradition among royals when we meet under circumstances like these. I know you¡¯re unaware of it, as it¡¯s different from how we handle the subservience of nobility. But since you are now our peer, it would be rude not to teach you. There are two parts: the first is the Power Display. It¡¯s a brief exchange of controlled aura. I will release mine first, and then you will do the same. Keep it contained between the two of us. This allows us to sense the Domination Sorcery we share¡ªsomething unique to the royal family. For you, it will allow us to feel your magic and gauge its potency.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She had known this was coming, but the formality of the request still sent a ripple of apprehension through her. Before she could respond, Sigrun continued.
¡°The second part is the sharing of bloodwine, or a gift from our travels, as a means to commune.¡± Sigrun gave a slight smile, but the tension in the air was thick. ¡°Shall we get started?¡±
Without waiting for an answer, Sigrun unleashed her aura.
It was like being hit by an invisible tidal wave. There was no outward sign, no dramatic explosion of light or sound, but Tanisha felt it immediately. Her magical senses were overwhelmed, her entire body instinctively bracing against the sheer force of it. She could feel it pressing down on her like the weight of a mountain. Surprise flickered across her face despite her best efforts to remain composed.
Without any conscious thought, her skill Identify activated.
Identify
Name: Sigrun Al Velidein Qar
Species: Wendigo
Level: 422
Vocation: Sorceress of Domination
Highest Stat: Sorcery: 2337
Tanisha stared in disbelief. Sigrun¡¯s aura was so powerful, so oppressive, it registered as though the princess had physically touched her. She could feel the sheer magnitude of Sigrun¡¯s power¡ªsomething far beyond anything she had faced before. Even Joha, even Ingrid, paled in comparison to this.
She swallowed dryly. If Sigrun wanted to take her, wanted to force her to stay, there was nothing Tanisha could do to stop her. She could capture them both with ease, crush them beneath the weight of her sorcery. Yet, the princess hadn¡¯t done so. She was going through this formal dance, adhering to tradition rather than using brute force. That was what unnerved Tanisha the most. Sigrun was choosing negotiation, respect even, when she could have simply taken what she wanted.
The aura retracted, and Sigrun leaned back, watching her expectantly. Tanisha¡¯s turn.
Taking a deep breath, she gathered her own magic. Unlike the typical wendigo, her aura didn¡¯t project outwards. Instead, ambient mana around her was drawn inward, mixing with her own reserves of mana, maya, and aether. It swirled within her, creating seier, a magic unique to her. Slowly, it began to circulate around her in a dense, invisible vortex, an event horizon where all mana in the vicinity was absorbed and converted into something entirely her own. It wasn¡¯t just a display of power; it was transformation, creation, an act of pure will.
Sigrun¡¯s reaction was immediate. Her eyes widened in shock, her regal composure breaking as she slammed her hands down on the table and stood, leaning forward in awe. Tanisha, startled by the reaction, instinctively stopped the flow of her magic, cutting off the phenomenon.
For a brief, heady moment, she felt as though she had won. Sigrun all but collapsed back into her seat, her gaze fixed on Tanisha, searching for words.
¡°I¡ this is beyond what I expected.¡± Sigrun¡¯s voice was filled with wonder, almost disbelief. ¡°You truly are a greater wendigo, one unlike anything we¡¯ve seen before.¡±
The tension in the room shifted. Whatever Sigrun had thought she was dealing with, it was clear Tanisha had exceeded those expectations. The power balance had shifted, subtly but unmistakably.
Before further words could be exchanged, a bottle of bloodwine materialized on the table, along with two fluted glasses. Sigrun poured a liberal amount for herself, and a far smaller amount for Tanisha.
¡°I understand you are underage,¡± Sigrun said, her tone returning to a more composed regality. ¡°You will have only enough to participate.¡± The glass floated over to Tanisha. ¡°May the Forest Father guide, may our ancestors watch, and may our enemies die.¡±
Tanisha accepted the glass, her mind still reeling from the power exchange. This wasn¡¯t just a meeting of royals¡ªit was a battle of wills, and though she had emerged unscathed, the confrontation had only just begun. She broke eye contact for the first time to briefly examine the bloodwine. She had seen this drink before of course but only at extremely upscale parties when she was a little girl. It was far more rare and expensive than the usual cream alcohol wendigo typically drank, much like its namesake it was made from blood in a long process.
Tanisha watched Sigrun swirl her drink for a moment before drinking so she emulated. She found the taste wonderful, not like blood, it was too sweet. She imagined it would taste like how humans described juice. She wanted more, but the glass was empty after just a sip. She placed it back down and looked at Sigrun.
¡°Okay, now that this is done I must be straightforward with you.¡± Tanisha said, setting the glass down. ¡°I have no intention of staying in Yuhia. If you hadn¡¯t stopped Joha and me we would have left days ago. Instead we again had to fight and he was corrupted by the maya while defending your territory. I want to leave and go out and find Joha.¡±
Sigrun nodded along. ¡°Yes, I read the report. We also confirmed that those were the very same druids we had been tracking from the base you reported to the foolish council in Birchgrove. It would seem that we owe you another great debt, from what we found from the remains of their base. They had been operating the domain for months, possibly years, using that stronghold as a staging ground for other operations before the skinwalker experiments.
¡°I have also interviewed many people around Birchgrove on my way here. It would appear you have quite the reputation. While you were there you had a run in with a werewolf pack. You worked to alleviate the potion shortage, you were instrumental in uncovering two separate intelligent skinwalkers, and even in the subjugation of one of them. Not only that, but you were a key player in killing a Jeweled Wing Monarch before it could wipe out the town completely.
¡°It appears to me that all you have done since the Salstar¡¯s foolishly kicked you out is fight. I spoke with Ingrid about you shortly after we found out about your evolution. It would appear you didn¡¯t fully expose your secret to her so I didn¡¯t either. She does know that you were Freja, but like most that know that fact she thinks your appearance is a disguise. She told me about your brutal Shaigaunt, how you were left for dead with a single lesser potion and a supposedly dead familiar.
¡°I interviewed Tyr and the Isi members that knew you. Tyr was the only one that knew you were Tanisha, but he also thought your form was a disguise not a transformation. He told me about the battles with the druids and the gnolls and how you went from a novice to someone that killed a Hand in a few weeks. You have all the hallmarks of a greater wendigo and now that I have seen and felt your aura I am sure of it myself.¡±
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¡°That puts me back at my earlier statement. I want to leave, but I think you don¡¯t want me to,¡± Tanisha said with skepticism. ¡°I am at a loss though, you had all the power, but you gave me a means to refuse once you recognized me as a princess.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t lie, I thought about coming here and taking you by force. When I first discovered what you were, it was exactly what I wanted to do,¡± Sigrun said. ¡°I may be seen as the most progressive of my siblings, but I am still a Sorceress of Domination. Over the few weeks I had to think over my plans the more I realized how foolish that would have been.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Tanisha questioned.
Sigrun took another sip of her wine. ¡°Even if I took you against your will you would still become a princess. You would gain the right to challenge me. You could choose to side with one of my siblings who have so far stayed out of the succession. I thought about killing you instead, but no matter how I look at you all I see is someone that has fought for Yuhia despite herself. I see someone with the ambition needed to survive no matter what this world throws at her. I gain more with you as a true ally than a reluctant captive and possible enemy.¡±
Tanisha absorbed her words for a moment and Sigrun didn¡¯t rush her as she sat back and sipped her wine. Tanisha felt the tension in the air lessen as she mulled over in her mind a response. It was clear that Sigrun had shifted her approach; it explained why she was treating her as a peer and not a mere former noble Shai. That realization settled uneasily on Tanisha¡¯s mind, though she remained cautious.
¡°So what,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°You want me to stay willingly?¡±
Sigrun set her glass down slowly, the pause deliberate. ¡°Not just stay. I want you to be part of something greater. I want you by my side as a true Princess of Yuhia, not someone kept here against her will. Together, we could reshape this kingdom, and you could find the power you seek¡ªnot just for survival, but for everything you¡¯ve fought for.¡±
¡°So, if I refuse, you will kill me?¡± Tanisha questioned. ¡°You even admitted that you thought about it.¡±
¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t kill someone so steeped in the blessings of the Forest Father as you are,¡± Sigrun said. ¡°But I will protect my interests. This is a negotiation. I¡¯ve told you what I want, and you''ve made your desires clear. Now, let''s find a solution that benefits both of us.¡± She leaned forward slightly, her fingers steepled in front of her as her voice lowered conspiratorially. ¡°I know you plan to return to Yuhia in a few decades, or have you changed your mind about that too.
¡°Yuhia is still my home,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°I will come back after I have seen the world.¡±
¡°Good, then this can still work. This is what I propose.¡± With a graceful motion, she retrieved a crystal flower wrapped in a white bow from her magical inventory, holding it delicately between her fingers. The ethereal object shimmered in the light. ¡°I am sure you know what this is. I want you to marry my son ¨®er in two decades. If you are still out of the country he will come to find you, if you still do not wish to return all I ask is that you give us an heir.¡±
¡°No.¡± Tanisha flatly refused. ¡°I do not want to be engaged to anyone right now. I don¡¯t need that responsibility.¡±
Sigrun¡¯s smile only deepened, a gesture that unsettled Tanisha. ¡°I know you want to find Joha. Do you even know where to start? The Chaos Lands are vast, and there¡¯s no guarantee you¡¯ll find him on your own. In exchange for my support, I want you to accept my proposal. However, I¡¯ll extend the timeline¡ªtwenty-five years. If, by then, you are still not ready to return, ¨®er will come for you. He will challenge you for your hand. If he wins, you¡¯ll be his wife and return to Yuhia as Queen Consort. But if you win, you¡¯ll still marry him¡ªon your own terms, as Queen of Yuhia, with the Scalebound Dynasty beginning and the Qar Dynasty ending. Of course, it will be after I die, but it is guaranteed.¡±
¡°You would go so far as to give up your son¡¯s claim to the throne just to have me?¡± Tanisha questioned.
¡°I believe that even if you are now a Greater Wendigo you still possess our desire to dominate and grow stronger. I think that it is stronger in you than it is in us even if you haven¡¯t lost yourself to it yet. You have felt it though haven¡¯t you? The Founding King Hjalmar, the Nature''s Wrath called it the Blood Price for Power. It drives us and it always has. As a woman of Yuhia I know you want your children to one day be secure in their power as well. As daughter-in-law and queen or consort your lineage and mine is all but guaranteed. My grandchildren will be descendants of two greater wendigo who could challenge such a lineage?
¡°If you were stronger now and could challenge me I would give up my claim if you could take it from me. If it meant ensuring Yuhia thrives under a ruler worthy of my father¡¯s legacy. I want what¡¯s best for our people. I want to ensure the future generations of wendigo continue to grow stronger, more powerful. And to that end, I would do anything. My proposal is thus: I will help you find your adoptive father, guarantee that you have a place in Yuhia when you return and secure your bloodline for generations to come.¡±
Tanisha drummed her fingers on the table, her mind working through the proposition. ¡°There¡¯s one problem. you have to become queen first. From what I¡¯ve heard, the First Prince is still the favorite for the throne.¡±
Sigrun¡¯s smile widened and Tanisha realized it was because she hadn¡¯t outright refused again but was entertaining the idea. Sigrun noticed it and was already maneuvering the conversation further into negotiation. The princess wasn¡¯t wrong about Tanisha¡¯s desire for power and how it had grown over ever since she became a greater wendigo. It wasn¡¯t lost to her what it would mean to actually be queen or queen consort and to have her descendants be the rulers of the country. It would be the dream of any wendigo to have such a lasting and powerful legacy.
¡°Then we will make that part of the deal as well,¡± Sigrun said confidently as she floated the crystal flower over to Tanisha. ¡°If I am not the chosen successor, or queen when ¨®er comes for you in twenty-five years our deal is off. You won¡¯t have to marry him or even accept his challenge for your hand. Regardless of the outcome of my succession to the throne, I will still give you my support.¡±
¡°What if I die in the Chaos Lands or your son can not find me,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°If you die, then you weren¡¯t worthy of joining our family, let alone becoming queen. And if you try to hide, we don¡¯t want the blood of a coward or liar. But that doesn¡¯t mean you have to make it easy for him¡ªit will be a trial, for both you and ¨®er.¡±
Tanisha looked at the floating crystalline flower. The light reflected off of it in a beautiful dance of magic and sorcery. It was another proposal for marriage which she was not sure about, but twenty-five years was a long time and there was alway the possibility that Sigrun would not become queen. She reached out, taking the flower in her hands, carefully unwrapping the white ribbon.
Tanisha twirled the ribbon between her fingers before looking up. ¡°I will accept this ribbon as an oath that I will fight ¨®er for my hand in marriage, but this does not bind me until he or I win, but only if he is worthy of me, the Fourteenth Princess. When I return in twenty-five years, any royal scion of my generation¡ªfifteen years older or younger¡ªcan challenge for the right to face me. Only the strongest will earn my hand.¡±
Sigrun¡¯s smile faltered, and for the first time, Tanisha saw a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. ¡°By your generation, do you mean any one of royal blood within that range?¡±
Tanisha nodded. ¡°Yes. Let it be known to the royal family. They will all have a chance, and only the most deserving will have me.¡±
Sigrun hesitated again. Her mind seemed to race as she considered her nephews, potential rivals for her son. Then, with a slow, satisfied smile, she reclaimed the crystal flower, causing it to vanish back into her inventory, leaving only the ribbon in Tanisha¡¯s hands.
¡°I accept,¡± Sigrun said, her voice smooth once more. ¡°It will be a spectacle. ¨®er will rise to the occasion.¡±
¡°Hold on,¡± Tanisha interrupted, raising her hand. Sigrun¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden cut-off. ¡°There¡¯s one more condition.¡±
Sigrun blinked, caught off guard. ¡°Another?¡±
Tanisha¡¯s expression softened slightly. ¡°Queen or no, I want to open an alchemy shop. It¡¯s something I¡¯ve always wanted, and I won¡¯t give up on that dream.¡±
Sigrun¡¯s surprise gave way to laughter, a soft, melodious sound that filled the room. ¡°An alchemy shop? Making you queen won''t be a problem, but that might be a bit difficult to arrange on such short notice, but¡ I think I can make it happen.¡±
Tanisha smiled, her hand stroking Bjorn¡¯s nearest head as she absorbed the gravity of what had just transpired. She had just agreed to a future that could either elevate her to the height of power. Despite its flowing delicate fabric white ribbon felt heavy in her hand. It was a promise of what was to come. For now, though, she tucked it away in her inventory, ready to focus on the immediate tasks at hand.
¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± Tanisha said, her voice calm but firm. ¡°Now¡ tell me where to find Joha.¡±
Sigrun¡¯s expression shifted, turning serious. She reached into her inventory and retrieved a small mirror-like object. Tanisha¡¯s eyes widened slightly in recognition¡ªit was a prototype Communication Disk, similar to the one Signe had shown her in Lavi. This device, she recalled, allowed direct communication between two holders without the need for line of sight, unlike the standard divination stones used by light mages. It was impressive, a leap in magical technology.
¡°Signe told me you have seen this item before.¡± The First Princess held the disk for a moment running her hand across the surface. She then levitated it towards Tanisha. ¡°It is still a prototype, but it functions as intended. It has a range of five hundred miles and is directly connected to its sister prototype. I¡¯ve sent scouts into the Chaos Lands to track down the surviving druids who escaped when Signe collapsed their tunnels. They¡¯ve also reported signs of Joha. Keep this disk. As we gather information, we¡¯ll relay it to you. The last reports had him heading north along the mountain¡¯s edge, moving off the standard routes. Signe will be your primary contact through this¡ªdoes that sound agreeable?¡±
Tanisha took the disk. It was about the size of a personal mirror, but the surface was covered in magic circles embedded with thousands of tiny magic crystals which made up some form of technomancy circuitry. Tanisha had never seen anything so complex although technomancy was the newest specialization of the Spellcraft Discipline. She ran a hand over the front and back of the communication disk feeling the unusual magic it emitted. Bjorn scooted closer to get a better look.
¡°Yes,¡± Tanisha replied, still marveling at the intricate device in her hand. She looked up at Sigrun, her voice steady with anticipation. ¡°I look forward to our partnership, First Princess Sigrun.¡±
Sigrun¡¯s eyes gleamed with the same intensity. ¡°As do I, Fourteenth Princess Tanisha.¡±
WM [63] Daughter of the Sage
Tanisha left Sigrun¡¯s tent, her mind reeling from the interaction with the First Princess. She was officially a princess of the Kingdom of Yuhia although she would not be able to utilize the title until her return in twenty-five years. Her existence was a secret that would only be known by the most trusted members of Sigrun¡¯s inner circle. Of course there were going to be a heavy dose of rumors and red herrings spread as well.
Signe was her guide back to her tent as she needed to go over the functionality of the communication disk. She seemed to be a little more on edge around Tanisha now that she knew that she was a greater wendigo. The fact that she was also a princess, well the Fourteenth Princess, might have also been part of it as well.
Once inside Tanisha¡¯s tent, Signe wasted no time. With swift precision, she began enchanting the space, ensuring no eavesdropper, magical or otherwise, could overhear them. Tanisha watched in quiet fascination as glowing blue flames danced at Signe¡¯s fingertips, tracing intricate patterns in the air. The fluidity of her movements was mesmerizing, like an artist painting with fire. Tanisha knew little of the Spellcraft Discipline aside from what her friend Mat had taught her in passing at the academy. She didn¡¯t know that someone with enchanting specialization could enchant air.
Tanisha looked at Bjorn, who was equally intrigued, as a thought struck her¡ªsomething important that Signe, of all people, might be able to help with. Now that she was both a princess and an ally to Sigrun, surely Signe would lend a hand. Signe had just finished her enchantments, and, like Thorfinn before her, removed the veil from her face. She looked older than Tanisha had expected, perhaps in her early two hundreds, yet her features held a regal grace.
Tanisha motioned for them to sit at the table within the tent. ¡°Hand Signe, do you know any wandmakers in the human kingdoms? I remember you mentioned working with dwarves.¡±
Signe took her seat, considering Tanisha¡¯s request. ¡°Please, while we¡¯re alone, feel free to call me simply Signe. Once your ascension to royalty is formally recognized, you may even do so in public. As for wandmakers, yes, I do have some contacts, both in Mesha and the Force Isles. If it¡¯s urgent, I could arrange for one to be brought here before you leave.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a generous offer,¡± Tanisha replied, ¡°but I don¡¯t want to delay my departure. Are there any wandmakers with your force, perhaps someone Sigrun brought along?¡±
Signe shook her head. ¡°We do have specialists here, but they¡¯re field repairers, not wandmakers. Their skills are in maintenance¡ªfixing broken tools and stabilizing enchantments when possible.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s bemused expression drew a smile from Signe, who decided to explain further. ¡°Repairing a magical implement, especially one as complex as a wand or staff, requires knowledge of its physical structure and some understanding of the flow of magic within it. But that¡¯s entirely different from creating one from scratch. A repairman can fix a cracked wand shaft, rebind runes, or stabilize fractures in its core components. But they don¡¯t do the actual ''molding'' of magic within the tool. That¡¯s something only a trained wandmaker can do.¡±
¡°So it''s like knowing how to fix a knife handle without needing to know how to forge the blade,¡± Tanisha said thoughtfully.
¡°Exactly,¡± Signe nodded. ¡°Creating a wand or staff requires years of training and a deep understanding of how magical energies flow and connect. Wandmakers mold the very essence of the object so it can channel magic properly¡ªa bit like shaping the soul of the wand. It¡¯s intricate and personal, which is why so few have the skill to do it. Field repairers, on the other hand, focus on patching up physical damage to keep the tool functional. But if something is broken beyond a certain threshold, even they have to take it to a wandmaker. Only they know how to repair the magical core.¡±
Tanisha nodded, digesting the information as her gaze drifted to the floating enchantments. It made sense, even Joal, who made her bardiche and repaired her daggers, didn''t turn them into wands and staves. He enchanted them to utilize her magic but not act as the median for spells. He told her that she would need to take them to a wandmaker so it¡¯s not just about enchanting.
Tanisha put a hand on her chin. ¡°So a wandmaker isn¡¯t just crafting something¡ªthey¡¯re practically breathing life into it.¡±
¡°Precisely.¡± Signe said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve dabbled in enchantments for a while now, which is an adjacent field, but I wouldn¡¯t dream of attempting true wandmaking. That¡¯s a discipline of its own. If you would like to speak with one of the field repair personnel I will have one meet you before you leave.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve dabbled,¡± Tanisha giggled at that and looked over to the floating blue fire in the air. ¡°Thank you, yes please do. I found out it wasn¡¯t so easy the hard way.¡± Tanisha admitted shyly. ¡°I tried to turn my knife into a wand by pushing magic through it.¡±
¡°That is a bad idea. If a tool isn¡¯t properly attuned to take in magic it can cause catastrophic failures.¡± Signe said.
¡°Yeah,¡± Tanisha said with a laugh. ¡°Wish you were there to stop me. It exploded.¡±
Signe put a hand to her mouth as she tried not to laugh. ¡°An expected reaction from something without a proper channel for the mana.¡± She straightened herself back up. ¡°I have to ask, what exactly are you? The Princess and Thorfinn have kept me in the dark. I know you are a greater wendigo but you don¡¯t look like the Nature¡¯s Wrath as he was described to me. No crystalline antlers or powerful sorcery radiating from your heart. You look almost elven with your ears and tail.¡±
Tanisha didn¡¯t want to tell Signe that her transformation was not from the Forest Father which may be the reason she does not look like the Nature¡¯s Wrath. In fact she had no desire to tell anyone of the royal family that fact in fear of how they would respond. Power is everything so once she was powerful enough it wouldn¡¯t matter. She didn¡¯t believe in the Divines of Man or the True of The Wendigo.
¡°I wondered about my appearance for a while now.¡± Tanisha said swiftly and with a smirk on her lips. ¡°I think it was a gift from my True, don¡¯t you? I am a cernunnos, which I assume was a form granted to me for a different purpose than what Founding King Hjalmar had to go through.¡±
Signe was quiet for a moment as she thought about it. ¡°What is it like? You were a wendigo first. What changes have you experienced?¡±
¡°Can we go over that later,¡± Tanisha responded. ¡°I would like to talk about the communication disk so I can prepare to leave.¡±
Signe looked almost embarrassed. ¡°Right, yes, my apologies.¡±
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The communication disk appeared in Signe''s hand from her inventory and Tanisha followed suit. The magical devices were a mirror image of one another. Signe sent a small pulse of mana which fed into the device. Tanisha felt her own communication disk vibrate softly so following Signe¡¯s lead she pushed a small amount of the mana aspect from her seier into the device. There was a moment of silence as if the world stopped momentarily.
¡°It looks like you are a natural.¡± Signe¡¯s voice reverberated in Tanisha¡¯s mind.
Tanisha recoiled at the sudden invasion of someone else¡¯s voice in her head.
¡°Signe? Is that you?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Yes, right now we are connected through the communication device.¡± Signe said calmly. ¡°There are a couple of things to go over. First¡¡±
The communication disk function was quite simple, all she had to do was put a little mana into the device to connect. The further the devices were apart from one another the more mana was required to keep the connection. The maximum range was five hundred miles. Signe recommended putting it in a bag as she would be able to feel it vibrate if someone was trying to contact her.
¡°...you need to be in a neutral position. Sitting would be preferable when you use the disk.¡± Signe continued. ¡°It is still a prototype and to maintain the connection it puts the body into a temporary catatonia.¡±
Tanisha ran her hand across the surface of the disk. ¡°Good to know.¡±
A voice called from outside. ¡°Tanisha, it¡¯s Adelheid, can I come in?¡±
Tanisha glanced over at Signe and gave a subtle nod, prompting her to replace the veil over her face. Signe complied, masking her features again and dispelling the enchantments around them. She nodded once, signaling that everything was secure. Just then, the tent flap rustled, and Adelheid stepped in.
¡°It didn¡¯t take as long as I thought, but I found someone willing to guide you through the¡¡± Adelheid¡¯s words trailed off as she noticed Signe seated across from Tanisha. Her eyes flicked between the two. ¡°Am I interrupting something?¡± She focused on Tanisha for confirmation. ¡°Everything okay?¡±
¡°Yes, all¡¯s well. Relax,¡± Tanisha replied, smiling to ease her friend¡¯s concern. ¡°Who did you find?¡±
¡°Right.¡± Adelheid moved aside to allow the new arrival through. ¡°This is Tsukihana Fuyumi. Her first name is Fuyumi, by the way.¡±
A ghostborn woman slipped into the tent behind Adelheid, her movements almost unnaturally smooth, giving the impression that she was gliding rather than walking. Fuyumi¡¯s attire was pristine, even down to her spotless shoes, which somehow defied the muddy terrain outside. Her skin had a translucent quality, pale with a faint bluish sheen, almost like she¡¯d been carved from ice. She dipped her head in a graceful bow and then stilled, holding herself so rigidly that she seemed like a frozen statue.
¡°It is an honor to meet you,¡± Fuyumi said, her voice soft yet haunting. ¡°And it is good to see you again, Hand Jet.¡±
Signe inclined her head. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too, Fuyumi. You have a good eye, Adelheid¡ªshe was of great help to me during the assault. I can vouch for her combat skills and was hoping to retain her services, if possible.¡±
¡°I appreciate your praise of my skills,¡± Fuyumi replied, though she stumbled slightly with her Valish pronunciation.
Adelheid glanced between them and scratched her head. ¡°She primarily speaks Seiyugo, but also Muaian. Her Valish could use some work.¡± She looked back at Tanisha. ¡°How are you with the human languages?¡±
Tanisha nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I know Muaian well enough to get by¡ªspeaking it conversationally is fine, but reading it is another story. My friends at the academy helped me learn, and it¡¯s useful since Muaian¡¯s the language of trade, so my family wanted me to know it.¡±
Signe rose from her seat, preparing to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to your preparations. I¡¯ll send a field repairer your way shortly. And Tanisha¡ªbefore you depart, please stop by Sigrun¡¯s tent. She¡¯ll want to see you off.¡±
After a round of goodbyes, Signe left, and the tent grew quiet. Adelheid gave one last look outside to make sure they were alone, then turned back to Tanisha, her expression shifting from formal to exasperated. She dropped into the now-vacant chair across from Tanisha with a dramatic huff.
¡°Honestly,¡± Adelheid muttered, ¡°you¡¯d think preparing for a journey wouldn¡¯t be so intense. What was that about? I thought she was coming to take you away or something? Especially after what you said earlier.¡±
¡°I might have overreacted.¡± Tanisha shrugged, a faint smile tugging at her lips. ¡°Or maybe it was the right amount of reaction I don¡¯t know. Sigrun seemed like she wanted to help me, which is a good thing.¡±
Adelheid dropped her head to rest in her arms folded on the table. ¡°Great, because I almost had a fucking heart attack thinking this was an abduction thing. We barely managed to fight that electromancer druid woman. I doubt we could take on a Royal Hand.¡±
Tanisha blinked. ¡°We?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t sound so surprised,¡± Adelheid muttered, giving a lazy wave. ¡°You¡¯re practically part of my pack by now. I wouldn¡¯t have just left you to deal with that on your own.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s smile softened as she glanced at Adelheid, who remained huddled against the table. Fuyumi took the lull in the conversation to finally speak up.
Fuyumi questioned. ¡°Excuse me, but what is the job? I was told you needed guidance through the Chaos Lands.¡±
Tanisha jumped slightly, momentarily forgetting Fuyumi¡¯s quiet presence. She cleared her throat, glancing at the ghostborn woman.
¡°Oh, yes, sorry,¡± Tanisha said quickly. ¡°Would you prefer I speak Valish or Muaian?¡± Tanisha asked and switched languages when Fuyumi indicated the latter. ¡°I am looking for my adoptive father. I don''t know if you saw him at the gate.¡±
¡°Yes, the demon, I remember seeing you traveling with him.¡± Fuyumi agreed in perfect Muaian. ¡°He survived the assault then? Did he flee from the fighting?¡±
¡°No he was tainted by the maya after killing one of the druid commanders.¡± Tanisha said. ¡°It made him unstable and now he is wandering the Chaos Lands. Princess Sigrun has agreed to help me find him and there are people in the Chaos Lands helping track him. I just need someone familiar with the area to help me travers the region.¡±
Fuyumi looked at Tanisha for a long time without so much as blinking. It was unsettling but different people had different social norms. Tanisha had known a ghostborn in the academy, he was a dullahan and had many of the same traits. They don¡¯t act entirely alive at times and miss many social cues. She had to remind herself of that fact while she waited for a response.
Finally Fuyumi gave a slight bow. ¡°I will help you. I intended to cross these Chaos Lands. Having company will be enjoyable. My request is that while we look for your father you aid me in combat. From your unusual core, I surmise you are a Sage, correct?¡±
Tanisha''s mouth hung open in shock. ¡°Y-yes¡ but how do you know that?¡±
¡°My father is Hok¨ no Buki-ko no Kenja, the Sage of the Walking Armory,¡± Fuyumi said in a reverent tone. ¡°I have seen the core of a Sage, it is not like those of normal birth. Yours is still chaotic although some of that chaos has been unraveled.¡±
¡°Your father is a Sage?¡± Tanisha questioned as she stood up.
¡°Yes, he is the one that taught our people Buki Hengen-ry¨± and is the creator of the Walking Armory magic which we call Hohei no Buki-ko.¡±
¡°Tanisha?¡± Adelheid said in a low voice also in Muaian. ¡°Did I hear her say that you are also a sage? One of those mythical magic casters from children¡¯s tales?¡±
¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not important. I''ll tell you about it later.¡± Tanisha murmured, dismissing it. ¡°Fuyumi, I don''t care how much it costs, I want you as my guide. I will be in your care.¡±
¡°Not caring about the cost is not the wisest thing to say to a mercenary.¡± Fuyumi said with a smile. ¡°But my fees are quite affordable I assure you.¡±
WM [64] Not Going With You
Bjorn watched in silence as Tanisha talked to the new ghostborn woman. He didn¡¯t understand the new language so he was lost as to what was going on. He had noticed a while ago that while he didn¡¯t understand most Muaian words there were a couple he did recognize. He snaked closer to Fuyumi being careful not to spook the woman into thinking he was going to attack her.
¡°I should be able to make a translation of Muaian pretty soon.¡± Failsafe said. ¡°From what I can tell it is a predecessor or derivative language from what we speak.¡±
Bjorn flicked his tongues to take in as much of Fuyumi¡¯s scent and magic as possible. Her aura was cold like being in the presence of the Isi while they were utilizing their material power. However, Fuyumi¡¯s aura was magic based and apparently a natural part of her biology not a learned magical effect. There was a quality of stillness to her and her aura that was unsettling almost as if she was not alive. Yet despite that and her near complete stillness she did move subtly and there was a barely perceptible rise and fall of her chest while she breathed. Most of all Bjorn could taste her nervousness as she conversed even if her demeanor was unchanged and blank.
¡°Maybe the human languages are derived from ours but shifted over time. I can understand some of the words here and there but they are pronounced strangely. Is it an accent? Neither of them are native speakers.¡±
¡°They definitely aren¡¯t.¡± Failsafe agreed. ¡°There are some inconsistencies from how the Jackrabbits spoke. This seems to be hybridized although we don¡¯t know the name of our language so for now we will call it Angelia.¡±
¡°Angelia?¡± Bjorn mirrored.
¡°Yeah, the Angels spoke it too, so fair to assume they taught it to humans.¡± Failsafe said. ¡°Anyway, it seems to have been influenced by Valish which isn¡¯t a surprise, Yuhia is the neighboring kingdom to the humans. I will be happy when we get to hear whatever the dwarves speak and we can learn how that influenced the language too.¡±
Bjorn¡¯s focus on Failsafe¡¯s explanation broke when he heard Tanisha say his name, her tone chiding, ¡°Bjorn, ne be nat rude. Entringe into somonys privy space is nat semely!¡±
Bjorn had no idea what she was saying but understood the word rude at least. He turned his heads to look at her and was sure to send his confusion through their bond so she would speak again in a language he understood. She seemed to get it and switched languages back to Valish so Failsafe¡¯s translation would work.
¡°Bjorn, don¡¯t just invade someone¡¯s personal space; it¡¯s rude,¡± Tanisha repeated with a slight sigh.
Bjorn blinked, noticing for the first time that he¡¯d come far closer to Fuyumi than he¡¯d realized¡ªonly about a foot separated them. With a hiss of acknowledgment, he withdrew, finding a more comfortable spot by Adelheid, who waved him over with a grin. She scratched the back of one of his heads, and he let out a low rumble of contentment as the conversation continued nearby.
¡°How is the analysis of the skills coming along?¡± Bjorn asked mentally.
Failsafe let out a sound like a nonexistent throat clearing. ¡°Ah, I thought you¡¯d never ask. In fact, I¡¯ve fully deciphered both of them.¡±
¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say something?¡± Bjorn pressed.
¡°It¡¯s not like we were in a rush this time and I like when you take interest.¡± Failsafe said.
Bjorn was quiet for a moment as he formulated a response. ¡°Fair enough, what do they do?¡±
¡°Open your skills, I just added them.¡± Failsafe said excitedly.
Bjorn nodded and without question opened his menu.
Skills Analysis
Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic and your best friend who has your back no matter what!
Error: Eyes of the Queen
The Queen of a Thousand Heads is watching you. Be sure to eat well and don''t talk to strangers from Higher Planes!
Venomous Bite
Aether Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs. Your venom becomes infectious and will spread to nearby targets within five feet of the injected target. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Poison Cloud
Aether Cost: 5
With your right head you can mix venom into the air using magic, creating a large area of poisonous gas. This gas will rapidly reduce the health of those inside. Allies within your Poison Cloud are unaffected. Gain control over the spread and density of the Poison Cloud.
Plague Fire Breath
Aether Cost: 8
With your left head you can breathe a plume of superheated toxin, which will ignite enemies and infect them with your neurotoxin. Flames retain toxicity until you release the spell. Plague Fire will spread like normal fire.
+ Aatheric Breath < Aetheric Disruption Breath
Aether Cost: Variable
(I) Low cost, 10 aether. Release aetheric energies that boost allies and poisons enemy active spellforms. Boosted attack spells gain a poison effect; weakened spells become unstable and harder to control, spreading instability to future castings. All effects last for five minutes. (II) Medium cost, 15 aether. Expand the breath¡¯s range, affecting multiple spells. Poisoned spells are even harder to control, while boosted spells deal stronger poison damage. All effects last seven minutes. (III) High cost, 20 aether. Target spells to cause backfire, turning magic against its caster. Boosted spells gain potent venom, and poisoned spells spread instability to future castings. Effects persist for ten minutes.
Poison Claws
Aether Cost: 2
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even small scratches fatal. Venom has resistance to cleansing effects. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Delta Familiar Contract
Aether Cost: -150
You are a bonded delta-class familiar. You gain +150 to aetheric regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions through your bond. Your bond is more resistant to outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties.
King of the Reptiles
Passive Skill
Dragons, lizards and amphibians all show hesitation and fear around you, going so far as to run away. More study needed.
Intimidation Roar
Aether Cost: 1
Infuse aether into your roar to paralyze anyone that hears it. Your roar can paralyze humanoid magic constructs as long as they are connected to a magic caster. Paralysis duration depends on distance and level disparity between you and the target. Those bound to you are immune to this effect.
Hydra Regeneration
Aether Cost: 15
Enhance the natural regeneration of your body giving you an unparalleled healing factor. Increases the body''s natural healing rate by 4x regeneration statistic plus 20% constitution statistic. (Head regeneration is still unknown. More information required.)
+ Shadow Concealment
Aether Cost: Variable
+ (I) Cloak yourself in shadow magic, blending into dim or dark environments to hide your presence. Movement is undetectable to non-magical senses. (II) Deepen the shadow cloak, concealing even magical traces of your presence and blending with shadows in moderate light. Shadows will also muffle the sound around you making you harder to detect. (III) Unknown.
Air Claws
Commune with your master to unlock.
Aetheric Scales
You have felt the power of your master¡¯s aura and mantle and embraced the influence of the chain breaker. The power you felt now resides within you. Call forth the power that defends you from harm. Harden your scales with the aetheric touch. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your master. This ability is tied to your master, should your master die or reject your bond you must reclaim her soul or you will lose this ability.
Hydromancy
Commune with your master to unlock.
Water Light
Commune with your master to unlock.
Hydro-breath
Commune with your master to unlock.
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Page 2 of 2
Bjorn read and reread the skills, both of them being useful. He wished he had known what the Aetheric Disruption Breath did in the last fight. He could have poisoned the electrokinetic mage¡¯s magic so that it hurt them instead. He could already use his intimidation to cause spells to backfire if he did it at the right time but this would make any spell harder to cast for the mage. He was already formulating future strategies in which he could effectively be an anti-mage. Though he wondered how the skill would work against material users.
Shadow concealment on the other hand was not what he expected at all. Gaining a stealth skill seemed almost laughable given how large his mother and father were. If he were at some point going to be the size of a mountain he didn¡¯t know how helpful a stealth skill would be. Memories surfaced of the shadow wolves from his and Tanisha¡¯s earlier travels¡ªmaybe he could blend into the darkness the same way they had. He¡¯d find a way to make it work.
¡°Aetheric Disruption Breath? It seems like I should have used it in the battle.¡± Bjorn said. ¡°Good job on figuring these to abilities out.¡±
Failsafe¡¯s tone was a mix of satisfaction and frustration. ¡°Yeah, wasn¡¯t easy. Aether isn¡¯t as adaptable as mana. I have a theory: I think the orbs we saw weren¡¯t just tools like human wands¡ªthey were a necessity for the Angels to manage aether. I also think that¡¯s why we didn¡¯t hear them chanting, unlike human aether-arcanists.¡±
Bjorn mulled over this, intrigued. ¡°So what does that mean?¡±
¡°Well, Angels didn¡¯t vocalize spells. When they used magic, the orbs seemed to serve as both the will and conduit for their spellcasting. I suspect they couldn¡¯t channel aether alone, at least not efficiently. Remember, when they cast powerful spells, aether blasted outward into the environment uncontrollably, which often overwhelmed nearby humans, sometimes causing seizures.¡±
Bjorn nodded, recalling the painful effects. ¡°I thought that was some kind of dominance display.¡±
¡°I thought the same,¡± Failsafe admitted, ¡°and maybe they did amplify it to show off, but I also think they couldn¡¯t completely control it. That¡¯s where you were unique. As a nephilim, you didn¡¯t have the same uncontrolled aether bursts whenever you used it. You handled aether almost like mana.¡±
Bjorn could feel the possibilities. ¡°If I could control it that way back then, there must be a way to replicate it now.¡±
Failsafe hesitated, sounding somewhat regretful. ¡°I wish I had a more solid answer, but right now, it¡¯s still just a theory. Once we unlock more of your memories, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get closer to understanding it.¡±
Bjorn¡¯s thoughts drifted as Tanisha¡¯s voice faded into background noise. He watched as Fuyumi eventually left, likely to prepare for her own journey. When Tanisha and Adelheid switched back to Valish, his focus sharpened. They began sorting through the supplies Adelheid had acquired, including a new field alchemy kit to replace the one Tanisha lost along with Joha. The wifwolf¡¯s experience navigating the Chaos Lands showed in her choices, and Bjorn took note of her resourcefulness.
One item in particular grabbed both his and Tanisha¡¯s attention.
¡°This is a mana shroud,¡± Adelheid explained, holding up a long, hooded cloak. ¡°Mages wear them to conceal their mana from monsters. Out there, without something like this, you¡¯d be a walking beacon for magic-hungry creatures. Most monsters will leave you alone if you don¡¯t stray into their territory, but using too much magic can draw some in. And then there are the Sanguine Seductress and Enchantress¡ªmana-rich travelers are especially tempting to them.¡±
¡°The Sanguine what now?¡± Tanisha asked, eyebrows raised.
Adelheid chuckled. ¡°Seductress and Enchantress. Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re not after your innocence¡ªthey¡¯re after dinner. Just standard monster instincts. So, word of advice: don¡¯t take in any friendly strangers while you¡¯re traveling through the Chaos Lands.¡±
Bjorn flicked his tongues thoughtfully, taking in the scents of the cloak. Its faint aroma hinted at shielding magic and something more earthy, grounding. He felt proud that he was getting better at noticing the smaller details of the magic around him. His new head was already coming in handy.
***
It was only a few hours before the wand field repairer showed up. She wasn¡¯t as helpful as either Bjorn or Tanisha had hoped. It was pretty much like Signe had said, they work on the physical tool but not the magical core of a wand or staff. It wasn¡¯t all a waste though as she gave Tanisha a repair manual which had the proper procedures in repairing a wand and staff of general design. Including tools needed and technical diagrams. It was a start into understanding wand making although a small one.
They went to collect a few more things for the journey, mainly miscellaneous herbs for potions. Along with several of the tools needed in wand making and repairing which Tanisha managed to haggle down to a reasonable price. When she was done it was finally time to see the First Princess and finally leave Yuhia for the next twenty-five years. As they walked to the tent Adelheid stopped them and the wifwolf took a deep breath as her eyes searched Tanisha¡¯s gaze.
¡°I-I am not going to go with you to the Chaos Lands you know that, right?¡± Adelheid said her voice was small. ¡°I still have to go back to my pack but I feel bad for¡ everything. I¡ it feels like I am abandoning you.¡±
Tanisha smiled softly. ¡°We started on shaky ground but it was nice to have you in my pack. I didn¡¯t expect you to come with me, Adi and honestly I don¡¯t think you should. You have your family to go back to and I have mine to find. Twenty-five years and Bjorn and I will be right back here, Joha too. It would be nice to have a friend here to greet me and not just all the stuck up nobility.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be an old woman then.¡± Adelheid joked. ¡°But I guess you¡¯ll be exactly the same.¡±
¡°Wiser hopefully.¡± Tanisha responded and the two girls laughed. Then there was a long silence. ¡°You¡¯re not coming with me to see the princess are you?¡±
Adelheid shook her head. ¡°If I do, I¡¯ll feel like I should just keep following you. You¡you have so much happening around you, Tanisha. You¡¯re one of those people, the kind that makes big things happen. Soon enough, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be surrounded by people who can keep up with all that.¡± She gave a sheepish smile, waving her hands to emphasize her point. ¡°Don¡¯t take it the wrong way. I just mean¡ªyou¡¯re going to be out there kicking ass, slaying monsters, making a name for yourself. And wherever I am, I know I¡¯ll hear about my friend, the badass cernunnos, tearing it up.¡±
In a sudden burst of warmth, Tanisha stepped forward, nuzzling Adelheid in a way that only wendigo shared among close friends or family. Adelheid¡¯s face turned bright red, her eyes widening.
¡°Oh geez, now you finally do a dominance display?¡± Adelheid squeaked.
Tanisha laughed, leaning back. ¡°It¡¯s not a dominance display. Its¡¡±
¡°Yeah-yeah, wendigo affection I know.¡± Adelheid said clearly flustered. ¡°And I appreciate it.¡±
The two stepped back from each other and Adelheid pet Bjorn on each of his heads.
¡°Take care of her, Bjorn, I am counting on you.¡± Adelheid said. ¡°I know you¡¯re the smart one out of the group.¡±
¡°Hey.¡± Tanisha said in mock hurt.
¡°What? four heads means four brains he¡¯s got you beat.¡± Adelhied said, she cleared her throat. ¡°Now you two should be off, don''t want to keep the Princess or your guide waiting.¡±
It took a moment but Tanisha nodded and called Bjorn to follow as they turned back toward the princess¡¯s tent. Bjorn could feel Tanisha¡¯s determination. They had one more stop then they were going to find Joha, no matter what.
***
The First Princess¡¯s tent was exactly the same, the only difference being the number of people present. Sigrun sat on her throne overlooking the group which consisted of Thorfinn, Signe and two older men Bjorn had only ever seen once during the meeting between Sigrun and First Prince Arnar. They were obviously in Sigrun¡¯s inner circle since Signe introduced her as the Fourteenth Princess. The men were astonished, where before they dismissed her as demon now they looked at her with admiration.
Identify
Name: Leif Koren
Species: Wendigo
Level: ??
Vocation: Court Cures Mage
Identify
Name: Axel Hollows
Species: Wendigo
Level: ??
Vocation: Court Nature Mage
Signe led Tanisha to a seat while Thorfinn placed a comfortable and large padded mat down for Bjorn beside her. Bjorn couldn¡¯t help but notice that Tanisha¡¯s chair, while not a throne, sat taller and with more grandiosity than the other two men¡¯s seats. Both of them stood and bowed their heads until she sat down.
¡°Princess Tanisha, thank you for coming.¡± Sigrun said her voice was stern and refined. ¡°These two men are my trusted political and military advisors. They have both been briefed on your situation but if you would be so kind as to unleash your aura as you had with me.¡±
Tanisha complied and there was a noticeable shift in the ambient mana within the tent. Bjorn had seen the phenomenon many times as she used her aura during fights to imbue her armor with power. Mana surged towards her as the tattoos across her body shifted and moved as if alive. Mana formed a disc around her and at a point of no return all of it would be absorbed into her, further empowering her magic as it entered her core.
Both advisors were visibly moved by the display. Leif¡¯s eyes glistened, and Axel seemed speechless, his mouth slightly open in awe. One of them even began to shed a tear, his voice barely audible, whispering words that sounded almost reverent.
¡°Thank you Tanisha.¡± Sigrun said with a smile then turned to the men. ¡°I assume this is enough proof Leif, Axel?¡±
¡°Yes your majesty.¡± The man Bjorn identified as Axel said tears were streaming down his face. ¡°The Forest Father has truly blessed us to see a greater wendigo in my lifetime.¡±
The other man, Leif, nodded. ¡°With her in our faction there is no denying that you should be next in line for the Throne.¡±
¡°Please give her the report, Lief.¡± Sigrun said.
The man stood and walked around the table and handed Tanisha a letter with a bow.
¡°This is the latest update from our scouts. They¡¯ve been tracking Lord Joha through the mountain range,¡± he explained, returning to his seat. ¡°He¡¯s on a nearly direct course toward the Force Isles. However, as he¡¯s moved farther up the range, he¡¯s becoming increasingly difficult to track due to treacherous paths and rising ambient magic, which has triggered a mana storm. The area will soon be impassable.¡±
¡°What is a mana storm?¡± Tanisha asked her eyes not leaving the report in her hands.
¡°My apologies princess. The Chaos Lands are currently going through a shift in ambient magic. More ambient magic is being concentrated here which is what is causing the manifestation of more monsters in and around the Chaos Lands. When this happens we see more powerful creatures manifest within Yuhia. I am told you engaged one such manifestation.¡±
¡°The Jeweled Wing Monarch.¡± Tanisha said with a nod of understanding.
Lief continued, ¡°yes, in the Chaos Lands mana storms bring more than increased monster activity. The landscape itself is altered and twisted by the storm. The very mountains you see today didn¡¯t exist a thousand years ago but were formed in the last mana storm. There¡¯s reason to believe this storm could bring changes just as dramatic.¡±
¡°I know that you will not be willing to wait until the storm passes in a few years before going to look for your adoptive father so I made some additional arrangements for you.¡± Sigrun interjected. ¡°Signe told me you found a reliable guide so I found you a reliable bodyguard. I also paid both of them for you as a parting gift. ¡±
¡°You are too kind,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°It is an investment into our futures,¡± Sigrun said. ¡°We will be in touch. Now I don''t want to hold you up any longer. I have connections in all the kingdoms of man. Keep that bracelet I gave you safe, it will open many doors. Just don¡¯t do anything to harm the credibility of my faction.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡± Tanisha responded.
WM [65] My Raven
Bjorn and Tanisha sat across from each other in their tent. It was going to be the last time before they left and met with Fuyumi and the new bodyguard Sigrun had hired. It was finally time to commune now that they both had some semblance of how it was supposed to be done. Tanisha summoned her Hard Air Constructs which surrounded Bjorn while he filled the tent with the most dense Poison Cloud he could make without letting it spill outside.
They both meditated on the other¡¯s power letting it filter into them and touch their cores. The experience had been oddly intimate like allowing the other into their soul. In a sense it was, because the bond they shared was soul deep. Even though they had an understanding of how to do it now it wasn¡¯t easy. The soul naturally wanted to repel foreign influence; it was the most sacred place of a person¡¯s being after all. Overcoming that natural defense took a concerted effort and constant attention.
It made Bjorn wonder how they managed to do it by accident. Apparently combat made them more receptive to each other''s influence. Perhaps it was the Familiar Contract that made it easier since trust and shared power are where that bond shines. Regardless of how, it didn¡¯t take long before Bjorn felt the power settle in his core. Finally he had unlocked the first step into allowing him to speak.
¡°We did it, we unlocked it.¡± Failsafe said gleefully. ¡°I tried to see how it was done but it didn¡¯t follow the Familiar Contract at all. It is fully a soul connection thing so I couldn¡¯t observe.¡±
¡°That''s great.¡± Bjorn responded. ¡°Well go ahead and analyze the ability. Once Tanisha finishes with the Poison cloud we are moving on to the next one.¡±
It took only moments before Tanisha opened her eyes with a smile. ¡°I did it! I can now breathe out a necrotic poison cloud. Did you get an ability too?¡±
Bjorn nodded and wrote on the ground: Hydromancy next.
¡°Hmm, and for me Poison Infusion I think it is your poisonous claws attack.¡± Tanisha said. ¡°Let''s get closer. I think I have to hold your hands.¡±
The two tried to unlock any of the other abilities but the path to their souls was far harder to open to each other. After an hour with no results they knew they could not wait any longer. The Chaos Land were calling and they had to find Joha. Tanisha packed the last of her supplies between her two storage items and Bjorn¡¯s armored harness which they had repaired after he was attacked by the werewolves. They were fully stocked for the journey ahead.
¡°The analysis is done, go ahead and look at your communed skill.¡± Failsafe said, his voice beaming with pride.
¡°You¡¯re getting faster,¡± Bjorn responded.
¡°Oh you noticed,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°Well ever since I got to see the inside of that Angel Core some things have been way easier to analyze. It feels like I have relearned something essential to my function. Both of us lost our memories, remember?¡±
Air Claws
You have felt the aerokinetic energies your master commands through their mastery you have gained insight into the working of magic. Focusing this power into your claws increases the range of slashing attacks. Cause blades of aerokinetic magic to cut your enemies down. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your master. This ability is tied to your master, should your master die or reject your bond you must reclaim her soul or you will lose this ability.
Aetheric Scales
You have felt the power of your master¡¯s aura and mantle and embraced the influence of the chain breaker. The power you felt now resides within you. Call forth the power that defends you from harm. Harden your scales with the aetheric touch. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your master. This ability is tied to your master, should your master die or reject your bond you must reclaim her soul or you will lose this ability.
Hydromancy
Commune with your master to unlock.
Water Light
Commune with your master to unlock.
Hydro-breath
Commune with your master to unlock.
Page 2 of 2
¡°The ability is a good one.¡± Bjorn said while following Tanisha out of the tent. ¡°I wonder if I can combine it with Poison Claw and make some kind of slicing poisonous wind.¡±
¡°You can double cast, although it does cause us to over heat quite badly.¡± Failsafe said. ¡°I think this body is still too young to do it twice and sustain the effects. The new ability is also connected to you but not your own power. That might be the reason you can¡¯t learn more than one at a time. It has to acclimate to your soul first.¡±
¡°Makes sense.¡± Bjorn said. ¡°Well I am sure we will have plenty of time to find out in the Chaos Lands.¡±
¡°I should add the points I got from the battle over the past few days.¡± Tanisha said the tone took on a subdued feeling. ¡°I am level forty-four now but haven¡¯t assigned anything yet. I was going to go over it with Joha, but well, I still have a day, we can go over it tonight right, Big Man?¡±
***
Tanisha saw Fuyumi as they rounded the last tent in the large collective of temporary housing for the Border Guards. She was sitting on a log at a dying campfire drinking something from a wooden cup. She was looking away and talking to someone just out of sight. It wasn¡¯t until the small campsite was fully in view did she see who. It was an elven man? Teenager? Tanisha honestly couldn¡¯t tell he looked to be about the same age as her.
He stood tall to Fuyumi¡¯s side, long dark hair flowed freely over his shoulders, its deep hues caught the light in subtle, earthy tones, and framed a face marked by striking, angular features. He had high cheekbones, sharp jawline, and elegantly pointed ears which were the hallmarks of his elven heritage. He actually looked quite beautiful, not what she was expecting at all from her bodyguard.
What really caught her attention was the elf¡¯s armor. What first appeared to be cloth and metal turned out to be crafted from monster materials, adorned with blues, golds, and whites. White fur from a fell monster lined the edges of his cloak and shoulders and strapped across his chest, pouches and polished leather straps hold mysterious tools, each one as meticulously placed as the rest of his ensemble, marking him as a traveler prepared for any path. A sword was sheathed at his side and a shield on his back.
Identify
Name: Aurelius Lyns
Species: Chaos Elf
Level: 45
Vocation: Chaos Sage Swordsman
Identify
Name: Fuyumi Tsukihana
Species: Yuki
Level: ??
Vocation: Walking Armory Mage
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Tanisha stopped in her tracks once she saw the Identify information. Aurelius was a sage, she had never seen anyone else with that title. Sages were supposed to be rare, one appearing in a generation but Fuyumi is the daughter of a sage and this new person is apparently a sage too. Bjorn, beside her, tilted his heads with evident curiosity, studying the chaos elf intently.
Aurelius caught sight of them and smiled, speaking in fluent Muaian. ¡°Ah, you must be her,¡± he said, nodding towards Tanisha. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s time to leave, then.¡±
¡°Guess so,¡± Fuyumi replied, standing up. ¡°Hand Signe told me Joha¡¯s changed course toward the Force Isles. If we start now, we¡¯ll reach the southern pass before nightfall. We¡¯ll need to set up camp early.¡±
Aurelius approached Tanisha, extending his hand. ¡°Aurelius Lyns. I¡¯m not too familiar with wendigo customs, but I¡¯ve been helping people cross the Chaos Lands since I was old enough to hold a weapon.¡±
Tanisha reached to shake but stopped once he got close and she could feel his aura. It wasn¡¯t like the aura of a person at all. She backed away on reflex, putting up her guard as if she were going to strike him. He put his arm up showing he had nothing in his hands and looked rather embarrassed.
¡°Sorry,¡± Aurelius said, his voice low and sheepish. ¡°I thought I had it under control. My aura¡ well, it can feel like a monster¡¯s sometimes. But I am not a monster I swear.¡±
Fuyumi walked over to the group. ¡°He is an anomaly. My people have heard of him. The Chaos Elf is what most of the Yuki call him. Elves and goblins usually can not stay in the Chaos Lands for very long before getting changed by the chaotic energies.¡±
¡°For some reason, I¡¯m different,¡± Aurelius explained. ¡°I was raised by human nomads in the Chaos Lands. No one knew that an elf couldn¡¯t live there safely. I was just a year old, and somehow, I survived. It¡¯s been my home for seventeen years, and so far, I¡¯m the only elf I know who can live in the Chaos Lands without¡ consequences.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s posture relaxed, ¡°Your people know of him?¡± she asked, glancing at Fuyumi.
Fuyumi nodded. ¡°There aren¡¯t many who call the Chaos Lands home. People like Aurelius tend to make a name for themselves. Even my brother¡¯s encountered him once.¡±
With a slow breath, Tanisha dropped her guard entirely and extended her hand again.
¡°Apologies, Aurelius. I¡¯m Tanisha Scalebound, and this is Bjorn, my familiar.¡±
Aurelius¡¯s hand closed around hers in a firm, respectful shake, his grip steady and his expression warm despite the earlier tension.
¡°An honor, Tanisha. And Bjorn, of course.¡± Aurelius said with a smile. ¡°Here¡¯s to a smooth journey across the Chaos Lands.¡±
***
She screamed in pain¡ªa scream that tore at her vocal cords, raw and guttural, an unending torrent like fire raging through her veins. It was an agony that went beyond pain, something ancient and primal. Then, suddenly, silence. She felt her body go numb, the pain extinguished so abruptly it left a void as chilling as the ache had been searing. In that absence, she realized she had to be dead. The last thing she remembered was the descending blade, the bardiche aimed to sever her head from her shoulders. She had expected terror in her final moments, but now, washed over with stillness, she felt an unexpected calm. The struggle was over, and she was ready to rest in the arms of the Forest Father.
Death didn''t take her. Instead, a jolt of foreign power exploded through her, raw and invasive, ripping into her like a thousand talons clawing at her soul. Her body ignited with this energy, filling her with a perverse vitality that felt nothing like life. She was forced to breathe, her lungs heaving as if possessed. She felt her heart beat again, the pulse a mockery of her will. Her eyes opened of their own accord, her blurred vision clearing slowly as reality bled back into the forefront of her thoughts. The pain was gone, yet her body felt wrong, utterly wrong.
Strapped tightly to a table, her limbs pinned, she lay helpless. Her gaze darted around, only to be met with a horror that drove an icy spike through her being. Hundreds of metal arms hung above her, sharp, surgical, and drenched in fresh blood. They were the hands of a thousand surgeons, working with inhuman precision, peeling back her skin in thin, white-red ribbons. She watched as they excised parts of her flesh, callously lifting pieces of her away. Organs she had never seen¡ªraw, ruined yet still hers¡ªwere severed and discarded like garbage. In their place, the arms inserted cold, alien things that she could feel settling inside her, anchoring into the spaces her flesh had once occupied.
She tried to scream, to beg them to stop, but she couldn¡¯t. She realized with a cold, unyielding horror that her throat was gone. Only empty silence greeted her, echoing in her mind as the machines continued their work, indifferent. Shadows fell over her as the arms shifted, bringing strange tools closer to her face. The gleaming metal hovered over her eyes, blades drawing close with calm precision, and darkness consumed her once more.
Blindness was no reprieve. She floated in a void, aware yet unseeing, consciousness locked in an endless black. For how long, she didn¡¯t know. Then, with brutal suddenness, a light blazed directly into her eyes, searing her vision into clarity. She blinked, disoriented, as the world around her came into sharp focus. Everything looked different, sharper, painfully clear, even down to the faint shimmer of mana dancing in the air. The mechanical arms that had violated her were gone, disappearing into a ceiling that was sterile and white. She lifted a hand to shield herself from the light¡ªand froze.
It wasn¡¯t her hand. Her own familiar flesh was gone, replaced by a sleek, ivory metal, veins of green energy pulsing beneath the surface. She clenched her fingers, feeling the strange weight of her new limbs. They moved obediently, but felt foreign, as if her soul hovered just above them, unable to fully connect with what they had become.
She sat up, eyes raking over her body, and bile rose in her throat, a memory of nausea that her altered body no longer obeyed. Her naked form was no longer hers. She was encased in a gleaming, unnatural armor¡ªsmooth, seamless metal that caught the light in a ghostly, almost ethereal way. Arcane symbols etched her limbs, patterns she couldn¡¯t recognize, markings that might as well have been carved into her very soul.
A flood of information surged into her mind, words and symbols that slotted into her consciousness without her consent. Terms she had never known now held strange, clinical meaning. ¡°Cybernetic,¡± ¡°synthetic,¡± ¡°flesh graft¡±¡ªthe foreign words coiled around her brain like wires burrowing into her thoughts. She reached for her face, dreading what she would feel, but she had to know. Her fingers touched a cold, smooth mask. Her skin was gone, her identity replaced by this lifeless, sterile facade.
Kara clawed frantically at the metal surface hoping to peel it back like a terrible mask, to awaken from this nightmare. Her new body moved stiffly, every frantic movement a betrayal, her own flesh now unrecognizable. She wanted to cry, to weep freely, but her eyes remained dry, cold and mechanical. Even the act of shivering felt alien, more like a stuttering twitch than a natural response. Her body was gone, and it had taken her humanity with it.
A presence stirred behind her, a force so immense that her very soul trembled. She turned, her stiff, foreign limbs obeying, and froze. Before her stood a towering figure¡ªa being whose appearance her mind could scarcely comprehend, yet her spirit knew with bone-deep certainty. Her soul recognized him instantly, a reflexive urge to bow coursing through her like static. This being, like her, was clad in metal, a hollow echo of life forced into a vessel of steel and magic. She fell to the ground, pressing herself to the cold floor, unable to resist.
¡°I see that you live, child,¡± the figure intoned, his voice like the rustle of ancient trees and the hum of distant stars. It echoed through her, a cosmic murmur. ¡°Good. I needed one who has tasted the magic of the Hydra and the Cernunnos.¡±
Kara¡¯s voice trembled, a feeble whisper trapped in a lifeless throat. ¡°Wh-who are you?¡±
The being¡¯s gaze bore into her, peeling back layers of fear and shock. ¡°What does your soul say, Kara?¡± he asked, his tone both a command and a challenge.
Her voice came as a whisper, reverent and afraid. ¡°Forest Father... Creator¡ Odin.¡±
A smile¡ªif it could be called that¡ªtouched the figure¡¯s face, a faint tilt in the rigid metal. ¡°So you do know your creator, then.¡± He moved with a strange, robotic precision around her, observing her like an artist appraising unfinished work. ¡°Things are in motion, and I need my ravens once more. The child of cursed Hydras has brought the attention of the Higher Planes upon this Plane. Soon, they will war for what is rightfully mine. I have stripped you of all that made you¡ defective. You shall be my raven, my watcher. Guard my prize until she is ready to be taken.¡±
The Forest Father reached down, gripping her by the head, his hand cold and immense, easily lifting her as if she were weightless. Power surged through her, pouring in like molten iron, filling every crevice of her synthetic being. His eyes met hers, a vast, chilling emptiness devoid of warmth. There was no affection there, no compassion¡ªonly duty, distant and absolute. She had imagined the Forest Father as a nurturing spirit, a lord of wild beauty and fierce life, but now she saw something far different, something corrupted and twisted by machinery, reliant on it, just as she was. She knew he hated it as she did, as she would.
Her gaze dropped as her body began to shift beneath his touch. Flesh, synthetic yet eerily lifelike, spread over the metal frame, a faint peach glow softening her once-bare metal limbs. Her new body was something between flesh and machine, an unsettling blend that erased every trace of the person she once was.
¡°Kara no longer,¡± the Forest Father decreed. ¡°You are Muninn now. You are my Will made manifest.¡±
With a final, searing pulse of energy, he released her, letting her stand on her new legs, her body restored yet irreversibly changed. The Forest Father looked down at her, his eyes cold and distant.
¡°Go, my greater druid, go my Hrafn,¡± he commanded. ¡°Fulfill your purpose.¡±
WM [66] Don’t Look For To Long
Tanisha wasn¡¯t sure what to expect from the Chaos Lands. She had spoken with both Joha and Adelheid about their experiences crossing various Chaos Lands. Adelheid, in particular, had traversed this one less than two months ago and shared stories about it¡ªthough most of her tales revolved around monster hunts. As for Joha, he had mentioned that much of the demon continent was saturated with chaotic magic. It seemed that demons thrived in the chaos, finding it to their liking.
Instead of chaos, she found a strangely calm path. The lack of constant assaults was a relief and justified her choice to leave her heavy armor tucked away in her inventory. She wanted to travel light and just so happen to find the perfect set of rugged clothes made for the journey. The ensemble completed with her hooded cloak which was the mana shroud Adelheid told her she would need. By pure chance, her outfit was all black, with deep purple accents stitched along her sleeves and cloak. It lent her an effortlessly powerful look, like a traveling war mage whose aura demanded respect. Not that she¡¯d ever admit to something as vain as dressing to look imposing even if she did feel it.
The path wound through the mountains, worn down by countless travelers. They were far from alone: merchants, seasoned warriors, pilgrims, and eager adventurers dotted the trail, all drawn by the promise¡ªof what lay beyond the Chaos Lands. Now and then, a few monsters emerged in the dense, ambient mana, notably some Crawling Stalkers, who creeped across the rocks with a far more timid demeanor than what she was used to in Yuhia. Here they kept to themselves, weaving their way around the travelers and even seemed fearful of getting too close.
This must be what they are like when they aren¡¯t starved of corrupted mana.
Tanisha forced her attention back to her group. Fuyumi had been explaining important details of their journey that she definitely didn¡¯t want to miss.
¡°We are going to follow the path for a few days,¡± Fuyumi continued. ¡°This will be the safest part of the journey. After that we will have to cut through the valley going north west around the mountain range. Unfortunately there is no direct path between us and the road to the Force Isles.¡±
¡°We should make camp soon,¡± Aurelius stated as he looked up at the sky. ¡°I think we are going to see a storm.¡±
Tanisha followed his gaze but didn¡¯t see anything above them in the deep blue sky. The sun shone brightly overhead and there wasn¡¯t any clouds as far as she could see. She was getting ready to disagree when Fuyumi nodded.
¡°You are right. It is a shame I was hoping to get further today.¡± Fuyumi said.
Tanisha looked at both of them as if they were crazy. ¡°What are you two talking about? There isn¡¯t a cloud in the sky. We are only a few hours out from the border.¡±
¡°Ah, right, this is your first time.¡± Aurelius said with a knowing look. ¡°It isn¡¯t a rain storm or anything like that. It doesn¡¯t really rain out here too much. It¡¯s a mana storm, I can see mana but you should be able to sense it after a while. I am just used to them and can spot the changes early. Instead of rain we might get a few monster manifestations up ahead. If that happens we want to be somewhere defensible or where we can hide our mana. This is a small one so it shouldn¡¯t be too bad but out here it is better to be safe than sorry.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll keep going for another hour or two,¡± Fuyumi stated. ¡°We can run if you want to make up the lost time. We will go at your pace but if we stop you should stop too.¡±
¡°Okay, lets go as far as we can.¡± Tanisha said as she hopped into a jog. ¡°Can I use Arcane Shift? It is kind of like Blink.¡±
¡°That''s fine with me.¡± Aurelius agreed.
¡°Yes,¡± Fuyumi mirrored.
With that Tanisha ran as fast as she could, Bjorn at her side even as she used her Arcane Shift. As long as they were close enough to each other he would teleport with her. He was faster than she was so it wasn¡¯t a problem for him to keep pace. Fuyumi and Aurelius were just as swift, their own power propelling them forward just as fast as she could manage. Fuyumi took the lead while Aurelius stuck to her side, matching her stride and even her teleportations with eaze.
She couldn¡¯t help but be a little uneasy around the elf. His magic was unsettling, it had a sinister quality she had only felt in monsters. It wasn¡¯t entirely the same, monster''s magic was a corrupted force while his, though odd, was definitely uniform and controlled. He didn¡¯t do anything that would indicate hostility, and the First Princess wouldn¡¯t pay for a body guard that she didn¡¯t believe would be helpful. He was definitely an anomaly but so was she in a way.
They ran for an hour before Fuyumi finally stopped them right as the mountain pass opened up into a wide valley far below them. As it turned out they were quite high and the path would snake down the mountain side. Tanisha¡¯s eyes opened wide at the sight before her. Mana suffused the air so thick it shimmered in a beautiful aurora over the landscape. The air was suddenly cold as a wind blew up from lands down in the valley.
The landscape below was a breathtaking reshaping of nature by truly unruly magic. From her vantage point, Tanisha could see forests sprawling in irregular patches, the trees twisting upwards in unnatural shapes as though trying to reach the aurora above them. Branches interlocked in bizarre, almost woven patterns, some trees curling inwards like spirals, while others jutted outward at odd angles as if bending to an invisible force. Interspersed between these forests were fields of jagged rocks¡ªlarge, spire-like formations that seemed almost to breathe and casted unnaturally long shadows despite the daylight above them.
Here and there, patches of land lay barren, almost charred-looking, devoid of any life or color. These areas appeared to devour light itself, their boundaries sharply defined against the surrounding greenery, making them appear as dark stains that refused to brighten under the sun. It was as if these spaces were caught in perpetual twilight, where sunlight couldn¡¯t, or wouldn¡¯t, reach.
An eerie beauty permeated the valley, with rivers flowing in looping paths that seemed to defy natural law, some streams even floating a few feet above the ground, glinting like silver ribbons. As stunning as it was, there was an unmistakable sense of foreboding in the air, a silent warning woven into the landscape. Shadows flickered and shifted, even where nothing appeared to be casting them, and occasional flickers of movement at the edge of her vision suggested the possibility of creatures lurking within the depths of these darkened pockets.
The mana-rich air tingled against her skin, thick with potential but almost choking in its intensity, making it hard to breathe deeply. The feeling only intensified as she looked over the area below. She had to catch her breath and cycle her magic to keep from hyperventilating. Each breath was full of mana which her body seemed to take in greedily. Her core was working to convert the influx of corrupted ambient mana into something she could use.
¡°Seems like you¡¯re handling it well,¡± Aurelius observed, nodding approvingly. ¡°Not everyone adjusts so quickly. You didn¡¯t pass out, at least. Come on, Fuyumi¡¯s found us a spot to ride out the storm.¡±
¡°Passing out was a possibility?¡± she asked, blinking up at him as she steadied her breathing.
He shrugged, casting her a quick smile. ¡°Well, demonesses are usually fine, so you shouldn¡¯t have to worry.¡±
¡°Oh, I¡¯m not a demoness,¡± she replied.
Aurelius halted, a bit taken aback. ¡°Oh¡ªuh¡ sorry. I just¡ assumed.¡±
Tanisha smirked slightly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I doubt you¡¯ve met anyone like me before.¡±
She took a final deep, mana-rich breath, savoring the powerful, strange tingling in her lungs before they moved toward Fuyumi¡¯s makeshift campsite. She placed down several crystals in a perimeter around a rather precarious looking rock overhang. Scattered along the path, other travelers were setting up similar wards and barriers. It looks like it wasn''t just them settling in to weather the storm.
Once inside the perimeter, Tanisha immediately noticed a shift. The air felt lighter; the thick mana haze dissipated within the crystal circle, creating a small oasis of calm.
¡°We might be here until morning, but if the storm passes quickly we will try to make more ground before setting up for the night.¡± Fuyumi said as she sat down on her knees.
Tanisha joined her on the ground sitting beside the ghostborn. Aurelius on the other hand took point and remained standing looking over the group like a sentinel on post.
¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to break before tonight unfortunately,¡± Aurelius said. ¡°It should be quite the sight for you Tanisha, if you¡¯ve never seen a mana storm it can be quite spectacular. This one shouldn¡¯t be too bad so it will be safe to watch.¡±
¡°Are they sometime¡¯s unsafe to watch?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Oh yeah, they can cause all sorts of problems if they are too powerful.¡± Aurelius said, watching over the camp. ¡°That much mana is bad for your eyes and also your mental health. I have heard some people have lost their minds trying to observe high level storms.¡±
¡°Lost their minds?¡± Tanisha questioned.
Aurelius nodded grimly. ¡°The Chaos Lands alter things that enter and mana storms are the source of that. Just like how they change the landscape they can do things to the minds of those in it. Of course there are ways to minimize that change by eliminating your exposure or using your own aura to fight back against the corrupted forces. The problem with that is that blasting your aura out like that makes you a beacon for any hungry monsters nearby.¡±
¡°Most travelers wear protective clothing.¡± Fuyumi added. ¡°Like that cloak you are wearing. Some use totem¡¯s or enchanted gear and talismans. My people travel with the crystals you saw me place around the camp. They keep corruption out while allowing for uncorrupted mana to filter in. It also masks us to monsters to make us less¡ appetizing. Monsters can be drawn to pure mana but with this all they sense is the build up of the corrupted mana on the outside of the crystals.¡±
Tanisha couldn¡¯t help but have a hint of worry about Joha. ¡°How does the corrupted mana affect demons?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think it does.¡± Aurelius said though he was hesitant. ¡°That is why I thought you would be fine earlier.¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t affect them as long as they use maya and not mana.¡± Fuyumi said. ¡°Demon¡¯s aren¡¯t the only ones it has no effect on but they are the most consistently unaffected. Even my people have to be careful of storms and we are more resistant than most.¡±
¡°I wanted to ask but the Yuki live in the Chaos Land, right,¡± Tanisha questioned. ¡°Why settle out here if it is so dangerous?¡±
¡°Our people seek challenge and adversity. I think we are similar to your people in that way.¡± Fuyumi said as a cup appeared in her hand presumably from an inventory item. ¡°We are all warriors, but not just warriors in combat but also in every other aspect. My father wants the yuki-onno and yuki-otoko to always strive, to always fight for all we¡ they have. He saw the Chaos Lands as the best place to find enlightenment.¡±
¡°Enlightenment?¡± Tanisha mirrored the word.
¡°A place of oneness with ourselves,¡± Fuyumi clarified, sipping from her cup with practiced calm. ¡°Think of it like how your people aim to connect with the, uh¡ Divine of the Forests.¡±
¡°Wait, you''re a wendigo?¡± Aurelius asked.
Tanisha shook her head. ¡°Not quite. I am a cernunnos, similar to them though.¡± She addressed Fuyumi. ¡°I actually follow Sonr Orma Eil¨ªfra not the Forest Father but I get your meaning.¡±
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
¡°My apologies. The point stands.¡± Fuyumi took another sip from her cup, her gaze steady.
Tanisha thought the drink was tea as she had been drinking before. However, the unmistakable scent of alcohol rose into the air. She was going to say something about how she didn¡¯t think the guide drinking on the job was a good idea when Aurelius got her attention with a wave.
¡°It¡¯s starting. You should come watch.¡± Aurelius said as he motioned her to stand. ¡°Just¡ be careful how long you look,¡± Aurelius cautioned softly. ¡°The mana storm has its own way of getting under your skin, and it¡¯s easy to lose yourself in the spectacle.¡±
Tanisha rose, leaving Fuyumi¡¯s figure behind as she joined Aurelius. Bjorn eagerly got up to see this mana storm behind her. She didn¡¯t know what to expect, her breath caught in her throat as she watched the mana storm unfold in the valley below. The corrupted mana shimmered in the air, forming swirling, ethereal patterns that pulsed and shifted the now very alive aurora. Brilliant and menacing, the storm''s light bathed the landscape in hues of deep purples, searing blues, and sickly greens.
The spectacle moved like a thrashing beast, the storm spiraled into a tempest that threw flickers of raw magic across the landscape. The terrain below rippled and distorted in ways that didn¡¯t make sense to Tanisha¡¯s mind. She saw patterns in the storm, broken formulae and half finished spells break the land in ways that no mage could make sense of. The spire-like rock formations trembled, glistening under the storm¡¯s unnatural glow.
The sight was mesmerizing and horrifying all at once, a scene of surreal beauty marred by a sense of wrongness so deep it made her stomach turn. Tanisha couldn¡¯t look away. Even from this safe distance, the air felt heavy, pressing down on her chest. She could feel the faint hum of magic in her bones, an echo that made her feel uncomfortably hollow. A chill ran down her spine, and she unconsciously wrapped her arms around herself. After a few seconds or minutes she felt a warmth surrounding her and noticed that Bjorn had wrapped himself around her in a bid to comfort her.
¡°This is¡ a light storm?¡± Tanisha¡¯s voice was filled with disbelief. ¡°This could destroy an entire city.¡±
¡°Corrupted mana reshapes and twists anything in its path,¡± Aurelius explained. He gestured towards a patch of forest, where the trees trembled, their forms contorting as mana washed over them. ¡°But it is not all destruction, it also creates, as strange as it seems. Although this is one of the lighter storms. Still, take a closer look there.¡±
Tanisha''s gaze settled on a tree that must have been at least a mile away, with a sudden crack, it twisted at an impossible angle, its bark peeling away like paper to reveal an interior shimmering with crystalline veins. Inside, mana glowed so brightly it was visible even from their distant perch. It wasn¡¯t just one tree¡ªthere were clusters of them, scattered throughout the forest like beacons. She had only ever heard of one such phenomenon in Yuhia, the Mana Tree of Yggdrasil. It was a tree so valuable that the capital was built around it. Here such a thing would be but one of thousands.
¡°How can something so beautiful be so... wrong?¡± Tanisha asked, unable to pull her gaze away from the unnatural transformation.
¡°Beauty and terror are close companions,¡± Aurelius replied, his voice thoughtful. ¡°And corrupted mana holds both in abundance. It tempts, it lures, and it reshapes. That¡¯s why it¡¯s so dangerous. Those trees are almost entirely pure mana and will be consumed by monsters before the storm clears. I have seen people try to get to them before the monsters do. It never ends well.¡±
Tanisha let out a relieved sigh. ¡°Glad we stopped when we did.¡±
Fuyumi raised her cup in silent agreement. ¡°To good choices,¡± she slurred slightly. ¡°And maybe some¡ companionship? We¡¯ll be here a while.¡±
Tanisha let out a breath she hadn¡¯t realized she was holding, the tension in her chest loosened just slightly. Yet the storm continued its haunting dance below, a kaleidoscope of corrupted magic and distortion that she could hardly tear her eyes away from. Aurelius gave a resigned chuckle as he continued setting up their camp, and Tanisha joined Bjorn, nestling close as they sat by Fuyumi, who seemed to grow more relaxed with each sip.
¡°Sure, just give me and Bjorn a moment.¡± Tanisha said.
Tanisha still needed to assign her latest contribution points and decided to continue her strategy of getting every statistic to at least one hundred before specializing.
Status Menu
Name: Tanisha Valkyrja Scalebound
Species: Cernunnos
Level: 40 + 4 = 44
Vitality: 100
Restoration: 79 + 21 = 100
Constitution: 100
Willpower: 130
Strength: 55 + 19 = 74
Dexterity: 83
Stamina: 48
Seier: = 470
Seier Regeneration: 235 (+150 from bond)
Page 1 of 3
Skills Analysis
Delta Familiar Contract
You are bonded with a Delta-class familiar. You gain +150 to seier regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions through your bond. Your bond is resilient against outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties. Your familiar¡¯s life expectancy is extended by five years.
Hard Air Constructs
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Low cost, 2 seier. Speak the words of power and create seier air constructs. Form air constructs into any shape and they will interact with the world, acting out the caster¡¯s will. (II) Medium cost, 6 seier. Air constructs with darker aspects of seier to burn any that oppose you. (III) High cost, 16 seier. Constructs will become invisible and silent.
Ringularity Sage Core
Seier cost: Variable
Chaos, mana, maya and aether compose the inner workings of your soul. Their coalescence in one body created seier; an energy seeking to uncover the very nature of the world around it. You can control all aspects that make up your core. Exerting your will over seier controls mana, maya and aether. You can use tools from any of the energies that make up your core. Your will can dominate mana, maya and aether outside your body for a short distance and use ambient energies for your arcane machinations.
Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Low seier cost per minute, seier will inundate your muscles and bones with power to temporarily increase your physical attributes. (II) Medium seier cost per minute, the Marks of Seier greatly enhances unarmed strikes. Unarmed punches and kicks will produce a seier shockwave, increasing the range of unarmed strikes a short distance. (III) High seier cost per minute, the energies within you grants the ability of arcane shift to teleport up to five yards.
Sage Soul Forge
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Use seier to alter and twist existing spellforms connected to your Ringularity Core. (II) Meditate on your core to deepen connections and meridians to your soul. Study the Marks of Seier which etched themselves across your body to gain greater insight. (III) Unknown. Unknown. Unknown.
Divination Hydromancy
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Create seier constructs with liquid attributes, condense water from the atmosphere and/or control water from a water source. Exerting control over water allows you to change its state and temperature with ease. (II) Alter the properties of water to cause it to glow. Only those you choose can see the light produced. (III) Water in any state will condense into a blast of highly pressurized water. You maintain control of water even after it is fired, allowing it to change trajectory and home in on enemies.
Appeasement of the Cernunnos
Seier cost: None
(I) Drink the blood of a recently defeated foe and gain +3 to your stats based off of their highest physical statistic. Their level must be higher than yours. Their highest statistic must be higher than yours. You or those bound to you through a soul bond must have delivered the killing blow. (II) Consume the flesh of a recently defeated foe and gain an additional +1 to a physical statistic of your choice upon level up. Stackable up until +20. (III) Unknown.
Venomous Fang
- You have felt the venom of Sonr Orma Eil¨ªfra; it now courses through your veins. Your saliva carries a necrotic venom. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your True. This ability is tied to your True, should your True die or reject your bond you will lose this ability.
+ Poison Breath
+ You have breathed the toxin that claims the world and become one with the breath of Sonr Orma Eil¨ªfra. Your breath now carries the power of the Poisoner. Call upon the power of your True¡¯s breath which in you carries a necrotic toxin. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your True. This ability is tied to your True, should your True die or reject your bond you will lose this ability.
Hydra Fire
- You have felt the residual heat of your True¡¯s fire and instead of flinching away you embraced it. The heat that burned you now resides within your core. Call upon the power of your True¡¯s fire it now carries a necrotic embrace. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your True. This ability is tied to your True, should your True die or reject your bond you will lose this ability.
Poison Infusion
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
Queen of Reptiles
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
Page 2 of 3
Tanisha felt pleased with the changes and was getting ready to close the menus when she realized she hadn¡¯t looked at the third page of her menus in at least a month. There hadn¡¯t been any reason too; she knew the disciplines she could control and the specialties she had. Although it wouldn¡¯t hurt to take a look so she scrolled down mentally. Her mouth hung open as the information filled her vision.
Ringularity Sage Core Analysis
Sage of Seier
Your soul is permanently bonded to another in life and in death. The core of the Sage of Seier has been crafted to utilize the powers of other worlds. Seier is the power of divining one¡¯s own path. Free from the constraints of one''s fate, you weave your own destiny.
Nature Discipline
Specialties:
Venefikinesis - Creation and control of toxins, venoms and poisons.
+ Vitakinesis - Heal injuries and restore vitality by manipulating life force
+ Unknown
Elemental Discipline
Specialties:
Ionikinesis - Creation and manipulation of ionized gas, wielding intense heat and electrical energy.
Aerokinesis - Control over air currents and atmosphere.
Electrokinesis - Creation of and control over electricity and lightning.
Hydrokinesis - Creation of and control over water.
Pyrokinesis - Creation of and control over heat, fire and thermal temperature.
Geokinesis - Control over the ground beneath your feet.
Ferrokinesis - Control over metals; the purer the metal the greater your control.
+ Darkness Discipline
+ Specialties:
+ Unknown
Page 3 of 3
She¡¯d somehow gained a new discipline: Vitakinesis, the healer¡¯s magic. It was a practice she¡¯d seen countless times at the academy, especially watching healers and alchemists work in tandem. This magic could amplify the effects of Vital Elixirs, enhancing the strength of any potion that restored health or vitality. But she hadn¡¯t practiced it, hadn¡¯t even studied the spells. How had she gained such an affinity? She¡¯d only watched, not learned.
Her eyes slid down to an even more astonishing discovery. Somehow, she¡¯d also gained an affinity for Darkness magic. Her mind whirled, racing through memories in search of an answer. Her gaze fell on the familiar coiled around her like a warm, protective blanket. Bjorn unlocked shadow manipulation not long ago¡ªa darkness-based ability. Before that, he¡¯d wielded fire breath, rooted in elemental magic, and before that, his venom came from nature magic. When he gained maya so did she, and when he gained aether she soon followed. Each new head he gained, each new magic he acquired, it seemed to resonate in her, like puzzle pieces clicking together.
It hit her like a wave¡ªBjorn had been healing her chaotic core, by infusing his own magic into her. With every new power he discovered, her abilities responded in kind. She could feel warmth filling her chest. She didn¡¯t know how she didn¡¯t realize it. Bjorn had always been protecting her from the beginning in more ways than she ever realized. Without a word, she threw her arms around him, burying her face in his scales. She hugged him tightly, and Bjorn let out an unexpected squeak, caught off guard, which made her laugh through her tears.
¡°Bjorn, Big Man. I love you!¡± Tanisha said as she nuzzled him.
WM [67] Chains Or Crowns
Bjorn''s senses reeled as chaotic magic surged through the air, an oppressive cacophony of power that felt like knives scraping across his heightened awareness. His senses, usually attuned to the subtler flows of mana, were overwhelmed by the raw, untamed forces around him. The taste of magic, typically a soft undercurrent, now flooded his mouth like molten metal, searing his tongue with every breath. Each inhalation felt thick and acrid, a sharp bite of pure power.
Bjorn could only pick up bits and pieces of what the group was saying. They were talking exclusively in Muaian which Failsafe had not fully deciphered yet. He did pick out ¡®mana storm¡¯ given the overwhelming presence of magic in the air, Bjorn could only assume they were in the midst of one.
He turned his gaze toward the sky, where the storm churned like an angry ocean. The thick blanket of mana above writhed and contorted, an unstable force with no pattern, no reason. The land beyond their crystal barrier twisted in kind, the landscape bending in ways that defied all logic, as though reality itself was buckling under the pressure.
Then, the light show began. Flares of energy erupted from the storm, casting erratic pulses of color across the world below. The landscape began to shift, contort¡ªmountains twisted like melting wax, rivers rerouted themselves, and the very air seemed to warp. A shiver of recognition jolted through Bjorn. The sensation was jarring, like d¨¦j¨¤ vu, but why did this feel so familiar?
The realization struck him like a bolt of lightning, and his heart lurched. This wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d seen this¡ªhe had witnessed it before. Not in this life, it was in his previous life. As the group continued their conversation around him, his mind spun out of control, flashes of memories slamming into him like waves crashing against a rock. Fuyumi¡¯s face melted into someone he didn¡¯t recognize¡ªan unfamiliar woman with raven-black hair, her features sharp and unyielding. Aurelius morphed into someone else entirely¡ªa man with sharp eyes and a rugged face marred by a jagged scar. The name Martin surfaced unbidden, and with it, a torrent of memories.
Bjorn blinked, and in an instant, his hydra form was gone. He was human again, sitting around a fire, his old body as it had been all those years ago. Martin sat across from him, but he was older now, his youthful vibrancy replaced by the weight of hardship. His eyes had dulled, once bright with the innocence of childhood, now clouded with the shadows of what they¡¯d lost. His head was shaved, and the brand of Nuriel¡ªthe mark of the angels¡ªwas burned deep into his neck. He looked nothing like the boy who had once led their childhood adventures, the boy whose laughter had filled the air as they explored the woods together.
The past and present twisted together. Now, Martin was a man who seemed twice his age, worn down by pain and loss. He was nineteen, but his face told a story of someone much older, someone who had aged before his time. His father, the town¡¯s magecrafter, had been killed when Hasmanuel struck, and since that day, Martin had never been the same. His spirit, once so full of life, had been extinguished by the fire of survival. He followed the will of the angels not out of loyalty, but out of a desperate need to cling to life in a world that had betrayed him.
¡°She sent us out here to die.¡± Martin''s angry voice reverberated in the storm. ¡°Now is our time. She doesn¡¯t think we will make it back anyway. Let''s find a way out.¡±
The woman beside Martin spoke up, her name, Kireza, came to Bjorn¡¯s twisting mind.
¡°Shut your mouth, you know they are listening to us,¡± Kireza said as she covered his mouth. ¡°Do you know what she will do to us if they catch us? Don¡¯t speak blasphemies against the Ivory Lord!¡±
¡°They can¡¯t hear us here.¡± Isin said as he stood. ¡°Martin, you can find it right?¡±
¡°What are you talking about?¡± A second man said. ¡°You should repent so we can continue our journey with the blessing of the Divines.¡±
Martin ignored the man. ¡°Of course. Wait, you did it? You saw the pattern in those orbs.¡± A pensive smile formed on his lips. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t know if you can use it. So you got the formula, right?¡±
Isin nodded, his face grim as he stood and drew a gun from his holster. ¡°We¡¯re getting out of here.¡±
Martin rose to his feet as well, drawing his own weapon, his gun aimed at Kireza. Isin¡¯s gun was trained on the other man, and in an instant, both weapons were discharged. The crack of the shots echoed in the charged air, and the two bodies slumped to the ground without a sound. The others in the camp froze, their eyes wide in shock and disbelief.
Isin turned to the remaining members of the squad¡ªFifteen in total¡ªand spoke with calm authority, his voice cutting through the stunned silence.
¡°It¡¯s a shame we cannot save those with the chip,¡± Isin said, his tone filled with regret. ¡°But the rest of you¡ªif you want to go back to serving under that bitch, you¡¯re free to leave. But if you want to live, if you want to make those Divine bastards pay for what they did to us¡ªthe lives they took from us¡ªif you¡¯re tired of being the Slave Race, then follow me. We will never be slaves again. We will own our own futures. We will determine our own eternity.¡±
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His words hung in the air, charged with an electric promise, and the remaining squad members exchanged glances. They were humans without the inhibitor chip, free to think for themselves. The choice was theirs. Martin stepped over Kireza¡¯s body, placing a hand on Isin¡¯s shoulder. The two of them stood together, facing the others, their resolve unshaken.
The silence stretched on, thick with uncertainty. In their eyes, there was something more¡ªhope. It was a dangerous hope, but a hope nonetheless. Isin understood it, they were afraid, beaten and chained for so long. He knew they would be terrified of what this could mean for them but he would offer it anyway. He holstered his gun and reached out his hand for anyone of them to take.
Isin¡¯s gaze swept over the group. ¡°Make your choice. Chains, or crowns.¡±
***
The crackle of the campfire in the present snapped him back. Bjorn blinked, disoriented, his hydra body heavy and alien once more. The oppressive mana storm was still raging outside the crystal perimeter, but now it felt like a whisper compared to the storm in his mind. Bjorn was breathing heavily when suddenly Tanisha tackled him, causing him to tip over onto his back. He was so startled he let out a less than flattering squeak which caused Tanisha to laugh at him as she hugged and cuddled him. He was confused as to what led to this sudden outpour of affection but accepted it nonetheless.
¡°What in the Infernal was that, Failsafe.¡± Bjorn asked mentally.
¡°Huh-what was what?¡± Failsafe questioned.
¡°Did you not see that?¡± Bjorn asked. ¡°The people, or the guns. We had guns back then. Now that I think about it, we were highly advanced by the time I died.¡±
¡°I¡ uh. Don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± Failsafe said, his voice sounded concerned. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any people besides the people here. Maybe you are seeing things because of the storm? There is a lot of mana in the air. As far as technology, yeah it looks like something happened to push people back down in terms of technology. I was wondering about that too. I think it may have something to do with how you died. The people that killed you may have wanted this decline in technology.¡±
¡°Why though?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°How should I know? Maybe to get people to use mana. Maybe because there was a war that caused people to destroy their technology. Maybe you had a contingency that when you died the tech stopped working.¡± Failsafe was quietly thinking for a moment. ¡°What is a gun by the way? I don¡¯t have any reference to it.¡±
¡°It is like a crossbow but fires smaller projectiles at far faster speeds without being enchanted.¡± Bjorn said. ¡°They are loud and inefficient though. I think they were the weapon of the magicless Slave Race as they would never be able to kill an Angel with one.¡±
¡°Huh. I don¡¯t understand how you could know that and not me.¡± Failsafe said. ¡°We are connected and I can see your memories.¡±
¡°Precautions built into you for core memories maybe.¡± Bjorn responded. ¡°Maybe Isin was worried that if you had unfettered access to me someone could use you to change me. You are a spellform, it would be catastrophic if I was reborn and someone found out you existed and altered you before I was powerful enough to stop them. They could change my memories or soul.¡±
Failsafe was quiet for a long time. ¡°That makes sense. Is that what your parents told you?¡±
Bjorn did not stay silent; he had already prepared a response for when Failsafe inevitably asked about his Hydra parents.
¡°No, they didn''t, in fact they told me very little. The Queen is on her way here though. She wants to take us back to the Higher Planes. The King wanted to see if I can handle pneuma, which he determined no I can¡¯t. Apparently, I need to master aether and mana first.¡±
Bjorn was pulled from his ruminations with Failsafe by a sharp desperate cry for help. Instinctively, Bjorn¡¯s muscles tensed. He whipped his head toward the source of the scream, his eyes darting through the shifting landscape. There, just on the edge of the storm¡¯s reach, a small merchant group¡ªno more than a handful of travelers¡ªwere being attacked.
A monster, this one looking like some twisted version of a troll, its hulking form partially obscured by the chaotic mana storm, lunged at the caravan. Its eyes were wild, glowing the same fluorescent lights as the mana storm itself. Its massive claws tore through the air toward the group.
Bjorn leapt to his feet, his powerful limbs surging with mana. Tanisha, who had been standing beside him, was already moving, her swift movements a blur as she readied herself to spring into action. She summoned twin daggers from her inventory as she prepared to help the travelers. Before they could make a move, a flash of silver cut through the storm, and the world seemed to slow.
Aurelius was already there. His sword, a shining arc of radiant power, glowed with an otherworldly light. The blade flashed once, its sharp edge leaving behind a trail of brilliance that drank in the chaotic mana around him. The monster, which had been moments away from shredding the merchants, stopped in its tracks. There was no time for a final roar. Aurelius¡¯s sword had cleaved through it in a single, effortless strike. It was like watching the storm itself, contained within that cut. Then a second bisected the monster. The creature¡¯s massive body crumpled to the ground in a heap of lifeless faux-flesh, its glowing eyes flickering out as it died.
Aurelius lowered his sword, the glow dimming as the power within it faded, revealing the crystalline blade and leaving behind a quiet calm in the storm¡¯s chaos. His expression was cool, collected¡ªno trace of exertion in his stance. He turned to face the merchant group, who were now trembling in fear but alive, their lives spared by his intervention.
¡°You''re welcome,¡± he said with a calm nod, his voice barely rising above the storm¡¯s roars. ¡°You should set up more wards to prevent your mana from attracting them during these storms.¡±
¡°Woah, he¡¯s a fast one, isn¡¯t he?¡± Fuyumi said drunkenly.
Tanisha glanced at Bjorn, then over to Fuyumi, whose posture was as still and composed as ever. At first, Bjorn thought she was simply lost in thought, but as the shot glass slipped from Fuyumi''s hand and tumbled to the ground with a soft clink, he could no longer deny it. Her head hung slightly forward, a sure sign she had nodded off.
¡°Well,¡± Tanisha said with a half-amused smile as her knives vanished. She switched to Yalish, knowing Bjorn would understand. ¡°We have some interesting people in our group this time for sure.¡±
WM [68] Reprimand
Tanisha woke up early in the morning long before the sun could crest the mountains. She wanted to continue the journey the sooner they could cross the Chaos Lands the sooner they would hopefully find Joha. She wouldn¡¯t let her training slip either so she performed her breathing and stretching exercises. During one of her standing leg stretches, Aurelius descended from the near vertical mountain side next to her.
¡°Woah, sorry didn¡¯t know anyone else was awake.¡± Aurelius said. ¡°That is impressive flexibility and balance.¡±
Tanisha lowered her leg. ¡°Thanks I would hope so by this point. My teacher had me doing this every morning for the past few months now.¡±
¡°Your teacher? I am assuming it was your combat instructor and not a dance team.¡± Aurelius said.
Tanisha snorted a laugh and then remembered that during the farewell party with the Jackrabbits Joha did look graceful with the woman he was dancing with.
¡°You know what, maybe when we find him we can form a dance group.¡± Tanisha chuckled to herself. ¡°It might attract some customers, but yes it is a part of a combat technique.¡±
¡°Ah, when we find him. The person we are out here looking for is the one that taught you.¡± Aurelius said. ¡°Well hopefully you got some rest. I know the storm was a setback so we can make up for lost ground.¡±
¡°I slept well, but did you sleep at all? We didn¡¯t go over guard shifts or anything and Fuyumi.¡± She looked over to the Ghostborn woman still in the same spot she drunkenly fell asleep in. ¡°I don¡¯t think she was fit to help out with that.¡±
¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about me. I can go weeks without sleep in the Chaos Lands.¡± Aurelius said with a wave of his hand. ¡°And the Ghostborn can control that drunkenness. If something happened she would sober herself up pretty much instantly. I am confused why you wanted a bodyguard when you have someone like that here. Honestly, while I appreciate the work I feel kind of redundant.¡±
Tanisha didn¡¯t want to tell him that it wasn¡¯t her choice and that she probably wouldn¡¯t have hired him because of his monstrous aura. It still left her feeling unsettled even though he seemed to be nice. She had always been taught that she would be able to tell a lot about a person by their aura. Of course until recently she had Bjorn she only had the most basic ability to sense aura. Now with her magic under her control she could pick up the finer details of a person by their aura alone.
Aurelius had an aura unlike anything she had ever felt. It was almost as if she were in the presence of the Jeweled Winged Monarch again. A chaotic recreation of the power of a mage through the body of a being that was alien in all aspects. No, it wasn¡¯t fair to compare him to that thing. His magic while similar to that of monsters was categorically different. It had form, and even those parts that seemed chaotic had an ebb and flow.
¡°Well,¡± she said, keeping her tone light, ¡°it¡¯s safer to travel with more people, right? Besides, you both seem to know your way around. How do you even navigate this place? If the terrain changes overnight, maps must be useless.¡±
¡°True enough,¡± Aurelius replied. ¡°The Ghostborn have an innate sense for it, from what I¡¯ve seen. Me? I stick to the sun and stars. Even the Chaos Lands can¡¯t blot those out entirely.¡±
Tanisha nodded thoughtfully. She heard about people using the stars to travel. Mat mentioned that many people from the Force Isles had navigation tools like that because the different floating isles didn¡¯t have landmarks between them. She filed that information away to ask about later but it made her head hurt just thinking of trying to figure out stars for navigation when paper maps were already her bane.
¡°Makes sense.¡± She said her focus shifted back to her exercise. ¡°We¡¯ll get started soon. Just let me finish up first.¡±
She leaned back with her belly in the air until she could finally reach to grab her own ankles. Aurelius watched her for a few more moments utterly bewildered at the level of flexibility she had. His eyes flicked down briefly, his gaze catching on her tail as it flicked idly in the cool morning air. His expression was unreadable, but Tanisha didn¡¯t miss the way his focus lingered.
After a beat, he cleared his throat and stepped back. ¡°Right. I¡¯ll get back to keeping watch,¡± he said, his voice steady but a little more formal than before. ¡°Just call if you need anything, Tanisha, I will be over there.¡±
***
Once everyone was up they continued their journey with Fuyumi at the lead. Tanisha looked out over the landscape that the day before had been forests interspersed with rock outcropping and blackened blotches. Now that same landscape was a lush jungle with a deep ravine that cut through the land like a scar. As they descended down a path that luckily hadn''t been altered by the storm the temperature steadily dropped.
¡°It feels good out today.¡± Fuyumi said in her soft whisper.
¡°It¡¯s near freezing now.¡± Tanisha responded, her hands tucked firmly under her robe and cloak.
¡°I know, isn''t it wonderful?¡± Fuyumi said with the first smile Tanisha had seen on her face. ¡°I thought it was going to get hotter, it looks like a jungle.¡±
Tanisha groaned, ¡°I think we have very different definitions of ¡®wonderful,¡¯ Fuyumi.¡±
¡°Are you going to be okay Tanisha?¡± Aurelius asked.
¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Tanisha said as she watched the air freeze with every breath. She then grumbled, ¡°my mothers blood will be useful for something at least.¡±
She looked down at Bjorn who seemed genuinely fine with the cold weather. As he exhaled curls of heat escaped his nostrils and every now and then so did wisps of fire. She tried to see if she could sense his magic as it would be bad if he was projecting. It would make them a target for monsters. Tried as she might, there wasn¡¯t any notable difference, he was keeping his magic very well hidden.
Is it natural, then? she wondered. Her own heritage gave her a similar ability to adapt to cold regions, a trait passed down from her mother¡¯s snowfallen heritage. Her mother¡¯s people, the snowfallen, thrived in cold climates, their bodies naturally adapted to endure freezing temperatures. It was likely the same reason Isi had mastered an ice-based chakra technique. Tanisha herself, raised in the colder regions of the Kingdom as a woodentail, had gained her own resistance to the cold, though not nearly to her mother¡¯s degree.
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Focusing inward, Tanisha began to cycle her seier through the meridians of her body, carefully avoiding any outward projection. The energy flowed smoothly, warming her from the inside out. The biting chill dulled, reduced to a manageable coolness that her cloak and natural constitution could handle. She felt the familiar heat rise within her, and with it came a new, curious phenomenon. As she exhaled, faint tendrils of flame curled around her lips, flickering harmlessly in the cold air.
She paused for a moment, her breath hitching. Am I about to breathe that death fire? She quickly turned her head away from everyone and examined her core, ensuring her seier remained contained. After a few moments of scrutiny, she relaxed. The flames weren¡¯t an escape of raw energy¡ªthey were merely a byproduct, harmless wisps born from the cycling of power within her.
Tanisha exhaled again, watching the flickering embers dissolve into the air. Another gift from my bond with Bjorn, it seems. She shrugged, satisfied there was no imminent danger, and resumed cycling her seier. The steady flow of energy was comforting as they pressed deeper into the ever-shifting Chaos Lands.
***
It didn¡¯t take long to reach the bottom of the winding path into the jungle below. The moment Tanisha stepped onto the forest floor, she was struck by the surreal sight. Despite the biting cold, not a single leaf bore frost, and the ground showed no sign of ice. If she hadn¡¯t known better, she might have believed they were walking through a tropical jungle on a sweltering day. The dense canopy filtered the light in warm, golden hues, and the plants glistened as if coated in morning dew, yet the air felt like a frozen knife against her skin.
The group came to a brief halt, and Tanisha glanced at Fuyumi. It was then that she noticed a striking transformation in the yuki-onna. Fuyumi appeared more ethereal than ever, her edges softly blending into the world around her, like a watercolor painting dissolving into the canvas. Her flowing hair and robe-like dress seemed to sway gently, though the air was deathly still. Even her face, usually so composed and expressionless, held a trace of vitality, and a slight grin tugged at her lips.
¡°Oh, what wonderful weather,¡± Fuyumi exclaimed, spreading her arms as if to embrace the cold. Her voice, usually a delicate whisper, now carried a vibrant, almost joyful energy. She turned and pointed deeper into the jungle, her movements fluid and graceful. ¡°We need to go that way,¡± she declared. ¡°Aurelius, stay behind Tanisha and stay alert. The drop in temperature is a blessing.¡±
¡°I see why you would like the drop but will it help with crossing?¡± Tanisha questioned.
Aurelius was the one that stepped up to answer. ¡°It actually will. We were lucky, most of the monsters in the region were originally here because of the heat. The biome shift will cause them to leave, freeze to death or go into hibernation until the next mana storm.¡±
¡°It won¡¯t be monster free,¡± Fuyumi continued. ¡°Monsters that went dormant in the last storm that made this place hot will start to awaken but it should take a few days. We need to be well clear before that happens. When they get up they will be hungry.¡±
Tanisha nodded. ¡°Got it. Let¡¯s keep moving. Bjorn and I will follow your lead.¡± She hesitated for a moment, then added, ¡°Also¡ are you okay, Fuyumi?¡±
Fuyumi tilted her head slightly, her translucent edges shimmering faintly. ¡°Hmm? Yes, why?¡±
¡°She¡¯s talking about how you¡¯re, uh¡ kind of see-through,¡± Aurelius interjected, gesturing vaguely around her.
Fuyumi blinked, then chuckled softly. ¡°Oh, that. It¡¯s nothing to worry about. I¡¯m simply relaxing my form. In warmer climates, I have to maintain full corporeality, which takes quite a bit of effort. But here? It¡¯s still warm for me, but much better. I can let go a little.¡±
With that, Fuyumi turned and led the way, her pace a brisk but steady jog. The others followed, their footsteps muffled by the soft forest floor. The landscape was a paradox that Tanisha still struggled to comprehend. The temperature hovered dangerously low, at least twenty degrees below freezing, yet the plants remained vibrant and lush. Leaves glistened as though perspiring, their surfaces cold to the touch but stubbornly unfrozen.
***
The first day ended as the group arrived at a river shimmering under the fading light. At first glance, Tanisha assumed it was water, but as she approached, her keen eyes picked up the unmistakable gleam of something far more valuable: liquid hydrargyrum. It was odd that the substance was liquid in the freezing temperature but nothing else made sense so she didn¡¯t think too hard about that. The silver stream snaked through the jungle with an almost hypnotic flow, its surface reflecting through the break in the dense canopy.
Fuyumi and Aurelius immediately covered their mouths with cloth and began scanning the riverbank, searching for a safe way to cross. Tanisha, however, stopped dead in her tracks, her expression shifting from curiosity to delight.
She turned to Bjorn, her tone sharp but excited. ¡°Stay back from that, Big Man.¡±
As Bjorn obediently moved away, Tanisha¡¯s grin widened. Hydrargyrum, she couldn¡¯t believe their luck. The liquid metal was a death sentence for most creatures¡ªits vapors could poison the lungs, and even skin contact was enough to cause organ failure in some species. Her mind flashed back to a halfling student at Dorsehal Academy who had made that near fatal mistake. The halfling student was using it in a compound for an assignment. A small amount got on her skin and she had to be rushed to a healer before her kidneys shut down.
The thing was, wendigo did not have that problem at all. Hydrargyrum was harmless to her kind. If anything, it was a treasure. Its unique properties made it a crucial component in alchemy and enchantments. The most important of which is a powerful magical conduit for making artificial magical stones. If she found osmium, she would have a real chance at creating her own magic stone which she could infuse with seier. She reached her hands into the flowing liquid metal to the absolute shock and dismay of Fuyumi and Aurelius.
Without hesitation, Tanisha knelt by the riverbank, her hands plunging into the liquid metal. It was cool to the touch, flowing like molten silk over her skin. Fuyumi and Aurelius froze, their faces painted with alarm.
¡°What are you¡ª¡± Aurelius began, his voice tight with disbelief.
The moment Tanisha withdrew her hands, the liquid metal solidified into gleaming chunks, which she promptly stored in her inventory with a satisfied smirk. She reached for the river again, but before she could touch it, a ghostly hand seized her wrist and yanked her back. Fuyumi stood behind her, spectral energy flickering around her like an icy veil, her expression a mix of shock and reprimand.
¡°What in the world are you doing?¡± Fuyumi¡¯s voice was sharp, her usual calm replaced by rare agitation. ¡°Quicksilver is highly toxic! You are going to get yourself killed! Don¡¯t breathe in that vapor, we might have to take you back to a healer before the¡¡±
Tanisha held up a hand, cutting them off. ¡°Relax,¡± she said, brushing off her cloak. ¡°My people aren¡¯t affected by hydrargyrum. We can bathe in the stuff if we want. In fact I think some people do¡ that''s beside the point, I am fine.¡± Both Fuyumi and Aurelius stared at her, clearly unconvinced. She sighed, ¡°It¡¯s true. Our biology makes us immune to most toxic metals. Hydrargyrum, lead, arsenic¡ªnone of it fazes us.¡±
¡°You could¡¯ve mentioned before you started reaching your hand into it.¡± Fuyumi slowly let go, her ghostly hand fading as she stepped back. ¡°Please remember that we have to stay vigilant out here. There could be monsters beneath the surface of that stuff for all we know.¡±
Tanisha opened her mouth to retort from the chastisement but they were right. It isn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t know that most people knew the stuff was toxic and she didn¡¯t even consider monsters. Surely there would be some type of monster that would find a home in such a place. She nodded and only went to gather more after they gave her permission and could watch out for threats.
WM [69] Making a Good Team
Muninn stood at the edge of the observation deck, her gaze fixed on the endless horizon of the world below. Once, she might have believed she was among the heavens, the sacred realm where stars sang their eternal hymns alongside the Trues, but she knew better now. This was no divine domain, no celestial sanctuary. She was adrift in a silent void, the whispers called it ¡®space¡¯. She was in an ancient station orbiting high above the planet, far removed from the divine song of the stars.
Each day, her mind brimmed with the thoughts and memories of the Forest Father. His essence coursed through her, granting her glimpses into the world''s very fabric and revealing truths far deeper than magic. These were the laws that governed existence, the immutable underpinnings of the Lower Planes.
The station itself was a relic, a high-orbital fortress once crafted by the Divines of Man. It had been their bastion in the final days, a citadel of steel and silence that became their tomb. It was here that the Forest Father had sought refuge when his life force teetered on the brink of oblivion. She did not know what force had nearly extinguished the ancient being who had shaped her existence, nor what calamity had wiped out the Divines of Man. Such knowledge, the Forest Father had deemed irrelevant for her to know.
With a mere thought, Muninn commanded the station. The air in the room vanished in an instant, the atmosphere sucked away with a mechanical hiss. The thick observation window slid open, revealing the infinite expanse of space. She stepped forward and drifted into the void, her form unbound by gravity.
The knowledge implanted in her mind whispered warnings of what should have been her fate. The searing touch of unfiltered sunlight, capable of boiling flesh in seconds. The icy grip of the vacuum, freezing and burning in tandem, rupturing cells and extinguishing life. She was beyond such vulnerabilities now.
The Forest Father had remade her and stripped away the frailties of the flesh. She no longer aged, hungered, or thirsted. Air was meaningless to her lungs, sleep an impossibility. She had mourned these losses once, the small comforts of mortal life, but that sorrow had been fleeting. She understood now: she was chosen. An extension of her master¡¯s will, in body and soul. No druid could hope for a greater purpose.
Muninn extended her arms, a quiet reverence in her gaze as she beheld the world beneath her. If she still possessed the capacity for tears, they would have fallen in rivers of joy. Tendrils of black lightning arced from her body, anchoring her to the station. Slowly, they reeled her back inside. Once within, the observation window sealed shut with a soft hum. The station groaned and hissed as air returned, filling the chamber.
She turned from the observation deck back into the hallway. Her bare feet patterns against the metal walkway causing her to look down. She was nude, as she had been since her body was remade. Her body looked like it was flesh and blood but it was a coating that hid the true mechanics beneath the surface. The thought of being labeled the ¡°crazy naked lady¡± running through villages amused her, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. No, she would need to blend in.
Her eyes lifted, following a single blue line etched into the floor. It pulsed faintly, guiding her deeper into the heart of the station. Other lines crisscrossed the corridor, each glowing in its own hue¡ªred, green, yellow, and more¡ªeach leading to a different wing. The blue line beckoned her toward the fabrication wing, where the ancient systems could weave materials not from mundane cloth but from the very threads of magic that bound the Plane.
A small, knowing smile played across her lips as she quickened her pace. Soon, she would descend to the world below, ready to carry out her purpose.
***
The night air was sharp, biting into Bjorn¡¯s thick hide as he stirred. His senses flared to life, his heads rising one after the other, nostrils flaring as they tasted the air. Something was wrong. The scent of the quicksilver river had changed¡ªno longer the static, metallic tang from before. It was mixed now, laced with the unmistakable taste of monster magic. Fuyumi seemed to be aware as well, her gaze locked on to the river. They were some thirty feet away as quicksilver was toxic to everyone but perhaps Tanisha. Bjorn didn¡¯t want to risk being exposed to find out his immunity levels.
He rose slowly, his massive frame tense. His instincts screamed at him to prepare, but he took a measured step closer to Tanisha, who was curled against his side, seeking warmth in the frigid night. The temperature here was brutal, a paradox of freezing nights following even colder days.
¡°Everyone up,¡± Fuyumi¡¯s calm but urgent tone cut through the stillness.
Bjorn nudged Tanisha gently awake, his breath clouding in the frosty air. She stirred, blinking blearily, her hand brushing over his nearest snout as she pulled herself upright. Aurelius, however, was already awake¡ªor at least, in a state of deep meditation. Chaos mana pulsed faintly around him as he smoothly stood, his sword already in hand.
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Tanisha questioned as the small group readied themselves.
¡°Something is hunting us.¡± Fuyumi said. ¡°Try to keep your magic contained and use physical weapons as much as possible.¡±
¡°There.¡± Aurelius pointed. ¡°Something is happening to the river.¡±
Aurelius pointed toward the river, where the liquid quicksilver bulged unnaturally. The once-smooth flow stilled, forming a growing mass that seemed to pulse with a dark, alien energy. The aura of the creature became undeniable, an oppressive force that rolled over them like a suffocating wave of monster magic. Bjorn tried to use Identify but it didn¡¯t work. The metal ball or whatever it was was not the monster itself.
¡°That doesn¡¯t look good,¡± Aurelius muttered, his shield snapping into position as he stepped in front of Tanisha. ¡°Bjorn, Tanisha¡ªbehind me, now.¡±
The tension snapped like a bowstring as the mass of quicksilver suddenly detonated with a deafening boom. Shards of liquid metal solidified mid-flight, transforming into deadly spikes that shot outward in a lethal spray. Aurelius grunted, his shield absorbing the brunt of the barrage, each impact a thunderous crack against the enchanted steel. Fuyumi stood unmoved, the deadly shrapnel phasing harmlessly through her incorporeal form.
Around them, the jungle was obliterated. Trees were shredded to splinters, the ground scarred with deep gouges where the spikes struck. The aftermath was silence¡ªa chilling calm that pressed down on them, broken only by the faint hiss of quicksilver cooling.
With the bubble of quicksilver gone Bjorn could finally Identify the monster.
Identify
Name: None
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Species: Quicksilver Reaver
Level: 62
Vocation: FEED
The Reaver¡ªBjorn¡¯s name for the monstrosity¡ªrose from the quicksilver like a nightmare given form. Its body resembled an armored octopus, but instead of smooth flesh, it was covered in jagged, interlocking metal scales that reflected the eerie light of the liquid river. Its countless arms writhed violently, each one tipped with razor-sharp edges that sliced through the dense forest as though it were paper. Trees fell in rapid succession, their massive trunks cleaved apart in a whirlwind of destruction.
The monster¡¯s fury was palpable. Every twitch of its limbs screamed frustration and rage, its prey still standing defiantly amidst the devastation.
¡°I didn¡¯t expect one of these to manifest so soon after the shift,¡± Fuyumi said, as calm as ever. ¡°We need to finish it quickly before more arrive. Aurelius, you¡¯re our fastest. Tanisha and I will clear a path. Tanisha, do you have a blade?¡±
In response Tanisha took out her bardiche, its long blade gleaming in the moonlight.
¡°Perfect.¡± Fuyumi dashed forward, her movements fluid. ¡°Tanisha, cut down the tentacles. Bjorn, no biting¡ªquicksilver in your bloodstream could be lethal.¡±
Bjorn growled his acknowledgement, his heads weaving as he eyed the thrashing limbs.
¡°Wait!¡± Aurelius snapped, stepping forward. ¡°I¡¯m her bodyguard. She¡¯s not supposed to¡ª¡±
Tanisha and Bjorn were already moving. They were a well practiced duo, they had to be after all their training with Joha. Tanisha surged ahead, her bardiche sliced through a swath of tentacles in a single, arced swing. Bjorn followed, his claws glowed faintly with venomous energy as he slashed through another set of limbs, their metal surfaces hissing as his poison burned into them. The reaver recoiled, its tentacles flailed in renewed fury, but its strikes were wild, lacking any reason beyond anger.
The forest around them was a storm of destruction. Tentacles lashed out like whips, leaving deep gouges in the earth and obliterating any trees still standing. Tanisha darted through the chaos with her agility, her Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle enhancing her physicality and allowed her to teleport out of the way of attacks she couldn¡¯t evade. Her bardiche was a blur of blue steel as it cleaved through the relentless onslaught.
Bjorn, in contrast, was a juggernaut. His Aetheric Scales shimmered with protective energy, deflecting the few strikes he didn¡¯t bother to dodge. Where Tanisha danced, Bjorn bulldozed, each claw swipe delivering devastating damage to the reaver¡¯s limbs. Each wound he inflicted injected more of his terrifyingly potent venom into the creature''s veins. Soon its regeneration slowed as the venom ate away at its vitality faster and faster.
Bjorn only saw flashes of Fuyumi while he was focused on his own fight. She moved like a specter of war, her blades constantly changing between swords, spears and other weapons which left him confused. She sliced through the forest of tentacles with an elegance that bordered on divine. Her every step, every swing, was precise, as though she could see the creature¡¯s attacks before they happened. She didn¡¯t merely evade; she flowed through the battlefield, cutting down limbs faster than they could regrow.
In what felt like both an eternity and mere seconds, the path was cleared. The reaver¡¯s limbs were momentarily scattered, writhing in pain as they sluggishly attempted to regenerate. Bjorn¡¯s venom was doing its work as the monster slowed down.
Aurelius didn¡¯t need further instruction. His eyes locked onto the opening, and with a surge of chaotic energy, he launched himself forward. His speed was breathtaking, a blur of motion that left a trail of flickering red and black mana in his wake. He moved faster than the eye could track, faster even than Tanisha¡¯s Arcane Shift.
The reaver reared up, sensing the imminent threat, but it was too slow. Aurelius¡¯s blade struck true, driving deep into the creature¡¯s core with a force that nearly bisected it. He followed with a second strike, then a third, each one carving into the monster with relentless precision. The reaver¡¯s scream was a piercing, metallic wail that echoed across the desolate jungle.
The beast slumped, its remaining limbs flailing weakly as its massive body began to sink back into the quicksilver, dragging its severed arms with it. Aurelius leapt clear, landing smoothly on solid ground as the reaver¡¯s form was swallowed by the liquid metal. For a moment, all was still. The only sound was the faint hiss of the quicksilver river, now eerily calm.
¡°Nicely done,¡± Fuyumi said, her voice breaking the silence. She turned, her expression as serene as ever. ¡°Let¡¯s move before its death attracts something worse.¡±
The group silently agreed and quickly vacated the area. It was a good thing to as not more than a few minutes after they fled they heard the crash of monsters fighting over the scraps left behind. They also heard things diving into the liquid metal to consume the dead monster. It was a horrible sound.
***
As dawn broke, the air grew sharper, the cold biting deeper than before. They had left the river far behind, its toxic quicksilver glow now a distant memory. The jungle around them was thinning, its dense canopy giving way to scattered patches of gnarled trees and jagged undergrowth. Eventually, they emerged from the treeline, stepping into a vast valley flanked by looming mountain ranges.
The terrain shifted dramatically. Blackened stone stretched out before them, cracked and scarred as though from ancient battles. Towering rock formations jutted from the ground like the spines of some great beast. Shadows danced unnervingly across the landscape, moving as though they had a mind of their own. Heat wafted from fissures in the ground, carrying with it the faint smell of sulfur.
¡°We can find another way around, this place is going to leave us exposed to potential flying monsters.¡± Fuyumi said although it was obvious she just didn¡¯t like the heat.
¡°Is this the fastest way?¡± Tanisha asked. ¡°Are flying monsters a big problem? I haven''t seen any of them.¡±
¡°They¡¯re rare, especially right after a shift,¡± Aurelius said, stepping up beside them. His voice was steady, but his sharp eyes were already scanning the horizon. ¡°Still, we should stay cautious. This is the fastest route through the valley, and if we stick close to the rock formations, we¡¯ll have cover. We just need to avoid resting out in the open.¡±
Fuyumi crossed her arms, clearly not thrilled with the plan. ¡°You¡¯d better be right. I¡¯d prefer not to fight something with the high ground. Especially in all of this heat.¡±
As they began to move again, Aurelius walked alongside Tanisha. ¡°I¡¯ve got to say, your fighting style is impressive. Makes me wonder even more why I was hired.¡±
Tanisha looked over, slightly surprised by the compliment. ¡°Thanks. It¡¯s mostly practice and training. Your style though, I haven¡¯t seen anyone move that fast and be so controlled with that kind of speed. Who taught you?¡±
Aurelius chuckled, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword. ¡°Self-taught, mostly. Growing up, there weren¡¯t many mentors around. My adoptive family have some good warriors but none of them were great teachers.¡±
¡°Self-taught?¡± Tanisha raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed.
¡°Not many people know how to teach me. Chaos magic like mine is apparently extremely rare.¡± He looked off into the distance. ¡°But travelers would pass through every now and then. They¡¯d spar with me, offer pointers, sometimes share techniques from far-off places. I picked up what I could.¡±
¡°You have good instinct but your technique can use some work.¡± Fuyumi interjected. ¡°While we travel I would be more than happy to assist you in fixing some of your shortcomings.¡±
¡°Coming from you, that means a lot,¡± Aurelius said, his tone sincere. ¡°You¡¯ve got a way of reading the battlefield, anticipating moves before they happen. When I met her brother a while back he said the same thing. He helped me with my sword fighting and suggested I get a shield.¡±
¡°That sounds like him.¡± Fuyumi agreed. ¡°Good to see you took his advice.¡±
¡°If you¡¯re going to be helping Aurelius can you help me too? I can¡¯t slack on my training and honestly I don¡¯t think I have met someone with weapon skills like you before.¡±
¡°I think that is a good idea.¡± Fuyumi agreed as she rubbed her chin. ¡°We should coordinate our battle strategy as well. We are sure to encounter more monsters on this route.¡±
¡°Well going from that fight with the quicksilver reaver we make a good team.¡± Tanisha said.
Aurelius agreed, his eyes flicking back to the horizon. ¡°Let¡¯s just make sure we keep it that way. This valley isn¡¯t going to give us any easy fights.¡±
WM [70] Guilt Slick with Blood
The corrupted mana in the air invoked a very different sensation that made it difficult to move through. The ground was hot and oppressive which somehow mingled simultaneously in the air with the frigid cold. It was a nightmare of boiling and freezing at the same time in a way that would be impossible anywhere else. Yet for Bjorn, the oppressive atmosphere was familiar¡ªhauntingly so. The further they walked, the more a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu gripped him.
The frozen heat haze distorted his vision, and soon, the present began to slip away. Voices intermingled with the conversation between Tanisha and Aurelius. Once again, the veil between his current life and a past existence began to thin, and the familiar voices of Tanisha, Fuyumi and Aurelius faded, replaced by echoes from another time.
In a snap of realization the wind roared around him, carrying with it grains of sand that burned like fire and froze like shards of ice. The world was a swirling chaos of destruction. Shouts echoed through the storm, frantic and desperate.
¡°Isin we need to go back.¡± A voice was nearly drowned out by the storm. ¡°The chaos storm is going to get worse!¡±
The voice was desperate, barely audible over the howling winds. Isin stood defiant, his frame battered by the storm but unyielding. He was nearly blown off of his feet but instead forced himself forward to the ground. His hand trembled as he pulled out a combat knife, stabbing it into the cracked, boiling ground. With that he whispered a spell weaving aether around himself as he had seen Nuriel do so many times. He spat blood as the corruption in the storm fought against the spell, but he pressed on. The aether coalesced into a shimmering barrier, a solid bubble that shielded him and his comrades from the storm¡¯s wrath.
The men looked at him with shock as they marveled at the shield around them. Yet only Martin understood the true price Isin was paying. Here, in this cursed place, aether was not a tool¡ªit was prey. The chaotic energy devoured it hungrily, tearing at its essence like ravenous beasts. It ripped at those that could use it as if they were fed into a grinder. Angels would be drained in mere moments and torn apart if they entered this place.
And Isin? He was no Angel. Yet somehow, he stood.
He knew the shield would threaten to rip the soul from him. He had to concentrate but he wouldn¡¯t be denied what they had come here for. He wouldn¡¯t be a slave ever again. Martin helped him up to his feet, slinging an arm over his shoulder as Isin barely had the strength to stand on his own. Then, another arm looped under his other side. Isin turned, surprised to find Eliska standing beside him, her face resolute despite the storm''s fury.
Her eyes locked onto his, fierce and unyielding. She nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve got you.¡±
¡°We-we move.¡± Isin said through the throbbing pain in his head. ¡°We do not have a choice. We can not turn back.¡±
Martin¡¯s grip tightened. ¡°Isin, listen to me. Drop the shield. It¡¯s killing you. We can make it without it.¡±
¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Eliska added, ¡°Drop the shield¡ªwe can push through without it.¡±
Isin shook them off, staggering forward on his own. His eyes burned with an intensity that silenced any further argument. His body screamed in protest, his soul strained under the storm¡¯s assault, but his will was unshaken. Isin pointed ahead, pulling himself away as he marched forward.
¡°No,¡± he growled, his voice low but filled with unshakable conviction. ¡°I will not stop.¡±
Through the pain, through the humiliation, through loss after loss after painful fucking loss he was not going to stop. He would never bow, not to angels, not to storms, not to the chaos that sought to crush him. He would carve a path to freedom with his bare hands if he had to.
He would be free and he would drag humanity with him whether they wanted freedom or not. As he moved the dome of energy moved with him. Those that wanted to turn back couldn¡¯t. They were trapped and they would follow even if he had to be the one that held the chains.
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¡°We move,¡± Isin growled through gritted teeth.
***
They walked endlessly¡ªminutes, hours, or days. Time had dissolved into the storm''s unrelenting fury. Isin no longer knew how long they¡¯d been moving. Darkness engulfed him, his vision having faded long ago. Sound was the next to abandon him, leaving him adrift in silence. Yet, as his physical senses failed, his magical ones sharpened. The storm that had once torn his aether apart now refined it, embedding it with chaos until something entirely new emerged.
A strange energy began to fill him¡ªnot the destructive chaos nor the familiar flow of aether, but something different, something primal. His body and mind disconnected, and Isin found himself drawn inward, deeper than he had ever ventured. He didn¡¯t understand what he was seeing at first. Then like an epiphany understood this was the core of his being, a swirling mass of golden light which flared out uncontained. The sight unnerved him¡ªit was raw, unformed and spilling energy in chaotic bursts. Yet one path stood apart, a single golden thread flowing steadily. He decided to follow this golden thread, understanding somehow that it was connected to his eyes. This was the only place the power was uniform and flowed at a steady rate.
Then, he saw it: the new energy, calm and blue, coursing alongside the golden light. It clashed with his core, and his body trembled in response. The golden light resisted, tearing parts of itself away to remain untainted. He examined the blue energy closer and saw that it was not chaotic or malevolent. It was pure potential, waiting for a wielder.
He reached out with his mind and the energy bent to his will freely. As he interacted with the power it started to change from blue to silver. This new silver string of power latched on to his core and he screamed himself awake as his body forced him back into the real world. He lurched forward retching blood and bile onto the scorched ground. Power surged around him as the shield that surrounded them took on a far more stable appearance. The chaotic energy no longer tried to rip it apart, instead it fed into it.
His vision cleared, and he saw his comrades rushing toward him. Their lips moved, but their words were drowned in the void of his hearing. His mind slipped back into his inner world, where he saw the silver energy encircling the golden core and after a time both energies were spinning. He reached out with his will and it spun faster and faster, absorbing more power with each revolution.
The more they mixed the more he could control the energies. Soon he saw more paths in his body that before only got the energy in random bursts. Now they all had streams of power surge through them. It felt right¡ªas though this was how it was always meant to be.
¡°Bjorn, wake up!¡± Eliska¡¯s voice pierced through the veil of his inner world.
No that wasn¡¯t Eliska¡¯s voice, but Isin didn¡¯t know whose it could be. The more it spoke the more the world seemed to fade away. The vision shattered like glass, and Bjorn¡¯s eyes snapped open. Limbs thrashed as he struggled to adjust to the body of a hydra. For a disorienting moment, he forgot who he was¡ªIsin, Bjorn, Aki¡¯al? Then, reality surged back. He was Bjorn, the hydra.
Tanisha was atop him, holding him down, body and arms were bleeding from where his claws had raked her. His heart raced in his chest, hammering like a war drum. Her blood soaked into his scales, sticky and warm, but she didn¡¯t seem to care.
Her voice broke through his daze, urgent and raw. ¡°Bjorn! It¡¯s okay¡ªI¡¯m here! Stay with me, Bjorn.¡±
¡°Failsafe. Failsafe!¡± Bjorn said mentally. ¡°What was that? You had to see it didn¡¯t you?¡±
¡°I was about to ask you what happened.¡± Failsafe sounded panicked. ¡°One second we are talking about using chaotic energy to increase speed then everything shuts down and your mind goes blank. I thought you just dropped dead, but your heart was still pumping.¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t see that vision?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°No, and that worries me. This chaotic mana is doing something to you,¡± Failsafe said, his tone grim. ¡°We need to stop and figure this out. If this happens in battle, we¡¯re dead. You almost stopped breathing multiple times.¡±
Bjorn shifted his focus to Tanisha. He¡¯d stopped thrashing, but she still clung to him, her eyes scanning his eight. Through their bond, he sent a wave of reassurance. Slowly, her grip loosened, and she exhaled heavily. Blood loss forced her to sit, hands trembling as she downed a health potion.
Aurelius appeared at her side, lifting her into a princess carry as she began to fade. Bjorn pushed himself onto his feet, his form steadying. His claws, slick with her blood, clung to his guilt. One of the few people he cared for in this world was hurt because of him. He wanted to apologize the moment they stopped and he could write on the ground. For now he tried to send his sincerity through the bond. Aurelius spoke softly to Tanisha in Muaian, his tone soothing, but Bjorn couldn¡¯t understand.
¡°Failsafe,¡± Bjorn said mentally, his resolve hardening. ¡°You¡¯re right. We need answers. I have to figure out these visions, and soon.¡±
WM [71] My Blessing
Tanisha had been talking with Aurelius to find out more about his lightning fast attacks. Chaos magic was indeed rare, so much so that she only remembered her teachers at the academy mentioning it once. Of course since she was stuck in the remedial classes due to her inability to use magic effectively she never knew if there was more to the study. The prevailing theory among her instructors was that her chaotic core might be linked to chaos magic, but after experiencing Aurelius¡¯s aura firsthand, she knew the truth. Their cores were fundamentally different. His was chaos but hers was the core of a sage.
¡°So chaos magic is essentially the same type of magic most people call monster magic?¡± Tanisha questioned.
Aurelius thought about it for a while. ¡°I think. There was a wizard I traveled with for a while who tried to explain it. I think he said something like that. People who can sense auras often mistake me for a monster because of it. He claimed that what monsters wield is an imitation, but what I have is the real deal.¡±
¡°Yeah, I can sense it.¡± Tanisha said. ¡°Your magic is controlled in a way I don¡¯t think a monster can replicate. It¡¯s like¡ªit¡¯s tied to something real. It¡¯s hard to explain, but it¡¯s there.¡±
Fuyumi, who had been leading the group, slowed her pace to join their conversation. ¡°That is exactly what it is, Tanisha. Monsters and the magic they use are the same, there is no flesh or body, only mana condensed to replicate life. What they can¡¯t mimic is the essence of life itself. Think of people like flames¡ªour auras are the heat we radiate. Monsters are just the heat. No matter how intense, you¡¯ll never see a flame.¡±
¡°I am surprised you used a fire analogy.¡± Aurelius said with a smirk.
¡°It¡¯s so confusingly hot and cold here I have heat on my mind.¡± Fuyumi said with a grunt of displeasure. ¡°The analogy works though.¡±
They had only been walking in the new volcanic zone for an hour but it was a confusing sensation to be both really hot and cold at the same time.
¡°There is something I wanted to ask, Tanisha,¡± Aurelius said, sounding almost embarrassed. ¡°Are you an elf of some kind? I know you said you were similar to the wendigo but you have a lot of elven qualities too.¡±
¡°Oh, the ears and tail?¡± Tanisha questioned.
She gave her long, black tail a casual wave. The fur absorbed the surrounding light, giving it an almost otherworldly sheen. Since her evolution into a cernunnos, she had grown accustomed to the appendage, even adorning it with silver rings that gleamed against the inky blackness. For a fleeting moment, she considered teasing Aurelius, claiming to be a hybrid of wendigo and elf, but decided against it.
¡°No, I am not an elf.¡± Tanisha said her tone was amused. ¡°Although I see what you mean, maybe my True was inspired by goblins though.¡±
¡°Inspired by goblins?¡± Aurelius blinked in confusion. ¡°What do¡ª¡±
Before he could finish, Bjorn¡¯s large form suddenly collapsed. The dull thud of his body hitting the ground made Tanisha¡¯s heart lurch. Instantly, her focus snapped to him. She felt nothing through their bond. One second, Bjorn had been fine, his presence steady and strong. The next, his connection slipped to a threadbare wisp, almost imperceptible.
Panic surged through her veins as she dropped to his side, her hands trembling. No, no, no¡ªstay with me, Big Man. Pouring her power into the bond, she forced it to stabilize, though it was tenuous at best. Bjorn¡¯s breathing was shallow, his eyes open but vacant, staring through her as if he wasn¡¯t truly there.
¡°Bjorn? What''s wrong, Big Man?¡± Tanisha screamed. ¡°Bjorn!¡±
¡°Tanisha, can you lift him? We need to move somewhere where there will be cover.¡± Fuyumi said as she knelt down beside her. ¡°If we stop here we will attract attention we don¡¯t want.¡±
Tanisha nodded, though her hands shook as she slipped them under Bjorn¡¯s massive frame. With Fuyumi and Aurelius assisting, they hoisted him onto her back. Bjorn¡¯s bulk pressed down on her, the weight staggering. He was the size of a small foal from shoulder to haunch, roughly five feet tall, and from snout to tail tip, a full sixteen feet of scale and muscle. He had to weigh at least three hundred and fifty pounds, a fact she hadn¡¯t fully realized until now.
When was the last time I carried him? Back at the academy, when he was just a hatchling. What surprised her more was how easily she could bear the weight, even without activating her Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle. She activated it anyway so she wouldn¡¯t tire herself out in case they needed to run from something unexpectedly. She wasn¡¯t taking any chances, not with Bjorn like this.
¡°I got him, let''s go somewhere safe.¡± Tanisha said as she looked to Fuyumi.
¡°Follow me.¡± Fuyumi started running.
They ran for what must have been only minutes, but for Tanisha, it felt like an agonizing eternity. Each second stretched unbearably long as she poured power into the familiar bond, trying desperately to stabilize it. Bjorn¡¯s breathing continued to weaken, each shallow rise and fall of his chest pulling her deeper into a spiral of panic. Should they turn back? What if the chaotic mana in the air was poisoning him? Her heart pounded as doubt clawed at her, but she pushed forward, refusing to stop.
She continued to run faster then started pushing power into her aura. The corrupted mana was pushed away from them as she ran. The moment the corruption cleared, Bjorn convulsed violently. His body thrashed with such force that it knocked her off balance. Blood spilled from his mouths as a guttural, bone-chilling hiss tore through the air. Tanisha screamed as sharp, searing pain exploded across her back¡ªdeep, jagged slashes from Bjorn¡¯s claws opened across her form. She hit the ground hard, the impact jarring her, and they tumbled apart.
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Bjorn writhed on the ground, his heads snapping wildly. His claws raked over his own body, leaving deep, bloody gashes in his scales. His necks twisted violently, his skulls slamming against the earth in what looked like a seizure.
¡°Tanisha, are you okay?¡± Aurelius called, his voice laced with concern as he pulled her up by the arm.
¡°Let me go.¡± Tanisha screamed, kicking herself out of his grip. ¡°Stay back, I am immune to his venom.¡±
Without hesitation, she launched herself at Bjorn, tackling him despite the fresh waves of pain that lanced through her. His claws raked her again, cutting deep into her arms, sides, and chest, but she didn¡¯t falter. She fought through the pain, grappling him with every ounce of her strength. After a grueling minute of wrestling, she managed to pin him, using her weight and leverage to stop him from inflicting further harm on himself.
Then everything around her blurred incomprehensibly. The world seemed to meld into itself like a painter mixing all the paints on her canvas. A sudden pull dragged her consciousness inward. Her core? No, this wasn¡¯t her core. The realization dawned on her as she found herself standing in the center of Bjorn¡¯s essence.
Instead of a single core like she had, it was made up of two separate spinning orbs. One was pure mana, the other a vibrant aether. They danced in perfect harmony, their power far purer than her own. The corrupted mana she¡¯d seen earlier was forcing its way into his core, like a dark torrent pouring into a pristine well.
The corrupted magic surged toward the void between the spinning orbs, pooling at the center. From the void between the two cores, something began to emerge¡ªa new presence forming within Bjorn¡¯s cores. It was unstable, trembling with volatile energy. Tanisha¡¯s heart clenched as she realized the truth: if this unstable mass ruptured, it would kill Bjorn.
Tanisha looked around and there was still nothing she could do. Then she saw the familiar bond: it was a tether of power, thrumming with the energy she¡¯d been channeling to keep their connection alive. Beneath that was something deeper, a second, subtler bond. Their soul bond. Carefully she followed the soul bond and guided the tether of power into Bjorn¡¯s cores. She avoided the other spinning orbs as she reached the dark mass emerging in the middle.
The closer she got, the more she felt it: chaos magic. The energy was wild and unpredictable, and yet it felt strangely familiar. It reminded her of Aurelius¡¯s magic, but darker and more primal.
Is Bjorn trying to integrate chaos magic? she wondered, awe and fear warring within her as she observed the forming orb.
She could see the power coalescing but it was missing something. The orb trembled at its edges, power leaking from a fragile seam¡ªa gap where mana and aether refused to merge. Now that she was so close to it she could feel the power of a skill she hadn¡¯t used nearly as much as she should have. It activated and things seemed to become clearer.
Sage Soul Forge
Seier cost: Variable
(I) Use seier to alter and twist existing spellforms connected to your Ringularity Core. (II) Meditate on your core to deepen connections and meridians to your soul. Study the Marks of Seier which etched themselves across your body to gain greater insight. (III) Unknown. Unknown. Unknown.
With her deepening understanding, Tanisha realized the critical absence in Bjorn¡¯s core. There was no connection to the maya. Without it his body was eating itself trying to contain the new chaos magic within him. Desperation clawed at her as she turned her attention to the thread of power she had drawn into Bjorn¡¯s core.
Tanisha unraveled her seier, breaking it down into its elemental components: mana, aether, and maya. Carefully, she isolated the infernal essence of maya and began feeding it into the malformed core. She moved with precision, trying to guide the energy gently, but the instant the maya touched Bjorn¡¯s core, it pulled with a ferocity beyond her control.
A sudden, forceful yank of power surged through the bond, nearly ripping Tanisha¡¯s essence apart. Her own core lurched violently, struggling to keep up with the desperate draw of maya. The experience was jarring, leaving her breathless as she was forcibly ejected from Bjorn¡¯s core. Reality snapped back into focus. Bjorn still thrashed beneath her, but his movements were weaker now, his desperation slowly ebbing.
¡°Bjorn, wake up!¡± She screamed in desperation. ¡°Bjorn! It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here! Stay with me, Bjorn.¡±
One of Bjorn¡¯s arms broke free of her grip and claws sliced down her arm. Tanisha gritted her teeth as she pinned Bjorn down again. Pain seared through her, but she shoved it aside. Bjorn¡¯s massive, serpentine body was in a frenzy, and stopping him from hurting himself was all that mattered.
She pressed down harder, willing him to come back to her. Slowly, the wild thrashing began to subside. His limbs stilled, and his breathing evened out. Tanisha felt a wave of calm ripple through her, a silent reassurance sent through their bond. He was aware again. She locked eyes with him. His eight eyes blinked in unison, no longer clouded by chaos but instead wide with horror at the sight of her injuries.
She let out a shaky breath and released her hold, her arms trembling from exertion and blood loss. The moment she pulled back, her body reminded her of the price she¡¯d paid to keep him grounded. Blood streaked her hands and arms, the deep gashes throbbing with every heartbeat. Her vision blurred for a moment, and she pulled a greater health potion from her inventory.
¡°Don¡¯t you dare pass out on me now,¡± she muttered to herself, pulling the stopper from the vial with her teeth.
Tilting her head back, she downed the potion in one gulp. The liquid burned on the way down, but she could already feel the magic stitching her wounds together, dulling the pain. It would heal the wounds but not replace the blood she lost. Aurelius approached quickly, his sharp eyes taking in the scene.
¡°It¡¯s okay Tanisha I got you,¡± he said softly.
He crouched and carefully lifted her into a princess carry effortlessly. Tanisha didn¡¯t protest; she was too drained to stand, let alone walk. She glanced back at Bjorn. The mighty hydra staggered to his feet, his eyes full of guilt and sorrow. Through their bond, she felt his apologies¡ªa flood of regret and shame that made her heart ache. Tanisha wanted to comfort him, to let him know it wasn¡¯t his fault, but her eyelids were so heavy, her body fighting to shut down and recover.
¡°Tanisha stay awake for me.¡± Aurelius¡¯s voice dripped with concern. ¡°Fuyumi, we need to get somewhere safe yesterday. Let''s go.¡±
¡°Alright, follow me.¡± Fuyumi¡¯s voice faded.
As the world around her dimmed, Tanisha fought to keep her eyes open. Exhaustion and blood loss claimed her, pulling her into unconsciousness. The last thing she heard was the distant sound of Aurelius calling her name, his voice a lifeline in the dark but soon even that faded.
¡°There you are, thief.¡± What sounded like a thousand angry voices said in unison. ¡°I am coming for you, but for now, regrettably, you have my blessing.¡±
WM [72] Beyond Mana
Bjorn followed as he was slowest in the group though he kept as close as he could behind Aurelius and Fuyumi. Failsafe kept trying to get his attention but he was too worried about Tanisha to listen. They ran until they came to one of the large monolithic rock formations in the volcanic area. The shadows under the formation were odd, almost like moving through a semi-liquid. The corrupted mana density was so high to the point of being near tangible.
His attention snapped back as Aurelius gently laid Tanisha down. Bjorn was at her side in an instant. His many eyes scanned her, and his breath hitched. Her clothing was torn to near ribbons and what remained was streaked in blood. Her breathing was fine but she looked pale and she was sweating profusely. Bjorn felt the bond between them, it was strong which was a good sign.
When he saw her like this his mind went back to the days they spent in the troll cave at the very beginning of their adventure. She was clinging to life by the barest thread after what that creature did to her. She looked so fragile, so breakable, that it made his chest ache. This time he was the monster that did this to her.
Aurelius and Fuyumi spoke in hushed tones a short distance away, their expressions grim. Bjorn watched their lips move, frustration building as he failed to understand their words. He needed to know what they were saying. Why couldn¡¯t Failsafe decode their language by now?
¡°Failsafe, why can¡¯t I understand them yet? What have you been doing?¡± Bjorn yelled internally. ¡°What are they saying about her?¡±
¡°Woah, Bjorn I have been trying to talk to you.¡± Failsafe said placatingly. ¡°Languages are hard to map out for a spellform. The fact I can do it for one language was already supposedly impossible, but I am working on it.¡±
¡°Work faster.¡± Bjorn¡¯s thoughts lashed out like a whip. ¡°They¡¯re talking about Tanisha, aren¡¯t they? Is she¡ Is she alright?¡±
¡°She is, but she lost a lot of blood.¡± Failsafe said finally, his tone careful. ¡°She¡¯s stable. If we weren¡¯t as high level as we are, or if she hadn¡¯t been using her UCP wisely, it might have been fatal. A normal wendigo probably wouldn¡¯t have made it... but she¡¯s not normal. And in a few dozen levels, blood loss like this won¡¯t even be a concern.¡±
¡°I almost killed her?¡± His voice was barely a whisper, trembling under the weight of guilt.
The realization hit him hard as he looked down at her. They had been through so much together. Faced so many odds stacked against them and especially against her. After all of that, after surviving monsters, druids, skinwalkers, werewolves and everything else, the thing that nearly killed her was him. He couldn¡¯t help but be painfully aware of the blood staining his claws and it made him sick.
¡°You didn¡¯t mean to, Bjorn.¡± Failsafe was quiet for a long moment. ¡°She saved us, take a look at your core. I know it seems unrelated but do it.¡±
Bjorn wanted to lash out, to scream that it didn¡¯t matter whether he meant it or not. Intent didn¡¯t undo what had happened. Failsafe¡¯s final words gave him pause. She saved us? His mind snagged on the thought. What had she done to his core?
He lay down beside Tanisha, his serpentine body coiling protectively around her. He encircled her like a living fortress, his scales shielding her from any further harm. Only when he was certain she was as safe as he could make her did he close his eyes and turn his focus inward, seeking the truth Failsafe had urged him to find.
Bjorn¡¯s awareness plunged into the depths of his core, and the change was immediate, stark and undeniable. What had once been a harmonious dance of two orbs, one radiating golden aether and the other shimmering with silver mana, was now altered. A third energy coursed within him, dull and muted gray, flowing like a quiet storm through the streams of power that defined his essence.
Normally Bjorn could see the formulae within the energies in his core but the gray had no formula it was pure potential. He extended his will toward it, probing cautiously. With a thought, he imposed the familiar structure of mana onto a section of the gray energy. It obeyed, shifting seamlessly into silver, joining the steady stream of mana that wove through his being. Emboldened, Bjorn repeated the act, this time shaping the gray into aether. Again, the transformation was effortless, the gray energy turning radiant gold before merging with the existing current of aether.
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He followed the new gray power to the orb that now spun with the other two in the center of his being. The gray power flowed between the aether and the mana orbs connecting them like a chain and allowing power to flow between the cores seamlessly. Bjorn realized what this enigmatic energy that now flowed within him was, it was chaos mana. He had been exposed to it long ago, when he was Isin he had opened himself to it and it flowed into his core.
Chaos mana was more than a missing piece of himself; it was the key. Aether was the domain of the Angels, powerful but rigid in its purity. Mana was versatile, the lifeblood of mortals and mages. Chaos mana was the bridge between them, a force neither divine nor mortal, but something entirely unique. It allowed him to shape both powers freely, to transcend the limits imposed by either.
There was something he was missing though, why did the Chaos Lands have something so unique within them? Where did this power come from and why were the Angels so obsessively fascinated by it? He needed more answers but that could wait. For now he couldn¡¯t help but look at the core and smiled when he saw the soul bond connected to him. Maya, which his mother sealed away, flowed around the gray orb giving it stability. The realization struck him with humbling clarity, Tanisha had saved his life in more ways than one. Until his own connection to maya was restored, she had become his lifeline, more vital than the air in his lungs.
¡°So we now have chaos magic?¡± Bjorn said mentally.
¡°That is what that is? Chaos magic?¡± Failsafe questioned. ¡°Hey wait a minute how do you know that and not me? I am the magic one.¡±
¡°The visions I have been seeing, I saw when Isin unintentionally pulled it into his core.¡± Bjorn said. ¡°When he did, he didn¡¯t have mana so it just stabilized his aetheric one.¡±
¡°Then what we suspected about Angels being bad at controlling aether because of its rigidity must be true!¡± Failsafe sounded increasingly excited. ¡°Those orb-things they used, they were artificial stabilizers for their power. That¡¯s why their civilization leaned so heavily on technology. They needed machines to channel their energy effectively.¡±
¡°The Angels were essentially the power source for their technology to function.¡± Bjorn postulated. ¡°But we don¡¯t quite know what they could do without the technology, aether on its own is far more potent than mana, it is a Higher Plane energy after all.¡±
Failsafe hummed thoughtfully. ¡°So now you¡¯ve got this, uh, what are we calling it?¡±
¡°Chaos mana is how I was referring to it because it has mana-like qualities although it¡¯s not quite mana.¡± Bjorn thought about it for a while. ¡°It feels like mana, but it¡¯s not. It¡¯s proto-mana. That so-called ¡®corrupted mana¡¯ in mana storms isn¡¯t corrupted at all. It¡¯s primordial energy in its natural state. Aurelius has it too but unlike me his core is entirely that form of energy. ¡±
Failsafe perked up. ¡°Primordial mana, huh? Let¡¯s call it primana. Sounds cool, right? Short for ¡®primordial mana.¡¯ I would¡¯ve gone with ¡®prana,¡¯ but humans already use that for a material user.¡±
¡°Primana. Fine. It¡¯s better than anything I¡¯ve got.¡± Bjorn agreed.
¡°So, does that mean that monsters are actually made of primana?¡± Failsafe questioned.
¡°No, I don¡¯t think so, they are actually a corruption of mana,¡± Bjorn said. ¡°Something about primana and the corrupted mana that monsters have is different. It is why Aurelius¡¯s aura is monster-like but also very different at the same time. He has primana while they have corrupted mana.¡±
Bjorn paused, his thoughts darkening as he considered the implications. ¡°Coming here was necessary. These lands unlocked memories and visions you don¡¯t have access to, Failsafe. I need to find a way to trigger the rest of them before we leave. Isin came here for something, a purpose that would upend the balance of power, making humanity more than just a slave race. Whatever he found here turned him into the Sunderer of the Angelic Throng.¡±
¡°Do you know what it was?¡± Failsafe questioned eagerly.
¡°I am not exactly sure but I think it was one of the Angel Cores,¡± Bjorn said. ¡°And yes, that is what those orbs are called by the way.¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s a dumb name.¡± Failsafe joked. ¡°That is like a human making a wand and calling it a ¡®Man Stick.¡¯ They really weren¡¯t very creative.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t make the name.¡± Bjorn responded with a chuckle. ¡°But you¡¯re right.¡±
Failsafe snickered. ¡°Glad we agree. But seriously, what¡¯s next? I can¡¯t analyze the changes to your core and finish this new translation spellform at the same time. What¡¯s the priority? Understanding Aurelius and Fuyumi, or digging into your core?¡±
Bjorn mulled it over, his right-most head tilting in a decisive nod. ¡°Finish the translation first. I¡¯ll experiment with the Tri-core on my own for now.¡±
¡°Tri-core?¡± Failsafe echoed, clearly amused. ¡°Nice name. I¡¯m rubbing off on you, aren¡¯t I? Let¡¯s go with it.¡±
Bjorn smirked faintly but didn¡¯t reply, his focus shifting as he noticed movement. Tanisha stirred, her breathing uneven as she began to wake. Instinctively, all four heads snapped toward her, eyes sharp with concern. Fuyumi was at her side in an instant, moving with a fluid grace that belied her urgency. She held a cup of steaming soup, Bjorn realized, as its savory aroma reached his nostrils. Without hesitation, he shifted out of Fuyumi''s way to give her the room she needed. The language barrier was still an obstacle, but Bjorn could read the scene clearly enough. Tanisha needed to recuperate and eating would help in that journey.
WM [73] The Price to Go Forward
Tanisha''s eyes fluttered open, heavy with exhaustion. The world around her blurred and shifted like a dream, but one detail was clear: she was cradled in Aurelius''s arms. The steady rhythm of his stride and the faint warmth radiating from him felt oddly reassuring, even as her surroundings swam in and out of focus.
Through the haze, she caught glimpses of their path¡ªa jagged landscape of volcanic rock giving way to the towering shadows of adjacent mountains. The sulfuric heat of the region clung to the air, mixing with the magically induced cold from the chaotic ambient mana. Her mind struggled to piece together where they were, but the effort made her head spin.
Aurelius¡¯s eyes flickered down at her. ¡°Looks like you''re awake,¡± he said, his voice calm but edged with concern. ¡°Take it easy, don''t move. We''re close to the mountains now.¡±
Tanisha tried to respond, her voice a thin whisper. ¡°Right... Don¡¯t worry about me. We can continue.¡±
Her words lacked conviction or color, and her body betrayed her. As the swaying motion resumed, her vision wavered, and she slipped back into the swirling darkness.
***
When Tanisha woke again, it was in the midst of pandemonium. Aurelius had set her down, and the ground beneath her was cold and unforgiving. Her surroundings blurred like a watercolor painting left in the rain. Bjorn¡¯s massive form loomed nearby, his four heads snapping in all directions. Breath attacks lashed out at the world around them one after the other. Meanwhile Fuyumi darted towards something in the distance before fading from sight.
A monster was attacking, or was it? Tanisha¡¯s perception faltered, the creature shifting in and out of focus, its grotesque form merging with the jagged rocks around them. Was it real, or was her mind conjuring horrors of its own? The sounds of battle took the form of roars, shrieks, and the clash of magic and they were all muffled as if coming from underwater.
She tried to move, to help, but her limbs felt weighted down by chains of lead. The world tilted again, and the edges of her vision darkened. Someone, Aurelius perhaps, shouted something, but the words were lost to her.
***
The days that followed continued to pass in fragments. Tanisha drifted in and out of consciousness, each awakening a disjointed snapshot of their journey. She caught pieces of conversations between Aurelius and Fuyumi, their voices low and tense. The bond with Bjorn though was a constant reassurance.
¡°We should veer east. The terrain¡¯s safer, but it¡¯ll take longer.¡±
¡°No, west. The caves there might be risky, but it¡¯s a faster route. We are trying to catch up to someone with a days-long headstart.¡±
Their words blended with the shadows at the edges of her awareness. Bjorn¡¯s deep growl rumbled through her dreams, a warning that pulled her briefly back to reality. She saw him once, bloodied but standing firm, his form shielding her from something she couldn¡¯t fully comprehend.
At one point, Fuyumi leaned over her, ¡°There, be sure to swallow all of it. One spoon at a time. Stay with us.¡±
***
When she finally stirred again, the cool air of the mountains brushed against her fevered skin. The sulfuric heat of the volcanic region was gone, replaced by a feeling of normalcy for the first time since they entered the Chaos Lands. They had made it, somehow.
Through half-lidded eyes, Tanisha saw Aurelius crouched nearby, his gaze fixed on the horizon. Fuyumi was tending to a wound on Bjorn¡¯s flank. For a brief moment, the world felt still, and Tanisha herself finally able to beat back the endless bouts with unconsciousness. Her vision cleared enough for her to take in the sights.
They were in a crag high in the mountain overlooking the next leg of the journey. The sun was still relatively high but was blocked by the presence of a massive aurora. The colors painted the world and even from the distance they were at they could see the horizon twisting under the weight of the forming mana storm.
¡°That isn¡¯t good is it?¡± Tanisha asked.
Everyone turned to her as she sat up. She felt the dizziness in the back of her mind but it was far more manageable.
¡°You should lay back down.¡± Fuyumi said.
Tanisha took a breath. ¡°I am fine with just this much. How long was I out for?¡±
Aurelius and Fuyumi looked at eachother but it was Aurelius that spoke.
¡°Your accident was three days ago,¡± Aurelius stated. ¡°We were worried you wouldn¡¯t survive but anytime we considered turning around you would grow more agitated. I think the fact you are a mage might have been a major reason you are still with us, well that and the potion you drank.¡±
Tanisha absorbed his words, but her attention shifted as her gaze landed on Bjorn. She blinked in surprise. His once-green scales were shedding in patches, revealing a vibrant, golden-brown sheen beneath. Most of his body now glimmered with the near-lustrous hue, but beneath the transformation, she could feel the heavy weight of his guilt.
She reached out instinctively, her movements soft but deliberate. Bjorn hesitated before lumbering closer, his heads low to the point they nearly dragged the floor. His nearest head stopped just in front of her, and she cupped his scaled face with both hands, squishing it gently.
¡°I don¡¯t want to see you moping around, young man,¡± she scolded, her voice warm but firm. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault. I saw what was happening and made the choice to act. If anything, I should¡¯ve thought more about how coming here might affect you after... what happened with maya.¡± Her voice softened, her gaze steady as she looked into each of his heads'' eyes in turn. ¡°So no more long faces. Got it?¡±
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Bjorn¡¯s other heads nodded, the movement almost comical in its earnestness. Tanisha beamed, her smile wide and genuine. The hydra nuzzled her affectionately, his guilt lifted just enough for her to feel the bond between them strengthen. She patted the ground beside her, and Bjorn settled down, coiling protectively at her side. With Bjorn at ease, Tanisha¡¯s attention shifted back to Aurelius and Fuyumi.
As she moved, she noticed for the first time that she wasn¡¯t wearing her usual clothing. She was in the all white floral dress thing Fuyumi wore. She wasn¡¯t actually sure what it was called. Robe and sash maybe? Tanisha glanced down at the delicate fabric, running her fingers over it briefly, but Fuyumi¡¯s next words pulled her attention away.
Fuyumi caught her confused expression and explained, ¡°Your outfit was shredded. What you¡¯re wearing is called a yukata. It was the best we had to keep you comfortable. But more importantly we have another problem. Between us and the paths to Force Isles is that.¡± She pointed to the mana storm. ¡°We will need to cross two hundred miles in a few days otherwise we will be in the middle of a Chaos Land shift. That storm is going to spread and remake this entire region.¡±
¡°That has to be the largest storm I have ever seen.¡± Aurelius added absently.
¡°It¡¯s more accurately called a mana hurricane,¡± Fuyumi clarified as she sat down, a cup materializing in her hand with a practiced motion. ¡°I¡¯ve only ever heard stories about them. The last one in this area was at least a thousand years ago. Back then, it was a calamity, this region was once the heart of Mu.¡±
¡°Mu? Wait, so it was a mana storm that split the human kingdom into the Force Isles and Mesha?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°It was part of it. From what I hear it was already falling apart after the war with the wendigo.¡± Fuyumi continued. ¡°But when your capital city suddenly becomes a mountain range full of monsters it might have sped things along. The thing is, out of the four of us, only Aurelius would survive long inside a mana hurricane. The corruptive energies would tear out our cores for power.¡±
Tanisha held her tongue about being sure Bjorn could likely survive now too. She was sure that following the pattern of how their powers worked soon she would also gain chaos magic or resistance too, if she hadn¡¯t already. She would check her menus and core after they made a decision on what to do.
¡°How long do we have to make it through, do you think?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Three days at most. Although we will have to take a more dangerous direct route through the storm. In the middle monsters will be more active Especially as trees evolve into mana trees.¡±
Aurelius nodded. ¡°And not to mention pure magic crystals which will start to attract even larger monsters.¡±
¡°Pu-pure mana crystals?¡± Tanisha¡¯s eyes widened to the point they threatened to pop out of her head. ¡°You mean actual crystalized mana? Not the artificial kind, but natural pure mana crystals?¡±
¡°Y-yeah.¡± Aurelius, startled by her reaction, stuttered. ¡°Uh, that¡¯s exactly what I meant.¡±
¡°The Chaos Lands are where most of those are found, Tanisha,¡± Fuyumi added, her tone patient but slightly amused.
Tanisha was in disbelief first the mana trees then the pure mana crystals. Both of them were national treasures prized for their rarity and in regards to the crystal, the power one could wield with it was immense. If someone had both they could make a staff or wand that would be a priceless artifact. She turned to Bjorn, switching languages so he would understand.
¡°If we can, there are two materials we need to try and gather: mana tree wood and a pure mana crystal. With both, we could craft a staff worthy of legends.¡± She placed a reassuring hand on his nearest head. ¡°When we stop next, let¡¯s look through that manual the wand repairer left us, okay?¡±
Bjorn let out a low rumble of agreement, his golden-brown scales catching the light of the distant storm. Despite the looming danger, Tanisha felt a flicker of hope. If they survived, they could emerge from the Chaos Lands stronger and with a treasure few dared to even dream of possessing.
Fuyumi regarded Tanisha with a measured expression before speaking plainly. ¡°Whether or not we can make it depends on you, Tanisha. If you can¡¯t keep up and have to be carried, the path will be too dangerous for all of us.¡± She raised a hand to halt Tanisha¡¯s immediate protest. ¡°Let me finish. You have very dense mana, and your aura is unusual but strong. Normally, a mage would undergo a mana baptism once their body reaches the level of mana density you¡¯ve achieved. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve undergone one, have you?¡±
Tanisha frowned in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what exactly are you talking about?¡±
¡°A mana baptism,¡± Fuyumi repeated, taking a sip of her drink. ¡°It¡¯s a meditative technique that cycles your core¡¯s energy throughout your body. This process happens naturally over time for most mages, but if someone outpaces it, like you¡ªyou have to force it along manually.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve trained to channel power through my veins and meridians thanks to my work with maya,¡± Tanisha offered.
¡°Ah,¡± Fuyumi nodded. ¡°That explains the unusual flow of magic in your body. Tell me, when you learned that technique, was it tailored to your mixed power?¡±
Tanisha paused before admitting, ¡°No. It was originally designed for maya alone.¡±
¡°As I suspected,¡± Fuyumi said. ¡°Your power is a blend of mana and maya, an alloy. But alloys require specialized training to master. At your current rate, you¡¯re stifling your magic¡¯s potential. You need to open all the paths your power would take if the two energies were separate. Most mages never attempt this. That¡¯s why arcanists who blend paths are so rare; most abandon one for the other.¡±
¡°What happens if I continue the way I am now?¡± Tanisha asked.
Fuyumi¡¯s tone grew sharper. ¡°Eventually, your other pathways will atrophy. Your alloy will become more like pure maya, and you¡¯ll lose access to your mana-based abilities. Spells, enchantments¡ªanything requiring mana will be out of reach. Today, we need to begin the process of opening your mana gates with the baptism. Once we do that, you¡¯ll gain the Mage Body.¡±
Tanisha stiffened. She knew about the Mage Body. It made high-level mages frighteningly hard to kill. Fatal wounds to ordinary people became mere inconveniences to those with the Mage Body. It was why decapitation was the only surefire way to eliminate a mage. Still, she¡¯d never heard of this mana baptism before.
¡°Is this a Yuki Clan technique?¡± she asked warily. ¡°Or something only taught to those nearing this level of power?¡±
Fuyumi shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s neither exclusive nor common knowledge. It depends on your training. You¡¯ve been traveling with a demon, right? I doubt he would know anything about advanced mage techniques. For us, the Yuki, we don¡¯t teach it until someone is ready. It¡¯s not a shortcut to power, despite what some think. Without the proper mana density, the process is usually fatal. It¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you now, Tanisha. Do you want to do this?¡±
¡°What happens if you don¡¯t have enough mana density?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°The core can¡¯t hold itself together,¡± Fuyumi said grimly. ¡°It disperses, leaving the mage powerless, or more frequently dead.¡±
Tanisha paled. The idea of her core, the very source of her magic, disintegrating inside her was terrifying.
¡°That¡¯s why I need you to decide.¡± Fuyumi leaned forward, her gaze was razor-sharp. ¡°If you¡¯re unsure, we turn back now. If you want to go forward, I¡¯ll teach you¡ªbut you must commit completely. There¡¯s no halfway.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s expression hardened. Sitting up straight, she met Fuyumi¡¯s gaze without hesitation.
¡°Teach me. I¡¯ll move forward no matter what.¡± Tanisha said.
¡°Then let¡¯s not waste any more time.¡± Fuyumi studied her for a moment before nodding. ¡°Aurelius, Bjorn you two are on guard duty. Once this process starts we can not stop until it is done.¡±
WM [74] The First Gate
Fuyumi waited patiently as Bjorn and Aurelius took their positions, standing guard nearby. Her demeanor was calm, yet commanding as she began preparing Tanisha for what lay ahead. The first thing she did was direct Tanisha to eat and drink, much more than she typically consumed in an entire day. Tanisha hesitated at first, but as she began eating, an unexpected hunger overtook her. It wasn¡¯t until she had devoured several days'' worth of rations that she felt remotely satisfied. Fuyumi waited in silence until Tanisha finished, only then setting her teacup down and speaking with measured authority.
¡°Not all mages go through a mana baptism,¡± Fuyumi began, pouring herself another cup of tea. ¡°For most, it happens naturally over the course of years, sometimes decades, as their bodies gradually attune to the growing power and knowledge they acquire. But for those who are exceptional at gaining magical power, they often outpace their bodies¡¯ ability to adapt. When that happens, their growth becomes stifled until their bodies catch up.¡±
Her ruby-red eyes fixed on Tanisha, studying her intently. It felt as though Fuyumi was peering straight through her, into her very core and soul. After a moment, she closed her eyes, nodded as if confirming something to herself, and continued.
¡°This is especially common for cultivators like yourself,¡± Fuyumi said, her words catching Tanisha off guard.
¡°Cultivator?¡± Tanisha echoed.
¡°Yes,¡± Fuyumi said, ¡°I can see it clearly. You¡¯ve had significant leaps in power within a short time, but your core¡ it has undergone mutilation. It has not yet fully healed.¡±
¡°Mutilation?¡± Tanisha¡¯s tone sharpened. ¡°My core is a gift. A blessing.¡±
¡°And how did it come to be this way?¡± Fuyumi countered. ¡°From the looks of it, your core was twisted into what it is today. Gifts can be violent things, especially when they are forced upon the unprepared. I think that you were not ready for that gift but whatever happened it was required to save you. And it seems I was mistaken earlier. You carry an additional energy in your core, the same energy as your familiar. Two patrons, is it? That complicates matters further. You¡¯ll need to learn to properly circulate that energy as well because the technique I¡¯m about to teach you only applies to the mana aspects of your alloy.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s brow furrowed as she processed the revelation. ¡°How can you tell that I¡¯m a cultivator?¡±
Fuyumi gestured toward her with a measured hand. ¡°Your body carries a constant field of mana that cycles through your aura and back again. It¡¯s not something you consciously control, but it hasn¡¯t fully merged with you yet. That means it¡¯s potential. Essentially raw energy waiting to crystallize into aspects of yourself that you will choose. Aurelius is also a cultivator, as are many among my people. However, I chose a more traditional path of magical refinement.¡±
Clearing her throat, Fuyumi motioned for Tanisha to sit up straighter. ¡°Now, mana flows within our cores. Those with weak cores experience stagnation. Their mana settles like a stagnant pool, resistant to movement or change. These are the so-called ¡®magicless.¡¯ They cannot move the mana within themselves, nor does it respond to their commands. For mages, the key to unlocking our full potential lies in opening the Five Gates.¡±
She raised a finger to emphasize her point. ¡°The first is the Mana Gate. This is the dividing line between the magicless and the magical. By opening the Mana Gate, we gain the ability to spin our cores. This movement purges impurities, refines mana, and allows us to cast spells, manipulate ambient mana, or use magic tools. At its most advanced, it allows mages to draw the world¡¯s mana into themselves, refining it into personal power. You¡¯ve already achieved this level of mastery over your core.¡±
¡°The next gate,¡± Fuyumi continued, ¡°and the one we will open today is the Blood Gate. It is the simplest gate, yet crucial for your current state. Unlocking it will allow mana to circulate more freely through your physical body, enhancing your endurance, resilience, and control. It is the foundation of the Mage Body.¡±
Tanisha furrowed her brow, a flicker of frustration crossing her features. She had spent four years at a mage academy, yet her understanding of the gates Fuyumi described was limited at best. Back then, she had been labeled a wizard, barely that, and relegated to remedial 101 courses that felt more like a formality than education. Julie and Mat, her closest companions, had tactfully avoided discussing their advanced magical studies around her, not wanting to rub salt in the wound.
Helina was the best chance she had to get back into her magic studies. After she died Tanisha had devoted herself mostly to maya combat and weapons. She didn¡¯t even bother learning new spells which was admittedly quite foolish now that she thought about it. She even gained an ability that allowed her to edit spell forms and make her own spells that went painfully underutilized. She needed to get passed her trama with magic and this would be the first step.
Her frustration melted into curiosity as she looked up at Fuyumi. ¡°What does the Blood Gate do, and what are the other gates?¡±
¡°The Blood Gate is the second gate, following the Mana Gate.¡± Fuyumi said. ¡°While the Mana Gate allows your mana to move and flow, the Blood Gate allows it to circulate fully throughout your body. This circulation enhances your vitality and accelerates healing, creating a synergy between your magical and physical forms. For you, Tanisha, it will help stabilize the imbalance caused by your rapid power leaps and the damage to your core. It will also allow your body to produce more blood far quicker.¡±
Fuyumi set her cup down with a soft clink. ¡°The third gate is the Bone Gate. It gives your mana rigidity, a paradoxical quality when compared to the Blood Gate¡¯s fluidity. This rigidity is essential it allows your mana to adapt to your needs, whether it¡¯s reinforcing your body for durability or amplifying your power for a spell. It also strengthens your physical form, making you tougher in every sense of the word.¡±
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Fuyumi raised a fourth finger, her tone taking on a note of reverence. ¡°The fourth gate is the Mind Gate. This is where true mastery begins. Opening the Mind Gate enhances your mental faculties, perception, and control over mana. It bridges the gap between your body and your will, allowing you to channel your power with precision and clarity. This is a crucial step for any mage seeking true control over their craft.¡±
She raised her final finger, her expression growing thoughtful, almost serene. ¡°The fifth and final gate is the Spirit Gate. This gate is the most personal. It represents the union between you and your mana, a harmony that transcends the physical and mental. Opening the Spirit Gate is a lifelong endeavor. For my people, the Yuki clan, it is considered the path to enlightenment, the ultimate expression of a mage¡¯s journey. Unlike the other gates, it cannot be forced or rushed. The Gate unfolds as one grows in wisdom, understanding, and self-awareness.¡±
¡°Normally this happens naturally?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Yes, for all the gates except the Spirit Gate. That one requires conscious effort and commitment as a lifelong dedication to the craft and to oneself.¡± Fuyumi adjusted her posture, folding her legs neatly into a lotus position. ¡°Now, enough theory. We are on a time table. Sit as I do.¡±
Tanisha followed suit, settling into the lotus position. Fuyumi¡¯s voice remained calm yet commanding, a steady guide as Tanisha turned her awareness inward. Little had changed which was a disappointment as she had half-expected to see signs of the chaos magic she had bonded with through Bjorn. Yet nothing manifested. Perhaps the magic had not yet merged with her core, or perhaps she misunderstood how their powers intertwined. She pushed the thought aside, redirecting her focus to Fuyumi¡¯s instructions.
¡°Now that your awareness is within your core, draw your mana out of its metaphysical space and into the physical world,¡± Fuyumi instructed. ¡°Do not form a spell. Simply move the mana within yourself. It may feel as though you are losing power, as if your mana is leaking from your core. This is natural. Do not resist it.¡±
Tanisha listened to Fuyumi gently coaxing the seier to unravel into its components. This was easier now than it had been before; manipulating the seier to link maya to Bjorn¡¯s core had given her a deeper understanding of its nature. She took the strand of mana and tried to pull it with her out of her inner self. There was a resistance. While in her core it was easy to move but the more she tried to pull it out the more it wanted a spellform to produce an effect. She worried that if she did unleash directionless mana it would be a bad idea.
She took a breath and found that it was more strained than she thought it should be but returned to the matter at hand. She gathered more of her separated mana and tried to push it out away from her core instead of a single small tether. It worked. It felt like the surface tension of water finally released a tornant from the side of an overfull bowl.
She felt proud of herself for a moment before she felt her core starting to diminish in potency and mana. Soon the mana that she had separated from the seier ran out and it started pulling at her ringularity core. It yanked at her core in a forceful bid to draw out more and more power. Panic began to rise, and she prepared to force the flow to stop when a voice echoed in her mind, cutting through her distress.
¡°Tanisha, do not stop the flow.¡± Fuyumi¡¯s voice was calm but firm. ¡°You are not losing power. Pull back your awareness.¡±
Steadying herself, Tanisha let go of her attempt to rein in the seier. She shifted her focus, her awareness expanding outward from her core. What she saw stunned her. Her perception of her inner self had transformed. No longer was her awareness confined to her core alone.
She now perceived her entire body as a glowing silhouette, the ringularity her center. She could see the intricate network of veins and meridians carved out by the maya. New, branching channels illuminated her form, pulsing with energy she had never seen so vividly before. Her entire body was alight with power. Every cell seemed to hum with energy, every breath filling her with clarity. Even the effects of her blood loss were diminishing, the weakness retreating with each steady inhale.
¡°Good,¡± Fuyumi¡¯s voice came softly. ¡°You¡¯ve opened your Blood Gate.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s eyes snapped open. She stared at Fuyumi, who remained seated opposite her, the serene smile of a teacher watching a student¡¯s success gracing her lips.
¡°I... I did?¡± Tanisha asked, her voice a mixture of disbelief and awe. ¡°But I felt like I was losing power¡ªmy core¡ª¡±
Fuyumi raised a hand to quiet her, speaking gently but firmly. ¡°What you felt was your mana expanding into your body, no longer confined to the singularity of your core. The Blood Gate allows mana to circulate freely, integrating with your physical form. That sensation of loss was merely an illusion born of your previous limitations.¡±
Tanisha flexed her fingers experimentally, feeling the mana coursing through her with each movement. It was like she had been blind to her potential, and now her eyes had been opened.
¡°This is... incredible,¡± Tanisha murmured. ¡°I feel so much better already.¡±
¡°That is the power of the Blood Gate,¡± Fuyumi said. ¡°Your body is now in harmony with your mana, enhancing your natural resilience and vitality. It will take time for you to fully master this state, but you¡¯ve taken the first and most crucial step.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s exhilaration gave way to curiosity as she finally took in her surroundings. The air was cool and crisp, and her clothes clung to her skin, drenched in sweat. Her muscles ached faintly, not from strain, but from the intensity of the transformation. The world around her was cloaked in darkness, the pale light of the moon filtering through the clouds.
She frowned. ¡°Wait... it¡¯s night? How long was I out?¡±
¡°About four hours,¡± Fuyumi replied. ¡°Much less than I expected for someone who had never attempted this before. You did well.¡±
Tanisha blinked, ¡°four hours... It felt like minutes.¡±
Fuyumi gave her a faint smile. ¡°That¡¯s the nature of connecting with your inner self. Time becomes secondary. Now, it¡¯s time for you to rest. By morning, you will feel better than you have in years. Tomorrow we¡¯ll make our journey through the hurricane.¡± She stood gracefully, brushing off her robes. ¡°I¡¯ll let Aurelius and Bjorn know it was a success.¡±
Tanisha pushed herself to her feet, shaking her head. ¡°I can tell them myself.¡±
¡°Oh no, you won¡¯t. Now that the Blood Gate is open, your mana-infused blood will begin enhancing your brain.¡± Fuyumi admitted. ¡°The side effect is... sudden, unavoidable sleep.¡±
Tanisha frowned. ¡°Wait, wha¡ª¡±
Before she could finish, her legs buckled, and her world tilted. The last thing she registered was Fuyumi grabbing her collapsing form into her cold arms.
WM [75] The Chaos Hydra
Bjorn and Aurelius strolled side by side, their footsteps crunching softly against the rocky terrain of the mountainside as they patrolled for anomalies. The night sky was surprisingly colorful thanks to the forming mana storm aurora. Aurelius, ever the conversationalist, filled the air with animated chatter. Unlike many others who might simplify their words for a beast, he had quickly learned to treat Bjorn as an equal, speaking to him as if he were any other person.
Luckily Failsafe had completed the translation spellform the day prior during the attack they had with monsters that hid underground in volcanic soil. Apparently they were called a magma burrower. They were a tenacious pack hunter monster. He was only able to coordinate properly because Failsafe finished the translation in time so he could understand what Aurelius was telling him.
The mountain air was thick and stifling, an unusual mugginess given their altitude. Bjorn, however, relished the warmth. For once, the chill that often accompanied these high terrains was absent, and his scaled body welcomed the heat. His heads swiveled around the area for any signs of a new threat. So far at least the only living creatures he could pick up with his senses were their group. The unusually high ambient mana in the chaos lands hid the presence of most monsters so sight was the only way to be sure.
Aurelius chuckled to himself as he continued his story.¡°... and then he went flying. Still I can¡¯t believe Draco, the crazy man, actually tried to ride one of the shellbound behemoths. Ma chewed him out for a week after he broke his arm! If you¡¯d seen it, you¡¯d have sworn he was an aerokinesis mage with how high he got launched!¡±
Bjorn¡¯s heads tilted slightly, a gesture he¡¯d come to use as an acknowledgment of interest. The shellbound behemoths were some kind of furry insectoid monster that would roll their bodies up and would look like a cow. They were apparently one of the most docile monsters when in the Chaos Lands. Getting one mad was apparently something that took talent. Over the past few weeks, he¡¯d grown accustomed to Aurelius¡¯ storytelling. The chaos elf had a knack for weaving vibrant tales, often centered around his adoptive family. Draco, the older human brother Aurelius spoke of, seemed to be the perennial troublemaker, always at the center of some misadventure.
Since the mana storms had grown more intense and unpredictable, Aurelius¡¯s family had relocated to the Force Isles, a safer haven far removed from the chaos lands. He was the sole member of his family capable of navigating mana storms without issue, thanks to his unique affinity for chaotic mana. Acting as a bodyguard and escort in these treacherous lands had become his way of providing for his family which was a contribution he carried with pride.
Bjorn got the feeling there was more to his desire to come out here though he seemed to genuinely like helping people. He was a good young man with a good head on his shoulders. Bjorn couldn¡¯t help but wonder if his Past life would have been any better starting out if Isin had someone like Aurelius on his team. Bjorn could tell from the visions that he was getting that Isin was on the cusp of something that would take him down a road he would later regret.
Bjorn gave a low, rumbling growl that might have been mistaken for a chuckle. As Aurelius continued his stories going on about another monster he saved his previous charge from a monster called a sanguine traveler. It is a type of monster that could infiltrate groups of people, altering memories and changing its appearance to look human. It will make people think it was always part of the group and lead them astray. Aurelius is immuned to the effects of that monster and Bjorn assumes it is because of his primana core.
¡°It is because of the sanguine seductress, enchantress and traveler that it is recommended that a party doesn¡¯t let anyone they see out here join them especially if they are alone.¡± Aurelius continued. ¡°There are some runes and spells that allow people to detect them but unless you''re me, or a light mage it''s better to steer clear. Unfortunately, that means that some people that get lost out here can¡¯t get help as they are viewed with suspicion.¡±
Failsafe decided it was a better time than any for him to speak in Bjorn¡¯s head. ¡°He knows you can¡¯t respond, right?¡±
¡°Of course he does,¡± Bjorn said. ¡°But he just wants to talk, no problem in listening.¡±
Even now Bjorn could split his focus between his heads and listen to both Failsafe and Aurelius at the same time. During the fight with the magma burrower he realized that having multiple trains of thought happening in parallel was becoming second nature. So much so that he told Failsafe about it and he said he would look into it. Maybe having four heads unlocked some special traits for his species that allowed him to multitask better.
He couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how natural it felt. While one head scanned the horizon, another listened intently to Aurelius¡¯ tale. A third was mentally engaged with Failsafe, while the fourth kept a watchful eye on the trail behind them.
¡°You¡¯re adapting quickly,¡± Failsafe remarked.
Bjorn¡¯s tails flicked as he considered the words, but he kept his thoughts to himself. It seemed that the chaos lands had a way of forcing evolution¡ªphysically, mentally, and emotionally.
¡°Feels like I¡¯ve always been this way,¡± Bjorn admitted. He then wanted to steer the conversation to something productive. ¡°Have you finished analysing the Tri-core?¡±
¡°Oh yeah, I have, and that new primana changes everything.¡± Failsafe said. ¡°But wait before you look. What do you think the worst part of us being in the chaos lands is? I mean us specifically, not the group.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Bjorn thought about it. ¡°The fact that there are mana storms happening?¡±
Failsafe hesitated. ¡°Ehh¡ yeah, okay, fair point. But besides that.¡±
Bjorn took a second before answering. ¡°The fact that aether attracts monsters so heavily. They really like it so we can¡¯t use our breath attacks or things just target us.¡±
¡°Exactly!¡± Failsafe said, the excitement in his voice rising. ¡°The magma burrowers hated us after you blanketed the area in poison. They were like, ¡®Hey, free buffet!¡¯ But here¡¯s where primana comes in. It can change all of that. We can convert our attacks from one energy source to another, seamlessly. Instead of using aetheric energy for attacks, we can swap to mana or primana instead.¡±
¡°So, what does that mean?¡± Bjorn questioned.
¡°Well if we use Poison Cloud but change it from the current aether mana alloy to primana it¡¯ll be weaker but it will also not attract monsters. We can use all of our abilities without being a beacon for everything in a mile radius to come eat us.¡±
¡°Oh, oh that is good. We could fight all out then.¡± Bjorn was now getting as excited as Failsafe. ¡°Okay, I am going to take a look at the new chan¡ª¡±
Before Bjorn could open his status a pop-up menu filled his perception. Failsafe also stopped meaning this was one he could see as well.
Follower Ascension Panel
Name: Aki¡¯al Hashemi
Title: Sonr Orma Eil¨ªfra
Divinity: Demi True Immortal
Divine Realm: Venom
Followers: 1
Follower List:
Name: Tanisha Valkyrja Scalebound
Species: Cernunnos
Level: 44
Status: Alive
Special Status: Soul Bound (Partial)
Evolution Status: Pending
Follower Evolution(s) Status
Name: Tanisha Valkyrja Scalebound
Species: Cernunnos (Greater Wendigo < Normal Cernunnos) - Dagda (Greater Cernunnos)
Evolution Prerequisite 4 / 10
Approve Current Evolution Status Prerequisite Met:
Mana Gate Open, Blood Gate Open, Maya Meridians and Veins, Pledge of Soul
[Yes/No]
Status Not Met for Evolution: Cernunnos - Dagda
Complete Communing (2/5), Bone Gate Open, Spirit Gate Open, Mind Gate Open, Aetheric Tool Bound, Level 100
Page 4 of 4
Bjorn blinked, his attention snapping fully to the menu. ¡°Uh, Failsafe? What is this?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t look at me! I didn¡¯t make it¡ªwait,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°I didn¡¯t make this. How is this possible? Is it one of those weird menus you¡¯ve been seeing that I can¡¯t?¡±
¡°No, this one¡¯s different,¡± Bjorn said, his tone low and cautious. ¡°You can see it too.¡±
Failsafe¡¯s voice grew wary. ¡°Aki¡¯al Hashemi? I thought your name was Isin.¡±
¡°It is. That¡¯s my hydra name,¡± Bjorn admitted, as he stopped walking. ¡°But that¡¯s not important right now. What is this?¡±
Failsafe hummed thoughtfully. ¡°Give me a second to process... It seems like your connection to Tanisha grew significantly. I¡¯d bet it has something to do with how she stabilized our Tri-core. Apparently, we now have greater insight into her evolution. Can we really evolve her again? It says we could take her from a Greater Wendigo to a Greater Cernunnos.¡± Failsafe¡¯s voice suddenly jumped with realization. ¡°Wait, wait, wait! We turned Tanisha into a Cernunnos, right? If we do this, it might make the Cernunnos a completely distinct species. That would make the Cernunnos the ¡®normal¡¯ tier, and the Dagda the ¡®greater¡¯ form.¡±
¡°Is that how it works?¡± Bjorn asked, his heads tilting in confusion.
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¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Failsafe practically yelped. ¡°I¡¯ve never created a species before. You¡¯re the one with the divinity here. Honestly, I think you should consult your parents, if you can, before making any choices. Also we absolutely need Tanisha¡¯s opinion. Let¡¯s not accidentally evolve her again without her consent.¡±
Bjorn sighed, his many heads exhaling in unison. ¡°Agreed. Let¡¯s take this slow. No need to rush a decision this big. Besides, she has to be level 100 before she could evolve again anyway.¡±
Bjorn¡¯s conversation with Failsafe was abruptly interrupted by Aurelius. The elf had noticed that Bjorn had stopped mid-stride, standing unnaturally still with his gaze unfocused. To Aurelius, it likely looked as though the hydra had momentarily shut down. Bjorn quickly adjusted, his perceptions snapping back into the present. Each of his heads began to move independently, yet seamlessly coordinated under his control. The experience reminded him of something he¡¯d been meaning to test: his newfound parallel thinking. If he could refine it further, he might one day wield as many spells simultaneously as he had heads.
¡°You okay, Bjorn? Did you see something?¡± Aurelius asked, concern laced in his voice.
Bjorn shook his heads, one after another, and resumed walking. Aurelius followed close behind as they approached a precarious stretch of the patrol route. The narrow path hugged the mountainside, leaving only a few feet between them and a sheer drop that plunged hundreds of feet.
Midway across, the ground trembled violently. Both of them immediately dropped low, bracing against the shaking path. Bjorn¡¯s heads turned sharply toward the cliffside, each one scanning for the source of the disturbance. He didn¡¯t need to search for long.
Something monstrous was clawing its way up the rock face. It resembled a grotesque hybrid of a goat and a crab, with eight spindly, armored legs that ended in massive, serrated claws. Its mouth was a gnashing nightmare of razor-sharp teeth, and the sheer size of the creature made the mountain seem fragile beneath it. Each strike of its claws tore into the rock with thunderous force.
¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± Aurelius muttered grimly, peering over the edge. ¡°And where there¡¯s one of those, there¡¯s usually more. Don¡¯t use your breath attacks¡ªit¡¯ll just attract the others.¡±
Bjorn mentally reached out to Failsafe. ¡°Failsafe, how do I switch the energy type of my breath attacks?¡±
¡°Good news on that front,¡± Failsafe replied cheerfully. ¡°It¡¯s still animal magic, so you can just will the change. Easy peasy.¡±
¡°When it comes to magic, animals have it so easy¡± Bjorn muttered to himself.
His rightmost head opened its mouth, releasing a steady stream of thick, rolling thunderclouds. The black vapor spiraled downward, crackling faintly with energy as it engulfed the climbing monster. It continued its ascent for a few more claw-strikes, but its movements slowed as the cloud began to sap its strength. Realizing it was in danger, the creature tried to retreat. Its limbs flailed in desperation, unable to find purchase, before it lost its grip entirely and plummeted down the mountainside, crashing into the depths below.
¡°Is¡ is that chaos magic?¡± Aurelius asked, his voice hushed with awe. His wide eyes stayed fixed on the dissipating storm cloud.
Bjorn inspected the results. The primana-infused attack had worked¡ªalbeit with less raw power than its aetheric counterpart. Power wasn¡¯t what Bjorn saw as its greatest strength, it was what happened after the attack. Unlike aether, which radiated energy and drew attention like a beacon, primana simply turned into the corrupted ambient mana around it, blending seamlessly into the environment. Satisfied, Bjorn let a few of his heads nod in confirmation.
¡°It is?¡± Aurelius stammered, his composure shaken. ¡°H-how? What? I¡ªI¡¯ve never met anyone else who could use chaos magic. How is this possible?¡±
¡°You boys alright?¡± Fuyumi¡¯s voice called out.
The yuki-onna was standing at the end of the narrow path. She had Tanisha on her back but she appeared to be asleep again. The group convened on the other side of the narrow path. Aurelius was quick to point out the new discovery of Bjorn¡¯s apparent acquisition of chaos magic. He didn¡¯t mind as he would tell them if he could talk or if they could read his writing. Fuyumi listened intently and examined Bjorn thoroughly.
¡°Huh, what an interesting creature you are, Bjorn.¡± Fuyumi said with an unreadable expression. ¡°That definitely opens up many new possibilities for us while traveling. As for Tanisha, she completed the Blood Gate. We should make our way down so when she wakes we can move in earnest. We will stop four hours from sunrise so Bjorn can rest.¡±
¡°Sounds fine to me.¡± Aurelius agreed.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Lernaean Hydra
Level: 44
Vitality: 175 / 195
Restoration: 270 / 270
Constitution: 140 / 140
Strength: 90 / 130
Dexterity: 80/ 100
Stamina: 90/ 115
+ Primana: 70 / 70 < 100
+ Primana Regeneration: 100 / 100 (+150 from bond)
Page 1 of 4
Skills Analysis
Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic and your best friend who has your back no matter what!
Error: Eyes of the Queen
The Queen of a Thousand Heads is watching you. Be sure to eat well and don''t talk to strangers from Higher Planes!
Venomous Bite
Primana Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs. Your venom becomes infectious and will spread to nearby targets within five feet of the injected target. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Poison Cloud
Primana Cost: 5
With your right head you can mix venom into the air using magic, creating a large area of poisonous gas. This gas will rapidly reduce the health of those inside. Allies within your Poison Cloud are unaffected. Gain control over the spread and density of the Poison Cloud.
Plague Fire Breath
Primana Cost: 8
With your left head you can breathe a plume of superheated toxin, which will ignite enemies and infect them with your neurotoxin. Flames retain toxicity until you release the spell. Plague Fire will spread like normal fire.
Aetheric Disruption Breath
Primana Cost: Variable
(I) Low cost, 10 Primana. Release aetheric energies that boost allies and poisons enemy active spellforms. Boosted attack spells gain a poison; weakened spells become unstable and harder to control, spreading instability to future castings. All effects last for five minutes. (II) Medium cost, 15 Primana. Expand the breath¡¯s range, affecting multiple spells. Poisoned spells are even harder to control, while boosted spells deal stronger poison damage. All effects last seven minutes. (III) High cost, 20 Primana. Target spells to cause backfire, turning magic against its caster. Boosted spells gain potent venom, and poisoned spells spread instability to future castings. Effects persist for ten minutes.
Poison Claws
Primana Cost: 2
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even small scratches fatal. Venom has resistance to cleansing effects. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Delta Familiar Contract
Primana Cost: -150
You are a bonded delta-class familiar. You gain +150 to Primana regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions through your bond. Your bond is more resistant to outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties.
King of the Reptiles
Passive Skill
Dragons, lizards and amphibians all show hesitation and fear around you, going so far as to run away. More study needed.
Intimidation Roar
Primana Cost: 1
Infuse Primana into your roar to paralyze anyone that hears it. Your roar can paralyze humanoid magic constructs as long as they are connected to a magic caster. Paralysis duration depends on distance and level disparity between you and the target. Those bound to you are immune to this effect.
Hydra Regeneration
Primana Cost: 15
Enhance the natural regeneration of your body giving you an unparalleled healing factor. Increases the body''s natural healing rate by 4x regeneration statistic plus 20% constitution statistic. (Head regeneration is still unknown. More information required.)
Shadow Concealment
Primana Cost: Variable
(I) Cloak yourself in shadow magic, blending into dim or dark environments to hide your presence. Movement is undetectable to non-magical senses. (II) Deepen the shadow cloak, concealing even magical traces of your presence and blending with shadows in moderate light. Shadows will also muffle the sound around you making you harder to detect. (III) Unknown.
Air Claws
You have felt the aerokinetic energies of your Follower¡¯s mastery and you have gained insight into the working of magic. Focusing this power into your claws increases the range of slashing attacks. Cause blades of aerokinetic magic to cut your enemies down. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your master. This ability is tied to your Follower, should your Follower die or reject your bond you must reclaim her soul or you will lose this ability.
+ Chaos Scales Armor
+ You have felt the power of your Follower¡¯s aura and mantle and embraced the influence of the chain breaker. The power you experienced now resides within you, reshaped by the chaos of primana. Call forth this chaotic energy to fortify yourself, hardening your scales with its unpredictable touch. Each activation grants a random additional resistance, reflecting the chaotic nature of the energy. As this is a shared natural ability, it cannot be leveled by any means other than communing with your Follower. This ability remains bound to your Follower; should your master die or reject your bond, you must reclaim her soul or this power will be lost.
Hydromancy
Commune with your Follower to unlock.
Water Light
Commune with your Follower to unlock.
Hydro-breath
Commune with your Follower to unlock.
Page 2 of 4
Twin-Soul Core Analysis
+ Error: Tri-Core
+ You possess a partial soul tether to the Sage of Seier, a bond that persists even through death unless deliberately severed by you or the Sage. Without a complete and permanent union of your souls, communion with the Sage of Seier is required to fully unlock the core''s potential. This advanced core retains all functions of the Twin-Soul Core while granting additional abilities. It now allows you to monitor your followers, gauging their strength and potential. Furthermore, the core enables you to catalyze the evolution of your followers, though this process demands immense power; insufficient energy risks the follower''s death.
Permanently fuse your souls and complete bond [No/No] (NOTE from P????o????i???s???o????n????: Don¡¯t you even think about it, Aki¡¯al!)
Chaos Nature Discipline
Specialties:
Venefikinesis - Creation and control of toxins, venoms and poisons.
Chaos Elemental Discipline
Specialties:
Aerokinesis - Control over air currents and atmosphere.
Hydrokinesis - Creation of and control over water.
Pyrokinesis - Creation of and control over heat, fire and thermal temperature.
Page 3 of 4
WM [76] Reality Bled
The path through the Chaos Lands was going at the fastest pace Tanisha could manage. They had been running for hours to the point that she had to take several stamina potions just to make sure she could keep up with the constant speed Fuyumi was pushing them to travel. Tanisha knew that as soon as she had points to spend she would be putting more into stamina.
Tanisha had always relied heavily on her Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle to bolster her physical abilities, but this trial was exposing the gaps in her natural resilience. The recent opening of her Blood Gate was likely the only reason she had any stamina left at all. Power flowed through her now in a way that felt effortless, as though a lifetime of invisible shackles had finally been cast off. She wished she had time to look over her status menus but she barely had time to breathe before the yuki-onna had them running at full tilt.
The mana hurricane forming overhead was a good motivator to run as fast as possible. Apparently it has gotten to the point where looking directly up at it will cause hallucinations. She and Bjorn had to wear special talismans to keep from going crazy. Or at least that is what Fuyumi said. Whether the talismans would hold under the storm¡¯s intensifying effects was anyone¡¯s guess.
Tanisha also opted to wear her full armor; its resonance with her magic made her able to focus her power greater than any of her other clothing would have. It also had protections that would be useful in the Chaos Lands. Thanks to the connection to her magic it also felt as light as normal clothing as long as her Mantle was active. It did drain more magic but if there was one thing she had a lot of, it was her seier.
¡°We will stop up ahead for a break,¡± Fuyumi said as she pointed to a spot that was quickly approaching.
She tossed Tanisha and Aurelius a small bag. ¡°We¡¯ll need to set up the crystals as soon as we stop. I will do the outer ring, Aurelius you will do the middle ring two feet from mine and Tanisha do the inner ring six feet from Aurelius¡¯s.¡±
As soon as the got to the location Fuyumi specified they followed Fuyumi¡¯s directions placing the circles of crystals. Once they were done Fuyumi raised a hand and created a thick canopy of dark ice over the area.
¡°To keep us from looking up.¡± She offered simply. ¡°I will take the first guard, you three sit and rest.¡±
Bjorn found a spot and layed down as soon as she gave them the okay to do so. His chest rose and fell as heavily as hers did. Aurelius looked equally haggard and gave a thumbs up before finding a spot next to Bjorn and dropped to the ground in a huff. Tanisha soon followed and the trio fell into silence as they individually found their breath.
***
Tanisha finished her meal, setting her bowl aside before noticing Aurelius once again glancing at her tail, which swayed lazily beside her. She tilted her head, catching his gaze as it darted away. Her eyes flicked to his tail in turn¡ªit was shorter than hers, covered in short brown fur matching his long hair, and adorned with several decorative rings.
¡°Did you want to ask more questions about my tail?¡± Tanisha asked.
Aurelius stiffened, his face reddening. ¡°No, sorry it¡¯s nothing.¡±
Tanisha raised an eyebrow, her head tilting slightly. ¡°With a reaction like that, it doesn¡¯t seem like nothing. What¡¯s on your mind, Speedy.¡±
¡°Speedy?¡± Aurelius questioned.
¡°Because you are the fastest one in the group.¡± Tanisha smiled.
Aurelius chuckled nervously but soon sobered. ¡°I¡ well, have you ever met an elf before? I have only ever been around humans and demons, dwarves a few times and the harpies are fun but never elves. Since they are sensitive to the chaotic ambient mana they stay away from the chaos lands.¡±
The question caught her off guard. ¡°Elves? Other than you, I¡¯ve met quite a few, yes. My former family employed many of them at the estate.¡±
Aurelius lit up at the news. ¡°What were they like? What did they do?¡±
¡°Honestly? Pretty normal, I guess.¡± Tanisha said as she leaned back and looked up at the ice canopy for a minute. ¡°They worked as attendants, gardeners, a few as guards. They didn¡¯t talk much, though. Might¡¯ve been because of their roles. Elves are common enough in Yuhia, but they tend to keep to themselves¡ªkind of aloof.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± He seemed to be struggling with what he was going to say next. He opened and closed his eyes multiple times. ¡°Do you think the elves you met would like me? I mean, I¡¯ve never met another of my kind, and I worry they¡¯d think I¡¯m¡ I don¡¯t know, different.¡±
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Tanisha considered him for a moment, her tail twitching thoughtfully. ¡°I don¡¯t see why they¡¯d treat you any differently. Though¡¡± She hesitated, recalling her initial reaction to his overwhelming presence. ¡°We might need to work on your aura control. It can come off as, uh¡ jarring
Aurelius winced, his shoulders tensing. ¡°I know. I¡¯ve heard that before, but this is the best I can do. I can¡¯t control it any more than I already am.¡±
The silence between them stretched for a moment, both lost in thought. Finally, Tanisha broke it.
¡°Well, you said you¡¯ve never had a teacher for chaos magic, right?¡± She motioned toward Bjorn with a nod. ¡°He¡¯s got some chaos magic in him, and he¡¯s pretty smart. Maybe he could help.¡±
¡°Can he talk?¡± Aurelius asked.
¡°He can write and I can translate.¡± She turned to Bjorn, ¡°What do you think, Big Man?¡±
Bjorn¡¯s heads all turned toward the pair, two of them appearing to exchange silent communication while the others swiveled in random directions. Occasionally, one head would bob up and down, as if nodding. Tanisha found herself distracted, wondering if each head had a different personality. Should she name them? She shook the thought away and refocused as Bjorn began scratching something into the ground with a claw.
She leaned down to read his message. ¡°His core is pure primana, not corrupted mana. He can change his aura into regular mana if he focuses.¡±
¡°Primana?¡± Aurelius repeated, the word foreign to him. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±
Bjorn¡¯s leftmost head opened its mouth, revealing a contained flame. The heat radiating from it carried a chaotic intensity, similar to Aurelius¡¯s own magic. Slowly, the flame shifted, its nature changing as though the very threads of its essence were being rewoven. It transformed into regular mana, then aether, and finally blended seamlessly with the ambient mana around them.
Tanisha translated, ¡°Primordial mana, or primana, can adapt to suit the wielder. We were touched by it but not corrupted, so now we can control it.¡±
Aurelius¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment, and he leaped to his feet.
¡°So I¡¯m not cursed?¡± Aurelius said as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders. ¡°I am not cursed. Bjorn, Tanisha, thank you! Bjorn, can you show me how you did that?¡±
Before the hydra could respond, Fuyumi stepped under the icy canopy, her serene presence breaking the moment.
¡°It¡¯ll have to wait, Aurelius. It¡¯s time to move.¡± Fuyumi said.
It took only moments for the group to gather their belongings and press onward with the same relentless pace as before. Tanisha felt as though she¡¯d been transported back to the grueling early days of her training under Joha, lugging an oversized bag behind the caravan while her muscles screamed in protest. She couldn''t help but reflect on those simpler times.
Back then, she wasn¡¯t a princess, nor the follower of a newly emerged True, let alone a demigoddess trudging through a realm where reality and magic melted together into a chaotic, cosmic soup. Strange that those times which at the time were definitely troublesome now felt, if not easy, then at least manageable. Now, everything seemed immeasurably vast, like a puzzle she didn¡¯t have all the pieces to solve.
With effort, Tanisha refocused on the uneven path ahead, determined not to let her gaze drift upward to the ever-shifting sky, where patterns of color and light danced unnervingly. She had a mission: find Joha, bring him back to his senses, and set the foundation for whatever strength she would need in the years to come. The details could come later. For now, she had a plan¡ªa rough one, sure, but it was something.
Naturally, the universe decided this was the perfect moment to upend her fragile resolve.
A bolt of pure corrupted mana slammed into the ground just ahead of them with a deafening crack, halting the group in their tracks.
Tanisha froze, her instincts screaming at her to run, yet her eyes were drawn irresistibly to the phenomenon before her. The bolt didn¡¯t resemble lightning as she knew it¡ªit was far too thick and jagged, its edges shimmering and distorting as if caught in the act of defying time itself. It burned and froze simultaneously, a searing tear in reality where the world began to bleed. It actually bled.
Her vision tunneled, locking on the mana as her surroundings fell away. The air around the bolt seemed alive with wailing, spectral cries, voices from beyond the veil of this world and whatever was beyond, clawed at her mind. She could see streams of information pouring from it, lines of shimmering code unraveling the essence of the world itself, flooding her consciousness faster than she could process. It whispered to her, promising answers¡ªtruths she didn¡¯t even know she craved.
All she had to do was let it in. Let the crawling fingers wrap around her thoughts, her soul. She felt her essence blistering under the unbearable weight of it all, and yet, a desperate part of her clung to the promise. Just a moment longer, and she¡¯d have it¡ªall the answers, the power, the clarity she had been chasing for so long. Nothing else mattered. What else did she live for than for this moment?
¡°No, don¡¯t look at it!¡± Aurelius¡¯s voice cut through the torrent of whispers.
He collided with her, tackling her to the ground and forcing her gaze away from the blinding maelstrom of mana. Tanisha gasped as the world rushed back into focus¡ªher pounding heart, the cold press of the ground, the chaotic sounds of their surroundings. She saw Bjorn a few paces away, using his massive bulk to shield Fuyumi, his heads angled away from the bolt.
The world around them was awash in searing light and a deafening hum that seemed to reverberate in her bones. Bjorn let out a guttural sound and began to move, signaling the others to follow. The hydra broke into a run, and the group fell in behind him, their pace frantic and uneven as they fled the corrupted lightning still suspended in its frozen state.
As they ran, Tanisha caught glimpses of other creatures, monsters drawn irresistibly to the unnatural phenomenon. They hurled themselves toward the bolt with abandon, their forms incinerated the moment they touched it, their twisted screams swallowed by its chaotic radiance. Tanisha¡¯s legs burned, her breath came in ragged gasps, but she pushed on, her mind still reeling from the brief but harrowing encounter.
WM [77] Extraction Site 12
The lightning¡ªor whatever it truly was¡ªstruck the earth only a few hundred feet in front of Bjorn and his group. It froze in place, an ethereal tree of light that stretched endlessly into the heavens, its branches a jagged network of blinding luminescence. The air around it rippled, warping like water disturbed by a stone. Reality itself was torn; the past, the present, the future all collided and warped as if the concepts themselves were but toys in a game.
Bjorn¡ªIsin felt himself slipping, the collision of his current self and his past self tearing through his mind like a storm. Visions seared his consciousness. He was back, reliving the destruction of his home¡ªthe grand aetheric city he had painstakingly built over millennia crumbled around him. His citizens, his people, lay slaughtered in the streets, their screams swallowed by the chaos. He saw his mother, her life extinguished by his father''s hand, and then Nuriel¡¯s twisted, sadistic grin as she tore him apart and rebuilt him over and over for her own perverse amusement.
The cascade of memories and images spun faster, faces he didn¡¯t recognize flashing by in rapid succession, too fleeting to process. Then, abruptly, the vision stilled. His breath caught as he thrust into a grand ceremony. People lined in a massive parade outside a palace of gleaming aether tech. He looked around at faces that held no place in his memory but brought tears to his eyes all the same.
He looked down and in front of him a young woman stood. She held his gaze, her eyes cybernetic, her face undeniably familiar. It was a face he couldn¡¯t forget. It was Edita, it was the woman that killed him, though now she looked younger and more vibrant. He was handing her something and she looked down at the sword. The very blade that would one day kill him. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she bowed deeply, her lips moving to form words he couldn¡¯t hear. Then the vision shattered, leaving only silence.
Bjorn shook his heads and saw that no time had passed in the present. He looked around frantically and saw that Aurelius had tackled Tanisha and forced her to look away from the bolt. Bjorn¡¯s other head saw that Fuyumi was frozen in place, her eyes wide and unblinking as she stared at the scar in reality. He jumped her and forced her to look away as well. Surprisingly she was hot to the touch and her form felt less solid. She shook her head as reason returned and Bjorn let her up.
He roared to get everyone''s attention then started to run. The others followed as Bjorn found himself back in the body of Isin. The landscape shifted and he turned around to see that the faces of his closest companions, Martin and Eliska, were not far behind. The storm had grown worse as they traveled deeper into the Alpha Extraction Site. They were close now if the beeping of Martin¡¯s locator was anything to go by. The corruption was so thick in the air that Isin would risk blindness if he attempted to look with his aetheric Site.
¡°Isin we are here!¡± Martin yelled as he closed a holographic image only he could see and started to dig. ¡°It''s down. Get the shovels quickly!¡±
Isin threw off his combat pack, yanking a shovel free from its straps. The group, a team of ten, attacked the ground with near-manic ferocity. They dug with a determination born of desperation, breaking through the corrupted soil inch by inch. Eliska struck something solid, her shovel clanging against an unyielding surface.
¡°I hit something!¡± she called out, urgency thick in her voice.
The others crowded around, brushing away the loose earth to reveal a gleaming, blemishless metal surface.
¡°Don¡¯t just stand there,¡± Eliska snapped, her voice cutting through their awe. ¡°Keep digging! We need to find the control panel!¡±
Everyone redoubled their efforts, uncovering more and more of the buried door. It was Isin that found what they were looking for. He risked his sight and found the control panel. Once uncovered it lifted from the ground a single scanner panel for someone to place their hand. The moment his hands touched the control panel, it hummed to life, lifting from the ground to reveal a glowing scanner. Without hesitation, Isin pressed his hand against it, channeling aether into the device. The air around him vibrated with anticipation as ancient mechanisms stirred, the buried door beginning to awaken from its long slumber.
***
¡°Bjorn, Bjorn what are you doing!¡± Failsafe¡¯s voice caused the past to collapse around him. ¡°Why are we digging?¡±
Bjorn blinked, the duality of his consciousness snapping back into clarity. He looked around, realizing he was once again himself, his claws tearing through rock and soil with singular focus. Beneath the rubble, he caught the faintest glimmer of metal. Tanisha was again worried that he had lost his mind but he sent her a mental reassurance through the bond. Soon what he was doing became obvious once he had uncovered the panel and the delicate looking scanner rose from the ground.
He turned to Tanisha and wrote on the ground for her to place her hand on the device and push aether into it. Tanisha stepped forward and pressed her hand against the glowing surface. Her aether surged into the device, and the response was immediate. The ground rumbled as the surrounding soil and rock disintegrated into shimmering particles of light, revealing the full outline of a massive horizontal door.
The metal was pristine, untouched by age or decay, its surface reflecting the faint light of the storm above. A sharp hiss broke the tense silence, followed by a series of resonant clicks. Then, with a smooth, fluid motion, the metal panel slid aside, revealing a well-lit stairwell descending into the depths.
The group stared in disbelief and it was Fuyumi that spoke first.
¡°What is this place?¡± Fuyumi said as she gazed down. ¡°How did Bjorn know about it?¡±
Aurelius looked down. ¡°This place shouldn¡¯t exist. Nothing should be able to survive shifts. Unless this place was built before the last one.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know but we need to make a decision quickly.¡± Tanisha said as she pointed back at something.
Bjorn risked a look around at the frozen lightning bolt and saw something he had not expected. A monster so massive it looked to be the mountain itself had manifested. It climbed along the rip in reality like a python coiled around its prey. The mana flowed into its gaping maw endlessly. The sight was terrifying in a way that Bjorn thought only possible for Trues. He forced himself to turn away before the visions took him again.
¡°That is a calamity class monster!¡± Fuyumi said breathlessly as her eyes widened. ¡°Where did it come from?¡±
Bjorn was the first to make a decision and without another moment¡¯s hesitation, he rushed through the open door and began descending the stairwell. His size proved a hindrance, the narrow steps ill-suited for his four-legged frame. In his haste, his footing faltered, and he tumbled headlong down the unknown flights, the sound of his fall echoing loudly in the confined space.
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¡°Bjorn!¡± Tanisha called out, her voice filled with alarm.
Bjorn couldn¡¯t stop falling as he continued to tumble faster and faster down the stairs. The metal steps are too smooth for his paws and too tough for his talons to dig into for purchase. Having four heads also made the resulting dizziness unbearable as floor and ceiling blurred. He reached the bottom in an ungainly heap of tangled necks and limbs. He groaned, sprawling across the cold metal floor. His pride suffered far more damage than his body.
Thankfully there wasn¡¯t any pain because of his scales, constitution and healing factor. Well no pain except to his pride which was thoroughly bruised. Especially as he heard Failsafe roll with laughter. He was in control of the rightmost head which hissed and bobbed with ego destroying jubilation.
¡°Big bad hydra finds a secret base left by the Human Divines,¡± Failsafe chuckles. ¡°Then, he proceeds to fall down twelve flights of stairs. I am pretty sure they thought you were pretty awesome saving us and all until that moment.¡±
¡°Shut-up.¡± Bjorn retaliated though his voice was marred by his injured pride. ¡°The stairs aren¡¯t made for hydras.¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you a True Hydra with the mind of a nephilim?¡± Failsafe chided.
Bjorn was saved from further humiliation as Tanisha landed lightly beside him, her Arcane Shift placing her effortlessly at his side. She glanced down at him, her face a mix of concern and restrained humor.
¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked, crouching slightly to check him over.
Bjorn sent her a reassuring pulse through their bond, projecting an air of calm despite his embarrassment. Failsafe¡¯s laughter erupted again the head he controlled hissing humorously, but Tanisha wisely kept her expression neutral, save for the faintest twitch of a smile. Rising, she gestured toward the corridor ahead.
¡°Come on, Big Man,¡± she said, rising to her feet. ¡°Can you stand?¡±
Bjorn huffed internally but nodded, his many heads swiveling to take in their surroundings as he rose. The rest of the group closed in, offering quick glances to confirm his condition before turning their attention to the facility they now found themselves in.
The lobby was stark, utilitarian, and sterile¡ªan environment utterly devoid of personality or warmth. It was all business, its design stripped of anything that could distract from its singular purpose. The walls, floors, and ceilings were composed of smooth, industrial materials in varying shades of blue, their monotony broken only by the occasional line or panel that hinted at hidden functionality.
Bjorn felt the unsettling weight of this place as it reminded him of the horrible life Isin had lived before finding this very location. He felt nostalgic although he didn¡¯t have the exact memories of what this place was. Despite the absence of visible light sources, the space was illuminated evenly, as though the very air radiated a cold, shadowless glow. The effect was unsettling, casting the room into a perpetual state of artificial clarity, leaving no corners for shadows to gather.
At the center of the lobby stood an empty desk, sleek and unadorned, its surface gleaming like polished ice. The far end of the lobby was marked by doors that led to long, sterile hallways, each stretching endlessly into the unknown. Their perfectly aligned frames hinted at precision engineering, but the faint hum of energy coursing through the facility made it clear that this place was still alive with purpose, even if abandoned by its creators.
¡°Alpha Extraction Site 12,¡± Bjorn mused internally. ¡°It has to be. This is where it started for Isin¡ or so I think.¡±
Failsafe hummed. ¡°Well the fact you found this place means that you weren¡¯t going crazy because of all the chaotic mana up there.¡±
¡°I told you I was getting visions of the past.¡± Bjorn responded.
¡°And you heard what Fuyumi and Aurelius said about this place,¡± Failsafe¡¯s response was uncharacteristically subdued. ¡°Look, I am happy you aren¡¯t going insane. I am not sure how your mental instability would affect me. Would I also go insane? Would you destroy my spell form? So, I was worried of course.¡±
The door at the top of the stairs slid closed and a flashing light at the desk drew everyone¡¯s attention. Aurelius and Fuyumi prepared weapons while Tanisha and Bjorn both had fire gathering in their mouths. The light continued to flash and words appeared floating in the air.
Alpha Extraction Site 12 - Personnel Message
Aether level critical¡Backup generator online¡
Please proceed to the aether processing core room.
Follow the orange line.
As soon as he finished reading he noticed that there was indeed an orange line on the floor going down one of the corridors. There were many other colors too which all went in different doorways and in different directions.
¡°Well that¡¯s freaky.¡± Failsafe said.
Bjorn looked at the message. ¡°Why is it freaky?¡±
¡°Because I¡¯m seeing it in my processing language, but in your memories, it¡¯s in our original language,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°I think it translates to whatever language the person can read.¡±
¡°Alpha Extraction Site?¡± Aurelius said in Muaian all but proving Failsafe¡¯s point.
¡°Bjorn, what is this place?¡± Tanisha asked? ¡°How did you know how to find it.¡±
Fuyumi stepped forward cautiously. ¡°More importantly how is this place intact with no corrupted ambient mana at all? A place like this? Is it a ruin or do people live here? It looks so strange.¡±
Aurelius, his expression thoughtful, added, ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories about places like this from my family. More like teachings of the Divine of Men. Supposedly, ancient holy sites from the Divine¡¯s era looked like this, pristine and functional despite their age.¡±
Tanisha looked to the others, her voice cutting through the air. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Fuyumi admitted, glancing back at the entrance. ¡°But whatever we decide, we need to consider that storm. It advanced way too fast to be natural. And that thing outside, wrapped around the warp... it¡¯s a calamity-class monster. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡±
¡°Warp? Calamity-class?¡± Tanisha questioned, her brow furrowed.
Aurelius picked up the explanation. ¡°That lightning-like anomaly outside? It¡¯s a warp¡ªa tear in reality where raw mana spills out. As for the calamity-class, it¡¯s part of a standardized system used by most nations to classify monsters. Low, medium, high, extreme, and finally, calamity. A calamity-class monster is on a whole other level. Those require entire nations to mobilize their military forces just to have a chance of bringing them down. But I¡¯ve never heard of one that could consume raw power directly from a warp.¡±
Bjorn tried to write something on the ground with his talons, but the metal floor was too hard, resisting even his considerable strength. Frustrated, he turned his attention to Fuyumi, who had approached the desk at the center of the lobby. Her ice spear glinted faintly in the ambient light as she tentatively poked at the floating words still displayed above the desk.
Suddenly, the lights in one of the hallways flickered and dimmed before shutting off entirely. A vibration rippled through the air, an almost imperceptible hum of power that made the hairs on Tanisha¡¯s arms stand on end.
The message on the screen shifted, the words dissolving and reforming into something new, though no sound accompanied the change. The entire group froze, their attention locked on the screen, as if it held the answers to every question that now hung heavy in the air.
Alpha Extraction Site 12 - Personnel Message
Aether level critical¡Backup generator critical¡
Life support systems critical¡
Corruption breach imminent¡
Please proceed to the aether processing core room.
Follow the orange line.
¡°Corruption breach? That doesn¡¯t sound good.¡± Tanisha said.
WM [78] Destruction
¡°Son!¡± A thousand voices spoke in unison.
Bjorn blinked and he was back inside the corroded dream realm he had spoken to his father and mother through. The world was little more than a blank void of rolling clouds. Bjorn looked in the distance and saw the thousands of baleful lights in the sky. Each was one of the Queen of a Thousand Heads¡¯ eyes. Her massive body was already perched in the distance as much part of the landscape as a mountain. She didn¡¯t look as fully formed as before or as his father had looked. He then remembered his father saying that his presence corroded the dream space.
¡°Bjorn? What is going on?¡± Tanisha¡¯s voice asked.
Bjorn¡¯s eyes opened wide as he turned around and saw Tanisha standing in the void a few steps behind him. She appeared to him not as the cernunnos she had been since Lavi but as herself. As the wendigo girl she had been up until he changed her. Yet her form was unstable, shifting and flickering as though the dream realm struggled to interpret her presence. Tanisha¡¯s gaze lifted, her eyes drawn upward to the multitude of glaring lights fixed on her. The murderous intent radiating from the Queen¡¯s countless eyes was palpable.
¡°Tanisha?¡± Bjorn hissed and his voice escaped all of his heads at once. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±
¡°Bjorn, you can talk?¡± Tanisha said, her voice full of panic. ¡°Are we dead? How did we die?¡±
Thousands of voices rumbled in the sky. ¡°You are not dead yet, thief. No one invited you I want to speak to my Aki¡¯al not some mortal. You may have saved Aki¡¯al recently, witch, but that does not excuse you nor will it save your world.¡±
¡°Mother, please do not threaten Tanisha!¡± Bjorn growled. ¡°I told you this is my world.¡±
¡°Aki¡¯al That is no way to talk to me. I thought your father would have spoken some sense into you.¡± P???O???I???S???O???N??? said as the dream space shook. ¡°That is not your world and that mortal is nothing more than a thief that stole you from me. If not for the tether you have with this thing I would rip it¡¯s soul out right now.¡±
¡°Qu-Queen of a Thousand Heads?¡± Tanisha trembled but did not bow. ¡°I am sorry for what happened with Bjorn¡ª¡±
The void seemed to boil as P???O???I???S???O???N???¡¯s rage rose which choked out Tanisha¡¯s words before she could finish speaking.
¡°His name is Aki¡¯al Hashemi!¡± P???O???I???S???O???N???¡¯s voices rumbled soul deep. ¡°You will do well to remember you speak before the Poisoner of Worlds, mortal. I am Lernaean Hydra. I am True Immortal.¡±
¡°You are not My True.¡± Tanisha said defiantly though her voice nearly failed her. ¡°I am cernunnos, I am Tanisha Scalebound. I bow to no one and follow only my True, Bjorn the Sonr Orma Eil¨ªfra.¡±
¡°Tanisha.¡± Bjorn said his voices pleading. ¡°Please, you are not helping. Mother. Tanisha and I are bound, as you said, you called me here urgently, did something happen?¡±
A long, tense silence followed. The Queen¡¯s myriad eyes remained locked on Tanisha, a clash of wills playing out in the oppressive void. Bjorn felt Tanisha¡¯s emotions through their bond¡ªshe was inwardly terrified, her mind racing with confusion, yet she refused to look away. Her resolve was ironclad and she would not leave Bjorn¡¯s side even if she could.
The Queen finally spoke, her many voices reverberating like thunder. ¡°Something has happened, my son, but your thief cannot stay. Her presence is a stain on this place.¡±
¡°If you are just going to insult my family, I think you should let me leave.¡± Bjorn said.
P???O???I???S???O???N???¡¯s voices cracked as the gaze that had rested on Tanisha shifted to him. ¡°Aki¡¯al, she is not family. She is a pet at most and I am your mother. You need to listen to what I say. Unfortunately I haven¡¯t seen you in so long. So, I will not have my time cut short for this mortal.¡± She sighed and one of her heads lowered from the sky. ¡°Fine, my little sweet boy. You can keep your plaything for now.¡±
Bjorn looked over to Tanisha. She was still standing in place a few steps away from him although it didn¡¯t seem to be by choice. She tried to walk up to him and even run but no matter how hard she tried she couldn¡¯t move from her spot as if the void just extended in all directions around her and left her in the exact same location.
¡°What did you call me here for, mother?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°The facility you are in. It is the Angels¡¯ abandoned Extraction Site but it was apparently still operational. That means it most likely had been close to meltdown. Aether technology is not my strong suit but I have seen what happens when such things fail. Angels would use what they called Enriched Creation Core Bombs during the Last Great Aether War before the Sunderer turned their technology against them. The fools actually wasted so much Creation just to die in the end.
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¡°The disturbance in that world has two causes. There is another True in your Plane that has used his influence to subtly nudge fate. I assume it was her original creator attempting to reclaim his lost little anomaly. I don¡¯t know who her original creator was so I don¡¯t know for sure.¡±
¡°His name was O???D???I???N???.¡± Tanisha offered.
P???O???I???S???O???N??? was silent for a long moment in surprise.¡°O???D???I???N???, of course it was him of all people. Then I am sure it was him. His tampering woke other slumbering Trues who are also in your Plane. They are weakened but still dangerous The Great Serpent A???P????O????P????H?????I?????S??? has sent an avatar to that site. It has coiled itself around what mortals call a warp. The destruction of the facility may be enough to open a gate to the Infernal Plane.¡±
Bjorn¡¯s many eyes narrowed. ¡°Wait. Destruction of the facility?¡±
¡°In three years, the facility¡¯s critical systems will fail,¡± the Queen replied, her voices tinged with grim certainty. ¡°Its eventual explosion will unleash the corruption it was designed to purify. The resulting devastation will annihilate everything on the continent and force open a gate to the Infernal Plane if it can pierce the Divide. Until then, it will continue to vent corruption into your world. I cannot assist you in preventing this catastrophe, Aki¡¯al, but you must find a way to stop it.¡±
¡°Queen of a Thousand Heads I have a question.¡± Tanisha said and continued before she could deny answering. ¡°Is the facility responsible for the current Mana Hurricane?¡±
¡°If that is what mortals have decided to call the Corruption of Creation anomalies, then yes.¡± The Queen answered amicably. ¡°Now Aki''al, be sure to eat well and don¡¯t talk to strangers.¡±
¡°Wait one more question before you go.¡± Bjorn said urgently and continued just as much for Tanisha to hear as The Queen. ¡°I was just given the ability to evolve Tanisha again. I believe it would make her into a new species separate from the wendigo entirely. It has conditions though she has met four of them. What is this?¡±
P???O???I???S???O???N???¡¯s mouths fell open, her many voices echoing in a rare moment of awe. ¡°You can already create a mortal species?¡± Her tone was nearly choked with emotion. ¡°Oh, Aki¡¯al, that is marvelous. Your father will be so pleased!¡±
She composed herself quickly, her voices shifting to a more instructive cadence. ¡°Yes, this evolution will sever the final bindings O???D???I???N??? placed upon her form. She will become yours in full¡ªa greater bound to you, not him. This will also shield her from his fate magic. His influence will no longer touch her.¡±
Bjorn¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°And how will it affect her mind? She¡¯s already changed so much.¡±
The Queen hummed in thought, her voices intertwining in a melody of consideration. ¡°It will shape her mind only as much as you permit. You are the architect of her evolution. For this first creation, allow her soul to guide your talons. Her first evolution was violent because she was unprepared. If you approve the prerequisites as she fulfills them, she will take part in crafting her new form. This will make the process less painful for her and more harmonious.¡±
Bjorn turned to Tanisha, his expression conflicted, but her response was immediate and unwavering.
¡°Do it,¡± she said, her voice filled with resolve. ¡°As soon as we get back, accept whatever you need to. You are my True, Bjorn, and we need all the power we can muster. I trust you completely.¡±
¡°As well you should, mortal,¡± P???O???I???S???O???N??? said her voice slithering through the air like venom. ¡°My precious son has grown so much, but do not think that absolves you. I am coming for you and all those that stole from me will face consequences. Prepare yourself, Tanisha Scalebound.¡±
Tanisha met Bjorn¡¯s gaze, her determination undimmed even as her form quivered with fear. Despite the eldritch presence, she had stood firm even as the oppressive void began to dissolve around them. Bjorn and Tanisha found themselves back in the same positions they were in before Bjorn¡¯s mother suddenly pulled their minds into the dreamspace. There were so many questions Bjorn didn¡¯t have answers to, like how did Tanisha get pulled into the dreamspace? How do they stop the facility from blowing up? How to stop whatever that Greater Creature is outside that was sent by the Great Serpent. What was fate magic?
He turned and looked at Tanisha who ran over to him, her body still shaking from the experience. She did just talk back to a being that for all intent and purposes could kill everyone on the planet. Not to mention that The Queen of a Thousand Heads did just threaten to rip her soul out. Bjorn turned to wrap himself around Tanisha comfortingly, leaving Aurelius and Fuyumi momentarily confused.
¡°Is everything alright?¡± Aurelius questioned. ¡°Uh, I think we need to find out exactly where we are and figure out how to get out of the Chaos Lands before it is too late.¡±
Tanisha stood up and took a long breath to ground herself. ¡°We can¡¯t leave just yet. Bjorn and I just received a vision from a True. This facility is going to destroy the continent if we don¡¯t stop it and that creature around the warp.¡±
Fuyumi stepped closer, her presence ghostlike and serene. ¡°Are you¡ a priestess? Which True contacted you? Was it the Sonr¡¡± she stopped, seemingly not wanting to butcher the name. ¡°The Divine One you worship?¡±
¡°Priestess? I guess yeah I kind of am, but it wasn¡¯t just him it was another member of the pantheon. There is a True, the Great Serpent that sent that creature around the warp. It is trying to open a gate to the Infernal Plane. The place that we are in is providing the power.¡±
Bjorn saw something he didn¡¯t think was possible. The snow white yuki-onna just went pale.
WM [79] Actually Fun
The group followed the orange line, which, according to the text over the desk in the lobby, would lead them to the Aetheric Processing Core Room. Tanisha wasn¡¯t entirely sure what that entailed, but given that it was their only guidance, she hoped for more instructions once they arrived.
The facility¡¯s interior was just as sterile and unwelcoming as the lobby, its walls bare and illuminated by the clinical glow of overhead lights. Passageways branched out like a spider¡¯s web from the main corridor they navigated, creating a labyrinth of sterile white hallways. Occasionally, a new colored line would merge with the orange one they followed, only to veer off at another junction, disappearing down a random corridor as if leading to unseen corners of the sprawling complex.
As they moved at a brisk pace, Tanisha¡¯s thoughts drifted back to the meeting with Bjorn¡¯s mother. Well, an abridged version of it, one that conveniently omitted the fact that the True she spoke to was Bjorn¡¯s mother or that he was a True himself. The weight of the news from that encounter still lingered. Fuyumi, especially, had been visibly shaken by the revelation of a potential world-shattering event they now had to prevent. By contrast, Aurelius had remained composed, his demeanor like a stone wall, offering nothing to hint at his thoughts or emotions.
¡°The line turns up ahead.¡± Aurelius said.
The group turned the corner and was greeted with a metal blast door. They looked around until Bjorn hissed loudly and Tanisha noticed he was standing next to another of the thin rectangular devices she had to put aether into. She nodded and walked over placing her hand on the black metal thing and pushed magic into it. The device greedily devoured the aether, but there was no other reaction. Frustration mounting, Tanisha pushed more and more magic into the device, emptying her reserves until she was completely drained. She slumped down, winded.
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Fuyumi asked, her voice tinged with worry. ¡°Why didn¡¯t it open?¡±
Tanisha sat down. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Tanisha turned to Bjorn who looked equally confused. ¡°Maybe it needs more aether than I have and Bjorn doesn''t seem to have any ideas either.¡±
¡°Maybe there is another way around. I can scout some of the halls we passed.¡± Aurelius added as he thumbed back down the hall.
¡°That is a good idea, but don¡¯t go too far.¡± Fuyumi said as she examined the door. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen anyone or run into traps but that doesn¡¯t mean there aren¡¯t any.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Aurelius said as he took out his sword. ¡°Be back soon.¡±
Tanisha watched the elf closely, now that she knew his magic was primana and not corruption she wanted to see how it worked. As she watched she saw his magic circulate through the air into his unusual sword. She noticed that she had never really looked at the blade. The sword was a bluish crystal etched with intricate carvings, and as she focused, she noticed the primana weaving through the lines, both on the surface and deep within the crystal.
The sword glowed with energies that felt like monster magic but as he held the blade forward it refined for the briefest moment. If she hadn¡¯t been watching so intently she would have missed it. Then, for the briefest moment, the primana refined itself, shifting into something else¡ mana, aether, material energy. It felt like all of them at once. In that same instant Aurelius was gone. His speed left him as little more than a flash of light with the trail of primana lingering in the air before it too dissipated.
¡°I am going to see if I can force the door open.¡± Fuyumi said as a comically large ice bat with spikes appeared in her hands. ¡°I recommend stepping back.¡±
Still drained of magic, Tanisha doubted she could stand, but before she could voice her predicament, Bjorn¡¯s tail wrapped around her waist and lifted her with surprising ease. He draped her across his back like luggage, earning a huff of amused protest from Tanisha as he moved to a safer distance. Fuyumi glanced at them and gestured for even more space, her tone firm but calm. Bjorn obeyed without hesitation, ensuring they were well clear of whatever magic Fuyumi was about to unleash.
The two watched as the yuki-onna took a step back from the door gathering her mana into the summoned weapon. The temperature in the area around her quickly dropped. Bjorn had to back up further as the sudden shift in temperature caused an implosion of wind that nearly lifted him off the ground and pulled them towards Fuyumi. Tanisha saw as the air in the area began to condense and pool on the floor. The change in pressure made it more difficult to breathe and Bjorn again had to back up.
Fuyumi¡¯s mana manipulation was mesmerizing. Tanisha watched as the pressure she exerted on the oversized ice weapon steadily increased, causing it to compress visibly. The once massive, jagged bat glistened as if it were no longer ice, but instead polished metal. It groaned under the strain, shrinking from a colossal weapon larger than Fuyumi herself to a compact, gleaming baton. The sheer force radiating from it made Tanisha¡¯s eyes widen.
¡°Bjorn! Run! We need to get back further!¡± Tanisha yelled, her voice sharp with urgency.
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Bjorn didn¡¯t need to be told twice. He turned and bolted as fast as his legs could carry them both, Tanisha bouncing slightly on his back. The deafening boom of Fuyumi¡¯s strike came an instant later, the sound crashing through the corridor like thunder. The force of the impact sent a shockwave rippling outwards, catching Bjorn mid-stride. Both he and Tanisha were flung into the air as if caught in a cyclone.
Fortunately, Tanisha¡¯s Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle had already activated when the temperature dropped, and Bjorn¡¯s Aetheric Scales shimmered faintly, protecting them from the brunt of the blast. Still, the landing wasn¡¯t graceful. Tanisha saw Bjorn tumbling end over end before she herself was sent spinning toward the ground. Before impact, however, Aurelius appeared, rounding the corner at full speed and collided directly with her.
The resulting tangle was a whirlwind of limbs and surprised shouts. Aurelius and Tanisha tumbled across the floor, their momentum only stopping when they crashed into an equally disoriented Bjorn, who lay sprawled out on the ground. The three ended up in a heap, groaning and disheveled.
¡°What in the name of the Divines is going on?¡± Aurelius groaned, his voice muffled as he struggled to sit up. ¡°Is she fighting something down there?¡±
Tanisha, caught somewhere between exhaustion and amusement, burst into laughter. The absurdity of the situation was too much to hold back.
¡°No,¡± she finally managed between giggles. ¡°She wanted to see if she could break the door down. That was actually kind of fun.¡±
Aurelius blinked, looking incredulous. ¡°That? That was her trying to open the door? You sure she wasn¡¯t trying to blow up the ruin?¡± He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. ¡°Nearly getting turned into an icicle doesn¡¯t exactly scream fun to me.¡±
¡°Come on,¡± Tanisha teased as she rolled off him, still grinning. ¡°We were far enough away. Besides, I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯d survive standing right next to her as long as she doesn¡¯t hit us.¡±
¡°Your definition of fun needs serious reevaluation,¡± Aurelius muttered, brushing himself off as he helped Tanisha to her feet. ¡°Let''s go see if she opened it.¡±
Bjorn groaned from where he lay, tail flicking lazily in defeat, but even he couldn¡¯t suppress the faintest of hissing chuckles. Tanisha patted Bjorn¡¯s exposed belly while she had the chance before the Hydra got up and followed after them.
As they approached, they found Fuyumi standing beside the door, a shattered, brittle baton of ice in her hand. Despite her formidable display of power, the door itself bore no visible damage, its surface as smooth and unyielding as ever. The only evidence of her efforts was the bone-chilling cold still lingering in the air, frosting the walls and floor around her.
¡°I didn¡¯t find much,¡± Aurelius admitted as he arrived behind them. ¡°Most of the other passages have doors like this one. Whoever built this ruin made sure everything was locked up tight before they left.¡±
¡°So, what now?¡± Fuyumi asked, her breath misting in the frigid air. ¡°We need to get in there.¡±
Tanisha nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I guess I just need to keep pushing aether into the device until the door powers up. I¡¯ve recovered a decent amount of power by now, so I can give it another shot. Unless anyone has a better idea?¡±
No one spoke, and the silence hung heavy between them. Taking that as agreement, Tanisha approached the smooth black panel affixed to the door and placed her hand on it. The surface was cool to the touch, sending a faint shiver up her arm. She closed her eyes to concentrate¡ªbut a faint vibration from her bag interrupted her focus. She frowned for a moment before realization dawned. The communication device. Someone was trying to contact her. She reached into her bag and pulled out the device, turning away from the group.
¡°Hello?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Tanisha,¡± Signe¡¯s voice quickly responded. ¡°We have news of Joha and a warning. An anomaly has been spotted in the region. The mana storms have formed a mana hurrican I advise returning to Yuhia and we will arrange another transport for you.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t be able to do that. I am in the middle of the anomaly right now.¡± Tanisha admitted urgently. ¡°What news do you have with Joha?¡±
¡°He was last spotted on a direct heading for the Force Isles. We believe he will be in the country within a few days. He also had been shedding items from his inventory. We have what is left of your wagon. Monsters were apparently attracted to some of the items contained within it. Our people have gathered what they could. Now what is this about you being in the middle of the anomaly. That is not good, you need to leave.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think we can. There is an avatar of the True Great Serpent here and the corruption is so high outside that leaving is not an option.¡±
¡°What in the name of the Forest Father?¡± Signe exclaimed. Her voice betrayed both shock and worry.
¡°Signe, we need your help,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°Let me explain.¡±
She quickly recounted the events leading up to their current predicament, including their discovery of the ruin, the door they couldn¡¯t open, and the lingering danger outside. Carefully, she left out which True had delivered the prophecy of destruction. When Signe assumed it was the Forest Father, Tanisha chose not to correct her.
Signe exhaled audibly as she thought. ¡°There are similar locks that enchanters use. The less sophisticated ones only require a steady flow of mana to unlock. But more advanced locks are different. They¡¯re designed to require mana to flow in specific patterns¡ªlike a key fitting into a lock. I¡¯m not familiar with aether, but instead of flooding the device with raw power, try to trace the path the aether takes. Use your magical senses to feel for any patterns or manipulations the mechanism might need. It¡¯s delicate work, but it could work.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll give it a try,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°Thank you, Signe. We¡¯ll keep you updated.¡±
¡°Be careful,¡± Signe warned. ¡°And if the situation worsens, don¡¯t hesitate to call for help. May the Forest Father guide you.¡±
Tanisha ended the call and turned to the group, determination hardening her expression.
¡°Let¡¯s try this again.¡± Tanisha said.
WM [80] Fire Magic
Tanisha placed her hand back on the device, releasing a small tether of aether into the mechanism. As she guided the stream of energy, she focused on tracing its flow, following the path Signe had described. Almost immediately, she encountered a disruption in the flow. The best analogy she could muster was that it felt like a hole in the middle of a maze. Any energy poured into it was swallowed up, vanishing into nothingness.
She adjusted her focus, carefully nudging the tether of aether around the disruption. It was a delicate process, requiring precision and control. Most of all it required her to maintain focus on that spot while she continued to push the aether forward at the same time. For a moment, she thought she was making progress. Then the energy snapped back violently when her focus on the void wavered. Her efforts unraveled instantly, and the tether was once again consumed by the void.
Undeterred, she tried again, this time using even less aether. Smaller amounts were easier to manipulate, and she hoped it would allow her to maintain control for longer. It didn¡¯t work, no matter how carefully she tried, the tether fell short of reaching its destination. She could feel the aether breaking down before she could complete the circuit.
A deep frustration began to settle over her. Sweat beaded on her brow as the intense concentration took its toll. Tanisha cursed under her breath, rubbing at her temples to ease the growing headache. She had no idea how much time had passed, but she was mentally drained. Her magic refused to respond the way she needed, as though even her own power was conspiring against her. She had not even used ten percent of her total magic yet it felt like she had been pushing herself through magic drills for hours.
¡°Okay, I am done for right now.¡± Tanisha screamed as she punched the small device. ¡°Why is this so True above hard!¡±
She spun around and found Bjorn sprawled out on the floor, fast asleep. Aurelius, ever the vigilant companion, had also dozed off, though unlike Bjorn, he stirred awake at the sound of her ranting. He cracked one eye open, regarding her with an expression that seemed to ask, Are you done?
Tanisha huffed and trudged over to the pair, plopping herself down beside them. Aurelius gave her a knowing look, and the two exchanged a few quiet words about the door before he yawned and drifted back to sleep. She leaned back against the wall, arms crossed and lips pressed into a pout. She sat in silence for a few minutes then decided it was a better time than any to experiment with her magic.
Status Menu
Name: Tanisha Valkyrja Scalebound
Species: Cernunnos
Level: 44
+ Vitality: 100 + 10 = 110
+ Restoration: 100 + 10 = 110
+ Constitution: 100 + 10 = 110
+ Willpower: 130 + 10 = 140
+ Strength: 74 + 2 = 76
+ Dexterity: 83 + 2 = 85
+ Stamina: 48 + 2 = 50
+ Seier: = 470 + 50 = 520
+ Seier Regeneration: 235 + 50 = 520 (+200 from bond)
Page 1 of 3
She was disappointed to find that she hadn¡¯t gained any new skills but that was going to change soon. The changes made to her status was good enough for now. She gained the equivalent of fourteen and half levels just from opening her Blood Gate. If opening the others gave her a similar boost she should work to refine her magic as much as possible and open the other Gates. Especially since they didn¡¯t know what waited for them on the other side of the door. She also needed to remind Bjorn to start evolving her, in the excitement she had forgotten.
Straightening her posture, she shifted into a lotus position, closing her eyes as she steadied her breathing. Slowly, she began circulating her seier throughout her body. The process felt remarkably smoother now, like water flowing through well-worn channels. Compared to before, when her magic had been forced through restrictive, stubborn meridians, it was like night and day.
The newfound ease in controlling her power made her realize just how close she¡¯d come to crippling herself in the past. In hindsight she could see that the raw energy hadn¡¯t wanted to flow through incorrect channels, and forcing it had strained her body more than she had understood at the time. With the Blood Gate opened, she could see the lingering damage throughout her form. Some of the magical pathways within her had begun to atrophy, brittle and weak from just the few months of misuse. Only the surge of energy from the Blood Gate had reopened them, jumpstarting a slow but steady healing process.
She noticed the seier that was in her new mana paths and that which was in her meridians was different. It was barely noticeable but now that the Blood Gate was open the darker aspect of her seier, that which was composed of the elements of maya, flowed with her breathing with far greater ease as well.
¡°Did opening the channel allow the maya-seier to have it¡¯s place in my body back?¡± Tanisha whispered in contemplation.
Tanisha experimented by taking out the maya pipe and pressing it to her lips. She took in a deep drag of the infernal energies and felt the maya burn her meridians. She took another deep inhale and the burn became a soothing ache as her body shivered. She hadn¡¯t felt the calming burn of maya in her meridians in a long time.
Something she hadn¡¯t told Joha was that her meridians had stopped growing after she gained seier but she assumed it was because the energy was different from normal maya. However, now she saw it was because her channels were being damaged because she was focusing all of her alloy through it, not just its darker aspects. Now with the pipe she was also repairing the damage she inadvertently caused to this part of her too.
It wasn¡¯t perfect though, both the mana and maya channels in her body were being invaded by aether which was still causing damage though far less than before. She needed to find out how to utilize the aetheric side of her alloy in the same way she had learned how to control the darker aspect of maya. She didn¡¯t know how to do that though, but now that she knew there was damage happening to her she needed to find out.
¡°Fuyumi may know.¡± Tanisha said to herself as she stood.
***
Tanisha found Fuyumi on patrol, the ghostborn woman was scanning corridors near the door they had camped beside. She stood silently, observing a sign near another blast door. Fuyumi turned at Tanisha¡¯s approach, her expression neutral but curious.
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¡°Still no luck opening the door?¡± Fuyumi asked.
Tanisha felt a flush of embarrassment heat her cheeks.
¡°Not yet,¡± Tanisha admitted, quickly changing the subject. ¡°What¡¯s this door?¡±
Fuyumi gestured toward the sign. ¡°I think it says ¡®bunkhouse¡¯ or ¡®barracks.¡¯ Hard to tell¡ªit¡¯s written almost like an ancient dialect of Muaian. Why don¡¯t you try opening it?¡±
Tanisha nodded. ¡°Sure, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have much luck with it.¡±
Placing her hand on the console, Tanisha focused and channeled a sliver of aether into the mechanism. The response was immediate. A low hiss echoed through the hallway as warm air gusted from the seal, and the ancient blast door slid open with uncanny smoothness.
The moment the door revealed the shadowed interior, Fuyumi tackled Tanisha to the ground. A deafening crack, like thunder splitting the air, echoed through the corridor. Before Tanisha could process what was happening, Fuyumi was already on her feet, sword drawn, her ghostly visage eerily calm despite the rapid succession of sharp, piercing bangs that followed.
Instinctively, Tanisha yanked her bardiche from her inventory, the weapon materializing in her hands. She activated Arcane Shift, teleporting to the side just as something invisible whizzed past where her head had been and struck the ground with a metallic ping. Sparks flew as the projectile ricocheted off the floor.
Fuyumi sprinted into the passage, her movements fluid and precise, and Tanisha followed closely. The new room was dark, the only light entering from the corridor outside. Even so they could see the attackers, four hulking constructs pushed forward into the light. Their upper halves were humanoid, complete with arms, torsos, and heads, but their gleaming metallic bodies were unnatural, more machine than creature. Their lower bodies were just wheels inside of wheels with a band of metal connecting them. Tanisha''s eyes widened as she studied them, her mind racing.
¡°Golems?¡± she murmured, the word slipping from her lips.
Their arms ended not in hands but in strange, cylindrical devices that emitted bursts of light and flame with every crack. To her untrained eyes, they looked like wands channeling fire magic but, the damage they caused was too precise and fast.
One of the constructs swiveled its head toward her, and the next crack hit her square in the leg. The impact sent her staggering back, pain flaring briefly before her enchanted armor reacted. A golden shimmer erupted around her as feathers of light shot back toward the attacker, piercing its chest with a sharp clang. It shuddered but continued its assault.
Tanisha''s breath caught as she noticed the small, jagged piece of metal lodged in her armor where she''d been struck.
Her eyes narrowed. ¡°They''re not using fire magic¡ªthey''re launching metal at us.¡± She grimaced, her thoughts racing. ¡°Metal manipulation magic? No... something different.¡±
The constructs advanced relentlessly, their cylindrical wands continuing to fire. Fuyumi dodged and weaved, her sword slicing cleanly through one of the golem¡¯s heads, which sparked and sputtered before the entire body collapsed in a heap. Tanisha lunged at another, her bardiche glowing faintly with imbued seier. She swung upward and cleaved through its torso. The pieces fell with a resounding crash, its wheel spun the remains in circles.
Pausing for a brief moment amidst the chaos, Tanisha crouched near the remains of one of the fallen golems, her fingers brushing the cold, metallic surface.
¡°What are these things?¡± she muttered.
Its head, if she could call it that, was featureless except for a single glowing red eye that flickered and died. The cylindrical wand that had attacked her was unlike anything she''d seen, a hollow tube with a strange mechanism she couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of.
¡°They''re not like any golems I''ve ever heard of,¡± she said aloud. ¡°No cores, no visible magic just... machines?¡±
¡°Now''s not the time for study,¡± Fuyumi called out, her blade slicing through the arm of another golem. ¡°Focus!¡±
Tanisha snapped out of her thoughts, gripping her bardiche tightly. Another golem aimed its weapon at her, and she raised her weapon letting the flat of her blade block the barrage of metal the golem shot at her. There was no magic in the attack at all, just pure force and kinetic energy. She didn¡¯t bother dodging as she closed the distance. She grunted as a powerful swing of her axe shattered its arm. Sparks and fragments of metal exploded from the impact as the construct staggered. Fuyumi finished it off with a precise thrust to its torso, disabling it completely.
The final golem fired at Fuyumi, but she deflected the projectiles with her sword, the ricochets creating a cacophony in the confined hallway. Tanisha teleported behind it with Arcane Shift, driving her bardiche down into its base, severing its tracks and sending it toppling over.
As the echoes of battle faded, Tanisha and Fuyumi stood amidst the broken remains of the strange constructs. Tanisha bent down again, examining the intricate mechanisms.
¡°They''re so... strange,¡± Tanisha said, as she hefted the bardiche onto her shoulder. ¡°No runes, no mana... just tubes and more metal? How do they even move?¡±
¡°Ancient golems, I have heard of these things guarding in old ruins like these.¡± Fuyumi replied, sheathing her sword. She glanced toward the darkened corridor ahead. ¡°And I doubt they¡¯re the last of their kind. From what I heard they are pretty rare and dangerous to non-mages. They don¡¯t use mana at all so their attacks are purely physical.¡±
Tanisha nodded, her grip tightening on her bardiche. ¡°Let¡¯s regroup. But first¡¡± She swung her weapon in a clean arc, severing one of the golem¡¯s twisted, metallic arms. The limb clattered to the ground with a hollow clang. ¡°I¡¯m keeping this. I want to figure out what makes these things tick. I think Signe would be interested too.¡±
¡°Good idea,¡± Fuyumi replied, glancing over her shoulder. ¡°But let¡¯s close this door, just in case. No sense in letting more of them rush out.¡±
Tanisha moved back to the console and resealed the blast door. The hiss of the mechanism echoed in the now-quiet corridor as the reinforced barrier slid back into place, locking with a satisfying thud. With the immediate danger contained, the two women turned and began retracing their steps. It wouldn¡¯t take long to rejoin the sleeping pair and she was already excited to look at this weird new metal wand. As she thought about it she was reminded she went looking for Fuyumi for advice.
¡°Fuyumi, Do you know how I can find the proper way to channel my alloy?¡± Tanisha asked. ¡°I was working on circulation and I found out that both my maya and mana have stabilized but my magic channels are still being damaged by my third magic aether.¡±
¡°Aether? That is the power of the Human Divines.¡± Fuyumi said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Is that why you can open the passageways in here?¡±
¡°Yes, the building seems to run on aether like a massive spellform.¡± Tanisha said.
Fuyumi¡¯s expression grew more thoughtful. ¡°Is your True a Human Divine?¡±
¡°No, not at all,¡± Tanisha replied, shaking her head. ¡°But he does have connections to aether.¡±
Fuyumi placed a hand on her chin, deep in thought. ¡°The Yuki follow the Human Divines. Our creator was adopted into their pantheon, and he too wielded aether. Generations ago, my people lost our connection to it, and when we did, our bodies changed, becoming what you see today. Many of our rituals are still steeped in the old ways, though. Perhaps training is the answer. You may need to learn the Walking Armory magic and take the first steps on the Path of Enlightenment.¡±
Tanisha tilted her head, puzzled. ¡°How would learning your fighting techniques help me control aether?¡±
Fuyumi¡¯s voice softened, carrying a hint of reverence. ¡°Spirituality may hold the key to understanding your connection to aether. Our Sage, who has lived tens of thousands of years, tells us stories of how our ancestors used aether as part of their path to enlightenment. Though we lost that connection, our combat techniques were built upon the remnants of that path. It¡¯s all speculation, of course, but I promised to help you train, and I will.¡±
Tanisha stopped and bowed her head. ¡°I will be in your care then, master.¡±
Fuyumi immediately stepped forward, placing a firm hand on Tanisha¡¯s shoulder. ¡°None of that bowing. We¡¯re equals. Both of us are warriors working to improve our craft, nothing more.¡±
WM [81] System User
When Tanisha and Fuyumi returned to the boys, they found them both still fast asleep. She considered attempting to open the next door, given how easily the previous one had yielded. However, she hesitated. The entrance to the ruin had been deceptively simple to unlock, yet it had led to an ambush. There was no telling what might await beyond the core room¡¯s door. Deciding it was wiser to wait until everyone was rested, she let the thought pass.
Her mind drifted to what Signe had mentioned about enchanters crafting lock spellforms, some elegantly simple, others intricate and layered. Perhaps this door was locked with a spellform far more complex than the others, which were merely shut. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to be cautious.
The two women settled down and she placed the unusual golem arm on the ground beside her. It was too heavy to fit in her personal inventory space, already packed with supplies. Removing her armor with a practiced hand, she took a moment to inspect the areas where the strange golems had shot her. The faintest scratches marred the surface, cosmetic damage, nothing more. Her armor, designed to resonate with her aura and enhanced by the Chain Breaker¡¯s Mantle, grew tougher the more she channeled her power. It had held up well, as expected.
Still, the attacks intrigued her. The projectiles relied purely on kinetic force, which would be less effective against magic casters. For those who were magically dense, like herself, mundane weapons will continue to pose less and less threat. In time even a magicless arrow would bounce off their skin, perhaps causing minor irritation but little more. On the other hand, place that same weapon in the hands of a mage or wizard and their aura alone would make it far more effective and potentially dangerous.
Tanisha wasn¡¯t sure if she was at the level to be shot by these things without her armor and not get hurt but she wouldn¡¯t fight them without her armor anyway. Her gaze returned to the odd weapon, integrated into the golem¡¯s arm. It lacked a traditional mechanism for her to fire it; the design suggested it was built solely for the golem¡¯s use.
She managed to pull out one of the projectiles from it and looked over the tiny piece of pointed metal wrapped in a casing. It looked hard to make but completely useless on its own.
¡°A loud, primitive crossbow with smaller projectiles,¡± she mused aloud, turning it over in her hands. ¡°The bolts are so small it would be hard to put any mana in them.¡±
Its design, while ingenious, seemed surprisingly mundane in function, relying entirely on mechanical force rather than magic. After fiddling around with it a little she decided she would show it to Bjorn when he woke up before taking it apart forcefully. With the weapon set aside, Tanisha decided to check her status, not expecting much. The enemies they had faced were, after all, little more than animated dolls.
Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw her level had jumped by two. Her mind was already racing with possibilities for how to allocate her new points.
¡°Well, that¡¯s unexpected,¡± she murmured.
Unassigned Cultivation Points Distribution
You have leveled up 2 time(s) before assigning your UCP.
You have 20 UCP
You have not appeased your heritage no additional benefits
Please assign all UCP within 6 day(s) or UCP will be automatically assigned.
Assign [yes/no]
She didn¡¯t understand why she gained new levels. The golems didn¡¯t use magic and from what she understood that was the requirement for her gaining the energy necessary to increase her level. Did they have magic and she just didn¡¯t sense it or does her cultivation work differently than she had originally thought. She was never trained in cultivation and wasn¡¯t sure how it worked. It was a good thing she was with Fuyumi and Aurelius as both should be knowledgeable since one came from a clan with cultivators and the other was one.
Without a second thought she went ahead and assigned her points continuing the trend of trying to get all of her stats over one hundred. She decided to go with stamina as it had become a bottleneck for her. She could barely keep up with Fuyumi and Aurelius because it was so low even with her Chain Breakers Mantle.
Status Menu
Name: Tanisha Valkyrja Scalebound
Species: Cernunnos
+ Level: 44 < 46
Vitality: 110
Restoration: 110
Constitution: 110
Willpower: 140
Strength: 76
Dexterity: 85
+ Stamina: 50 + 20 = 70
Seier: = 520
Seier Regeneration: 520 (+200 from bond)
Page 1 of 3
Fuyumi¡¯s voice pulled Tanisha from her revelry. ¡°What did you just do?¡±
¡°Oh, uh¡ I just assigned my cultivation points.¡± Tanisha admitted.
Fuyumi¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion. ¡°Cultivation points,¡± she echoed. ¡°What does that mean? Did you just use the attributes of the cultivation you acquired? How did you do that so quickly? What realmof cultivator are you?¡±
It was now Tanisha that was confused. ¡°Uh¡ what? I am level forty six now?¡±
¡°Level¡am I not understanding Muaian correctly? No, your cultivation rank. Do you not know what that is? How are you cultivating and don¡¯t know what it is?¡± Fuyumi sighed as she saw the blank expression on Tanisha¡¯s face. ¡°Cultivation requires you to meditate to grow your own power and transcend mortal limitations. It is the refining of one''s own essence, body and spirit. In this way it is similar to the material users and is why more of them become cultivators than mages.¡±
¡°So, what is a cultivator realms?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°There are ten realms of cultivators each of which takes years of dedication to master.¡± Fuyumi stated.
The yuki-onna continued to explain the different realms starting with the Seedling which was the lowest rank and is the point the cultivator awakens their spiritual essence. This power could take the form of mana for magic casters and material for the material users. Then came the Rooted, Sprouting, Leaf, Blossoming, Fruiting, Harvest and Ascension which was the highest realm most people could ascend to in a lifetime. Then there were the truly gifted and long lived that went beyond into the Ethereal Sovereign and even the Immortal Transcendence realms which both apparently required someone to achieve enlightenment.
Tanisha noted several major differences between the Yuki¡¯s cultivation method and her own. The standard cultivation method required someone to meditate for hours or even days to assimilate the energies within themselves. There was once a time they could directly place it into different attributes but those techniques were rare and largely considered lost to time. For the most part the gathered energy had to go through what they called stages of refinement before it could become their own.
Tanisha explained her way of gaining power through levels which didn¡¯t require her to meditate. Once she reached a threshold she would gain a new level and obtain what her mental projection magic called unassigned cultivation points. This made Fuyumi¡¯s jaw drop in surprise.
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¡°Tanisha, what you have isn¡¯t really cultivation.¡± Fuyumi said more animately than she had ever seen the ghostborn.
¡°Well, not entirely. You have a System which is extremely rare even amongst sages. You have to tell me, how did you get it?¡±
Tanisha hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. Fuyumi, however, wasn¡¯t about to let the matter rest. She crawled over to Tanisha, her movement unnervingly fluid, and invaded her personal space. Startled, Tanisha fell onto her back, with Fuyumi now on her hands and knees above her, staring down with unblinking intensity.
The ghostborn¡¯s eyes lowered to her chest but deeper as Tanisha knew she could somehow observe other people''s cores from a distance. The cold breath of the yuki-onna sent shivers racing down her spine. Her red eyes had a faint glow as she stared into her. The unsettling nature of the woman made Tanisha want to lie and hide the fact it came from her bond with Bjorn. However, if Fuyumi was going to help her train she needed to know how her powers worked.
¡°It first appeared when I bonded with Bjorn,¡± Tanisha admitted cautiously.
Fuyumi looked her in the eyes and leaned even closer, their faces mere inches apart as she continued to scrutinize Tanisha, her piercing gaze making it impossible to look away.
¡°Next time you or Bjorn have these points to spend, tell me before you use them,¡± Fuyumi instructed. ¡°I want to see exactly how this power integrates into you.¡±
Before Tanisha could respond, a loud yawn broke the tension. Both women turned their heads to see Aurelius stirring. He sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes, before his gaze fell upon them. His expression shifted instantly as his face turned a vibrant pink.
¡°Uh¡ s-sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to intrude,¡± Aurelius stammered, scrambling to his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll just, uh¡ I¡¯ll go on guard duty now.¡±
¡°Wait, before you go,¡± Fuyumi said calmly. ¡°There¡¯s something you can help with.¡±
Aurelius froze, his blush deepening. He avoided looking at them directly, instead glancing awkwardly at the ground.
¡°I-I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much I can do if you two are¡ well¡ in the middle of that.¡± He trailed off, his voice barely above a whisper.
Fuyumi blinked in confusion. ¡°What realm of cultivation are you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m waiting for marriage,¡± Aurelius blurted reflexively, then paused. ¡°I appreciate the offer but, wait¡ what?¡±
¡°What realm of cultivation are you?¡± Fuyumi repeated.
Aurelius looked at the two women and seemed to come to a decision. ¡°I am still in the Seedling realm although I am close to a breakthrough. By the time we get to the Force Isles I was hoping to be in the Rooted Rank.¡±
Fuyumi nodded and backed off of Tanisha allowing her to sit up as well.
¡°That is what I thought. In terms of cultivation you two are in the same realm.¡± Fuyumi put a hand on her chin. ¡°However, Tanisha¡¯s method seems to be more efficient thanks to her system.¡±
¡°Tanisha, you¡¯re a cultivator too?¡± Aurelius asked.
Fuyumi answered for her. ¡°Not entirely, she is a system user. That does change how I was going to teach you. There aren¡¯t any system users amongst the Yuki clan so I will have to train you as a normal cultivator. Since you are closer to them than to a normal mage. We will start when you wake up so get some sleep.¡±
***
The morning was full of surprises for Bjorn, it started with a notification indicating he had leveled up twice. That could only mean Tanisha had killed something while he was asleep. Then he found her meditating with Fuyumi and Aurelius to start her path to enlightenment so she could control the aether better. Finally she found a gun. It wasn¡¯t one they could use as it looked to be a part of a detached arm.
It was so much information that he had to compartmentalize what he was going to focus on, first of which was trying to get answers from Tanisha. She was in the middle of deep meditation but opened her eyes when she felt his emotions darting all over the place from the new information he was taking in. She thankfully filled him in on the events of the previous night while he was asleep.
¡°Golems from your time still walking around, do you know anything about them?¡± Failsafe asked.
¡°No, I haven¡¯t had any memories since we got down here.¡± Bjorn said. ¡°We leveled up though so we should both see the next memories, right?¡±
¡°Yeah, shame it happened while we were already sleep otherwise we could have had additional memories last night.¡± Failsafe said.
¡°So we aren¡¯t really cultivators.¡± Bjorn said to Failsafe mentally as Tanisha finished her explanation. ¡°So apparently you did make a new thing and didn¡¯t just reinvent cultivation.¡±
Failsafe sounded proud as he spoke. ¡°Yeah, what I made is better! We don¡¯t have to sit around for hours doing nothing.¡±
¡°We also can¡¯t passively cultivate like actual cultivators though.¡± Bjorn mentioned.
¡°Okay, so, there were some tradeoffs,¡± Failsafe admitted rather reluctantly. ¡°But at least I didn¡¯t name any of the milestones after the plant growth cycle like we are gardeners.¡±
¡°Yeah because numbers are so much more creative.¡± Bjorn retorted.
¡°Fuyumi, we are going to get started.¡± Tanisha¡¯s words pulled Bjorn out of his internal conversation. ¡°Bjorn, are you ready? Go ahead and choose whatever you are going to for your UCP,¡± She leaned over and whispered her next words. ¡°Then let''s start the evolution.¡±
Bjorn nodded and opened his menu to assign the twenty points. He was pleased to see that all of the running they had done over the past few days had raised his strength and stamina stats by ten each on their own. His vitality had also risen but only by three points. It had been a long journey so far and the Chaos Land have most certainly lived up to its name.
They were underground again which would limit what he could do in terms of combat. Since his Plague Fire could have the unintended consequences of eating up their air or damaging something important. Intimidation Roar, Poison Cloud and any of his venoms would not work on non-magical and inorganic golems. That means down here he would be relegated to physical attacks. That in mind he placed his points in Strength.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Lernaean Hydra
+ Level: 44 < 46
+ Vitality: 175 + 3 = 178 / 195
Restoration: 270 / 270
Constitution: 140 / 140
+ Strength: 90 + 30 = 120 / 130
Dexterity: 80/ 100
+ Stamina: 90 + 10 = 100 / 115
Primana: 70 / 100
Primana Regeneration: 100 / 100 (+200 from bond)
Page 1 of 4
As Bjorn confirmed the changes he noticed something he hadn¡¯t previously put any thought into. The amount he was getting back from the Familiar Bond had grown to two hundred. He didn¡¯t know when that had happened or why he didn¡¯t notice before. A lot did recently happen with both the bond and the soul tether getting stronger. He hadn¡¯t been notified by Failsafe about it and he was still a Delta Familiar so it must have just been growing closer to whatever the next stage was, he just didn¡¯t know how close they were.
¡°Okay, Failsafe be sure to monitor what this does too.¡± Bjorn said mentally.
¡°I am on it!¡± Failsafe said cheerily.
Follower Ascension Panel
Name: Aki¡¯al Hashemi
Title: Sonr Orma Eil¨ªfra
Divinity: Demi True Immortal
Divine Realm: Venom
Followers: 1
Follower List:
Name: Tanisha Valkyrja Scalebound
Species: Cernunnos
Level: 46
Status: Alive
Special Status: Soul Bound (Partial)
Evolution Status: Pending
Follower Evolution(s) Status
Name: Tanisha Valkyrja Scalebound
Species: Cernunnos (Greater Wendigo < Normal Cernunnos) - Dagda (Greater Cernunnos)
Evolution Prerequisite 4 / 10
Approve Current Evolution Status Prerequisite Met:
Mana Gate Open, Blood Gate Open, Maya Meridians and Veins, Pledge of Soul
[Yes/No]
Status Not Met for Evolution: Cernunnos - Dagda
Complete Communing (2/5), Bone Gate Open, Spirit Gate Open, Mind Gate Open, Aetheric Tool Bound, Level 100
Page 4 of 4
Bjorn selected yes and approved the prerequisite that Tanisha met and waited to see what would happen.
WM [82] Shedding
Bjorn watched intently as Tanisha winced, bracing herself for some dramatic transformation. Seconds passed, but nothing happened. Her tightly shut eyes fluttered open, and she gave herself a once-over, her expression shifting from apprehensive to confused. There were no immediate changes, no surge of power, no physical shifts. She stood and examined herself further, patting her arms and legs to confirm that everything was intact.
Bjorn stood too, his many heads tilting as he observed her from every angle. One head leaned in close, tasting the air for any trace of change in her magic, aura, or scent, but everything about her seemed the same. Just as he was about to shrug it off, he heard a faint crack and felt something hit one of his heads before clattering to the ground.
He looked down and saw a shard of something pale and delicate, it was part of Tanisha¡¯s tiara, what wendigo females called their antlers. Her hands flew to her head in alarm, fingers frantically feeling for the broken section. When she found it, her face crumpled with distress.
¡°Big Man?¡± She whimpered, her voice trembling as tears threatened to spill. ¡°I¡¯m not going to lose my tiara, right?¡±
Bjorn¡¯s chest tightened. He had never seen her so distraught about her appearance before. He knew wendigo prized their antlers, but he hadn¡¯t realized just how deeply they valued them. Since Tanisha had grown hers, they had become the focal point of most compliments she received from her people. Even back when she was mistaken for a demon, she¡¯d secretly preened every time someone¡¯s gaze lingered on them.
Bjorn hesitated, unsure of how to comfort her. Even if he could talk he wouldn¡¯t know what to say, but before he could muster anything, another piece of her antlers snapped off and fell to the ground.
Tanisha¡¯s gasp was sharp. She crouched down to pick up the second tine, cradling it in her hands like something irreplaceable. Her lips trembled as she stared at it, the devastation in her eyes almost unbearable to witness. She took a deep breath, then another, trying to steady herself. For a brief moment, it seemed like she might compose herself and accept the loss. But then, with a cruel inevitability, another tine broke loose and tumbled to the floor.
That was the breaking point. A sob burst from her, unbidden and raw. She sank to the ground, clutching the broken pieces of her antlers as tears streamed down her face.
Bjorn lowered himself beside her, his frame a comforting presence even as he felt helpless. He leaned one of his heads close, nuzzling her shoulder in a gentle, wordless gesture of support. Whatever was happening to her, he would stay by her side until they figured it out and if there was a way to fix it, he would ensure they found it.
¡°Tanisha, are you okay?¡± Fuyumi asked.
The young girl was so distraught she couldn¡¯t even form words; she only held out the broken tines so Fuyumi could see them. Fuyumi didn¡¯t seem to understand and neither did Aurelius when he came to check on her. Just like Bjorn they weren¡¯t sure what to say or do other than ask if she was alright or in pain. It took a few minutes for Tanisha to compose herself. When she opened her eyes, everyone noticed the change.
Her eyes were the same as Bjorn¡¯s, they already shared the golden color and now they also shared the vertical slit pupils. If she weren¡¯t in the process of trying to compose herself, she would look quite menacing. It took a few minutes for her to calm down.
¡°I am alright everyone.¡± Tanisha said. ¡°What did you see from Bjorn using his UCP?¡±
She obviously didn¡¯t want to talk about what just happened and Fuyumi took the hint.
¡°It¡¯s like I thought.¡± Fuyumi said. ¡°It is essentially a far more precisely guided cultivation method. Most cultivators would kill for something like that. What did you see, Aurelius?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t see much, I could feel the power around him in his aura then it was gone like he used it in a spell.¡± Aurelius said. ¡°My magic perception didn¡¯t let me pick up much more than that.¡±
¡°So, does that mean that your training will help me?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Yes, we will need to open your other gates as soon as possible so we can start you on the path to enlightenment.¡± Fuyumi assured her. ¡°Will you be alright to go back to the room we cleared out yesterday in an hour? We still need to find a way to stop what is going on above us.¡±
Tanisha nodded. ¡°I will be fine, we can go whenever you are ready.¡±
***
The second door was to the barracks if the sign was to be believed. Bjorn along with everyone else prepared themselves. He and Aurelius took point while Tanisha and Fuyumi were on either side of the door. Remembering that the room was supposedly dark Bjorn decided he would try something he hadn¡¯t had the chance yet. It started with his new forth head then all of his heads followed and breathed out what looked like liquid shadow which covered his body.
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Tanisha placed a hand on the scanner and in a moment the door opened with a smooth slide. Bjorn and Aurelius rushed in first. Aurelius had his shield high ready to deflect any projectile and Bjorn simply vanished into the darkness. The shadows in the room simply swallowed him as if he were part of them, even making him translucent.
Shadow Concealment
Primana Cost: Variable
(I) Cloak yourself in shadow magic, blending into dim or dark environments to hide your presence. Movement is undetectable to non-magical senses. (II) Deepen the shadow cloak, concealing even magical traces of your presence and blending with shadows in moderate light. Shadows will also muffle the sound around you making you harder to detect. (III) Unknown.
¡°Okay this is pretty cool.¡± Failsafe said, the head he controlled bobbing up and down. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would make us invisible.¡±
Bjorn looked around the room for any signs of motion or traps. He didn¡¯t see anything dangerous and thanks to his natural ability to see in the dark he could make out the entire space. It was as the sign said; a barracks. There were the destroyed golems on the ground from Tanisha¡¯s first encounter but beyond them were the pods. There were hundreds of them arranged almost like an arena in a bowl shape.
¡°It seems more powerful than what the shadow wolves had.¡± Bjorn noted.
¡°Of course we are a True after all.¡± Failsafe¡¯s words came full of pride.
Tanisha and Fuyumi entered the room a breath after Aurelius and Bjorn.
¡°I guess after we left the first time the lights turned on.¡± Tanisha said as she looked around.
¡°There aren¡¯t any lights in here.¡± Aurelius said.
Bjorn looked at Tanisha and saw that her eyes had a shine to them. It was faint but she must have gained his ability to see in the dark so the changes to her eyes weren¡¯t just cosmetic. Tanisha seemed to come to the same conclusion while Aurelius put mana into his sword causing it to glow. Bjorn continued to walk the space as a silent predator. He knew that just because he hadn¡¯t seen anything didn¡¯t mean there was nothing to be afraid of. They were attacked once, who''s to say it wouldn¡¯t happen again.
As he walked he again felt the pull of the world shifting around. Past and present blending together and soon he was Isin as he had been so long ago. He was sitting on one of the open pods holding a cup and laughing with the expedition members. The expedition team was celebrating their survival, their voices raised in cheer and relief. Plates of food and drinks were passed around, a feast of triumph. Isin glanced down at his cup, draining the last of its contents to the raucous jeers of his companions.
¡°Today, we start our lives as free men!¡± Isin declared, his voice rising above the din. ¡°Drink and eat¡ªyou¡¯ve all earned it! The replicators won¡¯t be shut down by some divine bastard here!¡±
¡°Isin,¡± a soft voice called, cutting through the revelry.
He turned to see Eliska standing nearby, her hand extended toward him. Her cheeks were faintly flushed, her expression serious yet warm.
¡°Can I speak with you? In private.¡± she said.
Isin blinked, his focus momentarily hazy from the alcohol. He noticed the subtle blush on her cheeks, and so did the others. A knowing murmur rippled through the group.
¡°Why don¡¯t we grab more drinks, guys?¡± Martin said quickly, his tone teasing but tactful as Eliska shot him a warning glare.
The group scattered, their laughter trailing away as they moved, taking the party with them. Eliska took Isin¡¯s hand, leading him up the stairs between the pods to the highest level. They stopped at a railing overlooking the lower floor¡ªa mezzanine that offered a clear view of their companions celebrating below.
Isin¡¯s gaze drifted to Eliska, unable to help himself. Without her combat armor, dressed only in the snug under-armor she wore beneath, her figure was far more striking than he¡¯d realized. He caught himself staring longer than he intended. His gaze met her eyes. There was a smirk planted firmly on her face.
¡°Like what you see commander?¡± Eliska teased as she looked over his body just as well. ¡°Come on, join me, look. We came a long way thanks to you. I am sure we¡¯d all be dead right now if you didn¡¯t do what you did.¡±
Her words sobered him instantly. He stepped closer to the railing, leaning on it beside her. His eyes traveled down to the men and women below, the ones they had saved. Once slaves, now free men and women, they celebrated their liberation with joy that seemed almost surreal. The Angels couldn¡¯t touch them here, the storms would strip the aether from their bodies if they tried.
¡°It was all of us, Eliska,¡± Isin said.
She leaned on Isin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ever since I was taken from my village I always knew I would die not as a person but as some number, someone with no value beyond work and breeding new slaves to take my place.¡± Her voice began to falter. ¡°But, this¡ freedom, its not something I could have ever imagined. Not from Nuriel. Not from them.¡±
¡°I know, they stripped us of everything. You don¡¯t have to worry about their machinations anymore.¡± Isin said as he put his arm over her. ¡°We are not the slave race as they called us and this,¡± he looked over the fourteen people down near the fabricator celebrating their freedom. ¡°This is just the beginning. I promise you.¡±
Eliska didn¡¯t reply, but she leaned closer into his embrace. For the first time in her life, she believed. Isin turned to her and their eyes met. Slowly, he raised a hand to her face, his fingers brushing her cheek with a tenderness that felt foreign yet natural. Isin leaned in, closing the distance between them. Their lips met in a simple kiss¡ªsoft, unhurried, and sincere.
***
Bjorn blinked his eyes finding himself at a large flat device in the middle of the room there was a panel for someone to place aether into. He made himself visible and hissed loudly to get Tanisha¡¯s attention. She ran over to him and looked at the device.
¡°Another one? Are you sure about this one, Big Man?¡± Tanisha questioned.
Bjorn nodded a few of his heads and she told everyone to get ready she was going to put aether into another console. They formed a defensive line to prepare for any sudden attack. As soon as they were all in place she powered the console and a bright light blinded everyone.
WM [83] Just a Girl and Her Hydra
¡°System reboot initiated. Please hold.¡± A neutral voice spoke from the control panel.
Everyone took a step back from the black panel on the large flat device. Their eyes slowly adapting to the bright lights that suddenly flooded the large room. The pods Tanisha noticed as she walked in now hummed to life each one opening revealing a comfortable looking bed within.
¡°Are they all golems? Traps?¡± Aurelius asked.
Bjorn hissed, getting everyone''s attention and shook his head in response to the question.
The monotone voice continued. ¡°Accessing, systems critical¡ please wait. Admin controls locked. User controls unlocked¡ adding user. Tanisha Scalebound, nonhuman, aether-arcanist, basic user privilege granted. Please hold. Additional entities detected. Please place your hand on the scanner.¡±
Everyone looked at the black screen and Tanisha took off her armored helmet and stepped aside.
¡°Do any of us know what this thing is doing?¡± Fuyumi questioned.
Before anyone could answer, the voice returned. ¡°Query: Individual user data is being collected to add you to the registry. Basic User Privileges will grant you access to all rest and working areas. Basic User privileges have been expanded by Site Manager to include use of food fabricators; token needed: zero, granted access to weapon fabricators: error. Manufacture room tokens needed: zero, granted access to R&D department tokens needed: zero. Additional free locations include: chemistry lab, hydroponic garden, training room, library.¡±
¡°So we will be able to open doors in the facility?¡± Fuyumi asked the device.
¡°Query: Registered basic users will have access to unrestricted areas. Placing one¡¯s hand on the terminal will grant access. Maintenance, security and administration areas will remain restricted. Please place your hand on the scanner.¡±
Tanisha asked a question next. ¡°We were attacked after opening this door. Will being a basic user mean that the golems will stop attacking us?¡±
¡°Query: Unable to answer query. Error. Please contact your immediate supervisor as they will be able to guide you through your question. Additional entities detected. Please place your hand on the scanner.¡±
After a moment of consideration Fuyumi walked up and placed her hand on the device.
¡°Scanning user data, Fuyumi Tsukihana, altered-human, non-aetheric. Basic user privilege granted. Additional entities detected. Please place your hand on the scanner.¡±
Aurelius stepped forward next, his expression resolute as he placed his hand on the scanner. The device hummed faintly, its surface glowing briefly in acknowledgment before falling silent. They all expected that to be the final step, but the device''s voice rang out again, flat and unyielding.
¡°Data incomplete. All user data required.¡± The monotone voice droned on.
The group exchanged uncertain glances before turning to Bjorn. He moved toward the device, his claws clicking lightly against the metallic floor. Without hesitation, he placed one paw on the scanner. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the entire facility shuddered violently, the walls trembling as a low, ominous groan reverberated through the air. The room was plunged into darkness, the lights cutting out entirely.
Tanisha instinctively reached for her bardiche, her heart pounding in the oppressive silence. Bjorn¡¯s paw remained on the scanner, his calm demeanor at odds with the chaos around them. Just as suddenly, the lights flickered back on, casting the room in their harsh, sterile glow. The trembling ceased, leaving the group standing in tense silence, every nerve on edge. Bjorn finally withdrew his paw, his reptilian eyes scanning the room as if expecting another disruption.
¡°What was that?¡± Aurelius asked, no one had an answer. ¡°So, I guess we go to see if we can open that door to the core room?¡±
¡°Wait,¡± Fuyumi said. ¡°This thing can answer questions right, let''s see what it can tell us about this place.¡±
¡°What are you and what is this place?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Query: This unit is the Luminal Lexicon powered by the Aetheric Artificial Intelligence. My function is to assist users with a variety of tasks. In this room I can assist in food generation, maintenance of pods, bodily scan, medical treatment and rehabilitation. Caution: due to critically low power generation medical treatment is unavailable. This is Alpha Extraction Site 12.¡±
¡°Did any of that make sense to you guys?¡± Tanisha asked as she looked over the group.
¡°Nope.¡± Aurelius stated then put a hand on his chin. ¡°Are you alive?¡±
¡°Query: No. I am Doxy, an aetheric program, language-based and pattern-focused. I do not think instead I analyze input data and respond. I do not have biological functions, consciousness or emotions.¡±
¡°So, essentially the entire ruin is a golem.¡± Fuyumi said.
Tanisha cleared her throat. ¡°You said that systems are critical. How do we fix it?¡±
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Doxy responded in its usual monotone. ¡°Query: Attempting to alert maintenance personnel. Please wait.¡± The group waited for a few minutes before Doxy responded. ¡°No maintenance personnel on site. Lockdown of core initiated by Site Manager dated Bl¨®stmonat 18th, 1472 AO.¡±
¡°I have never heard of that calendar system before.¡± Tanisha responded and Fuyumi and Aurelius agreed. ¡°What is the current date?¡±
¡°Query: Current date Fr¨¥osmonat 20th, 74575 AO.¡±
Bjorn hissed loudly and his mouths fell open in shock. Tanisha turned to him and watched as he sat down and seemed to space out. Was he connected to this place in some way? Perhaps his mother told him more than she told her. The thing was Bjorn''s emotions were almost longing at the news which Tanisha didn¡¯t understand.
Tanisha went to comfort Bjorn and sat beside him petting his heads as he sat contemplating. Fuyumi took over asking Doxy questions. Tanisha only listened to a few of them. Apparently the facility was empty aside from the golems and had been for over sixty thousand years. Tanisha could barely wrap her head around this place being here for that long. It did mean that Mu, the old human empire, and even the elven Emerald Empire didn¡¯t know about this place.
They asked the facility golem more questions but Tanisha zoned out as she cared for Bjorn. Anything important she was sure they would fill her in on. After a few minutes she suggested they go for a short walk and Bjorn agreed. Aurelius wanted to go as her bodyguard but she declined his offer. The two left the barracks. Tanisha chose to follow the lime green line on the ground at random and decided she might as well see where it goes.
***
Tanisha and Bjorn reached the door at the end of the lime green line. The walk seemed to help his mood a little so Tanisha was pleased. She looked at the sign on the door which was in a language she didn¡¯t understand. Bjorn hissed and opened his mouth as if to speak while pointing to the door control. Tanisha looked at the control cautiously. It looked like any other door control so she didn¡¯t know what he was trying to tell her. She then realized it looked like Doxy.
¡°Doxy, are you there?¡± Tanisha questioned.
¡°Query: Yes, I¡¯m here. Would you like assistance?¡± Doxy responded promptly.
¡°Uh, yeah, what is this room?¡± Tanisha questioned.
¡°Query: This is the manufacturing wing, this door leads to the industrial level which includes. Weapon Fabricators, Manufacturing, and¡ Warning Lockdown has been initiated by Site Manager, Security protocol is active. Warning: security protocol power draw is extreme, disabled security to reduce power consumption.¡±
¡°Huh, so I guess it means that the golems are using up the site''s power too.¡± Tanisha put on her helmet and circulated her magic. ¡°Well, Big Man, do you want to destroy some golems? I am sure Fuyumi and Aurelius won''t be mad if we take a little peek.¡±
Bjorn nodded in confirmation and Tanisha saw the shimmer of power surround his scales as he prepared himself. He went to the opposite side of the door and crouched ready to strike. Tanisha took out her bardiche, this time the one she got from the princess. It was more ornate than the one she got from Joel, but also resonated with her seier better.
She placed her hand on the panel and pushed aether into it. The door opened with a hiss and the hallway inside looked like a muted grey to Tanisha¡¯s sight. She realized after they entered the barracks that this meant that it was dark inside though she could see just fine. There were more golems in the new opening than in the barracks.
Bjorn didn¡¯t hesitate. With a powerful lunge, he shot forward toward the nearest golem like a streak of shadow, the gray darkness swallowing him entirely. For a brief moment, he disappeared from even Tanisha¡¯s enhanced senses, the bond between them the only thread connecting her to his position. He was using his shadow magic to vanish.
Tanisha moved at the same time. As Bjorn engaged, her ears filled with the sharp, mechanical cracks of golem weapons firing. With a flash of aetheric energy, she activated Arcane Shift, appearing in midair above a nearby golem. Her bardiche gleamed with power as she swung it down in a sweeping arc, cleaving the golem almost entirely in half. Sparks flew as its core shattered, and the construct collapsed in a heap of ruined metal.
Bjorn, meanwhile, tackled his target with unrelenting ferocity. His jaws clamped down on one of the golem¡¯s arms, ripping it clean off as his claws tore into its chest. Shards of metal and components scattered across the floor as he roared, his frame illuminated briefly by an explosion of aetheric energy as the golem detonated.
Bjorn was unharmed as he slipped back into the shadows. More golems emerged from open doorways further down the corridor, their weapons barking with deafening intensity. These, unlike the ones she encountered before, had legs instead of wheels. They moved at speed, running like a man. Tanisha rolled to the side as one volley missed her by inches, the impact ricocheted off the floor where she had stood.
¡°Bjorn, stay moving!¡± she called out, even as she vanished again with Arcane Shift, reappearing behind another golem.
Her bardiche swept low, severing one leg of the metallic construct before she spun, driving the blade into its humanlike torso with enough force to pin it to the ground. She yanked the weapon free just as Bjorn lunged back into view, his large form colliding with two golems at once. One was sent flying into a wall with a dull metallic thud, while the other fell under his claws.
Bjorn slipped back into the shadows, blending into the ambient darkness as another volley of fire narrowly missed him. He reappeared beside a golem that was attempting to flank Tanisha, his claws sinking into its torso with a deafening crunching of metal. Using his immense strength, he hurled the shattered remains into another approaching enemy, knocking it off balance.
¡°Keep it up, Bjorn!¡± Tanisha called.
She darted between two more constructs. Another Arcane shift brought her into position to decapitate a golem with a precise, sweeping strike. She could feel the energy coursing through her connection to the princess¡¯s weapon enhancing every move. She never felt this connection before, she wasn¡¯t sure if it was the opening of her Blood Gate or her partial evolution, but for some reason her seier was far easier to control.
Channeling her magic into her bardiche, she activated a seier-infused strike. The blade shimmered with silver which left an after image as she cleaved through golem after golem. Any that tried to shoot from her blind spot would meet Bjorn¡¯s jaws or talons and be wrenched apart and tossed aside like scraps.
Tanisha shifted again, reappearing atop a small cluster of metal crates. From her elevated position, she surveyed the hallway. The floor was littered with torn metal and sparking debris, the remnants of the golems they had destroyed. The flood of golems had finally ended, the last of their glowing red eyes extinguished as Tanisha hopped down.
¡°Good job, Big Man.¡± Tanisha said as she looked around. ¡°Now I guess we need to find the nearest panel to turn on the lights.¡±
A sharp, metallic tapping echoed through the corridor, the deliberate rhythm of footsteps that immediately caught Tanisha¡¯s attention. She turned toward one of the passages, her hand tightening on her bardiche as a solitary figure emerged.
WM [84] Looks Worse
The new construct was different. Humanoid, its sleek, metallic frame shimmered faintly with an aetheric glow. Long, swept sword-like arms extended from its elbows, and arcs of faint energy trailed behind the blades with each step. Its head was featureless except for a single, piercing blue light where its face should have been. It was an immediate difference from the others which all had red lights.
Bjorn growled low, stepping in front of Tanisha protectively, his tail lashing in anticipation.
The golem stopped, its single glowing eye scanning them both before it suddenly darted forward with a Flash Step. Tanisha barely had time to react, raising her bardiche just in time to block one of its sweeping strikes. Tanisha didn¡¯t think any of them could use magic but this one was somehow different.
Sparks erupted as its blade clashed with her weapon, the force of the blow sending her skidding back. Her arms stung from the impact and were forced up leaving her vulnerable. The golem was already moving to capitalize, its blades were inches from cutting her down.
Bjorn lunged, his form becoming a blur as he slipped into the shadows but the golem didn¡¯t hesitate. It turned sharply, its blade arcing through the air in a glowing crescent of energy. Bjorn growled in pain as the slicing arc hit, revealing his position as he stumbled out of the darkness, a deep gash across his shoulder.
¡°Bjorn!¡± Tanisha shouted.
The golem was relentless. It closed the distance to her in an instant, forcing her to raise her bardiche again. The construct¡¯s speed was blinding, its strikes precise and unyielding. Every time Tanisha tried to counter, it would parry her attacks with effortless precision, its glowing blades ringing against her weapon.
She attempted an Arcane Shift to get behind it, but the golem anticipated her move, twisting at the hip in a way that would be impossible for a human. It struck with lightning speed to deliver a sweeping strike. The blade narrowly missed her neck, instead slicing clean through her left pauldron, the metal shattering into pieces. With the armor piece destroyed the magical retaliation didn¡¯t activate.
Tanisha gritted her teeth as a follow-up strike grazed her arm, drawing blood. The pain was sharp, but she forced herself to stay focused, darting back to create some distance.
Bjorn roared, charging again despite his injury. He managed to lock his jaws around one of the golem¡¯s arms, but it reacted instantly, slamming its other blade into his side. It effortlessly stabbed through his Aetheric Scales and threw him across the hallway, sending him crashing into the wall with a thud.
¡°Damn it!¡± Tanisha growled.
Her breathing ragged as she pushed more power into her bardiche. The weapon flared with energy, and she launched herself forward, aiming a powerful overhead strike at the golem.
It sidestepped with ease, its blade flashing upward to meet hers. The impact sent a shockwave through her arms, and she felt the haft of her bardiche crack under the strain. Before she could recover, the golem¡¯s other blade slashed across her chest, the edge slicing through her armor and leaving a deep, burning gash.
This time golden feathers erupted in retaliation. The golem used a Flash Step to back up and avoid. Tanisha stumbled back, blood seeping from the wound. Her breaths came in heavy gasps as the golem advanced. She glanced at Bjorn, who was struggling to his feet, blood dripping from his side. They couldn¡¯t keep this up. This thing was faster, stronger, and smarter than the others.
¡°Bjorn,¡± she said through gritted teeth, her mind racing. ¡°We¡¯re pulling back. Now.¡±
As the golem lunged, Tanisha shifted at the last moment, reappearing beside Bjorn. Her hand trembled as she placed it on his broad shoulder, her fingers slick with her own blood. Channeling what aether she had left, she activated Arcane Shift again, teleporting them both in rapid succession to the far end of the hallway.
The air snapped with energy as they landed, Tanisha nearly collapsing from the effort. Her head swam, and her knees buckled, but she forced herself to stay upright.
¡°We can¡¯t beat it here,¡± she muttered. ¡°We need a better plan.¡±
The golem paused, its glowing blue eye locking onto them from across the corridor. It didn¡¯t pursue but instead remained still, as if calculating its next move. Its unblinking gaze sent a shiver down Tanisha¡¯s spine.
Wasting no time, Tanisha stumbled to the nearest terminal panel. Her blood-slick fingers fumbled over the controls, but she managed to seal the heavy door separating them from the relentless construct. The faint hiss of the door sliding shut was the only reassurance she had as she slumped to the ground, finally letting herself rest.
She uncorked a lesser healing potion with shaking hands. The earthy liquid burned as she drank it, the warmth spreading through her body as her wounds began to close. She grimaced as the bloody gashes across her torso and arms slowly knit themselves together, but the process was far from painless.
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Her armor was so heavily damaged she could see through missing sections to her skin. The breastplate, chainmail shirt and helmet disappeared into her inventory so she could examine herself. When she touched the wound across her chest, she realized with a sinking feeling just how close she¡¯d come to death.
The cut had cleanly sliced through armor plate and chainmail then her ribs and pierced both lungs, leaving her breathing ragged and shallow. If not for the Blood Gate Fuyumi had activated during the Mana Baptism, she wouldn¡¯t have made it through that fight.
The thought sobered her as she uncorked a second potion and downed it. The pain began to fade as her ribs fused back together in her chest and she coughed out the blood in her rapidly healing lungs. Surprisingly she didn¡¯t feel as bad as she should have and could have kept fighting. She didn¡¯t fully have a mage body yet but what she did have was worlds better from where she started.
¡°Are you okay? That sucked,¡± she muttered, peeling off her blood-soaked undershirt. The fabric clung stubbornly to her skin, sticking to the drying wounds beneath. ¡°It¡¯s like we were cheated out of a win.¡±
She summoned water with her hydromancy, the liquid swirling in the air before cascading over her and Bjorn. The cool stream washed away the blood and grime in moments, leaving them both clean but no less battered. She slipped her damaged armor back on, the pieces shifting uneasily over her bruised and tender skin which was still healing as the potions worked on the most egregious internal wounds first.
She looked at her bardiche, its blade was chipped where it clashed with the golem. The haft cracked and was in need of repair. Her armor was no better off but she would have to worry about it later. For now the most important thing was to find out what in the Infernal Planes that thing even was.
¡°Doxy,¡± she called out, her voice sharp, ¡°what was that thing? The golem with the blade arms that could use aether?¡±
The disembodied, monotone voice responded. ¡°Query: Mecha-doll S Series. The S Series mechanized dolls are advanced combat units designed to neutralize magic casting intruders in close quarters. The S Series includes twenty variations categorized as Android-Type, Insectoid-Type, Animal-Type, and Titan-Class. Titan-Class units operate with independent power cores. User Tanisha Scalebound encountered an S-04 Shard Android-Type unit. Sleek, fast-moving, and equipped with bladed arms capable of harnessing main facility aether for combat. Additional information is restricted due to insufficient clearance level.¡±
Tanisha frowned as she processed the response. ¡°Are you not upset that I¡¯m wrecking your security?¡±
¡°Query: The Site Manager has disabled punishment protocols for destruction of site property following the activation of evacuation orders,¡± Doxy replied, its tone devoid of any semblance of emotion.
¡°Well, that¡¯s convenient,¡± Tanisha said dryly. She shifted her weight and shot a glance at Bjorn, who was still rumbling quietly to himself. ¡°Okay, Doxy, last question. Destroying these security units¡ªdoes it help the facility conserve aether?¡±
¡°Query: Affirmative. Disabling security units reduces power consumption. Current estimated core meltdown in thirty days.¡±
Tanisha froze, ¡°wait, what? Thirty days? I thought we had three years.¡±
¡°Query: Recalculating¡ If all security units were disabled, the estimated core meltdown extended to one thousand two hundred eighty-one days.¡±
Tanisha groaned, dragging her hand down her face. ¡°Fantastic. Your mom told us how long we¡¯d have only if we destroyed all of the security.¡± She looked at Bjorn who was still grumbling. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the others, Big Man.¡±
Tanisha opened her status menu and saw that she leveled up four times in just that one encounter. Well, Fuyumi will be able to see her and Bjorn use their points this time.
***
The pair arrived at the barracks and were greeted by an unexpected aroma. The air was thick with the rich, savory scent of roasted meat and spices which was a sharp contrast to the sterile, metallic tang that typically dominated the extraction site.
In the center of the room sat a large, flat device, its surface now doubling as a makeshift dining area. Plates piled high with food, succulent animal haunches glistening with juices, aromatic broths, and a few less tempting vegetable dishes were arranged neatly across it. The scent alone was enough to make Tanisha¡¯s stomach growl.
Fuyumi and Aurelius were seated a few steps away, both in the lotus position. Fuyumi¡¯s voice was soft but commanding as she guided Aurelius through a meditation cultivation session, her tone steady and rhythmic. Neither seemed to notice as Tanisha and Bjorn entered.
¡°Get something to eat,¡± Fuyumi instructed, her eyes remaining closed as she gestured lightly toward the food. ¡°Then join us.¡±
Tanisha and Bjorn didn¡¯t need to be told twice. They moved to the table, tearing into the assortment of meats, with near ravenousness. Bjorn gnawed on a massive haunch, his sharp teeth making short work of it, while Tanisha stuck to smaller cuts, savoring the well-seasoned flavors. They both ignored the vegetable dishes entirely.
As they finished their meal, Fuyumi¡¯s eyes slowly opened, her serene expression breaking the moment she spotted Tanisha. Her gaze widened in shock as she stood abruptly, her calm demeanor replaced by concern.
¡°Tanisha! What in the name of the Divines happened to you?¡± Fuyumi exclaimed, her voice sharp with worry.
The sudden disruption snapped Aurelius out of his trance. His eyes flew open, immediately narrowing as he took in Tanisha¡¯s battered appearance.
¡°I knew I should¡¯ve gone with you.¡± Aurelius stated.
Tanisha glanced down at herself. Her armor was a mess, shattered pauldron, deep cuts across the plates, and dried blood staining the cracks. She had forgotten to clean the blood off the armor when she washed herself. It probably looked like she just stepped off the battlefield.
¡°It looks worse than it is,¡± she said, attempting a smile. ¡°Look, let¡¯s focus on your training first, and then we can talk about my little misadventure. That and I am sure you two have some things to tell me.¡±
Fuyumi¡¯s expression didn¡¯t soften, but she didn¡¯t press further for an explanation. Instead she motioned for a place for Tanisha to sit and join the training session. Tanisha¡¯s armor vanished into her inventory all at once leaving her in her more comfortable tunic and pants as she sat down.
As she settled in she said, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to need to get a lot stronger if I¡¯m going to make it through this place.¡±
WM [85] Armories Start Small
Fuyumi guided Tanisha and Aurelius through meditative techniques. She had to enter her core which was now a full silhouette of her body. She could see the mana and maya aspects of her seier alloy traveling along the proper channels as each energy was intended to do. The problem was still Aether which slowly but steadily damaged her magic pathways.
¡°Focus, Tanisha,¡± Fuyumi¡¯s voice was steady. ¡°Push the circulation of your energies faster. Begin with the flow from the center of your being, up to your head, then loop it back down. Keep the tether intact. Control is everything.¡±
She took a deep breath and visualized the energy as a roaring fire she needed to channel through a narrow, winding path. The task demanded splitting her focus into coaxing the power without allowing it to spill out and consume her entirely. Sweat beaded on her brow as her focus intensified, each pulse of energy a test of her will.
Her mind drew parallels to her earlier experiences with the control consoles on the doors, where she had to force aether through intricate maze-like pathways. This was different though. Inside the consoles were predefined constraints, what she called ¡°walls¡± to keep the energy contained and directed. Here, within herself, she had to construct those walls as she worked, shaping the pathways in real time while simultaneously driving the energy forward.
¡°The goal is not just to expand the channels,¡± Fuyumi explained, her voice steady but firm. ¡°It¡¯s to maintain control while doing so. Only by strengthening the pathways can they endure the strain of your alloy¡¯s energies. Balance the flow and the barriers¡ªthat is your task.¡±
Tanisha pushed herself harder, but the pressure became unbearable. The delicate tether snapped, and her control collapsed. A sharp, searing migraine tore through her mind, forcing her to grip her head in pain.
As the agony subsided, she quickly assessed her pathways, only to find that all her painstaking progress had vanished, wiped clean like footprints on a shore erased by the tide. Defeated but not broken, she opened her eyes, her body drenched in sweat. Leaning back on her arms, she gasped for breath, her mind already steeling itself for the next attempt.
¡°Why start with my head?¡± Tanisha asked, her breaths labored.
¡°Because circulating mana to your head first enhances your mental acuity,¡± Fuyumi replied softly. ¡°It sharpens your thoughts, quickens your reactions, and most importantly, grants you greater control over your alloy. As a mage and more importantly, as a sage¡ªyour potential is exponential. With power and practice, you¡¯ll come to understand magic at a depth capable of creating entirely new Disciplines. That is what the sages of old accomplished. It is what my father achieved. And it is what both you and Aurelius are destined to do.¡±
¡°What¡ªme?¡± Aurelius¡¯s eyes snapped open from his meditative state, wide with disbelief. ¡°No way. You can¡¯t be serious.¡± He stood up abruptly. ¡°You¡¯re not telling me I¡¯m a sage, are you?¡±
Fuyumi¡¯s eyes opened as well, her hand flying to her mouth as though she¡¯d accidentally revealed a secret. Aurelius looked between them, bewildered. Tanisha shrugged nonchalantly. She¡¯d known ever since she used Identify on him when they first met.
¡°You didn¡¯t tell him?¡± Tanisha asked.
Fuyumi sighed, scratching her cheek with one finger and a blue blush graced her cheeks in embarrassment.
¡°I was planning to tell you after we opened your Blood Gate, once you reached your next breakthrough.¡±
Tanisha was surprised to see Fuyumi flustered.
¡°To be fair, I assumed you already knew,¡± Tanisha added with a grin. ¡°Uh¡ surprise? Welcome to sagehood!¡±
Aurelius stared at the two women, incredulous, before plopping back down into the lotus position with a dramatic sigh. He turned to Bjorn who sat behind Tanisha on a comforter he dragged from one of the beds in the open pods.
¡°Did you know too,¡± Aurelius asked, only to be greeted with four nodding heads. He pushed some loose strands of hair from his face. ¡°In the past few weeks, I¡¯ve discovered I¡¯m not cursed, learned we have to stop an avatar of a True from opening a portal to the Infernal Plane, and now this? I¡¯m a sage? Divines, give me strength.¡±
Fuyumi¡¯s tone shifted back to seriousness, drawing the group¡¯s attention. ¡°Regardless of how overwhelming this all feels, the reality is this: given the state Tanisha and Bjorn returned in, we need to ensure you three are at peak strength. Tanisha, once we¡¯ve completed your circulation training, we¡¯ll begin your Walking Armory training in earnest. Aurelius, our focus will be on pushing you through your next cultivation breakthrough. You are close and we will need to start the Mana Baptism once it is complete.¡±
¡°Right.¡± Tanisha confirmed. ¡°Can you guide me through the circulation again?¡±
Fuyumi nodded, ¡°Sit up straight and close your eyes.¡±
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***
Bjorn woke up with a start. He assumed it had been a few hours as he heard Tanisha explaining what happened during their excursion that day. They were all sitting around the makeshift table in the center of the room eating again to regain their strength. Bjorn had no reason to join them in magical circulation, meditation or cultivation practice like Tanisha.
His body was that of a True, and it naturally separated the alloy¡¯s components in his body to work through their proper channels. Maya was the only issue but that was because he was overly saturated with it when his mother tried to use it to pull into the higher planes. Because of that he needed to wait until he was older to be reintroduced to the demonic power.
¡°I assumed as such given that each of the heads produced a different magic.¡± Failsafe continued his explanation. ¡°It is your body''s way of separating the different aspects of your alloy from damaging you. Mortals don¡¯t have the luxury of a True¡¯s body and resilience to higher plane energies.¡±
¡°What about maya?¡± Bjorn asked. ¡°That seemed to hurt me pretty bad.¡±
¡°Yeah, but that was because we drew too much in at once and you started using power far beyond what you could handle. It damaged us in a way that is beyond just rupturing the meridians.¡±
¡°That makes sense.¡± Bjorn said.
¡°What we need most of all is just time to grow.¡± Failsafe explained. ¡°Your body, despite the size, is still that of an infant. We are less than four months old.¡±
¡°Well time is not something we have a lot of here.¡± Bjorn responded as he stood to join the group.
***
There was definitely more urgency in Fuyumi and Aurelius after Tanisha had told them about the thirty days before the facility would self-destruct. Doxy confirmed and explained that disabling the security would allow power to go to more critical systems. It would become a priority to clear out as many of the golems as possible to give themselves more time.
¡°Querry: Details about the number of security drones are classified.¡± Doxy said for the fourth time.
Aurelius and Fuyumi exchanged frustrated glances as they continued attempting to phrase their questions in ways that might circumvent the restrictions on Doxy''s responses. Despite their best efforts, they were only able to extract partial information about the types of security golems guarding the facility. Once they had gleaned all they could, Fuyumi declared it was time to move on to the next phase of their training. Aurelius returned to his meditation, while Fuyumi and Tanisha began their session.
¡°We will start with the basics of the Walking Armory.¡± Fuyumi stated. ¡°Most people believe that we are merely making weapons with ice magic. Constructs entirely made from mana, but that¡¯s not the whole truth.¡±
Confused, Tanisha frowned. ¡°I thought they were constructs too.¡±
Fuyumi held out her left hand and a large yari spear made from ice appeared vertically in her grip. Magic coursed through the weapon as Tanisha had expected, but there was something more beneath the icy glint. The magic that surrounded the weapon came from Fuyumi¡¯s direction, but not from the ghostborn herself.
Fuyumi smirked. ¡°What you are seeing is a spiritual echo, pulled through my mana and shaped by my nature. Since I am yuki, it manifests as ice. However, the true Walking Armory is not tied to any specific element, it reflects the nature of the mage wielding it.¡±
¡°So, where is the mana coming from?¡± Tanisha asked.
Fuyumi raised her right hand, summoning an identical yari, this time made of real materials: dark wood for the shaft and a stunning blue steel blade with damascus patterns. The new spear emanated the same aura as the ice construct. Now that both weapons were present, Tanisha could clearly see the connection between them.
Mana flowed from Fuyumi into the physical spear, where it seemed to transform. The weapon pulsed faintly, almost alive, radiating an energy Tanisha could only describe as monstrous, not in its nature but in its raw vitality. Then she realized that the weapon breathed, it was a faux-life, like monsters. The mana that created the ice spear was coming from the real one.
Tanisha¡¯s mind was awash with questions, so many that they threatened to spill out like water from a broken dam but, before she could ask a single one Fuyumi spoke first.
¡°Take out all of the weapons you possess.¡± Fuyumi ordered. ¡°Place them on the ground here. Oh, and I have also seen you fight with just your hand to hand martial arts too. Place your armor¡¯s boots and gauntlets down as well.¡±
Tanisha complied, setting down her arsenal: two bardiches, a voulge, a sword, a set of daggers, and the gauntlets and boots from her armor.
Fuyumi looked over the weapons and sighed.¡°None of these resonate with you, but the daggers and the undamaged bardiche have potential.¡± She picked up the bardiche crafted by Joel, examining it closely. ¡°Unfortunately, this one won¡¯t work, it¡¯s incomplete.¡±
Tanisha crossed her arms, slightly offended. ¡°Incomplete? That¡¯s a perfectly fine weapon!¡±
¡°It¡¯s a good weapon,¡± Fuyumi admitted, inspecting the haft. ¡°But it was designed to be both a weapon and a magical conduit, part staff, part bardiche. The magical aspect isn¡¯t fully realized, making it unsuitable for the Walking Armory. As for the sword, it carries the malice of its previous owner¡ªundoubtedly a spoil of battle. That kind of lingering intent will interfere with your alloy. The voulge is mundane steel and won¡¯t function well as a conduit. And your other bardiche¡ well, it¡¯s damaged. Put them away.¡±
Tanisha reluctantly stowed the weapons, leaving only her daggers and armor pieces on the ground.
¡°That leaves these,¡± she said.
¡°More than enough,¡± Fuyumi reassured her. ¡°Everyone starts small with their Armory. You¡¯ll begin with these close-range weapons. First, we¡¯ll bind them to you and your essence. But before that, we need to increase your compatibility with them.¡±
¡°How do I do that?¡± Tanisha questioned.
¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Fuyumi declared. ¡°From now on, you must keep these items on you at all times and not in your storage items. You must circulate a constant tether of your alloy through them. The flow should be steady, not enough to activate their effects, though you can in combat. As your resonance with these weapons improves, you¡¯ll be ready for the next step.¡±
Tanisha nodded, determination hardening her expression. She picked up the daggers and armor pieces.
¡°Good,¡± Fuyumi said with a satisfied nod. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±
WM [86] The Swordman
Tanisha found constantly cycling seier to her daggers and armor to be a menial task. It did require a small amount of her attention to maintain the connection but not much more. The wendigo already had an innate ability to channel their mana through their bodies. This was further amplified after she evolved into a greater. Fuyumi appreciated the fact that she could channel her energies so well.
¡°If you keep this up we will be able to add these items into your armory in just two weeks.¡± Fuyumi said with a nod. ¡°Can you channel your alloy like this while you sleep?¡±
¡°While I sleep?¡± Tanisha chuckled thinking she was kidding. ¡°How would that even be possible?¡±
¡°Channelling mana while you sleep is a common trait for mages once they reach higher ranks.¡± Fuyumi said seriously. ¡°It is just like Chakra users and their breathing techniques. Most of the truly powerful people will have their bodies enhanced at all times. Not only does it keep you alert but it also helps you to control your powers better.¡±
Tanisha raised a hand, ¡°if high level mages are doing that all the time that means that they¡¯re constantly expending mana. How? It may be small but that does wear on the mind, right? Using mana always takes a mental toll. How can anyone maintain that and function day and night?¡±
¡°It becomes second nature, I am not saying that they are battle ready at all times,¡± Fuyumi clarified. ¡°What I am saying is that having your magic moving and flowing is what separates a true high level mage from an amateur with a lot of power. You might feel like magic is instant when you cast it, but it¡¯s not. Even for someone who can cast without incantations, there¡¯s a fraction of a second where energy must flow, gather, and release. That delay might seem negligible to a novice, but to a seasoned mage, even a moment¡¯s hesitation can be fatal.¡±
Fuyumi¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°Think about it¡ªwhen you¡¯re fully engaged in battle, doesn¡¯t the world seem to slow down around you? That¡¯s your enhanced cognition, a result of magic sharpening the connection between your mind and core. The stronger that connection, the faster you can think, react, and act. Those fractions of a second stretch on to feel much longer. They can be the difference between victory and becoming rust on an enemy''s blade.¡±
Tanisha pressed her lips together, her thoughts swirling. Everything Fuyumi said made sense, but it also felt overwhelming. There was no shortcut, no alternative. All that was left was to put in the work and to push her seier to cycle faster, to establish an unbroken connection between her core and her mind, and to hone her control until it became as effortless as breathing.
Noticing Tanisha¡¯s silence, Fuyumi offered a faint smile and rose to her feet. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to your contemplation,¡± she said, moving toward Aurelius to oversee his cultivation training.
Tanisha closed her eyes, retreating inward to her core. The silhouette of her body formed in her mind¡¯s eye, and she began the process again, guiding the energy upward, cycling it back, and striving for the control that would one day set her apart.
***
¡°This is the door we went through,¡± Tanisha said, pointing to the dried patches of congealed blood on the ground. ¡°I believe this leads to the Manufacturing Wing.¡±
Aurelius crouched briefly, studying the ground. ¡°Looks like you two went through quite the ordeal,¡± he said, rising and turning his gaze toward the door. ¡°How many of the sword golem things were there?¡±
¡°Just one,¡± Tanisha replied. ¡°The rest were equipped with those loud crossbow thingies. Bjorn and I destroyed every one that came for us.¡±
¡°Impressive, I still haven¡¯t seen one of those things in action.¡± Aurelius said with a nod. Then, after a pause, he asked, ¡°Can I try fighting it alone? I¡¯m close to a breakthrough, and this could help me put what Fuyumi taught me to the test.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine by me,¡± Tanisha said and Fuyumi didn¡¯t object so she continued, ¡°but be cautious. Watch out for its blade attack, it can send slicing aether through the air. You don¡¯t even need to be in range of its swing to get cut. I know you two cannot sense aether like I can because it is a Higher Plane energy.¡±
¡°If things get too dangerous, we¡¯ll step in,¡± Fuyumi added.
¡°Thanks,¡± Aurelius said, giving them both a quick smile before stepping toward the control panel. ¡°Get ready. I¡¯m opening it now.¡±
They all moved into position, pressing themselves against the walls on either side of the door. Tension filled the air, their bodies coiled and prepared to act in case there were more golem¡¯s on the other side and they were ready to storm out in full force. Aurelius placed his hand on the panel. With a faint hum, the door slid open, the mechanism responding to him now that he was in the registry.
The inside was still dark which didn¡¯t bother Tanisha since she could see just fine. The scattered remains of the destroyed constructs were gone. Tanisha didn¡¯t know if that meant the sword golem cleaned them up or something else did. There were security golems, maybe there were also cleaning golems? She would ask Doxy later.
The sword golem, however, was still there. It stood motionless in the center of the hallway, exactly where she and Bjorn had left it after their desperate escape. As Aurelius unsheathed his crystalline sword, his shield was slung on his arm. The construct¡¯s blue eye flickered to life, its blade arms rising as though in recognition of a new threat.
Tanisha whispered an incantation, her voice low and fluid. Small orbs of water appeared around her, glimmering faintly as they floated into the room. With a subtle gesture, the orbs flared, casting soft light into the space and illuminating the hallway for Aurelius. He gave her a nod of thanks and stepped across the threshold, his posture poised and ready. The chaotic aura of his magic rippled faintly around him, creating an air of raw, barely contained energy.
¡°Good luck,¡± Tanisha said.
As soon as Aurelius took a second step inside the fight began in an instant. The golem surged forward with a speed that belied its metal frame, one arm slicing down in a vertical arc. Aurelius sidestepped, his movements so quick that his feet seemed to barely touch the ground. His sword met the golem¡¯s blade in a burst of blue sparks, and the clash sent a shockwave of chaotic mana rippling outward. Tanisha flinched at the force, the wild energy from Aurelius¡¯s primana fascinated her.
Aurelius didn¡¯t take the golem¡¯s forceful strike without reason and pushed the golem back with a sudden surge of strength using the force of its attack against it. He spun, his blade carving a precise arc through the air, aiming for the golem¡¯s side.
The construct shifted its body unnaturally, its torso twisting to avoid the strike while its other arm lashed out horizontally. Aurelius¡¯s shield rose into place, blocking the attack just in time. Even so, the impact made him slide back several feet, his boots scraping against the smooth floor.
¡°Watch its footwork!¡± Fuyumi called out. ¡°It may be a golem but it still has to use proper form for its attacks to have weight.¡±
The golem¡¯s blades glowed brighter, and it pivoted smoothly, swinging its arm upward. The motion sent a wave of slicing aether through the air, just as Tanisha had warned. Aurelius leapt up in a twisting flip, narrowly avoiding the invisible strike as it carved a deep gash into the wall behind him.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Tanisha was surprised by the strength of the attack. She had not seen anything actually damage the walls or floor of this place. Even Fuyumi couldn¡¯t damage them when she tried to force one of the doors open. The golem was far more dangerous than she thought. If she or Bjorn didn¡¯t escape when they did, maybe they really would have died.
¡°That was too close,¡± Tanisha muttered, her body leaning forward as she watched with newfound intensity.
The fight escalated. Aurelius darted in and out of the golem¡¯s reach, his blade meeting its bladed arms in a flurry of strikes. Aurelius¡¯s blade became a collage of afterimages each one faster than the last. The clashes sent sparks and ripples of primana and aetheric energy through the air.
Despite that the golem was relentless, each blade spun to attack and defend in perfect mechanical precision, forcing Aurelius to stay constantly on the move. Then came the moment Tanisha feared. The golem feinted a strike with one arm while its other blade thrust forward at an impossible angle.
Aurelius¡¯s sword was out of position, and he raised his shield, but the golem¡¯s blade pierced through its surface. The metal split in a loud crack. Aurelius leaned back just in time to keep the blade from piercing his skull. The golem raised a foot and kicked him in the stomach with enough force that sent him flying backward into the wall.
¡°Watch out!¡± Tanisha shouted, starting forward. ¡°It¡¯s time to help, Big Man.¡±
Fuyumi¡¯s hand shot out, grabbed her arm and held her back. ¡°Wait. Trust him.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s heart pounded, her seier crackled at her fingertips, but she forced herself to stay put. She looked to Bjorn who was ready to enter but waited for her confirmation. She shook her head and decided to trust that Fuyumi knew what she was talking about.
Aurelius groaned as he staggered to his feet, his shield lying in shattered pieces around him. He dropped the remaining scraps of the destroyed protection attached to his arm and held his blade in both hands. Blood dripped from a cut on his forehead, but his grip on his sword remained firm. The golem advanced, unrelenting, its bladed arms glowing brighter as it prepared for another attack.
Without his shield, Aurelius was forced to rely solely on his speed and swordsmanship. Tanisha found it hard to believe that he had not been taught how to fight by a master as he dashed forward, meeting the golem¡¯s strikes head-on. The construct¡¯s blade swept through the air but Aurelius twisted out of the way, his movements a blur. His crystal sword flashed as he countered, the chaotic energy searing a shallow gouge across the golem¡¯s torso.
The golem retaliated instantly, spinning with its other arm. Aurelius ducked low, his boots skidding against the polished floor as the blade whistled just above his head. Without pausing, he surged upward, with clench teeth, his sword slashed in a wide arc. The crystalline edge found its mark and severed one of the golem¡¯s arms in a shower of sparks and metallic shards.
The golem staggered, its balance disrupted by the loss of its limb. Its single blue eye flickered erratically as it reoriented itself. Aurelius didn¡¯t wait for it to recover. He pressed the attack, the construct adapted quickly, compensating for its lost arm with brutal efficiency. Its remaining blade moved like a blur. Aurelius deflected and dodged, each movement growing sharper as he recognized the pattern.
Tanisha could see the moment Aurelius tightened his stance. In real time he was improving his fighting style as if battle itself was his teacher. He closed the openings in his fighting style, abandoning extra movement when only one was necessary. He adapted some of the golem¡¯s techniques into his own swordsmanship.
Tanisha was in awe of his genius with a blade as he drew upon the chaotic flow of his magic. The air around him felt electrified, his presence almost overwhelming, even from the sidelines. Sparks flew with every clash, the hallway filling with the sounds of steel and magic colliding.
Finally, Aurelius saw his opening. The golem¡¯s balance was still slightly off from the loss of its arm, and it overextended in a powerful swing. Aurelius ducked the attack, twisting his body to avoid the blade by mere inches. With a roar, he drove his sword forward and plunged it straight through the golem¡¯s chest.
The construct spasmed, its blue eye flickering wildly as chaotic energy surged through its body. Aurelius gritted his teeth, pouring more of his primana into the blade. The chaotic flow spread through the golem like cracks in glass, destabilizing its internal structure. With a final, decisive motion, Aurelius wrenched his sword upward, splitting the golem clean in two. The halves collapsed to the ground, the light in its eye extinguished.
Aurelius stood over the wreckage, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. His sword¡¯s glow dimmed, the chaotic energy retreating as he finally lowered his weapon. Tanisha rushed forward, her water orbs hovering protectively around her.
¡°You okay?¡± she asked, her voice tight with concern.
Aurelius gave her a weary smile, his legs wobbling slightly. ¡°Still in one piece. Can¡¯t say the same for the golem.¡±
¡°That was incredible, Speedy! You adapted so quickly, and that final strike was amazing!¡± Tanisha took out a lesser healing potion from her inventory but he declined. ¡°That thing gave me and Bjorn a hard time but you took it down by yourself.¡±
¡°It caught you two off guard and it was a good matchup for Aurelius.¡± Fuyumi stepped forward, her gaze critical but not unkind. ¡°That was well-fought. You¡¯ve improved, but losing your shield was a significant setback. We¡¯ll review your swordsmanship techniques later. For now we should secure this hallway.¡±
Aurelius chuckled softly, wincing as he wiped the blood from his face. ¡°Fine by me. Just... let me catch my breath first.¡±
Fuyumi nodded and turned to Tanisha, ¡°do you know what¡¯s in those containers against the wall?¡± Fuyumi asked, shifting the conversation with a curious glance toward the neatly stacked metal crates lining the corridor.
Tanisha followed her gaze, her interest piqued. She approached the containers, their polished surfaces reflecting the dim light of the hallway. Drawing a dagger from the sheath on her side, she effortlessly sliced through the latch on one of the boxes with a decisive motion. The lid creaked open, revealing its contents.
Inside, a pile of silvery metal shards glinted faintly. Tanisha¡¯s brow furrowed as she leaned closer, puzzled by the unfamiliar material. Then her expression brightened as a pungent, chlorine-like odor wafted out. A broad smile spread across her face. She knew that smell well from her alchemy classes.
¡°Is that,¡± Fuyumi began, watching Tanisha¡¯s reaction.
¡°Yup,¡± Tanisha confirmed, her voice laced with excitement. ¡°Osmium tetroxide.¡±
The potent, acrid odor confirmed it beyond doubt. Osmium tetroxide, a hazardous chemical compound to humans and many other species, filled the air around the box. Thankfully, Tanisha¡¯s physiology wasn¡¯t affected by its toxicity; otherwise, the exposure could have been deadly. The shards within were unmistakably osmium, a rare and precious metal.
She closed the lid carefully and turned to the group, her excitement barely contained. ¡°This box is full of osmium shards. There is some dangerous gas in there too, so don¡¯t breathe too deeply around the containers. But this? This is amazing!¡± She squealed in excitement.
¡°Why?¡± Aurelius asked, intrigued but wary of her enthusiasm.
¡°Because,¡± Tanisha said, ¡°now that I have both osmium and quicksilver, I can create magic stones. Depending on the purity of the osmium, I might even be able to craft a staff jewel. That means we¡¯re only a few materials away from attempting wandmaking!¡±
¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Fuyumi said, her tone sharp. ¡°But let¡¯s not open any more of these crates if they¡¯re full of potentially dangerous gases for the rest of us.¡±
Tanisha paused, her dagger poised above another container¡¯s latch. She opened her mouth to argue, but Fuyumi¡¯s stern glare stopped her short. With a sigh, she lowered her weapon.
¡°Fine,¡± Tanisha relented, though she cast a longing glance at the unopened crates. ¡°I¡¯ll come back later, after we¡¯ve explored a bit more.¡±
¡°What exactly do you do with magic stones?¡± Aurelius asked.
Tanisha perked up, happy to explain. ¡°Magic stones are used to store magic attuned to their specific properties. They¡¯re incredibly versatile in high-level crafting. Mages use them for all sorts of applications, creating spell scrolls with magic ink, which is infused with powdered stones to hold spell power, or in heating and cooling systems like the ones in Yuhia. They¡¯re also crucial for crafting magical tattoos, powering lighting, and even the technomancy circuits in devices like my communicator. It¡¯s packed with hundreds of these stones.¡±
¡°So, they¡¯re like magic crystals?¡± Fuyumi asked.
¡°Not quite,¡± Tanisha clarified. ¡°Magic crystals produce magic or alter and amplify it. That makes them ideal for tasks requiring a constant magical output, like light crystals that emit light from the magic fed into them. Magic stones, on the other hand, are purely storage. They hold the magic that¡¯s poured into them and release it as needed, until they¡¯re fully depleted.¡±
Aurelius pressed his hand against another control panel and the lights in the new corridor turned on. It was Identical to every other hallway. At the end was a staircase going both down and up. There were also several open doors all of which led into dark rooms. There didn¡¯t seem to be any more golems so they decided they would check out each open door first before continuing to the stairwell.
WM [87] Bad Feeling About This
Fuyumi led the way into the first open doorway of the new hallway. As they stepped inside, the room illuminated automatically, revealing an observatory. Bjorn¡¯s gaze was drawn to the massive window dominating one wall, offering a view of something. He closed the distance to finally understand what he was seeing.
The window overlooked a spiraling chasm that descended endlessly into the ground. The spiral appeared to be carved into the rock itself, winding deeper and deeper until its bottom vanished into darkness beyond the reach of their light. The sheer scale of the opening was staggering, more than a few hundred yards in diameter from their vantage point.
¡°Oh, I don¡¯t like that,¡± Fuyumi muttered, stepping back from the glass with a shiver. ¡°All of that is beneath the Chaos Lands. How is that even possible?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t know you were afraid of heights,¡± Tanisha teased with a small smirk.
¡°I¡¯ve spent my whole life with solid ground under me,¡± Fuyumi retorted, her voice firm as she backed into the hallway. ¡°And I intend to keep it that way. I¡¯ll be out here when you¡¯re ready to check the next room.¡±
Bjorn barely registered their exchange. His attention was fixed on the abyss below, his night eye saw through the darkness with ease. What the light didn¡¯t show, his sight revealed in detail: enclosed metal bridges stretched across the vast expanse, connecting sections of the chasm¡¯s walls. The spiral structure wasn¡¯t just a mine or quarry.
Bjorn¡¯s breath caught as he focused further down. He could make out clusters of metal structures, the unmistakable outline of buildings. This was no ordinary pit, it was a forgotten city buried in the abyss, hidden far below the surface.
¡°We¡¯ve barely scratched the surface of this place,¡± Bjorn muttered.
¡°Oh that is not good,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°We have to destroy the security remember or we will run out of time. If this place is that big, who knows how many of those golems there are.¡±
¡°Ehh¡ you are right there could be thousands down there.¡± Bjorn said as his eyes widened. ¡°If this facility is so deep there is a good chance that that orange corridor to the core goes much deeper too.¡±
¡°With how much we struggled against the Shard golem, we might have a problem. If the other anti-mage defences are that strong I doubt we can beat them at our current strength.¡±
¡°Well they are worth a lot of experience. A city¡¯s worth of experience in fact.¡± Bjorn said.
¡°Big Man, come on.¡± Freja called.
Bjorn tore his gaze away from the chasm and followed her to the next room across the hall. It was a vast storage area, warehouse-sized with crates stacked high on multiple levels. Fuyumi allowed Tanisha to inspect a few of the containers. Most held mundane raw materials like metals, crystals, and geodes. The sheer volume was impressive, but nothing stood out as immediately useful.
¡°Doxy,¡± Tanisha asked, turning to the nearby terminal, ¡°is there a catalog or manifest for these materials? What were they used for?¡±
Doxy responded immediately. ¡°Query: The manifest can be accessed at the terminal. This storage room is the overflow for raw metals extracted during operations. These materials can be used for fabrication. Tokens needed: Zero.¡±
¡°Tokens?¡± Aurelius asked, arching a brow. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±
Fuyumi chimed in. ¡°I was wondering the same.¡±
¡°Query: Tokens are the assigned value for trade goods. All materials and services require tokens for access, except for basic necessities and rest areas. Tokens are earned through completion of assigned tasks,¡± Doxy explained. ¡°Current available assignment¡ error. The Site Manager has suspended all tasks. Emergency evacuation is in progress. Please proceed to the nearest exit.¡±
¡°So, it¡¯s basically a currency,¡± Tanisha mused.
¡°Yeah, but everything we¡¯ve done so far has been free,¡± Fuyumi noted. ¡°And with the Site Manager long gone I doubt we will earn any.¡±
¡°Well, a room full of crates is interesting, but I doubt it¡¯s what we¡¯re looking for,¡± Aurelius said, heading for the door. ¡°We can come back later if there¡¯s anything worth taking.¡±
Bjorn hissed his agreement and trailed behind the swordsman. Fuyumi and Tanisha followed, and the group made their way to a stairwell at the end of the hallway. Deciding to go up first, they ascended to a single door at the top.
They prepared for an ambush. Bjorn and Aurelius in front, Fuyumi and Tanisha flanking the entryway. Tanisha placed her hand on the control panel. The door hissed and slid open, revealing a darkened room.
As expected, a barrage of fast-moving projectiles erupted. Aurelius deflected them with the flat of his blade, while Bjorn¡¯s primana-infused scales harmlessly absorbed the impacts. The two sprang into action. Shadows enveloped Bjorn, rendering him invisible, while Aurelius blurred with supernatural speed.
The fight was swift and brutal. Within moments, the golems lay in ruins, and Tanisha activated the lights. The room stretched out before them, a single sprawling floor teeming with machinery. Conveyors and mechanical arms, untouched for countless years. Despite their age, everything was preserved in near-pristine condition, a testament to the advanced technology that created them. Some machines appeared mundane, industrial in nature, but others gleamed with intricate aetheric runescripts that caught Failsafe''s attention.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
¡°Some of those symbols were on buildings from your memories,¡± Failsafe said, his voice tinged with fascination. ¡°And a few are strikingly similar to the formula used in the barrier that protected your hometown.¡±
¡°The Gate? I thought that was purely an aetheric construct. Why would these machines share the same design formula?¡± Bjorn asked, his eyes narrowing. ¡°This technology. If humans had it at one point, how did they lose it?¡±
¡°Well, with technomancy advancing, especially with devices like Tanisha¡¯s communicator, mana-based tech doesn¡¯t seem too far off,¡± Failsafe replied, swiveling his head to survey the room. ¡°We¡¯re probably a few centuries¡ maybe millennia, behind this, but the foundation is being laid.¡±
¡°If we manage to secure this place, we could accelerate that progress exponentially,¡± Bjorn said.
¡°And if we fail, we¡¯ll be too dead to care,¡± Failsafe quipped.
Bjorn chuckled dryly. ¡°Hard to argue with that logic.¡±
Failsafe shifted the topic, his tone turning more serious. ¡°Speaking of progress, have you had any more visions? I half-expected you to freak out when we saw the city, or the golems, or even this place.¡±
Bjorn sighed, his large frame settling onto the floor as the others examined the room. ¡°Honestly, so did I. But no visions, not since we entered the barracks. My visions are getting less helpful, and we nearly got wiped out by a blade-armed golem. If I could talk or even just write I could explain myself to the others.¡±
¡°Well, converting spells is no picnic,¡± Failsafe said, as he bobbed the right most head. ¡°And I¡¯m still tinkering with the whole wind-to-sound magic concept. But once you can talk, are you going to tell Tanisha you¡¯re a reincarnated soul in a True¡¯s body? The whole Isin, and King of Chains past life?¡±
Bjorn hesitated, his heads swiveling in different directions as he contemplated. Partially to make sure that there weren¡¯t any golems hidden amongst the machines but also to stall his answer.
¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. With the memories I have, I¡¯m technically twenty.¡± Bjorn said. ¡°I recall flashes of my adulthood and my death, but nothing complete. I want to tell her, but¡ what happens when I do? Especially when I tell her my hydra mother is coming to kill everyone.¡±
¡°Speaking of complications,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°There¡¯s something else you need to know. When you finally gain the ability to speak, you won¡¯t be able to talk to them.¡±
Bjorn blinked, taken aback. ¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t actually know their language. I¡¯ve been translating for you this whole time, but once you speak, I can¡¯t translate in real time. You¡¯ll still speak Angelia, our language. If you want to communicate, you¡¯ll need to learn Valish and Muaian.¡±
Bjorn groaned and rubbed his snout. ¡°Oh, great. I forgot about that. Guess you¡¯re teaching me once we¡¯re done here.¡±
¡°Oh, you¡¯ll love having me as a teacher.¡± Failsafe¡¯s unsettling grin widened. ¡°I know all the words and some very creative curses I¡¯ve been filtering out.¡±
Bjorn rolled his eyes but quickly rejoined the group as they reached the center of the floor. Several flat, industrial-scale devices dominated the space, imposing and alien. Unlike the smaller fabricators they¡¯d seen in the barracks, these machines exuded power, every inch optimized for efficiency.
¡°What¡ is this?¡± Aurelius asked, glancing at the others.
¡°Doxy! Aurelius¡¯s question please,¡± Tanisha said.
¡°Query: This is the Main Floor Industrial Fabricator. This facility is designed to handle final construction of¡ [DATA NOT FOUND]. In preparation for shipment to [EXPUNGED].¡±
¡°You guys understood that?¡± Aurelius scratched the back of his head, looking bemused.
¡°It is here to build something,¡± Fuyumi said with a shrug. ¡°Let¡¯s head to the lower floor. We need to destroy as many golems as possible before the day¡¯s over.¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± Tanisha nodded, leading the way.
***
The lower floor was a mirror of the upper one, complete with a single door leading into an unknown space. The team quickly fell into formation, preparing for the next confrontation. Bjorn and Aurelius positioned themselves at the front, ready to charge as soon as the doors opened.
A sharp hiss filled the air as the door slid open, revealing a brightly lit chamber. Standing just a few feet inside was a solitary golem, motionless but unmistakably alert. Its blue eyes flickered to life, glowing with a vibrant energy. The construct was eerily human in appearance, with its polished porcelain-like frame and lifelike proportions. It even wore simple all white clothing. Only the faint buzzing of energy and the gleam of its jointed limbs betrayed its true nature. Unlike the Shard Golem from before, which wielded blades as part of its form, this one had twin swords sheathed at its hips.
Bjorn''s sharp gaze scanned the room beyond, finding it empty of other threats, at least for now. Before he could process the situation fully, there was a sudden blur of motion. The golem hadn''t moved¡ªbut Fuyumi had.
She darted forward with startling speed, positioning herself in front of Bjorn and Aurelius. Both men recoiled instinctively, startled by the unexpected action. Bjorn¡¯s heightened senses flared as he detected a surge of aether in the air. Before him, the space in front of Fuyumi shimmered unnaturally. Her ice spear struck against the distortion with a sharp crack, revealing an invisible adversary.
¡°Tanisha, close the door!¡± Fuyumi barked, her voice cutting through the tension.
Without hesitation, Tanisha slapped her hand onto the terminal, and the door hissed shut. The shimmering distortion coalesced into a fully visible figure, an exact replica of the golem inside the chamber. It moved with blinding speed, using an Aetheric Flash Step to evade Fuyumi¡¯s relentless attacks, before pivoting toward Tanisha in a deadly thrust.
Tanisha barely dodged the strike, the blade missing her by inches.
¡°Bjorn, I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this,¡± Failsafe warned.
Bjorn didn¡¯t need further prompting. He surged forward, jaws wide, aiming to bring down the construct before it could wreak more havoc. The golem seemed to have anticipated his move. As Tanisha retreated, the construct sheathed one of its twin swords and pressed a hand against the terminal.
To everyone¡¯s shock, the door hissed open once more.
¡°Stop it!¡± Fuyumi shouted, redoubling her efforts, but it was too late.
Bjorn¡¯s jaws slammed shut around the golem¡¯s torso with a satisfying crunch of metal, but not before it plunged its aether-infused blade into the terminal. Sparks flew as the system shorted out, rendering the door inoperable. The terminal was damaged so they couldn¡¯t close it again. The golem inside like its fallen counterpart vanished as the new assault began.
WM [88] Team Leader
The new threats were all invisible; only the sound of their metal feet as they clattered against the ground and the faint shimmer in the air from their aether gave any indication of where the beings were. Tanisha pulled out her knives from the sheaths on her side and prepared to attack.
¡°Everyone, we need to retreat to the top of the stairs!¡± Aurelius said as he blocked an invisible strike. ¡°Tanisha, once we are there make as much water as you can and spread it across the floor! Everyone else protects her while she channels.¡±
Bjorn leaped, tackling one of the invisible golems, ripping it apart. Tanisha was surprised he could see them so well when she could barely make out their aether. It wasn¡¯t time to think though, she used Arcane Shift to appear beside him then after a few more shifts they were at the top of the stairwell at the main level. They could already hear the tapping of dozens of the invisible golems running after them.
Tanisha began her spell immediately using the knives as an imperfect medium for her alloy. The water flowed down the stairs in a tide carefully weaving around her own party since this was conjured water and not actual water she had full control over the arcane liquid. She even deafened the sound of the rushing tide as she continued to channel her magic.
She had never used her hydromancy this way before although she knew it was always possible. Instead of compressing the liquid down into orbs she could have always channeled torrents of water. It was another reminder at how under utilized her magic had gone. Her weapons, maya and hand to hand were all further along than her use of the mana aspects of her alloy.
Aurelius again took charge, ¡°They''re here! Bjorn and I will take the right side, Fuyumi on the left, Tanisha, are you okay?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I can do this all day.¡± Tanisha said.
The golems were relentless though in the water they were completely visible against Tanisha¡¯s magic. Slowed by the rushing hydromancy and without the element of surprise they were quickly handled by the team. Aurelius continued to give out commands. He called out the constructs and instructed Tanisha when to lessen or increase the flow of water to throw the golems off balance. Once the last one fell and Tanisha felt no more disturbance in the magic she lessened the flow to just cover the floor so that if something stepped they would hear the wet slaps.
¡°That¡¯s the last of them,¡± she announced, brushing sweat from her brow. ¡°I¡¯ve coated the stairs¡ªif more come, we¡¯ll hear them.¡±
¡°That had to be at least¡ what, twenty-four no, twenty five of those things.¡± Aurelius said with a tired huff as he sheathed his sword. ¡°If we were caught out in the open I think that could have been bad.
¡°That was brilliant thinking, Speedy,¡± Tanisha said with a thumbs up. ¡°You really took control of the battle.¡±
¡°Thanks, it wasn¡¯t much,¡± Aurelius said. ¡°It was a good thing that you are a hydrokinetic mage¡ sage?¡±
Tanisha smiled and checked on Bjorn petting his side and nuzzling his closest head. He was still on alert with his other heads staring down to the lower level for any sign of further attackers. She decided to leave him to his guard duty.
¡°It was quick thinking,¡± Fuyumi chimed in. ¡°I would have just told you two to leave while I handled it. Or just had us retreat back to the next door and close it.¡±
Aurelius seemed embarrassed by the praise so Tanisha changed the subject.
¡°I know that Higher Plane Energies are hard for people to detect when they don¡¯t have a connection to it like me.¡± Tanisha said. ¡°How did you react to that first one so quickly, Fuyumi? I didn¡¯t even sense it until after I started looking for it.¡±
¡°It was the lack of mana in the space the golems were occupying.¡± Fuyumi said.
Aurelius rubbed his chin. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice that until after the first strike too, then it became more obvious.¡±
¡°That means you both need more training in detecting changes in ambient mana,¡± Fuyumi said. ¡°As your magic grows so does your ability to perceive it, but just like muscle it has to be trained.
¡°Joha taught me about that as well,¡± Tanisha added. ¡°It helped me develop invisible constructs with maya by allowing the ambient mana to pass through them. It makes maya constructs less stable but harder to detect.¡±
¡°That is true with mana constructs too.¡± Fuyumi agreed as she summoned an ice sword. ¡°When you allow ambient mana to pass through your own magic it is the same as poking thousands of holes in your construct.¡±
Tanisha and Aurelius watched intently as the icy blade in Fuyumi¡¯s hand dimmed, the vibrant magic that once coursed through it now fading into subtle nothingness. It looked like mundane ice, yet Tanisha couldn¡¯t help but marvel. A construct that dense, stripped of its magical signature to the point of being undetectable? It seemed almost impossible.
¡°This is assassin¡¯s ice,¡± Fuyumi explained, her voice calm but tinged with an undertone of authority. ¡°By steadily reducing its magical potency, it becomes invisible to all but the naked eye. However, the trade-off is that it must be carried manually until it¡¯s needed. In essence, it¡¯s no different than wielding a blue steel blade, except that, as a construct, it can be dismissed, reshaped, or even weaponized further.¡± She summoned a smaller ice knife in her other hand and demonstrated by slicing clean through the larger blade. ¡°In terms of durability, though, it¡¯s weaker than most constructs. It¡¯s a tool of precision, not power.¡±
¡°The golems were the same,¡± Aurelius noted wide eyed. ¡°They were easier to destroy than that big one with the blade arms once we know where they are and far weaker too. It must be because they were designed to allow mana to flow through and around them to stay hidden.¡±
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Fuyumi nodded. ¡°Likely a deliberate trade-off. Let¡¯s head back down and see what we¡¯ve unlocked. It¡¯s better to confirm the area is cleared before they regroup. Stay sharp, these constructs might have more tricks in store.¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± Tanisha said.
All eyes turned to Aurelius, who suddenly seemed uneasy under the weight of their stares.
¡°I agree too,¡± he said, a bit awkwardly.¡±
¡°So, what¡¯s the plan, fearless leader?¡± Tanisha teased, her tail swishing behind her as a grin tugged at her lips.
¡°Wait, me?¡± Aurelius blinked, pointing at himself. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Fuyumi¡ª¡±
¡°You¡¯ve got a natural knack for leadership.¡± Fuyumi dismissed the idea with a casual wave. ¡°I¡¯m more of a warrior and guide. It would appear that strategy is one of your strengths. I noticed the same when Tanisha was injured and we had to fight the magma burrowers. You came up with the plan then too.¡±
Tanisha shook her head when his gaze darted to her for support. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I am just the alchemist on this trip. Planning combat strategies? Definitely not my thing.¡±
¡°Looks like it¡¯s on you, Speedy,¡± Fuyumi said with a smirk.
¡°You¡¯re calling me that now too?¡± Aurelius let out a resigned sigh, scratching the back of his head. ¡°Fine. Just¡ give me a second.¡± He peered down the water-coated stairs, deep in thought. ¡°Tanisha, can you coat the walls and ceiling too?¡±
¡°Sure.¡± Tanisha shifted her knife, and the water obeyed, flowing upward to cover the surfaces. ¡°Like that?¡±
¡°Perfect,¡± Aurelius said. ¡°How¡¯s your mana reserve holding up?¡±
¡°Seier, and I¡¯ve used maybe a quarter. Channeling like this is a steady drain, but nothing I can¡¯t handle.¡± She sheathed one of her daggers and potion bottles appeared in her hand. She tossed one to him and Fuyumi. ¡°Stamina potions if we are continuing, let''s make sure we are ready.¡±
¡°Alright. Keep it up but don¡¯t overdo it,¡± Aurelius instructed, he uncorked the bottle and drank. ¡°Fuyumi, you lead the way since you can sense the constructs better. Bjorn, cover the rear. Tanisha and I will watch for disturbances in the water. If anything disrupts the flow, we¡¯ll know. Sound good?¡±
¡°Why the ceiling?¡± Tanisha asked, her brow furrowing.
¡°In case they¡¯ve got ambushers hanging above,¡± Aurelius replied. ¡°We¡¯re in a confined space. Plenty of creatures would exploit that, and these things already demonstrated intelligence when one sabotaged the door controls.¡±
¡°Smart,¡± Tanisha admitted, nodding. ¡°Alright, Speedy. Lead on.¡±
The group began their descent, Tanisha¡¯s water shifting seamlessly to avoid her allies¡¯ feet, ensuring their footing remained dry. The tension in the air was palpable as they reached the bottom. Almost immediately, Tanisha felt a faint disruption in her magic, followed by the telltale shimmer of aether.
¡°Two constructs¡ªright and left!¡± she called out.
The constructs had latched onto the walls, avoiding the water-coated floor. As Tanisha¡¯s warning echoed, both lunged at Fuyumi from opposite directions. But Fuyumi and Aurelius were ready. With a sharp thrust, Fuyumi¡¯s ice spear impaled one midair, its form instantly freezing then shattering into shimmering fragments. Aurelius shot forward with his unmatched speed intercepting the second with his glowing blade. There was a brief exchange of strikes but soon the golem was also destroyed.
¡°Good call,¡± Fuyumi said, nodding her approval as she readied her weapon again.
Tanisha returned the nod, her focus sharpening as the group moved forward, prepared for whatever awaited them. They entered a large, sprawling chamber that stood in stark contrast to the upper-floor''s stark, utilitarian design. This room was divided into a labyrinth of individual workstations, each brimming with peculiar and ancient tools. Along the walls, for once, there were no imposing blast doors, only ordinary doors with simple handles, a deceptive normalcy in such an advanced facility.
Navigating through the maze of shelves, hand tools, and flat, lifeless screens, the group swept the area carefully, ensuring it was clear of threats before moving on. Tanisha''s sharp eyes scanned the environment, recognizing some of the equipment as lab instruments, though much of it was alien to her. The room seemed to whisper of scientific endeavors long abandoned.
As they explored further, they discovered smaller rooms adjoining the central workspace. Each held a different purpose: office spaces left cluttered, meeting rooms lined with chairs, arcane chambers with unfinished and odd aetheric spellforms, and even a few pristine functional bathrooms. The sheer scale of the area dwarfed every structure they¡¯d encountered thus far aside from the massive pit city which was undoubtedly the heart of this facility.
The group entered the next room, and Tanisha let out an unexpected squeal, startling everyone. Her wide eyes darted across the shelves upon shelves of neatly arranged chemicals, meticulously preserved samples of plants, animals, and possibly monsters. The room was an alchemist''s dream, a veritable treasure trove of discovery. Among the shelves were not only alien-looking apparatuses but also simple tools she recognized: beakers, microscopes, and other familiar instruments.
¡°This is... incredible,¡± she whispered, her voice brimming with awe. ¡°It¡¯s an alchemy lab. The most advanced I¡¯ve ever seen. Probably ever will see. How did they keep everything so perfectly preserved for so long?¡±
Aurelius snapped to attention, forming a defensive stance. ¡°Are you okay? Did you see something? Where is it?¡± His tone was sharp, his eyes darting around for any sign of danger.
Tanisha flushed with embarrassment, shaking her head. ¡°No, sorry! I didn¡¯t detect anything dangerous. I just... got excited. This lab is remarkable.¡±
Fuyumi let out a quiet sigh, her conjured weapon vanishing into the air. ¡°You can marvel at it later. For now, let¡¯s clear the rest of this level.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Tanisha nodded, ¡°sorry. Let¡¯s keep going.¡±
The group pressed on, exploring the remaining rooms. Most were unremarkable, their contents mundane compared to the treasures of the alchemy lab. That was until they reached another blast door, this one wide open. A palpable tension filled the air as they peered into the dark space beyond.
Tanisha extended her magic, spreading water into the room. She felt no immediate disturbances, but the air carried a sense of unease. Fuyumi stepped inside, and as if sensing her presence, the lights flickered to life.
The room revealed itself to be an armory¡ªa veritable arsenal of strange weapons and equipment. Odd, rune-coated plates of metal were stacked on high shelves, alongside peculiar vests and strange, compact versions of the loud crossbows they had seen earlier. Unlike the larger, arm-mounted variants, these were handheld, seemingly designed for agility and precision.
At the center of the room stood a flat, sterile table, holding what appeared to be a humanoid golem with wings. The construct was bound in place, its lifeless form tethered by a web of metal cables extending from its back.
Before anyone could comment, the golem¡¯s head lifted, a faint green light flickering to life in its hollow eyes. The group froze, weapons at the ready, their bodies coiled with tension.
¡°Welcome to the Maintenance Room,¡± came Doxy¡¯s familiar monotone voice from the golem. ¡°If you have damaged equipment, please place it on the fabricator.¡±
WM [89] Good to See You Again
The golem hung suspended mid-air, its metal form supported by thin, gleaming cables that connected directly to its spine. Its faintly glowing emerald eyes gave it an unsettling presence, but it made no move to attack or defend itself. The figure bore an uncanny resemblance to the Angels Bjorn had loathed in his previous life. However, its wings lacked the feathers typical of those beings, consisting only of skeletal joints and the bare structure of a bird''s anatomy.
Bjorn tensed, ready to strike at the first sign of hostility. The others hesitated, uncertain, as this was the first of the golems to address them directly. Its voice, eerily similar to Doxy¡¯s monotone cadence, caught them off guard. Could this be the entity they had been communicating with all along? Bjorn sniffed the air but detected no trace of the distinct aetheric presence that marked a True Angel. This was not one of their kind, it was a golem designed in their likeness.
¡°Are you Doxy?¡± Tanisha asked, her tone sharp but curious.
¡°Incorrect identification,¡± the being replied. ¡°I am Laxy, G Series, G-21: Seraph, angelic humanoid Mecha-Doll, designated as a maintenance and fabrication assistant android. Doxy is the Alpha Extraction Site Aetheric Program. Our functions are distinct. My focus is equipment management and fabrication support, not site-wide data analysis or command oversight. How may I assist you?¡±
¡°Uh, Android? Is that like a golem?¡± Tanisha asked, tilting her head.
¡°I see you are unfamiliar with this term,¡± Laxy replied as the cables supporting it began lowering it gracefully to the ground. ¡°An android is a technological construct, distinct from a golem. While golems are typically animated by magic alone, guided by a magecaster¡¯s will or an enchantment, I am a hybrid construct. My design merges magical components with advanced technologies, granting me greater autonomy and versatility.
¡°For example, my core programming allows me to analyze tasks, suggest optimizations, and function independently within established parameters. Unlike a golem, I do not require direct magical guidance. Think of me as a magically-augmented machine, engineered to assist rather than serve as a simple automaton.¡±
¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t catch most of that,¡± Aurelius interjected, scratching his head. ¡°So¡ it¡¯s just another type of golem, right? Annnnndroid. Sounds weird.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not going to attack us like the other golems¡ªor, uh, androids outside?¡± Fuyumi asked, her eyes narrowing as her hand drifted toward her weapon.
¡°No,¡± Laxy said with a polite bow of its head. ¡°I am incapable of harming anyone. My purpose is maintenance and fabrication assistance, not combat. The units you encountered such as the S Series, S-01: Silhouette, are Mecha Dolls, hybrid constructs built for stealth and combat. My role is entirely non-combative.¡±
¡°Are there more like you, non-combative androids?¡± Fuyumi pressed.
¡°Yes,¡± Laxy affirmed. ¡°There are others like me stationed in different maintenance facilities, each designed for similar non-combative roles. Additionally, this facility employs cleaning droids and non-humanoid drones to ensure operational efficiency and system integrity.¡±
As Laxy touched the ground, a ripple of light shimmered over its metallic body. Its appearance shifted, and the lifeless metal silhouette was replaced by the form of a kind-looking human woman with dark hair and faintly glowing green eyes. Golden lines traced along her exposed skin. She wore what appeared to be a pristine white coat, reaching into one of her breast pockets to retrieve a pair of glasses, which she perched delicately on her nose.
Her wings, however, remained metal but were covered in golden feathers as they folded neatly behind her. One by one, the cables hissed softly before releasing her, retracting silently into the ceiling. It took Bjorn a moment to notice that she wasn¡¯t actually touching the floor but hovering less than an inch above it.
¡°Did you just turn into a human?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°No, I haven¡¯t turned into a human.¡± Loxy¡¯s voice took on a more natural and feminine tone. ¡° This appearance is created using aetheric energy. Studies show mortals relate more to friendly, human-like faces than to machines. I chose this specific form because my fellow researchers in the past responded better to it than to the male variant forms I¡¯ve tried before.¡±
Bjorn walked up to the android and tasted the air around it far closer. He could taste the aether moving around it but it moved in a way that was unfamiliar to him. He lifted a paw and touched the android. Where his hand landed felt as though he was touching the fabric of her coat rather than the metal body beneath.
Identify
Name: Loxy
Species: Android? (Honestly I don¡¯t know what this thing is)
Level: N/A
Vocation: N/A
Highest Stat: N/A
¡°Hello Child of the Poisoner.¡± Laxy spoke but not in a language Bjorn had ever heard, yet, somehow, understood. ¡°You have finally returned but not in any form we expected. Please return to me once you are alone, Isin there is much we must discuss.¡±
The language she spoke sounded like a series of hisses, but at the same time no one else seemed to hear it but him.
Bjorn jumped back away from Laxy and hissed, ¡°how are you talking to me? What is this language?¡±
¡°When you are alone. Please.¡± Laxy responded.
¡°What¡¯s wrong Bjorn?¡± Failsafe questioned. ¡°Why are you hissing at that weird android lady?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t hear it?¡± Bjorn asked.
The head Failsafe controlled tilted. ¡°I don¡¯t hear anything out of the ordinary.¡±
He can¡¯t understand or hear it? That only happened before with beings from the higher planes. Or if it related to my soul directly.
¡°Uh, I see.¡± Bjorn responded but decided not to elaborate. ¡°Let¡¯s return to the others. I think I must just be tired.¡±
Bjorn kept one head trained on the strange construct while he retreated back to the rest of his group. Who seemed to be discussing how to move forward. None of them took their eyes off of Laxy of course, she was an unknown and they didn¡¯t know if they could trust the construct.
¡°I think we can just close her in here, right?¡± Aurelius said.
Tanisha agreed, ¡°If it comes to that, I mean she doesn''t seem to be hostile, though Bjorn is on alert. He seems more curious, and confused than anything.¡±
¡°Him and me both.¡± Aurelius said. ¡°Walking, talking suits of armor golems with invisibility, blade arms, and loud crossbow things. Now they can turn into people? I am liking this place less and less.¡±
¡°It is a lot for one day.¡± Fuyumi said as she took a deep breath. ¡°We have been searching for a little while now. How about we do a second sweep of the floors we''ve been through just to make sure one of the invisible one¡¯s isn¡¯t hiding to ambush us in our sleep then we will take a break. Have you and Bjorn leveled up? You have more of that potential mana circulating around you.¡±
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Bjorn split his focus to keep up with the conversation, watch Laxy, and open his menus at the same time.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Lernaean Hydra
+ Level: 46 < 49
Vitality: 178 / 195
Restoration: 270 / 270
Constitution: 140 / 140
Strength: 120 / 130
Dexterity: 80/ 100
Stamina:100 / 115
+ Primana: 70 / 100 < 150
+ Primana Regeneration: 100 / 100 < 150 (+225 from bond)
Page 1 of 4
Bjorn was happy to see that both his primana and primana regeneration limits increased. He knew were all thirty of his points were going to go. The more magic he had the faster Failsafe could work and magic was the fastest path to power. Physical strength was limited to the physical world, constitution, vitality and restoration were all tied to his magic, dexterity and stamina could be augmented if you had the magic to do so. The greatest limitation to him is his ties to animal magic. Once he could cast like a mage he and Tanisha will be unstoppable.
¡°Yes, a few times.¡± Tanisha said. ¡°Bjorn?¡±
Bjorn nodded and Fuyumi seemed pleased as well.
They decided they would place the points once they had returned to the barracks and closed all of the doors just in case there were more androids waiting in ambush. They used the same strategy of Tanisha using her water to coat the floors and walls and looked for abnormalities in ambient mana. There weren¡¯t any more of the silhouettes so they closed the blast doors and continued to the barracks.
***
After a hearty meal, courtesy of the food fabricator, Fuyumi began their training session. Aurelius was close to a breakthrough, whatever that entailed, so he sat cross-legged in deep meditation, circulating his primana. Meanwhile, Fuyumi focused her attention on Bjorn and Tanisha, eager to observe how they assigned their UCP. She believed this insight might help her understand their unique system and the properties of their magic alloy.
Bjorn executed his plan without hesitation, channeling all thirty of his UCP into Primana. The surge increased his limit from seventy to a full one hundred. As the energy coursed through him, his tri-core expanded rapidly to accommodate the influx. A sudden rush of warmth flooded his being, spilling from his mouths as brief flickers of white flame before subsiding.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Lernaean Hydra
Level: 49
Vitality: 178 / 195
Restoration: 270 / 270
Constitution: 140 / 140
Strength: 120 / 130
Dexterity: 80/ 100
Stamina:100 / 115
+ Primana: 70 + 30 = 100 / 150
Primana Regeneration: 100 / 150 (+225 from bond)
Page 1 of 4
¡°Now that was interesting, Bjorn,¡± Fuyumi said, stepping closer with a curious glint in her eye. ¡°You¡¯re growing quickly, but it seems like your nearly reaching the limits of what your system allows.¡± She turned to Tanisha, an eyebrow raised. ¡°How old is he, and what exactly is he?¡±
¡°He¡¯s¡ oh wow, only a few months old. Honestly, it feels like he¡¯s been with me for years,¡± Tanisha replied, glossing over the second part of the question entirely. ¡°He used to be bigger, though. Then he shrunk down after¡ wait a second¡ huh, I actually don¡¯t know why you shrunk, Big Man. You haven¡¯t used maya in a while, and it¡¯s not in your core. Was it the loss of maya?¡±
Bjorn nodded in confirmation, a little surprised at how quickly she pieced it together. Fuyumi¡¯s gaze darted between them before her expression shifted as if a realization had struck her.
¡°Wait, is Bjorn a Greater?¡± she asked, scrutinizing the multi-headed hydra. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about familiars, but Signe¡¯s wolf familiar could talk. I¡¯ve heard their power depends on the bond with their summoner. They¡¯re rare outside of Yuhia, and even there, I didn¡¯t see many.¡±
¡°Bjorn is a hydra, right?¡± Aurelius said, cracking open one eye from his meditation. ¡°A few years back, my family helped a scholar who was writing a book on magical beasts. Pretty sure she was from a mage tower in Mesha. Think her name was Isabella the Golden. She was heading to the Force Isles to study the Large Finn Sea Hydra. Apparently the biggest species out there, though they only live in deep oceans. She showed us drawings of different hydras.¡±
¡°Never heard of a hydra before,¡± Fuyumi said, tilting her head. Then, with a sharp glance at Aurelius, she added, ¡°And you, back to your cultivation! You should be able to break through today. Once you do, we¡¯ll open your Blood Gate.¡±
Tanisha chimed in, ¡°They¡¯re more common in Yuhia because wendigo have an affinity for forming the bond. But it¡¯s expensive. The summoning ritual alone costs a few gold, and if the familiar contract fails, you¡¯re out of luck. Most people don¡¯t bother since they aren¡¯t fighters, and it wouldn¡¯t improve their magic enough to justify the cost.¡±
¡°What about druids?¡± Fuyumi asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know, and frankly, they can all rot,¡± Tanisha replied coldly, her tone cutting through the air like a blade.
Fuyumi raised her hands in mock surrender. ¡°Alright, sensitive topic. Forget I asked. Now breathe and focus inward. We¡¯ll work on tethering power from your core to your head and back.¡±
As the others continued their conversation, Bjorn quietly stood and walked out of the barracks. Something about Laxy¡¯s earlier words gnawed at him. The android had recognized him as Isin and communicated in a way even Failsafe couldn¡¯t decipher. Though Bjorn had no memories of that place, he suspected his dreams might unlock more of what lay hidden within. For now, he needed answers, and Laxy might be the only one who could provide them.
***
Bjorn placed a paw on the control panel to access the wing of the facility where Laxy resided. As his touch engaged the system, the lights in the facility flickered momentarily before the door finally slid open. He noted the eerie similarity to the reaction when he had registered himself at the barracks earlier.
¡°Where are we going?¡± Failsafe asked, his voice laced with curiosity.
¡°To see Laxy,¡± Bjorn replied curtly, stepping into the hallway.
¡°Okay. Why?¡± Failsafe pressed.
¡°I need to check something.¡± Bjorn said
Failsafe¡¯s tone grew sharper. ¡°Is it because she looks like an angel? Are you planning to destroy her? Your past life wasn¡¯t exactly fond of them.¡±
Bjorn descended the stairwell in silence, ignoring the jab. As he approached Laxy¡¯s domain, he noticed something unsettling: destroyed silhouettes were gone. Passing through the R&D sector and into the maintenance facility, he found it utterly deserted. There was no sign of Laxy, no hints or traces to indicate where she might be.
Cautiously, Bjorn stepped into the room, his heads lowering as he tasted the air for any hint of lingering magic. The moment his entire body crossed the threshold, a sudden presence descended upon him, oppressive and swift. He leaped forward to evade, but the force was too quick. He was tackled to the ground, energy already building in his mouths as he prepared to retaliate. Before he could strike, the entity withdrew, vanishing in a an Aetheric Flash Step that carried it across the room in an instant.
¡°I apologize for the shock,¡± came Laxy¡¯s voice, this time speaking in Angelia. ¡°I needed to ensure we could speak candidly.¡±
Bjorn hissed, all his heads glowing with the white flames of Plague Fire, ready to strike at a moment¡¯s notice.
¡°Then talk,¡± he said in his hissing tongue. ¡°I thought you claimed you couldn¡¯t attack.¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t an attack,¡± Laxy replied calmly, gesturing toward his rightmost head. ¡°It was to place that before the entity inside of you could react.¡±
Bjorn shifted his focus, his leftmost head swiveling to examine the indicated area. To his surprise, a collar now encircled the neck of the head Failsafe resided in. The spellform near his core felt dormant, and Failsafe¡¯s presence had been silenced, not destroyed, but suppressed.
¡°What is this?¡± Bjorn growled. ¡°What did you do to Failsafe?¡±
¡°I call it a Foreign Arcane Body Inhibitor or FABI, for short,¡± Laxy explained. ¡°The entity now designated as Failsafe has been suppressed to prevent it from overhearing our conversation or influencing your judgment. It¡¯s unharmed. Damaging it could have unpredictable consequences.¡± She hesitated briefly, her expression softening. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, sir, even if your form has changed.¡±
WM [90] Truth About Creation
¡°I admit, it was a shock to see you in this form, Isin,¡± Laxy said, her voice tinged with a mix of awe and sorrow. ¡°The last time we met, you were undoubtedly Nephilim. Now, you are a Child of P???O????I????S??????O?????N?????. I can only imagine the trials you endured to be forced into such a state.¡±
Bjorn tilted his head, his eyes narrowing. ¡°How can you tell who I am?¡±
¡°Your core may have changed, but your soul is unmistakable,¡± Laxy replied, settling herself on the fabricator as if bracing for a heavy conversation. ¡°Please, tell me, O¡¯great leader of humans¡ªdid you succeed in freeing your people? What became of the Last Great Aetheric War?¡±
Bjorn hesitated, lowering himself to sit on the cold, metallic floor. His central head locked onto Laxy while the others swiveled, scanning for threats.
¡°In truth, I¡¯ve lost my memories,¡± he confessed. ¡°I know little of the war, though the True Hydras have shared tales. They say Isin became the Sunderer of the Angelic Throng. Humans are no longer slaves, and angels, if not extinct, are few in number.¡±
Laxy¡¯s gaze softened, her voice quivering as she spoke. ¡°Then... you succeeded?¡± A faint sniffle escaped her. ¡°After everything that happened here, I feared the worst.¡±
Bjorn leaned forward. ¡°What happened here, Laxy? Why is this facility on the brink of releasing all its accumulated corruption?¡±
Laxy¡¯s expression darkened. She wiped the moisture from her synthetic face as if trying to erase painful memories.
¡°You truly don¡¯t remember, do you?¡± she asked softly. ¡°Perhaps your current form is to blame¡ªit wasn¡¯t meant for a soul like yours, though you seem to have adapted well. Still, let me explain. There was a traitor among the refugees brought to Helmforae, the city beneath us. The transference gate was restored, and Nuriel seized control. She ordered an evacuation and activated security protocols to eliminate anyone too slow to flee. It was a massacre.¡±
Bjorn¡¯s eyes flared with a sudden intensity. ¡°Nuriel? How? I thought angels couldn¡¯t enter the Chaos Lands.¡±
¡°Chaos Lands?¡± Laxy echoed, tilting her head as though hearing an alien term. ¡°You mean the Places of Creation? Even now, you fail to understand. This land is touched by Creation itself, yet you call its gifts corruption. Do you truly not remember why the angels wanted this place so desperately?¡±
Bjorn¡¯s thoughts churned. Touched by Creation? The only concept that seemed to fit was primana. He recalled fragments of knowledge¡ªP???O????I????S??????O?????N????? had mentioned the angels¡¯ use of Creation bombs, lamenting their reckless waste of energy before their defeat in the Last Great Aetheric War.
¡°This facility was designed to separate mana from Creation energy,¡± Bjorn realized aloud, his voice tinged with revelation.
¡°Correct,¡± Laxy confirmed. ¡°For seventy thousand years, it has collected Creation. Under normal conditions, it would draw upon this vast reservoir to avert catastrophic failure. But Site Manager Nuriel, perhaps out of resentment for your betrayal or for reasons only she knew, had barred Doxy from accessing alternative energy sources.¡±
Bjorn growled low. ¡°Then what do we do? The path to the Aetheric Core is blocked.¡±
¡°The orange line marks the route to Helmforae, where the core was relocated into the city¡¯s heart,¡± Laxy explained. ¡°To access it, however, you will need an Angel Core or an equivalent artifact.¡±
¡°Are there any left here?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°No,¡± Laxy said, shaking her head. ¡°All have been removed.¡±
Bjorn fell silent, pondering their next move. ¡°Then can you make one?¡±
¡°Not entirely,¡± Laxy admitted. ¡°The materials required aren¡¯t available in the Lower Planes. But if we use substitutes from this Plane... it might work. I can craft something close, though it won¡¯t be a true Angel Core.¡±
Bjorn straightened. ¡°What do you need?¡±
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Laxy began pacing, an almost human gesture for the android. Extending her hand, she summoned a pocket of blank space. Aether surged outward as she retrieved two glowing objects, their light illuminating the room.
¡°These,¡± Laxy said, holding up the items, ¡°are substitutes for key components, but I¡¯ll need more. One is a type of wood that grows only during storms; the other is mana crystallized into a solid form. If you bring me sufficient quantities, I can begin forging. But there¡¯s one problem: I cannot replicate the core¡¯s internal design. The data is heavily censored. You¡¯ll need to recover your memories to complete it.¡±
Bjorn studied the glowing materials. ¡°How do you know I once knew how to make a Core?¡±
¡°Because you depleted my entire stockpile to build Angel Cores for yourself and your resistance. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know what became of your people after Nuriel¡¯s arrival.¡± She paused, her voice heavy with emotion. ¡°But it brings me joy to know you all thrived, even if the cost was great. Once you go lower please visit my sisters, they will also find solace in knowing humans are now free.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll need to go to the surface to retrieve the materials you requested,¡± Bjorn said thoughtfully. ¡°But before that, I need to uncover what my memories might reveal about this place. Speaking of which, why did you seal my Reincarnation Failsafe spell? Without it, I¡¯m not sure I can recover those memories.¡±
¡°Is that what it told you?¡± Laxy asked, her voice sharp with suspicion.
¡°Yes. So far, Failsafe has only been helpful,¡± Bjorn replied, one of his heads tilting to glance at the intricate collar encircling his rightmost neck. ¡°I¡¯ve received cryptic warnings about Failsafe, but nothing in his actions has given me reason to distrust him.¡±
¡°Have you granted it access to your soul?¡± Laxy pressed, her tone measured but insistent.
¡°No, I haven¡¯t,¡± Bjorn assured her. ¡°But I do have a partial soul tether to Tanisha.¡±
Laxy hesitated, ¡°The woman with the broken antlers and tattered armor? Bring her here, and I¡¯ll repair her equipment.¡± Before Bjorn could respond, Laxy disappeared in a flicker of light and reappeared just inches away from him, her hand outstretched. ¡°May I touch you?¡±
Bjorn nodded, and her delicate hand rested lightly on one of his heads. She closed her eyes and focused.
¡°As for the foreign entity within you,¡± she began, ¡°I believe it to be twofold. The original spellform of the Reincarnation Failsafe was likely imposed upon you. Its aetheric design is vastly different from your natural patterns. During your reincarnation, a separate entity merged with that spellform.¡±
Bjorn¡¯s many eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Wait! You¡¯re saying someone cast the reincarnation spell on me?¡±
¡°From what I can discern, yes,¡± Laxy confirmed.
Bjorn was puzzled, all this time he thought he created the reincarnation spell, but if someone else made and cast it on him that means that others could reincarnate too. Are there others from his time being reborn with memories of the past. Could the Angels reincarnate?
Bjorn looked at Laxy, ¡°What would the entity that merged with the spellform want?¡±
¡°Unfortunately, I cannot say,¡± Laxy admitted. ¡°But heed this warning: never grant it access to your soul, no matter what promises it makes. Its power will grow in tandem with yours, and it will become more dangerous. I recommend finding a way to excise it while preserving the spellform itself.¡±
She withdrew her hand, ¡°Now, onto practical matters. The security androids and related robots in this facility total ten thousand. Their energy consumption is significant, with some units drawing more than others. On average, your team would need to destroy approximately 286 of them to delay the meltdown by one month.¡±
¡°Thanks, Laxy,¡± Bjorn said, nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll need my team to hear about the security and the location of the Aetheric Power Core. Can I bring them here so you can explain? Oh, and just one thing, my name is Bjorn now. I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t reveal who I was in the past.¡±
¡°Of course, Bjorn,¡± Laxy said with a small nod of acknowledgment.
¡°When I bring them back, I¡¯ll need you to translate for me. I¡¯ll also need to explain why I must return to the surface. Speaking of which, can I even survive out there? The land is being drastically altered, and there¡¯s a warp, a Greater is trying to rip open a path to the Infernal Planes through it.¡±
Laxy froze in place, her body going unnaturally still. Sparks of electricity crackled around her head, her form twitching in sharp, erratic motions before finally smoothing back to calm. She held her head as if she had a migraine.
¡°That,¡± she said, her voice laced with disbelief, ¡°is probably the most insane thing anyone has ever told me. Using the extraction site¡¯s reaction bleed-off to fuel a warp tear is asinine. Even if the entity manages to penetrate the Divide, which is highly unlikely, it will not get through the Infernal Planes.¡±
She floated back to the fabricator and perched on its edge. ¡°As for your question, you¡¯ll be fine. You are a True, touched by Creation itself. However, I strongly advise against touching the warp. In your current state, survival is doubtful.¡±
¡°Good to know,¡± Bjorn said as he turned to leave, only to pause mid-step. ¡°Oh¡ can you take off this collar first?¡±
Laxy teleported to his side in a flash of light and removed the collar. She gave him a reassuring smile as he turned and walked away. He had a lot to think about and even more to do. First he needed to see what memories he unlocked from leveling up. He needed to know how to make the Angel Cores and fast.
WM [91] Cowardly Commander
Bjorn rejoined the group inside of the barracks at the same moment the residual force that kept Failsafe sealed finally fully released him. Bjorn could feel the construct as it regained control of the right head and looked around bleary eyed. He seemed totally confused as he took in the change in location.
Bjorn didn¡¯t focus on Failsafe as he was instead enraptured by everyone in the middle of meditation or cycling magical energies. Fuyumi sat on the floor between Tanisha and Aurelius guiding them both while drinking tea. Bjorn¡¯s gaze lingered on Aurelius, captivated by the sheer intensity of the young cultivator¡¯s struggle. His energies pulsed erratically with the chaotic waves of primana pouring from his body. His frame shook with the effort to contain it, and the sweat on his brow mixed with streaks of blood trailing from his eyes, nose, and ears.
Fuyumi set her teacup down with deliberate calm, the clink of porcelain was the only other sound aside from the steady breathing of her two students.
¡°Aurelius, focus on spinning the energy cycle, not just in your dantian. Let it flow through the lattice of your meridians and spread it evenly.¡±
Aurelius''s lips trembled as he exhaled, slow and deliberate, though the effort cost him dearly. He forced his eyes to stay closed. Bjorn knew that the moment Aurelius lost concentration the delicate balance within him would shatter, and failure would be inevitable. The chaos elf clenched his fists against the rising tide of pain, his knuckles pale as bone.
Bjorn approached, his tongues flicked and tasted the air to get a better sense of the magic at play. Bjorn''s understanding of cultivators was limited only to what he heard from Fuyumi and Aurelius during other training sessions. He knew that cultivators at the first realm they called the Seedling would somehow move their magic core down to their abdomen and form a dantian. Apparently doing so gave them some unique core called a Nascent Spiral Formation or something.
Bjorn would find out later that the breakthrough to the Rooted Realm solidified the dantian and spread out the energy through his meridians like a plant rooting into the ground. He watched as Aurelius''s primana aura, previously drawn tightly into his body, lashed out again in violent bursts. The energy rippled outward violently, even so he noticed that Tanisha was so deep in her own meditation that she didn¡¯t even react.
¡°Aurelius,¡± Fuyumi¡¯s voice sharpened. ¡°You must let it ground itself. Stop fighting the flow, it''s not your enemy.¡±
A gurgling cough escaped Aurelius, and a fresh wave of blood spattered onto his robes, staining the fabric a dark crimson. Yet, through the agony, his breathing steadied, his chest rising and falling with a newfound rhythm. The primana began to shift, no longer wild and chaotic but spinning in measured cycles.
Bjorn¡¯s sharp eyes narrowed, he focused all of his heads on to Aurelius. He even kicked out the still loopy Failsafe from controlling the right head. As his focus intensified he realized that he could see into Aurelius¡¯s core. It was a mixture of his focus, magical senses and even the way he could taste magic that allowed greater insight. He realized this was the ability Fuyumi used to analyse himself and Tanisha. It was similar to the ability he had as Isin but less refined.
The air itself seemed to hold its breath as Aurelius¡¯s cultivation heart, the Nascent Spiral, twisted and compressed. Bjorn could actually see the transformation of unfolding within Aurelius. Although he wasn¡¯t sure what all it meant he knew that this was the first true step toward the Rooted Stage.
Then it came. A sharp crack, like the splitting of ancient stone, resonated from within Aurelius¡¯s chest. His body stiffened as the breakthrough completed, his cultivation heart now a radiant lattice of interconnected energy.
¡°It is not over.¡± Fuyumi said darkly. ¡°Prepare yourself for the Heavenly Tribulation.¡±
Bjorn felt the air electrify before it struck: the Heavenly Tribulation. Aurelius¡¯s body convulsed as the condensed primana his aura had been releasing throughout the breakthrough surged back into him, not as gentle currents but as searing bolts of energy. His muscles spasmed violently, his teeth clenched so tightly that Bjorn feared they might shatter.
Electric arcs of primana coursed through Aurelius, lighting his veins from the inside out in stark relief against his skin. His back arched, his body straining against the unrelenting power. The energy burrowed deeper, saturating not just his muscles but his very bones, infusing every cell with the raw potency of his breakthrough.
¡°It hurts,¡± Aurelius screamed.
Fuyumi knelt beside him now, her hands hovering close, though she made no move to intervene.
¡°There is no comfort in power,¡± she said softly, her voice a lifeline amidst the storm. ¡°It should hurt. This is the price of power. Let the pain carve its place within you. It will pass.¡±
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The tribulation was brutal, the fact anyone would choose this path was a testament to the sheer will it took to ascend. Finally, with a final gasp, Aurelius collapsed forward, his forehead resting against the ground. His bloodied form lay motionless, the last flickers of primana settling into a steady, radiant hum within him. The suffocating tension lifted, and Bjorn exhaled a breath he hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d been holding.
¡°I¡ did it.¡± Aurelius¡¯s voice, hoarse but resolute as he raised a fist.
¡°Yes, you did.¡± Fuyumi smiled faintly, placing a steadying hand on his back.
Bjorn watched as the young man¡¯s aura, once chaotic and unrefined, now radiated with a newfound stability. It was like he was a completely different person with his level of control. This was the mark of a cultivator who had paid the price and emerged stronger.
Identify
Name: Aurelius Lyns
+ Species: Primana Elf
+ Level: 45 < 65
+ Vocation: Chaos Sage Swordsman < Primana Sage Swordsman
Bjorn was shocked that Aurelius jumped twenty levels through his breakthrough. He felt as though he needed to learn more about cultivators. Then again being a system user meant he didn¡¯t need to go through all of the meditation and pain Aurelius had to endure. What would a True cultivator even look like?
¡°Bjorn,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°What is going on?¡±
¡°You can finally talk again?¡± Bjorn said.
¡°What happened, I remember going back to Laxy¡¯s room then everything went all fuzzy.¡± Failsafe said with a whine.
¡°As it turns out there is some kind of magic dampener in Laxy¡¯s room as a form of security.¡± Bjorn said as he sat down. ¡°It wasn¡¯t as strong with everyone as it was spread across all of us, but with just me in there it was more potent.¡±
¡°Well I vote we don''t go back.¡± Failsafe said in a huff. ¡°I think this must be what being drunk feels like and I don¡¯t like it.¡±
¡°We are going back, you''ll just have to deal with it,¡± Bjorn said. ¡°There is so much that we have to do and Laxy is the only one that can do it. First, I need to sleep, we are going to see what memories I unlocked. I think Tanisha and I are going to be going our own way for a while and we need to prepare.¡±
***
A chilling howl echoed through the desolate wasteland as Isin along with the squad members sprinted across the rocky terrain. This was supposed to be a simple mission, his first under Nuriel''s command. After a year of enduring cruel experiments and backbreaking mining labor, anything seemed better than the hellish depths of the Extraction Site. Yet now, with the air filled with howls and panic, he wasn¡¯t so sure.
¡°Commander, what do we do?¡± one of the squad members shouted, desperation evident in their voice.
¡°Keep running! We have to reach the defense towers before they seal the Gate!¡± Josef barked, his voice cracking under the strain. ¡°Comms are down from all the interference. They¡¯ll think we¡¯re already dead if we don¡¯t get through in time!¡±
Isin¡¯s breathing grew ragged as they ran, his boots pounding against the jagged terrain. The Place of Creation stretched endlessly before them, a barren wasteland of shattered earth and corrupted skies. It was hard to believe this desolate expanse could be called a Place of Creation, it felt more like a crucible of death.
Behind them, the howls drew closer, guttural and monstrous. Josef, his hand trembling, yanked his pistol from its holster and fired blindly over his shoulder. The shots went wide, narrowly missing his own men. Tears streaked the commander¡¯s face, his fear palpable.
Isin clenched his teeth, fury bubbling within him. How had his life come to depend on this cowardly man?
Up ahead, the monolith marking the Extraction Site came into view. The shimmering dome of the Gate, aetheric energy cascading down from the pyramid¡¯s apex, was forming rapidly. Isin¡¯s heart sank. They weren¡¯t going to make it. Once the Gate sealed, it would be an impenetrable barrier, locking them out and trapping them with the nightmare creatures hot on their heels.
¡°We¡¯re not going to make it to the Gate!¡± Isin shouted, glancing back at the horrors pursuing them.
The creatures were massive, six-legged abominations with a grotesque fusion of canine and reptilian features, their forms writhing as though fueled by pure nightmare. There were hundreds of them, a relentless tide of predatory hunger.
¡°We don¡¯t have a choice!¡± Josef snapped, his voice shrill. ¡°If we don¡¯t reach the Gate, we¡¯re dead! Keep running!¡±
¡°No!¡± Isin snarled. ¡°We¡¯ll be cornered! They¡¯ll pin us against the Gate, and we¡¯ll die like animals! Look around! There are fissures in the ground, new ones from the last shift. We can lose them there!¡±
¡°You want us to jump into those unstable death traps?¡± Josef spat, his face twisted with disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s suicide! The Gate is our only chance!¡±
¡°Your plan is suicide!¡± Isin shouted back. ¡°You¡¯re running us straight into a dead end, and you know it! The fissures are our best shot at shaking them off!¡±
¡°You¡¯re a rookie, Isin!¡± Josef snapped, jabbing a finger at him. ¡°You don¡¯t get to make these calls!¡±
¡°And you¡¯re a coward!¡± Isin shot back. ¡°Your blind fear is going to get us all killed!¡±
The squad exchanged uneasy glances, their loyalty wavering. The howls grew louder, and the ground trembled beneath their feet.
¡°Fine!¡± Josef barked, throwing up his hands. ¡°Anyone who wants to die in a fissure with him, go ahead! The rest of you, follow me to the Gate!¡±
The group hesitated for a moment, then split, only a handful of soldiers chose to follow Isin, their faith placed in his desperate gamble.
¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Isin urged, leading his small group toward the jagged fissures.
WM [92] Horns
The snarls of the beasts grew louder, their guttural roars reverberating like a storm at their backs. Isin risked another glance over his shoulder, his stomach tightening as he saw the pack of grotesque, six-legged monstrosities. Their visage was nightmarish and their howls invoked a primal instinct to flee in terror. The fissures were their only chance, but even that wasn¡¯t a guarantee of survival.
¡°Jump!¡± Isin yelled as they reached the first crevice.
He leapt across, his boots skidding on the jagged edge as he landed. The others followed, some barely making the jump as loose rocks crumbled beneath their feet.
Behind them, the leading monsters barreled forward. Their sheer momentum sent several of them plunging into the dark void below, their howls of rage fading as they disappeared. Others skidded to a halt, their massive forms struggling to navigate the unstable terrain.
¡°Keep moving!¡± Isin barked. glancing at the soldiers who had followed him. ¡°Watch your step and stay close!¡±
They looked to him now, fear and desperation etched into their faces. He scanned the chaotic landscape, the fissures carved through the valley like jagged wounds, deep and treacherous.
They ran along the fractured terrain, the monsters still pursuing. While the creatures were slowed by the narrow passages, they were relentless, their predatory hunger driving them forward. Isin¡¯s mind raced as he searched for ways to thin their numbers.
¡°Hold here!¡± he shouted as they reached another gap, this one just wide enough to give them a temporary advantage. ¡°Jump across! I¡¯ll cover you!¡±
Isin unslung his combat rifle and knelt at the edge, firing controlled bursts at the closest creature. His rounds struck true, shredding through its grotesque, scaly hide. The beast stumbled, a guttural snarl escaping its maw before it collapsed into the fissure.
¡°Move! Cover those still jumping!¡± Isin ordered, reloading quickly. The remaining soldiers followed his lead, their gunfire hammering the next creature to approach. The teamwork bought precious seconds, but Isin knew it wouldn¡¯t hold for long. The beasts were too many, and their determination was terrifying.
Another fissure came into view, narrower than the others but with walls steep enough to slow the creatures further.
Isin pointed toward it. ¡°This way! Use the terrain! Make them work for every inch!¡±
As they leapt from gap to gap, Isin employed every tactic he could think of to slow the pack: targeting the beasts in front to create pileups, leading them toward unstable edges, even using spent magazines as makeshift distractions. Yet the monsters kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless.
Finally, Isin spotted a fissure unlike the others; it was a vertical slice in the earth, its walls narrowing sharply as it descended. It was just wide enough for his team to climb down but too tight for the larger beasts to follow. Relief and dread warred within him. It was their only chance.
¡°Down there!¡± Isin yelled, pointing to the fissure. ¡°Climb down! Go! I¡¯ll cover you!¡±
One by one, his team scrambled toward the fissure, sliding down its steep walls with grunts of effort. Isin stayed behind, firing at the approaching monsters to buy them time. His rifle barked in his hands, each shot precise and deliberate. He aimed for their legs and jaws, anything to slow their advance.
¡°Move!¡± he roared, his voice hoarse.
The last soldier disappeared into the fissure, leaving only Isin at the edge. He turned to follow but was tackled mid-step. A monstrous weight slammed into him, driving him to the ground. Clawed limbs and snapping jaws pinned him, the creature¡¯s rancid breath washing over his face as it tried to tear him apart.
Isin thrust his combat rifle between them, using it as a makeshift brace to keep the creature¡¯s jaws from closing around his neck. The beast snarled and thrashed, its sheer strength threatening to overpower him. With a roar of effort, Isin twisted, using the rifle as leverage to throw the monster off. It tumbled to the side, but the rifle snapped in half under the strain.
The beast recovered quickly, its glowing, hate-filled eyes fixed on him. Isin reached for his sidearm, but before he could draw it, a shot rang out. The creature jerked violently, a black ichor spraying from its side. Another shot followed, then another. The beast collapsed in a heap.
¡°Get up!¡± A young woman with black hair rushed to his side, her smoking rifle clutched tightly in her hands. She grabbed his arm, helping him to his feet. ¡°We need to go. Now!¡±
Isin nodded, his chest heaving as he stumbled toward the fissure. Together, they climbed down, the sounds of the pursuing monsters fading as the narrow walls enveloped them. For now, they were safe, but the danger was far from over.
Isin and the woman slid down the smooth, obsidian walls of the fissure, their boots scraping against the glassy surface in a futile attempt to slow their descent. The darkness seemed endless as they plunged deeper, the faint glow of the surface above shrinking until it vanished completely. Just when it felt like they might fall forever, the fissure widened abruptly, spitting them out into a sprawling cavern below.
They hit the ground heavily, the impact driving the air from Isin¡¯s lungs. He rolled to the side, groaning as he tried to orient himself. Around him, the other survivors landed in a series of dull thuds and grunts, one after the other.
The cavern was illuminated by glowing crystals embedded in the jagged walls, their light casting an otherworldly blue-green hue across the expanse. The air was damp, carrying the faint tang of minerals and the distant sound of dripping water. Isin pushed himself upright, leaning heavily against the cold wall as his breath steadied.
¡°Everyone okay?¡± he asked, his voice hoarse.
The survivors quickly gathered around him, checking each other for injuries. Miraculously, no one seemed seriously hurt. Isin let out a long sigh of relief and slumped back against the wall, his muscles screaming in protest.
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¡°Thanks,¡± he said, glancing at the woman who had saved him earlier.
¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet,¡± she replied, her tone firm but not unkind. ¡°You still have to get us out of here alive.¡± She extended a hand toward him. ¡°Eliska, by the way. Been here six years, on Josef¡¯s squad for the last one. You¡¯re new, right?¡±
¡°Isin,¡± he replied, clasping her hand and letting her pull him to his feet. ¡°Yeah, I am. First deployment.¡±
Eliska gave him a quick once-over, her dark eyes sharp. She looked to be about his age, and her no-nonsense demeanor reminded him of veterans he¡¯d met in training. Around them, the rest of the group, seven in total, milled about, their faces pale with exhaustion and fear. Most were in their late teens or early twenties, and the sheer youth of the group hit Isin like a blow to the chest. Out of nearly thirty people, only seven had decided to follow him. Seven.
¡°What now?¡± one of the men asked, his voice breaking the tense silence. He was short, with bright red hair and a nervous energy that made him shift from foot to foot. ¡°We¡¯re not climbing back up that,¡± he added, pointing to the narrow hole high above, its edges gleaming like polished stone.
Isin followed the man¡¯s gaze, his heart sinking. The walls were smooth, and the fissure¡¯s narrowness would make it nearly impossible to ascend without specialized equipment. His eyes darted to the cavern¡¯s two exits: one leading deeper into the dark unknown, the other back the way they¡¯d come. Neither path offered any clue as to what lay ahead.
The others looked at him, their expressions expectant. It took Isin a moment to realize why. They thought he was in charge. His stomach twisted. He didn¡¯t feel like a leader. Someone more experienced should be giving orders, not him. But no one else spoke. No one else stepped forward.
Isin took a steadying breath. ¡°Uh¡we¡¯ll rest first,¡± he said, his voice uneven. ¡°Take shifts for watch. Then we¡¯ll scout both passageways and mark our path. Probably no comms down here, but keep trying. If we can reach the Extraction Site, maybe they¡¯ll send a rescue.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Eliska said, her tone more confident than his. She clapped her hands, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°You heard him¡ªset up camp. I¡¯m on first watch. Who¡¯s with me?¡±
The group snapped into action, moving with the mechanical precision born of training and adrenaline. Eliska checked her rifle, her practiced movements steadying Isin¡¯s fraying nerves. She gave him a brief nod.
¡°We¡¯ll make it out, Isin,¡± she said, her voice low but firm. ¡°We¡¯ll stick to the plan, and we¡¯ll make it.¡±
Isin nodded, grateful for her steadiness. As she moved to take her position, he glanced around the glowing cavern, his mind racing. Then things seemed to wobble as the past and present blurred together for a brief moment.
***
Bjorn¡¯s eyes snapped open, his dream ending abruptly as a triumphant shout from Tanisha filled the air. She was jumping up and down, her exhilaration contagious. Before he could fully process what was happening, she nearly tackled him in a hug, wrapping her arms around him with enough force to knock the sleepiness right out of him. Then, to his utter shock, she picked him up, despite his considerable weight, and spun them both around, her laughter echoing in the room. The hydra hissed in confused protest, his many heads weaving uneasily as Tanisha finally set him down on his paws.
¡°I did it!¡± she exclaimed, her grin wide enough to rival the sun. ¡°I finally connected that damn link from my core to my head and back again!¡±
Bjorn blinked, still shaking off the surprise, as Fuyumi appeared in her usual silent and composed manner.
¡°Congratulations,¡± Fuyumi said with a slight smile. ¡°That means you¡¯ve opened your Mind Gate.¡±
Tanisha froze mid-celebration, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Fuyumi. ¡°Wait a second¡ you never said this would open another Gate!¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Fuyumi replied slyly, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you now. Congratulations.¡±
Before Tanisha could respond, Aurelius called from the fabricator which had a full buffet. His hands full of food and leaving crumbs trailing in his wake.
¡°I had my breakthrough too,¡± Aurelius announced between bites, his voice muffled by the sheer volume of food he was devouring. ¡°You missed it while you were meditating, but let me tell you, it was a spectacle. You¡¯re looking at the newest Rooted Realm cultivator.¡±
Tanisha¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Wait¡ªyou jumped twenty levels after your breakthrough?¡±
¡°Is that how you see magical power, in levels of some kind?¡± Fuyumi interjected, her curiosity piqued as she studied Tanisha.
¡°Yeah,¡± Tanisha replied, nodding. ¡°It¡¯s part of my system. But I can¡¯t see your levels, Fuyumi. I think it means you¡¯re too strong for me to read properly.¡±
¡°Interesting,¡± Fuyumi said thoughtfully. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss that later. For now, you need to eat and regain your strength.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Tanisha said with a laugh, her hand resting on her stomach. ¡°I¡¯m starving¡ªbut first¡¡± She turned to Bjorn and whispered. ¡°Bjorn, now that I¡¯ve opened another Gate, does this mean you can continue my evolution?¡±
Bjorn let out a rumbling breath, opening the follower ascension menu. He scanned the options carefully before nodding and selecting the approval of her next stage of evolution.
Follower Ascension Panel
Name: Aki¡¯al Hashemi
Title: Sonr Orma Eil¨ªfra
Divinity: Demi True Immortal
Divine Realm: Venom
Followers: 1
Follower List:
Name: Tanisha Valkyrja Scalebound
Species: Cernunnos
Level: 44
Status: Alive
Special Status: Soul Bound (Partial)
Evolution Status: Pending
Follower Evolution(s) Status
Name: Tanisha Valkyrja Scalebound
Species: Cernunnos (Greater Wendigo < Normal Cernunnos) - Dagda (Greater Cernunnos)
Evolution Prerequisite 5 / 10
Current Approved:
Mana Gate Open, Blood Gate Open, Maya Meridians and Veins, Pledge of Soul
Approve Current Evolution Status Prerequisite Met:
Mind Gate Open
[Yes/No]
Status Not Met for Evolution: Cernunnos - Dagda
Complete Communing (2/5), Bone Gate Open, Spirit Gate Open, Aetheric Tool Bound, Level 100
Page 4 of 4
The room grew still as they waited for the transformation to begin. This time, it didn¡¯t take long.
Tanisha flinched as a cracking sound filled the air. She reached up instinctively, her expression shifting to alarm as pieces of her antlers began to fall away, clattering to the floor.
¡°W-what¡¯s happening?¡± she stammered, staring at the broken fragments in her hands.
Bjorn growled softly, nudging her in reassurance, as the remaining stems of her antlers thickened and began to reshape. The broken ends smoothed and curved, sweeping backward in a sleek, horn-like formation. When the transformation finished, her new horns bore an uncanny resemblance to those of Joha.
Tanisha ran her fingers over the smooth, curved surface, her face a mixture of wonder and confusion.
¡°Well,¡± Failsafe¡¯s voice resonated in Bjorn¡¯s head, tinged with an amused certainty, ¡°that settles my theory. She¡¯s subconsciously modeling herself after Joha and Helina. Makes sense, considering how she sees them as family.¡±
Bjorn rumbled in acknowledgment, but his thoughts were tinged with curiosity. ¡°Huh. You¡¯d think she¡¯d pick up more hydra-like traits.¡±
Failsafe chuckled softly. ¡°She has your eyes.¡± There was a brief pause before he added with dry humor, ¡°And fangs. Lots of fangs.¡±
Bjorn¡¯s heads turned toward Tanisha. Sure enough, her canines had elongated dramatically, eight gleaming, fang-like teeth now replacing her already sharp wendigo canines. Yet even these new features seemed secondary to the striking presence of her horns.
¡°Fuyumi!¡± Tanisha''s voice trembled with apprehension.
Tanisha¡¯s breath caught as she gazed at her reflection. The horns were undeniably similar to Joha¡¯s, especially the bottom two of his four horns, but also uniquely her own. They swept back with a commanding elegance, their tips splitting like a branching tree. She touched them again, her fingertips tracing the ridges with a bittersweet expression.
¡°I¡ I miss my antlers,¡± she admitted, her fingers lingering on the polished surface of her horns. ¡°I think I can get used to them.¡±
WM [93] No Moping Young Lady
Bjorn observed Tanisha and the others as they ate, his golden eyes occasionally glinting in the light. He wasn¡¯t particularly hungry, but when Aurelius placed several plates of garlic-spiced ribs in front of him, two of his heads couldn¡¯t resist digging in. The savory aroma was too tempting to ignore.
At the same time, Bjorn¡¯s mind was elsewhere. He needed to dissect the dream with Failsafe. To help focus, he let Failsafe take control of his rightmost head as usual, giving the construct something tangible to engage with while they spoke. It wasn¡¯t strictly necessary, but it was far better than staring off into space.
¡°So,¡± Bjorn began, his tone thoughtful, ¡°why am I seeing things out of order now? That was definitely before Nuriel sent me here.¡±
Failsafe¡¯s head tilted slightly, ¡°I don¡¯t make the rules, you know and I never promised your memories would come back chronologically. Judging by what we saw, I¡¯d say you were about eighteen in that one. You¡¯d been with Nuriel for a year at that point.¡±
¡°Great.¡± Bjorn said. "So what does that memory even help with? It doesn¡¯t give me anything to work with.¡±
¡°Work with figuring out what,¡± Failsafe asked. ¡°Did you forget I have no idea what we are looking for? You¡¯re not exactly giving me much to go on here.¡±
Bjorn sighed heavily, leaning back and casting his gaze toward the ceiling. ¡°Oh, right. You weren¡¯t tuned in for my conversation with Laxy. We have to make an Angel Core or something close enough to one that it can substitute one. Otherwise we won''t be able to stop this place from opening a hole into the Infernal Planes. Oh that reminds me, do you know what the Divide is?¡±
¡°Not really.¡± Failsafe¡¯s brow furrowed, his expression thoughtful. ¡°Where did we hear that?¡±
¡°My mother and Laxy both mentioned it.¡± Bjorn said. ¡°They said the Great Serpent is trying to breach the Divide. If it does, it could open a gateway straight to the Infernal Planes.¡±
¡°Sounds like it¡¯s some kind of barrier.¡± Failsafe said. ¡°Maybe it separates the Higher Planes from the Lower Planes or even the Lower Planes from each other. Why bring it up now? Are you hoping to use your memories to figure out how to cross it?¡±
¡°No,¡± Bjorn replied firmly. ¡°We need to leave this facility and find the materials to make a substitute for the Angel Core. The stuff needed for a real core comes from the Higher Planes, but since we don¡¯t have that, we¡¯ll have to make do with the purest mana we can find.¡±
Failsafe¡¯s head tilted in curiosity. ¡°Pure mana, huh? You¡¯re talking about pure mana crystals?¡±
¡°Crystals and mana tree wood,¡± Bjorn clarified. ¡°Laxy said we¡¯d need both and I¡¯ll need to recover the memories of how to actually make a core. Apparently she can¡¯t but Isin did figure it out and made cores.¡±
Failsafe¡¯s grin widened, his enthusiasm palpable. ¡°Oh, this is good. If we can recover Isin¡¯s knowledge, we¡¯ll finally understand the internals of those things. All that crazy Higher Plane math will make sense! This just got a lot more exciting.¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Bjorn snorted, amused despite himself. ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself.¡±
¡°Oh, right!¡± Failsafe¡¯s head bobbed up and down eagerly. ¡°Remember those glowing lights we saw underground? They weren¡¯t crystals.¡±
Bjorn¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Stop stalling, Failsafe. Just spit it out.¡±
¡°You¡¯re no fun.¡± Failsafe hissed playfully before relenting. ¡°Fine, fine. Those lights? They were the roots of mana trees. With the land above so corrupted, monsters can¡¯t sense them that deep. After eating the trees, they probably forget the roots even exist. Which means¡¡±
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Bjorn¡¯s eyes widened slightly as realization dawned. ¡°Which means those roots might still be viable.¡±
¡°Exactly,¡± Failsafe confirmed, his grin widening. ¡°With a little luck, we¡¯ve already got a lead on one of the materials we¡¯ll need.¡±
***
The group stopped at the security door following the orange line. Tanisha wanted to take another crack at it since she managed to open her Mind Gate. Bjorn and everyone else watched with intrigue but after a while nothing happened. The group waited for something to happen but Tanisha stepped away from the panel crestfallen.
¡°I got much further but it is get way more complicated.¡± Tanisha said.
¡°What are you running into?¡± Fuyumi asked.
Tanisha rubbed her chin in contemplation. ¡°I think the best way to describe it is like corridors that feel like they break off in multiple directions and each one leads to a switch. All of the directions have to be pushed for the main path to open and kept that way. If I lose concentration on any of the other traps or the switches all the Aether I put in is absorbed and I have to start all over.¡±
¡°How many traps have you avoided before getting to that point?¡± Aurelius asked.
¡°Twenty-two,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°But they are much easier to do now, especially after opening my Mind Gate.¡±
¡°Doxy why is this door so much harder to open.¡± Fuyumi asked. ¡°We are able to go through other doors easily.¡±
¡°Query: This door is locked. All other doors you have entered have merely been closed.¡± Doxy responded. ¡°Tanisha is attempting to gain access by hacking this door''s lock mechanism.¡±
¡°Hacking? I am not cutting anything, I don¡¯t think.¡± Tanisha says questioningly. ¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°Query: Hacking in this context is the unauthorized manipulation of a system or program to gain access, alter functionality, or extract information. It is akin to a rogue mage breaching the wards of a protected library to steal or modify its contents. In this case it is equivalent to picking a locked door.¡±
¡°Huh, so I am technically an aetheric locksmith.¡± Tanisha said.
¡°Opening the door is not going to lock us out of other locations as, like, a punishment, right?¡± Aurelius asked.
¡°Query: negative, however areas designated beyond this door are restricted and security personnel will engage.¡±
¡°The security has already been fighting us though.¡± Tanisha said.
¡°Then there will be no change.¡± Fuyumi responded. ¡°The sooner we get this open, the better. For now let''s go back to Laxy, she seemed to be more willing to talk than Doxy.¡±
***
As soon as they entered the room with Laxy she immediately disappeared from her position over the fabricator table and clasped the collar around Bjorn¡¯s neck. Everyone was on alert by her sudden motion with weapons drawn and spells already pointed at the android. The only thing stopping them from attacking was Bjorn who positioned himself between the android and the group.
¡°Tell them that the collar allows me to talk directly to them through you.¡± Bjorn instructed in a series of hisses.
Laxy bowed her head to the group. ¡°My apologies for the scare everyone. Bjorn had requested that I place this device on him. It will allow for me to communicate with him far easier. There is much we must discuss and not a lot of time to save this facility from catastrophic meltdown.¡±
Tanisha looked at Bjorn and he gave her a curt nod. In an instant she lowered her daggers back into their sheaths at her side. She trusted Bjorn and the bond which made him happy. He needed to decide what he would be willing to share with her now though. He had no intention of lying to her but now was not the time to discuss his past life as Isin. She had already accepted that as a True he just had knowledge that mortals didn¡¯t. He would keep it that way for now. What was important is that they prevent this facility from killing everyone.
¡°We can trust her for now.¡± Tanisha said as she turned to the rest of her team. ¡°Bjorn is fine and he seems to trust her too.¡±
Fuyumi and Aurelius exchanged wary glances before slowly lowering their weapons, though neither fully relaxed. Their eyes stayed locked on Laxy as the android returned to the fabricator table, her movements precise and unthreatening. The group followed, bracing themselves for answers.
Before anyone could ask Laxy fell into explaining the truth of the facility. She tactfully didn¡¯t mention Isin, or any other names from the past. She did explain that the extraction site was originally designed to harvest Creation from this world and separate it from the energies of the lower plane. Laxy was not privy to how exactly that process worked or what Creation was used for, only that it was extremely important to the Angels and other True Immortals.
WM [94] Tanisha, Explain!
¡°Mana, corrupted mana and other energies are vented during the process to purify Creation,¡± Laxy continued her explanation. ¡°Under normal operations Doxy would have switched to utilizing Creation to power the facility but the site manager has forbade Doxy from accessing any other energy. As you can see this has caused many other issues.¡±
¡°If what you are saying is true then I have a lot to consider.¡± Fuyumi said anger was present on her face. ¡°The Divine of Man made this place yet you claim they enslaved us and used us as cattle for their machinations. The Divines are benevolent beings that love their creations.¡±
Laxy turned to Fuyumi, her gaze sharp with recognition. ¡°I recognize what you are now. Once there was a prophet who ruled this facility. He had a friend who became a disciple and later an arcanist of Aether. He spent many long years researching aether and using it to change his own body to endure the cold region of worlds beyond this one. His name was Jimmu and you very much remind me of him.¡±
¡°How do you know of him?¡± Fuyumi''s eyes opened wide as she fell to her knees. ¡°He was the first of our kind, the first to be blessed with the gift of frost. We do not speak the name of the Setsujin no Chichi.¡±
¡°Father of the Snow People?¡± Laxy translated, with a smile. ¡°I am happy to see he had many strong descendants. Jimmu was a friend of mine, at least until everyone was forced to leave by the site manager. I was unsure if he had survived but with you here it puts my mind at ease. Now that I know what you are I can see that your form is unstable and I know why that is. Jimmu was an arcanist of aether; it is what controlled his abilities, not mana as you currently use. I recommend you and your people find a suitable patron otherwise you will continue to have this affliction and an intolerance to heat.¡±
¡°Wait, if this is where Setsujin no Chichi was from, was the name of his friend Ishin the Willful Heart?¡± Fuyumi questioned.
¡°This name is a translation of his true name but its roots are the same. However, I can not speak the true name as a favor to Ishin himself. Please understand.¡±
Fuyumi didn¡¯t seem to be fully listening anymore, she was in a state of total information overload. Tears were streaming from her face as she had a revelation of just where she was. This facility wasn¡¯t just a relic, it was the mythical birthplace of her people. The facility, long-forgotten by many, would now take on a sacred significance for the ghostborn, a reverence reserved only for their holiest sites.
¡°I hate to interrupt,¡± Aurelius interjected, his tone unapologetic despite the words, ¡°but weren¡¯t we discussing how to stop this facility from obliterating the continent?¡±
¡°Yes, there are several things that must happen and Bjorn has agreed to do his part already.¡± Laxy continued. ¡°First the core of this facility was moved into the city long ago for both protection and to centralize the power¡¯s location. The orange line that Doxy had you follow will take you deeper into the facility and eventually the city. More importantly this facility''s power reserves before the meltdown is 33.9 days. To extend this period by one month you all will need to destroy two hundred eighty-six of the security defences.¡±
¡°You said that Bjorn had already agreed to do his part.¡± Tanisha questioned with narrowed eyes.
¡°Yes, both of you will play a crucial role in saving this facility. First we must ensure enough of the security is destroyed to have enough time. That is where you, Fuyumi and Aurelius come into play.¡± Laxy shifted on her feet. ¡°However, in order to fix the issues with the facility an Angel Core will be required.¡±
¡°An actual Angel Core?¡± Fuyumi asked. ¡°I have never heard of anyone finding an intact one.¡±
¡°I would imagine they are quite rare if not impossible to find.¡± Laxy agreed.
¡°So we are doomed then?¡± Fuyumi said with furrowed brows.
¡°No, we are going to make an equivalent artifact,¡± Laxy said.
The stunned silence that followed was broken by Fuyumi, who threw up her hands. ¡°Make an Angel Core? That¡¯s ridiculous! It¡¯s impossible.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Tanisha said. ¡°But¡ what exactly is an Angel Core?¡±
Aurelius scratched his head, just as lost. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m gonna need some clarification too.¡±
¡°Angel Cores are artifacts created by the Divine of Man to channel Aether,¡± Laxy said. ¡°My understanding is that mana users have something analogous. They are objects of power tied to their wielders to contain, modify, control, or amplify magical energies.¡±
¡°So¡ it¡¯s like a True¡¯s wand?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Essentially, yes,¡± Laxy confirmed. ¡°But I cannot create the core itself, only its outer shell¡ªand even that will test my capabilities. The internal components, however, will be crafted by Bjorn.¡±
¡°Wait, wait, wait.¡± Fuyumi gestured at Bjorn incredulously. ¡°You''re saying that Bjorn the hydra can make a Divine artifact? One that has eluded wandmakers, scholars, sages, even my father for thousands of years?¡± She pointed to Bjorn. ¡°Tanisha, is he a Greater Hydra or something? How old is he? I have never seen a hydra but my understanding is that they are animals with comparable animal intelligence. He¡¯s a familiar, so smarter than most but still an animal, right?¡±
Tanisha hesitated looking at Bjorn as if asking if she should reveal what he was. He knew it was time for their team to know that at the very least he wasn¡¯t just a hydra. They had both long since accepted that he could understand them and even write but that was no different from other familiars that gained intelligence through the familiar bond.
Bjorn hissed softly, Laxy translated his words. ¡°I am not a Greater Hydra, Fuyumi. Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Bjorn Scalebound, a True Hydra. You may know me as Bjorn, but Tanisha has also called me Sonr Orma Eil¨ªfra.¡±
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Fuyumi and Aurelius froze, their jaws dropping simultaneously.
¡°Tanisha!¡± they exclaimed in unison. ¡°Explain!¡±
¡°Okay, but it¡¯s kind of a story and hopefully this goes without saying but don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Tanisha said as she stood beside Bjorn. She took a breath and began. ¡°About three and a half months ago my name was Freja Salstar. I wasn¡¯t anything special until I decided I wanted to have my own familiar¡¡±
***
Tanisha concluded her story of the events before they met keeping it relatively brief and answered any questions they had to the best of her abilities. Bjorn spoke through Laxy, filling in some gaps that even she didn¡¯t know. Such as the first time Bjorn grew in size was because his mother was trying to pull him out of the Lower Planes using maya when he was first exposed. The two mainly focused on Bjorn being a True and skimmed over the events of Lavi and the issue with the werewolves.
¡°So, Bjorn¡¯s a True, and you are Greater,¡± Aurelius questioned and the two nodded.
¡°I am going to need to sit down and process this for a while.¡± Fuyumi said. ¡°I haven¡¯t tried yet but can you make alcohol in the fabricators.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Laxy responded. ¡°But it is a controlled substance so supply is limited per person. Also while I have enjoyed the stories we have gotten off track. Bjorn¡¯s part in this plan is separated from the three of you.¡± Everyone again got serious. ¡°He will need to find the material required to make the internals of the pseudo-angel core. The original material can not be found in this Plane but mana tree wood and pure mana crystals may provide the best substitute possible.¡±
¡°No, what are you saying?¡± Tanisha questioned accusingly. ¡°You are going to send Bjorn outside with that Chaos Hurricane and that avatar around the warp? How would he even transport it? Monsters are attracted to those things. He¡¯ll get swarmed.¡±
¡°Tanisha, I agreed to do it.¡± Laxy translated for Bjorn. ¡°If we are going to do this there''s no risk free way.¡±
She turned to Bjorn with tears in her eyes. ¡°No, if you are going out there then I am going to!¡±
¡°You wouldn¡¯t survive the corruption out there.¡± Aurelius said.
¡°I¡¯m not letting him go alone!¡± Tanisha screamed, her voice raw with emotion. ¡°The last time I let him go alone¡ I¡ I felt him die. I can¡¯t do that again. I won¡¯t do that again! We¡¯ll find another way.¡±
Bjorn stepped closer, each of his heads gently nuzzling her. She clung to him like he was the only solid thing in a crumbling world.
¡°Tanisha, I¡¯m sorry you had to feel that,¡± Laxy translated Bjorn¡¯s steady hisses. ¡°But we¡¯ve both grown stronger since then. We¡¯re more powerful, more capable. This needs to be done. I don¡¯t want to leave you. I want to make sure you¡¯re safe, that these golems and androids don¡¯t harm you, but you¡¯re needed here. You can open the doors no one else can. I can survive out there, but you can¡¯t.¡±
She clang onto Bjorn breathing deeply between sobs. ¡°You died Bjorn. What if¡what if you go and you get hurt? I have potions and I am your Greater. What if I can¡¯t get to you?¡±
Bjorn raised one of his paws and lightly flicked her forehead.
¡°Ow!¡± Tanisha said as she rubbed her forehead. ¡°What was that for?¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you the one that told me to stop moping around after I accidentally hurt you¡± Laxy translated his stern hiss. ¡°Stop, blaming yourself and I don¡¯t want to hear anything else about it young lady! We¡¯re a team and I trust you. I need you to trust me too.¡±
Tanisha pouted, her cheeks flushed and her arms crossed in a childish stance. ¡°You may be a True Hydra, but I¡¯m still older than you, Big Man. Why are you so mature?¡±
Bjorn hissed a soft, almost amused sound, and Laxy chuckled before translating: ¡°Age doesn¡¯t always determine wisdom.¡±
The two were silent for a while before Laxy walked closer to them.
¡°With that complete,¡± Laxy announced with a cheerful clap of her hands, ¡°I cannot allow you all to wander around in damaged equipment. Please place any weapons, armor, or clothing in need of repairs onto the fabricator, and I¡¯ll begin analysis and restoration.¡±
¡°You can do that?¡± Aurelius asked, his eyes lighting up with excitement.
¡°As long as I have the necessary materials in storage,¡± Laxy replied with a nod. ¡°However, please note that if your items have special arcane modifications, I won¡¯t be able to replicate them. I can, however, apply aetheric modifications, though those will only function if you possess a connection to the Chorus.¡±
¡°By arcane modifications, do you mean enchantments?¡± Fuyumi asked, withdrawing a gleaming dagger from her inventory. ¡°Like the one on this blade?¡±
In a flash of light, Laxy appeared beside Fuyumi, her unblinking eyes locked onto the dagger.
¡°Yes,¡± Laxy said, ¡°Updating lexicon¡¡± She froze momentarily before continuing. ¡°Mana-based enchantments utilize a distinct mathematical structure compared to aetheric equivalents. If you¡¯d like, I can provide an overview of aetheric enchantments. However, due to a restriction imposed by the Site Manager, I am unable to create, modify, or repair mana-based enchantments.¡±
¡°Why would they limit that?¡± Aurelius asked, frowning.
Laxy hesitated again, freezing for a brief moment as though processing. ¡°The restriction was likely implemented as a precaution to prevent humans from accessing a power that Angels could not control.¡±
Aurelius sighed and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve got several items that need repair, but... fixing them won¡¯t erase the enchantments, right?¡±
¡°Correct,¡± Laxy reassured him. ¡°However, if the portion of the item containing the enchantment is damaged, any corresponding magic may be permanently lost. If you¡¯re ready, place your items on the fabricator, and I¡¯ll begin.¡±
Everyone deposited their damaged gear onto the fabricator at the room¡¯s center. Laxy floated upward, positioning herself above the device as several mechanical lines extended from the ceiling and connected to ports in her back. Her human-like appearance flickered and dissolved, revealing her true form: a sleek, mechanical doll.
The fabricator hummed as individual items levitated into the air, starting with Fuyumi¡¯s dagger. A pale light enveloped the blade, followed by the gentle press of aetheric energy. Laxy reached into the air, pulling a thin metallic thread seemingly from nowhere. The threads multiplied, weaving themselves into an intricate weave between her fingers.
The threads heated and cooled with mechanical precision and fused seamlessly as they repaired the chips and cracks on the blade. Within moments, the dagger¡¯s damage had vanished entirely. The blade lowered gently back onto the platform as the next item, Aurelius¡¯s shattered shield, rose into the air. Laxy inspected the shield, flipping its fragmented remains over several times before pausing.
¡°This item contains materials derived from the creation beasts,¡± Laxy said. ¡°I do not have such material in my storage. However, my sister, Ivoi, located in the Xenobiology Lab on the lower floor, may possess the necessary components. Alternatively, I can forge a temporary replacement or reinforce the shield with metal.¡±
Aurelius¡¯s shoulders sagged slightly, though he nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll wait to see what your sister can do with it. In the meantime, please forge the alternative.¡±
¡°As you wish,¡± Laxy agreed, her mechanical tone unwavering.
The repairs continued as Laxy¡¯s delicate precision brought items back to full functionality, her movements a mesmerizing display of mechanical artistry.
WM [95] We Need A Plan
A few hours passed, and the team¡¯s equipment was fully repaired. Tanisha¡¯s armor, which had suffered extensive damage, had lost most of its enchantments. However, the golden lines woven into the armor were infused rather than enchanted. Because of that they retained their magical properties. The repairs altered its appearance, lightening the once black metal to a polished stainless steel. The golden lines now stood out in stark contrast, transforming her from the imposing black knight into something altogether more radiant.
¡°I replaced the broken enchantments for you,¡± Laxy said, her voice calm and measured. ¡°Unlike the others, you are connected to the Chorus, which allows aether to flow through your armor. Because of this, I¡¯ve added a few technological enhancements as well. However, given the technological level I¡¯ve observed from your group, some functions may be challenging to understand initially. Before engaging in further combat with the security systems, I strongly recommend familiarizing yourself with these upgrades. I will offer lessons at a more appropriate time.¡±
¡°Wow, thank you,¡± Tanisha replied, marveling at the armor. She ran her fingers over the gleaming surface, feeling the craftsmanship. ¡°It looks brand new.¡±
Her gaze shifted to the bardiche she had nearly shattered during the battle with the Shard-type mecha-doll. Like her armor, the weapon had been restored to pristine condition, its ornate details as striking as ever. Yet, as soon as her hand wrapped around the handle, she could sense something had changed. Laxy had enhanced the weapon¡¯s ability to channel her magic, allowing it to resonate equally well with the Aetheric aspects of her power as it did with mana.
Tanisha¡¯s mind raced with possibilities. If she could find a demon runesmith to refine its resonance with maya, it would become her most potent weapon. It would likely be an one-of-a-kind seier blade. The thought excited her, and she resolved to pursue the idea when they finally left this place and found Joha.
¡°I will also design a custom set of armor for Bjorn,¡± Laxy announced as she began weaving threads of light with her mechanical fingers. ¡°It will take a few hours to complete. I¡¯ll have Doxy alert you all when it¡¯s ready.¡±
***
The team left Laxy to her work and met in the large R&D meeting room. There was a nervous energy from Tanisha who decided to sit with Bjorn on the floor. Aurelius was unreadable as he looked over his new shield which unlike his last one was made from some kind of dark metal and divided into individual plates. Fuyumi opened and closed her mouth several times, starting and failing to come up with a coherent enough thought to share.
The group sat in silence for a while. Tanisha didn¡¯t really know how long before Aurelius put his shield on his back and stood up. He walked to the front of the meeting room or at least the head of the table. He looked resolute in his decision when he let out a long slow breath.
¡°Tanisha, Bjorn, can you come to the table?¡± He said with a neutral inflection.
Tanisha looked at her hydra for a moment before using her arcane shift to appear in one of the chairs. Bjorn got up and moved one of the chairs out of the way so he could sit at the table as well.
¡°Thank you,¡± Aurelius continued, his voice steady but carrying a weight that made everyone sit up straighter. ¡°We¡¯ve all learned a lot from Laxy just now¡ªmore than we probably anticipated. Revelations about the past, the present¡¡± His gaze lingered on Bjorn for a moment before returning to the group. ¡°But no matter what we¡¯ve uncovered, one thing remains unchanged: we have a job to do. My family needs me. People I care about are relying on me to protect them. I¡¯ve never been one to run from a fight, and I won¡¯t start now.¡±
He paused, letting the words sink in before continuing. ¡°We know the stakes now. We know what needs to be done to save ourselves, our families, and countless lives across the continent. But make no mistake¡ªwhat lies ahead won¡¯t be easy. Each of us has a role to play, and none of them are without danger. Bjorn, for example, is the only one who can survive the Chaos Hurricane. Not even my resistance is permanent, but he¡¯s a True.¡±
¡°I still think he shouldn¡¯t be going alone.¡± Tanisha grumbled.
¡°Regardless, we don¡¯t have a choice.¡± Fuyumi added.
¡°Unfortunately. However, I think after whatever Laxy is making for him is complete we won''t have to worry too much about him. He is smart and monsters will be less sensitive to mana as the hurricane continues to form. Lets not forget the danger we are going to be in as well. I destroyed the Shard but going by what we saw there of the Silhouette there can be rooms with dozens of the advanced androids. They are even willing to sabotage doors to keep us from closing them. If we want to survive this, we need more than just our individual strengths. We need trust, coordination, and a deeper understanding of how to fight as a team.¡±
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¡°What do you suggest?¡± Tanisha asked.
¡°Tactics,¡± Aurelius said firmly. ¡°We need to train together¡ªnot just fighting side by side but learning each other¡¯s strengths, weaknesses, magic capacities, and skills. We need every edge we can get. While Bjorn is gone, we won¡¯t have his strength to fall back on, so we have to sharpen our own. This is something my family drilled into me while growing up in the Chaos Lands survival comes from preparation. The androids are no different from any other monster or opponent.¡±
¡°I agree.¡± Fuyumi said as she nodded. ¡°We need to destroy as many of the androids daily as possible. So a training regime should also be implemented. We will start with opening the rest of the gates on both of you. Once that is complete you will both have the Mage Body.¡±
¡°This facility has a lab,¡± Tanisha added, raising her hand slightly. ¡°If the fabricators can create food, they should also be able to produce plants. I¡¯ll start brewing more potions so we can stockpile them.¡±
¡°We have three years and ten thousand enemies,¡± Aurelius took another long breath of determination in his voice. ¡°Let''s make sure Bjorn has nothing to worry about while he does the hard part. From what I understand, making the Angel Core is something that only he will be able to do. So, Bjorn, don''t worry about us. We will keep Tanisha safe no matter what you focus on whatever you have to make the core.¡±
¡°You were the right choice for team leader, Speedy.¡± Tanisha said with a smile.
¡°Agreed.¡± Fuyumi said.
Aurelius shook his head with a wry smile, resting his hands on his hips. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s come up with a schedule, guys.¡±
***
Tanisha and Bjorn sat alone in one of the many quiet rooms in the R&D department. The faint hum of distant machinery was the only signs of life in the otherwise silent space. Everyone else had taken a breather, preparing themselves mentally and physically for what promised to be some of the toughest years ahead. Tanisha, however, saw this as an opportunity she couldn¡¯t waste.
She knelt in front of Bjorn, the large hydra sitting patiently, his massive heads watching her with quiet understanding. Tanisha reached out, taking one of his massive claws in her hands. His claws glowed faintly with a venomous aetheric energy that pulsed like a heartbeat, and in return, she summoned her own magic, coating his scales in a shimmering layer of water.
The water swirled and rippled as she channeled her energy, shifting between states¡ªliquid, ice, and steam. The room grew warmer, then colder, then filled with faint hissing sounds as steam wisped into the air. It didn¡¯t take long for Tanisha to feel it: the deep connection of their shared magic. Bjorn¡¯s energy brushed against hers, tentative at first, then steady. She let out a small sigh of relief when she felt her magic settle, her body accepting his influence. Moments later, she felt the shift as Bjorn¡¯s magic responded in kind.
A grin broke across her face, the weight of her anxiety momentarily lifting. ¡°Got it,¡± she whispered to herself as the communing completed.
Venomous Fang
- You have felt the venom of Sonr Orma Eil¨ªfra; it now courses through your veins. Your saliva carries a necrotic venom. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your True. This ability is tied to your True, should your True die or reject your bond you will lose this ability.
+ Poison Breath
+ You have breathed the toxin that claims the world and become one with the breath of Sonr Orma Eil¨ªfra. Your breath now carries the power of the Poisoner. Call upon the power of your True¡¯s breath which in you carries a necrotic toxin. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your True. This ability is tied to your True, should your True die or reject your bond you will lose this ability.
Hydra Fire
- You have felt the residual heat of your True¡¯s fire and instead of flinching away you embraced it. The heat that burned you now resides within your core. Call upon the power of your True¡¯s fire it now carries a necrotic embrace. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your True. This ability is tied to your True, should your True die or reject your bond you will lose this ability.
+ Poison Infusion
- You have been touched by the true nature of a Poisoner of Worlds. Your existence is a venom, an inevitable death to those that try to hurt you or those you love. Your magic and body can now be infused with a Toxic nature. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your True. This ability is tied to your True, should your True die or reject your bond you will lose this ability.
Queen of Reptiles
Commune with your familiar to unlock.
WM [96] Breaking a Few Rules
Without hesitation, she tested what they had unlocked together. Drawing all the water back from Bjorn¡¯s body, she held it in a single orb above her palm. It shimmered under the faint light, pure and clear. Then, she activated the Poison Infusion. Like all of her other communed skills she knew them on an instinctual level as if it was always a part of her. The water bubbled and churned, turning black and viscous. The magic pulsed with something dark and caustic, and Tanisha¡¯s brow furrowed as she studied it.
¡°This... isn¡¯t normal poison,¡± she murmured, holding the orb closer to examine it.¡°I think this can actually affect the constructs.¡±
The seier itself seemed alive, toxic in a way that felt otherworldly. She frowned, instinctively recognizing its potential. With a flick of her wrist, she dismissed the water orb, letting it dissolve into nothingness.
Her gaze shifted back to Bjorn. ¡°You got hydromancy?¡±
Bjorn tilted one of his heads, his expression unreadable, and then opened the mouth that normally unleashed torrents of fire. Instead of flames, a sphere of water formed in his jaws, swirling with quiet intensity.
¡°Water breath,¡± Tanisha said with a small nod.
She tried to smile, but her lips trembled slightly. She looked down, her hands tightening into fists at her sides as emotions welled up. She tried to suppress them, but it was futile. The realization hit her harder than she expected: she was about to let him go. Into the most dangerous situation imaginable. Into chaos and uncertainty and she couldn¡¯t do anything about it.
She wasn¡¯t his mother, who she was fairly certain was furious with her right now. She wasn¡¯t capable of going with him, wasn¡¯t strong enough to protect him better than he could protect himself. She wasn¡¯t even sure if she could say goodbye the way he deserved.
He was her True, her best friend, her partner in crime and they were literally bound soul deep. He had defended her, chosen her as family, stood by her when the Queen of a Thousand Heads questioned her place in his life. They had been inseparable since the day he was born.
She wouldn¡¯t cry, though. Not here, not now. He didn¡¯t need to see her weakness, didn¡¯t need the weight of her fears on his already burdened shoulders. He had a mission, and she wouldn¡¯t hold him back.
A soft chime broke the silence, followed by Doxy¡¯s monotone voice. ¡°User Tanisha. User Bjorn. Laxy has requested your presence.¡±
Tanisha took a deep breath, forcing a steady tone. ¡°We¡¯ll be right there. You ready to try on your new armor, Big Man?¡±
Bjorn stood, his form casting a shadow over her. One of his heads nuzzled her gently, the affectionate gesture pulling a small laugh from her. She didn¡¯t expect what came next. With a flick of his tail, he wrapped it around her waist and hoisted her onto his back before she could protest.
¡°Hey!¡± she yelped, clutching at his scales to steady herself.
Bjorn rumbled, a deep sound that could have been a laugh, and began to walk toward the exit.
Tanisha let out a breathless chuckle, a mix of exasperation and affection. ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s go.¡±
Even as they made their way to Laxy, her heart ached. This was only the beginning of their journey apart, and the thought of it left a hollow pit in her chest. She would let herself enjoy these small, fleeting moments with him.
***
Laxy stood in her human form beside the fabricator, her pale blue hair glowing faintly as the armor emerged from the machine with a series of mechanical whirs and clicks. The room fell silent as the final piece slid into place, revealing a masterpiece of craftsmanship. The armor was a mixture of gleaming black metal, intricate aetheric runes that pulsed softly with energy, and subtle technological components made it look like it came from this place. It looked as though it was forged not just for battle but for the wielder of unimaginable power.
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Aurelius arrived a few later and he was covered in sweat, likely from meditation. It was a few minutes before Fuyumi stepped in slightly less steady on her feet. The smell of alcohol followed her and Tansha guessed she didn¡¯t use the time as constructively as Aurelius, Bjorn or herself. Well out of the three of them she was the only one that was human adjacent, and the idea of everything she had been taught about her Trues being questionable hit her harder.
¡°Finally,¡± Laxy said, stepping forward with a satisfied smile. ¡°I present to you your armor, Bjorn. It''s designed specifically to withstand the Chaos Hurricane and the monstrosities within it. Every piece has been tuned to your energy signature, and it will respond only to you.¡±
Bjorn stepped closer, his many heads tilting to examine the armor with curiosity. His eyes glimmered as the runes caught the light, and he let out a low, rumbling growl of approval.
¡°It looks... impressive,¡± Tanisha said with a nod.
¡°Impressive is an understatement,¡± Aurelius said, arms crossed. ¡°That''s the most advanced piece of gear I''ve ever seen.¡±
Tanisha, standing beside Bjorn, reached out a hesitant hand to touch the armor''s surface. The black metal was cool under her fingertips, but she could feel the faint hum of power running through it.
Laxy clapped her hands, breaking the moment. ¡°Well, we don''t have all day! Tanisha, you''re going to help me get this on him.¡±
Tanisha blinked, startled, but quickly nodded. ¡°Of course!¡±
Laxy began explaining the process, her tone brisk and professional. ¡°Bjorn, since you''re quadrupedal, the armor is designed to attach seamlessly to your body. We¡¯ll manually fit it this time, but in the future, you can equip or unequip it directly from your inventory by channeling your aetheric energy in this specific pattern.¡± She waved her hand in the air, leaving glowing trails of energy that formed a simple rune. ¡°I''ll teach you how to do it once you''re suited up.¡±
Piece by piece, Laxy and Tanisha worked to attach the armor to Bjorn. The chest plate was the first to go on, its intricate runes glowing brighter as it locked into place. Next came the leg armor, each segment fitting perfectly around his powerful limbs. The backplate extended to cover his tail in segments, and a ridge of protective plating ran along his spine. The final pieces were the helmets, which slid over each head between the antlers and horns. They connected to the scaled armor around his necks.
As the last piece clicked into place, the armor seemed to come alive. The runes pulsed in a synchronized rhythm, and the technological components emitted a soft hum. Bjorn shifted his weight experimentally, the armor moving with him as though it were a natural extension of his body.
¡°How does it feel?¡± Aurelius asked.
Bjorn¡¯s heads turned, each testing the range of motion. ¡°Light,¡± Laxy translated his hisses. ¡°And strong. This... this is perfect.¡±
Aurelius let out a low whistle. ¡°If I were a monster in that hurricane, I¡¯d run the other way just seeing you.¡±
Tanisha loved the armor but not what it meant. She forced a smile, but her eyes were clouded with sadness. As much as she was proud of Bjorn and the strength he represented, the armor symbolized a journey she knew he had to take alone.
Laxy broke the moment demonstrating the rune pattern again. Bjorn repeated and the armor shimmered before vanishing into his inventory. He performed the pattern again, and it reappeared just as seamlessly.
Tanisha stepped forward, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides.
¡°Bjorn¡¡± she began, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°Just... be careful, okay?¡±
Bjorn lowered his main head to her level, and Laxy translated. ¡°I will, Tanisha. I promise.¡±
Tanisha nodded, but her lips trembled. Without thinking, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his scales. The room went quiet, the weight of the moment settling over them all.
¡°Come back to us,¡± she whispered. ¡°No matter what.¡±
¡°Well lets see him off with food.¡± Aurelius said .
Fuyumi stepped closer as well, ¡°And drink I have already reached my limit but you two can give me your share for today.¡±
¡°That is not allowed, Fuyumi.¡± Laxy cleared her throat.
¡°Doxy said punishment protocols are off.¡± Fuyumi said with a wave of her hand. ¡°So it is not like anything will happen from breaking a few rules here and there.¡±
Interlude WM [96.5] Princess’s Gambit Part 1
The war for the Diredain Forest had shifted; the druids attack had pushed the wendigo forces from important holding in the northeast. However when reinforcements had gone to back up the wendigo defensive line the druids retreated and cut off the supporting force while launching a surprise offensive in the heart of the Ragnarsson Domain. The integrity of Yuhia was in a precarious situation with the druids now deeper in wendigo territory and marching on the capital of Ragnarsson Noble Family.
The voices of the war council echoed through the chamber, like the clash of blades on a battlefield. The room was dim, lit only by a roaring hearth and a handful of guttering lanterns suspended from iron chains above the central table. Maps and figures sprawled across the surface, their shadows dancing wildly with each flicker of the flames. The air was thick with tension, not from the gravity of the battle being fought miles to the south, but from the palpable disdain emanating from those seated around the table.
Representatives from each of the Royal Factions had come together in the middle of a power play to bring as much glory as possible to their family and to the Royal they represented. The room was divided into those that backed the First Princess Sigrun, First Prince Arnar and Fourth Prince Baldur the later of whom had been gaining more and more support.
¡°This position is untenable,¡± General Sten Torvaldsson muttered, stabbing a meaty finger at the southern flank of the map. ¡°The druids are pushing harder than we anticipated, and our supply lines are stretched to their breaking point. Reinforcements won¡¯t arrive in time. We need to fall back to Hylstad Keep.¡±
Sten was the leader of Forth Prince Baldur¡¯s faction and a large nighthand wendigo with a long military record full of achievement and accolades. In any other room he would be the de facto military leader without reproach but here he was but one of many such people.
¡°And hand them another victory?¡± scoffed a wiry woman in blackened steel, General Solveig Brantendottir. ¡°The druids are emboldened enough without gifting them the high ground. We hold the line until reinforcements arrive. If they die in the process, so be it¡ªsoldiers are replaceable.¡±
Ingrid¡¯s eyes moved between the faces of the generals, her expression unreadable. She knew General Solveig personally, as she was the representative of the First Prince Arnar¡¯s faction and a general of Salstar forces. A person hand picked for the job by none other than Ingrid herself. There was no comradery now however and Solveig looked at Ingrid as if she were a traitor that should be executed.
Ingrid rolled her eyes. These were supposed to be the best strategists to defend the nation''s interests in this conflict yet here they bickered like merchant wives haggling over spoiled goods. The royal succession had turned the unified front against the druids into an ever divided factions of squabbling idiots not fit for the role. It was a bitter irony that she, Ingrid, once hailed as the Sword of Salstar, was relegated to sitting silently at this table, treated as a decoration, a trophy of the First Princess¡¯s triumph in a bid for support and power in the succession war for the throne.
Ingrid knew she was now a pawn for the First Princess to move. A failure of the Salstars that now moved against the interest of her Husband Lord Ulfar. In a way she was a traitor because of her weakness. Her gaze flicked briefly to the large iron doors, her thoughts already slipping beyond this room, to the battlefield where real decisions were made. The din of the generals¡¯ voices receded into a dull hum, the drumming of her fingers against the armrest of her chair the only sound she could focus on.
¡°Ingrid.¡± The sharp tone dragged her attention back to the room. Solveig was staring at her, lips curled in a thin smile that didn¡¯t reach her cold eyes. ¡°What do you think, Lady Sword of Salstar? Or do you only speak when ordered?¡±
There was malice in every word she spoke. A ripple of laughter moved through the room, subtle but cutting. Ingrid¡¯s jaw tightened, her teeth grinding together as she forced herself to remain composed.
¡°I think,¡± she said, her voice low and measured, ¡°that debating retreats and sacrifices while our soldiers bleed is cowardice. Each of us here can turn the tide of any battle alone yet we spend our time bickering.¡±
¡°Cowardice?¡± Sten¡¯s laughter was a booming thing, his broad chest heaving with mirth. ¡°Coming from a woman who couldn¡¯t even hold her own title? Spare us the dramatics, Lady Sword. You are here because the First Princess pitied you, not because your opinion carries weight.¡±
Ingrid¡¯s fingers curled into fists beneath the table. Her pulse pounded in her ears, but she refused to let her anger show.
Solveig leaned forward, her smile growing sharper. ¡°You may have been Noble Salstar once but that is gone, Ingrid. Now you are a Salstar in name only, a failure reduced to a symbol, nothing more. A reminder of the Princess¡¯s victory over you. If you¡¯ve forgotten that, allow me to remind you. You¡¯re here to sit, to listen, and to keep out of the way. Leave the war to those who still have relevance.¡±
The words stung, each one laced with venom. Ingrid bit her tongue so hard she tasted blood. To argue would be to play into their game. She had no intention of letting these posturing fools dictate her actions. Without a word, she stood, her chair scraping loudly against the stone floor. The room fell silent, all eyes on her as she turned to leave.
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¡°And where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Solveig snapped, rising to her feet.
Ingrid didn¡¯t stop. Her strides were purposeful, her shoulders squared as she moved toward the door.
¡°You don¡¯t walk out of this council,¡± Solveig barked, her voice rising. ¡°You don¡¯t get to make decisions anymore. Stand down, Ingrid.¡±
When Ingrid didn¡¯t respond, Solveig stepped into her path, her hand moving to the hilt of her sword. ¡°You will not disgrace this council further. You will not disgrace Lord Ulfar with your failures anymore. You are here to represent the First Princess and do as you are told like a good little trophy.¡±
The generals watched with a mix of amusement and curiosity, clearly expecting Ingrid to back down. Ingrid¡¯s lips curled into a tight smile, a flicker of something dangerous in her eyes.
¡°You think I need permission?¡± Her voice was cold.
Before Solveig could draw her blade, Ingrid moved. Her hand shot out, gripping the other woman¡¯s wrist in an iron vice. With ease she forced Solveig to fully sheath her sword, her mouth opened in a sharp gasp, her free hand reaching for her magic, but nothing came. Ingrid leaned in closer to the woman, her glare silencing any further retaliation.
The air in the room changed, heavy and oppressive as Ingrid¡¯s anti-magic aura flared to life. Solveig¡¯s magic fizzled uselessly, and her knees buckled under the sheer pressure of the suppressive force. The sound of her armored body hitting the floor echoed through the chamber. Ingrid loomed over her with a form that seemed to take over the room now.
Ingrid¡¯s voice dropped to a growl. ¡°Never forget this Solveig. Your position does not make you strong. Discipline does. Resolve does. I have the power to do what needs to be done and the strength to choose my consequences.¡±
She released Solveig¡¯s wrist, the general looked at her with murder in her eyes but did nothing. The room was silent, the stunned faces of the other generals speaking louder than words ever could. Ingrid turned away, her steps echoing as she reached the door. Without looking back, she pushed it open and stepped out. The sound of the doors slamming shut behind her was satisfying, but not enough.
Let them mock her. Let them scheme. She would take the fight to the druids herself and prove, once again, why she had once been called the Sword of Salstar. Once she left the chamber she heard the sound of the factions inside scrabbling. She needed to get out soon.
¡°Stop her!¡± Sten¡¯s voice boomed from inside the chamber. ¡°Guards, detain Lady Ingrid!¡°
Boots thundered down the stone corridors behind her as soldiers scrambled to obey. Ingrid¡¯s steps quickened; she had no intention of killing their own and would avoid it as much as possible. She refused to be caged, not by their mockery, not by their orders, and certainly not by insecurities.
¡°Ingrid, halt!¡± A soldier shouted.
Ingrid¡¯s lips curled into a grim smile as she ignored the command. Her path led her to the wide balcony overlooking the fort, the bitter wind biting at her skin as she stepped out into the open air. Below her stretched the sprawling encampment, flickering torches illuminating rows of tents, watchtowers, and the towering walls that marked this bastion of wendigo strength.
Alarms and shouts erupted as guards spilled out into the courtyard below, their weapons drawn but their movements uncertain. They knew who she was. They knew what she could do. None of them wanted to be the fool sent to detain her if she truly wanted to leave.
¡°Ingrid, don¡¯t you dare!¡± Solveig¡¯s voice was closer now ¡°This is treason! You will stay and¡ª¡°
Ingrid turned sharply, her gaze glinting with a fire that could burn through steel. ¡°You are free to stay and talk until the druids burn this fort to ash. I will not.¡±
Ingrid stepped onto the stone railing of the balcony. Her boots scraped against the edge as she turned to face them one last time, her hair whipping in the wind and then she leapt.
Gasps and shouts erupted from the soldiers below as she plummeted, but before she hit the ground, her body began to change. Bone-white antlers extended and curved into jagged spikes. Her arms elongated, muscles rippling as her pale skin darkened into the ashen hue of the Wither Dragon¡¯s form. Her body twisted unnaturally, her legs becoming sinewy and taloned. Her jaw extended into a monstrous maw lined with obsidian-like teeth.
When she hit the ground, it wasn¡¯t with a crash but with the eerie grace of a predator. The transformation was complete and she was a blend of primal power and cold majesty. Her wings, tattered yet vast, unfolded with a deafening snap, blotting out the torchlight as they stretched wide. Her claws gouged deep into the stone, and her long tail whipped behind her like a living weapon.
The soldiers froze where they stood, weapons trembling in their hands. To their credit none ran which filled Ingrid with some pride. She jumped up and over the increasing soldier presence around her. Her claws sank into the reinforced stone of the tower she climbed with deliberate slowness. She reached the top, her silhouette monstrous against the moonlit sky. Her glowing eyes, twin orbs of icy fire, swept over the stunned crowd.
¡°I am Ingrid!¡± Her voice was thunder, shaking the very walls of the fort. ¡°Sword of Salstar. Warrior of the Wendigo. These titles mean nothing without strength. I will not be your trophy to be paraded and mocked. I am not a relic of conquest. I am a blade, forged to spill blood and tear through the enemies of our people. I ask one question: where is the slaughter? That is where you will find me. In the blood of the druids!¡±
Her wings snapped open with such force that the wind howled, scattering loose banners and knocking several soldiers to the ground. She stood tall, her terrible form framed by the cold light of the moon.
¡°I will show you the strength that they fear. I will carve our enemies into ruin.¡± Her eyes locked onto the generals as they came into view. ¡°You will see that I am no prize to be kept. I am the weapon that dares to be wielded!¡±
With that, she leapt from the tower, her wings catching the wind as she surged into the sky. The force of her takeoff sent a shockwave through the courtyard, scattering dirt and ash. She ascended like a shadow of death, her wings casting ominous shapes on the ground below as she soared southward toward the battlefield.
The soldiers watched in stunned silence as she vanished into the distance, her roar echoing over the fort like the call of some ancient beast.
Then, one by one, they began to chant her name.
¡°Ingrid! Ingrid! Ingrid!¡±
Interlude WM [96.5] Princess’s Gambit Part 2
The skies above the battlefield were chaos, the closest thing to the Infernal a living being can get. It was a swirling storm of wings, spells, and blood. Wendigo wyvern knights of the combined Noble factions fought desperately against the surprise offensive of druids riding griffons and cockatrices. The wendigo force had been taken by total surprise by a much larger and well prepared invasion force.
The two sides'' forces locked in deadly spirals that sent riders and mounts alike plummeting to the blood-soaked earth below. The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning flesh, the screams of the dying, and the thunderous roar of clashing magics. Above it all, a shimmering aurora rippled unnaturally across the sky, the telltale sign of a mana storm brewing from the overload of spells tearing through the battlefield.
Heimdall, a young wyvern knight of the Frostfang division, clung tightly to the reins of his mount, a slate-gray wyvern named Skarn. He was nearly frozen in place from the carnage his eyes saw. His spear, cracked and charred from deflecting fire spells, felt like dead weight in his hands as he scanned the chaos. Around him, his comrades were falling. A cockatrice rider tore through their flank, its venomous beak piercing a wyvern¡¯s throat. A bolt of searing lightning shot from a druid mage atop a pegasus, a wyvern knight was struck, a hole burned through his form mid-air.
¡°We¡¯re losing!¡± Heimdall shouted, his voice nearly drowned by the deafening roar of the storm.
His wyvern screeched in agreement, banking hard to avoid a griffon slashing its talons toward them. He snapped into action as a blade of ice exploded overhead sending sharp shrapnel into him. Most of them were blocked by his armor but some managed to dig deep through the blue steel. He yelled a spell at the same time he pulled Skarn into place. The rider and the Familiar released a torrent of fire towards the mage that shot the ice spell.
Wounded but not dead the ice wizard fled only to be replaced by other wizards firing their own spells and forcing Heimdall to retreat or be overwhelmed. Below, the wendigo ground forces were faring no better. Druids wielded nature¡¯s fury, entangling soldiers with roots that burst from the ground, impaling them with jagged stones. The druids in their ambush were already prepared with artillery magics before the fight even started. The wendigo warriors fought valiantly, but they were being pushed back, forced to give ground with every death dealt.
Then he saw it. A white shape streaked across the sky, moving faster than anything he had ever seen. For a moment, he thought it was a trick of the aurora, a fragment of light playing tricks on his eyes. That was proven wrong as it descended, the shape grew larger, more defined. A dragon. Not a wyvern, not a griffon, not some lesser beast of war but an actual dragon.
The battlefield seemed to hold its breath. Both wendigo and druids paused, stunned by the sight of the pale monstrosity cutting through the storm-laden skies. The dragon¡¯s wings spread wide, blotting out the aurora¡¯s shimmering light as it dived straight into the heart of the druid aerial formation.
¡°What¡ what is that?¡± Heimdall whispered, his grip tightening on Skarn¡¯s reins.
The dragon tore into the druids like a winter gale through autumn leaves. Its claws raked through a pair of griffons, their riders screaming as they plummeted to the ground. It¡¯s jaw ripped a rider off his mount in a shower of blood. Its tail lashed out, striking a pegasus mid-flight and sending it crashing into a cockatrice below. Druids scrambled to regroup, their spells turning toward the new threat, but the dragon moved with terrifying speed.
Then it opened its maw. A torrent of pale, withering breath poured forth, a mist of death that consumed everything in its path. A contingent of druids quickly went to contain the creature with shimmering shields. However when they approached there was a ripple in the air and the magic shields crumbled instantly. Right after the breath drained the life from both riders and beasts. The dragon¡¯s anti-magic aura flowed outward, disrupting spells mid-cast, leaving the druids vulnerable as it descended upon them with claws and fangs.
Heimdall¡¯s wyvern shrieked, its instincts pulling it away from the dragon¡¯s aura. Around him, the surviving wendigo knights hesitated, unsure whether this monstrous force was friend or foe.
¡°Wendigo! Stand and fight!¡± The dragon roared. ¡°You are warriors, born for blood and battle! Rally to me, and let us show these druids the fury of Yuhia!¡±
The voice was a booming roar, shaking the very air. He felt something else in the dragon¡¯s aura something he felt only one other time. Heimdall¡¯s eyes widened as realization struck him like a hammer.
¡°Lady Ingrid¡¡± he whispered then drew in a breath and yelled. ¡°The First Princess sent her, she is Lady Ingrid! Everyone the dragon is Lady Ingrid. The First Princess sent her!¡±
The name rippled through the ranks of the knights as the dragon banked sharply, diving through the enemy lines and scattering druids in every direction.
¡°She¡¯s with us!¡± another knight shouted, raising his spear high. ¡°To Ingrid! To the Sword of Salstar! Regroup and move!¡±
A deafening war cry erupted from the wendigo forces. Heimdall spurred Skarn forward, his spear raised as he joined the charge. Around him, the other knights followed, their wyverns diving with renewed ferocity into the druid formations.
Below, the ground forces rallied as well, the sight of Ingrid¡¯s dragon form tearing through the skies filling them with awe and determination. Ingrid¡¯s presence was a storm unto itself, a force of nature that turned the tide of the battle. Her claws shredded enemy mounts, her breath drained the life from druids and beasts alike, and her anti-magic aura left the enemy mages defenseless. Everywhere she flew, the druids fell, their once-dominant position crumbling into chaos.
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Heimdall fought with everything he had, his spear striking true as he brought down a griffon rider. Around him, the other knights echoed Ingrid¡¯s name, their voices rising above the storm.
¡°Ingrid! Ingrid! Ingrid!¡±
The aurora above grew brighter, the mana storm reaching its peak as the wendigo forces surged forward, their cries of victory drowning out the druids¡¯ desperate retreat.
***
As the skies cleared of enemies, the tide of battle on the ground shifted in tandem with the aerial victory. The wendigo forces, emboldened by their reclaimed skies and the dragon that had rallied them, surged forward with renewed strength. High above, Ingrid in the form of her familiar torn through the druid aerial forces and circled once before folding her massive wings and diving straight into the heart of the enemy line.
Ingrid¡¯s form shrank mid-plummet, the white scales folding back into pale skin, the massive wings and tail dissolving into nothingness. By the time she hit the ground, she was herself again, wreathed in a haze of anti-magic that rippled across the battlefield affecting only those she deemed an enemy. The impact was a thunderclap, shaking the earth and throwing druids and their summoned beasts off their feet as if a meteor had struck.
She stood clad in her armor plate metal interspersed with runic formulae that amplified her anti-magic. When the dust cleared, she was in the center of a shallow crater, her greatsword already in hand. The blade gleamed with blue steel, etched with runes that shimmered faintly in the presence of her anti-magic aura. Her glowing eyes scanned the battlefield, locking onto the druids scrambling to regain their footing.
¡°Wendigo!¡± she roared, her voice carrying across the chaos. ¡°Show them what it means to step into our land. Leave none standing. Leave none retreating. Kill them all!¡±
Her declaration ignited the wendigo soldiers, their battle cries echoing hers as they charged. Ingrid didn¡¯t wait to see the results. She moved swifter than any of the men, her greatsword sweeping through the air in arcs of death.
A druid mage raised their staff, shouting an incantation as vines burst from the ground, aiming to entangle her. The moment the spell crossed into her aura, it faltered. The vines withered and crumbled, the spell unraveling. The druid barely had time to gasp before Ingrid¡¯s blade cut them down, the steel cleaving through both their staff and chest in one stroke.
Another mage attempted a fireball, but her anti-magic aura disrupted the spell mid-cast. The flame flickered, then detonated in the mage¡¯s hands. The resulting explosion shredded their arms and sent their body hurtling backward, their screams drowned out by the thunderous roar of collapsing mana.
Each step Ingrid took was marked by devastation. Spells fizzled and backfired around her, mages falling prey to their own uncontained power as their mana cores ruptured violently. Amidst the chaos, something massive surged through the enemy ranks, a figure that stood apart from the panicked druids.
A figure loomed above the others: a druid warrior of the Falz clan. His broad frame, clad in sparse but sturdy armor, towered over his kin. Beside him lumbered an enormous blue spine bear, its jagged, glowing spikes bristling like a natural fortress of magical energy. The beast¡¯s roar was a guttural bellow, its vibrations reverberating across the battlefield and even causing wendigo lines to waver momentarily.
The druid¡¯s eyes locked onto Ingrid, and he pointed his war axe at her. ¡°You¡¯ve caused enough death today, beast,¡± he growled, his voice steady despite the chaos. ¡°I will put you in the ground where you belong savage!¡±
Ingrid¡¯s lips twisted into a feral grin, her canines flashing in the dim light. She didn¡¯t dignify him with words; there was no need to converse with a corpse. Instead, she rolled her shoulders, loosening the tension in her body like a predator readying to pounce.
The druid and his bear charged as one, the ground trembling beneath their combined weight. The bear lunged first, its massive claws swiping toward Ingrid with terrifying speed. She ducked beneath the strike, her greatsword coming up to deflect the beast¡¯s other paw. The impact sent a shockwave through her arms, the force of the blow nearly staggering her.
The druid was right behind the bear, his war axe aimed at her side. Ingrid twisted, narrowly avoiding the blade, but the druid was fast, faster than she expected. His gauntleted fist caught her across the jaw, sending her stumbling back. She tasted blood.
¡°Not bad,¡± she admitted, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
Her aura flared, and she surged forward, meeting the druid¡¯s next strike head-on. The druid was nearly her equal in strength which was a rarity for her. As an anti-magic mage Ingrid had to alway fight with her skill with the blade. Stripped of magic and suppressed with her spells everyone was alway just meat to be cut down.
Ingrid was no fool; she knew that if she wanted to survive she had to be stronger, faster and more skilled in every way than her opponent. The druid may rival her in physical strength but not in skill. She was born for war, this was her playground, it was her teacher, and the purest expression of her ideals. With every fight she brought with her the experience of decades.
The spine bear struck again, its claws raking across her side, tearing through her armor and biting into flesh. Ingrid hissed, pain flaring through her body, but she retaliated without hesitation. Her greatsword cleaved into the beast¡¯s shoulder, sinking deep into muscle and bone. The bear howled in agony, its massive jaws snapping inches from her face as she backpedaled to regain her footing.
The druid pressed the attack, his axe flashing toward her head. She parried it with her sword, the clash of metal ringing out like a bell. The force of the blow sent a jolt through her arms, but she held her ground, twisting her blade to force his weapon away.
With a roar, she drove her knee into the druid¡¯s chest, forcing him back. Her greatsword followed, slashing upward in a devastating arc. The blade caught the bear across the throat, severing its head in a spray of blood.
The druid roared in fury, his grief fueling his next attack. He raised his hand, magic surging as he attempted to cast a spell¡ªbut Ingrid¡¯s anti-magic flared, disrupting his focus. The spell shattered mid-cast, the backlash ripping through his body. His mana core erupted violently, streams of bloodied energy tearing him apart from within. Ingrid didn¡¯t give him a chance to recover. Her blade struck true, decapitating him in a single, brutal stroke.
Blood dripped from her wounds as she reached for a healing potion at her belt. She downed it in one gulp, the searing liquid burning her throat as her injuries began to knit themselves back together.
There was no time to rest. More druids surged toward her, their faces twisted with rage and fear. Ingrid tightened her grip on her greatsword, a savage grin spreading across her bloodied face. If they wanted to challenge her, she would show them the wrath of the wendigo.
With a battle cry that shook the air, she charged forward, her sword raised high. Today, she would carve their fear of the Forest Father into the very ground.
Interlude WM [96.5] Princess’s Gambit Final
The convoy moved steadily along the well-worn road, the rhythmic clatter of hooves and creaking of wheels filling the crisp morning air. At the heart of the formation rode the royal carriage, a fortress of gilded steel and reinforced wood, its black and gold banners bearing the sigil of the Qar Dynasty. Within, First Princess Sigrun reclined against the plush interior, her gaze drifting lazily out the window.
Beyond the glass stretched the vast and rolling expanse of the Salstar Domain. From her vantage point atop the hill, she could see for miles and there were sprawling pastures dotted with hardy livestock, their thick coats bracing against the creeping chill. Villages, modest yet orderly, sprawled across the land like scattered seeds, giving way to the imposing sight of Vetrfjall, the domain¡¯s capital.
First Princess¡¯s Royal Knights cut an imposing figure as they escorted her carriage. Clad in dark armor, their capes trailing behind them, they moved in perfect formation. Each knight was a master of their craft, handpicked for their unwavering loyalty and formidable skill. The battle at the Border Fortress only further hardened their resolve. Most of the knights had not been present at the border fort but those that had and survived became stronger for it.
Vetrfjall loomed ever closer, while not as impressive as Lavi it was still a fortress of stone and steel, its towering walls standing defiant against the encroaching frost. Smoke curled from chimneys, mingling with the muted grey sky as winter announced its arrival in a fragile veil of first frost.
Sigrun sighed, rolling her shoulders as boredom gnawed at her. She turned her attention to Thorfinn, seated across from her, his expression one of infuriating calm. He sipped his tea with deliberate ease, his eyes fixed on the book in his hands, utterly unbothered by her scrutiny. She wanted to bring him because he was one of the only people she could really let her hair down around. Yet here he was not even a flicker of acknowledgment. The bastard. She narrowed her eyes, tempted, so very tempted, to prod him with her sorcery, just to force a reaction. Perhaps a little mental push, a whisper of discomfort.She restrained herself from her childish prank. Barely.
Normally, she would take trips on Dagny but she had to respect the Salstar Domain which supported her brother for succession to the throne. Bringing a familiar as powerful as Dagny could be seen as a provocation. While there had been rumors of the succession war turning bloody in actuality the royal family wanted to avoid open conflict. Especially at the resurgence of the Holy War for Diredain. The near siege for rights to Fort City of Lavi was the closest the Succession War came to open combat.
Her gaze shifted, settling on Beatrix, seated to her right. The silver-haired elf was the picture of poise, her every motion smooth, deliberate, placating and practiced. She had served Sigrun¡¯s late mother before her birth, then transferred to her service the moment she came of age. On the outside she was everything Sigrun wanted as a handmaid. Dutifully loyal and easy to get along with, at least she played the part well.
Sigrun had known the truth since the day she met Beatrix that she was a spy for the elven kingdom of Postlumia. Perhaps she was unaware that her cover had been blown, or perhaps she was simply too arrogant, too certain of her own skill in resisting the Qar Dynasty¡¯s famed domination sorcery.
Either way, it didn¡¯t matter. Beatrix was a necessary evil. Every kingdom had its infiltrators, and by letting her remain, they ensured their enemies believed they had already slipped past the palace gates. If the royal family seemed too impenetrable, they would only try harder to find a way in but, with Beatrix and others like her, they could control the flow of information.
The tragic irony was that while Beatrix believed herself a cunning operative, she was nothing more than a pawn moving at Sigrun¡¯s command. She would never forget the night her late mother had told her the story. The queen had the quiet satisfaction in her voice as she recounted how Beatrix¡¯s heart had been replaced with a crystal sorcery matrix. Beatrix was practically a golem at this point, but she thought she was acting autonomously. That was the brilliance of it and the terrifying truth of domination sorcery. She would forget anything Sigrun wished erased. She would reveal any secret Sigrun demanded, believing she had done so of her own accord even believing that she was somehow fooling Sigrun.
¡°We should be arriving soon, Your Majesty,¡± Beatrix said, inclining her head with practiced grace. ¡°Would you like some tea as well?¡±
¡°No.¡± Sigrun turned away with a huff, her fingers tapping impatiently against the windowsill. ¡°I hope the Salstar Estate isn¡¯t too far. As soon as we leave here, we¡¯re heading straight back to Lavi. I don¡¯t like leaving a territory that important without my supervision. Especially this early into solidifying power.¡±
¡°Well, you were insistent,¡± Thorfinn murmured, lowering his book at last. ¡°And thank you for the tea. It was lovely.¡±
He handed the empty cup to Beatrix, who smiled as it disappeared into her inventory with a flicker of magic.
¡°Oh, so now you¡¯re ready to talk?¡± Sigrun snapped, fixing him with an exasperated glare. ¡°I¡¯ve been sitting here bored for hours.¡±
¡°You could have started a conversation at any time.¡± Thorfinn¡¯s tone was flat.
¡°As my best friend, I thought you would have noticed I was bored.¡± She threw up a hand, as if this should have been obvious.
Thorfinn raised a brow. ¡°And how was I supposed to do that? Read your mind?¡±
Sigrun snapped her fingers as if struck by sudden inspiration. ¡°You¡¯re a Starlight mage! Why not use divination or mental projection? That sounds like a great idea to me.¡±
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¡°No. And that¡¯s not how it works,¡± Thorfinn said, already exhausted by the conversation. ¡°Mind reading would be Taming Magic if anything. Do you have any idea what your siblings, what your father, would do if they found out I¡¯d created a magic strong enough to influence the royal family¡¯s minds? Even if it was just to detect that ¡®Oh, Sigrun¡¯s bored, maybe someone should entertain her.¡¯¡±
Sigrun grumbled and crossed her arms, ¡°you¡¯re the one who brought it up in the first place.¡±
¡°What are we even doing out here anyway?¡± Thorfinn said.
¡°Oh?¡± Sigrun smirked. ¡°Are you actually interested? I thought you hated politics.¡±
Thorfinn gave a noncommittal shrug and lifted his book again.
¡°I guess I¡¯ll find out when we get there.¡± He said with a poorly hidden smile.
Before he could settle in, Sigrun snatched the book from his hands and, without hesitation, swung open the carriage door.
¡°Koll,¡± she called to one of the knights riding alongside them. ¡°Hold this for me until we arrive at the estate.¡±
¡°Of course, Your Majesty.¡± The knight barely hesitated before nodding. He took the book with a respectful bow, tucking it securely beneath his arm. ¡°Is there anything else I can do for you?¡±
¡°No, thank you Koll.¡± She said as she closed the door.
¡°That was completely unnecessary.¡± Thorfinn sighed and crossed his arms.
Sigrun smirked. ¡°Then maybe next time, you¡¯ll pay attention when I¡¯m bored.¡±
¡°You can be a brat sometimes, Siggy.¡± He gave her a flat look before giving in to her provocation. ¡°So, since you¡¯re so eager to talk. What exactly are we doing here? The Salstar Patriarch isn¡¯t going to be happy to see us. You did send his wife to the frontlines.¡±
Sigrun leaned back, her expression sharpening. ¡°We¡¯re going to propose the return of the Sword of Salstar.¡±
Beatrix nearly stood up if not for the shock which caused her and Thorfinn to look at her. She bowed her head and sat back in her chair. Trying to look as small as possible.
Thorfinn raised a brow. ¡°Why? So he can divorce her? Or worse, perform a Diagaunt and disgrace her in person?¡±
¡°No. He wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± Sigrun shook her head. ¡°Ingrid may have lost the Show of Power, but she¡¯s still strong. Even I recognize her as one of the most valuable assets in the country. Anti-magic is too rare to discard so easily, and during her banishment, she¡¯s already accomplished enough to earn the title of Warlord.¡±
¡°Oh? Then why give her back at all?¡± Thorfinn asked, skepticism lacing his tone. ¡°As it stands, all her achievements belong to our faction because she now belongs to you now.¡±
¡°Because we have Tanisha,¡± Sigrun said, a knowing glint in her eye. ¡°Enough people have seen her¡ªwitnessed the Greater Wendigo, even if they didn¡¯t understand what she was. She saved Lavi, thwarted her mother¡¯s plans, stopped the druids¡¯ experiments, and led a crusade to drive them out of our borders.¡±
Thorfinn¡¯s gaze flickered with realization. ¡°You¡¯re elevating her accomplishments¡ that¡¯s why you let people see Signe and me bow to her. That''s why you made a spectacle of us entering her tent.¡±
Sigrun¡¯s lips curled into a vicious smile. ¡°We will make the Fourteenth Princess the Patron Saintess of Lavi. While our faction in the West through Ingrid repelled an invasion that nearly toppled the Ragnarsson Domain, our Saintess pushed out an invasionary force in the East after securing Lavi. None of my siblings can claim to have such accomplishments and now Lavi is under my control. The Ragnarsson owe us for our assistance in saving their asses.¡±
Thorfinn exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. ¡°Alright, I follow that part. But why return Ingrid?¡±
¡°As a backup plan should our little princess not return.¡± Sigrun¡¯s tone was calculating. ¡°All of Salstar¡¯s children are prodigies. Helga was the strongest Starlight mage we¡¯d ever seen. If she hadn¡¯t died, she would have been a candidate for the throne from her power alone. Their second child, Tanisha, became a Greater Wendigo. Ragnar has already distinguished himself in combat as an electrokinetic mage. Their youngest, from what I¡¯ve heard, she may have the same potential as Ulfar. In fact I think you will like her, rumors say she has a talent for divination magic.¡±
Thorfinn frowned. ¡°I still don¡¯t follow your plan, what are you getting at?¡±
¡°Ugh, you are dense sometimes,¡± Sigrun said. ¡°I want them to have another child and give them to me in exchange for Ingrid¡¯s return.¡±
Thorfinn blinked. ¡°You want to adopt a Salstar child? You¡¯re gambling Ingrid for the mere possibility that they¡¯ll be as powerful as Tanisha?¡±
¡°I¡¯d love to bring the Salstars under my banner, but Ulfar is prideful and too stuck in the ways of the past. But that¡¯s precisely why I know he still sees value in Ingrid. Even if there¡¯s no love between them, he knows her worth. He won¡¯t throw her away. Aside from marrying into the royal family, there¡¯s no woman he could have who matches her tenacity, strength, and combat acumen.¡±
¡°And returning her would send a message.¡± Thorfinn¡¯s expression turned thoughtful. ¡°That we don¡¯t need the Sword of Salstar to accomplish our goals. Ingrid already all but guaranteed that the Ragnarsson¡¯s will have to join our faction to repay their debt to us. We have the Saintess and the rumors of a new Princess.¡±
Sigrun¡¯s smirk deepened. ¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°It¡¯s risky, Siggy.¡± Thorfinn said.
¡°No, it isn¡¯t. It¡¯s a guaranteed victory.¡± She leaned forward, eyes gleaming. ¡°The Forest Father moves with us. We¡¯ve already gotten what we needed from Ingrid at the front. Once I have that child, I¡¯ll personally lead the campaign to reclaim Diredain. I will be the one to secure the throne, no one else will have that glory.¡±
¡°Your Highness, you shouldn¡¯t risk yourself in the war like that,¡± Beatrix said.
¡°Ah you reminded me, whenever you get the chance see how Postlumia plans to respond for me.¡± Sigrun flicked a dismissive hand.
¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean but I will see what I can do.¡± Beatrix inclined her head.
¡°Yeah-yeah,¡± Sigrun said with a huff. ¡°Just forget everything else you heard and carry out my order.¡±
Beatrix stiffened. For a moment, she seemed to resist, but then her expression smoothed as if she had never spoken at all.
Thorfinn cringed. ¡°That¡¯s a terrifying thing you can do to her.¡±
Sigrun didn¡¯t bother responding. Her gaze drifted to the window, watching as the Salstar lands stretched out before her. Snow blanketed the earth in slow, creeping layers, as if nature itself conspired to crown her ambitions. Everything she desired lay within reach, waiting to be seized.
The Forest Father had set this path before her, and she would walk it unchallenged.
This land, these people, this destiny, they would all be hers.
WM [97] Push As Far As You Can
The door opened with a hiss as alien lights filled the stairwell. Bjorn had ascended alone in case the storm had already grown to the point that it would alter the minds of those caught in it. He could already feel the corruption reaching into him but finding no purchase as his primana defended him against the onslaught.
Bjorn took his first step out of the Extraction Site. He could feel corrupted mana biting at his presence like sandpaper against his scales. The air was dry and the tempest that was the mana hurricane was screaming as if in pain. The sky above was no longer intact, it was shattered like a broken mirror reflecting incomprehensible realities. Gone was the aurora of shifting mana and its chaotic discharges that had warped the landscape into an ever-mutable puddy. In its place loomed a cosmos undone: lightning frozen mid-strike, suspended in the jagged shards of a sky fractured by forces beyond mortal understanding.
Bjorn knew what this sight would do to a mortal mind. To witness such things would unspool their thoughts, unraveling sanity until nothing but incoherent madness remained. However, Bjorn was a True and where the frailty of mortality would have ripped his mind apart, his Higher Plane nature was an anchor against the chaos. He could see between the shards where horrors lingered. There were nightmarish figures of impossible shape and unknowable intent swam in the pools of Creation undone. The entities twisted and folded upon themselves, shapes that defied Euclidean sanity, existing in a paradox where reality and the nonentity collided.
Stars spun in the cosmic soup and burned with the light of alien suns, their glow casting shadows that writhed as if alive. Infinite voids yawned wide, darker than the deepest abyss, yet alive with whispers. Bjorn felt the thousand gazes pressing down upon him. He was now where the realm was weakening; he could feel the presence of the Trues beyond. He could feel the malevolence of the Devils in the Infernal waiting for their time to burn another world.
Bjorn had to force himself to look away from the scar that made up the sky above and instead his eyes traced the massive serpent that curled around the warp. It¡¯s mouth ajar as the warp fed it the energy of untold stars. It had not moved since it was sent there. Its purpose was singular and so far had gone uninterrupted. Bjorn had no intention of finding out what the Avatar of the Great Serpent would do if it was antagonized.
¡°I think it is fair to say that I don¡¯t like it here.¡± Failsafe said in Bjorn¡¯s head. ¡°I think we should get moving quickly.¡±
¡°Agreed.¡± Bjorn said as he shook the image of the sky from his thoughts. ¡°We will use the warp as our main landmark because the landscape will change. Let''s go the opposite direction from all of that power.¡±
Bjorn turned and ran. The landscape around him was baron and rocky. It was hard to see through all of the sand kicked up by the storm above. At this point Bjorn didn¡¯t have a destination; he just needed to search for any signs of the material he needed. Getting to higher ground would be the best bet only after he gave himself more distance from the warp and he could think without having his mind invaded by the mana in the air.
***
It took a few days of travel to finally find a pass through the mountains. He decided he would not climb a mountain again mainly for safety. The terrain was unsteady and more than once had he seen a mountain crumble like a stone falling into water. He didn¡¯t want to be on one if that happened.
Monsters had been drawn to the warp and most would all but ignore Bjorn in their desperate attempts to claim the power of the warp itself. Not all monsters ran to what would be their inevitable death. Bjorn would catch glances at hunters prowling for prey amongst the chaos. He decided that he would use his Shadow concealment more liberally once he saw a few eyeing him.
¡°Look, the sky is relatively normal here.¡± Failsafe said.
Bjorn saw that the sky was covered in the aurora of a mana storm. The sight was far better than the broken hellscape of a sky around the warp. It wasn¡¯t safe but it was definitely safer than the eye of the storm.
¡°Huh, guess we are finally out of the main formation of the mana hurricane.¡± Bjorn said as carried on forward. ¡°Judging by the bond Tanisha is asleep. Hope things are going well on their end.¡±
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¡°I am sure they are fine.¡± Failsafe said. ¡°Well, where too first.¡±
¡°Still just looks like barren land here.¡± Bjorn said. ¡°So, I''ll just keep going straight until we see something of interest.¡±
***
Deep into the flat lands he decided to slow his pace. He needed to conserve energy in case he was attacked. The shifting lights of the aurora were still dim enough for his Shadow Concealment to work but not to the same effect as true shadows would grant him. He could see anything approaching long before it reached him.
¡°We have company,¡± Failsafe said, his head bobbed up and down. ¡°I will give you back control of this head.¡±
Bjorn didn¡¯t see anything, he didn¡¯t smell anything and the ambient magic was too chaotic for his mana sensitive tongue to pick up any changes. He slowed to a crawl each of his heads swiveling around looking for any movement.
¡°I don¡¯t see anything,¡± Bjorn said. ¡°Wait.¡±
He didn¡¯t doubt Failsafe, and his own instincts told him that something was watching him. His eyes swept across the landscape, searching for what had triggered his sense of danger. Then, he saw a flicker of movement in the distance, barely more than a shifting shadow against the dim light of the mana storm.
Something else is using the shadow magic like me, Bjorn thought.
A second shape slithered into view. Then a third followed by many-many more. Bjorn¡¯s heart pounded as he was reminded of his past as Isin running from a stampede of monsters. This wasn¡¯t a lone hunter coming to attack him. It was a pack and they were closing fast.
¡°Do you know what they are,¡± Bjorn asked. ¡°We did have Tanisha show us that monster book before we left.¡±
¡°Uh-uh, shadow concealed, hunts in large pacts in planes, really fast,¡± Failsafe said in a panic. ¡°We should start running too, by the way. I don¡¯t know until they get closer but nothing good can use shadow magic.¡±
Bjorn turned and bolted, his muscles coiling like loaded springs. As he ran, he noticed the pack members pivoting in his direction.
They can see me?
Even cloaked in Shadow Concealment, their eyes or whatever sensory organs they possessed tracked his every movement.
No point in hiding then.
He relinquished the spell, his body flickering back into full view. His magic shifted from stealth to his Chaos Scales Armor. His scales shimmered momentarily as protective energy pulsed through him. At the same time, he prepared his breath attacks, each head instinctively channeling raw elemental power. If they got too close, he¡¯d incinerate them.
Bjorn tensed, ready to pivot and fight, when the world betrayed him. Without warning, the ground beneath his feet twisted violently. A deep, guttural rumble echoed across the landscape, like the roar of some slumbering titan awakening beneath the surface. Gravity itself shuddered.
Then, the world lurched. The land fractured, stone and rock splitting apart with an ear splitting crack. Thunder boomed, not from the sky, but from the deep beneath the surface as the terrain shattered. Bjorn¡¯s stomach flipped, a sensation akin to free-fall overtaking him as he was yanked into the air along with the pack of monsters chasing him.
¡°What in the Infernal Planes is this?¡± Bjorn roared as his body was hurled skyward.
Hundreds of feet above the ground, he twisted in the air, glimpsing the chaos below. The land had split. Massive chunks of earth, entire sections of the landscape, had been torn free and now hovered in the sky like weightless debris. Some were the size of fields, others barely large enough to stand on. The storm above flickered, the aurora dancing in the sky, casting eerie shadows over the floating battlefield.
Bjorn crashed onto one of the islands, his claws sinking into the unstable rock as he skidded to a halt. He barely had time to shake off the impact before his eyes darted across his surroundings. The pack had been scattered, their agile bodies twisting midair to land on different islands. Some, however, had landed with him.
Bjorn caught glimpses and saw that other monsters were also scattered across the floating islands. They had been caught in the phenomenon as he had. He spotted shimmers of shadows still gliding towards him despite the now uneven terrain. The entire landscape had shifted into something unrecognizable.
Failsafe¡¯s voice cut into his thoughts. ¡°I saw one! Those things are Spinefang Striders. Pack hunters. Weird spiky tentacle faces. They¡¯re ridiculously fast, and-and the spikes are venomous. Alone, the book said they were a moderate threat. In a pack, High threat.¡±
Bjorn exhaled sharply, his breath curling into mist. ¡°Great. How do I kill them? Because I¡¯ve got some company up here.¡±
The Spinefang Striders remained unperturbed by the shifting terrain. If anything, they hardly seemed to notice that the world had just torn itself apart. The only real advantage Bjorn had was that their numbers had been thinned, where once there had been a horde, only a couple dozen remained on his island. The rest were scattered across the other floating landmasses or, if he was lucky, had been smashed into paste on the ground far below.
Failsafe spoke quickly. ¡°Uh, water. As much as you can. They suck at maneuvering on anything but solid ground. Otherwise they will be too fast for us. Other than that we haven¡¯t used our abilities in a while let''s go crazy. We are all by ourselves and don¡¯t have to worry about attracting anything since we are who knows how far in the sky right now.¡±
¡°You''re right, let¡¯s see how far I can really push this body.¡±
WM [98] Island Fever
Bjorn barely had time to prepare before the Spinefang Striders were upon him. Each of his heads gathered energy in quick succession. The rightmost one unleashed a torrent of high-pressure water, slicking the jagged ground beneath him. The island turned into a treacherous battlefield, its rocky surface now coated in a slick, unstable layer of moisture. Some of the creatures faltered, their claws scrabbling against the wet stone as they fought for traction.
His second head exhaled a golden glow that quickly dimmed into a dull, sickly grey.
Aetheric Disruption Breath
Primana Cost: Variable
(I) Low cost, 10 Primana. Release aetheric energies that boost allies and poisons enemy active spellforms. Boosted attack spells gain a poison; weakened spells become unstable and harder to control, spreading instability to future castings. All effects last for five minutes. (II) Medium cost, 15 Primana. Expand the breath¡¯s range, affecting multiple spells. Poisoned spells are even harder to control, while boosted spells deal stronger poison damage. All effects last seven minutes. (III) High cost, 20 Primana. Target spells to cause backfire, turning magic against its caster. Boosted spells gain potent venom, and poisoned spells spread instability to future castings. Effects persist for ten minutes.
The moment the Aetheric Disruption Breath took hold, the creatures shrieked. Their bodies convulsed as their own shadow magic betrayed them, twisting against their forms in chaotic backlashes. Some outright collapsed, their limbs locking up as uncontrolled magic ravaged their insides. Others howled in agony before dispelling their failing spells, finally revealing their true forms to Bjorn.
Failsafe had severely understated their hideousness. Their bodies mimicked the sleek frame of a jungle cat, but everything about them was fundamentally wrong. Their flesh seemed to writhe, as though countless worms crawled beneath the surface, shaping the muscles and sinew into something unnatural. Their faces were obscured by writhing black tentacles, the ends of which bristled with jagged, bone-like spikes which were perfect for puncturing and tearing flesh apart. Worst still each was his equal in size meaning this would be a fight determined by whose magic would last longer.
¡°Trues above,¡± Bjorn muttered, his stomach twisting in revulsion.
¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t expect them to look that bad,¡± Failsafe admitted.
The creatures didn¡¯t give him time to dwell on their grotesque forms. They lunged as blurs of twitching muscle and gnashing tendrils, closing the distance in an instant. Their speed was a problem but Bjorn had a plan for that. He let out a roar.
Intimidation Roar
Primana Cost: 1
Infuse Primana into your roar to paralyze anyone that hears it. Your roar can paralyze humanoid magic constructs as long as they are connected to a magic caster. Paralysis duration depends on distance and level disparity between you and the target. Those bound to you are immune to this effect.
The sheer force of his bellow froze the Spinefang Striders in place, their bodies locking up mid-motion. One of the closest was already airborne, its leap carrying it helplessly past him. Bjorn twisted, narrowly dodging its flailing limbs as it skidded across the slick ground¡ªmomentum carrying it straight over the edge of the floating island.
Bjorn was not idle. Knowing the paralysis wouldn¡¯t last long, his leftmost head exhaled a thick, roiling Poison Cloud, the mist crackling with condensed Primana. The air turned toxic, filling the lungs of the frozen creatures with searing venom that attacked them from the inside.
Then, he cut the water flow from his rightmost head. Bjorn felt heat rise in his throat, his body channeling raw Plague Fire in its full destructive Aetheric Form. White fire bloomed from him engulfing the creatures in an inferno of pain and poison. Even so, these creatures were tenacious.
As soon as they could move they dodged the fire or charged through if they were already ablaze. Many died from the combination of poisoning methods overcoming the unnatural vitality of monsters. However some pushed through with their only goal being to rip him apart.
Bjorn¡¯s claws crackled with toxic energy, the poison within them potent enough to melt the rock beneath him. His muscles tensed as he braced for impact.
Then they were on him. The first Spinefang leapt at his side, its tentacled maw snapping open, only for one of Bjorn¡¯s heads to whip around and clamp its fangs into the creature¡¯s throat. He ripped, tearing its windpipe apart and tossing its twitching corpse aside.
Another lashed out, its spiked tendrils whipping at his scales. The hardened magic of his Chaos Scales resisted the strikes, the bone-like protrusions scraping harmlessly across his armored hide. They were relentless. The sheer number of attacks began to wear on his defenses, their jagged appendages hammering the same spots over and over. Cracks started to form.
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A third one pounced, claws aiming for his throats, Bjorn spun around his tail¡¯s thagomizer hit the monster''s side, piercing flesh and impaling the monster. The force sent it crashing into another creature, sending both sprawling. His toxins do their work in slowing the monster''s reaction and speed. Bjorn couldn¡¯t focus on them; he needed to focus on the more immediate threats.
He turned, only for a fourth monster to finally break through. Pain lanced through his side as jagged tendrils pierced a weak spot in his scales, sinking into his flesh. Bjorn snarled, but instead of retreating, he lunged into the attacker, snapping his fangs around the creature¡¯s face and crushing its skull.
Bjorn found that he was at his limit with his natural defenses. He activated his armor in the same manner that Laxy had taught him. Black metal covered his form. He had become a harbinger of death. Each head produced a different effect as again he cast spells.
The battlefield was chaos. Monsters slipped on the wet, uneven terrain, their bodies coated in layers of poison and fire. Some collapsed outright, the combination of toxins ravaging them from the inside out. Others kept coming, even with half their flesh burned away. The vitality of monsters was truly a thing to fear.
Bjorn¡¯s breathing grew heavier. His Primana reserves were burning fast. He needed to finish this.
His claws shimmered, the toxic energy now radiating with a deadly, acidic glow. He met the next charging Spinefang head-on, his talons tearing through its chest and yanking out a spray of blackened, venom-thick blood.
The last Spinefang didn¡¯t hesitate to charge, monsters didn¡¯t fear death, its instinctual aggression and hunger overrode any potential fear Bjorn¡¯s lethality could ever pose. Bjorn took a deep breath, his many eyes gleaming with primal fury.
¡°Come on,¡± he snarled, baring his bloodied fangs. ¡°Let¡¯s see which one of you bastards wants to die next.¡±
¡°It can¡¯t hear us, you know.¡± Failsafe said.
Bjorn didn¡¯t care. He met the beast in a blur of motion, his massive form slamming into the Spinefang like a battering ram. The impact sent shockwaves through Bjorn¡¯s body. His jaws clamped around its writhing tentacles, crushing bone and flesh with the sickening crunch of snapping cartilage. The creature thrashed wildly, clawed limbs flailing against Bjorn¡¯s armored hide, but its attacks barely scraped his armor and magically-hardened scales.
Then he felt it, a sharp, searing pain at his side. One of the Spinefang¡¯s talons, slick with corrosive venom, had found a weak point. His blood sizzled as it met the poison, but Bjorn only growled through the pain, tightening his grip. With a final, brutal twist of his necks, he ripped the monster in half, scattering its remains across the ruined island.
Then, silence. Bjorn stood victorious among the broken bodies of his foes, his breathing heavy, thick plumes of steam escaping from between his fangs. The battlefield was nothing but blood, scorched ground, and the lingering remnants of his own toxic energies. His muscles tensed, waiting for more enemies to come, but none did.
Instead, the world itself shifted. The ground beneath his feet trembled, a deep, unnatural hum vibrating through the ruined island. Bjorn took a cautious step back as the cracked, muddened earth suddenly pulsed with new life. Lush vegetation exploded from the ground, sprouting unnaturally fast, twisting into thick undergrowth, towering grasses, and massive, gnarled trees that stretched toward the sky. Vines slithered like living serpents, coiling around jagged rocks and the bodies of the fallen Spinefangs.
Then came the heat. It slammed into Bjorn like a tidal wave. The air thickened as if the entire island had been tossed into the heart of a raging inferno. The trees burned, their leaves curling into embers, only to regrow in an instant, evolving at an unprecedented rate. The cycle repeated, faster and faster, the flames licking hungrily at the sky until the very plants themselves became immune to the fire.
¡°We have to get out of here!¡± Failsafe said as Bjorn let him retake control of the right head.
¡°Not yet with all this mana one of these trees might evolve.¡± Bjorn said as he ran through the forest.
¡°If we survive long enough for it to appear.¡± Failsafe said. ¡°We don¡¯t have heat resistance, remember?¡±
Bjorn cursed under his breath. He could already feel the intense heat seeping through his magical armor, a biting sensation against his flesh. Even with his thick hide and natural durability, the rising temperature was becoming unbearable.
He turned sharply, scanning the shifting terrain for an escape. His eyes landed on the edge of the island, where the land crumbled away into nothingness. He sprinted toward it, his claws digging into the rapidly heating stone, only to skid to a halt.
He didn¡¯t have time to think, the heat continued to rise faster and faster. Failsafe used his water breath to spray over Bjorn as they ran. The water steamed nearly as soon as it touched the quickly scorching Familiar. He ran until he saw something ahead and a few dozen feet down. It was a smaller rocky platform with an odd obelisk formation on one side.
Bjorn didn¡¯t hesitate. With a deep, rumbling growl, he lunged forward at full speed, his muscles coiling before he launched himself into the air. The world blurred around him as he plummeted, wind howling in his ears. The new platform rushed toward him, but so did the realization that he was falling too fast.
His claws slammed into the rocky edge.
For a brief, terrifying moment, his grip faltered. His talons scraped against stone, carving deep gashes into the rock as he struggled to hold on. His body jerked downward, scales grinding against the cliffside as he slid dangerously close to the edge.
He roared, forcing his muscles to strain, his limbs burning with exertion.
With a final, desperate push, Bjorn wrenched himself upward, dragging his massive frame onto the platform. His chest heaved as he lay there for a moment, his many eyes darting toward the strange obelisk.
Failsafe let out a shaky breath. ¡°That was too close.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s just lay here for a while.¡± Bjorn said as he let out a low growl. ¡°This place sucks.¡±
¡°Agreed.¡± Failsafe said.
WM [99] Traveler
Bjorn took a deep breath and plunged into the monolith. It wasn¡¯t water, not really. It didn¡¯t feel like liquid, yet it moved around him as if it were. His body passed through the stone as though it were no more solid than a dense current, yet it clung to him, pressing in on his scales like wet clay trying to swallow him whole.
Immediately, he felt blind. His limbs and tails moved smoothly, his many heads twisting and undulating as he adjusted to the strange sensation. Inside of the liquid rock he was blind aside from the head he kept outside the monolith. Opening his eyes inside would be a good way to have stone scrape against them and he preferred to not lose an eye so foolishly.
He kicked harder, propelling himself upward. His lone exposed head blinked against the wind and watched the towering monolith stretch high above toward the next skyland. The distance wasn¡¯t impossible, but it wasn¡¯t going to be easy, either.
¡°I really hope this isn¡¯t a one-way trip.¡± Failsafe muttered.
Bjorn was about to say something when he felt something press against his body. It then moved within the liquid rock along with him. Bjorn remembered the monster that lived inside of the mercury river, so of course something would live in the weird rock formation thing too.
¡°Failsafe, we have company. What kind of monster would be in something like this liquid rock?¡±
¡°Oh, uh give me a second.¡± Failsafe said.
It was subtle at first, a shift in pressure, a flicker of something brushing against his side before vanishing. Bjorn twisted his heads instinctively, but there was nothing there.
He pushed himself faster, his hydra body slicing through the dense not-stone, each kick carrying him higher. But the presence remained. Trailing him. Matching his speed.
Then something latched onto his side. It cut through his Chaos Scales Armor as if it weren''t there. A sharp, twisting pain bloomed beneath his scales. Bjorn attempted Intimidation Roar but the magic infused sound didn¡¯t travel through the strange medium. He figured that any of his other breath attacks would face the same difficulty.
He jerked to slash at the affected area but there was nothing to attack, just a wound. Then another force pulled at him, dragging him sideways. Trying to pull him deeper into the rock but Bjorn fought against the pull. If he was dragged in fully he would be at the complete mercy of the monster.
Bjorn thrashed, his tail whipped, his claws raked through the dense stone-fluid. He felt something slimy and thin wrap around his leg, more limbs, more unseen things, wrapping and tightening, trying to drag him deeper. His exposed head whipped upward he had to push himself.
Bjorn kicked off with all his strength, his powerful hydra form launching through the thickened rock.The monsters holding onto him didn¡¯t let go. They pulled, their grips tightening like bone-thin vines constricting around his limbs and necks.
Another flash of pain, another bite this time, sinking into his underbelly. He couldn¡¯t tell how big it was, or how many there were. All he knew was that he was bleeding, his own dark blood dissolving into the suffocating rock.
¡°Failsafe what are these things?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°I think it is one monster called an abyssal stalker. It hunts in what was called liquid rock which matches what we are currently swimming in. Apparently it pulls things inside and drowns-uh¡ suffocates¡it keeps them from breathing.¡±
¡°Yeah, I noticed.¡±
¡°They aren¡¯t very strong outside of the liquid rock.¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t help me now,¡± Bjorn yelled. ¡°Does it say anything about biting through magical defenses?¡±
¡°Uh¡ yeah. They ignore them.¡±
¡°Of course they do,¡± Bjorn spat.
He snarled, twisted, and then, tore free. A chunk of his flesh was ripped away, leaving a ragged wound along his side, but Bjorn didn¡¯t stop. He surged upward with desperate strength, ignoring the tearing pain, ignoring the thing slithering just beyond his senses.
The stalker was chasing him now, its unseen limbs snapping for him. Then Bjorn burst out of the monolith onto the solid ground on the new skyland.The sudden absence of resistance sent him flying, his body flipping midair before he crashed onto the ground. His tail and legs slammed into the stone, skidding before he dug in, stopping himself just shy of the edge.
Panting, he twisted his necks back toward the monolith. Bjorn heaved a breath, blood dripping onto the stone. Bjorn imagined that some other abomination would jump out after him and continue to fight with its grotesque form. Nothing happened, the monster didn¡¯t follow or jump out at him. He felt his wounds close like itchy patches but he was all and all fine. Then he saw a shimmer of shadow magic and sighed.
¡°You have to be shitting me. More spinefangs?¡± Bjorn said.
He wasted no time and shot water breath, coating the land around him as he squared up for yet another brutal fight.
***
Bjorn sat on his haunches looking out over the bloodied ground, there had been even more of the Spinefangs than on the first skyland. He was carefully observing every detail for any sign that more of the creatures were in ambush. This island, unlike the others, had vegetation that seemed normal. Grasses mainly, which for once made him feel like he was outside of the Chaos Lands. It was by far the largest Skyland and even encompassed part of the mountain range.
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There were also clusters of other skylands nearby though getting to them would be one way as there was no way to get back. Bjorn let himself heal before pressing forward. There was a forest as part of the skyland going well into the mountains in the distance. He wanted to find mana tree roots but if there were full mana trees up here it would be even better.
¡°Oh, goodie my side project is done.¡± Failsafe said cheerily.
¡°What side project?¡± Bjorn asked.
¡°The progress tracker between levels. Remember we were talking about adding that so you can see how close to level up you are. We decided on percentages. I am finally done with it.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll take a look.¡± Bjorn said.
Bjorn opened his menus and saw he leveled up twice which was a shame as it meant he was already getting less returns from killing the spinefangs. He already didn¡¯t want to fight them and now he would get less for each one. He placed his twenty points, splitting them evenly between Primana and Primana Regeneration.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Lernaean Hydra
+ Level: 54 < 56
+ Level Progression: 53%
Vitality: 178 / 195
Restoration: 270 / 270
Constitution: 140 / 140
Strength: 120 / 130
Dexterity: 100 / 100
Stamina:100 / 115
+ Primana: 115 + 10 = 125 / 150
+ Primana Regeneration: 115 + 10 = 125 / 150 (+225 from bond)
Page 1 of 4
¡°That¡¯s nice, now we can tell how much each monster is giving me in terms of experience. I imagine I will eventually be able to fight pretty much anything right?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Failsafe said. ¡°Unless there is a True monster type deal.¡±
¡°Failsafe please stop trying to jinx us.¡± Bjorn said.
Failsafe tried to make his voice spooky. ¡°Wait, remember those shapes in the warp? What if those are True Monsters? They were big and looked alive.¡±
Bjorn huffed, closing his menus as his wounds finished sealing. His gaze lingered on the blood-soaked ground, there had been so many Spinefangs this time. Even though he was healing, the exhaustion was starting to set in. At least this place felt normal¡ for the Chaos Lands. The grasses swayed in a gentle breeze, the mountain range ahead loomed with familiar solidity, and for a moment, he could almost forget that he was still in the Chaos Lands.
A small hand curled around one of his claws. Bjorn glanced down, unbothered, and met the wide, innocent eyes of Kali. The little girl walked alongside him, her tiny bare feet pressing into the soft earth. It was a shame she had lost her shoes when they escaped that liquid rock. He should probably carry her. She barely reached his shoulder, her simple white spotless dress swaying as she moved, her dark hair falling in a tangled mess over her face. She was leading him somewhere, pointing out that she knew the way. It was just like her to move so confidently like she had always known the way.
Bjorn followed contentedly but was still vigilant for more monsters. He was careful to not run into the delicate child beside him.
¡°Where exactly are we going, Kali?¡± Bjorn asked, his voice casual.
Kali giggled. ¡°Somewhere safe,¡± she said, her voice too soft, like a whisper that barely reached his ears. ¡°You were hurt badly, we need to go somewhere you can rest.¡±
¡°Great,¡± he rumbled. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t mind a break after all that.¡±
¡°Bjorn.¡± Failsafe¡¯s voice cut through the moment like a knife.
Bjorn blinked. ¡°What?¡±
¡°Who in the Celestial Planes is that?¡± Failsafe demanded.
Bjorn snorted, rolling his eyes. ¡°The kid,¡± he said, nodding toward her. ¡°She joined us back on the previous island. You don¡¯t remember?¡±
¡°We didn¡¯t pick up a kid.¡± Failsafe said. ¡°That never happened. Bjorn we need to get away from that thing.¡±
Bjorn stopped walking. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He gestured with one of his heads at Kali, who stood just ahead of him, head tilted, waiting. ¡°She¡¯s been with us since the last island. Remember she was nearly suffocated by that stalker.¡±
¡°Is everything okay Bjorn?¡± Kali asked.
¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Bjorn said.
¡°Are you sure? We are almost there.¡± Kali said with a worried expression. ¡°You were hurt worse than we thought, you look bad. Let''s hurry it''s this way.¡±
Failsafe¡¯s voice rose. ¡°We¡¯ve been traveling alone. Why would we be traveling with a little girl? Where would we have found a little girl?¡±
Bjorn frowned. ¡°Because¡ª¡±
¡°We are in the Chaos Lands?¡± Failsafe pressed. ¡°How the fuck can she even understand you? We speak mentally but she responded.¡±
Bjorn¡¯s breath hitched he was right something didn¡¯t make sense. Why would they bring a child through this place? Why would they even find a child here? His mind unraveled at once, the fog over his thoughts torn away in a single, jarring moment of realization.
Kali wasn¡¯t real. His gaze snapped back to the girl only now, he saw her properly. Her arms were too long, fingers tapering into sharp, blackened claws. Her hair obscured most of her face, but beneath the strands, her mouth was too wide, her lips curling at the edges in a way no human¡¯s should. The dress she wore was too clean, untouched by dirt despite walking through miles of rough terrain.
It seemed to realize that he was no longer under its spell. The monster waited no time in turning to run. It bolted into the trees, its limbs twisting unnaturally as it melted into the shadows of the forest. Bjorn had not realized how long he had followed the creature. He was deep in the forest. The trees around him warped, their shapes stretching. The sky overhead seemed darker, the normalcy of the skyland shattered in an instant.
Bjorn turned in a slow circle, his heads swiveling in every direction.
¡°Failsafe, what in the Infernal Planes was that?¡±
¡°I think it was a Sanguine Traveler.¡± Failsafe said. ¡°They aren¡¯t supposed to be real though. They are really dangerous because they charm people and implant memories to get you to follow them into traps or ambushes.¡± He then said proudly, ¡°But I am a magic construct so charms and memory manipulation don¡¯t work on me.¡±
¡°Well. Great. If it happens again, bite me with the head you control.¡± Bjorn said with a sigh. ¡°I think we aren¡¯t going to like this forest so stay alert.¡±
Interlude WM [99.5] Her Soul Hurt
Eira and Ragnar sat in silence at the grand dining table. It was supposed to be a family meal, but Ragnar¡¯s usual sharp tongue was dulled by brooding silence. Their father was entangled in negotiations with the First Princess, their mother was on the frontlines, and none of it made any sense to Eira.
She was the youngest of the Salstar children, but unbeknownst to anyone, she was a regressor. Over and over again, she had lived this life, each cycle unfolding with painful familiarity, all thanks to the magic she had painstakingly crafted. She had spent countless lifetimes playing the obedient daughter, gliding just beneath Ragnar¡¯s shadow so that he would rise as the family heir. She had long since found out that this always granted her the most freedom to live as she pleased.
Every iteration followed the same script. Or at least, they should have. Without her interference, events were supposed to unfold as they always did. Freja would perish in her academy dorm alongside her human friend. Ulfar would take Lavi under the Salstar banner. They would allow her uncle to gain dominion over the territory, cementing the Salstars as the most powerful noble house in Yuhia. That alone would ensure First Prince Arnar¡¯s ascension to the throne.
She, in turn, would leave for the Force Isles, attending their renowned Magic Academy. There, she would gather allies in humans, dwarves, elves, and sphinxes. She would form a network of some of the continent¡¯s most influential mages. Eventually, she would marry Fourth Prince Baldur, tethering the Salstars to the royal family without drawing too close to the main line, allowing her to continue her studies in Starlight Reincarnation away from prying eyes.
The future was unraveling before her, shifting and twisting in ways she had never foreseen. Without her intervention, everything should have remained the same but, it hadn''t. Freja survived. Their mother, instead of staying behind, went to Lavi in their father¡¯s place. They lost the Show of Power. Worst of all, their mother had been taken by the First Princess as a spoil of war.
Somehow, Fourth Prince Baldur had entered the succession race. Instead of supporting the First Prince, he is a legitimate contender.
¡°Eira¡ Eira!¡±
Ragnar¡¯s voice cut through her spiraling thoughts like a blade.
¡°Yes, Heir Ragnar,¡± she replied instinctively, forcing herself to refocus.
¡°Stop playing with your food and eat,¡± he snapped. ¡°We have to get back to training.¡±
¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°Sorry? Sorry, it doesn''t cut it, Eira.¡±
She hesitated, weighing her words before settling on something lighthearted. ¡°We can spare a few minutes. Maybe we can get a servant to bring us a cheeseca¡ª¡±
The air cracked with scarlet electricity as Ragnar slammed his palm onto the table. Sparks danced across his fingertips, flickering like embers. It startled Eira to the point of jumping back in her chair.
¡°We are Salstars.¡± He pushed himself up from his seat. ¡°We hold ourselves to a higher standard than anyone else. We don¡¯t have time for distractions. If you don¡¯t hurry, I¡¯ll drag you to the training field myself.¡±
She looked at him, really looked at him. He was still the spitting image of their father, the same sharp jawline, the same piercing eyes and the same midnight black skin. In every past life, his future had been dazzling: an electrokinetic prodigy, a mage who would soon rival even her own mastery of Starlight magic.
Now that she looked at him, this version of her brother was different. He looked exhausted. Miserable. Stressed. He didn¡¯t look like the fourteen year old boy he should have been. She was taken back by the look in his eyes, the feel of his magic aura tight like a tightened spring close to exploding.
She knew he had taken their mother¡¯s defeat hard. She had been his role model, the epitome of a perfect Salstar; strong, brilliant, untouchable. Not to mention unlike their father, she had been warm, a beacon of strength without cruelty. Without her something inside Ragnar had cracked. She feared that he would see that good side of their mother as weakness and abandon it.
The brother she remembered had been proud but not cruel, strong but not broken. This Ragnar was bitter, hollowed out by disappointment. Now, as she looked at him, she realized that for the first time in all her lives, she had no idea what he would become.
¡°I-I will hurry up. Please pardon my words.¡± She said with a bowed head.
Ragnar glared at her for a moment longer, then turned on his heel and strode out of the dining room. She stared at the place her brother had sat, her fingers curling around the table¡¯s edge. There were few people in this world she truly cared for. Living the same life over and over showed her that most people were expendable and that constants were rare. Despite that Ragnar had always been one of them.
In most of her lives, he had been her rock. The doting older brother who fought to uphold the Salstar name, who tried to shield her from their family¡¯s expectations. Even when they disagreed, even when he pushed her too hard, she had always known he would be there. There was something wrong with this world though, something poisoning her family and this version of Ragnar. He was spiraling and she didn¡¯t like watching him slip away from her.
¡°I don¡¯t like what this life is doing to my family,¡± she murmured.
A single tear slipped down her cheek. She hadn¡¯t even realized she was crying. With an irritated flick of her wrist, she wiped her face, scowling at her own weakness.
This wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to be. Freja should have died. Her mother should have won. Their family should have remained strong. The future was no longer unfolding in a way she had ever lived before.
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She could fix this. Eira¡¯s gaze dropped to the dining table. A silver knife rested beside her plate, the light glinting off its polished edge. Her fingers moved on instinct, wrapping around the handle. It was heavier than she expected as she focused her starlight mana into the blade.
All she had to do was reset. With a deadpan expression, she lifted the knife, tilting her head to expose the vulnerable flesh of her throat. There was no fear, no hesitation. The knife would easily penetrate her throat and the magic would kill her instantly. It wasn¡¯t the first time she had done this, she would only feel pain for a brief moment then she would go back to how things should be.
The blade never met her skin. A hand clamped around her throat, halting her in an instant. The air in the room changed, thickening like the weight of a thousand unseen eyes pressing down on her. Eira¡¯s blood turned to ice. The presence in the room with her wasn¡¯t mortal. She felt no aura, no sense of magic, mana or any of the countless forms of energy she had experienced over her endless lives. Time slowed as her mind raced to find answers. What was this thing that was touching her?
She barely had time to process the touch before she noticed the other hand, the one that had stopped her knife. The blade was pressed against pale, bone-white skin. It didn¡¯t pierce. It didn¡¯t even leave a mark as her magic dispersed. It was as if her mana was consumed but even that wasn¡¯t right. That was impossible.
She finally looked up. A figure loomed over her, shrouded in a heavy cloak. The hood cast a shadow over the beings face, obscuring it completely. Despite that, even without seeing, Eira knew, with a certainty more absolute than any other moment in her endless lifetimes, that if she looked too long, she would die.
The certainty of her own end settled into her bones, like the knowledge of the sun rising or the inevitability of the tide. It was an immutable fact. Death. She could feel it. Smell it. The air was heavy with the scent of something ancient, something final. Something Eldritch.
Then the figure took the knife and placed it back down on the table. It let go of her neck and took a swig from a glass bottle. The scent of alcohol burned through the room with a sharp and unmistakable smell. It walked out from behind her and the room darkened as it did. Eira saw it had the shape of a woman but she knew that it was not a person.
¡°Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake,¡± the hooded Being slurred, voice thick with irritation. ¡°Really? This is what you¡¯re doing? This is your grand fucking plan?¡±
Eira¡¯s entire body was locked in high alert, but her mind was spiraling in a completely different direction. Is the Entity drunk?
¡°W-what¡ª¡±
The Being shook its head as if Eira was an absolute idiot. ¡°Not now, child,¡± The Being interrupted, ¡°Just sit there and shut up for a second, yeah? I¡¯m too hungover to deal with this shit.¡±
The Entity took another swig from its bottle, then wiped its mouth with the back of its hand before waving vaguely in Eira¡¯s direction.
¡°No more next tries for you,¡± The Being said bluntly. ¡°You¡¯ve dodged death one too many times, and they¡ª¡± its tone soured as it gestured vaguely at nothing, ¡°finally got off their collective asses and decided to change the rules. No more regressors. No more reincarnators. No more transmigrators. You all fucked it up, and now it¡¯s done. For a long while.¡±
¡°No,¡± Eira said, her voice barely a whisper. ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª¡±
¡°Oh my fucking gods, are you always this dense? One thousand six hundred seventy-three lives and you''re still this ignorant?¡±
The Entity groaned and dragged a hand down where its face should have been beneath the hood. Then, with a dramatic huff, it yanked out a chair, flopped into it with all the grace of a drunkard, and took another long swig.
¡°Yes, no. No more resets, Eira the Shield Maiden, Light Bearer, Professor, Princess Consort, Shield of the Salstars, or whatever the fuck title you¡¯ve clung to this time around. No more do-overs. You die? That¡¯s it. Lights out. Party¡¯s over. You¡¯ve pissed off the wrong people, and they¡¯re finally shutting your little loophole down.¡± The Entity mutters under its breath. ¡°We finally got that other guy then you show up.¡±
Eira felt her entire world tilt beneath her. This Being knew how many times she had started over. It knew her lives and titles. Did the Entity really have the power to stop her from regressing?
Her regression magic was absolute. It was inscribed on her soul, in the one immutable place that no being, be they mortal, True, or Divine should be able to trespass.
She shut her eyes and looked inward, reaching for the grand array she had forged since her very first life. The sacred, unbreakable inscription that ensured her survival beyond death. It shone within her, constant and brilliant, just as it always had.
Then she saw it. Something was standing there. No¡ someone.
A figure cloaked in shadow and inevitability, was standing over the grand array like a vulture over carrion. It was The Entity. It pulled back its hood.
Eira¡¯s mind recoiled. She could not comprehend what she was seeing. No, it was worse than that. Her mind refused to let her. The sight of it was an abyss too deep, too final, for mortal perception to endure.
The creature that invaded her soul reached down. She saw as the masterwork of her soul, the sacred array that had carried her through a thousand lives, was wrenched from her.
Eira screamed.
The pain was not physical. It was not magical. It was deeper than that. It was the unraveling of something fundamental, something eternal, and it left her gasping, heaving, her vision fracturing at the edges.
She was ripped from her inner space, body convulsing as she collapsed forward. She hit the floor hard, barely registering the sensation as her stomach twisted violently. Everything she had eaten came up in a splatter of bloody vomit. She clutched at the chair, her fingers digging into the wood. Her breaths came in ragged, uneven gasps.
The pain was like nothing she had ever experienced. Literally soul deep. She had never feared death before. But now? Now it wasn¡¯t just another step in a cycle. Now it was the end and she was facing it. She didn¡¯t know how but, she knew this thing before her wasn¡¯t like the Trues at all. It was something older, it was something absolute.
She forced herself to swallow, gripping the armrest of her chair to steady herself to stand.
¡°Who¡ who are you?¡± Eira asked, hating the way her voice wavered. ¡°Are you a T-True? A-a Divine?
That eerie, unseen gaze turned back to her and then it laughed. It was a rough, amused, mocking sound, full of bitter amusement.
¡°Oh, honey,¡± The Being drawled, taking another drink. ¡°You really think I¡¯m one of those self proclaimed True Immortal freaks? Fuck no. I don¡¯t play around with those fools.¡±
Eira felt sick. The oppressive weight of the Being¡¯s presence was suffocating, more terrifying than anything she had ever felt in all her lives. She felt dizzy from having her soul wounded. She struggled to keep her mana core in check and stay conscious. She reached for the knife again this time in self defense. If she died now it was over for her.
¡°Then¡ what are you?¡±
The Entity in the shape of a woman exhaled slowly, as if debating whether she even wanted to bother answering. Then, in a tone far too casual it spoke.
¡°A war¡¯s coming, child.¡± The Entity continued, finally lowering the bottle from its lips.¡± Those that seek Creation are looking for a way in and the next Great Immortal War is soon to begin. This Plane will burn, the blood of mortals and immortals will stain every continent. You who have lived a thousand times, it will soon be time for you to decide how you will die. I suggest you start playing for keeps. For soon I will be claiming souls on this world again.¡±
Eira didn¡¯t know when the being vanished. One moment it was sitting right in front of her the next the room was empty. She was alone, covered in her own bloody vomit with her mana trying to rip its way out of her core.
Her body hurt.
Her mind hurt.
Her soul hurt.
And she cried.
WM [100] Take a Nap
Weeks had passed, and Bjorn had made frustratingly little progress. There were no signs of a mana tree, no glimmer of mana crystals, just an endless, merciless struggle for survival. The vast skyland, which had initially seemed like a blessing, had turned out to be a nightmare.
The Sanguine Traveler was far from the only threat. Unlike the mindless beasts that charged headlong into danger, the creatures here were smarter. Many of them displayed a disturbing level of intelligence, hunting with patience and strategy. Bjorn found himself having to run more than fight.
He learned to stay away from the deeper parts of the forest. His instincts screamed at him to avoid whatever slept within its shadowed depths. He knew the Sanguine Traveler had been trying to lead him there, like a hunter driving prey into the waiting jaws of something far worse. Bjorn hadn¡¯t rested properly in weeks. Every time he thought he had found a moment¡¯s peace, something emerged from the dark, forcing him to fight or flee. Unlike him, the monsters here didn¡¯t seem to need sleep.
With that knowledge, he roamed the edges of the island, always watchful, always hunted. The Chaos Lands had long since abandoned any natural order. There was no longer a day and night cycle anymore. The eerie glow of the aurora stretching across the sky and the distant hellish blaze of the burning skyland casting flickering shadows over the landscape.
He had been walking the perimeter of the skyland for two days now. If not for the treacherous terrain, he might have finished sooner. While much of the land was flat, a portion of an entire mountain had been ripped from the ground along with the rest of the floating landmass. Or rather, most of a mountain. The massive structure looked as if something had sliced it cleanly from the rest of the range, leaving jagged edges that jutted over the abyss.
Navigating the sides was a dangerous gamble, but Bjorn needed a complete map of the area. He refused to move blindly through this land, not when the monstrosity lurking in the forest could awaken at any moment. He wouldn¡¯t let himself be cornered. He wouldn¡¯t die here.
¡°Look there.¡± Failsafe said.
Bjorn turned one of his heads and saw that there was a skyland that was close enough to be connected. The problem was it was also a few hundred feet down and he would have to climb to get there. The landmass had a lake in its center and another woodland.
¡°We¡¯ll come back to this. Let¡¯s see if anything else is connected.¡± Bjorn said.
¡°Yeah, I agree. We should probably practice our climbing before doing something like that too. That is a deep drop.¡± Failsafe said, his head looking over the edge. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll look out for any place that maybe a good to practice first.¡±
¡°Good idea.¡± Bjorn said.
¡°Well good news though. We aren¡¯t dead add the world hasn¡¯t turned into an Infernal Plane hellscape.¡±
Bjorn stopped walking. ¡°Has it been thirty days already?¡±
¡°Yep, that means that the others are keeping us afloat on time.¡± Failsafe said.
¡°Good,¡± Bjorn said but his concern was evident as he continued trekking forward. ¡°But that means we don¡¯t know how long we have. Tomorrow the facility could explode for all we know.¡±
¡°True, but tomorrow we could come across whatever is hibernating in that forest and get eaten. Let''s not focus on all the negatives.¡±
Bjorn grunted but agreed, he needed to focus on survival and finding the supplies needed to create the Angel Core. The facility was now Tanisha¡¯s responsibility and he had to trust in her strength. The Chaos Lands were dangerous enough without also being distracted.
He pressed forward, his claws digging into the loose rock as he made his way along the mountainside. His heads swept across the terrain, scanning for threats. It was never safe here. Every shadow, every jagged outcrop, could be something waiting to kill him. It had been a few hours since he saw his last monster creeping along.
His claws scraped against the stone as he moved, the unstable ground shifting slightly beneath him. He stepped forward and the mountain moved.
A deafening crack split the air as the rock beneath him lurched. Jagged plates of what should have been stone unfolded into limbs, mandibles, and blade-tipped appendages. The thing rose from its slumber, shedding layers of camouflage, revealing an insectoid nightmare of serrated limbs and chitinous plates that looked like fractured earth itself.
Bjorn had no time to react before it struck. A bladed limb shot out coated in corrupted mana and sliced through his front leg like wet paper.
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The pain was instant and blinding. His severed limb tumbled into the abyss, a stream of crimson splattering against the rock following the limb. Bjorn roared in fury as the creature surged forward, all jagged legs and gnashing mandibles, its many-eyed face a swirling void of monstrous hunger.
The hydra was off balance against the sudden opponent, his remaining limbs digging into the unstable rock, but the beast barreled into him before he could brace himself. They tumbled together, smashing against the mountainside, claws and fangs tearing into each other as they fell.
Pain followed impacts. He slammed against the stone, his massive body rolling and colliding with jagged outcrops, trying to grip onto something, anything, to stop the uncontrolled descent. The creature was on him, its bladed arms like mana infused swords raking across his hide, tearing into his flesh with a horrifying speed.
His armor snapped around him, along with his magical defences. The damage had already been done and more was coming even faster.
Bjorn twisted, snapping his jaws around one of its spindly, knife-like limbs, ripping it free of the monster in a wrenching twist. The monster shrieked as it grew more determined. Another blade-limb plunged into his side.
The ground rushed up to meet them.
Bjorn hit first, his body skidding along the crumbling slope, but the beast latched on, its mandibles clamping onto his shoulder, its many limbs finding places between armor to pierce into him. It wasn¡¯t going to let him go.
He couldn¡¯t wrestle free and he knew at that rate it was going to tear him apart. So he pulled on his core and forced his magic to give him everything he had. Plague Fire spilled out not from one of his mouths but from all four. A surge of toxic heat burst from his jaws. It burned them both as the heat blackened his scales to coal.
A swirling plume of white aetheric flame crackled with all his fury. The fire focused into a searing beam. The moment the flames touched the creature¡¯s exoskeleton, it cracked and split, the outer shell bubbling and peeling away like molten slag.
The thing screamed, its agonized wails a horrific, ear-piercing shriek that echoed through the mountains. It twitched, its many limbs spasming uncontrollably. Again Bjorn felt the terrifying nature of monster vitality as it tried to rip him apart despite the flames. Then in a moment of weakness its grip lessened.
Bjorn saw his chance. He kicked off separating himself from it. He turned and his claws sunk into the rock wall as he scrambled for purchase. The monster tumbled away, vanishing into the abyss below.
His claws dug deep, stone crumbling beneath his weight. He hung there, his body trembling, blood dripping from his severed limb, from his torn sides, from the dozens of wounds gouged into him.
¡°Oh fuck.¡± Bjorn screamed. ¡°W-what?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know what that thing was.¡± Failsafe said equally shaken.
They saw it hit the ground of the skyland below. It wasn¡¯t dead. It got up and shook itself and ran off into the distance still on fire. Bjorn only hoped that the toxic nature of the plague fire would kill it soon.
¡°We have to go down.¡± Bjorn said weakly. ¡°I am not going to make it going back up.¡±
¡°Yeah, be careful I¡¯ll look out for any more of those things hiding in the rock face.¡±
Bjorn¡¯s entire body screamed in protest. His burnt scales cracked and flaked as he hung there, bleeding freely from his torn side. His front leg was gone, the wound still gushing despite his regeneration kicking in, trying desperately to seal the gaping stump. He was healing, but not fast enough to stop the weakness seeping into his limbs.
His claws scraped against the brittle rock as he shifted his weight, his remaining limbs shaking under the strain. The skyland below was far, but going back up was out of the question. He wasn¡¯t sure he had enough strength left to fight gravity, let alone another one of those things. If more were waiting for him. He had used aether which was like a beacon for monsters to gather.
Each movement jarring his broken body. He had to keep moving. If he stopped now, if he hesitated for even a second, his grip would fail and he¡¯d fall. Bjorn swallowed back the pain and continued his descent. His body was too heavy, his balance thrown completely off without his front leg. The jagged stone cut into his bleeding claws, sending sharp jolts of pain up his limbs. His remaining heads darted in every direction, scanning for movement.
Bjorn exhaled shakily, his grip slipping for a moment before he dug in harder.
¡°You good?¡± Failsafe¡¯s voice rang through his mind, tense and shaken. ¡°Go slower if you need to.¡±
¡°No. We take too long, I will pass out.¡± Bjorn hissed through clenched fangs.
¡°Yeah. Thought so.¡± Failsafe¡¯s voice was tight, but steady. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out. Just keep moving.¡±
Bjorn gritted his teeth and pushed on, every inch downward was a battle against his own failing body. His regeneration was working, but not fast enough. The stump where his leg had been was now scarred over, but the deep gouges in his side were still open wounds, his flesh still knitting itself back together.
CRACK!
The stone beneath his back leg crumbled.
Bjorn¡¯s body lurched, weight suddenly pulling him downward. He snarled, instinct kicking in, his remaining limbs scrambling for purchase but there was nothing as the ledge gave way.
Bjorn plummeted, his body smashing into the cliffside, rock and debris cascading around him. He twisted, all four heads snarling, claws reaching for anything to stop the fall. His talons caught something.
His body jerked, the impact sending a fresh wave of pain through him as his claws bit deep into the rock. His body dangled, his vision swimming from the force of the stop.
¡°Bjorn!¡± Failsafe screamed.
¡°I¡¯m¡ fine. I¡¯m fine.¡± He growled through clenched teeth
¡°No, Bjorn look.¡± Failsafe said.
Bjorn focused his rapidly dwindling attention onto what Failsafe was seeing. His eyes opened wide as the large cavern opened up on the side of the skyland. He wouldn¡¯t have to climb all the way down to the one below. He Slowly scaled down to the entrance a few feet below him. He wasn¡¯t going to take any chances so he opened his mouth and breathed a powerful blast of plague fire into the opening then followed up with Poison Cloud before alternating until his body was close to overheating.
When nothing came out to fight him he collapsed inside. His chest heaving, his body shuddering from the sheer effort it took to get down. He could still smell his own burning flesh, his scales charred, his body still bleeding. But he was alive.
¡°Failsafe, I think I am going to take a nap, buddy.¡±
WM [101] Cut At The Wrist
¡°We are almost there, I can see the monolith from here.¡± Ambroz said.
¡°Okay,¡± Isin said with an airy breath. ¡°When we get back, remember I have to be the one that talks to Nuriel. While I do go to recruit more people for a second expedition. No chips, they can¡¯t come with us.¡±
¡°What are we going to do about the miners, the children, they can¡¯t go on expeditions, are we just going to abandon them?¡± Adolf asked.
Isin turned his gaze toward the horizon, where the sky bled a sickly crimson, fractured like shattered glass. The land ahead was nothing but jagged rocks and lifeless, cracked ground. The sparse trees that remained were twisted, gnarled things warped remnants of what they once were, twisted by the oppressive forces that had broken this world apart.
It stirred a memory of his childhood, what felt like a lifetime ago. Grass beneath his feet, soft and green. The distant hum of insects, birds chirping in a warm afternoon haze. Tall trees rustling with the whisper of a breeze. It had felt so real. A peaceful, simple world, but it had all been a lie. A carefully controlled vivarium, a cage built by his father for his experiments, for his Slave Race.
The realization had once filled him with rage. It still did. It was not fair that children were brought into this broken world. Forced into Slavehood by uncaring and cruel Divines. What could he do? He couldn¡¯t kill Nuriel, he wasn¡¯t strong enough to make her bow. All he could do was buy time and save who he could, that was it.
¡°You knew coming in that we couldn¡¯t get more than twenty people out.¡± Isin said as his eyes drifted back to his group. ¡°We will go for as mixed a group as we can, even number of men and women. We take only expedition members.¡±
Adolf¡¯s hands curled into fists. ¡°But¡ª¡±
¡°No buts, Adolf.¡±
Isin met his eyes, holding them firm. He knew why Adolf wanted more, why he wanted an exception. His little sister was in the mines. She wasn¡¯t an expedition member. If he tried to get her out, Nuriel would notice, and she wasn¡¯t a fool. If she sensed something was wrong, it would all be over before it even began.
He wasn¡¯t heartless though and he knew that they would one day save all of humanity but for this mission it was more important that they made it back safely. Before all of humanity was free Isin knew he was going to have to make decisions he wasn¡¯t going to like. He was going to have to do things that he didn¡¯t want to do. He clenched his fists.
¡°How are the connection nodes through the storm?¡± Isin questioned.
Martin was lining up a large machine that was essentially a pneumatic punch machine with a spiked rod. The rods were nodes that would tether back to the Alpha Extraction Site and allow them to follow as long as they had the correct frequency. The rods were thin but each was nearly five feet and several hundred pounds, they had to be to withstand the mana storm.
A deafening crack echoed through the wasteland. The impact sent a shockwave through the ground, dust billowing into the air as the machine self-destructed, just as it was designed to. All that remained was the rod, now buried at least twenty feet deep, secure against the shifting terrain.
Martin coughed against the settling dust, waving it away with one hand. ¡°That¡¯s the last one,¡± he said, voice rough. ¡°No matter what happens, we¡¯ll be able to find our way back.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s move then men,¡± Isin said.
Martin walked up to Isin and stopped him with a hand. ¡°Let¡¯s rest a bit first. Everyone¡¯s nervous but you look¡ sick, brother.¡±
¡°We need to keep moving,¡± Isin said.
¡°We all know what is at stake here but we aren¡¯t going to accomplish anything if you die of stress before we even make it to the facility,¡± Martin said. ¡°Not asking for long but it is an order from your lieutenant otherwise we might have to organize a mutiny.¡±
¡°Fine, we¡¯ll take a breather.¡± Isin said.
¡°You heard him set up the table.¡± Martin patted Isin¡¯s shoulder and pulled him into the group. ¡°Set up the table and get out the cards.¡±
¡°I have the drinks,¡± Ambroz added. ¡°That damn fabrication only lets you take out a little so savor it boys.¡±
¡°Wait, we don''t have time for this.¡± Isin protested.
¡°You already gave the order commander. Sit.¡± Martin said.
Isin sat at the makeshift table, his shoulders tense as he watched his men eagerly set up the game. The battered metal table had seen better days, dented from rough transport and exposure to the mana storms that tore through the land. They didn¡¯t have much metal at the new facility yet so most of their supplies were mundane steel. Good for transport but didn¡¯t last long in mana storms but no one complained. This was normal for them.
Ambroz placed a small metal flask on the table, popping the lid with a flick of his thumb. The scent of sharp alcohol filled the air, and a few of the men gave exaggerated coughs. The mana in the air had definitely affected the alcohol as it didn¡¯t usually smell that strong.
¡°Is that even safe to drink?¡± Isin asked, wrinkling his nose.
¡°No idea,¡± Ambroz said cheerfully. ¡°But the fabricator made it, so it won¡¯t kill us¡ probably.¡±
¡°Good enough for me,¡± Tibor, one of the older men, said as he grabbed the flask. He poured a small amount into a tin cup, passing it around. ¡°We deserve this, don¡¯t we?¡±
¡°We deserve a damn feast,¡± Ludvik, the team¡¯s sharpshooter, muttered. ¡°But I¡¯ll settle for a drink and robbing you bastards blind in cards.¡±
Isin exhaled through his nose, trying to suppress his frustration. This wasn¡¯t the time for drinking, for gambling, for pretending that what was coming wasn¡¯t real. They were about to march back into Nuriel¡¯s grasp, and all of them knew what awaited them. The situation that they were all about to step into. One wrong move, and she would know everything. She would kill them and leave those in the Alpha Extraction Site to die.
He stood up abruptly ready to yell at them to get serious. Then he noticed as he looked around the table, he saw something else beneath the laughter, beneath the teasing and bravado. The tight grips on their cups, the slight tremors in their fingers, the way their eyes darted toward the monolith on the horizon before quickly looking away. They all looked at him and he felt the weight of their gazes.
They were scared just like him. This wasn¡¯t them being careless. This wasn¡¯t them being reckless. This was how they coped. This was one last moment to breathe before they stepped into the Infernal gates again. He sat back down and grabbed his cup as everyone watched him carefully. Like they were seeing what he was going to do. If he told them to pack up and leave he knew they would.
Isin sighed and put on a smile. ¡°Fine. One game. One drink.¡±
The men erupted into cheers, slapping the table and clapping him on the back as the game began. The game was a mess of bad hands, curses, and accusations of cheating. Ludvik was winning, much to everyone¡¯s dismay, and Martin kept laughing too hard to play properly. Isin watched his old friend, for the first time in a while he seemed like his old self. One that wasn¡¯t ravaged by guilt and loss, he just looked like Martin again.
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¡°I swear on my ancestors, you¡¯re stacking the deck,¡± Tibor accused, red in the face.
Ludvik smirked. ¡°I¡¯m just that good.¡±
¡°You¡¯re just that lucky,¡± Ambroz countered.
¡°No luck, I skill, I skill,¡± Ludvik said.
Adolf leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. He turned to Isin, swishing the last of the alcohol in his cup.
¡°So, Isin¡¡± he started. ¡°Have you thought about names yet?¡±
The table fell silent at the question. Isin¡¯s mind blanked completely thrown off.
¡°W-what?¡± Isin stammered.
¡°For the baby,¡± Adolf said, grinning now. ¡°Have you and Eliska picked any names?¡±
Isin¡¯s heart lurched. He stared at them, feeling suddenly off-balance. How did they know? He hadn¡¯t told anyone yet. His eyes flickered to Martin, who raised his hands in surrender.
¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I didn¡¯t say a word.¡± Martin said.
¡°I accidentally overheard,¡± Adolf said after a moment. ¡°She wasn¡¯t exactly quiet when she¡¯s scolding you, and, well¡ it''s pretty obvious.¡±
The men laughed, and Isin sighed, rubbing his temple.
¡°I swear, you people are worse than spies.¡± Isin said.
¡°So?¡± Ambroz pushed. ¡°Names?¡±
Isin hesitated, but as he looked at their eager faces, he felt his resistance melt. They weren¡¯t doing this to tease him. It wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t thought of names either. He wanted to be there for Eliska when his child was born. He had already told himself that he would be there no matter what. He took a breath and leaned forward, lowering his voice slightly.
¡°If it¡¯s a boy, I was thinking¡ Milos or Ales.¡±
¡°Strong names,¡± Tibor said.
¡°And if it¡¯s a girl?¡± Martin asked.
¡°Mara or Alica,¡± Isin answered.
¡°Good choices,¡± Ludvik said with a grin. ¡°But you realize, now that you¡¯ve told us, we¡¯re going to make bets on what it¡¯ll be.¡±
¡°Keep it quiet,¡± Isin warned, ¡°I haven¡¯t even told Eliska yet. I wanted to wait until things were settled,¡± Isin admitted.
Martin raised his cup. ¡°Then let¡¯s drink to the future. To a world where we don¡¯t have to hide names. A world where we don¡¯t have to run.¡±
The others raised their cups in agreement, the firelight flickering against their faces and for the first time that night, Isin didn¡¯t feel quite so alone.
***
The group pressed on, moving with the sluggish weight of exhaustion. After a day and a half, they were finally close enough for the site to detect them. It didn¡¯t take long after that before the air boiled. Aether churned like a living thing and it coiled around them like viper. A familiar, suffocating pressure gripped their bodies, the unmistakable sensation of being watched. It wasn¡¯t by the facility¡¯s automated systems, but by something far worse.
Divine Sight, Nuriel was watching and she was not pleased. The weight of her gaze drove them to their knees as if their bodies no longer belonged to them. They kowtowed with foreheads pressed to the dirt, muscles locked in rigid fear. The scrutiny of a Divine burrowed into their very bones, as though peeling away their layers, dissecting their souls for judgment.
In an instant the feeling was gone but the danger was not over either. The aether detonated around them like a thunderclap, the sheer force nearly splitting their skulls open. A portal ripped into existence as if someone had just grabbed reality and pulled it apart at the seams. The air turned razor-sharp with power, the pressure making blood leak from their eyes, noses, and mouths. It was as if their very spirits were being burned.
Isin remained untouched. The energy passed through and around him, as if recognizing something in him, something familiar.The others struggled in strangled gasps as the pain was unyielding. None of them dared to look up.
The portal snapped shut. A silence stretched across the wasteland, heavy and endless. Seconds passed like hours. Then a flash of searing heat. Only for an instant. Isin risked a glance and his breath caught.
Ambroz was dead. His head was gone leaving only a stump of charred, blackened flesh remained where his neck had been. His body slumped forward, lifeless. Before Isin could react there was another flash. Another team member reduced to a smoldering corpse.
A third, He didn¡¯t even know who it was that time. They were just dead. Without warning, without reason. His breath hitched. Why? Why was Nuriel killing them before they could even speak? Before he could explain themselves? The heat burned again and singed the air inches from his head. The ground beside him bubbled with heat as stone was reduced to vapor.
Isin slammed his forehead into the dirt, his heart hammering. ¡°Divine Nuriel, I beseech you¡ªplease, spare us your wrath. Please, show us mercy.¡±
A soft, amused chuckle was what he heard in response. ¡°Ah, so you can speak, love.¡±
Her voice was gentle, almost sweet. Like a mother cooing to a child. As if she hadn¡¯t just slaughtered three people. As if their lives were nothing more than an afterthought. The air was thick with the smell of burnt flesh and hair. It clung to Isin acrid and sickening.
¡°I was beginning to think I¡¯d have to take at least one more. I sent you to the Alpha Extraction Site,¡± Nuriel continued, ¡°and you have returned with nothing. So tell me, love, why shouldn¡¯t I just kill you all? Defective slaves should be recycled.¡±
Isin''s body trembled with rage, but he forced his voice to remain steady. ¡°We were attacked by a Category One Creation Beast. The team was wiped out, but we continued the mission.¡±
¡°Speak faster, love.¡±
¡°If I may, my Divine?¡± Isin motioned toward the body to his right.
¡°Quickly.¡±
Moving with careful precision, Isin rose to his feet, keeping his eyes downcast. He refused to look at her, not out of respect, but out of necessity. If he saw her face, if he saw that smile again, he wasn¡¯t sure he could stop himself from doing something reckless. He couldn¡¯t afford to play into her game, there was too much on the line. Too much they had already lost.
He glanced at the carnage instead. Ambroz, Tibor and Ludvik were all dead in an instant. Gone before they had the chance to see their families again. Tibor had been so sure his brother would come along this time. Ludvik had promised to bring his sisters. Now all Isin could do was carry their stories.
He forced himself to move, kneeling beside Tibor¡¯s corpse. His fingers worked quickly, unlatching the straps on his travel bag. He reached inside and pulled out a single metal canister, its surface humming with an unknown energy. This was their plan to get in, it was the thing that all the angels wanted, more than anything else. The reason for the mines for the Slave Race.
Isin knew long ago that a shipment from the Alpha Extraction Site went missing before the facility went dark. The facility was still making these Creation canisters. All they needed to do was show it to Nuriel and lie about finding it before needing to turn back. They didn¡¯t expect she would attack first.
Nuriel saw in and in an instant there was a green flash. Agony. Isin¡¯s scream tore through the still air as both of his hands were severed clean at the wrist. Blood gushed from the stumps, hot and wet. He collapsed forward, his body wracked with pain, his severed hands landing limply on Tibor¡¯s body before rolling onto the dirt.
The canister didn¡¯t fall. It hovered, suspended in the air by the touch of an Angel Core. Shuddering, Isin forced himself to look up. Nuriel hovered over him with a wide toothy grin across her face. Her beauty was sickening, a perfection sculpted from something not mortal. Her halo burned bright behind her head, casting an ethereal glow over her sharp, elegant features. Her wings stretched wide, glimmering with divine radiance.
She wasn¡¯t looking at him. She wasn¡¯t looking at any of them. She didn¡¯t care. The Angel Core gently placed the canister in her waiting hands, and she cradled it with the delicate touch of a mother holding a newborn. There were no further words, just a crackle of aether and portal reappeared behind her. The sheer force of it made Isin¡¯s vision blur, his body seizing with vertigo. His team members convulsed, spitting up blood, their bodies barely able to withstand the Divine¡¯s presence. It was just like that she vanished. The portal snapped shut, and silence returned.
Isin collapsed onto his back, his breath ragged, his vision swimming. The pain was unbearable, his body shaking from shock and blood loss. It was there beneath the agony, beneath the horror there was only rage. It festered, boiling just beneath his skin, deeper than anything he had ever known.
His lips curled into a snarl, his chest heaving. He was going to kill them. Every single one of those damned things. Fuck the Divine. Fuck every single one of them.
¡°You''re okay! You''re okay! Fuck, we have to stop the bleeding!¡± Martin¡¯s voice was frantic as he dropped to his knees beside Isin, already fumbling for anything to staunch the flow of blood.
Adolf stood frozen, eyes locked on the charred remains of their fallen comrades. ¡°She just¡ªjust killed them. Just like that. She didn¡¯t even give them a chance.¡±
¡°Adolf, Isin is bleeding out¡ªwe need to move!¡± Martin snapped.
¡°She did it on purpose,¡± Isin growled through gritted teeth, his breathing shallow but filled with venom. ¡°She¡¯s still playing her fucking games. Ambroz was our medic. Tibor had training. She knew that. She wants me crawling back to her. She wants me to beg. We have to move. Now! We burn the bodies fast, or something will smell them and come looking.¡±
¡°Isin, you¡¯re barely holding on. We need to do something about your wounds¡ª¡±
¡°Adolf, grab the tags and burn them,¡± Isin ordered, his voice sharp. ¡°Martin, help me up. We''re leaving.¡±
WM [102] Sky Bridge
Bjorn had long since lost track of time which is why he had to rely on Failsafe¡¯s timekeeping. There was no sun here, no moon, no stars to mark the passage of days. The aurora overhead never faded, shifting in its ghostly colors, casting eerie light upon the floating skylands. The distant glow of the Flaming Forest burned against the sky like an angry false sun.
Challenges rose as the mana hurricane continued to peel back the secrets of the world and yet, despite the odds, he was still alive. Six months had passed since the rock beast had nearly taken his life, since he had clung to the jagged cliffs of the mountain, blood pouring from his severed limb as he forced himself to descend. The wound had long healed, his Hydra Regeneration worked as it always did, but the lesson remained carved into his mind.
Never assume the ground beneath your feet is safe. Never assume the world is what it seems. The Chaos Lands had a way of teaching through pain, and Bjorn had been a fast learner.
There was no room for arrogance here, any power he gained helped him to survive but not thrive. No room for missteps, he was but one danger away from death. He had encountered monsters unlike anything he thought possible, horrifying, twisted things that lurked in the dark corners of the world. Some of them were relentlessly matching him in power, resilience and in some terrifying cases intellect.
It was not just the creatures that sought to kill him. The land itself was his enemy. More than once, he had nearly fallen victim to collapsing terrain or the mana hurricane¡¯s twisting of the land beneath his feet. There were times in which raw magic that warped the atmosphere into something that burned his lungs, forcing him to retreat into the few safe zones he had mapped out.
¡°Bjorn, it''s happening again we need to retreat!¡± Failsafe yelled.
¡°Already moving as fast as I can.¡± Bjorn said as he galloped.
¡°Move faster!¡±
The weather was unpredictable, storms rolling through the skylands in bursts of chaotic energy, their winds sharp enough to flay flesh from bone. As he ran one of his heads watched a winged monster caught in a forming storm, its body twisted and torn apart before it was pulled screaming into the abyss.
¡°Trues, it¡¯s nearly here, did you see that?¡± Failsafe said.
Bjorn saw the cave he had been using as a safehaven up ahead. Behind him the wind cut up the landscape as if invisible blades carved sections of the ground out. He had only a few steps when he felt the wind at his back. Then he was through the entrance of the cave. The slicing wind hit with force and flung him deep inside.
He was in a heap, breathing heavily as he turned to look at the storm billowing outside. There was no peace here. Only survival but that alone was not progress. Bjorn had explored several other floating skylands, all of them close enough to risk the journey. Each had been dangerous, filled with strange and deadly creatures, but none of them had what he was looking for. No mana crystals or mana trees on any of the skylands and worst no way down.
He was going to go back to the main skyland. It was time to see what the sleeping monster was guarding. That place was different than the smaller skylands. The creatures that lived there weren¡¯t just predators. The few times he had dared to stray too deep, he had felt their eyes on him, felt the weight of something old pressing against his mind. The Sanguine Traveler had tried to lure him in more than once, guiding him toward whatever horrors lay deeper in that cursed forest.
The monsters in the forest were unlike anything he had ever seen. There was no reckless aggression, no mindless charge toward prey. These things waited, watched, calculating their movements with an intelligence that sent a chill down Bjorn¡¯s spine. Even now, after six months, he still felt as though he was being observed and that meant he had to be careful.
Bjorn sighed deeply, ¡°After the storm we have to head back. This place is a bust and the storms are too dangerous.¡±
¡°I think in a few more levels we could survive a fall to the ground if there isn¡¯t a way down.¡± Failsafe said. ¡°It is going to hurt though. Like a lot.¡±
¡°I should apply the new points while I have the time or did they also go to maturation?¡±
¡°Half of them went to maturation so you still have five to work with. We are starting to grow quickly now even without converting points to maturation. Base stats have increased just by all the physical and magical drain.¡±
¡°If that is the case just put it all in maturation the next level I will start assigning points again.¡±
¡°You got it.¡± Failsafe said.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Lernaean Hydra
+ Level: 66 < 67
Level Progression: 3%
+ Vitality: 204 / 250 < 270
+ Restoration: 272 / 305 < 330
+ Constitution: 150 / 190 < 217
+ Strength: 145 / 220 < 254
+ Dexterity: 116 / 200 < 300
+ Stamina: 145 / 159 < 183
+ Primana: 155 / 200 < 250
+ Primana Regeneration: 166 / 235 < 276 (+235 from bond)
Page 1 of 4
Bjorn looked over his status, it had been so long and the fights never stopped. He had killed countless monsters, some towering beasts with bladed limbs, others small and fast with venomous fangs. He had endured ambushes, traps, even battles against things that should not have existed simply by how they seemed to move, so alien in form, it made his scales crawl.
None had caught him off guard the way the rock beast had. That encounter had been a wake-up call, a reminder that he was not invincible, that even with his regeneration, even with his growing power, he was still just one misstep away from being torn apart.
The leveling had slowed dramatically. This was his first new level in a month he gained more by using his abilities than by leveling with the system. Failsafe mentioned that it was because each level required twice the experience of the last. However by using abilities and pushing himself he could increase what Failsafe called his base stats which is what he had been doing.
¡°How is Tanisha?¡± Failsafe asked.
Bjorn felt the bond and could feel her emotions as taunt as a bow ready to fire. It was a telltale sign that she was in the middle of a fight. It wasn¡¯t anything to worry about though as she seemed fine.
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¡°She is fighting right now.¡± Bjorn said.
¡°Hope they are having better luck than us. Monster meat is gross, the land is trying to kill us and we¡¯re stuck on a bunch of floating rocks.¡±
¡°Yeah, not the best situation, but the world hasn¡¯t erupted into Infernal Maya so we at least know they are keeping up.¡±
Tanisha had definitely been doing her share, she was close to becoming a Dagda. A few months ago she finally opened all of her Gates. Bjorn wondered what she looked like now. The only thing she had left was communing, the Aetheric Tool and of course level 100 which was going to be more difficult then Bjorn had originally thought now that levels were starting to be so hard obtain.
Follower Ascension Panel
Name: Aki¡¯al Hashemi
Title: Sonr Orma Eil¨ªfra
Divinity: Demi True Immortal
Divine Realm: Venom
Followers: 1
Follower List:
Name: Tanisha Valkyrja Scalebound
Species: Cernunnos
+ Level: 67
Status: Alive
Special Status: Soul Bound (Partial)
Evolution Status: Pending
Follower Evolution(s) Status
Name: Tanisha Valkyrja Scalebound
Species: Cernunnos (Greater Wendigo < Normal Cernunnos) - Dagda (Greater Cernunnos)
+ Evolution Prerequisite 7 / 10
Current Approved:
Mana Gate Open, Blood Gate Open, Mind Gate Open, Spirit Gate Open, Bone Gate, Maya Meridians and Veins, Pledge of Soul
Approve Current Evolution Status Prerequisite Met:
[None]
Status Not Met for Evolution: Cernunnos - Dagda
Complete Communing (4/5), Aetheric Tool Bound, Level 100
Page 4 of 4
Failsafe¡¯s voice pulled Bjorn from his menus, ¡°Sounds like the winds are subsiding, we should get moving.¡±
Bjorn grunted his agreement and cautiously left the cave. The outside was scarred as if a massive beast had been raking it¡¯s claws across the land in mad fury. Bjorn didn¡¯t stick around to see if the winds would return. He already knew they would and he was planning to be long gone before that happened.
It took hours to traverse the rugged terrain, but at last, he reached the bridge, if it could even be called that. The Sky Bridge stretched before him, an impossible path of floating stones suspended in midair between this fragment of land and the main skyland. Of course, "bridge" was Failsafe''s word. Bjorn had a few other, less polite, descriptions for the nightmarish crossing. Frankly, Bjorn just thought it was fucking terrifying.
There was no solid land extending out to connect the skylands, no reliable platform to walk on. Instead, there was only a chaotic scattering of floating stones, ranging from palm-sized pebbles to boulders as big as a man. None of them were at the same level and he¡¯d have to ascend and descend as he made his way across, leaping from one to the next. Being quadrupedal meant he would need to locate clusters and try to maintain balance.
They were as stable as the skylands themselves and would float as long as the magic that held up the skylands remained. Or at least that is what Failsafe had assured him. Bjorn never really considered himself to be afraid of heights but this was something that was pushing his limits. He stood at the edge looking at the first set of floating rock.
¡°You''re not scared, are you?¡± Failsafe said with a voice filled with smug amusement. ¡°After everything we''ve been through, you''re hesitating over a few floating rocks?¡±
Bjorn scowled. ¡°I''m not scared. I''m being careful.¡±
¡°Right. Sure. Because being vaporized by aether storms is fine, but this is too much?¡±
Bjorn ignored him, rolling his shoulders before crouching low, testing his footing. He exhaled slowly. One step at a time. The first stone was stable, just as Failsafe had assured him. The second, a little less so. He had to keep moving, adjusting his balance as the rocks shifted slightly with each landing. Left, up, down, forward. The path was unpredictable, a three-dimensional puzzle that forced him to stay sharp. Halfway across, he paused for a brief moment, steadying his breath and then he tasted monster magic in the air.
After months of being exposed to the chaotic ambient mana he had finally gotten used to the different tastes of mana again. His tongues flicked and he saw a ripple in the air. He cursed inwardly that there was always something. Trying to kill him out here.
A piercing shriek filled the air, it was a tarnu blade wing. They had just seen one of these things get shredded by the wind during the storm. They weren¡¯t that powerful but Bjorn couldn¡¯t have been caught in a more precarious situation if he tried.
Identify
Name: None
Species: Tarnu Blade Wing
Level: 112
Vocation: DIVE SLICE FEED
The hideous monster shot toward him, zipping between the floating rocks with unnatural speed. It was nearly as large as Bjorn himself, its grotesque body a writhing mass of extra limbs, jagged wings, and too many eyes that gleamed with the single minded fury less intelligent monsters always had. Its thin, metallic wings hummed like vibrating steel probably because they were. It was a monsterized alloy, honed to unnatural sharpness, capable of cleaving through stone as if it were paper. Even so the true horror lay in the tarnu¡¯s ability to phase through obstacles, slipping between solid matter like a ghost before striking from impossible angles.
Bjorn launched himself forward, pushing his body to its limit. He couldn¡¯t fight on the Sky Bridge, not where one wrong move meant plummeting into the void. The monster shrieked again, then vanished phasing through a boulder before reappearing right in front of him. Bjorn barely twisted out of the way, feeling the wind from its razor wings as they sliced just inches from his head.
Bjorn used Intimidation Roar which froze up the creature but only for a second given the level difference between them. A second was all he needed to get some distance.
Bjorn bared his fangs. They had a strategy for dealing with these monsters. First get them into a predictable attack pattern, then when they phased use Aetheric Disruption Breath which would poison their ability to use that pesky magic. However while they were in its territory it¡¯s path and use of the skill was too erratic to target.
The tarnu blade wing dove again, its many eyes flashing with predatory hunger. Bjorn leapt onto the next rock, narrowly avoiding the deadly swipe of its wings. It was herding him, forcing him into a frantic, erratic path.
The last stretch of floating rocks was ahead. The creature phased through another boulder and reappeared directly in front of him, its grotesque maw splitting open. Bjorn saw his chance and light burst forth from his jaws as he used the Aetheric Disruption Breath.
The creature shrieked in outrage and pain as its spell failed causing a backlash of its mana. He hurled himself sideways barely dodging it as he landed precariously on a narrow set of stones.
Bjorn pushed off the final rock and landed on solid ground, rolling to absorb the impact. The instant his feet found purchase, he turned, the tarnu was already coming for him.
Bjorn barked, ¡°Now.¡±
Failsafe opened the right most mouth and white hot flame erupted. The monster was engulfed in moments as the Plague Fire focused into a beam of toxic heat. With its intangibility spell already poisoned it took the attack head on. The explosion sent a shockwave rippling through the air and the tarnu hit the ground like a meteor impact.
Bjorn didn¡¯t hesitate. He lunged, claws already glowing with venomous energy. The tarnu was still alive and still healing. Its monstrous vitality kept it writhing even as its flesh burned, even as poison ravaged its system. Bjorn ripped. Tore. Carved. Monster vitality was still something Bjorn found unsettling. His poisoned claws sank deep into the grotesque mass, tearing through muscle and sinew, ripping and raking until the thing was nearly split in half.
The Tarnu gave one final, shuddering shriek. Its wings flailed violently¡ªthen, at last, it went still. Bjorn exhaled hard, stepping back from the corpse. His chest rose and fell with deep, controlled breaths, the battle-high still thrumming through his veins.
Failsafe let out a mock-casual hum. ¡°Well, we¡¯re here.¡± He continued, tone smug. ¡°See? That wasn¡¯t so bad.¡±
¡°Failsafe. Shut up.¡±
Interlude WM [102.5] A Soul Worth Taking Part 1
The wind howled through the Diredain Forest, carrying with it the scent of blood and fire. Snow, once pristine, was stained crimson, trampled by the dead and dying. Beyond the twisted, ice-laden trees, the war raged. Gladsheim, the sacred city of the wendigo that had fallen to druid occupation, loomed in the distance, its once-glistening spires now cracked and scorched by siege. The walls, still standing, bore the scars of war where druidic bombardments had struck. Ancient wards flickered in defiance of the constant barrage.
Snow and blood mixed in a grotesque slurry beneath Ingrid¡¯s boots as she stood at the edge of the secured ridge. Below, the battlefield raged as storm of magic and steel, as a harbinger destruction and desperate survival. The wendigo and druids clashed in a war that shattered mountains and set the sky alight with fury. The only thing preventing either side from being utterly annihilated was their sheer, relentless power. Spell met counterspell in a brutal, unending struggle, the battlefield a tempest of arcane devastation.
In the aurora of the mana storm scarred skies, familiars tore into each other, monstrous forms colliding with shrieks and roars. Soldiers, wizards, and mages alike perished in droves, their bodies swallowed by the snow and mud. The air smelled of ozone and burning flesh.
Ingrid stood tall, even as blood dripped from a gash across her face, streaking over her lips. Her once-pristine armor was battered and scorched, the sigils carved into it cracked and blackened. One of her antlers had been shattered at the base, jagged like a broken blade, but she carried herself as if it had never been there at all. The wind howled through the trees, but it could not drown out her presence.
She was made to sit by an increasingly upset Yrsa, a veteran healer, who worked swiftly over her injuries. The woman¡¯s hands, steady and practiced, pulsed with soft blue light, mending deep wounds that would have killed a normal wendigo but were a mere inconvenience to a mage body like hers.
¡°You shouldn''t fight again today,¡± Yrsa muttered as she wrapped a fresh bandage around Ingrid¡¯s arm. ¡°Your body needs rest. If you push too hard¡ª¡±
¡°I''m going,¡± Ingrid interrupted, her voice ironclad.
Yrsa stiffened but wisely held her tongue. The healer had been on enough battlefields to recognize the futility of arguing with the Sword of Salstar. Ingrid respected Yrsa, she had worked tirelessly, especially now that their healing potions had long since run dry, but she had no right, no authority to tell Ingrid what a warrior should do. What she should do. The woman seemed to realize her folly when she met Ingrid¡¯s gaze, dark as storm clouds and twice as unyielding.
A portal swirled into existence nearby, the fabric of reality bending into a gaping void of black shadows. The air in the camp turned electric, soldiers snapping to attention, weapons drawn as they surrounded the breach. Their anti-teleportation wards should have prevented such an intrusion, which meant whoever had forced their way through was either powerful or expected.
Ingrid raised a hand. ¡°Stand down.¡±
A man stepped through wearing the flowing robes over the armor of a Noble Hand ready for war. Loki, her right hand and closest confidant had finally arrived. The darkness mage¡¯s presence was like a shadow stretching over the camp. Darkness magic was the most common magical affinity of the wendigo people but there were a sparse few that matched his raw power. He had been missing from the battlefield, and Ingrid had not pressed him on it, until now.
¡°Where in the Infernal Planes have you been, Loki?¡± she demanded.
He bowed his head. ¡°Milady, I was working on reinforcements.¡±
As if on cue, heavy footsteps came through the portal. F¨¢rbauti, leader of the infamous Giant¡¯s Fire mercenary group, stepped through the portal into the camp. He was the Patriarch of the lesser house of Dalus and Loki¡¯s father. He was a towering man, scarred and grizzled from decades of war, his presence radiated danger. Flames coiled lazily around his fingers and battle axe, barely restrained. Last Ingrid heard he was in the south on another campaign against the Striga Harpies. His presence here meant that campaign was likely over.
¡°Loki told me you needed an axe to crush the druids,¡± F¨¢rbauti rumbled. ¡°So I brought a few.¡±
Behind him, mercenaries filed into the camp, armors still covered in the blood of their last battlefield. They were hardened killers, veterans of countless conflicts, their armor scorched and their weapons eager. The scent of smoke clung to them like a second skin.
Ingrid eyed them, then turned back to F¨¢rbauti. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± she said, brushing off Yrsa¡¯s hands as she rose to her full height. ¡°But I¡¯ll forgive it if you burn those bastards out of my forest.¡±
Heimdall, standing beside her with his lance resting against his shoulder, let out a measured breath. The most decorated wyvern knight of past campaigns, he had an instinct for strategy that Ingrid had come to rely on. Nearby, his wyvern, Skarn, rumbled deep in its chest, nostrils flaring in anticipation.
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¡°F¨¢rbauti¡¯s arrival is great Lady Ingrid,¡± Heimdall said, ever the strategist. ¡°But this battle will still cost us.¡±
Ingrid had come to rely on the young knight. He was a promising starlight mage with a specialty in divining and farseeing magic.
¡°What do you see?¡± Ingrid asked.
¡°A druid Thane and a force of two thousand to reinforce the city,¡± Heimdall murmured, his expression darkening. ¡°Part of the Old Oaks Consort. He has a thunderbird familiar.¡±
F¨¢rbauti scoffed. ¡°A Thane? They must be desperate.¡±
¡°No.¡± Loki said. ¡°He is here for her.¡±
¡°Likely Thane Geir, then,¡± Ingrid said.
Heimdall¡¯s glowing eyes narrowed. ¡°With a force like that, we should regroup with¡ª¡±
¡°We don¡¯t have the luxury of caution,¡± Ingrid cut him off. ¡°There is no change of plans. We take Gladsheim today. The druids have defiled the sacred city long enough. The Forest Father screams for retribution and they will pay with blood. Is that understood?¡±
F¨¢rbauti let out a booming laugh. ¡°Yes! Sword of Salstar, I do believe you¡¯ve only grown sharper since last we met. I feared my boy¡¯s philosophical nature would dull you.¡±
¡°You would be pleased to know that Loki has only honed me further, Patriarch Dalus.¡± Ingrid met his gaze without hesitation. ¡°He does not fight with blue steel like us but he fights just as fiercely. Do not disrespect the chosen Noble Hand of the Sword of Salstar. Even if he is your son I will not accept any disrespect. I hope you did not expect to rest. Now tell me the composition of your troops. We begin the assault immediately.¡±
F¨¢rbauti only smiled wider as battle plans were quickly relayed. Ingrid''s forces totaled seven hundred with the Giant¡¯s Fire mercenaries and the Heimdall¡¯s Wyvern Knights they had a combined force of 1450. A small number as compared to the tens of thousands already on the battlefield. With the storm raging above and war howling below, Ingrid of Salstar strode toward the battlefield once more, undaunted and unbreakable. Diredain would be hers no matter the cost.
***
The world was fire and blood, so thick that one could drown in either. Gladsheim burned beneath a sky split apart, a churning mass of raw mana twisting above like a cosmic wound. Chaos lightning speared the city, warping the stone into jagged spires and birthing horrors from the ether. Things that should not exist shrieked as they clawed their way into reality.
There was so much mana in the air that the city had become a battlefield between realms, the war of wendigo and druids now swallowed in a deeper, apocalyptic struggle. Monsters birthed during battles was rare but not here, not during the crusade for the holy land.
Ingrid body burned as wounds dug deep gashes through her body and yet she fought. Her mana nearly depleted and spells hit her battle hardened form, and yet she fought. She had long been separated from her men, forced deeper into the ruins of Gladsheim by the unrelenting press of battle. Her blade dripped with the lifeblood of druids and monsters alike, her breath came ragged, and her body screamed for respite. There would be none, there was only victory or death.
There was only the war, and the man who stood before her now, Thane Geir. The wretched druid lord, his emerald robes stained crimson, his once-golden laden antlers splintered and cracked. He bled from a dozen wounds, yet still, he stood tall. His thunderbird lay dying beside him, its massive form twitching as arcs of blue lightning sputtered from its torn wings.
Their battle had rocked the city but now it was coming to an end. Ingrid lunged. Geir met her charge with a howl, his gnarled staff breaking against her enchanted blade. Her magic had long failed her and she could not stop his magic with her own anti-magic. A bolt of green energy flared from his palm, but she twisted, letting it sear the air beside her as she drove forward. Her sword found home in his chest, punching through ribs, through lung, through heart.
The Thane choked, his breath leaving him in a shattered exhale. Ingrid twisted the blade carving the blade upward from his chest to his neck. The man fell nearly in half but even in death, he was not alone. The thunderbird familiar shrieked in outrage and pain it felt the death of it¡¯s master and lashed out in its final death throes.
A spear of lightning, raw and vengeful, split air. Ingrid saw the attack coming for her back but she could not move out of the way. Her body failed. Her legs were too heavy the arcane lightning too fast and struck Ingrid¡¯s back. Agony unlike anything she had ever known coursed through her body. It was as if her very bones had caught fire, her blood boiling beneath her skin. Her grip slackened, her legs faltering as the strength drained from them.
She fell to her knees, Geir collapsed beside her, his lifeless eyes staring skyward. The battle roared on around them, a tide of chaos swallowing all. Wendigo and druids screamed. Monsters surged from the storm, dragging the dying into the abyss. The great towers of Gladsheim cracked and fell, stone turned to glass, streets melted into rivers of molten ruin.
Ingrid tried to rise. Her fingers dug into the ash-covered ground, nails splitting as she forced her body to move. She had fought too long, bled too much her body did not obey.
Darkness crept at the edges of her vision. Her breath came short. The world around her blurred, slowed, as if time itself mourned her passing. She had known this moment would come. She was too proud to die of eventual old age. Not in quiet. Not in the comfort of a bed, but here, in war. In battle. She owed the First Princess at least one debt and that was to let her die in honor.
A figure rushed toward her through the storm and it took too long to recognize Loki. His robes were scorched, his face wild with desperation as he fought through the crumbling city. His veil had torn from his face at some point. She would have to reprimand him a Hand must not show his face. He was screaming her name, but she could not hear him. The world had grown distant, muffled, like sound through deep water.
Above, the sky split open, a final bolt of chaos striking the city like the hammer of an angry god. The ground beneath her fractured, reality itself breaking apart.
She let go.