《Scion of the Void》 A Whole New World pt 1 (Edited as of 9-26) Chapter 1 The gentle whirring of fans was the only sound in the mostly empty gas station. The clerk at the register fliped through a magazine, browsing for anything that caughthis eye. An electric ding followed by the quiet rustle of sliding doors broke him from his browsing, and he looked up at the customer. ¡°Good morning Jake, can I get the usual for you?¡± he greeted the tall man that just walked in, or more accurately stumbled as if half asleep. ¡°Hey man. Yeah, coffee and a pack of smokes,¡± the customer, Jake, said, as he slowly rubbed his eyes trying to wake up. ¡°I don¡¯t get how you¡¯re always so chipper this early in the morning.¡± This is followed by a small glare back at the sun peeking through the glass windows. ¡°Haha, yeah. You get used to it after a while, and I¡¯m stuck on the morning shift for the next couple of months.¡± Shrugging, the clerk put down the magazine and goes through the motions of punching in numbers while Jake grabs a cup and starts filling it with coffee. After filling up on coffee, Jake walked up to the counter sipping his drink. Jake quirks an eyebrow at the magazine. ¡°What you got there?¡± The clerk places a pack of smokes on the counter. ¡°New game magazine, came out yesterday.¡± ¡°Can I see it?¡± The clerk shrugged and hands him the magazine, and finishes up with the order. Jake quickly flips through the pages, muttering to himself, ¡°New shooter, new shooter, no thank you. New Call of Duty reviewed as an amazing artwork, yeah right. New Fifa, probably the same as the last three. Nothing that interesting.¡± He handed the magazine back to the clerk, and grabs his wallet. ¡°Didn¡¯t know you were a gamer Jake. And that would be $6.43, please.¡± Jake handded him a ten and waits for change. ¡°Yea, mostly RPGs and the occasional MMO, usually fantasy. Used to be pretty good at the PVP side of games, but nothing has really grabbed my interest lately.¡± Hegrabbedhis change and walked toward the door. ¡°Thanks man, have a good one.¡± ¡°You too, and hope you can find something soon.¡± The clerkgave a small wave andwent back to his magazine. Jakeheaved a small sigh, ¡°Would be nice. All I really want is a good old-fashioned Role-Playing romp while slinging spells and cracking in skulls.¡± Hetook another gulp and walked outside. As he did, the sun hit directly into his eyes, blinding him. A small voice seemed to whisper into his ear, ¡°Heard, and accepted.¡± A violent surge of vertigo griped him, and his head felt likeit was thrust into a running washing machine. Clutching his head, he couldn¡¯t even cry out through the pain, and he collapsed. The feeling stopped after what felt like a lifetime, and as he opened his eyes, he was greeted with white. A blank landscape stretched past what he could see, and looking down he was standing in what appeared to be fog. He was still holding his coffee and cigarettes, and as he stared at the slightly steaming beverage, he slowly poured it out onto the ground. ¡°Never getting coffee from that store again. I¡¯m too tired to be dealing with this shit, putting drugs in drinks just for laughs. That¡¯s a crime for wasting coffee, even if it was mediocre.¡± The sounds of gentle giggling could be heard, echoing off of seemingly nothingness to provide an eerie atmosphere. Jake slowly looks up and around, trying to figure out where it is coming from. ¡°Ummm, hello. How are you doing¡­ today, I think?¡± Another giggle, sounding a little less disturbing and a little more heartfelt. The fog rolling around his feet slowly disperses, revealing what looked like seamless granite extending past the horizon. Even the puddle of coffee was gone, leaving pure stone without a mark in its place. Pillars appear out of the fog, forming what appeared to be a temple out of ancient Greece, breaking the stagnant landscape. Jake heard another giggle, and it seemed to come from around the temple. Jake stared at the temple for a moment, before sighing and walking towards it, slapping his pack of cigarettes against his palm to pack them while walking.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. The walk took longer than it seemed, as the pillars steadily grew into something gigantic, dwarfing Jake. He stopped before them, and looked at what they were protecting. A circular room, ringed by gigantic pillars spaced evenly apart. Within the circle, close to Jake, there was a small marble table. On the table was a lighter, similar to the one in Jake¡¯s¡¯ pocket. Shrugging, Jake walked up to the table, grabbed the lighter and lit up a cigarette. ¡°Thank you very much, Giggles.¡± He inhaled the toxic smoke, feeling the nicotine enter his lungs, providing temporary relief. ¡°Giggles?¡± A childlike voice said from behind him. He turned around, and stared at what was before him. A small girl was floating above the marble floor, wearing a dress that swayed gently in nonexistent wind. The dress shifted colors with each ripple of cloth, from blood red to blue, to green, to yellow, all colors of the rainbow showing themselves before quickly being replaced. Hair as white as fresh snow cascaded down her shoulders, changing to black towards the ends of the strands, and reached down to her lower back. But the eyes are what captured his attention. Completely black, with irises of silver, and seemed to bend the light around them, creating constellations within the inky blackness. It was disturbing and enthralling at the same time. The ¡®girl¡¯ giggled again. ¡°Like what you see?¡± She said with a coy grin. Her teeth were normal, at least. Snapping out of his stupor, Jake slowly drags on his cigarette, exhales and grins. ¡°Sorry, still somewhat asleep. Giggles, yes. It seems to fit, don¡¯t you think?¡± Her grin grows wider. ¡°Anyways, my name is Jake. Nice to meet you.¡± He extends his hand to her. She quirked an eyebrow at him. ¡°You seem perfectly fine with everything that¡¯s going on right now.¡± She still took his hand and gave it a small shake though. ¡°My name is Lilith.¡± She let his handgo and gestured around at the temple and the vast empty space surrounding it. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I like it. Very aesthetic. And as for why I¡¯m fine, no clue. If I''m dead, then I guess there''s nothing for it.¡± He shrugged, and took another drag. He exhaled while staring at the smoke rising from the cigarette. ¡°So, I guess this is not some super drug that I¡¯m tripping on right now, right?¡± She cocked her head cutely at him. ¡°What makes you think that? And thank you for the compliment.¡± Jake stared at her for a second, wondering how she knew what he was thinking. ¡°Wait, mind reader. Got it.¡± She grinned again, and nodded at him to continue. ¡°Well,¡± Jake nodded his head left and right, thinking of the easiest way to express his feelings. ¡°I can feel the effects of the cigarette, and I¡¯m feeling far too aware for this to be a dream.¡± She waves her hand for him to continue. ¡°If I were to guess by the architecture, unless this is normal for you, you are trying to put me at ease with something that I know. Also, since I think that you have complete control of this area, you are trying to tell me that you are a god, or at least what I would call a god.¡± He shrugs, and takes another drag. ¡°Since the religions of Earth don¡¯t have anything about someone matching what your appearance is, I have to assume that you¡¯re from a different world, or are hiding your true appearance for some reason.¡± She grinned again, and started clapping slowly. ¡°Got it in one. I knew there was a reason why I picked you. Yes, I am a goddess. The main goddess for the world that I created, actually. I was offered a chance to choose someone from your world and bring them onto mine. I have chosen you.¡± Her grin turned into a full smile. ¡°I based my world off of your world¡¯s fantasy. The things that you humans can create are amazing, especially since you are the only sentient beings on your planet. Sure, you tend to be a warmongering species, but when you¡¯re not killing your neighbors you are creating masterpieces.¡± She got more and more excited as she spoke. ¡°We¡¯ve got pretty much everything that you can think of on Laeris: Dwarves, Elves, Beast-Folk, Orcs, Centaurs, Satyrs, dragons and so much more.¡± The white stars in her eyesgrew brighter. ¡°I¡¯ve also been fascinated with the games that you create, so I based my world off of it too! Levels, Skills, Attributes, basically everything an old-school Role Playing freak like you wants!¡± Even Jake was getting hooked on her excitement. ¡°It would be your classic RPG romp through the wilderness, casting fireballs, swinging swords, crushing your enemies, seeing them driven before you and hearing the lamentations of their women!¡± She¡¯s jumping up and down with excitement at this point. ¡°So, what do you say? You want to be part of this world?!¡± ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Jake pumped his fist into the air, letting his cigarette fall from his lips. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± He grinned to himself, already envisioning himself as some great magical scholar unlocking the secrets of the world, a white knight defeating a dragon and saving the princess, a hunter prowling through the wilderness with a trusty beast at his side. Her smile grows even larger. ¡°Simple! I want you to take over the world!¡± A Whole New World pt 2 (Edited as of 9-26) Jake dragged slowly on his cigarette, staring at the being in front of him. They were sitting around a marble table that Lilith created, an ashtray resting in front of Jake. He exhales just as slowly, and extinguishes his smoke. Looking back up at the still grinning loli-goddess, he tries to settle his thoughts. ¡°So, let me get this straight. You want me to go into your world and take it over?¡± She nods happily. ¡°Pretty much.¡± ¡°Any specific reason why you want me to take over the world?¡± He leans back in his marble chair and crosses his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m flattered that you think that I can do it, but I know next to nothing about dominating a world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point!¡± She jumps up from her chair and starts floating around the table. ¡°I wanted to see what a human could do to my world within the guidelines that I created! Your race has this insatiable bloodlust, killing off your fellow humans over basically nothing but pride! Out of all the worlds¡¯ creations that I have seen, you humans are some of the most bloodthirsty and tenacious beings out there! As for you specifically, I¡¯ve seen what you¡¯ve done with the games that you played. You are tactical, imaginative, and ruthless! You¡¯ve created the top build for almost every game that yougot serious with, just off of your own instincts. And the way that you tend to crush those against you is just¡­ invigorating.¡± She shudders, an evil smile on her face. ¡°You are the best that I could find, and you¡¯re perfect for my plans!¡± Jake stares at her for a couple of seconds, thinking this information through. ¡°Well, you seem to know me pretty well, at least as far as games. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why do you want me to do this?¡± Her evil smilefell into a frown. ¡°My world has become stagnant. My creations are not advancing as I want, and need, them to. They are keeping to themselves and ignoring the others, letting them live and die on their own strength.¡± She quietly sighs, ¡°Things would be different if they had some common enemy to rally against. Bring them together, possibly.¡± She looks back at Jake and smiles. ¡°This is where you come in. I want you to be the glue that keeps my world together. The monster underneath the bed, the dragon guarding the castle, the final boss to a long quest. Something that will force my creations to become united.¡± She floats back down to her chair. ¡°What do you think?¡± Jake stares at his hands on the table, mind jumping from one idea to the next. He looks up at her, back down to his hands, and shrugs. ¡°I think this might work. A common enemy has healed a few rifts on the political side of my world.¡± He looks back up at Lilith. ¡°Might as well, there was nothing really interesting going on back on Earth. So, anything specific that you can give me before I¡¯m sent to your world?¡± She smiles happily and jumps back into the air, bouncing up and down with excitement. ¡°Great! For starters, we can go through what you want your persona to become down on Laeris. How would you like to proceed, oh Great Overlord?¡± She questions with a grin. Jake grins back. ¡°Magic would probably be the best. This world is probably advanced to what was medieval ages on mine, right? Swords, bows, that sort of thing?¡± Lilith nods. ¡°If I can cast spells, that would give me a something to work with besides pure brawn.¡± Jakewas beginning to get into the whole evil-overlord mindset, creating a plan for his domination. Lilith smiles at Jake, ¡°Figured. You always enjoyed the glass cannon type of builds in most of the games you played. Magic here is slightly different than the games back on Earth, though.¡± She gestures to her right, and a screen appeared.
Arcane Proficiencies
Air - X.XX% Fire - X.XX% Earth - X.XX% Water - X.XX% Light - X.XX% Dark - X.XX%
Long ago, the sixaffinities lived in harmony. Everything changed when people started throwing fireballs at each other. [Arcane Proficiencies] shows a beings ability to control a given element, as well as the mage''s weakness to the opposing element.
¡°As you can see,¡± Lilith continues as Jake looks over the screen, ¡°there are no specific spells that you can cast. Each ¡®spell¡¯ is created by an individual in their imagination. This makes fighting a mage very difficult, due to their ability to adapt quickly to any situation. But, if you canhit them with an opposing element, they can die pretty quickly.Most of my creatures have only one proficiency for magic, but there are a few that are able to wield more elements.¡± She gestures again and the screen disappears. ¡°That was a status screen, by the way. Every creature that I have created has one of these. You will also get one when you get down to Laeris, but before that happens we need to get this introduction out of the way. Can¡¯t have the readers get too bored!¡± She winks off to the side.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Readers?¡± Jake questions while looking around. There was no one else here. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. So, what element do you want to be able to control?¡± She drags him back to the lesson. He scratches the back of his head. ¡°How many can I get? If you want me to be able to bring your creations together, I¡¯m going to need to be stronger than them to force them to group up.¡± Lilith pauses, thinking. ¡°That¡­ actually makes sense. Umm, I don¡¯t know? I don¡¯t really want you to be too overpowered. Less interesting that way.¡± She taps her chin a few times, lost in thought. ¡°Hmm, could go with three? It¡¯s not that stronger than some of the creatures I¡¯ve made, and it¡¯s not the strongest either.¡± She shrugs, ¡°I think three would fit. What do you want?¡± Jake shrugs, ¡°I¡¯m not really too sure. Most of these are pretty obvious, but there are a few missing I think. Lightning and Summoning are the ones I¡¯m most interested in.¡± Lilith blinked, her eyes seeming to be focus on something only she could see. ¡°Oh, sorry. Forgot that your favorite character was a Warlock back in the days of World of Warcraft. These are your basic arch-types of magic, and each of these have sub-types within them. For example, Air has a sub-type of Lightning, Fire has Smoke, Water has Ice, Earth has Metal, Light has Life and Dark has Death. And each arch-type has it¡¯s own form of summoning, known as Binding. You bind an elemental of the arch-type to the physical realm and it will follow your orders¡­ most of the time.¡± She shrugs. ¡°Having a mindless beast follow you around and listen to your every order is pretty boring, at least from my point of view.¡± Jake nods along with her explanation. ¡°Alright, I think I get it now. Would someone with multiple affinities be able to Bind a creature from each of these affinities, or would they be able to combine them?¡± Lilith grins. ¡°Definitely combine them. While fielding an army of Bound creatures would be interesting, the power that they could get from having multiple affinities is far more potent.¡± She starts tapping on the table. ¡°As you increase your affinity with a certain arch-type, you can summon either more powerful creatures, or multiple weaker ones. Think of it like a well; as the well gets deeper, you have more water to use. You can use it to fill up a large tub, or many smaller buckets.¡± Jake scratches his neck. ¡°Alright, I think I got it. I¡¯m going to go with Dark, Fire and Air for my proficiencies.¡± Lilith¡¯s grin grows wider. ¡°Oh? And why¡¯s that?¡± Jake grins back. ¡°Like you said, I enjoyed my Warlock. The play style was enjoyable, and it would work perfectly here. This combination seems the closest to that point. I¡¯ve also got a couple ofideas about what I can create for spells with this combination.¡± Jakes mind keeps bringing up pictures of flying skulls breathing fire on unsuspecting monsters. ¡°I think it would be fun.¡± Lilith smirks. ¡°Nice, looks like something Metallica would come up with.¡± She stretches, making her dress shimmer through the color spectrum. ¡°Anything else? We¡¯ve been here for a while, and I¡¯m getting pretty bored. I really want to see what you can do on Laeris.¡± Jake grabs another cigarette and lights up, inhaling and exhaling slowly. ¡°How about being able to read, speak and understand the languages of Laeris? It would be pretty stupid if I die too quickly because I couldn¡¯t read any warning signs.¡± Lilith giggles, ¡°Not a problem, but don¡¯t worry too much about getting killed off. I¡¯m planning on throwing a blessing on you that will allow you to respawn at your last safe resting place after about a day. This world is dangerous, besides being stagnant.¡± She shrugs, ¡°I got a little bored and tried to add too many things, so the wildlife is really quite deadly. Oh! And after each death, you¡¯re coming back here so we can watch how you failed over and over again! It¡¯s going to be so much fun!¡± She falls into another giggle fit. Jake looks at her, and sighs. Great. A sadist loli-goddess is going to keep bringing me back to life to make fun of my efforts. I thought she wanted me to take over the world, not be her entertainment. Lilith¡¯s smile grows wider. ¡°Of course! It wouldn¡¯t be interesting if I created something that just dominated my world. You¡¯re going to have to work for it. Makes a better story that way, and I can laugh at you. What else do you want? Last thing.¡± Jake takes another drag. ¡°Umm¡­¡± His mind is racing, trying to think of something that he missed. Anything that would give him even the smallest head start, but there is nothing that he can think of. He finishes his cigarette, and grabs another one. Putting it in his mouth, he freezes. ¡°Unlimited smokes. I will not be able to function without nicotine. I don¡¯t care if you make it so that it can¡¯t be given to anyone else, as long as I can have my smokes.¡± Lilith stares at him. She starts giggling, which evolves into laughter. Soon she is laughing so hard tears are streaming out of her eyes. After a while, she calms down enough to speak, wiping tears off of her face. ¡°I needed that. Yea, you can have your smokes. I thought you were going to ask for some blatantly powerful weapon or something.¡± She shakes her head, still grinning. ¡°Humans are weird. Anyways, have a good trip! Keep me entertained and I won¡¯t kill you!¡± She waves at him. ¡°Wait, what?¡± Jake tries to say, before the marble underneath his seat crumbles away, and he starts falling. ¡°No, no, no, no, no!¡± He tries to stop himself, but he is quickly sucked through the hole. Blinding light once again hits his eyes, and when it clears, he is in freefall, falling towards what appeared to be a group of trees. Hard, spear-shaped trees that would certainly kill him from this height. ¡°Fuck fuck fuck fuck Fuck Fuck FUCK!!!! WHAT THE FUCKING SHIT GIGGLES?! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU¡­¡± His screams are cut off by a muffled thump, a cloud of dust, dirt and pine needles fly into the air from the impact site. Loud, feminine laughter could be heard, seemingly coming from everywhere at once. A Whole New World pt 3 (Edited as of 9-26) Jake groaned, trying to catch his breath. Opening his eyes, he looked around, or at least tried to. He couldn¡¯t move, due to him being in a human-shaped crater around two feet deep. Needless to say, he was slightly pissed. ¡°Fucking gods and their fucking shit. Would it be too much fucking trouble to simply just place me gently wherever they want me? It¡¯s not as if she fucking brought me to this world. Fucking Giggles, if I die from being stuck in a fucking shitty crater from being dropped, I swear to fucking Christ on a cracker, I will tear her intestines out with my teeth and play fucking jump rope with them.¡± He continued ranting to himself, trying to wiggle out of the crater. After a few minutes and over one hundred fucks said, he was finally able to back on flat ground. Standing up, he was surprised to find that he wasn¡¯t injured, and after dusting himself off and a few more swear words, he looked around. A blue screen appeared before him.
Welcome to the world of Laeris! The All-Mother Lilith, Goddess of Change, has brought you here to act as her chosen disciple! Learn your limits, grow your strength, and become whatever you want to be]
As he was reading, another quickly replaced it.
Hey Puppet! This is Lilith. Hope you enjoyed your trip! You¡¯re kind of lucky that I don¡¯t get offended that easily. If I was any of the other gods here, you¡¯d already be dead. And in the permanent way too. Probably want to watch that mouth around the younger gods, they get pretty feisty. Anyways, you should be all good to go. Go ahead and think or say ¡®Status¡¯ (you should probably think it. Otherwise people will think that you¡¯re crazy). This should, obviously, bring up your status screen. It shows your level, attributes and things like that. But you probably already know this. Can¡¯t wait to see you back here soon! <3 ~Giggles
¡°¡­ Seriously? Fine. Just for spite¡­ Status!¡±
Status
Race: Human Name: Jake Roshaven Level: 1 Titles: None Allignment: Chaotic Neutral
Health: 100 Stamina: 100 Mana: 250
Attributes
Vitality: 10 Strength: 10 Endurance:10 Agility: 10 Dexterity: 10 Intelligence: 20 Wisdom: 20
Achievements
First of the Humans PottyMouth Disciple of Change
¡°¡­ What the fuck does [Potty Mouth] mean.¡± Jake poked the questionable achievement, and a different blue screen appeared, overlapping the old one.
PottyMouth
From the amount of vulgarity spewing out of your mouth, The All Mother Lilith has decided to ''reward'' you with this achievement. While speaking, and including vulgarity in the speech, relationships with other beings will be more difficult to increase, while making it easier to cause them anger. Reduces alcohol tolerance by 25%.
Jake stared at the window for a few moments. A chuckle escaped his mouth, escalating to full on laughter within a few seconds. ¡°Alright, alright. I got you, Giggles.¡± He calms down a little bit, still chuckling occasionally. ¡°So, what else have you given me?¡±
First of the Humans
Congratulations! You are the first Human being to be on planet Laeris! As the only member of your species, you have gained new [Skills] that will help you enhance your bloodline! You¡¯ve unlocked the skill [Tenacious D]. You have unlocked the Skill [Blood for the Blood God]. You have unlocked the Skill [One is the Loneliest Number]. Welcome to Laeris, pal!
¡°¡­ I feel like I¡¯m going to either really like these skills, or really hate them.¡± Jake scratches his head. Sighing, he starts patting his thighs looking for his cigarettes, but can¡¯t feel anything. ¡°So, if it¡¯s not on my person, then how about¡­ Inventory!¡± Another screen appeared before him, this time in a 15x15 grid format. Most of the cells in the screen were empty, but a few of them were filled with different images. He browsed through, and poked at what he wanted.
Bum¡¯s Best Friend
Even if you are hated by the entire world, there will always be someone who wants to bum a smoke, and you¡¯ve got infinite. Good for you. Increases Mana Regeneration by 200% while smoking (133% while in combat). Decreases Stress by 33% per cigarette. Decreases maximum Stamina by 1% per cigarette (lasts 3 hours). [Bum¡¯s Best Friend] regenerates one cigarette every thirty minutes (maximum carrying capacity-10). Soulbound. Indestructible.
It was a small metal case, completely black. Jake opened it, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. The cigarettes were pristine, hand-made instead of the factory made he was forced to buy back on Earth. He gently picked one up and held it up to his nose, sniffing. A grin split his face when the earthy aroma of fresh tobacco hit his nostrils. He placed it into his mouth and looked for a lighter in his inventory, but there was none.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Hmm¡­ Lilith did say that magic is based off of imagination¡­¡± He looked at his right hand, and snapped his fingers with his thumb pointing up, imagining a small flame appearing at the top. A deep purple flame appeared over his thumb, with a center of pitch black. He unclenched his hand, imagining the flame disappearing. It did, and he repeated the process a few times. A new window appeared.
New Spell Created: Fire Starter
In a land of high fantasy, where magic is as simple as imagining things happening, the first spell you create is a lighter. You either have your priorities right, or you are simply not that bright. Mana Use: 1 Mana per Second (m/s)
He grins at the sarcastic screen. He snapped his fingers and held the flame up to his cigarette, and slowly inhaled. Exhaling, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a light groan. It was perfect. The feeling of nicotine rushing through his body was far more pronounced here than back on Earth. He did not know if that was due to the high quality of the cigarette, or something else. But he truthfully did not care. He smoked in silence for a few minutes, a blissful look on his face. After he finished his first cigarette, he grabbed another and got back to looking at his achievements.
Disciple of Change
As the All-Mother¡¯s only living disciple, you gain a portion of her strength and abilities. You gain +10 to Intelligence and Wisdom. Each level increases Intelligence and Wisdom by +2. Increases Magic Proficiencies for Dark, Fire and Air to 50% (Master Level). Increases skill progression by 50% while following orders. Allows you to respawn 24 hours after death at the last safe sleeping area. If previous sleeping area is not safe, you will be sent to the one before that.?????Enjoy! ~Giggles?
He smiles, and takes another drag. Skills. He thinks to himself, and his Skill page appeared before him.
Skills
Ranks of Skills: Beginner 1-9, Apprentice 1-9, Journeyman 1-9, Advanced 1-9, Expert 1-9, Master 1-9, Grandmaster 1-10 Ranks of Magic Proficiency: 0% N/A, 1-9% Beginner, 10-19% Apprentice, 20-29% Journeyman, 30-39% Advanced, 40-49% Expert, 50-69% Master, 70-89% Grand Master, 90-99% Primal, 100% Godlike
Tenacious D - You do not give up, and you never surrender. No matter what happens, you will keep trying to do what you do best: Winning. As you increase [Tenacious D], your enemies will find it harder and harder to break your spirit. Just like JB against the Devil, you can and will win. [Beginner 1] Fire: 50% Water: 0%
Blood for the Blood God - You will bathe in a river of blood, and build yourself a throne of skulls. As you increase [Blood for the Blood God], enemies spirit¡¯s will be more easily broken when faced with your unquenchable bloodthirst, and have a chance of killing themselves from fright. While the All-Mother might not enjoy a throne of skulls surrounded by a pool of blood, she believes that it might be interesting to try. Create her throne, mortal! [Beginner 1] Earth: 0% Air: 50%
One is the Loneliest Number - Congratulations, you are all alone. There are no other human beings on this world, and this world is very racist against outsiders. As you increase [One is the Loneliest Number], the people of Laeris will become more welcoming, and will be more forthcoming with quests and better deals while shopping. It also increases your fertility. Go spread your seed and get humans back as the prime race! [Beginner 1] NLight: 0%/A Dark: 50%
¡°¡­¡± Jake stared at the last skill. ¡°Umm, Giggles? What the fuck is this?¡± A new screen appeared in front of him.
This is what happens when a new race is created on my world. It tries to help them get together more and increases their chances of reproduction, so they won¡¯t get killed off too early. Why, what¡¯s up?
Jake sighed, and started tapping his foot, waiting for Lilith to pick through his head.
Oh. Oh! OH! Gotcha, I¡¯ll get rid of it.
The Skill [One is the Loneliest Number] has been removed.
¡°Thanks, Giggles.¡±
Forgot that you had some trouble growing up, sorry. Well, at least you didn¡¯t do anything too drastic.
¡°I killed someone, Lilith. That was pretty drastic back on my world.¡±
She deserved it. But you need to let that go here, Jake. Like I told you, this world is violent and dangerous. And, you need to be the most violent and dangerous of them all.
¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m on it.¡± He took another drag, and flicked the butt away. Placing his hands behind his head, he started walking, whistling a merry tune. A Whole New World pt 4 (Edited 9-26) The gentle rustling of branches overhead, quiet chirping of birds and the cries of small animals was peaceful, relaxing. Except for the large pack of wolves that were stalking Jake as he wandered through the woods, smoking a cigarette. He took a drag, and exhaled slowly. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try this out.¡± He flicked the butt into the grass, and concentrated. Purple flames began surrounding his hands, growing slowly at first before raging into acontrolled inferno. He focused on the part of his mind attuned to the Dark, finding the small feeling of death coming from the beasts. He had found that if something had killed a being within the day, he could sense the Death rolling off of it. He spun around to the wolf that was just starting to rush out of the underbrush, and thrust his left hand forward. Flames that seemed to absorb the light around them roared forward, slamming into the wolf as it leaped and throwing it back out of sight. Smoke began wafting upward, along with the smell of blackened meat. He twisted his hand, coiling the torrent of flames into a ball in his hands. Nonchalantly, he threw the ball towards the largest group of wolves. The wolf dodged, but Jake clenched his fist as the orb passed next to it. The fireball collapsed within itself, then violently bursting outwards. The sounds of the forest had died down since the first attack, and all that Jake heard was the sound of burning trees, grass and wolves. Jake could sense the wolves retreating, except for one wolf, larger than the others, that stared at him with cold and calculating eyes. Eyes that reflected intelligence instead of the constant hunger of a beast. The wolf blinked, then began walking away without turning back. Jake sighed, grabbing another smoke to help regenerate his mana. ¡°Well, that went a little better than expected. Those fucking puppers have been following me for a while now.¡± He extinguished the flames licking around his hands, and went to see if any of the meat would be salvageable. It was, if you enjoyed eating charred steak. Jake, sadly, did not. Shrugging, Jake continued his walk, going over the notifications from his most recent scuffle.
You have slain Lvl 3 Savage Wolf. Experience added
You have slain Lvl 3 Savage Wolf. Experience added
You have slain Lvl5 Savage Wolf. Experience added
Congratulations! You have reached Lvl 2. Int +1, Wis +1. 1 Attribute point ready for distribution
You have slain Lvl 3 Savage Wolf. Experience added.
Not bad. I should add that to either End or Vit, since I¡¯m getting free points for my main attributes anyways. He threw the point into Vit, increasing his health by 10. Giggles really boosted me up with this blessing. If you only get one point per level, then as a level one I had the stats of a level 20. And each level would be the equivalent of 3 levels due to the bonuses. He took another drag, getting lost in the feeling. After he finished, he browsed through the spells that he had created.
New Spell Created: Scent of Death
You can now ''smell'' death on things now. If you''re into Necrophilia, this would be perfect for you
Mana Use: N/A (Passive)
New Spell Created: Flame Surge
You¡¯re now a living flamethrower. Don¡¯t you just love the smell of napalm in the morning?
Mana Use: 10 m/s
New Spell Created: Fire Ball
You now have the generic fantasy magical spell. Good for you.
Mana Use: 25 m/s of charge
¡°What¡¯s up with these sarcastic as fuck descriptions? It¡¯s almost as if some loli-goddess is in charge of these, and gets really bored.¡±
Hey! I work hard on getting the right amount of sass per message! And all you¡¯ve done is run around and play with fire. Why don¡¯t you use your different affinities?
¡°I¡¯m working on it. I might have a few ideas, but I wanted to work on Fire at first. The pyromaniac in me was just a little excited at the chance to be, as you call it, a ¡®living flame-thrower¡¯.¡± He waved away the message and began to wander again, focusingon that smallpartofhis brainthat the[Scent of Death] spell was running from. After about an hour, he ran across a deer in a glade. The deer was staring in his direction, the small antlers on its head showing it was still young. As it saw him through the brush, it burst into motion, bounding away from Jake. He quickly grabbed onto the shadows around him, and thrust his right hand towards the deer, bringing forth an image from one of his favorite authors. Tendrils of shadow burst from around the glade, converging on the dear like some fucked up Japanese porn video. The deer was ¡®penetrated¡¯ from all sides, the shadows not making a single mark on its flank, and also wrapped around the squirming beast. He gestured upwards, and the buck was dragged into the air, unable to move. It¡¯s screams were quickly cut off as Jake sent a blade of air through its neck, decapitating the poor beast. ¡°So, Dark is mostly based around control, and Air is just highly pressurized air. I can work with that.¡± He pulled the deer carcass towards him, and flipped it in the air, allowing the blood to drain from the body. ¡°I guess I can set up here for the night. It¡¯s getting a little dark, and night falls quickly in forests¡­ At least that¡¯s what I think happens.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Jake walked around the glade, gathering dropped twigs and branches, and occasionally cutting larger branches off of trees with his new spell. Speaking of¡­
New Spell Created: Grasping Shadows
I was thinking of calling this one [Grasp of the Void], but I think it¡¯s a little too early to bring in the title. Anyways, enjoy your fetishes!
Mana Use: 1 m/s (per tendril)
New Spell Created: Air Blade
You have brought forth one of the most overused spells for an Air mage. I hope you''re proud of yourself for this huge achievement.
Mana Usage: 15 m/s of charge
Jake shrugs, not paying attention to the descriptions this time. He began building a small fire, laying the larger logs aside for now. He checked his inventory, going through what Lilith had given him, besides the things he needed to function such as his cigarettes. Thinking this, he grabbed another smoke and lit up, then grabbed the basic knife that was added in, more than likely as an afterthought.
Basic Iron Skinning Knife
A knife for skinning.
He snorted at the small description, and took a quick look at himself in the reflection. Hazel eyes stared back, but he knew that they can change color depending on what he wears, to either a very light green or light blue. Medium length blonde hair, dark enough to be considered brown in the right lighting. A five o¡¯clock shadowwas just peaking out of his cheekbones, leading to a pronounced chin. ¡°Well, at least she didn¡¯t change my appearance.¡± He looked down at his body. ¡°Possibly made me more fit. I was a little bit thicker, I think.¡± He poked his stomach, feeling hard muscles underneath his shirt. Frowning, he lifted it up and saw a decently defined six-pack. ¡°Yea, definitely didn¡¯t have that before.¡± He shrugged, andwentback to skinning the deer. A few hours later, Jakesatin front of a small camp fire, roasting a piece of venison. Hemaneuvered it slowly above the fire with his [Grasping Shadows], becoming more familiar with his magic. A slight rustle alerted him to something approaching the clearing. Alert, Jake attempted to sense anything with [Scent of Death]. Instead of finding the source of the sound, his senses are assaulted by the scent of the buck he had just butchered, and hewas unable to sense anything else. ¡°Fuck.¡± He threw the cooking meat on a spit next to the fire, grabbinga cigarette from his inventory and quickly lit up, attempting to regain as much mana as possible. Standing, he began to scan around the clearing, looking for reflecting eyes or anything else to help him pinpoint whatever is stalking him. He slowly spun around, trying to keep his back to the firein an attempt to regain his night vision. A twig snaps somewhere to his right, followed by some more rustling. He raises his hand in the direction, still checking for other sounds around him. Out of the corner of his eye to his left, he notices a creature slink into the clearing, aiming for the deer. He grabs onto the darkness, but before he can act something slams into his back. Unable to stop himself, he fell to the ground while something tore into his right shoulder with either teeth or claws. Jake screamed, unable to think straight to fight off the attacker. White light appeared to his left, and a bolt of cold passed over him. The pain left his back with a yelp, and Jake scrambled quickly to his feet, holding his wounded arm. He turns around, and sees the large wolf from before, chasing after some small creature around the clearing. A small shard of ice is lodged into it¡¯s flank, barely slowing the large predator. The wolf lunged, grabbing onto the small beast and beginning to shake it violently. Shadows erupted from underneath the wolf, locking its muscles up and thrusting it into the air. The small creature fell limply from the wolfs jaws, and didn¡¯t move. But Jake didn¡¯t care. He was furious. ¡°I let you walk away once. I thought you were smarter than some average beast. But I guess your greed got the better of you.¡± Black flames lapping up his arms, streams of shadow circling around his body, writhing like snakes. He looks at the wolf with cold eyes, eyes without any emotion besides rage reflecting in them. ¡°Die.¡± More tendrils burst from the shadows, black flames racing along them. They slammed into the wolf, burning through the body and cauterizing the wounds instantly. Jake thrust his hand down, slamming the wolf into the ground. He conjured a large fire ball, and slowly walked up to the stunned wolf, pouring more and more mana into the spell. Stopping in front of the wolf, he stared into its eyes. The intelligence was gone, replaced by fear, pain and hunger. Jake said nothing, contorting the fire ball into a lance of black flame, only small amounts of purple could be seen around the outside. He slammed the lance into the wolf. Its insides turned into ashes instantly, and soon all that was left of the alpha wolf was a pile of blackened and cracked bones. Jake winced at the pain in his arm, and grabbed a new cigarette from his case. ¡°Fucking pooch made me drop my smoke.¡± A Whole New World pt 5 Jake quickly pulled up his status screen to make sure that he wouldn¡¯t die from an errant breeze.
Health: 23/110 [Health Regen: 1.1 hp/ 10 Minutes (increases to 5.5 hp/10m while resting)]
Stamina: 30/98 [Stamina Regen: 1 sp/10s (increases to 1sp/2s while resting)] [Max Stamina -2 due to [Smoker¡¯s Lungs x2] debuff]
Sighing, fell down onto his ass, and looked at the remains of the wolf, trying to figure out what had happened. His head hurt from using that new spell, and the pain in his shoulder was a constant throbbing agony that kept distracting him. He began slowly sifting through the ashes and bones, trying to figure out why the wolf had attacked him, even if it was a small chance that anything survived his magic. A pulsing red light caught his attention, which he thought at first was just a group of embers. It was too periotic for that, though. He grabbed onto it, and pulled out what looked like a metal choker from the ashes. He stared at the pulsing choker, seeing that the light was coming from symbols etched into the blackened metal. He focused his tired mind onto a single rune, and watched it pulse like a heartbeat.
Disciple of Change has been updated.
Knowledge of languages and Runes up to Master level has been unlocked
Collar of Rage
This magical binding forces the creature to attack the closest threat to itself, besides the mage that bound it.
Jake stared at the screen, mind trying to fight through the pain in his shoulder to think. Shaking his head, he decided he¡¯d deal with it tomorrow. He looked around, seeing if he could spot the small animal that the wolf chased. He saw something being reflected in the light of the campfire, and slowly got to his feet. The pain in his shoulder flared, but he gritted his teeth and continued over to the object. Hearing wheezing as he approached, he grabbed the dagger with his uninjured hand, not confident in his abilities to cast spells at that moment. A silver fox was fighting for breath, barely moving. Blood trickled from puncture wounds on its torso from the wolf¡¯s jaws. It¡¯s breath seemed to frost on each exhale, even if the night was still warm. ¡°So, you¡¯re the one who saved me, huh?¡± Jake slowly crouched down in front of the fox, putting the dagger away, the movements causing his wounds to begin weeping blood slowly. ¡°We¡¯re both not doing too good right now, huh.¡± He winced, and tried to think of something to help himself and the fox. He looked back over to the fire, and an idea slowly wormed it¡¯s way into his tired mind. He reached out to the Dark, but instead of the shadows leaping to his command, a massive spike of pain bloomed in his head. Clutching his head, he fell down on his ass and tried not to scream. A screen appeared in his vision, even if he could barely see it through the tears in his eyes.
Your body is too exhausted to use magic at this time. Eat or rest to regenerate your Health, Stamina and Mana.
What the fuck is going on. He waited for the pain to fade, and opened his status again, focusing on health.
Health: 17/110 ????Open Wounds ¨C Any quick movement will cause more loss of blood, and a higher chance of death. To heal, bandage the wounds or eat a hearty meal.
Due to your Health being below 20%, you are unable to cast spells.
That would have been fucking helpful to know before. Giggles didn¡¯t explain shit. Jake gritted his teeth, slowly crawling to the campfire. He grabbed the skewer with the cooked deer meat, and started eating half of what he¡¯d cooked.
You have consumed [Cooked Venison]. Increases Health and Stamina regeneration by 100%. Will regenerate an additional 10 hp over the course of the meal.
After finishing his meal, he carefully crawled back over to the fox. Grabbing his knife, he cut into the other half of the cooked meat and placed the cut strips in front of the beast. It opened its eyes sluggishly, its tongue reaching out to grab the strips. Jake continued until the rest of the meat was gone. ¡°Sorry little buddy, but that¡¯s it for now. Try to get some sleep.¡± The fox looked at him with sapphire blue eyes, and then laid its head back down. Jake watched over it until its breathing calmed, and then he crawled back to his campfire, ignoring all of the notifications that had shown up. He was too tired to deal with that shit right now. Jake groaned, the chirping of birds in the early morning waking him from his stupor. His left eye opened slightly, and was quickly closed again. The sun had not risen high enough to penetrate the dense forest, but he could see the clouds above him lighting up from the morning rays. He laid there for a couple more minutes, trying to fall back asleep. The birds had other ideas, and continued their morning routine of praising the sun. This continued for around half an hour, with Jake ignoring the need to get up, while the birds chirped away, before Jake violently sighed. Fucking birds. If I see any around this fucking glade I¡¯m going to be eating eggs for breakfast. Hope they like watching their undeveloped children being eaten. Before he could make good on his threat, he woke up a little bit more and noticed something warm and soft pressed up against his side. Freezing, he slowly opened his eyes, and looked down. A silver ball of fur was snuggled up to his right side, rising and falling slightly. Jake slowly tried to scoot away from the ball of fluff, and got about an inch away before it stirred. He froze again, and watched the ball slowly uncurl. Dull sapphire eyes looked around blearily, before latching onto him and blinking quickly. Intelligence slowly replaces exhaustion, and the fox gets to its feet with a long yawn and a stretch, arching its back with butt in the air. Jake noticed that instead of a single tail, the fox had two, standing strait until after the beast¡¯s stretch, and started swishing back and forth slowly. The fox yipped at Jake, and sat down, staring at him. ¡°Ok, this is weird. Thought you would have already been gone by now.¡± Jake can¡¯t wake up as fast as the fox, and is slowly coming awake. He fumbles around in his inventory, grabbing his [Bum¡¯s Best Friend] and taking out a cigarette. The fox quirks his head like a dog, and quietly yips again. Jake stops with the smoke half way to his mouth. ¡°What, hungry? You can¡¯t eat these. Go eat the deer.¡± He gestures back to the butchered deer and the still slightly smouldering pile of ashes that was the wolf. The fox stares at him for a few seconds, then stands up and slowly walks to the deer. It has a slight limp in its left hind leg, but other than that it seems perfectly fine.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Seeing this, Jake slowly rotates his right arm, testing if he had healed as well. His arm was very sore, but no shooting pain was felt. Smiling to himself, he popped the cigarette into his mouth and lit up. Laying back down, he stared at the clouds while lazily taking drags. Well, that was an interesting first day. Kind of surprised that I didn¡¯t kick the bucket there. After he finished with his smoke, he flicked the butt away, grabbed his [Leather Water Skin], described by ¡®leather bag that holds water¡¯, and took a long drink. Theseitem descriptions could use some work, and why is it that only my skills and things like that are filled withGiggles'' sarcasm?As he was about to put it back into his inventory, he heard another yip, and looked over to the fox. It was sitting behind him, staring at his water skin. ¡°Alright, here.¡± He sits up and pours some water into his hand, offering it to the fox. The fox slowly approached, sniffed the water, and began lapping it up. After a few more refills, the fox stopped drinking and laid down, staring at Jake. Kind of weird, but fuck it. Jake began going through his notices for the fight with the large wolf.
Congratulations! You have discovered a new Magical Proficiency! Dark and Fire have combined into Fel! Magic Proficiency for Fel has been set at 25% ((Fire Prof.+ Dark Prof.)/4). This world is dangerous, and now you have access to powers beyond the mortal realm. Feel the might of the demonic legion flow through you.
New Spell Created: Demonic Grasp
It¡¯s basically [Grasping Shadows] but with fire. And since it unlocked the Fel Proficiency, I added demons to it. Yay imagination!
Mana Use: 5 m/s per tendril
You have slain the Rare creature Rael, the Alpha Savage Wolf (Lvl 15)
Congratulations! You have reached Lvl 3. Int +1, Wis +1. 1 Attribute points ready for distribution
Congratulations! You have reached Lvl 4. Int +1, Wis +1.2 Attribute points ready for distribution
Congratulations! You have reached Lvl 5. Int +1, Wis +1.3 Attribute points ready for distribution
Congratulations! You have tamed a [Twin-Tailed Frost-Bound Fox]! As this is an intelligent beast, it will be harder to train. However, if it is well trained and cared for, this beast will die for its owner. You have unlocked the Skill [Beast Charmer]. The Skill [Beast Charmer] has risen to Beginner 9.
Beast Charmer
Look at you, saving the life of a defenseless animal at the risk of your own. At least, that¡¯s what the beast thinks. As you increase [Beast Charmer], you can train your beasts easier, and new beasts are available for training.
New Quest Alert
Pride of the Pack
The Alpha Wolf Rael has been killed by your hand. Finding a [Collar of Rage] on the corpse, you suspect that something or someone has turned this once intelligent being into a mindless killing machine. The reasons for this tragedy are unknown. You do not know if youare the intended target of this, or if youare caught in the crossfire of something larger. Will you investigate?
Yes No
Difficulty: 3/5 Reward: Increased reputation with all Earth aligned races / Reduced reputation with unkown entity(s) / Unkown Reward
Ah, my first quest. Jake scratched his chin, thinking. Well, the right thing to do would be to accept this quest, and go on an adventure to stop some evil wizard from, more than likely, perfecting his mind-controlling device. But, I¡¯m not a good guy, so¡­ He declined the quest with a wave of his hand, and looked at his [Twin-Tailed Frost-Bound Fox]. ¡°You, my fluffy little companion, need a name. I can¡¯t really call you my [Twin-Tailed Frost-Bound Fox]. That is way too much of a mouthful. You¡¯re not really a Soap-Bubble Fox-Dragon thing, but how about Mizutsune? It¡¯s a name from an incredibly powerful fox back in my world.¡± Well, from a game in my world, but it will work.
Your [Twin-Tailed Frost-Bound Fox] has been named [Mizutsune]. [Mizutsune] has been added to the [Pet Window].
Jake quirked an eyebrow. Ok, what¡¯s this? Pet Window.
Pets
Mizutsune Male [Twin-Tailed Frost-Bound Fox] Lvl 10 Health: 80 Stamina: 100 Mana: 250 Abilities: Frost-Bound Mind Sync Rebirth
Frost-Bound Ability to completely control the sub-type Ice. A beast with any Bound element is far more adept at controlling their chosen element than any other being, but they sacrifice a portion of their lifespan to adapt to the magical energies.
Mind Sync Ability to merge minds with weak Willed beings than the user, controlling them like a puppet. Can be used to speak with beings of higher Willpower if given access.
Rebirth A [Twin-Tailed Fox] has the ability to be brought back to life by sacrificing one of its tails. This will change the beast to [Single-Tailed Fox], a far weaker beast. As the [Twin Tailed Fox] increases in strength, it will grow more tails, increasing its power and lifespan. Tails are gained at every tenth level (10, 20, 30, 40 etc).
¡°Well, aren¡¯t you the cutest little ball of death.¡± Jake stood up and, waving at his new pet to come along, walked out of the clearing, Mizutsune following right behind him. As he walked, he threw his three attribute points into Vitality and Endurance, and looked at his full status screen.
Status
Race: Human Name: Jake Roshaven Level: 5 ??42% Titles: None Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Health: 130 Stamina: 110 Mana: 310
Attributes
Vitality: 13 Strength: 10 Endurance: 11 Agility: 10 Dexterity: 10?? Intelligence: 24 Wisdom: 24
Achievements
First of the Humans Sailor''s Mouth Disciple of Change
Closing the window, Jake looks around. The trees seem to be thinning out, allowing more sunlight to break through the canopy above. Half an hour later, he is finally able to escape the forest, quite suddenly. Raising a hand to block the sunlight from his eyes, he looks out to see the landscape of Laeris for the first time, besides the forest that he was dropped into. He was standing on top of a large hill, looking at rolling plains that stretched far into the distance, outlined by a massive mountain range that extended behind him and to the west, based off of the direction that the sun was rising in. He could barely make out what looked like buildings next to a river that trickled down the mountain side, but it was too far away to get any specifics. Large beasts lumbered through the plains. They looked like cows, but twice the height of one, and they had wings. Big. Winged.Cows. What thefuck is this¡­ A screech resounded through the air, and an even larger winged creature flew down from the sky and slammed into one of the cow-things. It was big, had scales, wings and a tail. The cow-things scattered, slowly flying into the air.After quickly tearing the cow-things head off with its jaws, it launched back into the air, dragging the headless corpse with it. As it flew away, it released a terrible roar, blasting fire into the air. Jake stared, awestruck, as the beast flew away. After it disappeared, Jake continued to stare where it had gone over the mountains. His mind finally clicks, and says something that will stay with him forever. ¡°Holy shit, that was a fucking dragon.¡± Blood and Thunder pt 1 Light smoke drifted up from a figure walking through the plains of Erbadon, with a small beast trotting at the figures side. It appeared to be a wanderer or a vagabond, based off of the rags that it was wearing. Lok¡¯Ruc couldn¡¯t tell the make of the clothing, but he was intrigued by the item the vagabond kept bringing up to his mouth. The vagabond would inhale from it, and then exhale smoke into the air. Lok¡¯Ruc was the smartest in his band, but even he could not figure out why the vagabond was willingly inhaling smoke. Lok¡¯Ruc grunted, coming to the conclusion that it was a method to make the lungs stronger in a person. Lok¡¯Ruc, like most of his kind, respected strength. He was the mightiest of his band, the only of the Lok¡¯Sharush people to gain the might of the Earth. He smirked, feeling the subtle shifts in the ground beneath him. The very plains were under his command, and he would take what he wanted. He would test this vagabond, and if he was found wanting, Lok¡¯Ruc would have those smoke-sticks for himself. Jake flicked the butt of his smoke into the grass, and looked around. He had been wandering these plains for the better part of the day, trying to figure out what he wanted to do. He didn¡¯t want to go into the town, since he had no money or nothing to trade with besides the pelt of the deer he had killed last night. Even with that, he probably wouldn¡¯t get enough money to buy anything more than a beer, if they even had beer in this world. His stomach rumbled, and he looked down at Mizutsune. His fox had occasionally run off into the brush, coming back with small rodents that it quickly ate. Mizutsune was currently holding a mouse in its mouth, and as he saw Jake staring at him, he ate the mouse quickly and quirked his head at his master. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. You¡¯ve been eating constantly for the past four hours. If I thought that those cow-birds weren¡¯t being watched, then¡­ wait, what¡¯s that?¡± The earth under his feet began trembling lightly, as if a large beast was walking around. Jake quickly scanned his surroundings, but couldn¡¯t see anything and didn¡¯t sense anything with his [Scent of Death]. Suddenly, a giant stone hand appeared from underneath him, grabbing him from the shoulders to his feet, crushing his arms to his sides and thrusting him into the air. ¡°FUUUCK!!!¡± Jake struggled, but couldn¡¯t move. He latched onto the darkness, and attempted to halt the fist that was holding him. Tendrils of shadow wrapped around the arm, and began constricting, trying to shatter the stone arm. The stone wouldn¡¯t break, so Jake focused on the air next to his body within the closed fist. He screamed as pressure built up, crushing his body even more. In a burst of stone and rushing air, the fist exploded violently from the pressure, sending shards of stone far into the distance. Jake crashed into the ground, getting the air knocked out of his lungs. Gasping for breath, he slowly got to his feet and looked for Mizutsune. The fox was darting back and forth, dodging stone spears that were appearing underneath its feet. When one was bursting from the ground where Mizutsune was about to land, his body glowed for a second and an ice pillar appeared beneath his feet, raising him above the ground and the death trap of spears. ¡°Haha! Good!¡± Deep, bellowing laughter echoed within the plains, Jake looked around, and saw what could only be described as an Orc. Light green skin, large rippling muscles, and writhing lines of black ink depicting runes wrapped around his body. A wolf¡¯s pelt was draped over his right shoulder, and the noon sun glinted off of a necklace of metal, bone and teeth wrapped around the Orcs neck. A savage grin was splitting his mouth, sharp teeth enclosed by a pair of long tusks. He had long white hair, and a beard styled into two plaids running down each side of his chin, underneath his cheeks. He was holding onto a large Warhammer, resting on his shoulder. Holy shit, it¡¯s an old Thrall. I am so fucked. Thinking this, Jake began forcing mana into his surroundings, making the shadows far longer than they normally would. Tendrils exploded from the rising darkness, rushing towards the Orc. The Orc¡¯s eyes widened for a second, before a wall of stone thrust into the air before him. The shadows slammed into the wall, and were unable to break through. Retracting them, Jake moved farther back, and looked up at Mizutsune. ¡°Mizu, keep it distracted!¡± Jake called to his pet. Mizutsune began glowing white, and with a howl that sounded like a woman screaming, unleashed a torrent of ice and biting winds from his mouth. The strength of the attack shattered the rock wall, clouds of dust and shards of ice rising into the sky. Mizutsune stopped his scream, and waited on top of his ice pillar for the dust and debris to clear. Jake quickly grabbed a cigarette, and lit up to help him regain some of his mana. He retracted the shadows, and formed them around his left arm. Inky black tendrils squirmed around his arm, forming into what appeared to be a gauntlet made out of obsidian. Four long tendrils extended from where his hand would be. He extended his un-armored hand towards the dust cloud, blasting it away with a gust pressurized air. The Orc had disappeared from behind the wall, and was nowhere in sight. Jake took another drag from the cigarette stuck in his lips, exhaling the smoke through the corner of his mouth. Where is this fucker? The earth began to tremble again, and Jake slammed his armored hand into the ground, forcing the tendrils to expand. He was pushed violently into the air, seconds before another stone hand reached out to grab him.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Fuck this. Jake manipulated the shadows, creating eight long tendrils from his back that snaked to the ground. He hardened the shadows, keeping him aloft like a long-legged spider. He began sending tendrils down onto the arm, cracking against it like whips. Mizutsune began sending shard after shard of frost and ice at the arm, attempting to kill it before it injured its master. The stone began to crack and break away from the blows, but they appeared to regenerate rather quickly. Making a fist, the arm slammed into the ground, and large spears of earth shot out towards Jake. Maneuvering the shadows, he dodged in between the spikes, barely able to keep himself aloft. Noticing that its attacks were being dodged, the giant arm swept through the air like it was swatting a fly. A wave of dirt and stone roared into being, crashing into the spider legs with the force of a tsunami. His shadows exploded, sending Jake falling back towards the hard earth. A second stone arm appeared beneath him, reaching out to crush him in its death grip. Mizutsune screamed, and a growth of slick ice appeared between Jake and the arm, angled downwards and away from the two arms. Jake slammed into the ice, and was hurtled down to clear ground. Mizutsune soon followed down the slide, and landed next to Jake with a quiet grunt. The stone arms slammed into the ground again, and bending at ninety degrees, began pushing against the earth. The ground rumbled even more, and a giant stone construct slowly pushed itself from the stone. It looked like a clay doll, completely made out of solid stone. The stone-doll moved its eyeless face towards Jake, and began slowly rumbling towards him. Shit. Jake encased both his arms in the shadow armor, and thrust both hands towards the approaching golem. Tendrils wrapped around the construct, and attempted to hold it back. The giant slowed, but continued walking towards him. Gritting his teeth, Jake created more tendrils from his shadow, knowing that his mana was falling too quickly for him to regenerate even with the help of his smokes. He needed to kill this thing, fast. He spat the cigarette to the ground, screaming ¡°Mizutsune!¡± That beautiful specimen of a fox didn¡¯t disappoint. Glowing like a white dwarf, he howled again. A beam of concentrated ice shot forward and slammed into thechest of the golem, encasing the entire creature in ice within seconds. Jake contracted the shadows surround the ice sculpture, and it shattered into thousands of tiny splinters. Panting, he grabbed another smoke with shaking hands. Using that much mana in a short amount of time left him light headed and unable to focus. The sounds of light whimpering coming from his pet told him that Mizutsune was not doing any better. Deep laughter followed by slow clapping startled them both from their stupor. A fissure appeared in the earth in front of Jake, and the Orc rose out of it. It was smiling in a friendly sort of way. As friendly as a mouth filled with sharp teeth and tusks could be, at least. ¡°Well done, youngling. Well done, indeed. It has been a long time since I have found a Shadowmancer with such potential.¡± The Orc stopped clapping and stared at Jake for a few seconds. Grunting to himself, he continued. ¡°I am Lok¡¯Ruc, called Earth-Breaker by my people. I honor you with knowing my name, and wish that I would receive the same honor from you.¡± The Orc raised his head to the sky, looking down on Jake. Jake glared at the Orc, still slightly panting. He stood strait, coming even with the Orc in height. He tilted his head the same way as the Orc, and remained silent. Minutes passed, neither of them backing down. Finally, the Orc grunted and, smiling, lowered his head to look level at Jake. ¡°It seems this pup has some balls to it. If I was my younger self, I would have struck you down and slept with your woman.¡± This he said with a shit-eating grin. ¡°But, along with my white hair, age has granted me wisdom. You are young, and powerful. But I sense something about you. There is a¡­ certain flavor, you could say. Like, you are some great change coming to this land. I would like to know more.¡± Jake quirked an eyebrow at the Orc named Lok¡¯Ruc. Grabbing a smoke from his pack, he placed it into his mouth and lit up. The small purple flame made Lok¡¯Rucs eyes wide. ¡°A twin-magi? I have only heard of your kind. I believed that the only ones who were able to control two elements would be rulers in this land.¡± Jake stopped smoking, and stared at Lok¡¯Ruc. Mizutsune slowly walked up behind Jake and laid down, staring at the Orc with his sapphire blue eyes. Rulers? So it seems that Giggles was telling the truth. Not many people have the ability to control more than one. This is good information. He saw Lok¡¯Ruc staring at his cigarette with a confused and somewhat wanting expression. Shrugging, Jake grabbed another one and offered it to the Orc. Lok¡¯Ruc carefully took the cigarette with his large meaty hands, and mimicked Jake as he put it in his mouth. Jake lit the end of it, and watched as Lok¡¯Ruc inhaled the smoke. The Orcs eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he slowly exhaled a small cloud. The Orc took another much slower drag, and let it out with a low grumble. He had a blissful look on his face as he gently puffed on his bummed cigarette. After a few minutes of companionable silence while they smoked, Jake flicked the butt into the grass, with Lok¡¯Ruc mimicking him. The Orc sighed, feeling the most content that he had ever been without being with a woman. ¡°Brother, what are you doing here? There is nothing around here besides the plains my village, and my people are not welcoming to outsiders. They are too young, too much Fire in their blood.¡± Brother? Shit, shouldn¡¯t have given him a smoke. I didn¡¯t know that he would have this big of a reaction to nicotine. Jake looked out into the distance, thinking of what he could say. Shrugging, he said the only thing that would come to mind. ¡°I¡¯ve been sent here to take over the world by the All-Mother, Giggles.¡± Blood and Thunder pt 2 Jake slammed both of his hands together, a torrent of flame leaping outwards to hit a stone golem. The golem began to crack and break apart from the incredible heat. As the golem continued to rumble forward through the flames, black tendrils appeared beneath the construct, wrapping around its legs and tripping it. Keeping the construct pinned to the ground, Jake wrapped his fist in flames and slammed it into the dirt. Molten rock appeared beneath the golem, and a pillar of flame erupted from the ground, completely engulfing the golem. Jake continued pumping mana into the spell, feeding the hungry purple flames more and more, until all that was left of the construct was molten slag. Sighing, Jake grabbed a cigarette and lit up, puffing while staring at what was left of his foe.
New Spell Created: Firestorm
You can shoot fire from the ground. Not from your hands, but from the ground. Feel proud of yourself.
Mana Use: 15 m/s (per pillar of flame)
Jake smiled to himself, feeling himself getting stronger. ¡°Brother, strength is not about raw power.¡± Lok¡¯Ruc was sitting next to a campfire, watching Jake face off against his earthen constructs. Mizutsune was asleep next to the flames, being gently stroked by the Orc. ¡°You must understand the power that you wield. Only then, can you master the art of Binding.¡± Saying so, Lok¡¯Ruc waved, and another stone golem rumbled into creation, and began walking towards Jake. Gritting his teeth, Jake took another pull on the cigarette and spat it to the ground. ¡°It¡¯s not that fucking easy.¡± Jake began sending blade after blade of compressed air at the golem, breaking it apart and cutting it to small chunks. Lok¡¯Ruc grunted, and gestured Jake to join him at the fire. Jake sat down, and grabbed some of the meat that was cooking. He passed the Orc a smoke and began to eat.
You have consumed [Cooked Holy Cow Meat]. Increased Health and Stamina Regeneration by 250%. Also regenerates an additional 50 Health.
As Jake ate, and Lok¡¯Ruc was lost in the feeling of tobacco heaven, Jake thought back to what happened three days ago. _____________________________________________________________________________________ After Jake told the Orc that he was sent to take over the world, Lok¡¯Ruc started laughing. ¡°The Earth told me this would happen.¡± Lok¡¯Ruc smiled, his eyes distant as he stared into the flames. ¡°A being with the potential to grow to amazing heights will bring himself before me.¡± Jake stared at the Orc. Are you fucking serious? What the hell is up with this clich¨¦ bullshit? ¡®Oh great hero, we need you to save the realm.¡¯ Fuck you. Jake didn¡¯t say anything that was on his mind, though. Based off of his notifications that he got during the fight, this Orc was far stronger than him.
New Spell Created: Air Burst
Violently expel the air around your person. Be careful, if you use this in an enclosed space (you know, like inside of a giant hand), this has the chance of killing you from over pressurization. Have fun!
Mana Use: 15 m/s of charge
New Spell Created: Armament of Darkness
Congratulations! You have learned how to wrap yourself in elemental energy, making yourself far stronger than normal. You used this to¡­ walk around like a giant spider. Good job?
Mana Use: 25 Sacrificed Mana until cancelled (you cannot regenerate sacrificed mana)
You have defeated Gomorrah, the Earth Elemental Lvl 40 (Summoned by Lok¡¯Ruc the Earth Breaker Lvl 100)
Congratulations! You have reached level 15! +10 Int, +10 Wis. 10 attribute points ready for distribution.
Congratulations! Your pet, Mizutsune the [Twin-Tailed Frost-Bound Fox], has increased to level 16! Your pet has grown in power and intelligence!
Jake evenly distributes his ten points to Vit and End, and looks back at the Orc. ¡°¡­ Why did you only send your elemental after me when we fought? You could have easily killed me with a wave of your hand.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The Orc broke out of his reverie, and looked at Jake. ¡°My band, the Lok¡¯Sharush, believe in strength. Not just strength of arm or of mind, but of internal strength. Strength to fight on even as the odds were against you, to fight a superior foe without breaking.¡± He looked out into the distance again. ¡°There is a change coming. Can you not feel it? Hear the grinding of the Earth? I can hear it, and it is telling me that you are special. I wanted to see if the Earth was right, which is rather foolhardy. The Earth never lies, and it is always correct. The Earth has tasked me with training you, and that I shall.¡± Lok¡¯Ruc waved his hand, and a smaller earth elemental burst from the ground. ¡°I hear, and I obey.¡± The small golem rumbled towards Jake. Shit. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Jake pulled himself from his thoughts, and scratched his chin, having finished the flying-cow steaks. Holy-Cow, what a stupid name. The sun was setting, and he stared off into the ball of fire. Binding, huh. Hey Giggles, why didn¡¯t you explain this earlier?
Oh, NOW you remember I exist? Hello Puppet, it¡¯s been a while. I really enjoyed watching you get your ass handed to you from that Golem earlier. Hey, quick question, can you die sometime soon? I think it would be so much more fun if I could laugh in your face.
Haha, you¡¯re just a bundle of laughs. So, Binding?
Fine, I guess I¡¯m just in this story for exposition anyways. Like I told you earlier, and you were too stupid to listen to me the first time, Binding is BINDING a thought form to an element, and bringing it to the physical realm. Think of it like your spells, but much stronger. Anyways, I¡¯m not going to be giving you any more hints. Figure it out for yourself. Toodles!
Gee, thanks Giggles. That¡¯s really fucking helpful. All I got to do is think of it like my spel¡­ wait a minute. I have an idea. This is probably stupid as fuck, but it might work. Jake stood up, and walked away from the campfire. The sun had just finished setting, and it was beginning to get dark. Lok¡¯Ruc stared at the human walking away, but said nothing. He turned back to the flames, and sat in silence. I can see what the Earth was talking about. These past few days, I have seen this man¡¯s potential. If he continues to grow, I believe that he can do what the Earth needs him to do. Lok¡¯Ruc went back to petting Mizutsune, staring into the flames. Jake walked into the plains, moving until the campfire was just a spec in the rising darkness. He sat down on top of his legs, grabbed a smoke and lit up. Closing his eyes, he began to focus, creating something from nothing. He tried to think of something to bind his magic to, something that he would be able to call his own. Remembering a certain game, and feeling inspired, he began to create. Lok¡¯Ruc looked back at Jake, feeling vibrations through the Earth. Tendrils of liquid flame traveled around the kneeling figure. Lok¡¯Ruc grunted, smiling slightly. Yes, very good potential. Jake poured as much mana as possible into the atmosphere, flames broiling and rolling to and fro. Sweat rolled down his back, but Jake continued to focus, slowly puffing on his smoke. A ripping sound broke the night, and a tear in the air appeared before Jake, ringed by swirling purple flames. Long, black spider legs stepped from the portal, small tendrils of molten fire wrapping around the black chitin. A large, bulbous head with large red eyes. A gigantic mouth, large serrated teeth spaced sporadically within the maw. A bloated body, long hairs floated within the winds, heat waves rolling off of the body like a miniature oven. A slender, feminine body extended from between the head and the body from the waist up. Porcelain skin, soft as satin, traced a full figure. Long, black hair covered the breasts. Full red lips, a pert nose and pitch black eyes were the only features on the angular face. With a dainty hand, she tucked a small strand of hair behind a small ear, and with the other a large burning scimitar was held gently. The spider-lady looked around, confused. She saw a man sitting on his knees, sweating with a stupid grin on his face. She bared her teeth, and rested her sword underneath his chin. ¡°Where am I?¡± A melodious voice came from her mouth. ¡°This is not the entrance to Izalith Where is my sister?¡± She stared at the human, who looked completely lost for words. Shit, forgot about her lore. Ummmm, shit shit shit. I¡¯m probably going to die. ¡°My lady, forgive me.¡± Jake would have bowed his head, but the burning sword underneath his chin made that not a good idea. It was starting to hurt, too. ¡°I have summoned you to a new world to help heal you and your sister. I summoned you first to help create this world something better for your sister to live in. Please, all I ask for is to use a small portion of your powers. I will heal you and your sister, bringing back her eyesight and her strength. Please, forgive this pitiful human.¡± Shocked, the spider-lady slowly lowered her scimitar. ¡°My¡­You think that you can heal my sister?¡± Jake got to his feet, and rubbing his throat, he slowly nodded. She silently shifted from foot to foot, thinking over what he said. ¡°All I want is for my sister to be protected. If you could heal her, I would be eternally grateful.¡± She bows her head to the human, vowing her life to him in exchange for her sister. Jake grinned. ¡°Welcome to Laeris, Quelaag.¡± Blood and Thunder pt 3
New Spell Created: The Witch of Izalith
You Bound a creature from your world¡¯s video games to an elemental affinity. I mean, wow. I¡¯m actually pretty impressed. Good job.
Mana Use: 3000 Mana over 1 minute (includes Mana Regeneration). Sacrifice 100 Mana to sustain Binding (Sacrificed Mana will not be regenerated).
Congratulations! You have created a fully-fleshed out Binding! As one of the first to create a Binding with full knowledge of its abilities, skills, weaknesses, life experiences, family, and all of the other aspects of what makes a creature intelligent, you will be rewarded! Your Bound creature has transcended from being a Bound Elemental and became a permanent companion! Time and Space are convoluted, and you have broken through these barriers to bring something from another world to this one! You have been granted the title [Void Walker] to commemorate this amazing achievement!
Void Walker - You have gazed into the Void, and returned unscathed. Even more, you have brought something back from that inescapable darkness. All creatures Bound have a higher chance of Transcending! All elemental proficiencies increased by 10%! All things come from the Void, and to the Void we shall return after our cycles have completed. As a [Void Walker], you have gained insight into the world around you, and the skies beyond. Go forth, and know that the Void is watching you.
Holy fucking Christ¡­ Jake froze as he read through his notifications. Wait, how much mana did that take? Jake checked his status, focusing on his mana.
Mana: 510 Mana Regeneration: 22.5 m/s
Thinking things through, over a minute he would have 1860 total Mana, with 1350 Mana regenerated. How the fuck¡­ Wait, my smokes! They double the regeneration! Doing the math again, he comes up with 3210 total Mana. Jesus, I almost didn¡¯t have enough. But isn¡¯t this regeneration a little insane? Most of my abilities only cost a paltry amount of mana. Is it because I haven¡¯t been using my abilities to their full potential? Or is it because I¡¯m such a low level with stupid stats? Another screen appears before him, this time from Lilith.
Hey, ummm. I¡¯m not too sure if you should have this title. It kinda breaks you, making you too OP. I did not expect you to pull something from your world, or know enough about it to make it Transcend. So, yeah. I might have to remove those additional proficiency abilities. Depends on what the commenters think. I will probably keep the gains in your three elements though. I mean, the only reason why you were able to summon her in the first place was due to your Fire proficiency. I¡¯ll get back to you on that!
Fucking Giggles. ¡°Human¡­¡± The melodious voice of the spider-woman Quelaag broke him from his thoughts. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Shaking his head, he looked back up at the beautiful woman. ¡°Yeah, sorry. This world is a little different than what I¡¯m used to. Have you had a chance to get used to it yet?¡± She nods. ¡°Yes, when I was brought here I gained quite a bit of insight into this world. I can still remember my old one, but it is strange. Almost as if that world was a dream, and this one is reality.¡¯ She daintily tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°When will you summon my sister?¡± ¡°I want to wait for that.¡± Jake stood up and dusted himself off. ¡°I do not have the required knowledge yet to heal you or your sister.¡± Her lower spider body growled at Jake, molten magma dripping from between its fangs. Quelaag gently patted in between its eyes, calming the beast. She looked back up at Jake with a frown on her face, her black eyes glinting dangerously. ¡°My sister is all alone now, except for that servant of hers and the Knight of Thorns. I cannot protect her from here, and even now there is a chance that something means her harm. I do not think that you are holding up your end of the bargain.¡± Her spider growled again, forcing Jake to take an involuntary step back. ¡°My lady,¡± Jake tried to think of some way to placate the angry woman and spider. ¡°Your sister is not alone.¡± Shit, how to describe this¡­ ¡°Your world¡¯s time is convoluted. Have you seen yourself in a mirror, or your reflection in a pool of water?¡± He waits for her to nod. ¡°Now imagine that your reflection is another copy of you. The same experiences, the same knowledge, and the same thoughts. Now imagine hundreds of mirrors, each with a reflection and their own world. Your sister is in each of these worlds as well, being protected by you.¡± The steely glint in her eyes began to fade, and she gained a faraway look. Jake continued his speech, seeing the effect on her. ¡°You are still there, still doing your duty as an older sister. But I intend to change that. When I have the required strength and power, I will bring the Pale Lady here and break her from her curse. I do not want to do it yet, since I am not too sure if she would be able to survive on this world without the shards of the Dark Soul to sustain her. I beg for your forgiveness for my selfishness, but I think it would be best to wait.¡± Jake bowed his head towards Quelaag. God damn, that was long winded. Hopefully she doesn¡¯t just kill me outright. I don¡¯t think I could face Giggles after being killed by my Bound creation. ¡°Very well,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I think that I understand. I am still performing my duties, and I will have a chance to be with my sister again. I will hold you to that, human. If you do not do the things that you have promised, I will personally tear your soul from your body and devour it.¡± Her lower body growled again, but not the spider part. An awkward silence fell between them, before Jake spoke up quietly. ¡°Are¡­ Are you hungry?¡± ________________________________________________________________________________________________ The motley crew sits around a campfire. A human digs his teeth into a steak, playing around with shadow tendrils just for the fun of it. A small silver fox sleeps soundly, each exhale sending a small cloud of cold air into the night sky. An Orc is staring with his mouth open, meat forgotten for the moment, at the creature sitting awkwardly next to the human. The large spider body with a beautiful woman attached to it at the waist is tearing at a Holy Cow that was killed earlier in the day, while the human portion was daintily eating some seared meat from a skewer. Lok¡¯Ruc¡¯s mouth closed with an audible snap, and he stared at Jake. ¡°What¡­ is that?¡± Jake swallowed the steak in his mouth, ¡°That is my Bound¡­ Companion, I think?¡± He goes back to eating, taking another bite before speaking with his mouth full. ¡°Apparently, because I went overboard with creating her, she has become a permanent intelligent creature in this world.¡± He shrugs, and goes back to eating. Lok¡¯Ruc continued to stare for a few moments, before sadly shaking his head with a sigh. I know that he had potential, father Earth, but to create something from pure imagination and give it a life? I am not too sure if you are ready for this type of change. Quelaag shot the Orc a small glare. ¡°I should be asking you that, green one. I was cursed from my foolhardy of a mother playing with powers she did not understand.¡± She glanced at Jake, ¡°like someone else here,¡± she said quietly under her breath, before going back to speaking with the Orc. ¡°I do not know what form of magic has deformed you, but I pray that it has not addled your mind to the point that you would cause insult.¡± She went back to taking small bites of her skewer, ignoring the cracking of bones coming from her spider body devouring the cow. Lok¡¯Ruc glares at the arachnid. The spider stops eating, and glares back. A low growl emanates deep from within its throat, small droplets of magma falling from between its teeth, lighting the grass underneath into flames. With a wave of her hand, Quelaag absorbs the flames into a small ball, and absorbs it into her body. The spider goes back to eating the cow, the heat from its mouth cooking the raw meat while it is eating. ¡°Human,¡± Quelaag speaks to Jake, who is lying back, enjoying a smoke after a good meal. ¡°Can I kill the green one? It is angering my other half.¡± ¡°The name is Jake, not human.¡± Jake takes another drag, expelling the smoke into the air. ¡°And no, he is my trainer for now.¡± ¡°Woman,¡± Lok¡¯Ruc growls dangerously, ¡°I am the strongest of the Lok¡¯Sharush. I will not be brow-beaten into submission by some succubus and her deformed pet.¡± Lok¡¯Ruc stands, and walks into the distance. ¡°The Earth has only tasked me with training you until you are able to Bind an element. I will return to my band.¡± He hefts his Warhammer onto his shoulder, stroking his beard. How will I explain this to my people? A tri-elemental with the ability to create sentient Bindings¡­ Lok¡¯Ruc grunts. I will tell them to be wary. If the younglings wish to test his strength, I will do my utmost to thwart them. It would not do to have my band annihilated by Fire and Dark. To think that a youngling such as him could accomplish this in three days¡­The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Quelaag stares at the retreating figure until it is swallowed by the night. ¡°Huma¡­ Jake, I do not like that green one. I believe that he is planning on betraying us.¡± Jake looks at the woman. ¡°What makes you think that?¡± ¡°I can sense it.¡± She continues staring off into the darkness. Shrugging her shoulders daintily, she glances at the human lounging in the grass. ¡°Now what shall we do?¡± Jake takes another drag, thinking. ¡°Well, we can go into a village to see if there is anything to do. I also need to increase my level, to get stronger. To do that, I have to kill things.¡± He goes silent, thinking of what was to come. Quelaag gently patted the spiders head, a low grumble emerging from its throat. Full, the spider curled its legs underneath it, and begins to fall asleep. She remained silent for a few moments, thinking. She looked over to Jake. ¡°Can we not do both of those things at the same time?¡± Jake takes a moment to process this, and then an evil smile begins to grow on his face. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Jake sighs, scratching the stubble that had begun to grow on his face over the past few days. Well, if this is not a set up for an ambush, I do not know what is. A fallen tree blocks the road that the trio were travelling on. Mizutsune and the unnamed spider, surprisingly, were becoming fast friends. The fox would dart around, throwing small icicles at the spider, who shot them out of the air with small globules of molten fire. They seemed to be having fun. Jake could occasionally see Quelaag making quick glances down at the small fox, her eyes holding a soft light. I bet she wants to cuddle. Bringing himself back to what was in front of him, he walked slowly up to the downed tree. He looked at where the tree had broken, and saw clean cuts into the wood with small wood shavings scattered around the base of the stump. Oh yeah, definitely an ambush. He cranked his neck side to side, feeling the satisfying pop of cartilage in his spine. Might as well have some fun with this. Putting on a stage voice, he spoke loudly to his companions. ¡°Oh no! There seems to be a fallen tree blocking our path! What shall we do? I really hope that nothing bad happens to us!¡± ¡°Ye don¡¯ hav ta be such an ass abou¡¯ it.¡± A gruff voice speaks out from the underbrush, and a Dwarf walks out, holding a massive crossbow. He was, to a point, short. A bald spot on the top of his head was ringed by fiery red hair, a large bulbous nose covered half his face. The other half was covered by a long red beard, braided with rings to accentuate the color, leaving only a small place for his small beady eyes to look out beneath his hair. The Dwarf raised his crossbow at Jake, and whistled sharply. Ten other bandits exited the trees. They were a strange group, Jake could make out several different races. A centaur stood proudly, wearing makeshift armor and brandishing a rusted longsword and shield. A cat-girl: long ears on top of her head, a tail swishing from the small of her back and cat-feet, bounced back and forth in excitement, twin daggers dancing between her fingers. What looked like a bipedal lizard was slowly swinging twin axes back and forth, a feral grin splitting his face. The others were of these three races, with the dwarf being the only one of his kind present. ¡°Now, ¡®ow bout ye give us all ye hav¡¯, and we ca¡¯ keep this fro¡¯ gettin ugly?¡± The dwarf grinned, showing tombstone like teeth. ¡°Oh no!¡± Jake continued speaking in his stage-voice.¡± Bandits! Oh, what am I to do!?!¡± He began to dart back and forth, acting as if trying to figure out what he wanted to do. ¡°Oh, wait.¡± He stops, and turns back to the marauders. ¡°I know!¡± Black tendrils exploded from the surrounding darkness, wrapping around the human completely. Black armor slowly appeared on him, no light reflecting off of the plates. Gauntlets with violently shaking tendrils appeared over his hands. His face formed into a gross imitation of a wolf, with burning purple eyes and long teeth. The mask opened its mouth, black liquid stretching between the gaping jaws. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you.¡± He exploded into movement, thrusting his hands out towards the Lizardman. The tendrils wrapped around his arms and legs, and with a violent wrench, he was ripped in two. Blood and gore burst from the body like a ripe melon, and Jake threw the desecrated corpse to the side. A blizzard of ice slammed into the centaur, cutting into the legs and unprotected stomach of the horse body. Its intestines fell from deep gashes in the soft leather. The Centaur stumbled then fell over on its side, trying to pull the ropy inside back to where they belong; on the inside. With a roar, a second Lizardman charges Jake, but was slammed into the ground by a large black body. Gritting its teeth, the Lizardman looked up only to see a massive maw filled with sharp teeth close around its face, burning the body in the process. The Lizardmans screams were quickly cut off, as a scimitar of fire quickly descended and gouged into the twitching body. The Dwarf launched his crossbow at the biggest threat to its eyes, the large fire-wielding woman riding atop the giant spider. Quelaag arced her body backwards, the bolt sailing within inches of her large breasts. Blinking to himself, the Dwarf couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Wha¡¯ the fuck! The lady¡¯s fuckin naked!¡± A globe of molten fire landed on the Dwarf, and he couldn¡¯t point out the obvious anymore, due to all the screaming that was tearing its way through his throat. With a feral grin, Jake grabbed another marauder with his tendrils, and threw it violently into the air. ¡°Pull!¡± A large shard of ice flew from the tiny fox, and impaled the flying bandit, blood exploding out of its back. ¡°Nice shot Mizu!¡± He latches onto the next one, and whipped it around to slam into an archer that was preparing her bow to fire. He began slamming the enwrapped bandit into the archer, not stopping until all he heard was wet squelching, instead of the screaming. Let¡¯s see that was three for me, two for Mizutsune, and two for Quelaag. An explosion of flame followed by the sounds of bits and pieces falling onto the ground split the air. Make that three for Quelaag. There should be three more, I think. Looking around, Jake couldn¡¯t see any more people to kill. ¡°Quelaag, did you see where they went?¡± ¡°I saw two run off into the woods, and another ran past the tree.¡± Quelaag gently patted the giant spider, who was happily chewing on the Lizardman corpse. ¡°I believe it would be foolhardy to chase them, we have already wasted enough time with this distraction. Thankfully, I will not have to feed my other half for a while.¡± Jake scratched his chin, the stubble making it itch. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s continue on. After looting these poor fools of all their worth, of course.¡±
You have defeated Brigand Lvl 5
You have defeated Brigand Lvl 5
You have defeated Brigand Lvl 4
Your companion Quelaag the Witch of Izalith has defeated Brigand Lvl 5
Your companion Quelaag the Witch of Izalith has defeated Brigand Leader Lvl 9
Your companion Quelaag the Witch of Izalith has defeated Brigand Lvl 4
Your pet Mizutsune the [Twin-Tailed Frost-Bound Fox] has defeated Brigand Lvl 6
Your pet Mizutsune the [Twin-Tailed Frost-Bound Fox] has defeated Brigand Lvl 3
You have gained 2 Silver and 193 Copper
Wow, these guys were really weak. Jake takes out one of the silver coins, letting it glint in the sun. So this is the currency, huh. Pretty standard. I would assume 100 Copper per Silver, and then 100 Silver per Gold. They might have a higher currency, but this seems pretty standard. Jake pocketed the coin, and continued walking, cutting a path through the tree blocking his path with blades of air. Well, that fight sure was fun. Going to have to do that again sometime. _______________________________________________________________________________ Panting heavily, Kitana ran full force through the trees as if her life depended on it. And, in a sense, it did. The cat-girl¡¯s mind kept replaying those horrible scenes over and over in her head. The shadow-wrapped man tearing through her brothers and sisters without a care, the naked woman riding a spider burning Daine, the only father figure she had growing up, into a pile of ashes. Even the cute fox brought death and destruction on her young life. The people of this world might be racist, but the group she was with was the closest thing she had to a family. They were the outcasts of society, and they banded together to fight through the good and bad times. And now they were gone. All of them were gone. Blinded by tears, she slammed headfirst into a tree. Yowling and clutching her head, she sat on the forest floor, before curling up on the ground in the fetal position. Gasping and shuddering, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to move any more. The crunching of approaching feet shot a new wave of panic through her. She tried to stand up, to scramble into the trees, to do anything, but her muscles would not respond. So she sat there, hearing her death approach her. A figure slowly materialized through the trees, and stared at the shaking cat-girl. ¡°P-p-p-please, n-n-no more.¡± She stammered through shaking teeth, feeling wetness spread through her pants. ¡°I w-w-won¡¯t t-tel-l an-ny one. Please, le-eave me al-l-l-one.¡± The figure stopped, and stooped down to the terrified feline. ¡°Young child, what makes you cry so? Are you alright?¡± A deep, kindly voice breaks her from her terror. She stares at the figure for a few moments, before coming to a decision. Crying, she latches onto the man and begins to wail. ¡°There there,¡± the man pats her gently on the back. ¡°Everything will be all right.¡± In the darkness of the woods, a small red, pulsing light could be seen in the man¡¯s hand, as he wrapped it gently around the cat-girls neck. ¡°This will give you strength, my child.¡± Her tear-streaked eyes bulged, and a pain-filled scream rebounded through the dark forest, before changing into a roar of anger and hatred. Blood and Thunder pt 4 The gentle gurgling of a nearby stream and the crackling of a campfire provided a calming backdrop to the horrors surrounding the three beings huddled around the flames. Pieces of dead beasts littered the bloodstained earth. It had been two days since the run in with the bandits, and the beasts and marauders were only increasing in number and strength. The previous day, the party had come across a group of [Roving Blood-Etins], large leafless trees with gaping maws in the middle of their trunks dripping fresh blood. They moved by manipulating their roots in the soil and dragging their decayed husks of bodies around through the ground, creating furrows wherever they went. They died quickly, bodies burning at an impressive rate from Quelaag¡¯s fire. When they had camped for the night, a pack of Lizardmen bandits had attacked them in the middle of the night. Killing most of them, the rest decided that this group of travelers was not worth their lives, and fled. Jake acquired more coinage, a healthy sum of 5 Silver and 3 Copper jingling heavily in his inventory, along with a long black cape, which he spent the better part of the night swishing about and talking in a thick accent, pretending to be Dracula. In the morning, after Quelaag woke Jake by burying her [Quelaag¡¯s Furysword] into the ground next to his head, startling him from his rest. He was pissed for most of the day, striking out at anything with his shadow tendrils. With dusk approaching , they ran across a small stream and decided to camp there for the night. After getting a fire started, the group was assaulted by [Talon-Winged Harpies]. A female torso, with long wings instead of arms, talons extending from the joints at the top of the wings provided an¡­ interesting accompaniment to their loud and obnoxious shrieking. The harpies would circle the group, and when the party was looking away, come shrieking in and try to cut them into pieces with the talons extending from their feet and wings. Jake and Mizutsune cut them down in the air, Quelaag providing support due to her attacks not quick enough to hit the nimble monsters. The fight had ended with Mizutsune killing the [Talon-Winged Matriarch Harpy], a larger specimen with three black feathers sticking out of the top of its head. Quelaag looked over at Jake, who was laying down next to the campfire slowly puffing on a cigarette, with only his small clothes on to protect his dignity. His clothing had become bloody and rancid due to all the fighting they had been doing, and he took the time to wash out his clothes in the stream. Mizutsune was snuggled up into the spider, both sleeping soundly. Quelaag regulated how much heat the spider produced, keeping it from frying the small fox. She was happy that her other half and the fox were becoming such fast friends. She wanted to cradle the small beast in her arms, but she was afraid of what might happen to it, being so close to a cursed being such as herself. She went back to looking at the fire, mind far away in her thoughts. ¡°Go ahead, talk to me.¡± Jake rolled up into a sitting position, and looked at the spider woman. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Quelaag tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear. ¡°I was thinking of my sister.¡± She looked at Jake, and when he nodded, she continues. ¡°I have tried my hardest to bring her the sparks of humanity, so that she wouldn¡¯t feel the pain of what she had done.¡± Her spider body shifted slightly, and she gently patted its head to put it back to sleep. ¡°I warned her. She could not protect them all, but she still tried. She took the curses of hundreds upon hundreds of peasants upon herself, and all for what? For her own sense of self-worth?¡± Her hands clenched into fists, trying to stop the slight shaking of her hands. Gritting her teeth, she looked back into the flames, imagining things that weren¡¯t there. ¡°She would have been fine. I would have protected her from anything, like an older sibling should. But I cannot protect her from herself.¡± She goes silent, her black eyes reflecting the dancing flames. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Jake lights up another cigarette, throwing the butt of the burnt out one into the flames. ¡°Your sister made the decision she thought was correct. You cannot lock her up in a tower in an attempt to protect her, that would cause more harm than good. Your sister loves you with all her heart, and does not want you to blame yourself. If you are looking for someone to blame, the only person to blame would be your mother. She is the root of all of these problems that you and your family are facing. If she had not decided to make an attempt to recreate the First Flame, your family would still be whole.¡± Tears began to spill out of Quelaag¡¯s eyes, slowly at first, before picking up speed. As they hit the body of the spider, they evaporated into a small cloud of steam which was quickly blown away by the wind. ¡°I know.¡± She is barely able to speak through her tears. ¡°I know that this is my mother¡¯s fault, but she is my mother! I cannot blame her for everything that has happened to us, because she did not know it would happen.¡± She glared at Jake with glistening eyes. ¡°How do you even know this? This happened a lifetime ago. You would not have been alive then, and even if you were, how are you here in this world?¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Now it was Jake¡¯s turn to stare into the flames, thinking of the easiest ways to explain. Looking back up at the still slightly crying woman, he opened his mouth before closing it again without saying anything. A moment later, he began to speak. ¡°Back on my world, we had the ability to travel to worlds far different than our own, through the means of what we called ¡®immersion¡¯. We would find worlds and planes of reality that interested us, and transport ourselves into the lives of certain people in those worlds. I decided to go ¡®immerse¡¯ myself in your world, specifically in Lordran.¡± I really don¡¯t think it would be a good idea to tell her that my people had created her world for our own amusement. To know that all of her suffering and hardships that she has faced were just a story for our amusement would be too much. Quelaag stares at him for a few seconds, fighting back more tears. ¡°Why would you come to my world? It is a dark and dangerous place. There is nothing in Lordran but sadness and death. There is no goodness, only dark.¡± ¡°There was good, as well. You, for example.¡± Quelaag looked at him in confusion. ¡°You protected your sister through everything that that horrible world sent your way. Even if you were cursed, you did not care for your own safety and willingly risked your life to protect your sister.¡± Jake shrugged. ¡°I think that is a beautiful thing, in its own way.¡± Quelaag looked back into the fire, gently patting the large spider. She smiled sadly. ¡°If only that were true.¡± She turned her sad gaze back to Jake. ¡°Tell me about your world. If you have the power to transfer between different worlds, I would imagine that your world is very impressive.¡± Jake grunted. ¡°It really wasn¡¯t.¡± He took another drag, and flicked the butt into the flames. ¡°My world doesn¡¯t have any magic, or if it did it has been long forgotten. Instead, we developed technology. We created amazing things just for the sake of our own comforts. Sure, if you went to my world you might believe that it was magic, with all the things we could do, but it really isn¡¯t anything special. And even if it was something completely amazing, the general population will use it for something incredibly stupid.¡± Quelaag tilted her head to the side. ¡°Can you give me an example?¡± Jake scratches his chin. ¡°Hmm, ok how about this. In my world, we have created something that will allow people to share ideas, beliefs, stories, and art works, pretty much anything that we can think of that someone else would like to anyone in the entire world, and it can be reviewed at any time after it has been put out there. Think that would be magic?¡± Her eyes widened in shock, and she nodded mutely. ¡°In my time, people used this to attempt to force political and religious beliefs down other people¡¯s throats, or they made fools of themselves to the world.¡± Quelaag thought this new information over in her head. ¡°So, correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but this¡­ world wide web of ideas and beliefs has been corrupted into brainwashing others? Why would something so revolutionary be used in such a manner?¡± ¡°Because people are stupid.¡± Jake laid back down in the grass, listening to the quiet snapping of the flames. ¡°We want others to think exactly the same way we do, so that we can feel accepted. If we aren¡¯t able to change their beliefs, we tend to kill them off or kick them out of our society. It might be something wrong with me, or maybe the entire world for all I know, but I think that that is a stupid plan. If no one accepts you for who you are, then there is nothing wrong with you, the problem is with everyone else. If you are needing that much attention and sense of comradery to survive, then you do not deserve to draw breath.¡± Jake went silent, thinking back to his old life in a world that wouldn¡¯t accept him. ¡°Would you want to go back?¡± Quelaag asked quietly, still staring into the flames. ¡°Leave all this behind? It is difficult for someone to leave what is known and comfortable to venture out into the unknown. Would you go back, and forget about everything that has happened?¡± Jake remained silent for a while. Quelaag thought he had fallen asleep, and was about to do the same when he finally spoke up. ¡°No. I have the chance of doing something great here. I can murder and kill my way to power, all for the greater good. I think that this would help me deal with all of the problems that I have had, a very fucked up way to relieve stress, as it were. Back on my world, I would be killed for doing something like this. I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯m going to be the same person coming out of this as I was when I was brought here, but I honestly don¡¯t care. My world can choke on my flaccid cock for all I care.¡± Quelaag remained silent for a moment, before speaking. ¡°Did you have to bring your penis into this?¡± Blood and Thunder pt 5 Jake sighed, scratching his head. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t think this is going to work.¡± Quelaag shuffled her spider feet gently. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jake gestured towards the city in the valley below where they were standing. It was an actual city, filled with bustling people making trades and living their lives, large enough to not be considered a town like two others the party had passed during their travels. It was exactly what the party needed to get to, to restock on supplies and to learn more about the world that they had been brought to. And to level, of course. The party had been traveling for weeks, trying to find some place that would suit their needs. Finally, they had come across this city. But there was one problem¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t see any large, fiery, spider-ladies walking around from up here. All of those people seem to be walking around on two legs.¡± He looked back at Quellag, more specifically her giant spider body. It growled at him, small streams of magma dripping past its razor sharp teeth. ¡°Yea, no. I don¡¯t think that you can come into the city.¡± Quelaag¡¯s eyes flashed dangerously. She crossed her arms underneath her bust and began tapping a slim finger against her bicep, staring hotly at Jake. ¡°And what do you expect me to do out here? There is hardly any food left from our travels, and even if there were, if any of those travelers noticed my presence, they would be likely to kill me or send for the guards.¡± She sighed, a somewhat musical sound, like a calm breeze. ¡°If you want, I can wait in the fore¡­¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Jake interrupted her. ¡°I have an idea. I will try disbanding your Binding, and you should be brought back to Lordran. After I¡¯m done with what I need in the town, I will resummon you and we can go do that ¡­ other bit with the town.¡± Jake grinned. ¡°What do you say?¡± Quelaag was slightly shocked. ¡°I did not know that I can be sent back to my world. I thought I was a permanent companion? Was that not what your achievement said?¡± ¡°It was,¡± Jake replied, ¡°but as I was talking with Giggles, she let it slip that your ¡®permanent companion¡¯ bonus just means that you are sentient and you retain all your knowledge after being released or killed. It¡¯s set up as a safety feature, from what I can gather. Makes it so that the summoner doesn¡¯t have to worry about being attacked by a forgetful summon.¡± Quelaag undid her crossed arms, making her breasts bounce gently. Her lower half glanced into the city, and slightly growled. Gently patting its head, Quelaag looked back up at Jake. ¡°I think that would be best. My other is missing the fires, and it would be good to see my sister again.¡± Jake nodded and, grabbing a smoke, moved to sit down. ¡°This should take about a minute.¡± Jake lit up his cigarette, and closed his eyes. Purple flames began forming around the kneeling figure, spiraling around his form. As time went on, more and more flames began twirling around him, forming a miniature cyclone of purplish flames. Inhaling the toxic smoke, Jake gently exhaled it. The flames twisting around him broke away, and formed into a circle of fire, spinning rapidly. The center of the circle began darkening, from smoke and magic. Moments passed, seemingly stretching into infinity. Jakes eyes snapped open, reflecting the roaring circle in the air, seeming to burn with an inner light. He spoke, his voice reverberating through the air. ¡°Created from nothing, ripped from your plane. My Binding of Fire, I return you until I have need of you again.¡± With a tearing sound, a portal appeared in the center of the raging inferno. Quelaag was dragged bodily into the void, too quickly to speak anything besides a surprised squeak. The portal closed as quickly as it opened, and the fire faded rapidly. Sighing, Jake took another drag. ¡°Did I really have to say that nonsense to send her back?¡±
Of course not, I just wanted to see if you would do it. I mean, that wasn¡¯t even a real rhyme! Hahahahaha! You sounded so ridiculous! Thanks for that! ~Giggles
Jake sighed, shaking his head. He finished off his cigarette, and climbed to his feet. Looking down at the silver fox resting on the ground, he patted his leg and started walking down the hill. ¡°Fucking Giggles. Making me do stupid shit.¡± Quietly muttering to himself more obscenities, he pulled up his status screen to see how much he had progressed since his time with the Orc.
Status
Race: Human Name: Jake Roshaven Level: 20??5% Titles: Voidwalker Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Health: 200 Stamina: 180 Mana: 585
Attributes
Vitality: 20 Strength: 10 Endurance: 18 Agility: 10 Dexterity: 10 Intelligence: 39 Wisdom: 39
Pets
Mizutsune Male [Twin-Tailed Frost-Bound Fox] Level: 19 Health: 152 Stamina: 150 Mana: 425 Abilities:??Frost-Bound??Mind Sync??Rebirth
Jake continued to bitch about whatever crossed his mind absently, as he scrolled through the menus. Mizutsune continued to trot at his side, content with listening at all the swear words coming from his master. The fox looked down the hill towards the city, and yipped at Jake in warning. Closing his screens, Jake looked at the mass of shining steel and stamping feet of a group of cavalry charging towards him. ¡°Oh, for fucks sake.¡± _______________________________________________ The 5th Cavalry Detachment, more commonly called the Silver Thunder, were on their routine circuit around the city of Trentshire, the largest city within a hundred miles. Trentshire was a bastion of defense against the war-bands of the Orcs to the west and the Elven hordes to the south. It had a flowing economy, dealing in lumber from the forests and stone from the mountains. The Silver Thunder was one of the strongest detachments, just under the strength of the 3rd Airborne Cavalry Detachment, the Raining Death. The Silver Thunder and Raining Death had been having a rivalry since the founding of their Detachments, brought forth from their founders. The brothers Laers and Selar Swiftfoot were the strongest of their pack, and each focused on different forms of martial mastery. Laers, who had raised horses since he was a child, focused on the close in combat that knights were famed for, helping defend his pack from raiders. Selar, on the other hand, was a hunter born and raised. He tamed his first [Night-Hawk] when he was barely just a pup, treating it like a younger brother. While Laers had remained on the ground, Selar had taken to the skies and hunted for his pack, bringing back game to feed the mouths of his family.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! The brothers eventually got old enough to travel the world, leaving their pack behind. The twin Wolf Beast-Kin wandered the wilds, before they stumbled across Trentshire. During that time, it was a small collection of various Beast-Kin, barely large enough to be considered a farming village. The brothers entrenched themselves within the village and the populace, bringing both protection and food. The village began to prosper, and grew into the city known in the present. Both of the brothers helped build the city that they had called home, and happily accepted the responsibilities of creating Detachments to defend their home better. But the rivalry continued, and to this day the Silver Thunder and Raining Death would compete against each other in yearly tournaments to hold the title and banner of the Swiftfoot clan, a wolfs paw crushing a skull into the ground. The Raining Death had beaten out the Silver Thunder, barely, to have the banner waving gaily in the breeze above their barracks and aviary, where they hosted their trained [Night-Wings], giant black feathered ravens. Wolen, the current leader of the Silver Thunder Detachment and the strongest Leopard Beast-Kin in the city, ceased his patrol at one of the walls of the city, seeing torrents of deep purple flames appearing at the top of the hill to the west. He wheeled his [Dire-Horse], a large beast with gnashing fangs, to the side and called for his troops to him. His second, a female Jaguar Beast-Kin by the name of Bagheera, rode up to his side. ¡°Captain,¡± Bagheera slammed her right fist into her left breastplate, saluting her superior. ¡°I noticed the flames too. Would you like to investigate? It could be a war-band.¡± Her voice was soft, but Wolen knew that in the heat of battle, her voice would echo over the crashing of blades and the screams of the dying. It was a strong voice, and he was contemplating of asking her to mate with him. She would make a good mother for his kits. Nodding his head, the Beast-Kin kept his eyes on the roaring flames in the distance. ¡°Yes, Lieutenant. Send one of the Detachment to go report back to Central. If this is a war-band, it would be best to prepare the defenses in the city. Everyone else, prepa¡­¡± As he was speaking, the purples flames roared even brighter, and then extinguished just as quickly. Snarling, Wolen grabbed the pommel of his bastard sword, and spurred his horse onwards. Blast it all! I do not want some rampaging mage to enter into this city! They¡¯re rare enough to warrant caution, and I have never seen flames of that color. I feel that this mage is powerful, but we should be able to take them. And if not, well¡­ at least the city will be safer. The thundering of hooves followed Wolen as he raced up the hill, towards a figure wrapped within a dark cape walking slowly towards his city, waving their hand threateningly through the air and muttering beneath their breath, possibly creating spells to destroy the approaching troops. What appeared to be a small beast followed the figure, trotting to keep up with their long strides. I will protect my city with my life! I will not let this outsider pillage to their hearts content and rape the women! Wolen drew his [Well-Crafted Broadsword] and raised it to the sky. The rest of the 5th followed his movements, steel rasping against leather. ¡°For the Third! For Trentshire!¡± His Detachment roared their agreement, and they charged towards the steadily growing figure. With his sharp ears, Wolen heard a quiet yip, and saw the figure get startled. A deep voice issued from his mouth, proving Wolen¡¯s theory of the mage being Male. But he did not understand the words. Who in the Abyss is Forfuks? It must be their craven god if this vagabond is asking for his sake. _______________________________________________ Jake stopped moving, raising his hands above his head. He did not want to start anything with the local authorities yet. There were still purchases he had to make, and he had to learn about the world that he had been brought to rule. Hopefully they understand this as a sign of peace¡­ The large horses kept moving forward at a rapid pace, and the dying sunlight glinted off of raised weapons. Please tell me that this is a common sign of peace¡­ The riders thundered towards him. Well shit. The lead rider raised his hand, and the group diverged around Jake like he was a stone in a river. Circling the human repeatedly, the riders formed around him, the large horses snorting and pawing at the grass. The lead rider, who had stopped directly in front of Jake, lowered their blade at the human. ¡°Who are you, mage, and why are you approaching the city of Trentshire? Speak now, or we will cut you down.¡± The sound was muffled by the helmet, but Jake was able to hear the cold indifference in the man¡¯s voice. Jake kept his hands raised, and said the first thing that came to mind. ¡°I am a wandering magician, here to restock and to take advantage of your city¡¯s famed hospitality. I just finished my teleportation up top of that hill, and it has drained me of more mana than I thought it would. I would be honored if you would escort me to the city, and will owe you and yours a favor.¡± Well, shit. That actually didn¡¯t sound that bad. A little pompous and mysterious, and I told them how ¡®weak¡¯ I am. Hopefully, if this shit turns sideways, they will underestimate me. The rider did not lower his sword, but the indifference in his voice changed slightly. ¡°And what do you require in my city, mage? There is not much for your kind here.¡± ¡°I require a place to rest as I continue my journey to uncover the secrets of the arcane. I have travelled far, and there is still much ground to cover. My strength is limited, so I would be no threat to you.¡± Jake continued to pull the words strait out of his ass. And now for the kicker.¡±I am hoping that I will find a way to heal my injured sister. She has been corrupted by a curse, and the powers of the Light cannot heal her. If I am unwanted, then I will continue on my way.¡± Hehe, no one can resist the sick sister story. C¡¯mon, let me in. The blade wavered slightly, and the armored man turned to face the one to his right. A small nod came from the smaller figure, and the leader sheathed his sword slowly and dismounted. Jake noticed that the rider had no boots, and instead he saw what appeared to be the feet of a leopard sticking out of the mail. The cat feet touched into the ground, and the man raised his arms and lifted off his helmet. Slanted eyes of a cat, along with pointed ears atop his head broke free from the confines of metal, and the cat-man stared at him for a few moments. He opened his mouth, and Jake saw a single row of pointed teeth, with large incisors stretching past the others. ¡°I am sorry for your troubles mage, and if there is anything within our city that would help you, we would gladly sell to you. But I must ask, what are your origins? I do not recognize your scent, so you are of no race I am familiar with.¡± Jake grinned at the man. ¡°My name is Jake, from State Farm.¡± He extended his hand, still smiling. ¡°And I¡¯m a mix of pretty much all races.¡± The cat-man stared at his hand, and then slowly reached out to take it. Grasping for a second, the cat-man pulled back and remounted. ¡°Then follow me, Sir Jake, Mage of the State of Farme. We will escort you to Trentshire.¡± He spun his horse around, and began walking back to the city. Jake walked inside of the group of knights, his forced smile straining his face. Fucking Nekos. I¡¯m going to enjoy killing them. Blood and Thunder pt 6 Trentshire was a bustling city, filled with all manner of Beast-Folk, ranging from the common cats and dogs to the lesser seen bear, wolf and sheep. They were living in peaceful harmony, predator living with prey, growing their city into something amazing. And Jake hated everything about it. Why. Why. Why the fuck does this always fucking happen? This was supposed to be a fantasy world filled with elves and dwarves and shit. I would be perfectly happy if they had more feral looking beast-people, where the entire body was covered in fur and shit, but OH NO, they have to go with this amalgamation of ears and horns and tails coming out of regular fucking human asses. Giggles, why did you ruin my fantasy world?
I like those Japanese cartoons and comic books, so?
IT¡¯S CALLED ANIME AND MANGA, YOU FUCKING HARLOT!
Hey! That¡¯s not very nice. And why are you defending it if you hate what I added in?
Jake sighed, and when the Leopard-Man-Knight-Thing looked at him questioningly, Jake forced his smile back on his face. ¡°It¡¯s good to be in a city again. I¡¯ve been wandering for so long. Thank you for this.¡± The Leopard-Knight nodded his head, and returned to his escort duty. Jake kept his smile on his face, while coldly speaking with the loli-goddess. Japan has added to the entertainment industry immensely, and I love them for it. But it still does not mean that I can like everything that comes out of that place. If you are going to make some form of beast-humanoid hybrid, it should be like Lycans or the Indian Weretiger and things of that sort. What you have here looks like a preschooler cut bits and pieces off of animals that it liked and glued them to another human. I know that it¡¯s part of their culture, but still. I grew up on Norse and Greek mythology, and seeing it butchered like this hurts me.
Oh, quit your bitching. This is my world, and I populate it the way I want to. You might want to wipe that stupid grin off your face, you¡¯re starting to get weird looks from those amalgamations.
Jake¡¯s face quickly lost the forced smile, and he looked around. They were just passing through what appeared to be a market district within the city, and most of the hustle and bustle of a city stopped around them. People stared at the troop of cavalry ushering in what appeared to be one of their own, without any distinguishing marks of race he had. Small children ran to their parents, who quickly grabbed them up and swiftly walked away. Oh, come on. Am I really that terrifying? ¡°We apologize for this, Mage Jake.¡± The Leopard-Knights deep voice reverberated within his helmet. ¡°You are the first outsider my people have seen. It is not common for someone besides Beast-Kin to walk these streets, but it happened on rare occasions in the past.¡± The knight looked up towards a tower in the distance, steadily growing as the group walked towards it. ¡°We are almost at our destination, anyways. The Alpha requires all of the roving patrols to report any news of approaching strangers to them directly. I believe that you do qualify as that.¡± Jake could hear the grin through the helmet, and instead of calming him like the Leopard-Knight probably wanted, it just made him even more pissed. Forcing back his anger, he shot a quick smile at the knight. ¡°Thank you. Can you tell me anything of these Alpha? I am afraid that I am not well versed in the order of the Beast-Folk.¡± The knight glanced at Jake, but before he could speak a knight to the right of Leopard-Guy spoke up first. ¡°How do you not know? You are well spoken in our tongue, even if your accent is atrocious. How did your teacher not give you the fundamentals to our society?¡± The voice was feminine, even if it was barely heard through her helmet. Jake looked at the speaker, and could see a long black tail softly swishing behind her in the saddle of her mount. Black cat or Jaguar, huh? And I bet she is agile like one too. I swear, if she starts going into heat I will fucking cry. Jake scratches the back of his head, acting embarrassed. ¡°I guess you could say my teacher doesn¡¯t explain much? She taught me most languages, but other than that she pretty much left me to my own intuition. I don¡¯t think that my teacher knew I would come here, and even if she did, I¡¯m not too sure if she would have given me any information about your people.¡± Jake shrugged. ¡°I apologize if I do anything to upset you, but I honestly have no idea the differences between our races.¡± The leader of the knights nodded slightly to Jake, and continued to walk his mount forward, believing the conversation over. The cat-lady continued to stare at Jake for a few moments, light glinting off of slanted eyes peeking through her visor, but didn¡¯t question him. Jake, confused, dropped the train of thought of the different lies and stories he could fabricate in case of heavy questioning. They seem pretty acceptable. Unless they¡¯re just trying to get me comfortable before they kill me. And why didn¡¯t they tell me about the Alpha? I need this information. Jake muttered some obscenities underneath his breath at the cats. Mizutsune glanced up at Jake from where he had been trotting at his side. Mimicking his master, the fox seemed to shrug, and continued to move his head back and forth, taking in the new sounds and smells of the city. The fox had been quiet since the arrival of the Beast-Kin, occasionally bumping into Jake to make him aware of his presence. Mizutsune made sure to ignore the stares that it received from the people around it, even the occasional exclamation of ¡°So fluffy!¡± was ignored, although the beast did seem to flaunt a little bit more whenever it heard those words. ¡°We must hurry, the Alpha is expecting us.¡± The Lead-Cat-Knight-Guy, as Jake has taken to calling him, said while flicking the reins of his mount slightly, making the horse move faster. The party continued to stride towards the spire, which steadily grew into the form of a keep. While not large or as grand as something that Jake would expect, the fa?ade was practical. Large stone walls, with arrow slits spread throughout, and four towers spread evenly on top of the wall. Soldiers manned the wall, patrolling between the towers, the sunlight glinting off of their armor. The wall boxed in a large building, more than likely the palace or whatever these Beast-Kin had as the center of their city. So, they don¡¯t care to show off their wealth by making the place really grand, but instead focus on the military aspect. Easily defensible, and built to last. Smart, even if I don¡¯t like them. The group walked onwards, and barely heard calls of ¡°Raise the gate!¡± could be heard from the tops of the towers. The group approached the gatehouse, a portcullis slowly crawling upwards. As soon as the mass of steel was snug in its resting point, the knights ushered Jake into the building. Murder holes dotted the sides of the gatehouse, with small openings at the top of the building, with another portcullis on the other side. If someone broke into the first gate, they would be under constant fire before they could break through the second one. I¡¯m starting to think what I have planned is going to be a little more difficult¡­ Jake glanced at one of the murder holes, torchlight glinting off of the steel tip of an arrow pointing at him. Yep, a little more challenging. A small grin creeps onto his face. Oh, this is going to be fun. After exiting the gatehouse, the group found themselves on a stone walkway through a well-tended grass lawn, trees and flowers liberally planted around a large hedge. Nope, never mind. Of course they have to make the insides as expensive as fucking possible. ¡°We are here.¡± The sharp voice of Lead-Cat-Knight-Guy broke Jake from his inner ranting. ¡°I will report your story to the Alpha, and then we will decide what to do with you. Please wait outside with the rest of my Detachment.¡± With that, all of the knights dismounted, and Lead-Cat-Knight-Guy walked into the keep. Servants rushed forward from their hiding places to take the horses from the knights, and walked them swiftly into a large building situated off to the sides, obviously the stable. Jake sighed, placing his feet at shoulder length and placing his hands behind his back, resorting to his training without thinking. Hurry up and wait. Why does that not fucking surprise me? I definitely didn¡¯t get this enough already. Please give me more, daddy. Jake continued to rant to himself, mostly in boredom. The knights began removing their helmets, letting an assortment of animal ears free from the confines of their metal shells. Oh goodie, let¡¯s see here what the cat dragged in. God fucking damnit, why did I have to think that? Bad Jake, no puns. Jake looked around, seeing mostly predator features of large cats, a few with wolf or large dog ears, and one had small little bear ears poking out of his hair. The only prey Beast-Kin was a female Rabbit-Kin, whose long white ears sprang quickly into an upright position as soon as they were out of the helmet. How the fuck did she put them in there? Wouldn¡¯t that hurt? I DON¡¯T FUCKING UNDERSTAND! IF YOU HAVE ANIMAL FEATURES, MAKE YOUR FUCKING EQUIPMENT WORK FOR YOU. I think that would hurt like a mother fucker. The Rabbit-Lady saw Jake staring at her, eyes focused on her ears. She blushed shyly, her ears slightly drooping. Jake blinked, and began to look straight in front of him, eyes focusing onto nothing. Fuck. Now I made the bunny self-conscious. I¡¯m a dick. The large double doors opened slightly, and what appeared to be a fox servant, based off of the black and white maid outfit she was wearing, stepped out into the open.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Sir Jake, Magus of the State of Farme, the Alpha Lyrus Proudroar will see you know.¡± She gave a slight curtsy, her red tail with a white tip slowlywaved back and forth. Mizutsune gave a small yip, and the maids eyes latched onto the white fox. Her eyes flashed, but Jake couldn¡¯t tell what emotion they showed, before she quickly scampered back inside. Jake sighed again, and gestured to his knight escort. ¡°Please lead the way. I think that my companion startled the maid.¡± One of the knights grinned, the Bear-Knight specifically, showing off his large and impressive teeth. Helumbered into the castle, with Jake and Mizutsune following on his heels. Proudroar. Please, for all that¡¯s fucking holy, don¡¯t let it be a god-damned, fucking¡­ __________________________________________________________ The throne room was opulent, exactly as Jake had imagined. A vaulted ceiling, reaching multiple stories into the sky, banners rustling and shifting in the vast emptiness of the space. A long red carpet stretched towards a single gold-encrusted throne raised above the floor, upon which sat the Alpha of Trentshire. Which, of course, was a¡­ It had to be a fucking Lion. Why are there all these shitty-ass clich¨¦s everywhere? Why have you cursed me with living in this fucking world, Giggles? I don¡¯t want to be here anymore. Send me back.
Nope! Should have thought of that earlier! Have fun with Mr. Cuddles! ~Giggles
Jake almost cried. And she also calls him Mr. Cuddles. This is fucking stupid. Mr. Cuddles was massive. A golden mane enshrouded his entire head, with his feline ears slightly poking above the fur. He was shirtless, and muscled rippled beneath his skin, giving off the impression of strength. Scars marred the tanned skin, crisscrossing over his taught abs and pecs. He looked like he was sculpted from marble, all taught muscle and no fat visible. A large two handed sword rested on the right side of his throne. Jake recognized the sword, the massive blade of a Bidenh?nder, or more commonly called Zweih?nder, easily recognizable. The Alpha rested a clawed finger on top of the hilt, gently rotating the massive sword. Golden eyes reflected the light of hundreds of torches burning in the room, as he scrutinized Jake. ¡°Sir Jake.¡± The Alpha rumbled in a low breath, voice reverberating through the hall. ¡°Mage from the State of Farme, of which I have never heard.¡± Shit. The Alpha stands, grabbing his sword with one hand and resting it on one of his massive shoulders. ¡°Your scent is foreign, filled with the stench of fire and death. Are you an assassin, sent to bring my city into chaos with my destruction?¡± The Alpha¡¯s eyes flashed dangerously. Double shit. ¡°Speak now, lest I separate your head from your shoulders myself.¡± He bared his large teeth. Jake paled, thinking quickly of a way to save his ass from Mr. Cuddles. God damnit Giggles, I can¡¯t get that stupid name out of my head. Now I can''t think of anything.
What¡¯s the matter? Cat got your tongue?
NO SHUT UP. ¡°My lord.¡± Jake began with only a slight pause. ¡°I am not from here, and my homeland is far away. I have journeyed for a long while, defending myself from vicious brigands and wild beasts. I am only here to find a way to break the curse from my sister. I have prayed to everything that I could think of, wasted my money on practitioners of the Light, hoping that they would have a cure. It was all for naught, and so I continued my search. This search has brought me to your city, and while beaten down, I still have some faint hope that I will be able to find some way to break her curse.¡± Jake bowed his head, almost choking on all of the bullshit coming out of his mouth. ¡°I am no assassin coming in the middle of the night, my lord. I come only seeking knowledge, but if there is nothing that your city may offer me I will resume my travels.¡± As he finished, he kept his eyes on the floor, not raising his head. Fuck, that might have sounded a little bad at the end there. Hopefully he won¡¯t react badly to it. The hall was silent, so deep he could hear the pounding of blood through his veins. Fuck, he¡¯s pissed. A deep chuckle came from in front of Jake, growing into full blown laughter. Jake continued to keep his head bowed. I can¡¯t tell if that¡¯s a good laugh. Will they kill me while laughing? Now that¡¯s fucked up. ¡°Raise your head, Mage.¡± The Alpha said while still chuckling. Jake looked up, and saw Mr. Cuddles smiling at him. ¡°It has been a while since someone has been so pretentious to me. It is refreshing.¡± The king sauntered back to his throne, placing his large sword back in its place. ¡°I like you, Sir Jake. You remind me of my younger self. Fiery, forging a path to what they want through blood and steel.¡± The Alpha clapped his hands loudly, and a servant bustled into the hall. It was a Ram-Sheep-Person this time, horns spiraling along the sides of his head. He was dressed in a black and white butler suit, completely poised in his stance. ¡°Yes, my Alpha?¡± Goat-Butler said. His voice was smooth. Jake was surprised he didn¡¯t bleat his response at the Alpha, but that would be stupid. ¡°Reginald.¡± Goat-Butlers name is Reginald? Seriously? That¡¯s almost as bad as Alfred. ¡°Take Sir Jake to a set of guest quarters, and prepare a place for him at the table. He shall be staying at the palace tonight, and in the morning we shall help him search for what he requires.¡± Wow, that was easy. ¡°Of course, my Alpha.¡± Reginald bows, placing his right fist against his heart. Rising again, he pivoted towards Jake. ¡°Follow me, Master Jake.¡± The Goat-Butler moved off to one of the doors ringing the hallway, and Jake followed quickly at his heels. Mizutsune stared at the Alpha for a few second more, and the Mr. Cuddles stared back. The fox slowly turned towards Jake without taking his eyes off the Lion-Kin, and slowly started walking after the departing Ram-Kin and his master. Lyrus watched the departing fox, slowly stroking his chin. What a strange beast. I will have to ask where the mage acquired something so unique. _____________________________________________________ ¡°These are your rooms, Master Jake.¡± Reginald waved his hand grandly, displaying an impressive room. It was fancy, in a word. Expensive, in another. Too fucking gaudy, in Jake¡¯s mind. It was a large room, furnished with flowing curtains, dressers, tables, rugs, vases, and a massive bed situated in the center of the far wall. An adjacent room had a copper tub in its center, surrounded by fresh smelling soaps, small candles and flowers nestled in vases around the outside. Jake opened one of the dressers, seeing different colored shirts, trousers and other assorted clothing of all sizes. ¡°I will have the other servants bring up some water for a bath.¡± Reginald scrunched up his nose as Jake passed him to further explore the room. ¡°I hope Master Jake will accept our hospitality.¡± Jake paused, raising an arm and sniffing. Grimacing, he nodded his head. ¡°Yeah, I think I will.¡± ¡°Very good.¡± Reginald exited the room with a bow, closing the door behind him, leaving Jake alone in the room with Mizutsune. They looked at each other, before Mizutsune leapt nimbly into the bed, curled up into a ball and swiftly fell asleep. ¡°Lazy fucking fox.¡± Jake mumbled to himself, before taking off his cloak and shirt. After removing his leather boots that he had taken from a bandit, he began to unlace his pants when a knock came from the door, and a group of maids bustled in. ¡°Master Jake, we have brought the¡­¡± The lead maid, who was the fox one from before, stopped speaking as she saw Jake unlacing his trousers, completely naked except for that single cloth. She stared hard at his toned muscles, before catching herself and continuing, slightly blushing. ¡°We have brought the water for your bath. Would you require anything else of us, Master Jake?¡± Jake smiled at the maids, who were shuffling their feet behind the lead Fox-Maid. ¡°No, thank you. Unless there is something specific I would need to get dressed into after my bath?¡± God fucking damn it, I thought they¡¯d be men. Why would they send a group of maids into a room alone with a strange man? This is some fucking horse shit. He looked at the maids, seeing one with ears that reminded him of a horse. Holy shit, it¡¯s a fucking horse-maid. The Fox-Maid eyes were drawn back to his chest, before snapping back up at him. ¡°No Master Jake, you may whatever you like that is stored within the chests. If you have nothing else, we will fill up your bath.¡± He gestured to the bathing room, and sat down in one of the chairs. As he watched the maids fill up his tub, he kept noticing small glances towards him, but they quickly looked away, blushing slightly. Seriously, what the fuck. Are they all in heat or something? After they finished, they moved back outside the room quickly, with the Fox-Maid taking up the rear. She turned around, and curtsied. ¡°If you have anything that you require, Master Jake, you may summon up the servants by pulling on that rope.¡± She gestured towards a silk rope dangling next to the bed. ¡°We will be able to help you with anything that you require.¡± She kept her head bowed, and quickly exited the room, closing the door with her. Jake stared at the door, before turning around sharply and heading to the bath. ¡°Not dealing with this shit. Nope, fuck that.¡± He opened the window in the bathing room, and climbed into the copper tub. Sighing, he let the warm water relax his body and wipe of the grime and sweat that had accumulated over the weeks that he had been travelling. Reaching into his Inventory, he grabbed a cigarette and lit up, the toxic smoke relaxing him even further. He laid there for minutes, letting the warm water and nicotine do their work on his body. Sighing, he extinguished the cigarette in the water, and went about cleaning himself up. ¡°So, I¡¯m now a guest of a castle, where the king has an instant feeling of friendship to me, the maids are interested in me, and they are all human-animal hybrids.¡± A slight shudder ran down his back. ¡°Fucking Japan.¡± Blood and Thunder pt 7 After his bath, Jake walked over to one of the dressers filled with clothing while drying himself. Searching through, he found some clothing that would work for a royal banquet, or at least he thought. Grabbing two different sets of clothes, one a deep purple with black outlines, and a black outfit with silver embroidery, he placed them on the bed. After looking over the different sets of garments, he began to notice something. He had no idea if they were appropriate, much less knowing how to put the things on. Running his hand through his wet hair, he looked over to the side of the bed with the long strip of cloth dangling from the ceiling. Stuffing his pride, he pulled on the strip of fabric that, and he heard a soft tinkling from above his door. A few moments later, there was a knock on the door, and it began to open. Jake quickly slammed his hand on the door, stopping it from opening far enough to let in the servant. Poking his head around the door, he smiled at the startled maid that was attempting to enter into his room. ¡°Can you please send a male servant up to my room to help me get dressed please? I am not too sure what would be appropriate, and I¡¯m also almost nude.¡± The Dog-Maid blushed slightly, her fluffy black tail began slowly swaying back and forth. No, bad dog. The maid bowed, mumbling a slight ¡°Yes, Master Jake,¡± and quickly scampered off, tail still swaying. Closing the door, Jake heaved a quiet sigh. Quiet barks issued from the bed, and Jake saw Mizutsune staring at him with a playful glint in his eyes, and Jake realized the fox was laughing at him. ¡°Not you too. I don¡¯t want to deal with this shit now. This is too fucking weird. There is no way that the king would be this welcoming, and all of the maids and shit would be interested in me. We just need a fish-man with giant eyes to scream ¡®It¡¯s a tra¡¯¡­ Wait. Wait a fucking second.¡± Jake began to pace back and forth, scratching the short-length beard he had been growing. ¡°He already accused me of being an assassin, and then almost immediately turned around and welcomed me as a friend.¡± He began ticking off points on his fingers. ¡°They know that I am a mage, but I did not see anyone that would be considered a mage in the castle or town while I walked through. They are treating me like royalty, even if it¡¯s a perk of being able to use magic, it¡¯s still fucking suspicious. The soldiers bought my story really quickly, not even going through the motions of searching me at the door to their fucking keep.¡± He sat down, making sure that the towel wrapped around his waist wouldn¡¯t unravel. Grabbing a cigarette, he lit up and took a deep drag. Exhaling slowly, he let the gears in his mind spin in silence. Finally, something clicked. ¡°They want me to be at ease, to lose my edge.¡± Jake mumbled under his breath. ¡°They don¡¯t fear me, and they don¡¯t think that I¡¯m a threat. But they are keeping an eye on me, that¡¯s for sure. If I step out of line, it¡¯s more than likely that they will try to kill me. Maybe the king, Alpha, whatever the hell Mr. Cuddles is, will do it personally.¡± He took another drag, exhaling through his nose. ¡°Either that, or they¡¯re planning on something at the feast. Maybe get me drunk enough to talk, or poison me.¡±
Well well well, someone¡¯s learning. Guess your inner paranoia has some uses.
Jake quirked an eyebrow at the message, and switched to speaking internally. Paranoia is a good thing to have, especially when you¡¯re planning on taking over the world. So, am I right?
Touch¨¦, and I can neither confirm nor deny any of those claims. You have to figure it out for yourself.
Jake sighed, and took another drag before getting up and tossing the cigarette out one of the windows. Sitting back down, he had a thought. You know, this is the most we¡¯ve spoken in a while. So much in a single day, I¡¯m starting to think that you have a crush on me or something.
Oh no, not me. You¡¯re a few millenniums too young for me, even if I look like a child. You should probably be careful of all those hormones you¡¯re putting out there right now; all these Beast-Kin are really responsive to that.
Hormones? What, is my natural musk a bitch magnet? He paused, thinking over his choice of words. I really need to stop with the puns.
Yeah, that one was a little on the nose. Anyways, more or less. While they might appear mostly human, the Beast-Kin still have the instincts of animals. And, like most animals, they are attracted to strength. You¡¯re a Master in three different forms of magic, even if you hardly ever use more than your Dark magic. It also helps that the three branches of magic that you are a Master of are considered the strongest. Sure, the other three might be stronger in certain aspects, but for brute force Fire, Air and Dark are the strongest. They can sense this, and it excites them. Who knows, you might be able to get a harem going through just this city! Wouldn¡¯t that be fun?
Fuck no. I can barely¡­ A knock on the door broke him from the conversation, and a Deer-Butler entered into the room. If their age was anything based off of their antlers, this one was young, only a four-point buck in Jake¡¯s opinion. The butler bowed, keeping his eyes trained on the floor. ¡°Master Jake, you require assistance with choosing appropriate attire for the day? I also took the liberty of bringing shaving equipment, if you would feel the need.¡± Jake forced a smile. ¡°Yes, thank you. If I may ask, why do you consider me a noble?¡± The butler moved over to the clothes that Jake had laid out on the bed. The Deer-Butler went to the dresser and began shifting through the clothes. ¡°I would not presume to know the answer, Master Jake. The Alpha has stated that you are Sir Jake, and we shall obey. The clothes that you have selected would work for a non-formal dinner, but as this will be your first outing within our city, the Alpha has stated that it shall be a formal occasion. I will choose something based off of your chosen colors.¡± Jake nodded to the Deer-Butler¡¯s back. Well, that didn¡¯t help. But I didn¡¯t really expect anything different. ¡®It does what Master tells it to do.¡¯ The Deer-Butler pulled out a bundle of folded cloth, and placed it on the bed. ¡°In my humble opinion, Master Jake, this would be perfect for the occasion.¡± The butler unfolded a doublet, and Jake internally groaned. ____________________________________________________________________ ¡°Master Jake, in my humble opinion, you look very regal.¡± Deer-Butler, who Jake had taken to calling Jeffrey, bowed his head. And, hating himself for it, Jake thought so as well. His scruffy beard had been trimmed and shaved into a sharp goatee, framing his face. His dirty blonde hair had been cut short, looking like a standard military haircut. A long black doublet with flowing silver embroidery along the seams and silver cufflinks was buttoned and clasped above a deep purple silk undershirt. Blackened leather gloves, black trousers, and blackened leather boots finished the ensemble, and a thin black cape with a purple interior was folded neatly on the bed. Jake enjoyed the dark colors, for it was intimidating and it also was the color of his magic. Even Mizutsune received the treatment, his pelt washed and brushed until it gleamed in the sunlight. The fox took it in stride, and actually seemed to enjoy being pampered over. Jake looked over the clothing on his character sheet.
Long Black Doublet with Silver Enhancement
Increases defense by 10% for Upper Body??Increases the chance for better prices by 5%
Clothing tailored for a noble with dark tastes.
Purple Silk Undershirt
Increases defense by 1% for Upper Body
Clothing tailored for a noble with dark tastes.
Blackened Leather Gloves
Increases defense by 5% for Hands?? Decreases Hand Mobility by 3%
Clothing tailored for a noble with dark tastes
Black Trousers
Increases defense by 10% for Lower Body
Clothing tailored for a noble with dark tastes.
Blackened Leather Boots
Increases defense by 5% for Feet?? Increases Movement Speed by 3%
Clothing tailored for a noble with dark tastes.
Long Thin Black Coat with Purple Inlay
No added bonus.
Clothing tailored for a noble with dark tastes.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Not bad, not bad. Except for the cloak. Still looks cool, though. ¡°Master Jake, if you are so inclined,¡± Jeffrey said to Jake, breaking him from his thoughts, ¡°the dinner shall not be held for some time, and the Alpha has given his permission for you to explore the grounds. With your permission, I would gladly show you the lay of the keep. The Alpha and his wives have taken great care in creating a masterpiece of floral arrangement.¡± Jake forced a smile. ¡°If it would be all the same to you, I would prefer to wander the garden myself. I am not used to being followed by anyone, and after being in the wilds for so long, it tends to put me on edge.¡± I¡¯m on to you, motherfucker. I saw how you twirled that little shaving knife of yours. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you¡¯re an assassin. Jeffrey bowed. ¡°Of course, Master Jake. If you would follow me, I will take you to one of the entrances to the gardens. When the dinner is ready, a servant will be sent to bring you to the hall.¡± Jeffrey spun quickly around in a flash of black and white, and strode swiftly out the door. Grumbling internally about fucking butlers with their stupid ass protocols and shit, he followed with Mizutsune trotting beside him. The trio walked through the hallways, passing servants and guards alike. The female servants glanced at Jake out of the corner of their eyes, and walked away quickly. Some glances were sent at Mizutsune, eyes flashing. Jake still did not know the significance of these glances, and it kept him on edge. No one is fucking or killing my fox. Well, unless he wants it. Jake looked at Mizutsune, and saw him trotting in a way that made his freshly brushed fur seem to dance. Okay, he might want it. Is it fucking spring here or some shit? After a few more minutes of walking through long hallways and passing blushing maids, the trio arrived at a small side door. Jeffrey passed the entrance, turned around sharply and quickly bowing. ¡°Master Jake, here is one of the entrances to the gardens. Please explore to your hearts content. The meal will be held when the light of the sun begins to bleed.¡± Bowing again, Jeffrey walked away quickly, his short tail disappearing quickly around a corner. Jake stared at the empty hallway, before shaking his head and walking out the doorway, mumbling to himself. ¡°Who the fuck says ¡®the light of the sun begins to bleed¡¯? It¡¯s fucking sunset you shit-stained piece of meat.¡± _________________________________________________________ The gardens, like the inside of the keep, were immaculate. Jake was surprised at the amount of color that they had. Blues mixed with indigoes provided a deep backdrop to the vibrant yellows and whites. Reds and blacks clashed within the thorny boughs, while oranges and browns danced above them. It was beautiful, and Jake had to be impressed with the care that was needed to tend this masterpiece. This¡­ is actually pretty nice. I just used it as an excuse to get away from Jeffrey the Deer-Assassin-Butler, but I¡¯m actually enjoying myself. Jake wandered through the living walls of the garden, letting himself relax before the dinner. He pulled out a cigarette, and taking off one of his gloves in case it burned it, lit up. He found a bench in an out of the way corner, and sat down. The wonderful smells of the flowers mixed with the scent of burning tobacco created a nice melody within his nose. Mizutsune walked around the area, ears flicking back and forth and nose twitching violently at all the new smells. Losing interest, he leapt up onto the bench and laid down, yawning. Jake smirked at the lazy fox, and conjured a single small orb of purple flame above his hand. He sent the orb spinning around the clearing where he was sitting, making it dance and move for his entertainment. He stayed there for a while, watching the fire orb and smoking on his cigarette. This is nice. But I highly doubt that it¡¯s going to last. ¡°Wh¡­Who are you?¡± And as if the gods, or more specifically one loli-goddess, had heard him, a quiet voice whispered from behind him. Shit. Jake clenched his fist, extinguishing the fire orb, and turned around. Pure. That was the only word that would describe the individual. Large brown eyes set in a heart-shaped face, a small mouth and pert nose giving her a cute charm. Long, flowing silver hair was wrapped into a ponytail that stretched down to her lower back, leaving her two large owlish beast-ears to poke above her head. The insides of the ears were pure white, with the occasional splotch of brown towards the edge. Two large wings splayed from her back, colored the same as her wings. She was wearing a topless dress of white as snow, straps crossing below her neck, giving a tantalizing glimpse of porcelain skin. As Jake didn¡¯t answer, the girl blushed slightly, changing her skin to a pink color. Owl-Lady? Maybe a barn owl? Clearing her throat, she spoke again. ¡°Who are you, and what are you doing in my garden?¡± Even with clearing her throat, her voice was quiet. Jake thought he heard a slight tremor in her voice, and it snapped him out of his thoughts. ¡°Sorry, my lady.¡± Jake quickly stood, and offered a stiff bow. Fuck. A noble. I was hoping that this wouldn¡¯t happen until the dinner. I don¡¯t have any clue what to do. ¡°My name is Jake Roshaven, and I recently came to be in this city. The Alpha, Mr. Cu¡­¡± he cleared his throat, ¡°Lyrus Proudroar, has offered me to stay at the keep. I gratefully accepted his hospitality, and I am currently waiting for the feast to start.¡± He glances back up at her. Please let that be polite enough. She blinked her eyes, a quick flutter of eyelids so quick that it was barely noticeable. ¡°Why would my fath¡­ no, you are a mage. It is only acceptable. I apologize for my rudeness, Mageous.¡± She did a small curtsy. Jake barely caught the slip of the tongue, and he began cursing internally. Fuck, of course it¡¯s the daughter of Mr. Cuddles. Wait, how the fuck does that work? He¡¯s a fucking lion, and you¡¯re an owl. Is it some form of spirit animal bullshit? Fucking hell, I¡¯m confused as shit. ¡°No, it¡¯s quite alright.¡± Jake forced a smile, and waved his hand at her. ¡°I did not understand how mages were treated by your people. My people would have killed me if I had shown them magic.¡± I mean, it¡¯s probably true. Humans tend to fear what they don¡¯t understand. And we like to kill what we fear. ¡°I was quite shocked when the Alpha offered to place me in the castle, instead of killing me.¡± Her head snapped upwards, and her eyes opened even further. ¡°Kill you? Why would he do that?¡± Jake scratched the back of his head. ¡°He said something along the lines of I ¡®smell like fire and death¡¯. He thought I was an assassin.¡± She cocked her head to the side, and her eyes seemed to expand to look at Jake. Yep, definitely an owl. ¡°I do smell the fire, but to me it smells of a hearth at a home; welcoming.¡± She seemed to realize what she said, and blushed a deep red. ¡°I apologize, I do not know what has come over me.¡± Her wings fluttered open, and quickly closed again. ¡°Think nothing of it, it does not bother me.¡± Jake smiled at her, earning himself another small blush. Seriously, this is like a bad romance novel. ¡®Oh look at me, I glance at a woman and it¡¯s a waterfall in her pants.¡¯ Seriously, this is stupid. I mean, it¡¯s nice, makes me feel good about myself, but still stupid. She smiled shyly at him. ¡°Thank you, Mageous.¡± She blinked quickly again, and a confused expression flitted across her face. ¡°What do you mean by what you said previously? Your people do not revere mages? How are they able to fight off the larger beasts without them? And I do not know of any families with purple flames such as yours. From where do you hail?¡± Ah, so it¡¯s reverence because we tend to be good at killing large beasts? Makes sense, I think. And families? So magic is passed down through bloodlines? Shit, how am I going to explain this¡­ ¡°Where I am from¡­¡± Jake began slowly, and took another drag on his smoke. He saw the Owl-Lady scrunch her nose up, and he turned his head and expelled the smoke from his lungs. ¡°Sorry, this is a gift from my homeland. It¡¯s called tobacco, and gives the inhaler a sense of calm.¡± She blinks at him, staring at the smoke wafting from the burning cigarette. Jake began speaking again, and her head jerked up to his face. ¡°I came from a place called the State of Farme.¡± Seriously, I said that as a joke. Guess I¡¯m going with it from now on. ¡°It is far past the edge of the world, and I was only able to come to this country through teleportation.¡± Hopefully they have teleportation magic here. If they do, I need to figure it out. ¡°My sister was cursed by a vile spell, and has become fused with a demonic spider. My people attempted to kill her, and I stopped them.¡± Might as well bring Quelaag into this. God, I¡¯m smart for the sob sister story. The Owl-Lady winced in sympathy, and sat down on the bench. Two startled yelps, one from Mizutsune and the other from the girl broke the silence, and Mizutsune darted from underneath her. He leapt to the ground, and growled half-heartedly at the Owl-Lady, who froze staring at the fox. ¡°A mystical beast¡­¡± she spoke barely above a whisper. Her eyes glanced back to Jake. Inhaling sharply, she sat down on the bench again, and patted the space next to her. ¡°I feel like this will be a long story, and I also have questions for you, if you do not mind Mageous.¡± Shrugging, Jake sat next to her. Great, now Mizu¡¯s a mystical beast. Probably some type of demi-god for these people or something stupid like that. He crossed his legs, and put out the butt of his cigarette on the soul of his boot. ¡°That was the first time I had killed someone.¡± He turned hiseyes to the flowers in front of him, feeling her unblinking gaze on his face. Lowering his voice, to seem like he is lost in some terrible memory, he continues. ¡°I tried to get them to stop, but they would not listen. All of them were screaming to ¡®burn the witch¡¯, ¡®kill the demon¡¯. I¡­¡± He swallowed a mouthful of saliva. ¡°I found my magic that day, in the screaming and the ash. And so we ran, me protecting my younger sister. I found a place for her to stay where she would be safe, and I went looking for a cure. My search brought me here.¡± He glanced at the girl, and could see her eyes tearing up. Wow, is she that gullible or am I really that good at acting? This is new. He cleared his throat, and shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s my story, my lady. But I still do not know your name.¡± She blinked away a few tears, and smiled sadly at him. ¡°This is a good thing, what you are doing for your sister, Mageous Jake. I do not think I would have the strength to do what you have done. Taking a life would be¡­ impossible for me.¡± She glanced down at her hands, then jerked her head back up to look at him. ¡°My apologies, I am so forgetful. My name is¡­¡± She was interrupted by a light cough, and Jake and the girl spun around to see Reginald standing behind them, looking like a stick had been shoved up his ass. ¡°Master Jake, Mistress Serena, the meal is about ready to be served. If you would follow me, I will take you to the dining hall.¡± Jake stared at the Goat-Butler, and groaned internally. Serena. For serenity. At least it¡¯s not Purina, or something stupid like that, though this is still pretty bad. A blue screen popped up into his vision, a message from his favorite goddess.
You go killer! You got yourself a love interest! Now you just need about five more for your harem!
Shut the fuck up Giggles. Blood and Thunder pt 8 The dining hall, while not as gaudy as the throne room, was impressive. A single table, long enough to sit over a hundred people, was centered in the room. Most of the table was not furbished, except for the first quarter, with a large throne situated at the head. The quarter of the table that was furbished looked exactly like a fancy restaurant; silver candelabra were placed equidistantly on the center, with flowers and vases of liquid adding an artistic flare to the meal. A few Beast-Men were sitting at the table already when Jake and Mizutsune walked in. Serena, the Princess-Owl, was taken somewhere else before the meal, and Jake did not notice her when he walked in. She¡¯ll probably walk in with Mr. Cuddles. I think that¡¯s what happened in medieval times, right? Conversations around the table stopped, and fifteen pairs of glinting eyes stared at Jake as he followed Reginald into the hall. Reginald quickly strolled towards the head of the table, and pulled the second chair from the end on the right side out. He gestured for Jake to take a seat. Jake shrugged, and accepted the place. Reginald bowed after Jake had been seated, and quickly melded into the shadows ringing the walls. Fucking butlers. Jake looked around, and met all of the eyes that were staring at him. Most were the slanted eyes of felines, but there were the occasional fierce eyes of wolves and dogs, and there was even a single hour-glass shaped eye of a goat. He nodded at each of them, and they nodded back and continued their conversations. Wood scraped against stone, and a Leopard-Man gracefully sat in the seat to the right of Jake. Sighing to himself, Jake turned to see who wanted to sit next to him. The Leopard straitened his uniform, and folded his hands in his lap. Silver medals glinted off of the uniform, sparkling brighter than the candles. The Leopard-Man spoke, staring straight ahead instead of looking at Jake. ¡°Good evening, Sir Jake. I hope that you are enjoying the Alpha¡¯s, and Trentshire¡¯s, hospitality.¡± The voice was deep, almost a growl. Jake remembered that voice; it was the voice of Lead-Cat-Knight-Guy. ¡°Good evening. The Alpha has seen to all that I would want, and I am thankful for it. I am sorry, Sir Knight, but I do not know your name.¡± Jake forced a smile on his face. My face is going to fucking hurt after all this shit. I can¡¯t be this goody-goody for long. Fuck formal occasions. Lead-Cat-Knight-Guy smiled, revealing his larger than average teeth. ¡°My apologies, Sir Jake. I am Ser Wolen Longtooth. I am the Commandant of the 5th Cavalry Division, the Silver Thunder. I must apologize for how we met, Sir Jake. It was rude of me to greet anyone in such a way. The Orcs have been growing bolder, and attacking the city more frequently. When I noticed your magic, I believed that you were another attempt on the city. I humbly request your forgiveness for my transgressions.¡± Wolen bowed his head. Jake¡¯s face continued to show his fake smile, but on the inside he was violently beating his head on the table. WHAT IS THE FUCKING NAMING SCHEME TO THESE PEOPLE!? SERIOUSLY, FUCKING LONGTOOTH? IT¡¯S LIKE THEY JUST LOOK AT THE KID AS SOON AS THEY POP OUT AND NAME IT THE FIRST THING THEY SEE! ¡°Apology accepted, Ser Wolen. Or is it Ser Longtooth? I am still rather confused on the proper titles for your people.¡± ¡°Ser Wolen is fine, Sir Jake.¡± Wolen raised his head, smiling his feral smile again. ¡°I would be honored to teach you anything that you would require. It is not every day that I would have the chance to speak with an esteemed Mageous.¡± ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we start with that.¡± Jake leaned forward to Wolen. Hopefully, I can get a full understanding of what they mean by Mageous. ¡°I am not familiar with the term Mageous, and I am also unsure why everyone is very respectful to me. Is it on account of my magic?¡± Surprise glinted from Wolen¡¯s eyes, but he still spoke. ¡°Of course, Sir Jake. Mageous is the proper title for a master of the arcane. When we first met, I noticed the intensity and unique coloring of your magic. These are signs of, at the least, a Master rank in your magic. As for why mages are respected individuals, they shaped our world to be what we needed it to be. All of the races respect mages, and some even consider them royalty. The Alpha¡¯s daughter Serena Snowwing, for instance, is an Adept of Light, and while she might be the youngest of the Alpha¡¯s children, she will receive the title of Alpha when he passes. It is rare for a non-magical family to bear offspring with magical power, but it does happen.¡± Wolen grabbed a goblet from the table, pulling it towards himself. He began to lap up the water, instead of dinking normally. Jake paused for a second, and just watched the Cat-Man for a few seconds. Shaking his head, he grabbed a goblet himself and drank.
You have consumed [Blood-Berry Wine]. Increases Mana regeneration by 25%. A mild alcoholic beverage.
Not bad, he thought to himself. So, Serena is a Light mage. I could use that¡­ I wonder if there¡¯s any way to get her to join the party. Having a pocket healer would be nice. ¡°Thank you for the information, Ser Wolen. If you need any ass¡­¡± Jake was interrupted by a trumpet from the doorway. Reginald removed the gleaming trumpet from his lips, and announced in a clear voice. ¡°The Alpha, Lyrus Proudroar and his wives have arrived.¡± Reginald and another servant grabbed onto a pair of large double doors, and opened them with a low bow. Mr. Cuddles regally strolled through the opened doors, followed by three beautiful Beast-Kin women. Everyone stood at the table, and Jake followed a millisecond after. Even Mizutsune jumped to his feet from where he had been lounging underneath the table. The Alpha moved to the head of the table, while his wives moved around. Two sat at his left side, and the final sat on his right, next to Jake. They were unique, as far as Jake had seen. Far more beast-like than humanoid. One was either a Lizard or a Snake-Kin, orange serpentine eyes staring at Jake with barely held curiosity, a thin membrane sliding over her eyes whenever she blinked. She wore a tight blood red dress that showed off an ample chest and slim waste, and her slim red tail was wrapped around her waist like a sash. She had no hair, instead ridges of raised bone and scale ran from her brow over her head into her spine. Noticing Jake¡¯s eyes on her, a frill slowly expanded from her neck, and then slowly closed again. Jake blinked, and moved his gaze to the next wife. A Shark-Kin. She shot Jake a grin, row upon row of pointed teeth glinting in the candlelight. Like the Reptile-Lady, she had no hair. Instead, where her hair would start scales, colored a deep blue, interlocked around her head. Gills on the sides of her neck flared occasionally, and when she moved to her seat, Jake saw a large blue fin jutted out from her back, and a large fish-like tail came from her hips. She sat in a backless chair, and began to glance at everyone around her, her pitch black irises dancing around calculatingly. Jake quickly glanced at the final wife who was going to sit next to him as the Alpha sat, and everyone in the room followed a second after. She was some type of bird, possibly an eagle or hawk. Brown feathers jutted from the top of her head, and downy feathers replaced the hair on her head. Her large dark brown wings were folded behind her back. She gently began drumming her fingers on the table, and Jake saw that instead of humanoid fingernails, she had large black talons erupting from her fingers. They provided a steady, calming rhythm, even while she stared Jake down, never breaking eye contact. Jake stared back, refusing to be intimidated. Jesus fucking Christ, what is with these women? They¡¯re way more feral than any others. No Owl-Princess either. And why are they all staring at me? He was interrupted from his thoughts as Mr. Cuddles spoke in a roar. ¡°Bring the food.¡± Immediately, servants exploded from the shadows, bearing plates piled high with food. Meats steamed in the air, quickly followed by vegetables and fruit. The servants began dancing between the seated guests, placing plates in front of them. Predators received the largest portions of meat, while the lone herbivore received a plate with a mountain of green on top. The servants gave the Alpha what appeared to be an entire deer, based off of the amount of meat that was on his plate. The wives received smaller portions, but it was still quite a lot of food. When the servants got to Jake, he received a mix of everything, from steaming meats and vegetables to a bowl of fruit. He thanked the servants that brought him his food without noticing them. Looking up, he saw the Head-Fox-Maid from earlier blushing fiercely before she spun around and quickly fled. God fucking damnit. Why am I so polite? I need to be a dick more. Light, tinkling laughter sounded from his left, and he looked over to the Bird-Wife sitting next to him.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Ignore the servants, Mageous Jake.¡± Her voice sounded like a breeze through the trees, melodious and haunting at the same time. ¡°They are not used to having someone of your strength around them. I must admit, even I can feel the effects of your magical strength. It feels like I can sense the wind within you, and it is¡­ alluring. Tell me, what are you a Master of? The last time I have sensed something this strong was in the presence of my father.¡± While she sounded polite, her unblinking eyes bored into Jake¡¯s, looking into his very soul. Jake smiled at her. ¡°I thank you, Madame. I have been travelling for a long time, and this is the first time I have come in contact with anyone that wasn¡¯t trying to kill me since I have received my magic.¡± Well, I guess that¡¯s true. The Orc did seem like he was trying to kill me. ¡°I do not know about Master, but I can control Fire.¡± Not a lie, just not the full truth. I¡¯m actually getting really into this whole Role-Playing thing. Might want to do it some more, later on. ¡°It seems to fit my personality rather well, and I am happy with it.¡± The Bird-Lady tilted her head at him. ¡°Are you sure that is all, Mageous? I know that I can sense the Air within you.¡± Her gaze sharpened. ¡°Yes, I am sure of it.¡± Shit, I don¡¯t want them to know about that. Jake opened his mouth, but before he could speak he was interrupted by throaty laughter. Jake and the Bird-Lady looked over to the Lizard-Lady, her frill slightly expanded while she laughed. ¡°Eaglin, you are sssssssscaring the boy.¡± Her voice was deep for a woman, and she extended her ¡®s¡¯, making a hissing noise. ¡°We know that you wish for a Mage of Air to add to our family, but he does-s-s not have the talent. I can only sssssense the warmth of Fire from him. Sharan, can you sssssense the Water?¡± She looked over at the Shark-Woman at her side. Shark-Lady, Sharan apparently, was chewing violently on a piece of meat. Swallowing, she reached into her mouth and yanked out a jagged tooth. A servant ran forward with a bucket, and she dropped the tooth into it. She grinned at Jake. ¡°I do not.¡± Her voice was soft, and held a deadly edge to it. ¡°The scent of death is strong about him, though.¡± Her grin widened, until it was almost a snarl. ¡°He is intriguing, I will give him that.¡± She went back to her food. Bird Lady, or Eaglin, looked like she wanted to continue the conversation, but Mr. Cuddles raised his hand, silencing everyone at the table. ¡°Some of you have heard the story, but I would ask for Mageous Jake to retell it, so that it may be fresh in our minds.¡± The Lion-King nodded at Jake. Jake barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. Standing up, Jake began going through the edited version of his ¡®back-story¡¯ that he had given Serena. After he finished, he sat back down and took a quick drink of the wine. This stuff is really good, actually. He swirled the juice, and looked around at the people situated around the table. The Goat-Lady at the end of the table was dabbing at her eyes, but everyone else was staring at him. Mr. Cuddles nodded at Jake. ¡°Well told, and an interesting story. I take it that the State of Farme is a very distant and backwards land, filled with fools. Attacking a Mageous and a cursed being openly would be a sure way to bring about your death.¡± He grabbed a slab of meat and dangled it into his mouth. While chewing, he continued to stare at Jake. ¡°I am intrigued by your land, Mageous Jake. I wonder if¡­¡± The sound of a horn shattered the relative calm of the dining hall. Everyone froze for a second, and then began scrambling to the exits. Jake glanced over to Wolun on his right, and saw the knight pulling armor from his inventory and deftly putting it on with the help of a single butler. ¡°What is going on?¡± Jake asked anyone who was around him. Eaglin was daintily sipping from her chalice, and watching the people around her scramble around. ¡°The single blast of a war horn signifies that there is an approaching force, be it an army or beasts. It rallies the Detachments, and prepares the citizens. If there were two blasts, we are under attack. If three, the walls will have been breached.¡± Her wings expanded slightly, and then collapsed back again. ¡°And you, Mageous Jake? What will you do?¡± Her eyes latched onto him and sharpened. Two long blasts from a horn sounded, sending those that were milling around to out of the keep. ¡°Will you return our hospitality that we have shown you, and help defend the city? I am sure that my daughter Serena would feel more hopeful to have someone of your caliber protecting her.¡± A grin split her face at Jakes raised eyebrow. ¡°Yes, I saw the two of you together, and while I do not think that you are completely truthful to us, I would welcome you to add your strength to the family.¡± Before Jake could respond, a blue screen appeared, blocking his sight.
New Quest Alert
For the Keep
You have been tasked with helping defend the city of Trentshire, a city owned by the Beast-Kin, by the Alpha¡¯s wife, Eaglin Blood-Talon. An unknown force has attacked the city, and you have been called to arms. Will you help? Conditions for completing the Quest: Attacking Force has been defeated/routed, the Alpha and his Family survive the attack. Conditions for failing the Quest: Refusal, Death, Trentshire is destroyed, the Alpha and his Family are killed/captured. Difficulty: 5/5
Yes No
Reward for Completion: 1000 Gold, Increased Reputation with Trentshire, Increased Reputation with Lyrus Proudroar and his Family, Unknown Penalty for Refusing/Failure: Hatred with Trentshire¡¯s residents, Lowered Reputation with Lyrus Proudroar¡¯s surviving Family, Unkown.
Oh, come the fuck on! Jake remained silent for a few moments, gears turning in his head rapidly. After a few moments, he looked up at Eaglin, and nodded.
Quest Accepted
Eaglin frowned, then shrugged. ¡°To be truthful with you, Mageous, I was expecting you to refuse. I had thought that you were the reason that the horns have sounded, and I would have delighted in killing you. But, it would seem, that I was mistaken.¡± She stood from the table, and walked to the door that she had entered with her family. Sharan shot him a toothy grin, before grabbing another slab of meat and moving to the door with her, followed by the Lizard-Lady, who Jake did not know the name of still. Lizard-Lady looked back at him, her frill slightly expanded. ¡°Good luck, Mageous.¡± The door closed behind them, and Jake was left alone with Mizutsune. The fox jumped up onto the table, and began stuffing his face with a piece of meat. Jake sighed, grabbing piece of meat as well, and ate it as he walked away.
You have consumed [Perfectly Cooked Royal Beef]. Increases Health and Stamina regeneration by 150%. Will regenerate an additional 20 hp over the course of the meal.
¡°C¡¯mon Mizu, let¡¯s go save a keep. Knowing how stupidly clich¨¦ this fucking place is, I¡¯m probably going to end up with the girl too.¡± The fox yipped at his misfortune, and trotted after him, licking his lips to get another taste of the meat. Jake slammed both hands into the doors exiting the hall, making them crash against the walls. He began to jog, slowly increasing his speed through the castle as the sounds of fighting could faintly be heard from the outside, roars of anger and hatred provided a backdrop to the screams of pain, creating the symphony of war. Jake began to smile, one of the only truthful smiles he had given since entering this city. He could feel the blood pumping through his ears, his breathing far steadier then it had been on Earth. He could almost smell the blood already, and it caused his heart to race. Purple flames began to appear around him, trailing in his wake as he sped through the keep. His eyes glowed with an inner light, reflecting an almost insane quality within them. This is going to be so much fun. He slammed into another pair of doors, bringing him back to the dining hall. He skidded to a stop, and stared. ¡±GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!¡± He turned around and ran back where he had come, looking for a way outside, Mizutsune barking with laughter at his side. Fucking place is a maze. ¡®Oh hero, you lost your chance to save the day because you got lost in the castle! I have to kill you now!¡¯ Fucking horseshit. ____________________________________________________________________ Guardsmen for the castle stood atop the walls, watching the fighting at the gates to the city. A single guard was shaking in his boots, a new recruit who had just transferred from the gate guard to the castle watch. ¡°There are so many of them¡­¡± he whispered to himself as he watched what appeared to be a living sea of green. Orcs, hundreds of them, were attacking the city. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think¡­¡± A reassuring hand was placed on his shoulder, and the recruit looked over to Argoth, the Captain of the Watch. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Son.¡± Argoth¡¯s voice reverberated through his closed helmet, the Bear-Kin¡¯s deep timbre helping to calm the recruit. ¡°In all of my time as a guard, the walls have never fallen, and they will not today. The God¡¯s protect us, for we are doing their work in the world.¡± He slammed his hand into his breastplate, a depiction of a paw print on the moon showing proudly onits center. ¡°With their help, no harm shall befall our¡­¡± The old guard trailed off, staring at the approaching horde. A giant of stone had pulled itself out of the ground on top of a hill, tall enough to look over the walls. It looked like a doll created out of clay, and a cold sweat began to appear on the soldiers back. ¡°A Bound Eleme¡­¡± A thunderous crash came from behind him, followed by the roaring of flame and the sounds of screaming. All the soldiers turned to see a roiling ball of purple and black flame explode from the third floor of the keep, and watched in fascination and terror as it arced out passed the keep¡¯s inner wall. A flurry of ice followed the fireball, putting out flames and creating a bridge of ice past the wall, a small blur of silver racing across the freshly created ice. Later, the soldiers that were stationed on the wall would swear on their deathbeds that, from the center of the ball of flame and death, they could hear a man screaming at the top of his lungs in rage. They did not understand what a ¡®Cawk-sucking-shit-stained-castle-dee-sign-er¡¯ was, but the hatred that was in that ball of flame towards it was terrifying. Blood and Thunder pt 9 Lok¡¯Ruc watched the war-bands of Lok¡¯Sharush as they fought alongside the bands of Ran¡¯Sharush and Eit¡¯Sharush in silence. The clans had banded together to wipe the existence of the accursed beast-people off of the face of Laeris. The beast-kin have been hounding the tribes for his entire life, and now they were finally being put to heel. Lok¡¯Ruc was happy for that, for now his clan would be able to prosper without the threat of mounted soldiers running his people into the ground. But there was something wrong, something that he could not put his finger on. He grunted to himself, and continued watching. Father Earth, why do you not speak? He asked for the thousandth time. I completed all that you have tasked me, and I did so willingly. Why are you silent now, in one of our greatest times of need? I will not be able to lead my people without your guidance. Please, Father Earth, speak to me. The Earth remained silent, not even the slight shifting in the plates could have been heard. Lok¡¯Ruc sighed. I will continue on my path, and pray that this is the one that you require of me. Lok¡¯Ruc sifted through his Inventory, and pulled out something. What appeared to be a small white stick, he placed it into his mouth and, grabbing a torch at his side, lit the end of it. Inhaling the toxic smoke, he grunted in pleasure as he slowly exhaled. It was the final smoke that the Agent of Change, Jake, had given him. Lok¡¯Ruc had promised himself to save it for a special occasion. Freeing his people from the yoke of the beast-people, he thought, was just such an occasion. Kneeling, he placed an open palm onto Father Earth, and began pouring mana into the ground. ¡°Gomorrah, son of the Father, holder of the World on his Shoulders, this one calls to you. Lend him your power, your unbreakable will of Stone, and assist with his task of rending Flesh from Bone.¡± The earth shook, and a giant stone hand erupted from the ground. A second later, the other arm burst outward, and his Bound Elemental began to claw itself from the ground. Gomorrah had grown stronger since his training against the Agent of Change, but Lok¡¯Ruc was not too sure of his Bound winning in a fight against him. Grunting, he stood back up and took a final drag on the cigarette. He sent Gomorrah towards the walls, ordering it to tear down the obstruction to his people¡¯s freedom. It is a good thing that he is not here. If he were, I would be terrifi¡­ An explosion blasted over the sounds of the battle, and a roaring ball of deep purple and black flame escaped from within the keep in the distance. The fireball flew past the interior wall, and began to rocket up the streets towards the outer walls. Following behind it was a streak of silver, blasting ice at whatever the fire caught on, extinguishing the flames as soon as they appeared. Lok¡¯Ruc stared at the sight, cigarette forgotten on the ground. He used another thing that the Agent of Change had given him. While not material, it seemed appropriate in the situation. It was a single word, which the Agent of Change would use repeatedly. ¡°Fuck.¡± _____________________________________________________________
New Spell Created: Hellfire Crash
Due to your inability to navigate a simple keep, you got so fed up that you bathed yourself in flames and broke through a window. That¡¯s rather sad. But hey, at least you made a cool entrance, right? And it even makes you move faster!
Mana Use: 25 m/s
¡°Fuck off!¡± Jake closed the window, and continued to run. The flames carried him forwards, rushing past fleeing Beast-Kin. Unsurprisingly, they tended to run the opposite way when they saw a ball of purple and black flames bearing down on them. What shocked them even more, was after the ball of death and fire had passed, a small fox would run forward, expelling an ice aura from its body, removing the heat from the flames and snuffing them out. The Beast-Kin could have sworn that the fox was grumbling, growling to itself in a quiet voice. They assumed that they had lost their minds from fear, and began to panic. The flames carried him onwards, and soon he was at the wall that ringed the city. Concentrating the flames to below his feet, he squatted for a second, and burst upwards in an explosion of fire and shattered stone. Arcing through the air, he crashed onto the top of the wall, defenders falling back from the heat of the flames. Jake released the magic, somewhat out of breath from the run. An impact on the back of his head, ice cold, caused him to yelp. Turning around, he found Mizutsune glaring at him. An ice bridge, already melting, connected the wall to the city streets below. The fox glared at Jake for another second, before twitching his head backwards to force his master to look at what he had done. Looking down into the city, Jake saw a black line of burnt stone and rubble, with Beast-Kin screaming and running with their hands flailing in the air. ¡°Umm¡­ Oops?¡± Jake grinned sheepishly, and Mizutsune shot another ball of snow into his face. ¡°Fuck! Sorry, sorry. I got a little¡­ carried away. I¡¯m good now.¡± Mizutsune huffed, and padded to the edge of the wall to look down on the battle. The defenders that were watching Jake broke from their blanked stares, and began to shoot arrows back down into the raging horde of Orcs. Jake walked over to the edge, and whistled softly to himself. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of fucking Orcs. Probably six hundred or so.¡± A glint of metal and a whistling sound were the only warning before an axe flew above Jake¡¯s head, cutting a few strands of hair in its path. ¡°Shit!¡± Jake ducked down and, gathering a ball of flame in his hands, lobbed it to where he thought the axe had come from. The fireball exploded, sending flaming bits of Orc into the air. The surrounding Orcs quickly caught fire, and began to run around screaming. Hearing the effects of his attack, Jake lobbed a few more for good measure. After a few moments of acting like a living motor, raining death and destruction on the Orcs, Jake poked his head above the parapet to see the effects of his troubles. The blackened scars of craters dotted the field, testament to his attacks. The Orcs, not caring, continued to charge at the gate in an attempt to batter it to the ground. ¡°Fucking hell, these fuckers aren¡¯t stopping.¡± Jake grabbed a cigarette from his inventory, eyes darting quickly down to make sure that he lit it correctly. Looking back up, Jake came face to face with a boulder the size of a small house hurtling towards the wall. ¡°F¡­¡± Unable to even finish off one word, the boulder slammed into the wall with the force of a giant striking an anthill. The wall exploded into the city, sending shards of stone and bodies flying. Jake and Mizutsune were thrown from the wall and sent tumbling into the streets. Jake slammed into the cobblestone streets, bouncing twice like a stone on water before crashing into a single story house, breaking through the wooden exterior. Mizutsune, as soon as he had been launched, began wrapping a wreath of hardened ice around his body. The fox-sicle skidded across the street, bouncing in between buildings and pieces of broken wall repeatedly before slowing down. When the cube of ice stopped its movement, it began to melt quickly. As soon as he was free from his icy prison, Mizutsune shook the remaining water and slivers of ice that clung to him off of his fur, then began to look around for his master. The fox heard the sound of burning wood coming from a destroyed building, and it was quickly followed by an enormous eruption of dark flames. Out of the inferno, a figure stumbled into the open streets, left arm dangling uselessly at its side. Mizutsune darted over to the figure, whining pitifully at his master¡¯s injured state. Grunting in pain, and bleeding heavily from multiple wounds, Jake crumbled to his knees. ¡°How¡­ how the fuck am I still alive? That hurt like a mother fucker.¡± Grimacing in pain, Jake pulled a cigarette out and placed it into his mouth. Mizutsune yipped at Jake, giving him a disapproving glare. ¡°Oh, go fuck yourself. I need this to help me think. Don¡¯t give me that look.¡± Jake made a small flame appear on his thumb, and lit up. So, I can still cast spells. Jake inhaled the smoke, then exhaled with a grimace. Yeah, somethings definitely broken besides my arm. Fucking hell. Jake looked around, trying to find something that would help heal him. Three horn blasts, long and deep, reverberated through the city. The sound was quickly followed by a bloodcurdling shout of triumph as Jake looked up to the wreckage of where the wall had been. Orcs streamed through the gaping hole in the wall, charging at the defenders that were attempting to close the breach. The defenders were being pushed back, the might of the Orcs too great to be stopped by the rushed defenses. Jake grimaced, knowing what he had to do. ¡°Mizu, keep them from getting to us.¡± The fox yipped, and started arcing large shards of ice into the breach, raining frozen death on the Orcs. Jake took another drag, then spat out the cigarette onto the ground. Fucking hell, this is going to hurt. He had been experimenting with healing magic, and while he did find something that could work, it was also incredibly painful. Jake closed his eyes and, gritting his teeth, began. With a scream of unimaginable pain, the kneeling figure was engulfed in an orb of black flame. The orb swelled and ebbed in a set rhythm, as if the flames were breathing. From the center, the screaming increased in intensity with each swell of the flames, and was soon loud enough to drown out the sounds of fighting. For what seemed an eternity, the screaming continued, and the orb slowly began to change. The pitch black flames were slowly gaining a purplish hue, and the contractions and expansions of the orb began to slow. The screams began to peter out, until there was only an occasional whimper from within the flames. With a final expansion, the purple ball of flame erupted, sending a wave of flame over the ground and into the air. The figure in the center had curled itself into a ball, and was panting heavily. Smoke and steam rose from its flesh, the charred remains of once fine clothing sticking to the body. With a grunt, the figure moved it¡¯s once mangled arm, now completely healed,and pushed itself upwards, gasping for air.
New Spell Created: Flames of the Phoenix
Aww, I thought that you would die there. Too bad. That sounded really painful, but at least now you have your own heal.
Mana Use: 30 m/sRegenerates Health by 3 hp/s (10 m per 1 hp)
Panting, Jake slowly drew himself up to his feet, and looked at the destroyed wall. A glimmering block of ice was blocking the breach, and Mizutsune was sitting a few feet away from him, staring at him with a frown on his fox face. There were Orc bodies littering the ground, bolts of ice erupting from their throats and chests. The defenders had defeated the remaining Orcs, and were now formed up behind the block of ice, watching the distorted figures attempt to break through the makeshift barricade.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Jesus. Don¡¯t fuck with the fox. Jake shook his head, trying to get rid of the cloud of pain that was dulling his thoughts. Opening his mouth to thank his furry friend, an earthshattering roar erupted from outside the wall. A giant stone hand grabbed onto the top of the wall, quickly followed by a second. Jake looked upwards, and was staring into the face of a giant construct of stone, squinting its makeshift eyes at him with hatred. Oh fuck, it¡¯s back. Jake scrambled backwards, and almost fell when the ground began to shake. With the sound of rending stone, the giant hands ripped a second breach into the wall. The Golem roared again, the sound of grating stone loud enough to shatter the windows of a few buildings close to it. Squeezing itself through the breach, it began to take thundering steps towards Jake and Mizutsune. Orcs began to pour out of the new breach, and the defenders were again hard pressed to hold them back. Some attempted to stop the Golem, but the giant swatted them away from him as if they were as insignificant as insects. The mangled bodies flew through the air, crunching into buildings and the road like sacks of meat. The giant grinned at Jake, its teeth a seamless block of granite. ¡°God fucking damnit! Mizu, freeze this bitch!¡± Mizutsune inhaled as much as his small lungs could take, his silver body glowing like a sun. With a scream almost as loud as the Golem¡¯s, a torrent of ice burst from his mouth, freezing the very air as it slammed into the giant. The Golem grunted, and raising a hand to block the ray of ice, continued walking, slowed heavily from the never ending magic. Jake squared his feet, and slowly brought his hands together at his right waist. A ball of purple and black flame appeared within his hands, seemingly bending and absorbing all light around it. Grinning to himself with child-like excitement, he began to mumble underneath his breath. ¡°Ka¡­¡± The roiling ball of flame grew darker, the light swirling into it like a black hole. ¡°Me¡­¡± The stone around Jakes feet began to crack, shards floating towards the swirling ball of death in his hands. ¡°Ha¡­¡± The Golem was slowly approaching Mizutsune, its arm completely frozen, and it still continued to move slowly through the maelstrom of ice. ¡°Me¡­¡± Mizutsune¡¯s body began to shake from the stress of holding the spell, but the brave little fox would not let his master down, not now, not ever. Jake thrust his hands towards the Golem, screaming as loud as he possibly could. ¡°HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡± A river of liquid flame burst from his hands, like a reservoir breaking through a dam. The river of flame crashed into the giant, halting its advance. And, ever so slowly, it was being pushed back. Gomorrah, the Immovable Binding of the Earth Breaker, was losing. The Golem roared, and brought his other arm upwards to deflect the magic, but it was too late. The fighting had come to a shocked halt, watching the battle between an indestructible Binding of Earth, and the overpowering strength of a Master of Fire and a Mystical Beast of Frost. A single crack appeared on the arm of the golem, and it began to rapidly expand with the sound of breaking stone. The deathly cold temperature of Mizutsune¡¯s ice and the river of fire pouring from Jake¡¯s hands rapidly expanded and contracted the stone of Gomorrah¡¯s body, causing it to break apart. Gomorrah¡¯s left arm shattered into thousands of melted and frozen pieces, followed quickly by its twin on the right side. The golem began to scream in pain, the ear shattering noise causing the Orcs and defenders to cover their ears. The Orcs that were close enough had their eardrums explode from the pressure, and they crumbled to the ground writhing in pain. ¡°Shut The FUCK UP!¡± Jake roared back, and the golem exploded into countless fragments. Cutting off the magic, Jake bent forwards, panting loudly. Mizutsune crumbled to his side beside him, panting as heavily as his master. ¡°Fucking¡­Science¡­Bitch.¡± Jake gasped out, before laughing to himself quietly through his panting. I always wanted to do that. Silence reigned for a few seconds, before the defenders began cheering. The Orcs, seeing that their trump card had been destroyed, roared in anger and began to throw themselves anew at the defenders. The defenders, invigorated by the Mageous¡¯ actions, fought even harder to not be left behind. No more Orcs poured through the breach, either from fear or lack of troops. Jake had no idea which it was. Catching his breath slightly, Jake quickly pulled out a cigarette and lit up, letting it work through his body, relieving stress and restoring mana. A blinding light came from his side, and he looked over to where Mizutsune had been. A pure white outline of Mizutsune was laying on the ground, and a blue screen appeared before him.
What? Your Mizutsune is evolving!
Jake stared at the notification, before chuckling to himself. Fucking Giggles. Of course she had to make this like Pokemon. Jake began to laugh even harder. He was not too sure if it was the stress, but he was unable to stop himself from giggling like a school girl. The white outline grew from the size of a small dog, which barely reached up his shins, until it was even with his waist. A third tail grew from its rump, and the outline exploded into hundreds of small lights, leaving his new and improved pet fox.
Congratulations! Your Mizutsune has evolved into a [Tri-Tailed Frost-Bound Fox]!
Mizutsune shook his coat, making the silky hair gleam in the setting sun. He had grown longer, becoming more lean and sleek. His three tails glided through the air behind him, flash-freezing the particles of water in the air where they passed, creating a slight veil of frost. He looked up at his master, and Jake felt something on the outskirts of his mind. It felt like a knocking. What the¡­ Oh! That¡¯s right, his Mind Sync ability. I wonder why he hasn¡¯t used it until now. He was too weak before, maybe? Focusing on the presence, he allowed it into his consciousness. A regal voice, cold as ice, but refreshing and calming as a glass of water, whispered through his mind. ¡°Why are you laughing, Master? Is there something wrong with my body?¡± Mizutsune tried to look at himself, spinning around in circles as he looked for the problem. This caused Jake to laugh even harder. ¡°N-no, everything¡¯s good Mizu.¡± Jake gasped out through the laughter. ¡°Just something reminded me of my home.¡± Sighing with a smile on his face, Jake straitened up and went through the notifications from the fight with the Golem.
[New Spell Created: River of Flame]
[Don¡¯t you just love the smell of napalm in the morning? But hey, seriously, don¡¯tsay that again. Copy right issues.]
Mana Use: 30 m/s
You have defeated Gomorrah, the Earth Elemental Lvl 70 (Summoned by Lok¡¯Ruc the Earth Breaker Lvl 105)
Congratulations, you have reached Lvl 26! Int +6, Wis +6. 6 Attribute points ready for distribution.
Congratulations, your pet Mizutsune the [Twin-Tailed Frost-Bound Fox] has reached Lvl 20!
Congratulations, your pet Mizutsune has evolved into a [Tri-Tailed Frost-Bound Fox]!
Congratulations, your pet Mizutsune the [Tri-Tailed Frost-Bound Fox] has reached Lvl 26!
Jake grinned, and added his six points to his stats, putting three into both Vit and End. He then did the math for his level. Unless he couldn¡¯t count, his stats were the same as a level 95. ¡°Jesus Christ, this is over powered¡­¡± he muttered to himself. Mizu looked at him, and quirked his head. ¡°What is wrong, Master? We defeated the Golem soundly. It was not overpowering in the least.¡± Jake chuckled. ¡°No, I was thinking of myself. I have the strength of someone almost four times my visible strength. Did I tell you about Giggles? ¡°The All-Mother? Yes, and she has spoken with me on occasion about you as well. I believe that she calls you her Puppet, correct?¡± Jake froze for a second, before grunting. ¡°Yea, she did call me that once or twice. Anyways, I think we should¡­¡± He was interrupted by a new notification.
Quest Completed!
For the Keep
At great risk to yourself, you have defended the city of Trentshire from overwhelming odds. While you were defending the main entrance and dealing with the Golem Gomorrah, the Detachments of Trentshire circled around behind the Orcs and caught them unprepared. The Attacking Force has been crushed, but the leaders have escaped. This is not the end of the trouble between the Orcs and Beast-Kin, but it is a lull in the fighting. Speak with the Alpha, Lyrus Proudroar, for your reward.
Jake looked up in time to see a group of knights walk through the breach in the wall, picking their way through the bodies. Blood stained their once silver armor, and many of them were limping or being carried through the wall. Above the wall, a flock of giant ravens circled the field, the setting sun glinting off of the silver armor of the riders. A single knight began to walk towards Jake with dignified steps, and as it approached it reached up and removed its helmet. Wolen shook his head, releasing his sensitive ears from the confines of the steel headpiece. The Leopard-Kin walked up to Jake and clasped his arm. ¡°Sir Mageous, I, and the entire city, thank you. You have helped send a crushing blow to the War-Bands of the Orcs. One that will not be forgotten for generations. I will escort you to the keep whenever you are ready.¡± Wolen looked at Jake for a second, before grabbing a pair of cotton pants and shirt from his Inventory. ¡°Put these on, as well. It would be unseemly for someone of your stature to walk around naked.¡± The knight handed the clothing to Jake, and stood back, giving him some room. Sighing, Jake looked at Mizutsune, and shrugged. Well, no rest for the weary. He quickly pulled the pants on, and began to wrestle with the shirt. Mizutsune nodded at him. ¡°It would appear so, Master. These Beast-Kin are very formal with their actions, especially with the rewarding of honors.¡±
Yep. Now get there and go get that Owl booty!
Jake growled to himself. Great, two fucking mind readers. I can¡¯t even bitch in peace any more. Mizutsune¡¯s regal chuckles gently washed through his mind, and Jake began to limp back towards the keep, Fox and Leopard-Kin following closely behind, the sun¡¯s final rays of light washing the streets in orange. ___________________________________________________________________ Lok¡¯Ruc was kneeling in front of a trio of elderly orcs. The two males of the group had long flowing white beards that reached past their wastes, while the lone female¡¯s silvery hair was plated behind her back. The Elders were staring at the kneeling Orc in silence, letting their gazes show their disdain for his failure. ¡°Lok¡¯Ruc the Earth Breaker, what excuse do you have for failing your people?¡± One of the Elders spoke, his voice gravelly. Lok¡¯Ruc could feel the strength of Water within him, swelling and ebbing like the tide. The Elders of the three tribes were all Grand Masters of their respective elements, and being in their presence was a terrifying thing to behold. ¡°Elder Ran¡¯Ferun,¡± Lok¡¯Ruc began slowly, ¡°the Agent of Change was with the Beast-Men. He fought alongside the filthy creatures, and easily defeated my Bound. Seeing this, I called for a retreat while we still had most of the War-Bands. While we were retreating, the accursed Beast-Men rallied a force of mounted soldiers and airborne archers, and they attacked our flanks. If I had attempted to push through after my Bound¡¯s destruction, we would have been caught and butchered to the last.¡± The other male Elder raised an eyebrow at the kneeling Orc, and the flames of the campfire behind the Elders slowly grew into a roaring bonfire, showing his displeasure. ¡°You informed me that you had trained this ¡®Agent of Change¡¯ yourself, Ruc. Why would he side with the Beast-Men instead of siding with us?¡± ¡°Elder Lok¡¯Tenu, this one does not know.¡± Lok¡¯Ruc bowed his head even farther towards his Elder. ¡°I do not know if it is due to myself not training him enough, or some fault of the Agent¡¯s own mind.¡± Elder Lok¡¯Tenu opened his mouth to berate the kneeling Orc more, but was cut off by the female Elder. ¡°This is interesting, Lok¡¯Ruc. I do not believe that this was entirely your fault. We were unprepared to deal with someone of the Agent of Change¡¯s caliber. But, we will not repeat the same mistake twice.¡± Small sparks of lightning began arcing between her hands. The sparks began to arc more frequently, and soon were encompassing her entire body within a raging storm of electricity. The Elder smiled, lightning sparking in between her tusks. ¡°I will deal with this ¡®Agent of Change¡¯ myself, so that he will not be able to foil our plans ever again.¡± Interlude 1: The Agony of Regret Screams of pain and terror rebound through the underground room, the echo¡¯s muffled by the spider webs covering the entirety of the cavern. A bloodcurdling roar overwhelmed the screaming, and the high pitched whine was extinguished as fast as it came to be. The smells of burning flesh and hair rose through the chasm, melding perfectly with the metallic scent of blood. Silence reigned for moments, before the crunching of bones and the metallic shriek of rending metal broke the calm. From the mangled body of a would-be adventurer, wisps of black smoke rise. The wisps begin congregating above the body, swirling into a small space. Soon, a black flame appeared with a white outline, dancing in the heated breeze of the chasm. White specs appeared within the flame, giving a testament to the adventurer¡¯s humanity. A dainty, porcelain hand reached forwards, and gently cupped the wavering flame. The figure gently tucked a strand of ink black hair behind a small ear, and a small smile graced her face. With a growl, the crunching of bone stopped. The amalgamation of a spider and the embodiment of fire itself began slowly walking across the bloodstained ground. Atop the spider, a beautiful woman appeared to be riding the beast, completely naked from the waist up. Molds of pink flesh connected the woman from the waist to the giant arachnid, a curse that almost claimed her life. A curse brought on from her mother¡¯s greed. Sighing to herself, the Witch Quelaag directed her lower half to head back to her home. With a longing glance at the corpse of the fallen adventurer, the spider shook its bulbous head and began to walk up a set of stone stairs that curved around a stone pillar, leading into a hole in the webbing. Ducking her head, Quelaag was carried into what appeared to be a broken steeple to a grand church, the stone of the bell tower completely separate from the hardened ash and molten stone of Izalyth. Glancing upwards, Quelaag sighed to herself, seeing her reflection glowing within the bell¡¯s coppery reflection. They keep coming. No matter how many times I kill them, no matter how many times I take their sparks of Humanity, they always return. And all for what? They do not speak, and they do not spare any of the people around them. I only wish I knew what they wanted, so that I might give it to them to stop them coming here. The spider entered into the massive hole in the center of the bell tower, and began to descend. Leaning backwards to keep her balance, Quelaag rested her back on the spider¡¯s bloated carapace. Flickers of flame danced around her, but they did not burn her white skin. Another ¡®gift¡¯ from her mother. Quelaag cupped the tiny scrap of black flame to her breast, careful to not crush the fragile shard of the Dark Soul. The tiny, flickering flame was the only thing she wanted within this world, the only thing that would help her sister. This world¡­ Quelaag remembered a dream she had, before waking to the constant threat of death that was constantly surrounding her. A dream of rolling hills, beautiful forests and various intelligent creatures. In the dream, there was no threat of undeath, of losing your mind slowly to the insanity of never ending agony. She also remembered a pair of blazing hazel eyes underneath a short crop of blonde hair, dark enough to be considered brown in certain lighting, and a human who could control fire and darkness as if they were a part of his very being. Her other half jumped from the wall, landing on the floor of the bell tower and breaking her from her dreams. Gently shaking her head, she directed her other half towards a wall that appeared like any other. Raising a dainty hand, she pressed up against the wall. For a second, the wall pushed back. The resistance broke, the wall becoming transparent quickly before disappearing entirely. Quelaag willed the spider onwards, and the spider carried her through the illusory wall and through a small passage. A poor wretch of a man, back covered in writhing egg sacks, crawled in front of the passage. He spoke, his voice holding respect despite the waver of pain behind it. ¡°My lady has returned. Have you brought something for the Pale Lady?¡± ¡°Yes, now out of my way.¡± Quelaag snapped, her musical voice harsh in anger. The wretch was a constant reminder of Quelaag¡¯s failure. The failure to protect the thing most dearest to her. ¡°Of course, My Lady. Thank you.¡± The man crawled out of her way, and her lower half brought her into a large cylindrical chamber. Looking around, Quelaag saw hundreds of spider eggs, woven within confines of smooth silk. Some were twitching occasionally, streaks of black occasionally seen through the white of the eggs and web. Turning to her right, she urged her spider forward, bringing her in close to the one thing that she lived for. Her sister. A young woman rested atop a spider, clasping her hands in front of her breast. She took an occasional shuddering breath, the only way to know that she was alive. Her hair, drained of all color, fell over her white, unseeing eyes. Hearing Quelaag approach, she raised her head slowly, and offered a pain filled smile at the other woman¡¯s general direction. ¡°Dear¡­ sister,¡± The Pale Lady¡¯s voice, once even more beautiful than Quelaag¡¯s, was rasping, filled with a never ending agony. ¡°It is¡­ good to ¡­ see you.¡± Her lower half, the spider body that acted as legs and a source of strength, was decaying from underneath her, its glossy white eyes seeming to stare at Quelaag with gratitude. Gratitude for being released from the utter torment that the woman attached to it brought upon herself. ¡°Sister, I have brought you something.¡± Quelaag gently took her sisters hand, and placed the quivering black flame upon it. The Pale Lady¡¯s smile grew slightly, and she cupped the piece of Humanity to her chest. With a gentle sigh like the breeze through a plain, the shard entered into her body. ¡°Thank you¡­ dear sister.¡± Her smile grew, but Quelaag could still see the pain behind it. ¡°It¡­ doesn¡¯t hurt¡­ anymore.¡± Quelaag gritted her teeth in a snarl, a single tear trailing down from her eyes. The tear fell, splashing against her lower half, and evaporating from the heat of the spider. A hand gently grabbed onto Quelaag¡¯s own, frail enough to be broken by a passing breeze. Looking up with blurry eyes, Quelaag saw the pain filled smile, and her sisters milky orbs also filling with tears. ¡°Please sister¡­ do not cry. I¡¯m¡­ fine, really. I am¡­ happy. I have¡­ you, don¡¯t I?¡± Forcing a smile, Quelaag gently held her sisters hands. ¡°I believe you, Quelana. I do.¡± But they both new that the other was lying. Quelaag¡¯s lower half crouched down, bringing the two sisters together. Taking a quiet, shuddering breath, Quelaag gently placed one of her hands on her sister¡¯s head, running her fingers through the dead hair. Quelana smiled and sighed with contentment, letting her sister massage her scalp. ¡°Sister, would you like to hear a story?¡± Quelana gently nodded, eyes closed in pleasure from Quelaag¡¯s ministrations on her hair. ¡°I had a dream, and in this dream I was brought to a faraway place in a great torrent of black and purple flame. When the flames receded, I was standing on a hill underneath a starry sky. And in front of me, was a strange human with a large smile on his face¡­¡± As Quelaag continues telling the story of her dream, the world appeared to go dark, and streaks of static began to break throughout the chamber. Suddenly, the world descends into darkness with a pop of electricity. _____________________________________________________________ With an electronic snap and a flash of light, an Owl Beast-Kin came into focus. Beams of light extended from her hands to the figure sprawled out on a table in front of her, their moans and grunts of pain slowly quieting. Serena pushed harder and the light brightened. The injured Beast-Kin¡¯s torn flesh knitted itself together in front of her eyes, and with a sigh she extinguished her magic. A pair of Beast-Kin medics, once pure white tunics soaked red in blood, picked up the now healed Beast-Kin and carried him away. As the only Light aligned Beast-Kin in Trentshire, Serena volunteered herself to help the hospital and doctors of her city. This was not her first taste of the terrors of war, but they still haunted her. Serena let her mind wander in an attempt to break her from the sights and smells of the dead and dying. Her mind settled on the strange Mageous that had appeared earlier that day, and a small blush crept onto her face. I hope he is alright¡­ Her thoughts were interrupted by another team of medics bringing one of the defenders of the outer wall onto her table. Rubbing her eyes, either from tears or exhaustion she was not sure, she began to look over the injured warrior. The Beast-Kin¡¯s legs were shattered, and his left arm was mangled. Shuddering at the sight, Serena began to heal. Light again streamed from her hands, somewhat less dim than before.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Blinking sweat from her eyes, she pushed as hard as she could with the Light. Her spell increased in power, and the gravely injured soldier¡¯s body began to knit itself together. Serena continued to push for what seemed like hours, giving her best to help those in need. The Light began to fade, and Serena couldn¡¯t push herself any farther. With a shudder, she cancelled her magic. Clutching her head in pain, Serena weathered through the effects of draining her mana, while the same group of medics took the half-healed warrior away to one of the ordinary doctors to finish up the process. When the pain faded, Serena kept her head bowed, staring at her shaking, blood covered hands. Tears fell, mixing with the congealing blood that was splotched across her face. Quiet sobs wracked her body, and the Owl-Kin cried from the fear and self-hatred of not being able to heal those that depend on her. If only I were stronger. I could help all those that needed it¡­ I could¡­ ¡°Daughter.¡± A sharp voice startled Serena, making her jump. Turning her blood and tear stained face, she saw her mother, Eaglin Blood-Talon, standing behind her. Noticing her daughters face, Eaglin¡¯s eyes lost a little bit of their sharpness, and she enclosed her daughter in a hug. ¡°This work of yours is breaking you, daughter.¡± Sniffing hard, Serena returned the hug. ¡°I¡­*sniff* I know, Mother. But I can¡¯t stand idly by while people are injured.¡± Her mind turned back to the blood and death she had witnessed today. Shuddering, she gripped her mother tighter. Eaglin comforted her daughter for a few more minutes in silence, then, patting her back gently, broke the embrace. ¡°Come along, Daughter. The light of day has faded, and your father is looking for you at the keep.¡± She shot Serena a sly grin. ¡°And besides, your Mageous is being reward on the morrow. We can¡¯t have you looking like this during that time.¡± She lowered her voice in a conspiratorial whisper. ¡°Apparently he fought off a stone Golem completely in the nude.¡± Serena blushed heavily, and opened her mouth repeatedly without speaking. Eaglin chuckled at her daughter¡¯s discomfort, and the duo began walking slowly back to the keep. The world faded once again in static, heralding the pitch black. _________________________________________________ With a crackle of electricity, the night sky appeared through the black. Stars twinkled under the light of a crescent moon, and roaring laughter and raised voices could be heard through a tavern window. With the sound of a door slamming against a wall and a burst of firelight, a figure stumbled out of the tavern. Swaying on their feet, the figure began to shuffle off into the deserted streets of Trentshire. ¡°There¡¯sh nuthin like a good *hic* drink after kicking some Orc ash¡­ ain¡¯t tha right, Sarlin?¡± The drunk turned around, almost falling down. Squinting his eyes, he peered into the darkness around him. ¡°Sarlin? Where you hidin, Sarlin?¡± The drunk swayed for a few more moments, glaring into the darkness trying to find his friend. ¡°Bah, shtupid Sarlin. She probably got lost, stupid drunk.¡± A cloud passed over the moon, and bathed the streets in almost pitch darkness. Grumbling and hiccupping to himself, the drunk started stumbling home. As he passed a small side street between two close in buildings, shattering glass brought his attention to the alley. Squinting into the gloom, the drunk stumbled forwards. ¡°Sarlin? That you? Shtupid Sarlin, our home¡¯s *hic* this way. Get out a there.¡± Responding to the drunks words, the shadows seem to twist and turn, creating a towering figure in the darkness, twice the size of any Beast-Kin that the drunk had ever seen. A low growl emanated from the shadows, a deep bass that reverberated through the drunks head, sending his ears ringing. The drunk shook his head, then glared at the darkness. ¡°Yer not Sarlin. She¡¯s much to pretty ta be you. Getsh out of here, before I get the guardsh¡­ the on duty guards, not the guards in the pub. They¡¯re too drunk.¡± The drunk moved away from the shadows, stumbling awkwardly. Before he could move more than a few steps, a massive hand shot from the darkness and enclosed around his head and ripped him off of his feet and into the ally. With the sound of shattering stone, the hand threw the drunk into one of the walls, knocking the wind from him and causing cracks to form in the mortar of the building. Gasping for air, the drunk looked up at the shadowy figure just as the moon broke free from the cloud. Large, dead eyes stared at him. The eyes bore no sympathy, just the maddening hunger of a beast. The face was an amalgamation of fish scale and humanoid features, with a massive jaw ringed with thousands of needle-like teeth. Strings of saliva continuously dripped from the gaping mouth, while the figure bent down on its warped legs. The last thing the drunk saw was the mouth opening far larger than should be possible, and the fetid breath of decaying fish. The crunching of bone signaled the end of the drunk, blood pumping from the stump of his neck, spurting the red liquid all over the creature and the alley way. Swallowing the severed head, the creature grabbed the desecrated body and began dragging it slowly into the darkness, leaving a trail of blood behind it. With a final look at the retreating abomination, the world encloses on itself within the sounds of static. __________________________________________________________ An electric pop brings the world into focus, but everything was darker than the pitch blackness of space. ¡°Wait, wait, I got this.¡± A childlike voice breaks the silence, before a massive thud causes the world to shake and shimmer. Another thud rings out, and a new world comes quickly into focus. Twin eyes, pitch black with irises of silver and reflecting the entirety of the cosmos swirl directly in front. The eyes move backwards, showing a young girl with snow white hair, shifting to black towards the ends. Her dress shimmered, changing colors rapidly through each wave of the fabric. Her feet were bare, and she hovered a few feet off of the floor covered in rolling white fog. The girl smiled. ¡°Good, at least it¡¯s working now.¡± She waved. ¡°Hey all, it¡¯s Lilith. Goddess of Change and all that. Hope you enjoyed that little bit, should have given you guys a good chance to see into the minds of the two women in Jake¡¯s life, at least for the moment. We normally keep with Puppet for this thing, but he¡¯s¡­ a little preoccupied.¡± She gestured over her shoulder, and a computer screen appeared through the fog. On the screen was a man, snoring loudly while sprawled on a massive bed. A large fox was curled up beside him, it¡¯s three tails covering the man¡¯s face. A hand reached up and swatted the tails away, revealing a short crop of dirty blonde hair. Grumbling to himself, the man went back to sleep. Turning back, the Goddess smiled apologetically. ¡°Sorry about that. You didn¡¯t miss much, besides what I¡¯ve already shown you. He¡¯s supposed to be getting rewarded when ¡®the first rays of the dawn light the lowest valley¡¯. I think that¡¯s what Mr. Cuddles said, at least.Anyways, thanks for being here! Off you go!¡± The Goddess made a shooing gesture, and then turned back to the computer. She began typing, occasionally mumbling to herself. ¡°So, this one just unlocked a skill with staves, and it¡¯s a guy¡­ hmm, let¡¯s go with ¡®Surprisingly, you¡¯re really good with handling things long and hard. You can¡¯t have gotten that much practice with what¡¯s in your pants.¡¯ Hmm¡­ could work. Oh well, here you go random guy!¡± The Goddess tapped a single key with a flourish, and giggled to herself. Stretching, she looked back. A look of surprise showed on her childlike face. ¡°Oh, still here? I mean, there¡¯s not much else to do.¡± She gestured around at the blank landscape; the only noticeable features were the rolling mist and the computer. ¡°It takes too much work to generate anything, except if I am going to get something out of it. And, well, you guys can¡¯t really offer much.¡± She tapped a slim finger against her chin, thinking. A lightbulb appeared over her head, and her star-filled eyes dazzled with mischief. ¡°Hey, you guys wanna know what¡¯s coming up next?¡± Lilith began to bounce up and down in the air. ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon. There¡¯s no way that the big guy is going to notice. He lets me occasionally add things in, and he usually leaves most of his notes on his desktop.¡± Skipping through the air, Lilith approached the computer. Sitting down on a chair created from the mist, she began to type. ¡°All right, let¡¯s see here. Username¡­ there it is. Password was¡­ hold up, let me check.¡± She grabs a piece of paper from the air, and looks it over. Tossing it back into the air, the paper vanished as quickly as it appeared. ¡°Here we go. Password is¡­ pASSword1122PassWORD!!@@. And here we go. Oh,¡± she turns back, ¡°forget that password, okay? Thanks.¡± Interlocking her fingers and extending her hands away from her, Lilith pops the cartilage in her fingers with quiet snaps. ¡°Let¡¯s see what we¡¯ve got coming later on. So, Jake is going to receive a ¡®gift¡¯ at the ceremony. That¡¯s normal, I guess. Not too sure why ¡®gift¡¯ was quoted, but there you go. Umm, Serena finds out about Jake¡¯s different forms of magic. Ouch, that might be awkward. Getting called out on your lies sucks. Let¡¯s see¡­ Oh! Jake finally summons his imp! I know at least one of you guys was looking forward to that. And Jake also goes into detail what his pro-¡° The screen went black and dark storm clouds appeared overhead, causing Lilith to be interrupted mid-sentence. ¡°Ah shit¡­¡± She glances around, a speck of fear visible in her eyes. ¡°I was never here, okay?¡± She disappears in a puff of smoke. With a crack of thunder, a figure appeared, holding a squirming loli by the back of her dress like a kitten. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I just wanted to let them know what was coming up! Please don¡¯t-¡° Again, Lilith was caught mid speech by the large figure twirling the Goddess around himself, and tossing her into the air. Her scream slowly petered out as Lilith was rocketed from the ground into the air, disappearing into the white expanse. As she became a speck in the vast emptiness, a flash of light appeared, and the speck was gone. The figure turned, and quirked their head. ¡°I always notice.¡± The figure bowed. ¡°Thank you for your time.¡± The figure disappeared with a crack of lightning, leaving a blank computer screen as the only scenery within the vast expanse of white fog. Nothing happened for a time, and then with the sound of an approaching scream, Lilith smashed back down into the ground. A mushroom cloud of mist appeared at her landing site, and coughing could be heard through the mist. Waving her hand in front of her face, Lilith stepped out of the mist, coughing violently. Glancing up with tear-filled eyes, she noticed something and froze for a moment. Quickly running forwards, her entire face increased in detail and strength, making her the entire world. The world shook for a few moments, loud banging sounds rebounding through everything. ¡°Shit, how do I turn this thing off? That was so embarrassing. Turn off you fucking piece of human shi-¡° Darkness overrode all, and all that was left was the empty void. Pointy Eared Bastards pt 1 The chirping of birds heralded the dawn, and the city of Trentshire came to life. The scents of wood fires, baking bread and the hustle of the morning market signaled the wonderful sight of surviving another night. In the keep, maids and butlers scurried around the grounds, watering flowers, feeding the horses, and catering to any need that the Alpha¡¯s family, and royal guests, needed in the early morn. With a quiet knock, a pair of maids entered into one of the guest bedrooms. This bedroom was currently used by a terror to the maids, a fiend that exuded power without thought, causing their more animal instincts to run wild. And this terror was currently snoring loudly, sleeping on top of the sheets of the massive bed. The pair of maids, twin Rabbit Beast-Kin, tip-toed towards the bed, and watched the sleeping figure, the job they were ordered to do all but forgotten. Well built, and with a striking figure, the fiend caused the young maids¡¯ hearts to race. Off to his side, a large white fox was curled into a ball, his three tails swishing back and forth slowly, and his piercing sapphire eyes glaring frozen daggers at the pair of maids. Stumbling back at the hostile glare, one of the Rabbit-Maids tripped over a corner of one of the rugs spread haphazardly throughout the room. With a shriek, she fell onto her rear end, crunching up the fluffy tail that was coming out above her tailbone. The maids froze, and slowly turned to the figure lying in the bed. It had stopped snoring at the shriek, and was lying perfectly still. The maid that had retained on her feet quickly grabbed up her sister, and quietly rushed her out of the room. With a quiet click, the door shut closed, and the maids breathed a sigh of relief. Inside of the room, the figure sighed as well. Reaching out to the presence on the corner of his mind, he posed the fox beside him a question. So, they gone? The fox barked a quiet laugh. ¡°Indeed, Master. The two terrifying Rabbits have fled in the presence of your strength. You should have seen them. They were drooling over you for quite a while.¡± With a groan, Jake rolled out of the large bed, and blearily walked into the adjacent wash room. Mizutsune yawned, then stood up and stretched, arching his back like a cat. Jumping down off the bed, the waist high fox shook its luscious coat, and trotted over to the window. Resting its front feet on the sill, the fox looked outside to greet the morning. The sounds of running water told the fox that his master was greeting the dawn in his own way. Exiting the bathing room, Jake stifled a yawn with his hand, and reaching into his Inventory, grabbed a cigarette. Popping it into his mouth, Jake lit the cigarette and took a long, slow drag. Holding the toxic smoke in for a moment, he expelled the smoke outside an open window with a sigh. Nothing like a smoke in the mornings. Stretching out his back, Jake glanced around the room, looking for something to wear. He normally slept with nothing besides small clothes to keep his dignity in check, and this day was no different. And of course, I have to be stalked by some fucking horny maids in the morning. I should really start going to bed fully clothed. A cool chuckle rebounded through his mind, and Jake noticed Mizutsune seeming to smirk while gazing out the window. ¡°Oh yeah, and what¡¯s so funny to you?¡± Jake took another drag, glaring at the fox through the wisps of smoke. ¡±You, Master. Your power rolls off of you like waves, causing every female around you to go into heat. And yet, you do nothing about this. You could take them for yourself and extend your bloodline, creating kits with those that want them. This is what I would do. For a more¡­ well, a less feral option would be to control your power better, and cease causing these headaches in the first place.¡± Mizutsune glanced at Jake, the rising sun causing his sapphire eyes to sparkle. ¡°But then again, I am just a simple beast. What would I know of social niceties?¡± Jake blinked, cigarette lifted halfway to his mouth. ¡°Wait, I can control this stuff? Why hasn¡¯t anyone told me about it yet?¡± He blatantly ignored the fox¡¯s jibes at him. Mizutsune shrugged, a decidedly human gesture. ¡°Why would a mouse teach an eagle how to fly? Controlling how much magic you show is a fundamental step for all that practice with the Prime Elements, and most learn this at an early age. They probably imagined that you were flaunting your immense power to the common plebeians. He chuckled drily. If only they knew that you had the formal magical training of a newborn. I feel that would make an interesting sight. He barked in laughter, then dropped down from the window sill. Jake thought for a moment, the gears in his head spinning wildly. ¡°Fuck it. It¡¯s helped me out so far, except for the whole ¡®waterfall in the pants¡¯ thing.¡± Flicking the butt of his cigarette out the window, he sat down on the bed, slowly scratching his goatee. A quiet knock came from the door, and the two Rabbit-Maids from earlier came into the room. Blushing fiercely, they curtsied, keeping their eyes on the floor. ¡°Master Jake,¡± they said in unison, ¡°we have been asked if you would like help preparing for the day. The Alpha will be holding the reward ceremony for your valiant deeds within the morning, and the Head Mistress has asked of us to help you.¡± Glancing out of the corner of his eye at the maids, his hand cupping the top of his cheek and covering his other eye, Jake scrutinized them for a second. Long ears, small bur of a tail out of their asses and nervous fidgeting. Definitely rabbits. With a grunt, Jake moved to his feet, causing the maids to flinch backwards. He noticed that their eyes were glued to his bared chest, the multitude of scars pale against his tanned skin. While the [Flames of the Phoenix] had accelerated his body¡¯s natural regeneration, it could do nothing for the scars from the fight with the Golem Gomorrah. Clearing his throat, he brought the maids¡¯ attention back to his face. Smiling, he gestured towards the cabinet. ¡°Of course, I would be honored.¡± Blushing furiously, the maids scampered over the cabinet with all the grace they could muster. It was not much, and one of the maids tripped over the leg of a table resting in the corner. The other maid, the one who had tripped over the carpet earlier that morning, helped her sister scramble to her feet, and dragged her to the closet. Staring at the maids, Jake sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. It¡¯s too fucking early for this shit. ______________________________________________________________ After being helped dress in an outfit matching his previous one, and fighting off the wandering hands of the maids, Jake was escorted to the throne room where he had met Mr. Cuddles yesterday. Standing outside of the large twin doors, Jake tapped his foot in exasperation. Of course there¡¯s more fucking waiting. ¡®Oh hero, thank you for your efforts to save the city. While we can give you your just reward now, I believe that it would be better to wait until the morning. What is that? It is morning now and you would like your reward? Oh hero, would you kindly wait for a few more moments, there seems to be a problem with your gold; it isn¡¯t shiny enough for a hero of your caliber.¡¯ This is stupid. Mizutsune huffed at Jake¡¯s bitching, a frozen air expelling out of his nose. ¡°What would you expect of those that dwell within a city? They do not understand the necessity of speedy action. They have lost all of the instincts that would enable them to live a decent life in the wilds.¡± The fox lifted a paw and shook it for a moment. ¡°I do not understand how they are able to walk across stone their entire lives. Is this why you wear those leather wrappings on your feet?¡± Pretty much. Jake sighed, and conjuring a small purple flame, began to make it dance across his hands to keep him from breaking things. We don¡¯t have the padding that you have on your paws, so we had to create something that would work for us. Jake watched the dancing flame, letting his mind wander. Mizutsune watched the flame as well, gaze focused on nothing. ¡°I miss the forest. The sounds and smells of this place, while interesting, are becoming a little much to bear. When are we planning on continuing our original quest, given from the All Mother?¡± Jake glanced at his fox, ignoring the stares of the two guards on the edges of the doors, hypnotized by the dancing flame. Soon, hopefully. Whenever we get this shit done with. I need to give some new orders to my Bou- Trumpets from just inside the room silenced Jake¡¯s thoughts, and he quickly snuffed the flame, much to the disappointment of the bored guards. After the trumpet call, a loud and clear voice echoed through the doors. ¡°Sir Jake from the State of Farme, Mageous of the Purple Flame, has arrived.¡± Seriously, I will just be glad to leave this place so I don¡¯t have to hear the fucking ¡®Jake from State Farm¡¯ jokes any more. I didn¡¯t wear khakis back on Earth in the first place, either. Why the fuck¡­ Jake continued to bitch about his poor life decisions as the doors opened, and the guards bowed respectfully on either side. Jake strode through the hall, with Mizutsune trailing on his left side. Walking down a carpet of red fabric, Jake looked around. On each side were an assortment of soldiers and civilians, all dressed up. Metals glinted off of the soldiers¡¯ breasts, and the civilians were wearing the finest clothes that they could purchase. But they could not compare to the Alpha and his family at the end of the red carpet. Sitting on his throne, Mr. Cuddles cut the dashing figure. Golden main flowing majestically in a light breeze, zweihander resting against the armrests of the glorified chair, his feline eyes staring at the approaching duo unblinkingly. At his sides were his three wives.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Sharan, the Shark Beast-Kin, was smiling at Jake from the Alpha¡¯s left, her jagged rows of teeth reflecting a ravenous hunger. She was dressed in a shimmering deep blue dress, cut in the back to accommodate her large fish tail coming out of her waist. Next to Sharan, the Lizard Beast-Kin wife, who¡¯s name still had not been revealed to Jake, bowed her head slightly to the approaching duo. The frill coming out of her neck was fully extended, creating a hood of red scales above her blood red dress. A serpentine tail twitched back and forth behind her, creating a mesmerizing sight. On the Alpha¡¯s right, Eaglin the Bird-Kin had her head cocked, her unblinking eyes seeming to gaze into Jake¡¯s soul. Her large brown wings expanded slightly behind her, causing shadows to fall over her light yellow dress. Jake stared back at her, refusing to be cowed by the puffed up pigeon. The two continued their contest of wills as he and Mizutsune continued to walk up the aisle, stopping only when he was at the foot of the stairs leading up to where the family was standing and sitting, in Mr. Cuddles¡¯ case. ¡°Kneel.¡± The Alpha growled, and moving his gaze to him, Jake slowly dropped down to one knee. Mizutsune, deciding against it, sat back on his haunches and stared the Lion-Kin down. Jake heard his cool voice resound through his mind, seemingly echoing through the confines of his skull. ¡°I bow my head to no being, besides my creator.¡± The look of shock on Mr. Cuddles face, and the whispering from the others in the hall, made Jake think that his fox had spoken his statement to everyone in attendance. Smirking slightly to himself, Jake remained on his knee. While I like the theatrics, I really want to get the fuck out of here. It¡¯s only been about a day and I¡¯m already done with this shit. Mizutsune shot him a quiet chuckle. Jake bowed his head, and before the people in the hall could respond to Mizutsune¡¯s comment, Jake spoke in a loud and carrying voice. ¡°Alpha, I thank you for your great hospitality and kindness that you have shown me and my companion. But, sadly, we must continue on with my quest. I humbly request for you to keep whatever reward that you are intending to bestow upon me, for I have no want for anything besides that which will help me with saving my sister.¡± Hopefully that will be enough to dissuade them from doing anything stupid, like knighting me or some bull shit like that. The mutters and whispers from those attending the ceremony started up again, louder this time. Jake caught bits and pieces of the conversations, mostly in line with ¡®how rude¡¯, ¡®he can¡¯t talk to the Alpha like that¡¯, and more to the same effect. The mutterings were quickly cut off as loud, roaring laughter came from the Alpha¡¯s throat. Jake tilted his head upwards, staring at Mr. Cuddles through his eyelashes. The Lion-Kin was smirking at him, his sharp teeth glinting in the sunlight streaming through the windows. ¡°You are quite humorous, Mageous. No one would do what you have done and not want a reward for their actions. And so, I will give you what you deserve.¡± With a swirl of golden fabric, the Alpha stood to his feet. Grabbing the massive sword at his side, he walked down to where Jake kneeled with slow, measured steps. Stopping in front of the kneeling human, the Alpha gripped the massive sword with both hands, raising the point skyward. Laying the flat of the blade on Jake¡¯s right shoulder, he spoke, his deep voice reverberating through the hall with a power that was not there before. ¡°I, Lyrus Proudroar, Alpha of the city of Trentshire, by my right of rule given by the God Lykan, Caretaker of the Wilds, I name this being before me Friend of Beasts. Let this be known, and let all know of this one¡¯s accomplishments!¡± As Mr. Cuddles finished his speech, a series of blue screens appeared in front of Jake.
Rewards Obtained
For Completing the Quest [For the Keep], the following rewards have been granted:
1000 Gold (Withheld due to damage caused to the Keep by the Quester)???????????????????? Reputation with Trentshire has Improved (Neutral-Friendly)?????????????????????????? Reputation with Lyrus Proudroar and his Family has Improved (Neutral-Friendly)?????????????? Reputation with the Orcs of Erbadon has decreased (Neutral-Unfriendly) ??????????????????New Title [Friend of Beasts] Acquired
Friend of Beasts
For defending members of his pack at the risk of your own life, the Wolf God Lykan, Caretaker of the Wilds, has gifted you this title. Increases Reputation with all Beasts and Beast-Kin up to Friendly (Negative relations are increased to Neutral). Lykan welcomes you into his pack, and the pack will protect their own.
Reputations
As you have gained your first Reputation ranking besides Neutral, you have unlocked the Reputation Window.
Hated Hostile Unfriendly Neutral Friendly Honored Revered
None None Orcs of Erbadon Beasts Beast-Kin/??Lyrus Proudroar/??Trentshire None? None
¡­ Are you fucking kidding me? Mr. Cuddles removed his sword from Jake¡¯s shoulder, and gripping the kneeling Mageous¡¯ arms, hauled him to his feet. Shooting the human a grin, Mr. Cuddles clapped him on the shoulder. The crowd cheered at the award, and Jake could do nothing but force a pleasant smile on his face. Clearing his throat, he bowed his head. ¡°Thank you, Alpha, for this exceptional gift. I gladly accept the title, and will attempt to the best of my abilities to uphold it.¡± I really would have liked the money though. If I ever get the chance to buy something, that is. ¡°Before you leave the city,¡± Mr. Cuddles said, still holding Jake by his shoulders. ¡°I would like to have a word with you. I believe that I know of a way to help with your quest to save your sister. We of the Beast-Kin are not strongly versed in the arts of magic, compared to some other races. But, we have come upon an opportunity to send a delegation to a group that is far more talented. I would like to send you along with that delegation.¡± Mr. Cuddles looked over his shoulder, then turning back around released Jake. Taking a few steps back, the Alpha raised his voice over the cheering crowd. ¡°That will be all for now! Carry on with your daily tasks. The city still needs to be rebuilt!¡± Another cheer rang out, mixed in with some grumbling from the common citizens. They were expecting the esteemed Mageous to dazzle them with spells, but they were sorely disappointed. As the crowd dispersed through the doors, Mr. Cuddles gestured at Jake to follow him. Looking down at Mizutsune, Jake quirked an eyebrow. Shrugging his shoulders, the fox rose from his haunches and began to trot after the Alpha. Sighing, Jake followed behind. Now how the fuck am I supposed to get these guys pissed at me enough to get them to band together with their mortal enemies to kill me? Why did I decide to go and fight again? ____________________________________________________ ¡°As I mentioned earlier, we are sending an envoy to one of the nearby races to establish some form of peace between our peoples.¡± Mr. Cuddles was seated in what could only be an office space. Shelves filled with books and scrolls lined the walls, and a large desk sat in the middle of the room, cluttered with different papers. Jake took a quick glance at one of the papers, his [Disciple of Change] skill translating the words, and saw a proof of sale for a list of items including lumber, stone and wheat. Jake crossed his legs from where he was sitting on a chair in front of the desk. ¡°And you would like me to act as a bodyguard?¡± He asked the Lion-Kin. Mizutsune was curled up at Jake¡¯s side, watching the Alpha with his sapphire eyes. Shrugging, Mr. Cuddles leaned back in his chair. ¡°I believe it will be beneficial for both of us. You will gain access to a group of people who are far more versed in magic than we are, and we will gain your powers as a Mageous for protection.¡± He smiled. ¡°What do you think?¡±
New Quest Alert
Why Can¡¯t We Be Friends?
Lyrus Proudroar, the Alpha of Trentshire, has asked you to escort a political delegation to ensure peace with the city¡¯s neighbors. Will you help?
Yes No
Difficulty??2/5
Rewards: Increased Reputation with Trentshire, Unknown
Jake scratched at his goatee, and glanced down at Mizutsune. What do you think? The fox blinked, never taking his eyes off of the Alpha. ¡°It could work for our betterment. We could sabotage these peace agreements, and make them go to war. When they are at each other¡¯s throats, we can strike at their exposed flanks. They will either band together, or die.¡± Mizutsune glanced up at Jake, then shifted his gaze back to the Alpha. ¡°It has a high possibility of succeeding, and if it does not, we will grow stronger on their corpses.¡± Jake froze for a second, thinking over what his companion had said. Jesus, you¡¯re a vicious little fucker, aren¡¯t you? Mizutsune chuckled, the cold sound bouncing through his head. ¡°Says the person who leaves a Binding of Dark in a populated city with the only instructions of ¡®have fun¡¯ to control it. I think that is far more disturbing than the natural response of a predator.¡± Touch¨¦. Jake looked up at Mr. Cuddles, and nodded. ¡°I accept.¡±
Quest Accepted
The Alpha smiled, baring his teeth. ¡°Very good. Very good. Now, all we need to wait for is the delegation to arr-¡° Quiet knocks came from the door leading to the office, interrupting Mr. Cuddles. ¡°Ah, it seems the delegation has arrived. Enter.¡± The door opens slowly, and a familiar Owl Beast-Kin enters the room. Keeping her head bowed, she executes a quick curtsy. ¡°Father, I am ready for the task that you have given me.¡± She looks up, and noticing Jake, emits a small squeak while jumping backwards. Blushing furiously, Serena straightens out the white dress that she is wearing, her large wings shivering slightly. The Alpha chuckled quietly to himself, and shot Jake a grin. ¡°It would seem that you have already made an impact on my daughter.¡± Serena blush grows even darker. Mr. Cuddles leaned forward, his voice dropping menacingly. ¡°If you hurt a single feather on her body, I will eat your heart.¡± Leaning backwards, he laughed to lighten the mood. Jake remained silent, eyes bouncing back and forth between Mr. Cuddles and the blushing Serena. Sighing at the whole ordeal, he looked back at the Alpha. ¡°You did not tell me, who are you attempting to create a treaty with?¡± Mr. Cuddles looked at him with confusion. ¡°The High Elves of the Dark Woods, of course.¡± Jake groaned internally. Of course it¡¯s fucking elves. And what the fuck is up with the High, Dark and Wood all being the same type of elf? This is already starting to get stupid. Pointy Eared Bastards pt 2 Golden beams of sunlight fell down on a figure lying atop a sealed carriage. Wisps of smoke rose from a white stick in his hand, easily seen in the cloudless blue sky. The figure lowered the stick to his mouth, a bright ember flaring to life on the end of the stick. Exhaling a small cloud from his lungs, the figure continued staring up at the vast expanse of blue, while the carriage trundled on, bouncing off of small rocks in the road behind a pair of large black horses, sweating slightly from the sun and the effort of dragging the large piece of wood. A single battle-scarred Bear Beast-Kin drove the carriage, a piece of straw hanging from his mouth. Behind them, a cart filled with supplies manned by a pair of soldiers trundled along, the duo talking amiably with each other. Jake watched a flock of birds travel in their ¡®V¡¯, heading God knows where. He allowed his mind to wander, letting thoughts bubble forth from the back of his conscious. It had been three days since the Alpha, Mr. Cuddles, had asked Jake to escort his daughter on a diplomatic mission to the High Elves of the Dark Woods. The previous two days were a mad rush to prepare for the journey, which was supposed to take roughly two weeks by wagon. By himself, Jake could have probably made the trip within a week to a month, depending on how motivated he was. They had left that morning, He took another drag on the cigarette, watching the wisps of smoke be sucked away by the wind. Rolling over to the side of the carriage, he hung his head down to one of the windows. Inside was the delegation sent by the Alpha, along with one addition. Mizutsune was curled into a ball, his silver fur glistening in the light. He rested his head in the lap of Felicia Ember-Tail, the head maid back at the keep, Serena¡¯s personal retainer and, incidentally, the first maid that Jake and Mizutsune had run into the first day in the city. Felicia, her red fox-tail lying beside her and thumping lightly against the seat, was slowly petting the large white fox, smiling down on him. The other member of the carriage, watching the hills roll by at the window, was Serena. Her white and brown wings were tucked behind her back, situated in a way that they would not be strained on the soft cushions behind her. Her arm rested on the sill of the window, holding her head while she gazed out into the distance, lost in thought. Before Jake could interrupt their quiet gathering, Mizutsune opened one clear sapphire eye and glared at him. His cold voice, mixed with contentment and slight animosity, echoed through Jake¡¯s skull. ¡°Master, if you interrupt her while she is petting me, I will make sure that you never have a peaceful moment in your life again.¡± With that, the fox closed his eye again and snuggled in closer to the maid, causing her smile to grow wider. Jake blinked, then slowly withdrew his head from the window. Got it. Don¡¯t cock-block the fox. Mizutsune chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t forget it, Master.¡± Tendrils of emotion slowly moved through the bond, giving Jake a small taste of the pleasure his fox was going through. Jake chuckled to himself. Must be nice. Staring back at the cloudless sky, Jake reached out to the portion of his mind that was attached to a creature of Dark that he had left back in the city. During their trip, Jake had gotten too anxious sitting in the wagon, not to mention the effect he was having on the female Beast-Kin, and had decided to lay out on top of the roof. Letting his mind wander, he had run across a thread of consciousness at the very limits of his mind. Surprised, he had followed the thread to its source. He had found a being at the end of the thread, a being that he had brought into this world through his magic. The creature¡¯s mind was empty, devoid of all thought except for a single sentence delivered by its master and creator. ¡®Have fun.¡¯ As Giggles had described, this was the mind of a normal Binding, instead of the Transcended version that his first Bound creation had been. Back in the present, Jake followed the thread to his Binding of Dark, and watched its progress through its eyes, letting the senses of the Binding override his own. He could still feel the wood of the carriage beneath him, and the wind through his hair, but the senses were dulled, indiscernible unless he was actively looking for them, while he was in this state. The scent of dead flesh and decomposing waste was the first thing that Jake noticed. The second thing was the crunching of bone and the tearing sounds of flesh as his Binding feasted on a poor unsuspecting victim. Grimacing to himself, Jake retracted his presence from the Bound, and came back to his own body. I might be brutal, but that is still fucked up. And where was it at? The sewers? Jesus. Opening his eyes, he found a blue screen before him.
New Skill Acquired
Possessive Creator: Beginner 1
You have gazed through the eyes of a Bound Creature, and gained insight to how their empty minds work. With greater practice, you will be able to gain control over your Bound through ¡®possessing¡¯ their body and mind.
Allows orders to Bound Creatures to be issued at distance. Increasing this Skill allows for a greater distance to the Bound for orders, and at higher ranks, will allow the Binder to take direct control of the Bound for a limited time.
Raising his eyebrow at the non-sarcastic notification, Jake mulled the idea of talking to Lilith about it. Deciding against it, he waved the notification away and continued to stare at the sky. I¡¯m bored, but I¡¯m not that bored. Thinking of nothing better to do, Jake decided to go over his stats to pass the time.
Status
Race: Human Name: Jake Roshaven Level: 26??72% Titles: Voidwalker??Friend of Beasts Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Health: 230 Stamina: 210 Mana: 675
Attributes
Vitality: 23 Strength: 10 Endurance: 21 Agility: 10 Dexterity: 10 Intelligence: 45 Wisdom: 45
Sighing, Jake closed out the window. While his stats were rather incredible for his level, he still knew that there was so much more room to grow before he was able to get to the reason why he was here. Well, technically, I¡¯ve already started on that. I¡¯ve got the Orcs hating my guts right now, so all I need to do is make the elves pissed off at the Beast-Kin. After that, I¡¯ll strike them while they¡¯re wounded from the fighting, and either they will join up to take me out or be crushed. Sighing again, Jake flicked the burned out butt of his cigarette over the side, and lit up another one. Why is that so convoluted? Knowing my luck, the fucking Elves will think of me as their savior and throw women at my feet. Inhaling the toxic smoke, Jake closed his eyes and began to drum his fingers on his chest, creating a staccato of a song from his world. Mumbling under his breath, he quietly sang the words ingrained into his memory, ignoring the fact that he was as tone-deaf as a rock. ¡°Oh E-Oh E-Oh, there¡¯s a Demon inside. Oh E-Oh E-Oh, just like Jekyll and Hide. Oh E-Oh E-Oh, all this anger inside. Oh E-Oh E-Oh, I feel like Jekyll and Hide.¡± He passed the time, going through song after song. As the sun was ending its path through the sky, the quiet muttering of Bohemian Rhapsody was abruptly stopped as Jake opened his eyes and glanced over to his side. Poking their heads above the wagon roof¡¯s edge, Serena and Felicia were staring at him with wide eyes. Jake froze, staring back at them. He slowly moved into a sitting position and, tentatively, reached out to Mizutsune. How long have they been there? Mizutsune responded with slight dejection. ¡°After your third horrible attempt at singing. I believe it was something about ¡®putting your love into a babe¡¯. While I tend not to judge, Master, pedophilia is frowned upon in most societies.¡± His voice grew colder. ¡°Not only that, but you have interrupted my time with that vixen Felicia. I shall remember this, Master, and return the favor to you.¡± Shit. Scratching the back of his head, he shot the two Beast-Kin an embarrassed smile. ¡°Sorry about that, I already know that I can¡¯t sing.¡± ¡°Mageous Jake, were those the songs of your people?¡± Serena asked, her pupils growing larger, focusing entirely on Jake. Felicia leaned forward as well, her bushy tail swaying back and forth behind her.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Uh, yeah. I am sorry that I can¡¯t do them justice. My throat doesn¡¯t allow me to sing. And please, stop calling me Mageous. Just Jake would be fine.¡± Jake lowered his hand, and looked around. They were still in the rolling plains, but in the far distance a row of mountains jutted up from the ground, their white peaks breaking through the clouds. On their left, a dark forest had appeared, and Jake noticed a few small glowing lights coming from their depths. ¡°Could¡­ Would it be possible if you taught us them, Mag¡­ Jake?¡± Serena asked tentatively, slightly blushing. Felicia, on the other hand, nodded forcefully, showing that she was far more excited to learn. Serena cleared her throat daintily. ¡°They seem rather interesting, and you looked like you were enjoying yourself. But, why were you singing them in the language of the Beast-Men?¡± She tilted her head cutely. No, don¡¯t think like that Jake. You¡¯re not here to get laid, you¡¯ve got a job. Bringing his mind back on track, Jake thought what he should reveal. ¡°While they might sound better in my own language, I wanted to test myself to see if I could properly translate them into this language.¡± Jake thought, hoping they would not ask any more questions. Shit, why couldn¡¯t I just sing them in English? Serena had a thoughtful expression on her face, nodding slowly. ¡°I see. I would be honored if you would be able to teach us.¡± She bowed her head, her owl-ears rotating slightly. Felicia, on the other hand, was staring at Jake, her eyes sparkling with an indistinguishable emotion. Jake forced a smile, and responded. ¡°If we have the time.¡± Mizu, distract your fox-lady. She¡¯s looking at me weird. ¡°I apologize, Master, but I do not know if I can. There is something keeping me precisely where I am at.¡± Mizutsune responded with a hint of happiness betraying his normally cold voice. What the fuck are you talking about!? An image came through the bond between human and fox. A beautiful picture of a pair of long white legs underneath a frilled black and white maids dress. Mizutsune, from where he was in the carriage, had the perfect view up Felicia¡¯s dress where she was sitting on the window sill, giving him an unobstructed view of her underclothes. They were thin, black, and very lacy. GOD FUCKING DAMNIT MIZU! ______________________________________________________________ The crackling of flames provided comfort for the party, the breaking logs spitting sparks into the night sky. The group had found a spot next to the road to camp for the night, and had gathered around the campfire, waiting for the evening meal. Mizutsune and Felicia went hunting, and returned with a large boar, which was roasting on a spit over the flames. Grease occasionally dripped down, causing the flames to sputter and snap with hunger. Jake was not too sure what else they did besides hunting, but Felicia was slightly flushed and Mizutsune had a sense of contentment rolling off of him in waves. ¡°Mageous Jake,¡± one of the guards, a Wolf-Kin with one of his ears cut off around halfway, giving him a lopsided look, broke the silence of the group. ¡°If at all possible, would you relate the tale of how you fought that massive Stone Golem during the siege? I have heard some of it, but I am not too sure if it has been heavily embellished or not.¡± His voice was gravelly, as if he had been gargling stones. The rest of the group looked on with expectant faces. Jake shrugged. Reaching into his Inventory, he grabbed a cigarette and stood up. The Bear-Kin that was driving the carriage saw this and, with recognition on his face, made a grabbing gesture. Jake stared at him for a second, and slowly reached into his inventory and grabbed another cigarette. Handing it off to the grinning Bear-Kin, Jake began to retell the story to the gathered group, his deep voice creating a back drop to the cracking and hissing of the fire. When he had finished, he sat back down and looked at the Bear-Kin. ¡°I am surprised that you know about cigarettes.¡± He took a drag, feeling the toxic smoke sooth his body. The Bear-Kin grunted, inhaling as well. With an exhale, the Bear shot Jake another feral grin. ¡°I don¡¯t know about cigarettes, but the smoke-sticks that my family makes look exactly the same. But, I think that these are stronger.¡± The Bear took another long, slow drag. The Wolf-Kin leaned forward, nudging the other soldier at his side, a female Spotted Leapord, and asked Jake a question with a shit-eating grin on his face. ¡°Is it true, Mageous, that you fought off the Golem while completely naked?¡± Jake groaned, leaning backwards with a hand resting on his face. Serena blushed furiously, and covered her face. Jake looked back at the Wolf-Kin, grin covering his face. ¡°How the fuck did that make it around so fast?¡± The party laughed loudly, except for Serena who had her face still covered, and Felicia who was glaring daggers at the Wolf-Kin. She spoke, her quiet voice holding a dangerous undertone. ¡°I would appreciate it if you did not ask such questions while in the presence of Lady Serena. I would hate if something were to¡­ happen to you.¡± Her hand slowly went up the sleeve of her dress, and a glint of metal could be seen, reflecting the light of the flames. The Wolf-Kin¡¯s face quickly paled, and he started waving his hands furiously in the air. ¡°No no no no, I won¡¯t ask any more questions. I swear it.¡± Smiling slightly, Felicia returned her hand to her side. Jake stared at the exchange, feeling some amount of pride. HAHA! FUCKING NEW IT! The maids and butlers are assassins! Felicia turned her gaze towards Jake, and slightly bowed her head. ¡°Mageous Jake, I am interested in the spells that you used to fight the Golem. I have never heard of anything like them.¡± She held up her hand, and a small ball of golden flame appeared, floating above her outstretched palm. ¡°As a fellow practitioner of Fire, I would be interested in trading notes with you.¡± She had an expectant smile on her face while she stared at Jake, eyes flashing with a hunger for knowledge. Jake paused, thinking. ¡°Possibly. I¡¯ve mostly discovered my spells through trial and error. I also haven¡¯t been around other magic users, so I am not too sure if it would be possible to teach others my magic.¡± Everyone was quiet, staring at Jake in shock. Serena spoke up, voice slightly quavering. ¡°Y¡­ you mean that you are a self-taught Mageous? You have had no formal instruction?¡± Jake blinked. Shit. ¡°Uh, yes? Is that strange?¡± I already know it¡¯s fucking strange, but shit. How am I supposed to get out of this? Mizutsune chuckled at his misfortune, his sapphire eyes dancing with merriment from where he laid next to the fire. ¡°Well, Master, the cat is out of the bag now. Have fun trying to put it back in.¡± The group stared at him, slack jawed. Serena opened and closed her mouth repeatedly without speaking, giving a very good impression of a fish. Felicia, on the other hand, was staring at him with mouth hanging open, her tail waving back and forth violently. ¡°That¡­¡± Serena finally found her voice. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! There is no way that you are that powerful without any help! I am only an Apprentice of Light, and I have been training for years! What is your skill level in Fire?!¡± She nearly shrieked the question. This snapped everyone out of their daze, and they looked at the Owl-Kin with shock. ¡°Serena!¡± Felicia said loudly, making the young girl jump. Felicia bowed her head towards Jake. ¡°Our apologies, Mageous. It is beyond rude to ask anyone of their skill levels. I believe that it is time for myself and Lady Serena to retire for the night.¡± She stood up, and taking a knife, cut a few long strips of boar meat off of the roasting pig. Taking them, she pulled Serena to her feet, the Owl-Kin blushing fiercely, and walked back into the carriage. Ushering Serena inside, she turned back around and bowed deeply. ¡°Good night.¡± She walked into the carriage, and closed the door forcefully. The group slowly turned back to the fire, and they began to take pieces of the boar for themselves, each lost in their own thoughts. ____________________________________________________ The days passed in much the same manner. Jake would spend the day going through the vast amount of songs that he had picked up from his home and teaching them to the two female Beast-Kin, and at night he would spend the time joking around with the guards and practicing magic with Felicia. Serena would join them occasionally, practicing her Light magic by creating spheres of light and sending them dancing through the plains. Jake would occasionally check in with the Bound that he left in the city of Trentshire, but there was not much going on. It was either eating, sleeping, or on the hunt. Jake had watched one of the hunts that his Bound went on, and he was rather glad that he was no longer in the city. He could feel his Bound getting stronger, the presence in his mind expanding. It was still thoughtless besides the most basic instincts, but Jake was unsure if it was going to stay that way. Giggles had not contacted him since the night that he had created it, the night of the Orc raid, and he was playing with the idea of getting in touch with her himself. One night, while Jake was playing with a single ball of deep purple flame, the female Leopard-Kin walked up towards him. Saluting with her right hand slamming against her breast, she spoke loudly. ¡°Lord Mageous, may I speak, sir?¡± Quirking an eyebrow at her, Jake extinguished the flame by clenching his hand into a fist. The ball of flame imploded, burning bright for a second before popping into sparks with a light fizzle. He stood, and bowed his head slightly to the Leopard. ¡°Of course, but no need for formalities. Just call me Jake.¡± Dropping the salute, she stood with her feet shoulder width apart and hands clasped behind her back. ¡°I cannot do that, sir. It would be against protocol.¡± Jake remained silent, staring her down. The Leopard returned the stare, not backing down. They stood still for a few minutes, willing the other to break. Sighing loudly through his nose, Jake gave up. Waving his hand, he spoke to the stubborn cat. ¡°What can I help you with?¡± ¡°Sir, I would like to spar with you.¡± She spoke loudly and with force. Jake blinked, surprised. ¡°And why would you want to do that?¡± He questioned her, trying to figure out what she gained from this. ¡°Sir, I was part of the defense of the city, specifically on the wall. When you first arrived, you took multiple of my kills with your magic.¡± She smiled, her long sharp teeth glinting in the firelight. ¡°Since I cannot take those kills back, I would ask to-¡° A low whistle and a thunk interrupted her words. Her eyes opened in shock, her mouth still moving silently. Blood began to bubble up from her throat, coating her lips red. She stumbled forward and fell, an arrow lodged into her throat. Jake stared at her for a few seconds, shocked. Another low whistle of air being passed quickly was the only thing that alerted him. Jumping to the side, a second arrow buried itself into his shoulder. Screaming, he fell down onto his side. Reaching up, he yanked the arrow out of his body, ignoring the sharp pain of the barbed point tearing through his skin and muscles. Gathering as much air as he could, he shouted at the top of his lungs, alerting the rest of the camp. ¡°AMBUSH!¡± Pointy Eared Bastards pt 3 The camp exploded into chaos. The two remaining soldiers, the battle-scarred Bear-Kin and the single-eared Wolf-Kin began pulling weapons from their inventories, arming themselves. Serena, frozen in shock, was dragged to the closed in carriage by Felicia, and violently thrown inside. Mizutsune, glowing like a white star, began to growl threateningly into the darkness, waves of frost flowing from his body, flash-freezing the ground around him. Scrambling to his feet, Jake ran quickly back to the fire, weaving back and forth to make it harder for any more assailants to target him with arrows. Reaching the fire, he turned back around, one hand applying pressure to the bleeding wound and the other encased in roiling purple and black flames. ¡°Does anyone see any of these fuckers?¡± Jake asked the guards as they shuffled towards him, eyes scanning the darkness. The Bear growled in the negative, while the Wolf was slightly shaking. ¡°These roads are patrolled constantly. How in the Hells could there be bandits around?!¡± His voice was high pitched, his eyes darting back and forth with fear. ¡°Pull your shit together.¡± Jake growled at the Wolf, watching the darkness. All that he could see were the grasses of the plains waving from the night breeze, the light of the moon and campfire causing the fronds to light up. The whistling of an arrow was their only warning, and a second later an arrow whizzed past the four men, burying itself into the frame of the wagon. Jake responded almost immediately, firing a stream of flames from his hands in the general direction of where the arrow had come from. The purple flames shot through the long grass, instantly burning them to a crisp. A shrill scream followed the roar of flames, and a shadow darted through the brush, being burned alive from the hungering flames. Mizutsune shot a spear of ice at the figure, impaling it as it ran through the grass and ending its suffering. A second arrow flew through the air and buried itself into the Wolf-Kin¡¯s leg, sending him screaming to the ground. Fucking hell. ¡°Mizu, wall us off!¡± Jake ordered his fox, closing his eyes and focusing, feeling for the small pressure from the [Scent of Death] spell that he had so far neglected to use. Shadows bloomed in his mind, giving him a general sense of his attackers. Death rolled off of them in waves, overlapping each other. Jake could not get an accurate count of his enemies, but he knew that they were strong and that they had killed a lot, and killed very recently. God, I¡¯m a fucking idiot. I need to remember to use this thing. This shit could have been avoided. Opening his eyes, a wall of ice separated the four defenders and the wagon from the outside, the circle of ice sending white mist rolling onto the ground. Directly in front of Jake¡¯s face, an arrow was quivering in the ice, the vibration from striking the wall still making it wobble. Jesus fucking Christ Mizu, I almost got my head taken off. Thanks. Mizutsune¡¯s calm and cold voice soothed some of Jake¡¯s worries. ¡°It was close, Master. I shall keep an eye on the walls. Take care of your wound and that blubbering excuse of a Wolf. I will make sure that these fools know who the true predator is.¡± Saying this, Mizutsune howled into the sky, his high pitched voice sounding like a woman screaming. Around the outside of the wall, a flurry of ice began to form, spinning slowly around the entrenched party. As the fox¡¯s song continued, the flurry began to pick up speed, and soon a blizzard roared on the outside of the wall, ripping dirt and grass from the ground, and pushing the attackers back. His voice came through, sounding strained. ¡°I can keep this going for a few minutes, Master. Afterwards, I will not be able to do much. Use the time wisely.¡± Jake grimaced, and turned to the Wolf-Kin that was wailing on the ground, his cries of pain sounding almost the same as Mizutsune¡¯s howling. ¡°Get your ass into the carriage and have Serena get you back on your feet.¡± The Wolf looked at him, tears straining his face. Jake growled, and reaching down, forcefully pulled him to his feet and shoved him bodily towards the , ignoring the pain and blood coming from his wound. Out of the corner of Jake¡¯s eye, he saw the Bear-Kin twirling two dual bladed axes in his hands. ¡°We¡¯ve got a few minutes. If you have any, get any armor on that would work for you.¡± Jake told the Bear-Kin, who growled and began to quickly equip a set of mixed leather and chain-mail armor from his Inventory. Concentrating, Jake began to do the same. A pillar of flame erupted from his feet, completely encompassing the figure in violet flames. The pillar expanded to twice the height of the caster, and then began to spin rapidly, folding back into itself until a raging tornado of flame was spinning in the center of the camp, absorbing the light shining down upon them from the stars and the moon.
New Spell Created
Armament of Fire
From the burning Core to the five Hells, Fire has shaped this world into what it must be. And, in return, you have shaped Fire to your will. By binding the Flames to an idea, you have formed protection that will defend you from any attack made against you.
Mana Use: 200 Sacrificed Mana until canceled (Sacrificed Mana will not be Regenerated)
The tornado collapsed into itself again with the crash of roaring flames, and in its place stood a being that would send shivers down even the most hardened murderer¡¯s spine. Black plated armor glowed with an inner light were layered over the figure, giving an image of hardened scales. Tongues of purple flame sporadically burst forth from the armor, traveling up and down the figure, creating rivers of flame over the plate. Where the head would be, a fully closed helmet with an elongated mouth appeared, framing the head in liquid flames. Purple embers appeared in the black eye sockets, and hardened flame stood at the top of the helmet, creating a crown of glowing obsidian. Long flames erupted from the plated gauntlets, forming claws at the ends of each finger. The figure raised his hands, and clenched his fists, testing the armor. Jake grunted to himself, and then looked at the notification. Raising an eyebrow, he read through the description. Alright, seriously, what is going on with Lilith? It¡¯s almost as if it¡¯s a different person. Shaking his head, he began to move forward, ignoring the burning pain in his shoulder. I should have really healed first¡­ Ah, fuck it. ¡°Mizu, I¡¯m going out. Keep them back.¡± Jake¡¯s voice cut through the wails of the fox and the snapping of his armor. He began running towards the wall and, lowering his shoulder, crashed through. His armor melted through a portion of the wall, and the force of his running tackle broke through the rest. ¡°Master.¡± Mizutsune¡¯s cold voice broke through his mind, the anger rolling off of the fox in waves. ¡°Please, tell me¡­ Why are you making it easier for the attackers to get to us? Are you naturally stupid, or do you have to work for it?¡± I¡¯m not going to sit around and let them pick us off one by one. Jake shot back at the fox, his blood pounding through his ears, and began to run towards the closest mass of death he could sense. Arrows began to fly at him from the darkness, but the heat from his armor instantly melted the arrowheads and ignited the shafts. All that reached him were small amounts of molten metal, and those did not hurt him through his armor. A figure stood up from the grass, and roared a challenge at Jake, raising a massive battle axe. It was a massive figure looming out of the darkness, and talismans glinted in the light of the moon from its bulging neck. It was an Orc. Jake responded with a roar of his own, and his armor exploded into stronger flames, adding the roar of Fire to his voice. The Orc twisted his body, and taking a sidelong stance, swung the axe as hard as he could towards the approaching figure. Crouching down, Jake went under the swing and sprung upwards, dragging his flame-enhanced claws through the Orc as he went. The Orc crumbled without a sound, the wounds cauterizing as soon as they appeared. The scent of scorched hair and roasting meat began to permeate the air. Jake rolled onto the ground, dodging another arrow that was sent his way. Finding the attacker, he sprung towards the figure. ¡°Master, I have taken care of three more attackers that have attempted to make it through the breach that you created in our defenses. Thank you for allowing me this chance, Master.¡± Sarcasm dripped from Mizutsune¡¯s voice, causing Jake to cringe a little on the inside as he sent roaring flames towards one of the Orcs shooting arrows at him, burning it to ash.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Alright, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry. That was stupid. Can we continue this after I kill all of these fuckers? ¡°That we will Master.¡± Mizutsune stopped his howl, and the wind began to die down with only slight slivers of ice moving within the winds. Jake spared a glance back at the group, and saw two Orcs charging at him from the corners of his eyes. Shit. Launching a fireball at one of the Orcs, Jake spun around to fight the second. Meeting axe with claws, Jake slapped the axe head away from his body, leaving glowing trails in the metal from his touch. Quickly flashing his other hand at the Orc¡¯s face, he bisected the Orc¡¯s skull into four slices of roasting bone and brain matter. A searing pain erupted from his back, and Jake crashed into the ground screaming. Rolling to his side, he saw the Orc that he had launched a fireball at raising his axe to split his body like a log. The axe head was molten metal at the edge from coming into contact with his armor, but the pain that was screaming from his back was testament to the fact that his armor was not impenetrable. Jake quickly thrust his hands forward, and an explosion of flame engulfed the pair. The Orc screamed as it was launched into the air from the explosion, arcing through the night sky to come crashing down in the distance, smoking heavily. Coughing heavily, Jake slowly rolled over to his knees, and hauled himself to his feet. Stumbling, he tried to reorient himself from the crushing blow, his head spinning madly. Shaking his head to get rid of the fog, Jake scanned the area for any more Orcs to come and attack him or the group. Again looking back at the group, Jake saw at least four bodies piled up outside the wall of ice, the Bear-Kin standing proudly in the breach, dyed red with blood. Mizutsune stood at his side, glowing slightly with not a single spec of blood on his silver fur. Jake calmed his racing heart, and concentrated on the telling pressure of Death surrounding the area. All of the dead blocked his vision, and he began cursing internally. Fuck, I completely forgot this skill is fucking useless when there¡¯s dead around. NOW I remember why I don¡¯t use this shit. Jake turned around as quickly as his injured body would allow, wincing at the pain in his shoulder and back. I REALLY don¡¯t want to use that Phoenix Fire spell again. I¡¯m still getting phantom pains from that thing. Jake looked around the plains, looking for any more attackers. He stood there in silence for minutes, watching the waving grasses and the wisps of smoke rising from the bodies of the Orcs. Mizu, you notice any more? Your nose is better than mine. Jake asked his fox, never moving from his spot, his armor sending lazy flames into the air. ¡°All I can smell is burning flesh and feces, Master. And burning feces. Thank you, Master, for this wonderful experience. I am truly enjoying myself.¡± Mizutsune said, scorn still dripping from his voice. Got it, you¡¯re still pissed. Well, at least it¡¯s over. Jake took a moment to get his pain-addled brain to think over what he just said, and he began to change his mind. Wait, shit, I just jinxed myse- A burst of light and an explosion of sound broke through Jake¡¯s thoughts, and the next thing he knew he was on the ground, body spasms sending his limbs shaking like branches in a storm, ears ringing and he was unable to see. He tried to scream in pain, but his body would not follow his commands, his muscles locked up and refusing to move. As the ringing faded, Jake could almost make out a voice speaking to him. ¡°¡­ surprised you survived that, Agent of Change.¡± The voice was aged and ragged, as if the person had been gargling stones. ¡°You have made the fatal mistake of attacking my Band, and ruining our chance of freedom from the vile Beast-Kin.¡± Jake gained enough control over his muscles to turn his head, looking at the figure while the rest of his body shook. The figure was an old Orc woman, leaning against a gnarled wooden staff. Sparks of electricity played across her body, arcing from her arms into her raised palm, condensing into a brilliant ball of crackling lightning. Jake tried to stand, but the Orc blasted another bolt into his body. The blindness and deafness returned quickly, and Jake screamed in silence. ¡°Master! Stay alive! We are on our way!¡± Jake could hear the worry in his fox¡¯s voice, and he made a monumental effort to fight through the pain to respond. NO! Jake screamed at his fox, and he could sense the distress and confusion coming from his pet. GET EVERYONE INTO THE CARRIAGE AND GO! ¡°Master, I will not leave you! I will-¡° I SAID NO! GET THEM GONE! I¡¯ll come back, but if we fuck this up, then they will die! Get them to the fucking Elves! NOW! Jake could hear the old hag monologue to herself, but he ignored her. He began to search his mind furiously, trying to think of a way to make this work for him. But, he could not think of anything. ¡°¡­ Very well, Master. I will make sure that these Beast-Kin make it to the Long-Ears. I will also prepare our attempt at creating war between the races. Until we meet again, Master.¡± Jake could feel sadness coming from the fox, and then determination to do what must be done. He felt Mizutsune¡¯s mind recede from his, the comforting presence leaving him alone to the pain. Good. He doesn¡¯t need to feel this shit. ¡°¡­ of the Eit¡¯Sharush. Know who brought the mighty Agent of Change to his knees, begging for¡­¡± Jesus, she¡¯s still fucking going? Jake thought through what he needed to do, and he could only come up with one idea. It was stupid, but it could work. God fucking damn it, I hate myself right now. Gritting his teeth, he concentrated. The Orc woman stopped talking, and stared down at the being at her feet. His molten armor appeared to be absorbed into his skin. Grunting, she charged another bolt of lightning and slammed it into the figure, causing his body to spasm. ¡°Rude, do not interrupt your elders. As I was saying, pray to your Goddess¡­¡± The old woman continued to prattle on, and began to gesture wildly as she began to get really into her story. ¡°¡­ And you shall burn in the Third Hell for all eternity for your¡­ What?¡± The hag looked down, and saw the human shaking violently. She hadn¡¯t hit him with a lightning bolt in a while, so she did not know what caused his tremors. Leaning down, she noticed something. His skin was glowing, purple flames dancing below the skin. Glancing at his eyes, she saw them filled with pain and a burning hatred. She straightened, and began to charge another bolt. ¡°No! You will die!¡± ¡°OH SHUT THE FUCK UP!¡± Jake roared at her, and his body burst into a massive explosion of black flame. The Orc-Hags screams were cut off abruptly as her body crumbled into ash, and the roaring flames consumed everything. __________________________________________________________ Serena was panicking. When she saw the arrows burrow into her protector¡¯s neck, she froze. When Mageous Jake was shot, she could not move. When Felicia shoved her into the carriage and hovered over her, her twin daggers gripped in her hands, she could do nothing but whimper. When the arrow buried itself into the carriage, the metal point pocking through the wood, she couldn¡¯t even scream. ¡°Lady Serena.¡± The pain. She could feel the pain that the Orcs were feeling. She could feel her insides being burnt to a crisp from the Mageous¡¯ fury. ¡°Lady Serena!¡± She could feel it, and she could do nothing. She was weak, she was worthless. She could do nothing to he- ¡°LADY SERENA!¡± A slap brought her back to the present, and she stared at Felicia with tear filled eyes. Felicia sighed, and sat back down in the padded chair. The carriage hit a rock, and caused Serena to fall out of the bench she was sitting on. ¡°W-w-what¡¯s happening?¡± She stuttered, unable to think through the imagined pains. ¡°We are escaping.¡± Felicia said, staring out the window, a small golden flame in her hands. Mizutsune was leaning outside the other window, staring with unblinking eyes into the darkness. ¡°Wha-why?¡± She looked around, and noticed the injured Wolf-Kin lying on one of the seats. He was panting and whimpering. Serena quickly moved over to him, and with shaking hands, began to heal. The white light quickly enveloped the injured leg, the bloody arrow lying on the bottom of the carriage. The Wolf¡¯s whimpers slowly quieted, and soon he was fast asleep, put there by the soothing warmth of Light. The carriage hit another rock, and Serena was thrown back into her seat. Rubbing the back of her head, she looked to Felicia. ¡°How is Mageous Jake staying on the roof? Shouldn¡¯t he be in here?¡± She could imagine the Mageous throwing molten balls of fire from the top of a speeding carriage, so it would not surprise her that he was up there. It would make her feel better to be able to see him, though. ¡°He¡¯s not.¡± Felicia¡¯s short response broke Serena from her thoughts, and she stared at the Fox-Maid. ¡°So he¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s in front, driving? We lost Ursal?¡± She shivered, thinking about the quiet but friendly Bear-Kin. He was always kind to her, even if he did not speak much. Her thoughts were disturbed by a presence entering her mind. She panicked for a moment, before recognizing the cold aura as Mizutsune. ¡°No. Master has offered his life so that we might escape.¡± Serena froze, the blood draining from her face. ¡°No. No. No no no NO! Why would he do that?!¡± ¡°It was his decision.¡± Mizutsune¡¯s voice was cold. Colder than the ice that had seemed to wrap around her heart. ¡°We need to go back!¡± She shouted, and reached for the door to the carriage. Mizutsune turned and snarled at Serena, baring his teeth in a threatening manner. Serena yelped and cowered into the corner. ¡°WORTHLESS KIT! If there was even a chance of escaping with my Master alive, do you not think that we would take it?! Do not speak of this again!¡± Serena¡¯s eyes began to water, emotions warring with each other inside of her. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, a catastrophic explosion came from behind them. Everyone turned back to the windows, and they saw a massive ball of roaring black and purple flame explode into the night, reaching into the stars. Everyone sat stunned, and then Serena began to scream. Pointy Eared Bastards pt 4 When the pain faded, all that was left was darkness and weightlessness. Even with the weightlessness, Jake could feel himself falling. Falling towards nothing, yet falling all the same. The whistling of wind through his ears was the only sound that he could hear in this vast expanse of black. And then he began to hear the voices. It started out slowly, the wind sucking away most sounds as Jake plummeted from an immense height. He could hear snippets, an infant¡¯s pure laughter, and its cries of pain. A woman¡¯s sultry moans of pleasure, accompanied by her ear-shattering shrieks of terror. A man¡¯s chuckles, filled with love and compassion, were silenced by a rage-filled roar. As the sounds of happiness and sadness, pain and pleasure, love and hate warred within the darkness, Jake could make out words leaking through the cacophony of sound. ¡°¡­ help¡­ us¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Failure¡­ lost¡­¡± ¡°¡­ FOOL¡­ MURDERER¡­¡± What the fuck is going on?! Jake tried to speak, but the wind sucked away his words as soon as they formed. ¡°Where¡­ you¡­¡± ¡°¡­left¡­died¡­¡± ¡°WEAK¡­ WORTHLESS¡­¡± The words were coming through clearer, the wind being replaced by screams and moans, giggles and cries, yelling and whispers. And through it all, Jake could hear a deep thump intermittently through the darkness. As if someone was beating a gargantuan drum from miles away. ¡°Lost... forgotten¡­¡± ¡°¡­mommy¡­daddy¡­I¡¯m¡­¡± Thump. ¡°DESPICABLE¡­¡± ¡°Wait¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°¡­scared¡­ please¡­¡± ¡°¡­FAILURE¡­I¡­¡± Thump. Gritting his teeth, Jake began to block out the noise. He ignored the cries, ignored the yells, the screams. He forsook the safety of the laughter, the moans of pleasure and the kind words. And as he fell, he realized where he was, and it sent shivers down his spine. I¡¯m in hell. THUMP. The beat of the drum grew louder and louder, the voices screaming in his ears for his attention. ¡°¡­you¡­must¡­¡± ¡°Save her¡­ you are¡­ ¡°¡­USELESS¡­WEAK¡­¡± ¡°...please, help¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ you¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°HERETIC¡­¡± THUMP! ¡°INSECT¡­¡± ¡°¡­him¡­he¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Dead¡­ you didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°COWARD¡­¡± The voices were not relenting, and the beat of the drum was rocking his body with each strike. The hatred, terror and pain that was in the voices resounded through his mind, his body, his very soul. And so he screamed back. He screamed his stubbornness, his disgust and his fears back at the darkness. He would not be brought low by some weak willed creatures that would not even show their faces. He would not bow to these formless voices that whispered and muttered to each other. He was strong, he was himself, and he would not break. He was the Agent of Change, Jake Roshaven, and he would claw his way back from hell if it was the last thing he would do. Just to beat the ever living shit out of Lilith for forgetting about him. The darkness cracked. A stream of yellow light, reaching as far as the eye could see, stretched horizontally through the void. The drumming grew more quickly, frantic in its steady crescendo. The tear in the black began to slowly widen. THUUUUMP! THUUUUMP! THUUUUMP! The seam in the world expanded, and Jake halted his screams in terror. Inside of the yellow glow, an hour-glass shaped mass of black lurked in the oblong yellow, and while the light grew and the darkness receded, Jake found himself staring into an eye. And he was hurtling directly towards it. THUUUUUUUUUUUUMP! THUUUUUUUUUUUUMP! THUUUUUUUUUUUUMP! THUUUUUUUUUUUUMP! THUUUUUUUUUUUUMP! The glow of the gargantuan eye bathed Jake in sickly yellow light, and the pupil followed his descent towards it. Jake¡¯s throat began constricting in terror, knowing that this was the end of him. Knowing that this chance of life, of living in this new world that he had grown to enjoy, was at its end. THUUUUUUUUUUUUMP!! THUUUUUUUUUUUUMP!! The eye loomed closer, eclipsing the void. All that Jake knew was the sickly yellow of the sclera, and the hour glass pupil staring at him with undisguised disinterest. Nonchalantly, the pupil moved away with a loud grating sound of massive flesh rubbing against massive flesh. The eye pupil slowly, ever so slowly, moved through the sclera, gazing into the nothingness around it. Seeing nothing, it moved back to the falling speck of dust heading directly towards it. ¡°Enough.¡± And with the sound of a thunderclap, the world exploded into white. Jake slammed into white marble, knocking the air from his lungs. Gasping and coughing, he curled into a ball on the cool stone. Staying there for a few minutes, shaking off the impact and what he had experienced, he slowly rose to his quivering legs and looked around. The blank landscape, filled with rolling fog, settled his nerves. He remembered this place, and it comforted him. Looking around, he did not notice anything besides the white sky, white fog and white marble at his feet. Taking a shuddering breath, he began to chuckle. The chuckle grew into gut-wrenching laughter as his stress flowed out of him. After what felt like hours, his laughter began to die down. Still chuckling, he wiped tears from his eyes and began to walk, grabbing a cigarette from his Inventory as he went. I don¡¯t want to do that shit again. What the fuck was that thing? ¡°Welcome back, Jake.¡± Jake froze at the voice, far more deep and masculine than what Lilith¡¯s childlike voice was. Turning around slowly, he saw a figure. The figure was made out of twisting shadows and smoke, giving it an indefinite shape. All Jake could see were a general humanoid shape; four limbs, a torso and a head. The boiling smoke would occasionally create figures within the figure; screaming skulls, blooming flowers and other incongruities would appear in the figure, giving it an unearthly appearance. ¡°¡­ Thanks. Where did I go to first? I thought that Giggles said I would be brought back here.¡± Jake asked the figure with slight hesitation. Something was wrong. ¡°Ah, Lilith.¡± The figure¡¯s voice was an amalgamation of a young boy and an old man speaking at the same time, both gravelly and high pitched. ¡°She has been¡­ a pain, lately. Always trying to give more information away than is proper.¡± The figure gestured behind it and upwards. Jake looked, and saw the small figure of the loli-goddess being held into the air with thousands of tendrils of shadow and smoke. Her eyes were filled with tears as she mumbled through a tendril wrapped around her mouth. Jake blinked at her, then turned his attention back to the figure. ¡°Umm¡­ Okay? Well, that¡¯s different.¡± Jake slowly put the cigarette into his mouth. Attempting to light it up, he found that his magic would not work. Quirking an eyebrow at the imposing figure, he asked slowly. ¡°You got a light?¡± The figure tilted his head slightly, and a mass of righting tendrils explode from his body. Collapsing together centimeters in front of Jake, the tendrils formed into a pulsing ball of shadow. Slowly, the ball began to constrict within itself, until it was in the shape of a lighter. ¡°¡­ Thanks.¡± Jake grabbed the shadow-lighter, and lit his cigarette. Alright, this guy is fucking creepy. Has hentai written all over him. I feel really bad for Giggles right now. Jake took a drag, feeling the toxic smoke sooth his nerves and muscles. Exhaling the smoke, he began to think through what had happened to him lately. But before he could ask the figure, it interrupted him.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°You failed.¡± That simple sentence stopped Jake¡¯s thoughts cold. ¡°¡­ How so?¡± Jake said, staring at the figure. The figure did not move, the rolling smoke that made up its body creating skulls that appeared to be laughing at him. ¡°You died. Is death not the ultimate failure?¡± The figure said, his dual toned voice betraying no emotion. His body, on the other hand, was switching between cackling skulls and wilting flowers. Jake blinked, and his gaze moved over to Lilith¡¯s dangling form. She was staring at him with helpless eyes, tears occasionally trickling down from her face. ¡°Would you mind if you brought her down? It¡¯s a little distracting.¡± Jake asked the shadow figure. ¡°When we are done.¡± He turned the ball of darkness that was his head to look at the goddess. ¡°She has learned her lesson, but I do not want her interrupting us.¡± The figure said nonchalantly. He refocused on Jake, his eyeless face seemed to be gazing at him with curiosity. ¡°Do you know why you failed?¡± He asked with his emotionless voices. Jake paused, thinking it over. Taking a quick drag, he exhaled it. ¡°I was cocky.¡± The figure stared at him for a moment before speaking. ¡°Possibly, but not the real reason.¡± The figure turned his body slightly, and began to glide across the ground, his legs moving far too slowly for him to move as quickly as he appeared to be moving. ¡°Come.¡± Jake flicked the butt of his cigarette into the mist, and followed. Jesus, this guy is a piece of work. But, he¡¯s strong. At the very least, he¡¯s stronger than Lilith. Fucking hell, what did I get myself into? Jake thought over what the figure had said. ¡°If that was not the real reason, then what was?¡± ¡°Think, and you will find the answer.¡± The figure shot back without turning as he continued to glide through the fog. A skull was fighting a flower on his back, the skull shooting flames out of its eyes while the flower fired thorns from its stalk. ¡°¡­ I do not know.¡± Jake responded after a minute, his mind unable to come up with a solid excuse. ¡°I see.¡± The figure said, and suddenly stopped. Jake narrowly avoided bumping into the figure from behind. Fuck, I really don¡¯t want to touch whatever the hell that is. The figure turned around and stared at Jake. Jake stared back, blinking occasionally. The figure turned back around and continued to float through the blank expanse of fog. A moment later, Jake followed behind it. ¡°What,¡± the figure spoke up again as Jake strode behind it. ¡°do you have that most other on this planet do not? What would give you an advantage that you failed to utilize?¡± This time, it was Jake who stopped walking. Instantly, the figure stopped as well, and turned to face him. Jake looked down, then back up at the figure. ¡°My knowledge of more advanced science, and my three Masteries with magic.¡± He said quietly, mind whirling at the thoughts that he had forsaken from thinking. ¡°Precisely. And why did you fail to utilize these advantages?¡± The figure questioned. Sighing, Jake scratched the back of his head. ¡°Don¡¯t know. Maybe because I didn¡¯t want to reveal all of my trump cards, maybe because I didn¡¯t think of it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The figure stated. ¡°Remember this, Young Jake. You have a mission, and this mission has given you immense power. Do not misuse my abilities again.¡± With a crack of thunder, the figure disappeared in a burst of light. Flinching, Jake raised his eyes to shield him from the light. Blinking the spots out of his eyes, he looked around the blank landscape. Sighing, he grabbed another cigarette from his inventory and, surprised that he still had it, lit up with the shadow lighter. ¡°Fucker likes to seem mysterious and shit, doesn¡¯t he?¡± A groan came from behind him, and turning he saw Lilith floating slowly towards him while shivering slightly. She looked up at him, eyes still glistening with tears. ¡°Yeah, he does that. But what he said actually does make sense. You¡¯ve kind of been pussy-footing around your magic. I hardly remember you using your Air powers, and even if you did, they were rather basic.¡± Sighing, Lilith conjured a pair of chairs and sat down with a groan of satisfaction. ¡°He¡¯s been holding me up there for a while, and, while it is somewhat¡­ exciting, it still hurts.¡± She gestured to the chair opposite her, and Jake sat down as well. ¡°I really didn¡¯t need to know that, but thanks for the information. Didn¡¯t expect you to be into bondage.¡± Jake replied, taking another drag. ¡°Everyone¡¯s got their kink.¡± Giggles shrugged lightly, making her dress glimmer through the colors of the rainbow. ¡°Anyways, you¡¯ve got about five hours left before you go back. What¡¯s your plan?¡± Jake took another drag, exhaling slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I need to get back with the group. I¡¯ve got a plan for the Elves and Beast-Kin, but it¡¯s pretty convoluted.¡± She nods. ¡°It might work, but there are never any guarantees with plans like that. Go in with at least three or four back up ideas, because things never go the way that you want them to.¡± ¡°Yeah, figured as much.¡± Jake sighed, thinking things over. Watching the smoke curl up from his cigarette, he sighed again. ¡°I fucked up, huh.¡± ¡°More or less.¡± Lilith agreed. ¡°I know what you were planning on doing. Having an identity that wasn¡¯t hated by everything and everyone is a great idea, but that¡¯s not really going to help you here.¡± She gestured through the air, and a table with a steaming pot of tea appeared between them. Grabbing a cup, Lilith poured herself some tea and offered it to Jake, which he waved away politely. ¡°I know. I just wanted to be able to go into towns without being killed on sight. And now that I dealt with whatever the hell that fucking thing was in the darkness, I definitely don¡¯t want to go through that shit ever again.¡± He shudders, his mind replaying the gargantuan eye that seemed to stare at him like a speck of dust. ¡°Well, that was one of the better hells that people could go to. That was the Third Circle, the Dark Realm. It¡¯s where those that regret their choices end up if they have committed evil deeds. And, well, murder is one of those.¡± Lilith took another sip. ¡°Fuck, that¡¯s messed up.¡± Jake sighed and leaned back in his chair, staring up into the white expanse above. He slowly dragged on his cigarette, thinking things through. Suppressing a shudder as he thought of the Dark Realm, and coming to a decision, leaned forwards and facing the loli-goddess again. ¡°I won¡¯t hide behind a false identity again. I will be me, with all of my abilities showing. I¡¯ll get your races to cooperate even if I have to drag myself back from death hundreds of times.¡± Pausing for a second, he thought for a moment. ¡°Hey, by the way, what happens when I do what you want me to do? It¡¯s definitely going to take a while, but since I¡¯m effectively immortal, it will eventually get done.¡± Giggles giggled lightly, and placed her cup back on the table. ¡°Took you long enough to ask that. I don¡¯t know! Haven¡¯t thought that far ahead yet! It¡¯s going to be a long time still. You still have around twenty some odd races to meet, kill, and build your reputation with.¡± Jake stared at the smiling goddess for a long time, before sighing slowly through his nose. ¡°Of course there¡¯s a shit ton of races,¡± he mumbled underneath his breath. Lilith laughed whole-heartedly. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a good story if it ended so quickly. I can¡¯t wait to see that Owl-Girls face when she realizes that you¡¯ve been lying to her since you met. It¡¯s going to be sooo good!¡± She devolves into a giggling fit, while Jake groaned and put his head into his hands. _____________________________________________________ The hours passed with Lilith making jokes at her Agent¡¯s misfortunes, and mocking him as she described, in detail, how much she enjoyed watching his fight with the Golem, especially after he had burned off all of his clothes by healing himself. Lilith was bouncing through the air happily as Jake finished off his last cigarette in her realm. ¡°Ready to go?¡± Taking another drag, and flicking the butt into the vacant mist while exhaling, Jake nodded at the energetic loli-goddess. ¡°Might as well get this over with. Knowing you, you¡¯re going to send me falling down in the sky again, aren¡¯t you?¡± Giggles looked shocked. ¡°What, me? Why would I do such a hurtful thing? It¡¯s almost as if¡­¡± The ground underneath Jake fell out from below him, and he started plummeting through the air. ¡°¡­ You know me so well!¡± Lilith devolved into another fit of giggles, before poking her head through the hole. She stopped laughing for a moment, before pouting. ¡°Oh come on! That¡¯s not fair!¡± Jake, having expected her actions, had been deciding the best way to counter act the pit fall. Deciding on a simple spell, as soon as he fell past her domain and into the world of Laeris, he began to cast. Tendrils of shadow burst from his back and began to wrap around each other on the sides of his shoulder blades. Within moments, a pair of large reptilian wings stretched from his back. Completely black, faint purple light could be seen through the membranes of the wings, inky tendrils of shadow arching back and forth beneath the fake skin. On the elbow of the wings, a single large claw poked from the top, glinting in the light of a rising sun. Small wisps of black smoke followed after the wings, giving an eerie look to the wings. He extended them with a thought, and caught the wind, and he began to glide slowly through the air. It took some adjustment to the new additions, but soon Jake was soaring through the air on his new wings created from shadows. By manipulating the Air around him, he created updrafts to help him gain altitude. Pulling up his notifications, he went through the fight with the Orc band and what had happened afterwards.
[You have defeated Orc Warrior Lvl 30]
[You have defeated Orc Saboteur Lvl 35]
[You have defeated Orc Warrior Lvl 31]
[You have defeated Orc Warrior Lvl 39]
[You have defeated the Orc Shaman, Eit-Varum Lvl 115]
Congratulations! You have reached Lvl 39! Int + 13, Wis + 13, 13 Attribute points ready for distribution.
New Spell Created: Great Combustion
By concentrating the explosive power of Fire into a small area, you cause a destructive explosion within a short distance of yourself. Be careful, for this power can injure the caster.
Mana Use: 30 m (50 m/s for charging).
New Spell Created: Final Redemption
You have ignited your very soul with the strength of Fire. This Soul-Fire consumes all, and depending on the strength of the caster, will obliterate all within a set distance. (Chance to obliterate everything within radius. Increased chance of instant death thecloser the distance to the caster.)
Mana Use: None Health Use: All remaining health (1% health=1 meter)
New Spell Created: Shadow Ascent
Now that¡¯s unfair! I wanted to watch you scream and fall and stuff! This is stupid!
Mana Use: 100 Mana Sacrificed (Sacrificed Mana will not be regenerated)
New Spell Created: Rising Columns
What are you doing? You don¡¯t even know how to fly. You¡¯re just falling¡­ with style. And now you create stuff to help you fall in style better.
Mana Use: 30 m/s (per pillar of air)
Jake froze for a second, looking over his new level. Well, umm¡­ Okay, I can deal with this. I think that makes me¡­ about a 133? Jesus Christ, this thing is over powered. He threw seven points into Endurance, and the other six went into Vitality, bringing them up to 28 and 29 respectively. Looking down towards the land far in the distance, he recognized that he was still on the road to the Elven forest of Dark and Spooky, or whatever it was called. Carefully adjusting his wings, Jake formed an updraft directly below him and ascended higher into the air. As he ascended, he looked up and down the road, in an attempt to find any travelers or some sign of where he needed to go. When he got to a certain point, he was able to see a large blackened crater along the side of the road, still smoking in the rising sun. Grinning to himself, he prepared for what he wanted to do. This is going to be fun. Jake collapsed the wings, and he began to plummet. Laughing to himself as he rocketed towards the ground, he slowly unfurled his wings, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness for a moment longer. He arced from his straight plummet into a horizontal path, taking him towards the giant smoking crater. Experimentally beating his wings, he learned how to adjust his speed and flight path without relying completely on his Air manipulation. He could not help but laugh at the feeling to be alive, and his heart-felt laughter echoed off of the plains as a figure darted through the sky, trailing darkness behind it as it went. Pointy Eared Bastards pt 5 The sounds of the forest were soothing. The birds were chirping, the wind was rustling through the towering trees, and the occasional explosion of fire added a beautiful backdrop to the otherwise calm atmosphere. A figure clothed in scorched silk stared down at the smoldering corpse of a twin-headed snake, sighing to himself at the futility of the reptile. The figure pulled a white stick out of his pocket, and a small purple flame appeared at the top of his thumb. Using the sputtering flame, the figure lit the end of the stick and inhaled from the other end of the stick. Exhaling, the figure looked around the dark and gloomy forest floor, before sighing again. ¡°Where the fuck are these stupid elves?¡± Jake had entered into the forest the previous day, following the road until it had entered into a grouping of massive trees that extended far into the sky. Gliding down to the ground, he had dispersed his wings and started walking through the woods, following the road. The first sign of life he had come across besides the common insects and small birds had been a large green panther, which he had pulled apart with his [Grasping Shadows], tearing the large cat in half with the twisting tendrils of inky darkness. Afterwards, he continued on the road, the towering trees above blocking out the sun and garbing the surroundings in twilight. Farther along, he had come across a group of three bears with spines poking out of their backs like porcupines. The Not-So-Fuzzy Bears, when they spotted the approaching figure, released ear-shattering roars and charged. With a wave of his hand, Jake created a swirling vortex of air around each of the Porcu-Bears heads, creating a vacuum that absorbed all of the air in their lungs. The bears stopped their charges, and began to convulse on the ground, trying to find air to fill their failing lungs. Jake continued walking, ignoring the struggles of the dying beasts. He waved the notification away for the new [Stolen Breath] spell, ignoring the dose of sass that Lilith had placed in the message. Hours later, Jake had seen a glow through the trunks of the trees. Pausing, he stared at the dancing light for a few minutes. The light bobbed up and down, welcoming him to follow it. Jake responded with a wedge of highly pressurized air towards the light, slicing through trees and shrubbery in its way like a guillotine. The light snuffed out quickly, and the sounds of screams bounded through the forest. The screams were other-worldly; echoing far more than should be natural and shivers ran down Jake¡¯s spine at the sound. Jake stared into the dark where the light had been, then continued walking. ¡°Not falling for that shit. ¡®Oh, look! A random light in the middle of a dark and eerie forest! Better follow it!¡¯ Fuck off.¡± He grumbled to himself, and continued following the road. This continued, with the human following a winding and twisting road through the twilight of the forest while being constantly attacked and distracted by the flora and fauna of the Dark Woods. And, as such things tend to happen, Jake had gotten hopelessly lost. He had been following the road, when all of a sudden, the road had disappeared, and he could not find it again. He could not even get in contact with his pet Mizutsune, as the connection had been severed when he had died, along with the connection with his Bound back in the city of Trentshire. Back in the present, Jake was still smoking on his cigarette and glaring into the shadowed woods with hatred. He had already tried flying through the trees and above the canopy, but all he could see was a sprawling sea of green. There were no clearings that he could see from above, and no smoke drifted through the canopy from any fires, so that plan was scrapped. Grumbling to himself, he continued walking, cutting long scars into trees as he passed with a blade of wind, showing the direction he had headed. Stupid fucking trees and stupid fucking Elves. Why can¡¯t there be some guiding fairy to help me get through this fucking shit, or at least music coming through the darkness so I could find this place. It¡¯s like I¡¯m a child again and wandering through the Lost Woods. Hell, I wouldn¡¯t even be mad if the fairy always said things like ¡®Hey! Listen!¡¯ I just want to get the fuck out of here. _____________________________________________________ Mizutsune yawned, curling his body into a ball beside a roaring fire. The delegation had met a representative of the Long-Ears as soon as they had entered the forest, and had been escorted to their ¡®enclave¡¯ with little trouble. The enclave was a sprawling city, for lack of a better word, that was situated at the tops of the towering trees. Huts were situated around the sprawling trunks on ¡®flats¡¯, with ladders and bridges connecting the flats with each other and other trees. The most influential of the Long-Ears lived within the trunks themselves, or were situated on the top most flat of the trees, where sunlight peaked through the large leaves of the massive Elderwood trees. Mizutsune grew uninterested in the delegation as soon as they had reached the enclave, for the two female Half-Beasts had begun to talk to a representative of the Long-Ears as soon as they had arrived. Mizutsune did not understand the language of the Knife-Ears, but the vixen Felicia appeared to be fluent and was acting as an interpreter between the Knife-Ears and the owlet Serena. From what he could interpret, they were working to create a trade agreement between the two groups. The fox sighed, a fog of frost expelling from his nose. He did not enjoy these talks, as he would much rather be on the forest floor hunting through the new territory, or wandering through the trees in search of interesting new smells and sounds instead of sitting around and not accomplishing anything. He was mulling over an idea on how to create a war between these two insignificant races, when something caught his attention. A group of the Long-Ears, wearing the pelts of defeated beasts as trophies, climbed up onto the flat that the delegation was currently at, and rushed to the Long-Ear that was speaking with his Half-Beasts. Uncurling to stand at his full height, Mizutsune trotted over to be in between the rushing Long-Ears. The group stopped when the fox got in their way, growling at them with frost and fog leaking from his mouth like drool from a more savage beast. The group of Long-Ears spoke in their strange tongue, a language of clicks and hoots that sounded far more animalistic than even the strangest beast, and the old Long-Ear responded in kind. The vixen turned to Mizutsune and spoke to him lightly. ¡°Great Mystic Beast, allow them to pass. They mean myself and Lady Serena no harm. It appears that something has entered into the forest and is causing trouble for the hunters.¡± Mizutsune paused, then moved slowly to the side and sat down. The fox made contact with Felicia, and he was ushered into her warm and welcoming conscious. ¡°And what is causing these Long-Ears to be so afraid, vixen?¡± Mizu asked the Fox-Kin with cold indifference, watching the group of hunters with cold eyes. Their strange, sharp features were curious, and the fox was having small amounts of trouble reading the emotions playing across their faces. But he could smell the fear on them. Felicia¡¯s warm voice responded slowly as she listened to the Long-Ears speak. ¡°The Elven hunters have come across something that they do not understand. Many dead beasts and creatures have appeared on the road into the forest, and they have been either ripped apart, suffocated or burned to ash. They believe that a large raiding party, or possibly some immensely strong predator, has come into the forest and begun to run amok. The party is requesting for mages and shamans of the horde to help expel the being.¡± Mizutsune thought for a second, before speaking. ¡°Have the Long-Ears come into contact with this ¡®being¡¯? Have they seen what it looks like?¡± Felicia spoke to the old Long-Ear, who glanced at the hunters who all shook their heads. The old Long-Ear asked the vixen a clicking and whooting question. Felicia then turned to look at Mizutsune and spoke again. ¡°They have not. The Elder would like to know why you are asking, if you pardon the question.¡± Mizutsune yawned, showing his large canines to the Long-Ears. ¡°Because I believe I know what ¡®creature¡¯ has caused these Long-Ears to soil themselves in terror. Tell them to lead me to it.¡± Felicia repeated what the fox had said, with the owlet Serena looking back and forth in confusion. She had been left out of the conversation, and was thoroughly confused. The old Long-Ear stared at the silver fox for some time, before making a hand gesture to the hunting party. The party began to jog to the edge of the flat, and scrambled down the ladders. Felicia turned back to the fox. ¡°They will lead you. But may I ask, what is this being?¡± Mizutsune began trotting over to the edge of the flat, and looked towards the ground. It was a long drop, but the fox had seen multiple small branches that he would be able to jump onto to bring him down to the forest floor. Looking at the Half-Beast with a single sapphire eye, he responded with barely concealed humor. ¡°Just an idiotic friend. Apparently, he has gotten lost in the woods.¡± With that, he vaulted off of the flat, bouncing from branch to branch with grace. The fox smirked to himself when he felt the confusion rolling off of the vixen, and he pulled himself from her mind. ¡°What would you do without me, Master?¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. _______________________________________________________ Jake was pissed. He had thought that he was following a path that lead deeper into the forest, marking trees the entire way as he followed the wandering trail. It turns out that he had just been following his own footprints in the decaying leaves as he wandered in circles, coming back to the still smoldering corpse of the twin headed snake. At this point he burnt the rest of the snake into a pile of ashes and blackened bones, and continued walking away from the smell of burnt meat. After another attack by a random grouping of Porcu-Bears, Jake had decided that he had enough for the day and found a small clearing, only large enough for him to lay down and build a fire in. Eating some of the [Roasted Bear Meat], which was very chewy and oily, he laid down, folding his arms behind his head to act as a pillow. Hey, Giggles. You there?
I¡¯m always here. What¡¯s wrong, can¡¯t find your way to grandma¡¯s house Goldilocks?
I thought it would be Little-Red-Riding-Hood, but Goldilocks would work. And yes, I¡¯m hopelessly lost. What the fuck is up with this forest? Jake lit up another cigarette, letting the soothing effects of nicotine enter into his bloodstream.
Nothing too special. At least nothing magical to make people lose direction, besides what forests naturally do. If you look really close, you can see that all the trees look the same!
Jake could just feel the sarcasm coming off of the loli-goddess, even if he couldn¡¯t see her. Yeah, shut up. So, the main reason why I¡¯m actually talking to you instead of blowing you off like I normally do is because I have a question.
Oh my, the super powerful and smart Jake has a question for little-old me? I don¡¯t know if I have the required knowledge to help you. Anything that you don¡¯t understand would be lightyears ahead of what I know.
Jake sighed at the goddess. He did not respond, and just laid there taking drags on his cigarette and watching the tendrils of smoke curl and dance through the trees. Not even a minute passed before a blue screen appeared before him, just like he knew it would.
Alright, all jokes aside. What do you want to know?
Smirking to himself, he tried to organize his thoughts to make a coherent question. My Binding, the Lurker that I left in that Beast-Person city, why was it so¡­ machine-like? Without a thought for itself. Is that how most people have their Bindings like? He hoped he worded the question right.
More or less. That would be the standard form of Binding, where the Bound is just an extension of the magicians magic that has gained a physical form. Think of it this way; why did your original Binding create Quelaag with full intelligence, while your second attempt just created a mindless creature?
Jake slowly took another drag, the gears in his head spinning. The only thing that I can think of is because I know pretty much all about the lore behind Quelaag. The other one was just a common mob, even if it was really powerful. Jake thought back to where he had pulled the Binding of Dark from. A game, where a normal humanoid gained the power of a dragon and was able to scream in their language to create substantial effects, like pushing goats off of mountains.
Right in one. To create a Transcended Bound, you would need to understand everything about the creature you¡¯re trying to create. It worked for spider-lady, since you went full nerd into the lore of the game. The Lurker, on the other hand, was just what you described: a mob, a creature for you to kill. It meant nothing to you, and the Binding reflected that. Actually, I¡¯m surprised that you haven¡¯t tried to Bind the demons that you had as a Warlock back on earth. You¡¯ve been with them long enough that they should come out Transcended.
Jake froze, and the cigarette that he had raised to his mouth slipped out of his fingers and landed ember first onto his throat. Yelping, Jake slapped at his burned throat, flicking the glowing ember off of his skin. His mind finally caught up to what Lilith had told him, and he groaned. I did not think of that. Why didn¡¯t I think of that? That¡¯s a great fucking idea.
Because you¡¯re an idiot?
Shut up. It¡¯s hard working through this- Jake¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of rustling in the dark forest surrounding him. Darting to his feet, he looked out into the darkness. Purple flames erupted from his raised hands, bathing his arms in fire. Black tendrils exploded from his back, waving into the air like the feelers of insects, tasting the air and preparing to strike. A small twister of air formed around the human, causing dead leaves and twigs to be caught and spun around his body, creating a make-shift shield. He had been working on this form of defense, using his three elements to the best of his abilities. Waiting, Jake stared into the darkness, his hazel eyes reflecting the purple flames. He could not hear anything from the forest, but he was prepared for the worst. He would not be taken by surprise again, and he sure as shit was not going back to that horrible Dark Place. A cold, and familiar, presence pushed against his consciousness, and a smile split Jake¡¯s face as he welcomed back his friend. Mizu! You¡¯re back! Mizutsune¡¯s cold voice, happiness at being reunited leaking through the bond, reverberated through Jake¡¯s mind. ¡°I am. I have missed you, Master. The Long-Ears are nothing but trouble, and their ways are confusing. I was here with a group of hunters, but your show of power seemed to have scared those poor excuses of predators away.¡± The fox grumbled to Jake, as his shimmering silver coat pushed its way through the underbrush into the light of the fire. To Jakes surprise, the fox had grown larger. Mizutsune shook his coat, dislodging a few leaves that gripped onto his silky fur. ¡°Those hunters reeked of fear the entire way to you. I must say, Master, that¡­ Wait, is everything alright, Master?¡± Mizutsune paused, sniffing loudly. ¡°There is a scent that I do not remember wafting off of you. One of death, and fear. Did something happen while you were gone?¡± The fox asked with concern, and, shuddering at reliving the memories, Jake gave the fox a glimpse of what he had experienced while he had died. The fox was shocked, his hair standing on end and his legs quivering slightly. ¡°Master, that¡­ That was the Devourer. It is supposedly a creature of immense power that resides in the worst of the Hells, and destroys any soul that encounters it. How¡­ How are you still alive?¡± The fox asked, his normally reserved and cold voice breaking, fear evident through their bond. Jake sighed, shrugging. ¡°No fucking clue.¡± He stated, switching the conversation to verbal without thinking. ¡°There was some shadowy-dude that brought me back from there, and he had Giggles tied up in her white, foggy place. I don¡¯t know who it was, but he had to be a god.¡± Mizutsune stared at Jake for a moment, then relaxed, breathing a sigh of frosted air into the dark. ¡°We will have much to talk about, Master. But we need to return to the Long-Ears home. I believe that the cowardly hunters have already returned, and we had best hurry before they send the entirety of their horde against you. I do not want you to return to that place, Master. Possibly even more than you do.¡± With that, Mizutsune began walking into the darkness, Jake following after the fox, extinguishing the magic surrounding him. A screen appeared, and, grudgingly, he decided to review it.
New Spell Created: Tri-Elemental Battle-Armament
Oh, look at you. One brush with death and the things that lurk beyond, and you¡¯re using all of your magical might to stop yourself from going back. I would call you a coward, but that place is definitely terrifying.
Mana Use: 300 Mana Sacrificed (Sacrificed Mana will not be regenerated)
Fuck off Giggles. I thought you wanted me to use all of my strengths and not hide behind only one? He grumbled to himself while following his fox through the woods, Mizutsune occasionally stopping and sniffing, finding the trail that he and the Elves had taken from the enclave.
I did, but you kind of went overboard. And, besides, how else am I going to tease you? I could keep bringing up the demons that you haven¡¯t summoned, or how you¡¯re going to explain the fact that you are a master of THREE different elements to your Owl-Princess.
Jake stared at the message, freezing for a moment. ¡°Shit.¡± Mizutsune¡¯s cold chuckles rebounded through his mind. ¡°And, let¡¯s not forget the fact that you¡¯ve come back from the dead. Needlessly to say, Master, but this does not happen with most beings.¡± The fox had stopped and was staring at Jake with his sapphire eyes twinkling. ¡°She was nearly frantic with her please to ¡®Go back¡¯ and to ¡®Save him¡¯.¡± The fox was laughing harder now, his body shaking with barely contained mirth. ¡°Watching her reaction to seeing you alive will be quite humerous.¡± Jake groaned. The laughter from his companion, mixed with a blue screen that simply read ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!¡± carried him through the dark forest. And he could do nothing, since they were right. He had dug himself a hole in a pile of shit, and he had decided to throw away the shovel. Pointy Eared Bastards pt 6 Night had fallen in the forest, or as close to night as possible within the twilight of the trees. Within one of the higher flats in the Enclave within the Dark Woods, the night life of the Elves was somber. Groups would return to their huts and holes within the large tree, and while a few of the hunters and warriors of the Tribe would partake of wine and mead made from the fruits of the forest, they were reserved. And within this atmosphere, a young Beast-Kin was sobbing quietly in her rented hut. The Owl Beast-Kin was curled up within the hammock strung between the rafters of the small hut, shaking with barely contained tears. Serena had held herself well for the meeting with the Elder of the Tribe, but when she was alone, the darkness and the things that hid within had crept upon her. Hot tears spilled from her eyes, and shuddering gasps rocked her body, breaking through her closed throat. Felicia, the Fox Beast-Kin that had been assigned to Serena as her maid, could do nothing but stroke the emotional wreck of her Lady¡¯s hair, whispering softly into the large owlish ears on top of her head that everything was going to be alright, that they were safe and that nothing bad could happen to them here. Serena heard the words, but could not understand them within the confines of her mind. The night terrors that she had been subject to since she was a small child had only grown worse with time, tearing her from her restful sleep and sending her careening into a world filled with gnashing teeth and horrible laughter. It was always the same, every night for the entirety of her fifteen cycles of her life her mind was filled with fear. And then, it stopped. One day it all just ended, and she had slept peacefully for one of the first times in her life. It was a day that she would remember for her entire life. It was the day that she had met the Mageous. There was something about him that broke her free from her curse. Something dark, but it was a soothing darkness, something that she had never experienced before. It was a calming walk through a starless night, the comforting dark of a blanket held over the head to ward off the creatures of the black void. And she was drawn to it. Being around the Mageous lifted her spirits as if they were on the rising air currents of a hot thermal, and ignited a fire within her heart. And then he died. He sacrificed himself so that she might live, so that her mission could be completed for the betterment of her people. And with his death, the darkness stole over her mind with abandon. And the dreams were worse, filled with the dying screams of the Mageous she had come to admire for his strength, and she was frozen within her own mind. She could not move, exactly like that night. She could do nothing for the man, and could only watch in terror as he was killed over and over again in her dreams. Over and over again, she watched him die, be reborn and die again. She could do nothing. And she screamed, tearing her from the confines of her mind and into the waking world. Gasping for breath through the tears, the shaking Owl-Kin barely registered the comforting arms wrapped around her from behind. She was a failure. She could not do anything. She was worthle- ¡°Serena.¡± Felicia gently whispered into her ear, hugging the quivering girl. ¡°It is alright, Lady Serena. I am here. Nothing will take you.¡± Serena finally woke from her thoughts, and crumbled into the embrace from the only friend that she had left. The one friend who had been with her since she was a child, and had been there for her every night. Time passed slowly for the two Beast-Kin comforting each other. Eventually, Serena had gained enough control over her mind to turn her head and smile slightly at her friend. Tears still poured from her eyes, but they were slowing. ¡°Thank you.¡± Serena mumbled, her voice quavering slightly. ¡°I do not know what I would do without you.¡± Felicia smiled down at her charge gently, and removed one of her hands from around the Owl-Kin to gently stroke her hair. ¡°Do not worry about that. You will never have to worry about me leaving you.¡± The two Beast-Kin cuddled closer together, and started their long vigil through the night. As Serena¡¯s eyes began to close on their own, sharp chirps and hoots coming from the flat outside startled the two Beast-Kin. The voices were frantic, shouting in their strange tongue. Felicia rose swiftly, and laying a gentle hand on Serena¡¯s head, spoke softly into her ear. ¡°I will see what is bothering them, My Lady. Please wait here.¡± With that, the Fox-Kin strode through the large leaves that acted as a door to the hut. Serena froze, and in her mind the darkness seemed to sense her fear. Quickly extracting herself from the hammock, she moved as fast as her legs would carry her to the door and, brushing the leaves aside, tried to figure out what had happened herself. A group of Elven hunters were speaking in shrill tones with the Elder that she had been negotiating with earlier. She recognized a few of them as the hunting group that had left earlier with the Mystic Beast Mizutsune, but she could not be sure. The flickering light of the fires spread throughout the flat casted long shadows on their alien features, and it was difficult to distinguish one from the other. Felicia asked the group a question, noted by a long hoot at the end of her sentence. All of the hunters responded at once, the noises of their feral tongue barely discernable with all the noise. The Elder barked at the scared hunters, and they instantly quieted. One stepped forward, and spoke quietly to the Elder and maid. Felicia shot a quick glance back at the hut that she shared with her charge, and noticing the Owl-Kin standing in the doorway, she turned and bowed to the Elder and hunters while making an insect-like series of clicks. Standing, she turned and quickly strode to Serena. The Elder clicked and hooted at the hunters, and followed them as they scampered into the night. ¡°What happened? What is going on?¡± Serena asked as soon as the Fox-Kin was within a few steps of her. Felicia paused, staring at Serena with some emotion clouding her eyes. ¡°The hunters have said that there is something within the forest that has the power of a young god. A Tri-Elemental being.¡± Serena gasped, her owlish eyes widening with shock. Before she could speak, Felicia raised her hand. ¡°There is more.¡± She looked down, and her red tail shifted slightly behind her. The Fox-Kin did not want to share this next piece of information, but her duty to Serena forced her. Looking up, she met the Owl-Kin¡¯s eyes and spoke calmly, with no emotion. ¡°The hunters said that, along with being a Tri-Elemental, the being had a unique coloring to its magic. It produced flames of violet, with cores of pitch black.¡± Felicia watched her charge. The Owl-Kin¡¯s eyes widened, and an expression of happiness could be seen. But, it was quickly snuffed with fear and self-hatred. Serena¡¯s legs began to shake and she began to mumble to herself. ¡°No. No, no. No¡­¡± She continued her denial, her voice getting louder and higher pitched as she began to lose herself. ¡°No no no no no no NO!¡± She screamed, and her quivering legs collapsed beneath her. ¡°Serena!¡± Felicia was not fast enough to catch her, and hugged the shaking Owl-Kin as she cried, denials flying through her sobs. ¡°He¡¯s dead. No. No. He can¡¯t be. He¡¯s dead. No. I watched. No. Dead. Please. No more. Dead. Wake me up.¡± ___________________________________________________________ Jake sighed, flicking a burnt out cigarette into the woods. He looked over to Mizutsune, watching the fox walk around in circles while sniffing the air and the foliage. They had been walking through the forest for over an hour, passing countless gigantic trees and hundreds of wildlife, which surprisingly hadn¡¯t attacked Jake yet. ¡°We¡¯re lost, aren¡¯t we?¡± Jake asked the fox nonchalantly, as his silver companion made his fifth circuit around the tree that the human was leaning against. Mizutsune glared at Jake with a single sapphire eye as he continued to walk around. ¡°I am never lost, Master. There is just something that has disrupted the scent. It will return shortly.¡± His cold voice rebounded through the human¡¯s skull. Jake raised his hands in an attempt to placate the angry fox. ¡°Of course. I did not mean anything by that.¡± Jake lowered his hands, waiting for a few moments. He looked back at the fox, a slight smirk on his face. ¡°We¡¯re lost, aren¡¯t we Mizu?¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The fox just growled in response. Jake chuckled, glancing around the dark woods. A few pairs of eyes reflected the meager moonlight that was drifting through the branches far above, creating a surreal view. The beasts of the forest had been watching them since the two had joined, but they had not attacked yet. Scratching his chin, Jake looked over to the agitated fox that was still walking circles around the tree, looking for his lost scent. ¡°Hey, Mizu. You know that I got that one title from the Beast-Kin, right? The [Friend of Beasts]? ¡°Yes, Master. I am aware.¡± The fox growled back, his mental voice providing a backdrop to the high-pitched growl that issued from his mouth. ¡°If I may ask, what point do you have to bring this up now?¡± Jake blinked at the furious fox. This was the first time that he had seen the normally reserved Mizutsune this angry. Getting lost must have really set him off. Shaking away the thoughts, he continued with his question. ¡°The title says that I will not be attacked by any beasts. So why have I been attacked pretty much all the time since I¡¯ve been here?¡± The fox paused for a second, thinking over the question. Continuing on his march, Mizutsune¡¯s voice was thoughtful with only a slight hint of accusation mixed in. ¡°If I remember correctly, Master, the title said that your reputation with beasts have improved. And normally hostile creatures would react to you with disinterest.¡± Jake pulled up the title, and saw that the fox was correct. Before he could speak, Mizutsune continued. ¡°But, death rolls off of you in waves, Master. When we first met, this was the cause of all of the wild animals to attack you, except for that Wolf with the strange collar around his throat.¡± Mizutsune paused again, then sat down with a sigh. He looked over his shoulder at Jake, his three tails waving slightly. ¡°We beasts are very sensitive. We would instinctively fear you. And for the lesser beasts, without any intelligence besides the basic needs for survival, fear tends to lead to hatred. Since you have gained that title, the effects have lessened somewhat.¡± Mizutsune turned his gaze out into the dark, looking for something. ¡°And, since you have come back from the dead, it has grown stronger. This has overridden the benefits of your title. It has receded in time, thankfully. Now I am able to stand next to you without wanting to rip your throat out with my teeth.¡± The fox looked back at Jake, a very human-smile gracing his canine features. ¡°Haha, you¡¯re hilarious.¡± Jake sighed, and pushed himself into a standing position. Rotating his shoulder, which had grown sore from leaning against the tree, Jake looked around into the night. ¡°So, what should we do?¡± Mizutsune shrugged, eyes focused on nothing. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like these elves are just going to show up out of the blue. That would be stu-¡° His words were cut off as something sped through the night and embedded itself into the tree that Jake was leaning against with a loud crunch. Turning his head slightly, Jake was met with the quivering shaft of a spear lodged into the trunk, barely an inch away from his face. He slowly raised his hand, and placed it on the projectile, stopping it¡¯s movement. Looking closely, the shaft had runes etched into the surface, which glowed with an otherworldly light in the darkness. As soon as the projectile hit, Mizutsune had launched himself to his feet and began to growl in the direction that the spear had come from. ¡°You just had to say something, didn¡¯t you Master?¡± Figures began to emerge from the darkness, as if they were created from the shadows themselves. When the first one appeared, Jake could not help but stare. He had expected normal looking elves, like the ones from his world¡¯s movies or the games that he played. Humanoid, with sharp features and long ears. While those could be used to describe these creatures, the differences were too much for Jake to consider them the Elves that he knew. Their ears, while long and pointed, where jagged. They extended far above the heads of the creatures, and ended with sharp points. The edges seemed to have been cut, like a spoon had been taken to a piece of clay and gouged circular divots into the ears. They swiveled around like a cats, scanning for any slight sounds in the dark surroundings. Their faces were alien. A smooth ridge extended from where the bridge of their nose should be to the tops of their brows with the sides slanting back to the ears, extending the face forwards like a horse¡¯s. The nose itself was small, with only slits evident for the nostrils on the sides of the ridge. The eyes were on the sides of the ridge as well, instead of the front facing eyes that Jake was used to seeing from the Beast-Kin and other humans. The mouth was large, extending to the outsides of their pointed chins and filled with needle-like teeth. The head sat atop a large and gangly body, arms and legs like twigs. Their spines were curved, giving them a hunched over appearance, and their long arms were almost dragging on the ground. The legs were bent at the knees, and they balanced on the balls of their feet, keeping their heels off of the ground. Each of them carried a spear similar to the one that was whipped towards him. Raising his hands slightly in a non-threatening gesture, Jake smiled at the beings. ¡°Good evening. It would seem that myself and my companion have become lost. Can you help us?¡± The Elves stepped backwards when Jake raised his hands, but paused when he began to speak. They looked to each other and began to mutter to themselves, with Jake barely catching snippets of conversation, with ¡®Strange One¡¯ and ¡®Magi'' being the only things he could hear. ¡°Aside!¡± A gravelly voice spoke from behind the group, and they instantly scampered to the sides. A far more twisted and deformed Elf strode forward, leaning against a large branch decorated with flashing symbols for support. The old Elf, if how wrinkly and white his raggedy hair was any indication of age, turned his head slightly to the side to stare at Jake with one of his eyes. The pupil was slit like a cats, but instead of the slit being vertical through the sclera, it was horizontal, reaching from one corner of the eye to the other. ¡°Strange One! How speak tongue?¡± The Elf screeched at Jake, his voice very high pitched despite the gravel in his throat. Jake was taken aback at the abruptness of the question, and took a second to puzzle through what he wanted. Clearing his throat, he responded. ¡°I was taught this language, along with others, by my patron.¡± He hoped they understood. He was definitely not going to try to speak in the same clipped sentences that they seemed to be using. He would probably end up insulting them, and then dying again from their spears. The old Elf stared at him for a few moments, his eye glaring into Jake¡¯s very soul. Jake didn¡¯t break eye contact with the wrinkled creature, and stared back. ¡°Who Patron?¡± The Elf barked back, putting an emphasis on the word patron. Jake was unsure of the context, but at least he seemed to understand when Jake was talking. ¡°Lilith, the Goddess of Change.¡± Jake responded, and watched for their responses. Please tell me that I understood that right. The other Elves exploded into speaking again, and Jake was unable to hear what they were saying. The old Elf turned around, and banged his staff against a tree. ¡°Shut!¡± His kinsmen instantly quieted, and Old-Elf turned back around to Jake. ¡°Tribe speak magic. Three magic. Prove.¡± Jake blinked again, and shot a glance at his companion. Mizu, did you understand that? The fox continued to glower at the Elves, but returned Jake¡¯s glance. ¡°I cannot understand a single word that they are saying, Master. What did they ask?¡± Jake quickly sent Mizutsune a translated version of what the Elf had asked of him. ¡°Hmm¡­ I would assume that they want you to prove that you have control over three different elements.¡± Oh, well that¡¯s pretty simple. Jake looked back at Old-Elf. ¡°How do you want me to prove it?¡± Old-Elf slammed his staff into a tree again, and shrieked ¡°Prove!¡± Spit flew from his mouth, spraying the area in front of the Elf. Jake wiped a small dribble of spit from his face, and glared at the Elf, his anger building. ¡°You want proof?¡± Purple flames began to grow, licking his body with their fiery tongues. Tendrils of shadow sprouted slowly from his back and the surroundings, trailing their inky darkness through the woods around the Elves. The wind began to increase, whistling through the leaves overhead. The Elves behind Old-Elf had begun to grow agitated, fear evident in their alien eyes. Old-Elf continued to stare at Jake, unmoving. ¡°Is this proof enough?¡± Jake asked the Elf, his voice reverberating through the dark. The wrinkled Elf blinked, a third eyelid quickly nictitating over his eye. The Elf bowed his head slightly, while still making eye contact. ¡°Proof. God-ling come. Enclave. Half-Beast there.¡± He spoke quietly, then turned around and strode through the group of frightened Elves. The hunters mumbled to each other, ¡°God-ling¡± the most prevalent on their lipless mouths. Jake watched the old Elf hobble away, and turned to Mizutsune who was staring at him with a glint of humor in his sapphire eyes. Shrugging, Jake followed behind the Elf, with Mizutsune on his heels. When they passed in between the hunters, they bowed their heads like the old Elf did, but refused to meet his eyes. The hunters then followed behind the human and fox at a distance, muttering softly to each other. Jake looked down at the fox beside him, his mind stopping on what the Elves had called him. Mizu, do you know why they would have called me a God-ling? Mizutsune blinked, glancing up at the human. ¡°A God-ling? What did you tell them?¡± His cold voice held a hint of accusation. Jake scratched the back of his neck. That Lilith was my patron. Mizutsune stared at him for a while, and then sighed. ¡°Master, a Patron is a parental figure, or at the very least a lover that holds more raw power than the other. What you just told them was that you were either the child of the All-Mother, or her paramour.¡± Jake stopped moving, slowly moving to face his companion. ¡°¡­ What?¡± Before Mizutsune could respond, a blue screen appeared.
Notice me Senpai. All that I want is to bear your children. Please, notice me Senpai! ??????????(*¡ã?¡ã)=3
Jake waved the screen away quickly, slightly shuddering. Don¡¯t even start with that shit. It¡¯s fucking weird.
But Senpai, why won¡¯t you notice me? You said that we were lovers, Senpai! Why are you lying to me like this!? I thought that you loved me!?? (TT^TT)
No, fuck off. Jake waved the screen away again, just to be replaced with another.
SEEENPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! §ë(?§¥?§ë)
Pointy Eared Bastards pt 7 The Dark Woods, as the name implies, were a vast stretch of Elderwood trees that extended a vast distance into the center of the continent of Mertiz, one of several large continents that were on the world of Laeris. The Elderwood trees lived for thousands of years and grew to very impressive sizes, theeldest onestall enough to scrape the clouds. Elderwood, unlike most other trees of Laeris, were unique in the fact that they had a singular root, as wide as the trunk, that extended far beneath the crust of the planet, reaching for the currents of magical energy that flowed deep within the mantle. When grouped together, the trees tended to block out the light of the sky, due to their large and impressive foiliage. At least, that was what Jake had interpreted what the Old-Elf had been rambling on about while the group slowly walked through the forest. What actually came out of the Elf was quite different, though. ¡°Home forest big. Many tree. All way to middle Mertiz. Many tree. No place forest big. Mertiz biggest forest. Elderwood.¡± This statement was punctuated by the Old-Elf slapping a tree with his staff. ¡°Best tree. Make home. Many lives same tree. Tree reach cloud. Maybe.Big tree.¡± Old-Elf stopped his wandering gate, and crouched down at the base of one of the trees that he loved so much, his legs bending in a way for him to rest on his calves. He started tapping his staff at the ground beneath the tree. ¡°Best tree one foot. Big as tree. Go down LONG way. Foot touch magic water. Magic water make tree strong.¡± Nodding, Old-Elf lurched back to his feet with the help of his staff. Gesturing with one of his long and dangly arms, Old-Elf made a sweeping gesture through the pitch black woods, the only light a violet flame that Jake had floating above an outstretched palm. ¡°Many tree. Tree foot no fight. All tree get magic water.¡± Nodding again, the Elf began to hobble onwards, his staff occasionally reaching out and slapping into one of the trees. Sighing, Jake followed behind him, trying his best not to kill the blathering old Elf. I swear, if he keeps this up, I¡¯m going to burn down all of these trees. Mizutsune chuckled from Jake¡¯s left, his mental voice rebounding through Jake¡¯s skull. ¡°I am glad that I cannot speak their tongue. I would have already followed through that threat if I were you, Master.¡± The fox shot a glare at the Elves behind them, making them chitter and hoot to each other. ¡°But even now, their language is grating on my ears.¡± Jake looked down at the fox, quirking an eyebrow. What does it sound like to you? I hear them in perfect English, at least as far as these truncated sentences can be considered ¡®perfect¡¯. Mizutsune sighed. He sent his Master a snippet of the conversation going on behind them. Jake winced as the chirping, hooting, growling and shrieks entered his mind. Yeah, I can see that. Jesus, what is up with these things? I would think of them more as large goblins than elves. Mizutsune looked at Jake with a single sapphire eye. ¡°What are goblins, Master? I have never heard of these creatures.¡± You don¡¯t have any goblins here? Jake was shocked. So far, there had been evidence of pretty much all races from his worlds fantasy. There had to be some form of goblin-like creature. Who else would be the minions to an evil wizard? Maybe they have a different name¡­ Jake shot his fox an image of a goblin; small, large mouthed, baggy ears, squashed faces and their natural cowardice. Mizutsune was quiet, the gears of his fox-brain spinning. After a few minutes, the fox slowly shook his head. ¡°There are no creatures like this, Master, at least as far as I have knowledge of.¡± ¡­ Seriously? What type of fantasy world is this? There¡¯s always goblins. Before Mizutsune could respond, Jake¡¯s vision was blocked by a message from Lilith.
Nope, no goblins. I didn¡¯t think that they fit with my world, so I didn¡¯t add them. Why, you want some for yourself?
Jake began to respond, but stopped. He scratched at the fuzz that had begun to grow on his neck since the Beast-Kin city, thinking. I mean, not really? I¡¯m just used to there being goblins in¡­ pretty much everything. It¡¯s weird there not being any here. What made you not bring them over? Jake asked the goddess.
*shrugs* I don¡¯t know. Just didn¡¯t want them here.
Jake grunted, then waved away the message. Grabbing a cigarette from his inventory, he lit up and took a slow drag. Exhaling the smoke, he focused back on Old-Elf, who was still rambling on about the world around him. ¡°¡­shroom. Make dead. No good.¡± His high pitched, grumbling voice was slightly annoying, but there was not much for Jake to do besides ignore him. Which he did. For the next hour while they slowly walked through the forest while Old-Elf pointed out every¡­ single¡­ thing they came across. ___________________________________________________________ Jake was currently going over a few ideas of how to gain world domination through the use of monotonous lectures when he was broken from his thoughts by a piece of hardened wood smacking him in the nose. ¡°Augh, what the fuck?!¡± He focused on the Old Elf, clutching his throbbing nose, and glaring daggers at him. Old-Elf slammed his staff into another tree, glaring back at Jake with a singular eye. ¡°Wake. Tree. Half-Beast here.¡± With that, the Elf hurled his broken and warped body up the tree, climbing it like a frightened squirrel. Jake, forgetting about the pain, watched the Elf with mouth gaping open. Glancing around, he noticed that only he and Mizutsune were still on the forest floor, and that the hunters had already climbed the massive trees surrounding them. Jake turned back to the tree that Old-Elf had climbed, squinting his eyes to try to find the bastard. He could barely make out a ring of wood around the trunk towards the top, with what appeared to be strings attaching it to similar looking rings on the other trees. Jake blinked, then scratched the back of his neck. ¡°Hey, Mizu. How the fuck did you get up there?¡± His fox shot Jake a glare, his cold voice filled with indignation. ¡°Do not worry about it Master.¡± Jake looked at Mizutsune out of the corner of his eye. ¡°You were carried, weren¡¯t you?¡± The fox began to growl at Jake, who quickly raised his hands and stopping the conversation. Looking back at the trees, Jake shrugged. ¡°Well, I am going up there. I guess the rings are where they live at?¡± While speaking, Jake activated [Shadow Ascent], tendrils of darkness exploding from his back and forming into pitch-black, leathery wings. He glanced down at Mizutsune, who was still staring at the tree, his tails swaying softly. ¡°If you need a lift¡­¡± Mizutsune glared at Jake, then sighed. ¡°Please, Master.¡± Hiding a grin behind his hand, Jake formed a tendril and wrapped it around the fox, making sure to not mess with his ears or tails. Extending his wings, he created a pillar of hot air underneath him and leapt into the air, his wings beating furiously to get him aloft. Jake began to rise, dragging his fox behind him with a slight yelp. The bark of the Elderwood passed quickly as the two ascended, dodging the occasional branch that poked out of the massive tree. They approached the ring quickly, passing a few of the Elves climbing up and down the tree. The Elves stopped and stared at the strange creature flying through the air on wings made of shadow, while dangling a white fox behind it like a tail. The Elves turned to each other, shrugged, and went back to what they were doing. Jake had found a new joy with flight, and pushed his wings to make him go faster. Mizutsune, on the other hand, had decided that he would never fly with his Master again. The fox hated the feeling of having no control over his movement, even if he rather enjoyed the air flowing through his fur. Not to mention the constant back and forth movements were causing him to feel sick to his stomach. After a few minutes of flying, they had reached the bottom of the ring. The ring appeared to be created from planks that extended from the trunk of the tree, forming a flat area around the entirety of the tree. Bridges connected different levels with other trees in the vicinity. Jake looked at one of the lower levels that he had flown past, and saw a few Elves wandering around the level, moving into huts and hollows carved into the tree¡¯s bark. Jake grabbed onto the level of the Elderwood, and hoisted himself upwards, lightly flapping his wings to give him a boost. Concentrating, he caused the tendril holding his fox to extend outwards before coming to land on the level, stopping himself from banging Mizutsune into the lip of the wooden boards. As soon as the tendril released him, Mizutsune walked over to a roaring fire on shaking legs and promptly collapsed, curling himself into a ball. The Elves that were squatting next to the fire quickly rose and left, muttering to themselves about ¡®Danger beast¡¯ and ¡®White fear¡¯. ¡°Master,¡± the fox¡¯s cold voice broke into Jake¡¯s mind. ¡°If I ever ask you to fly me again, I humbly ask that you burry a blade into my skull to get the thought out of my head.¡± Chuckling to himself, Jake looked around the level. A few of the Elves were staring at him and chittering to themselves from a few of the roaring bonfires that dotted the level. Jake couldn¡¯t make out the words, but he got the general feeling of distrust and fear from their conversations. He noticed a single hut on the level, with many hollows in the tree. He didn¡¯t see any sign of the Beast-Kin envoy, though.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. He was about to speak to Mizutsune when a sharp rap of wood on wood broke through the silence. Groaning internally, he turned around to see Old-Elf glaring at him with a single eye. Old-Elf blinked, his third eyelid darting back and forth quickly. ¡°God-ling. Go. Half-Beast hut.¡± He gestured wildly with his staff towards the only hut, then hobbled into one of the hollows in the gigantic trunk. Sighing, Jake turned to walk to the hut. Taking two steps, he froze. He stood there for a few minutes, a foot raised. Shit. Turning around, he went to sit down next to the bonfire that Mizutsune was nestled next to. As Jake sat down, Mizutsune opened a single eye and stared at him. Jake shook his head slowly. I have no idea what I¡¯m supposed to say. Mizutsune exhaled a slow sigh, then closed his eye again. ¡°And what would you like me to do about that, Master?¡± Raising his hands in defeat, Jake sighed. I have no fucking clue. ________________________________________________________ Felicia hummed quietly as she stroked her Lady¡¯s hair, with Serena finally sleeping soundly. Serena¡¯s episodes had been getting worse, with anything that reminded her of the Mageous setting her off on a path of screaming and crying. Felicia did not know what to do, and so continued on as she always had. She would always be there for her Lady, and she would take care of her to the fullest of her abilities. Felicia paused her humming when she felt a presence seem to knock on her conscious. Recognizing the Mystic Beast, she allowed him to enter her Good evening, Master Mizutsune. Did you find this ¡®friend¡¯ of yours? Mizutsune¡¯s cold voice seemed to rebound through her skull. ¡°That I did, vixen. If you may be so kind as to come outside to one of the fires, I have something to discuss with you face to face.¡± Felicia blinked, a smile gracing her lips. The last time that the Mystic Beast had wanted to ¡®discuss something¡¯ with her, it had ended well for the both of them. Shaking her head slightly, she resumed humming. While I am honored, Master Mizutsune, I must stay with my Lady. She has had another episode of her fears, and I do not want to leave her until the dawn. Felicia felt the Mystic Beast sigh, and an image blossomed into her consciousness. A figure wearing burnt clothing was sitting in front of a fire, his hazel eyes reflecting the hungering lights of the flames. Felicia gasped, freezing with her hand in Serena¡¯s hair. The Owl-kin mumbled in her sleep, and Felicia gently placed her hand on Serena¡¯s head. What is the meaning of this, Mizutsune? Felicia growled at the fox. If this is some ploy to hurt my La- ¡°Enough.¡± The Mystic Beast drowned out Felicia¡¯s thoughts, replacing them with frigid ice. His voice lost most of its power as he continued. ¡°This is what I wanted to talk about with you, vixen. There are some things that you do not know which shall be revealed at his pleasure, and there are some things that you will not know. I assure you, this is no trick. Come.¡± With that, the fox¡¯s mind receded from hers, and she could not help but shiver. Silently standing, she slowly removed her hand from Serena, who continued to sleep peacefully. Felicia was unsure if she should believe the Mystic Beast or not, but she had best be prepared. Patting the sleeves of her dress, she made sure that her throwing knives were in place, and moved outside of the hut, making sure that she rearranged the leaves acting as a door to leave a sliver of light inside the room. Glancing around, she spotted the silver form of the Mystic Beast curled next to a sitting figure, resting his arms on his knees, his back to her. A wispy cloud of smoke billowed out from his face, and she noticed the ember of a lit smoke-stick poking out from his fingers. Clenching her hands, she moved quickly towards the duo, making sure to not mask her steps. Her feet pounded on the wooden boards as she approached the figure, who had turned around and was staring at her with his hazel eyes. ¡°Hey Felicia.¡± _________________________________________________________ ¡°You will explain yourself, now.¡± Felicia coldly said, orbs of golden fire appearing above an outstretched hand. Jake raised an eyebrow at the display, the slowly raised his cigarette to his lips. He took a drag, not breaking eye contact with the Fox-Maid, and gestured towards the fire while expelling a cloud of smoke. ¡°Sure, sit down. I¡¯ll answer your questions.¡± The Fox-Maid blinked, confused at his actions. She slowly moved around the bonfire, and she sat down a few feet from him. The orbs of fire moved from her hand and hovered above her head, creating a crescent of fire above her. I''m just going to wing it. It can''t be that bad, right? ¡°What are you?¡± She asked, hatred evident in her voice. ¡°Are you a demon?¡± ¡°Nope, human. The only one of my kind.¡± He said nonchalantly as he took another drag. Felicia blinked again, and, shaking her head, plowed on with her interrogation. ¡°Where are you from?¡± ¡°A different world called Earth.¡± Again, Felicia paused with her questions, shock on her face. Mizutsune sighed, a single eye staring at Jake. ¡°Master, why are you telling her everything?¡± His voice was reproachful. Jake glanced at the fox, and slightly shrugged. The Elves know everything already, at least about the Lilith stuff and my three masteries, so why shouldn¡¯t I tell them? It wou- Jake was interrupted by Felicia waving a hand, extinguishing the golden flames above her head. She glanced back at Jake, confusion still present on her face. ¡°Mageous,¡± Oh, she¡¯s taken to calling me Mageous again, huh? ¡°I¡­ do not understand. You are from a different world?¡± Jake nodded, remaining silent. ¡°There are other worlds, like this one? Within the great void?¡± Felicia still looked confused, but also expectant. Huh¡­ oh, yeah. She likes knowledge. Forgot about that. ¡°I just know of mine, and this world.¡± Jake said slowly, thinking of some way to make this work best for him. ¡°My world was¡­ boring, to say the least. There was nothing there that interested me at the time. I was made a deal, to transfer over to this world. I accepted, and arrived roughly¡­¡± Jake quickly thought over how much time he had spent on Laeris. ¡°A month? Maybe more?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not really good with numbers.¡± Felicia stared at him, her mouth slacked. ¡°Who¡­ what did you make a deal with, if I may ask?¡± Jake stared into the flames, and whispered his answer. ¡°I call her Giggles. You likely know her as Lilith, Goddess of Change.¡± He then looked back at the stunned Felicia, a smirk on his face. ¡°Sorry, she wanted a dramatic reveal. I couldn¡¯t say no.¡± Jake leaned closer, waving a hand in front of Felicia¡¯s unfocused eyes. ¡°Hey, anyone there?¡± Felicia snapped back into focus, her eyes wide. Fear reflected off of her eyes, dancing with the firelight. ¡°Y-you¡¯re a G-G-Godling?!?¡± She whispered, her body shaking slightly. Jake blinked, taken aback. He glanced at Mizutsune, but the fox ignored his pleading look. ¡°You might have broken her, Master. You have basically torn apart her reality, then decided to point out the fact that you are, more or less, a divine. At the very least she didn¡¯t ask about your magic.¡± ¡°W-w-wait, the Elves. They said something about a Tri-Elemental. W-with v-violet flames.¡± Felicia spoke, staring at Jake. Jake shot a glare at his fox, who instantly turned his head away. Who¡¯s saying shit now, Mizu? Sighing, Jake looked back at the terrified woman, and seeing no other way since the Elves had already said something about it, he nodded. ¡°Yep, that is me. I have Mastery over Fire, Air and Dark. And before you ask, yes. I did die back with those Orcs. Lilith has made it that I¡­ regenerate after a set amount of time.¡± Felicia stared at him for a few moments, her eyes locked on his. Then they slid upwards, until only white was showing. With a thud, she fell forwards, her head barely missing the fire. Shit. Jake jumped to his feet, and moved the Beast-Kin away from the flames. How can thi- No no no no no, I did not think that. Everything is good, there is no way that- ¡°Felicia?¡± A quiet, timid voice rose up from behind him. It sounded like the breeze whispering through the trees above, and Jake began swearing to himself with gusto. ¡°Wait, Felicia?¡± The voice was getting closer, and Jake groaned internally. Standing up, he turned around slowly. He noticed the dark circles underneath her eyes first, then the puffy and red eyes. She had lost sleep, and had been crying quite a bit. Fuck. He smiled gently at the Owl-Kin. ¡°Hey, Serena. I¡¯m back.¡± Spoiler: Spoiler Random middle chapter note: You have NO IDEA how badly I wanted to stop the chapter right here, just to be a douchebag. But hey, it keeps on going. Yay me. Serena froze, staring at him. She began to shake, starting at her legs before traveling up the entirety of her body. Taking a shuddering step forward, tears began to form in her eyes. ¡°Ma¡­ J-Jake? Is¡­ that y-you?¡± Jake nodded, his smile still on his face. ¡°It¡¯s me. You don¡¯t look too good. Have you been sleeping alright, Serena?¡± Of course she hasn¡¯t been sleeping right, retard. Why the fuck can¡¯t you think of something better? She froze after he spoke. ¡°S-s-sleep? I¡¯m a sleep? No, you can¡¯t. You¡¯re dead. I failed.¡± Her voice began to get louder, her body shaking more and more. Jake blinked, completely off balance. WHAT THE FUCK DID I SAY?! ¡°Wait, Serena. I am real. What would prove to you that I¡¯m here, that you¡¯re awake?¡± Jake tried, staring at the quivering Owl-Kin. His voice seemed to calm her, slightly. Her bloodshot eyes focused on his, her pupils expanded completely, none of her brown iris¡¯s showing. ¡°A-a-wake? I can¡¯t be. You¡¯re dead.¡± She said, accusingly. ¡°I am not.¡± Jake responded, almost childishly. Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with her? I didn¡¯t think it would be this bad. I am way out of my element right now. Serena began to shake her head, slowly at first before picking up speed. ¡°No. Dead, dead dead. I failed. I couldn¡¯t help. You¡¯re dead, I failed. Dead. Dea-¡° Her cries were silenced. Jake had wrapped the small Owl-Kin in a hug, burying her face into his chest. Maybe this will work? ¡°I am not dead.¡± He gently whispered into her ear, gently rubbing her back in between her large wings. They expanded slightly with each movement of his hands, expanding and contracting with the rhythm of his attempts at placating the girl. ¡°I¡¯m here. Didn¡¯t you say something about my smell when we first met? About the fire?¡± I honestly don¡¯t remember, but she did say something. Serena remained silent. Jake could feel the tears on his shirt, and not knowing anything better to do, continued to hold her. Slowly, her arms that were dangling uselessly at her side began to inch upwards, shaking like leaves in a storm. She gently wrapped them around his lower back, reaching up to his shoulder blades. She mumbled something into his shirt. Jake slowly lowered his head next to hers, keeping his arms around her and rubbing her back. She was still shivering, but it had been slowing down with only an occasional tremor wracking her body. ¡°Could you say that again, Serena?¡± Jake whispered gently, one of her ears swiveling to hear what he said. She slowly turned her head to face him, and a quivering smile graced her lips. ¡°A w-w-w-welcoming fire. That¡¯s w-w-what I said.¡± Tears spilled out of her eyes, but she continued to smile. ¡°I told you t-that you smell like a h-hearth. W-w-welcoming.¡± She did? ¡°Yes, you did. And, what do you smell now?¡± He whispered, his face inches from hers. Serena¡¯s arms tightened around his back, bringing her in closer. She stared into his eyes, her smile growing wider. ¡°Jake¡­¡± She whispered, and moved her face towards his, closing the distance between them. No, no, no, no, n- Jake¡¯s mind went blank. The only thing he focused on were the soft lips gently pressing against his own. Pointy Eared Bastards pt 8 Felicia startled awake with a yelp, scattering the group of Elves who had been surrounding her. Groggily, she looked around in an attempt to piece together what had happened to her. She was in the hut that she shared with Serena, but there was no sight of the Owl-Kin. One of the Elves scuttled forwards, and chirped at her. She took a moment to understand what he had said. Clearing her throat, she hooted back towards the Elf. ¡°Speak again?¡± The Elf turned one of his eyes towards Felicia, staring into hers. Blinking, the Elf bobbed his head sharply, like a bird. ¡°Half-Beast Fox. Elder speak. Bring Half-Beast Owl. Half-Beast Owl with God-ling.¡± With that, the group of Elves scattered. Felicia sighed, rubbing her eyes. I hate dealing with these Elves. They make no sense. Who in the Hells is this Godli- Felicia froze, memories bubbling forth from the back of her consciousness. A man, come back from the dead, with multiple masteries in magic. Felicia surged to her feet and dashed out of the hut. Frantic, she looked around, trying to find her charge. The Fox-Kin did not know what would happen when her Lady and the Mageous were reunited, but she knew that it would not end well. She was scared for her Lady, for Felicia did not want Serena to do anything dangerous to herself. She noticed a group of Elves ringing where she thought the Mystic Beast and the Mageous were sitting at before, and she immediately rushed over to see what was going on. The Elves chirped when they saw her, but then they noticed her running at them with murder in her eyes, they quickly scattered. When Felicia was able to see the figures huddled around the roaring fire, she froze, her mouth opening and closing in shock. The Mystic Beast, Mizutsune, was staring at two figures wrapped around in a lover¡¯s embrace, his sapphire eyes glinting in mirth from the reflected firelight. But what drew Felicia¡¯s attention were the two. Large brown and white wings were wrapped tightly around a sitting figure, long pale legs poking from the bundle of feathers. Dainty arms were wrapped around the figures neck, and her innocent Lady Serena¡¯s head was resting on the figure¡¯s shoulder, a content smile gracing her lips. The figure slowly turned his head towards Felicia, and stared at her with bloodshot hazel eyes. He opened his mouth and whispered, so softly that she could not hear. But the meaning was clear. ¡°Help me.¡± _______________________________________________________________ Jake took a drag, feeling the toxic smoke enter into his lunges, and exhaled with a sigh. Serena had woken up on her own, and when she noticed her position, quickly extracted herself and sprinted back to her hut, blushing furiously. Felicia glared daggers at him, and went to comfort the Owl-Kin. Sighing again, he rubbed at his aching eyes. He had been unable to get any sleep after Serena had kissed him, for she had decided at that moment to go back to sleep. Still reeling from the unexpected kiss, the Owl-Kin had been able to wrap herself around him and promptly went to sleep. Miztusune had found the entire situation hilarious, and Jake had made a point to ignore all messages from the loli-goddess. Jake had spent the entire night, or at least what he assumed was the night, awake. He could not move more than a few inches before Serena would snuggle in closer. Since he had come to this world, he had bathed in the blood of his enemies, killing all in his path with impunity. But this small girl scared him more than anything else within this world or his own. He had no experience with how to deal with something like this. Sure, he had a few one night stands to scratch the itch, as it were, but nothing lasting. Back on Earth, he did not want anything more than a casual fling, since he would normally be away from home for months to years at a time. It would have been a horrible way to raise a child, not knowing when he would be able to return. And even now, he doubted he would be a good father, or husband. He could not see himself caring for someone while being hunted down by the entirety of the intelligent races of Laeris, let alone raising a child. Shaking his head to break away from those thoughts, Jake took another drag and flicked the butt over the side of the flat. Grabbing another cigarette, he lit up and went back to sitting at the bonfire. Apparently, due to the dark nature of the Dark Woods, the Elves kept the fires around the flats lit at all times, to provide light for those who were not sleeping. Mizutsune quirked open an eye from where he was lying next to the fire. Yawning, the fox stood up and stretched his back, his rear raised into the air. Shaking the last bits of sleep out of his system, Mizutsune trotted over to Jake and sat next to his Master. ¡°Master.¡± Mizutsune¡¯s voice broke through Jake¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Why are you still thinking about that situation? Congratulations, you have gained an admirer. Just mate with the owlet and be done with it.¡± The fox stared at the human, unblinking. ¡°Why are you agonizing over this, Master? It is likely that she won¡¯t live long enough to bear you any children, anyways. We have a mission to complete, and it will more than likely cost many lives.¡± Sighing, Jake scratched at the stubble on his neck. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy, Mizu.¡± He took a drag, allowing the nicotine to help sooth his nerves. Exhaling, he looked down at his fox. ¡°Would you be able to kill off Felicia? Just to make things easier for you?¡± Mizutsune blinked, his sapphire eyes hard. ¡°Of course. It is the way of nature.¡± His response made Jake pause and stare at the fox. ¡°If something is in the way of what we require, then it must be eliminated. My feelings have no matter in the subject. If the vixen wants to survive, then she must be with us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ pretty brutal of you.¡± Jake said, taking another drag. Mizutsune shrugged. ¡°What do you expect, Master? I am a beast, after all.¡± Jake grunted, and looked around the flat. With only the light of the bonfires to see by in the darkness, Jake noticed a few oddities. All of the Elves that he had seen appeared men. There were no women that were wandering around the flats. Not only that, but most of the Elves that he could see were armed with spears and bows. Jake hummed to himself, and turned back to Mizutsune. ¡°On a different topic, why are all the Elves here using weapons? Didn¡¯t the Beast-Kin say that they were supposed to be masters of magic or something?¡± Taking a lazy look around, Mizutsune shrugged. ¡°Most of the male Long-Ears have no abilities in magic. That lies squarely with the females, who act as teachers and the leading body for these people. At the very least, this is what the vixen explained to the owlet.¡± Jake blinked, confused. ¡°If the women are the leaders for the Elves, why are Serena and Felicia speaking with that old Elf guy?¡± Mizutsune shrugged again. ¡°I did not care to ask, Master.¡± ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t¡± Jake sighed, and stood up. Finishing off the cigarette, he flicked it into the flames. Turning back to the fox, he jerked his head to gesture over his shoulder. ¡°Want to go explore?¡± Mizutsune swished his tails a few times, thinking over the idea. ¡°I do not, Master. I believe that it would be better for me to wait here. If the two Half-Beasts ask questions, I will be able to answer them. Hopefully, in a better way than you did last night.¡± His sapphire eyes twinkled with mirth as he reminded Jake of the fact. ¡°I am surprised that you were able to get the Long-Ears to take the vixen back to her hut.¡± ¡°It helps to know the language, I guess. And that they consider me a God.¡± Jake grunted back, already walking away. Let me know if they ask anything too direct. He sent to the fox, already thinking of where to go in this glorified tree house. ¡°Of course, Master. Try not to make any new ¡®friends¡¯, yes? We don¡¯t want to tip our hand this early.¡± Mizutsune¡¯s cold voice bound through his head, and all Jake could do was respond with a sigh. _____________________________________________________________ Jake had been wandering for the better part of an hour, just seeing the sights. He had no opportunity to wander around the Beast-Kin city, and he had been kicking himself for neglecting to experience a ¡®fantasy city¡¯. And this Enclave was very impressive. If he had to describe it to someone back on Earth, he would say that it reminded him of Kashyyyk, the homeworld of the towering furry Chewbacca.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The massive Elderwood trees towered into the sky, and flats ringed most of them on different levels on the branch. Bridges created from woven plant fiber and planks of some type of dark wood connected the different flats, creating a maze that spanned the entire ¡®city¡¯. On these flats were an assortment of homes, bonfires and a few stores, for lack of a better word. The stores were just a hut with an open wall, where the Elf would freely give away whatever they were marketing. One that the wandering human had come across was giving away slices of roasted meat that gave off a delicious aroma of spice and smoke. When Jake had asked how much, the Elf had simply blinked his third eyelid and responded with, ¡±No pay. No need. Make food, you eat.¡± And with that, the Elf had dropped a few skewers of the meat into his hands. And it was delicious. Jake was wandering around, munching on a [Flamb¨¦ed Twin-Headed Quail Leg] as he went, when the sounds of combat reached his ears. Finishing off the leg and tossing the bone off the side of the flat, he went to investigate. On one of the flats underneath his and on an adjacent tree, two groups of Elves were fighting against each other. They worked in tandem with each other, where one would stab out with his spear and the two beside him would protect with leather-bound shields. It was effective, but Jake had a feeling that they would be far more efficient if they were attacking from surprise. The Elves were fast enough to make very good guerrilla fighters, darting in and back out before the foe could mount a decent defense. Shrugging, Jake grabbed a cigarette from his inventory and lit up, resuming his wanderings. He had been looking for someone giving away any alcohol, but so far he had been out of luck. He had found a lot of food, though. And most of it was quite good, except for a few of the vegetable dishes that were being served. Letting out a cloud of smoke, Jake looked around at the other flats, including above and below. If I were a bar in a magical forest, where would I be? Or super powerful Amazonian women that apparently rule the men with an iron fist. Jake pondered for a second, then shrugged. Probably from the very top, so I can look down on all those below me. With a thought, black tendrils exploded from his shoulder blades and began to contort into fleshy wings, scattering the Elves that were around him. Taking a running start, Jake leapt over the side of the flat, wings spread to catch the wind. The Elves that were staring at him with a mix of horror and fascination ran to the edge and peered downwards, chittering to each other. They scattered again as the human with wings rocketed upwards, carrying himself on a column of warm air. Ignoring the Elves, Jake looked around, beating his wings occasionally to correct his ascent. There were tens, possibly hundreds, of flats spread throughout the trees, and he noticed thousands upon thousands of Elves scurrying back and forth on them. Jesus. Elven hordes indeed. Glancing around, he didn¡¯t see anything that screamed out magical yet, or anything that resembled a bar, so he decided to ask the natives.. Angling himself towards a flat, he mixed between gliding and beating his wings furiously. He still did not understand the fundamentals of flying, but he thought that he was getting there. As he approached the flat, he flared out his wings like he had seen birds do, and landed somewhat gracefully. The Elves that were in his way chittered and scattered when he landed, before stopping a distance away and staring at him. Extinguishing the magic that surrounded him, he turned to one of the Elves that were looking at him with wonder. ¡°Hey, is there any place here that I can get a drink? If not, where do you guys learn magic?¡± The Elf that was pointed out tried to shuffle away, but was brought forward by the Elves around him. With fear in his eyes, the Elf slowly approached, his back bent down. ¡°Magic-man, drink kind?¡± He asked quietly, his voice soft and slightly wavering. Umm, shit. ¡°Alcoholic? Something that makes you feel good?¡± Hopefully that translates well. I have no idea how this translation thing works. The Elf stared at him for a few seconds, his third eyelid sliding over his eye quickly. ¡°Feel good? Fire water?¡± Jake returned the blink, thinking. Shrugging, he nodded. ¡°Sure, fire water.¡± The Elf raised a shaking hand and pointed to a flat above and three trees over. ¡°Speak Terina. Give fire water. Large hut.¡± With that, the Elf scampered back to the safety of his peers, and stared at the human. Nodding at the Elf, he reactivated his [Shadow Ascent], his dark wings forming quickly. With a wave, he leapt into the expanse between trees. Angling himself towards the tree that the Elf had pointed out, he began to climb. Minutes later, he had touched down on the flat designated, albeit far less gracefully than he did the last time, twisting his ankle in the landing. Grumbling to himself, he limped over to one of the Elves that were staring at him. With a wave, he dispelled the magic and his wings turned into wisps of black smoke that dispersed into the twilight. ¡°You.¡± He growled at an Elf, who flinched and tried to run away, but was again stopped by those on his sides. ¡°Where is Terina? The one who has fire water?¡± The Elf gulped, and raised a shaking hand to point to a large hut towards one side of the tree. ¡°Terina there. Much fire water.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± With that, Jake began to limp in the general direction, ignoring the stares of the Elves that he passed. Like insects. Terrified insects. Jesus, I don¡¯t even want to know what the women are like. With that terrifying thought, he walked to the large, open face hut. Benches and tables were situated out front, and a small group of Elves were situated around the tables, drinking from what appeared to be fruits. The Elves stared at him as he approached, chittering to each other. Ignoring them, he walked over to where the front bar would be in most establishments, and looked around. There was no one manning the ¡®bar¡¯, so he decided to knock lightly on the wood. ¡°Hello? Is there a¡­ Terina here?¡± He questioned the empty hut, and the Elves behind him began to chitter with force. He was able to make out a few words, mostly along the lines of ¡®Strange-one¡¯ and ¡®Scare me¡¯. Glancing back at the Elves, Jake was shocked to see that most of them had run away. Only two were left, and they were at the farthest table away and cringing in fear. What the- Before he could finish his thought, the sound of splintering wood brought his gaze back towards the hut. He came face to face with something that made him stop and stare. The Elf that had emerged looked¡­ different, from all of its brethren. It was not crooked and hunched like the male Elves had been, and stood strait. It had four eyes on its slanted face, the regular two and two smaller ones above and behind them, giving it the appearance of an arachnid. It was wearing a thick apron, masking most of its figure. A ridge of spikes traveled down its back, and moved occasionally. Unlike the other Elves, this one was hairless, as if they shaved regularly. But what made him look more were the lines of runes. Hundreds of runes slowly writhed and twirled over the Elf¡¯s body in glowing red lines, and Jake was fascinated by them. ¡°Yeah? What you want?¡± The Elf¡¯s voice, softer than any of the others, seemed to echo with a built in power, and the words that it spoke were far more pleasant to hear than the butchered sentences of the others. Closing his gaping mouth with a snap, Jake nodded at the Elf. ¡°Yes, I was told that you have fire water? I believe that they said that it was alcoholic, if that makes any sense to you.¡± The Elf quirked one of their eye-ridges, before speaking. ¡°Fire water? You mean booze? Comin¡¯ right up.¡± It turned around, grabbing a gourd from the wall behind her. Turning back around, it handed the gourd to Jake. ¡°That¡¯d be three silver.¡± Jake paused, looking at the Elf. It shrugged in return. ¡°I only charge outsiders, since this lot tends to not carry any money. Sure, they repay what they drink with work, but I need to make a living, you know?¡± It nodded toward the gourd. ¡°Enjoy that. I got the recipe from an old Orc brew-master. Pretty strong stuff.¡± Jake reached into his inventory and pulled out the requested silver. Clunking them onto the bar, he nodded at the Elf. ¡°Thanks. Sorry that I seemed to have scared off your customers.¡± He glanced back, and even the two Elves that had been there previously have scampered off, leaving their empty gourds on the table. The Elf waved its hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. The males are normally very skittish around outsiders. Go get a table, and I¡¯ll meet you there.¡± Nodding at the Elf, Jake turned around and sat at a table as the Elf turned back to its hut. He placed the gourd on a table, and gave it a sniff, moaning slightly. The smell burned his nostrils, and he could already tell that it was going to be good. Placing his arms on the table, he leaned forwards, thinking. It said the males were skittish. So is this what the females look like? Makes sense, I guess. Definitely not going to ask her/it about it, though. With a sigh, Terina sat down opposite him, holding her own gourd. ¡°So, what¡¯s a light-skin like you doing in our fine Enclave?¡± She quirked an eye ridge at the human, and took a swig of her gourd. Following her lead, Jake took a draw on the gourd. Swallowing the burning liquid quickly, he pounded on his chest with a fist to help him breath again. After his throat decided to work again, he let out a sigh while shooting the Elf a grin. ¡°Good stuff.¡± Terina smiled slightly, showing off her needle-like teeth, and nodded at him to continue. ¡°Well, I¡¯m officially part of the Beast-Kin delegation that was sent here to secure trade between the people.¡± He took another swig, the liquid going down a little bit easier this time. Terina drummed her fingers on the table, the runes lighting up occasionally. ¡°But, you¡¯re no Half-Beast.¡± Jake shook his head in the negative, grabbing a cigarette from his inventory. Offering it to Terina, who gracefully declined, he lit up and took a drag. Letting the smoke out with a sigh, he responded to the Elf¡¯s statement. ¡°I¡¯m something¡­ else.¡± He shot a cocky grin at the Elf, who snorted into her gourd. ¡°Alright, if you want to be mysterious, I¡¯ll let you.¡± Taking another chug, the Elf sighed and placed the gourd onto the table. Leaning forwards, she regarded the human with her four eyes. ¡°So, ¡®Something-Else¡¯, what can you tell me about yourself?¡± Jake took a swig followed by a drag on his cigarette, feeling the alcohol start to numb his nerves. Exhaling the cloud of smoke, he scratched at the stubble on his neck. ¡°Well, since you asked so kindly, I am a Master of three different forms of Magic.¡± Hopefully I read the situation right. I still need to learn more about the magic of this world. Like, I don¡¯t know, what the hell is up with the glowy runes if all magic is based off of thought? Terina blinked two of her eyes, the smaller ones remained open and staring at him. Freaky. Then she burst into laughter. After a few moments when the Elf had calmed down enough to speak, she wiped a tear from her eye and looked back at him with a smile. ¡°Thank you for that. It¡¯s rare to get someone new, and rarer still for them to have a sense of humor.¡± Still chuckling, she shook her head at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is about you, Something-Else, but I like you. What¡¯s your name?¡± Jake smiled back. He didn¡¯t know what was going on either, but he was really starting to feel the alcohol and it was making him very happy. ¡°You can call me Jake.¡± Pointy Eared Bastards pt 9 Within the highest boughs of the Enclave of the Dark Forest, the Matriarch of the High Elves was holding her court. Five Elves were seated in a semicircle within the court, to represent the Founders of their race. Each of the Elven women wore a simple robe, adorned with marks of their station, embossed on a glowing pin attached to their chests. These Elven women were the ultimate power within their lands, each having gained their position through hard work and blood, in the case of the Matron of War, and have proven themselves to be above their peers in their chosen field. And each of these incredibly powerful women were staring at the aged form of the Elder of the Males standing before them. ¡°Let us make sure that we understand you, Litnar.¡± The Matron of Trade, the emblem of a pair of hands clasped in agreement glinting in the firelight, spoke in a clear and quiet voice, her second pair of eyes closed in frustration. ¡°You discovered a being wandering alone within our woods. And when you confronted said being, you proclaimed him a demi-god and took him on a guided tour through the woods. Is that correct?¡± Litnar tapped his staff against the wooden boards of the flat once in affirmation, bobbing his gray-haired head. ¡°God-ling learn. Home forest friend. Make peace. Bring power.¡± The Matron of Trade sighed, the runes dancing across her blue flesh glowing slightly with the exhale. ¡°And this ¡®God-ling¡¯ has connections with the Half-Beasts that have been attempting to create a trade agreement through you?¡± Again, Litnar tapped his staff once. ¡°God-ling mate Half-Owl. Other Half-Beasts know.¡± The Matron of Trade glanced around at the other assembled members, who each waved a hand. Returning her gaze to the Elder, the Matron of Trade nodded. ¡°Thank you, Litnar. You may be excused.¡± The Elder tapped his staff, then hobbled outside of the court. Once the Male had exited, the Matron of Trade sighed again and turned to her counterparts. ¡°What shall we do about this ¡®God-ling¡¯? Is there anything we can do?¡± The Elf to her left shrugged, her emblem of twin spears encircled with a ring of flame glint. The Matron of War looked towards Trade, a small smile on her face. ¡°You all know my stand on those that we deem a threat.¡± The four other women all groaned, the Matron of Magic most of all. Magic leaned forwards, lightly glaring at War. ¡°We know. Assimilate or Exterminate.¡± Her emblem was unique among the court, for each Matron of Magic would create their emblem to match the magic coursing through her body. A raised hand gently cupped a growing plant, for this Matron of Magic had the unique abilities of both Water and Earth magic, culminating in the creation of her Nature affinity. Sighing, Magic leaned backwards, the spines jutting from her back waving slightly. ¡°If what the Elder says is true, then this God-ling has three different affinities. And he has enough control over them to cast them in tandem.¡± She waved her hand at War, cutting off the other Matron¡¯s attempt at interrupting. ¡°Yes, if the Elder was lying, then there is nothing to fear. But, if he was speaking truth, then this is something that we must be cautious about. With the strength that the ¡®God-ling¡¯ supposedly has, then it would be foolhardy to lose half of our horde to kill him.¡± A greedy glint appeared within Magic¡¯s eyes. ¡°I believe it would be better for our people if we cultivate a friendship with this being, and learn all that he knows of his magic. If he is a God-ling, then this might be our chance of gaining the attention of a higher power. Especially one as powerful as the All-Mother.¡± Silence descended over the court, with all of the Elves thinking over what the Matron of Magic had said. The Matriarch, ruler over the Dark Woods, glanced around at her assembled court, making her emblem of a towering Elderwood tree dance on her breast. ¡°Is there anything else that would like to be said?¡± Her voice was quiet, haunting. While not the strongest among the court, the Matriarch was the most well suited to guide the wellbeing of her people. The Matriarch glanced over to the youngest Elf of the group, an emblem of a deer drinking from a lake dangling from her robe. ¡°You have kept your peace thus far, Wilds. Do you have nothing to add?¡± The young Elf looked at the assembled Matrons, before turning to look at the Matriarch, slowly shaking her head. The Matriarch nodded. ¡°Very well. As both War and Magic have stated, we will attempt to integrate this ¡®God-ling¡¯ with our people. If he proves true, then we will welcome him and attempt to learn from him.¡± A small smile twisted the corners of her mouth upwards. ¡°If he proves false, we shall crush him beneath our feet. Now, does anyone know where this being is?¡± Glancing around at the silent Elves, the Matron of Trade slowly raised her hand. ¡°I do not know, but if he is anything like the other males, it would be likely that he has found his way to one of the booze huts spread throughout the Enclave. If I may, I would go out to these places and see if the Elves there have seen him. I will also speak with the Elder of the Males and tell him to set up a meeting with the God-ling.¡± Nodding her head, the Matriarch dismissed the Matrons with a wave of her hand. After the women left the court, the Matriarch sighed in relief. While she was the most able to lead her people, it did not mean that she wanted the responsibilities. Heavy is the head who wears the crown. An apt saying. Standing slowly, the Matriarch made her way to a knot in the trunk of the Elderwood. Entering, she made her way through twisting tunnels through the wood before arriving at a small altar. Kneeling down, she laid her head on the wood, before looking upwards. ¡°Why have you sent him? I thought that I have been guiding our people in the way that you wanted. Is it not enough?¡± With a quavering voice, she spoke towards a small figure carved above the altar. The figure remained silent, as it had for as long as she could remember. ¡°Please, your servant asks for guidance. Give me a sign, so that I may know that we are following your path.¡± The Matriarch stayed kneeling before the altar for some time, before sighing and rising to her feet. Bowing her head with her hands clasped to her stomach, she spoke towards the floor. ¡°Very well. I will continue on my path, and pray that it is the one set out for me.¡± She walked backwards, and turned to leave, allowing herself a final glance towards the figure of a small girl etched into the wood. The figure seemed to stare back, with eyes seeming to contain the entirety of the cosmos. ¡°I will return to pray to you tonight, All-Mother. After I have spoken with your Champion.¡± _____________________________________________________________________ Jake groaned, rolling onto his side to escape from some blinding light. The light did not relent, so Jake rolled over to his other side. His head was pounding, and this persistent light was only making it worse. What the hell happened? Groggily, he forced himself up, leaning heavily on his arms. Cracking open one of his eyes into a slit, he immediately closed it again due to the light. Groaning to himself again, he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, his head resting against his chest. Fumbling in his inventory, he finally grabbed a cigarette and slowly placed it into his mouth. Fighting through the pain in his head, he snapped his fingers, and a small purple flame appeared over his thumb. Lighting his cigarette, he took a slow drag and exhaled with a sigh. He sat there for a few moments, just letting the nicotine flow through his system and help fight off the hangover. I need some coffee. After the pain faded to an occasional dull throbbing, Jake cracked open his eye again. Squinting into the blinding light, he looked around, trying to figure out where he was at. Wooden walls swam in his vision, causing his stomach to twist and turn. Groaning again, Jake closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. After his stomach calmed down, he opened his eyes again, and saw that the walls had decided to stop moving. Coughing slightly to help clear his parched throat, Jake slowly forced himself to his feet and glanced around. As far as he could tell, it was a home. Wooden walls encircled a small table with a single chair, a small fire crackling happily on one side in a ring of wood, red runes glowing slightly on their surfaces. An empty hammock was hung up from the rafters on the other side of the fire, a small table with a few leather bound books stacked on top. Turning around, he found the exit, long leaves acting as a doorway. Jake flicked the burnt out cigarette into the flames, and hobbled over to the door. Brushing away the fronds, Jake stumbled outside of the hut into a waiting group of Elves. The Elves¡¯ high pitched voices stormed into Jake¡¯s head, feeling like someone decided to wedge a shard of molten steel into his brain and give it a twist. Slamming both hands over his ears, he glared daggers at the surrounding Elves, who quickly scampered away.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Slowly lowering his hands, he looked around, trying to get his bearings. The flat was indistinguishable from any of the others, and he realized that he was more than likely lost. Slowly walking to the edge, he peered downwards to see if he recognized anything. Looking downwards, all that he saw were Elves walking around the flats like troops of ants, marching to their own cadence. ¡­ Yeah, I¡¯m definitely lost. Sighing, he sat down on the edge, his legs dangling into the empty air. Staring down into the dark depths of the forest far below him, he tried to piece together what happened the night before. Coming up with blanks after the first gourd, he sighed again. Is this what it feels like for someone to slip you a roofie? At least I didn¡¯t wake up in Bangkok. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± A voice, far softer than the male Elves, whispered up from behind him. Turning around, Jake saw a female Elf fidgeting behind him. If he could make a guess, she was younger than Terina had been, but he was unsure due to how alien their appearances were. The Elf wore a simple robe, small yellow runes flashing into and out of existence over her body. Clearing his throat, Jake nodded at the Elf. ¡°Yeah, I think.¡± Coughing again, he shot another glance around the flat. ¡°Where am I? I don¡¯t remember anything after I had a few drinks with Terina.¡± The Elf blinked her four eyes, her third eyelids quickly darting over her eyes. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t remember?¡± Her voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper. Raising an eyebrow, he looked at the Elf. ¡°Yeah? Do you know what happened?¡± The Elf flinched backwards at his look, shaking her head violently. ¡°No. Just rumors.¡± Jake was taken aback at her reaction, before groaning to himself. Fucking hell, what did I do? I¡¯ve never been an angry drunk. Keeping his voice calm, he spoke to the Elf as gently as he could. ¡°And what are these rumors? You don¡¯t have to be scared.¡± The Elf shivered slightly, before taking a deep breath. ¡°You¡­ after about ten gourds of Dragon Blood, you¡­¡± She broke off, fidgeting. ¡°¡­You tried to hug Terina¡­¡± Jake blinked, surprised. Well, that¡¯s not so bad¡­ ¡°She rejected you, and threw you off the flat¡­¡± Well, that¡¯s pretty bad¡­ ¡°You landed on one of the flats where the males train¡­ and you tried to teach them how to use a spear¡­¡± The Elf began to speak faster, as if she couldn¡¯t contain the words. ¡°From what I hear, you said something along the lines of ¡®be like Leonidas¡¯ and to ¡®go for the balls¡¯, whatever that means. After stabbing yourself in the foot, you fell off the flat.¡± Taking a deep breath, the Elf continued to Jake¡¯s slack-jawed expression. ¡°You formed wings of darkness, and flew headfirst into another one of the trees. You called the tree a ¡®harlot¡¯, and then went to one of the flats on the tree. You ate all of the food from the Givers, and tried to teach a male how to speak correctly. After¡­¡± Jake snapped out of his stupor and cleared his throat. This is not going to get any better. ¡°Alright, I think I got it. You can stop.¡± ¡°Yes God-ling.¡± She squeaked, still shivering. Jake sighed, and slowly got back to his feet. Well, hopefully I won¡¯t regret what happened. I need to get back, too. ¡°Hey. Do you know where the Beast-Kin are?¡± Nodding violently, the Elf raised a shaking hand and pointed through the darkness. ¡°Five trees that way and ten flights down.¡± Jake nodded at the Elf, thanking her quietly. Concentrating slightly, black tendrils exploded from his shoulder blades, and wrapped around each other to form into dark wings. Leaning forwards, Jake tipped himself over the edge and began to glide down through the trees. Back on the flat, the Elf woman stared at the strange man that was previously passed out drunk in her home. Shuddering, she walked slowly to the edge to make sure that the God-ling was truly gone. Sighing with relief as she spotted the figure moving slowly through the trees, she slowly walked back to her hut. Hopefully the Matriarch will take care of him. We cannot sustain any more of his antics¡­ ____________________________________________________________________ Jake flared his wings, touching down on a flat without hurting himself too badly. Sighing, he dispelled the magic surrounding him, his wings disbursing into black smoke that twisted away into the dark. He glanced around the flat, and noticed three figures situated around a bonfire. He recognized the silver pelt of Mizutsune dancing in the firelight, as well as the large wings that seemed to erupt from the back of one of the other figures. He slowly walked over to the figures, and sat in front of the fire next to them. ¡°Hey.¡± Serena didn¡¯t glance up from the flames, her brown eyes glistening in the light. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Felicia glared daggers at Jake, but remained silent. Jake glanced at Mizutsune, who was curled up next to the fire. Mizutsune blinked his eyes, and Jake felt the fox¡¯s mind pressing against his own. ¡°I told them everything, Master, including that you are from another world. I did not mention what the All-Mother¡¯s plans are for us, though.¡± Jake grunted quietly in affirmation. He stared into the flames, thinking of what he wanted to say. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Jake spoke quietly, barely above a whisper. The fire¡¯s hungering flames reflected in his hazel eyes. ¡°Fear, probably.¡± He glanced up at the two Beast-Kin, and then glanced back down at their stares. ¡°Mizu told you that I¡¯m not from here, right?¡± He saw Serena nod out of the corner of his eye. Jake sighed, scratching the back of his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about where I came from. It¡¯s¡­ not that exciting, and I hated almost everything about it.¡± Jake chuckled self-depreciatingly. ¡°It was mostly me, now that I think about it. Something happened that¡­ broke me, for lack of a better word. I became jaded and hateful, destroying the few relationships that I was able to make.¡± Jake broke off, the crackling of the flames the only sound in the woods, in the entire world. Serena blinked, her pupils expanding and contracting within her brown eyes. ¡°What happened?¡± Jake remained silent for a time, lost in his memories. When he spoke, his voice was distant. ¡°When I was young, I fell in love.¡± Jake¡¯s eyes were vacant, peering far into the past. ¡°I wasn¡¯t any older than thirteen, maybe fourteen years old. And like all kids, I thought I was immortal. That nothing could go wrong, and that I was smarter and better prepared than anyone else.¡± He snorted. ¡°I was wrong. The girl I fell in love with was messed up in the head. Psychotic, really. My friends tried to tell me about her, but I wouldn¡¯t listen. I really should have, and I continued on with the relationship. Then, one of my closest friends, who I grew up with, died.¡± Jake took a shuddering breath. His eyes misted up with tears, and he blinked rapidly in an attempt to hide them. ¡°They said that it was an accident, that she died quick. Something broke inside of me, and I started making mistake after mistake. I started smoking, drinking, taking drugs, anything that I could think of to fix the hole in my life that she left.¡± ¡°The girl I was with was always around me, then. Asking if I was alright, if I wanted a shoulder to cry on. She said that she would always be there for me, and that she loved me even more than herself. I turned my back on her, and walked away.¡± ¡°Then, one night, that psychotic bitch came at me with a knife. She said that she caused the accident, and that no one would love me more than her. She said that we should be together, and if I didn¡¯t want her in this life, then we could be together in the next one.¡± Jake pulled down his tunic, revealing a long white scar that traced from the end of his left collarbone down to his chest. ¡°She went for my throat, and if I didn¡¯t flinch away, she would have killed me. We fought, and it ended with me burying the knife in her eye.¡± He let go of his tunic, hiding the scar from view. ¡°It took me years to be able to trust anyone again. Even now, I still don¡¯t like being close to people.¡± Jake shrugged his shoulders, refusing to meet their eyes. ¡°I¡¯m really not good with this emotional stuff, so I would really appreciate it if we didn¡¯t dwell on it too long.¡± Clearing his throat, he met Serena¡¯s tear filled eyes. ¡°How are the trade talks going?¡± The Owl-Kin sniffed, and daintily wiped a few tears away with her hand. Clearing her throat as well, she spoke in her quiet voice. ¡°As far as I can tell, they¡¯re going good. We¡¯ve gotten past the formalities and have gotten into the bargaining portion. Although, for some reason the Elder wanted to know more about you than what we were offering. He asked us a few questions, and then left, saying that we would meet later.¡± Felicia covertly wiped a tear away, and cleared her throat as well. ¡°I believe that it has to do with you being a God-ling.¡± The Fox-Kin nodded at Mizutsune¡¯s sleeping form, who had promptly fallen asleep as soon as Jake had begun his monologue. ¡°The Mystic Beast explained much, such as your abilities and your ties with the All-Mother. The Elder raised a good point, however. Why have you been sent to this world? The gods never do something as momentous as creating a champion without a good reason.¡± Jake, still somewhat emotionally drained from his speech, shrugged. ¡°She does have a plan for me, but has forbidden me from talking about it.¡± Hey, Giggles, can you forbid your champions from talking about their quest? Felicia nodded in acceptance, her face being obscured by a message from the loli-goddess.
Oh, so now you want to talk? Fine, all I wanted to do was congratulate you on getting the girl. But yeah, it¡¯s pretty much a big no-no for champions to talk about what their patron god/goddess wants them to do. I¡¯ve been letting you slide so far, mostly because I don¡¯t care, but for the other gods you would probably be killed for talking about their secret plans out loud.
Got it, thanks.
So, you going to bang?
Jake waved away the message, not giving it a reply. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan now?¡± Serena looked to Felicia, and then back to Jake. ¡°We wait until the Elder comes to speak with us. Then we can continue our work. Do you¡­ want to help?¡± She smiled shyly at Jake, her cheeks flushing slightly. Jake stared at the girl, slowly shaking his head. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not good with politics. It makes my skin itch.¡± Laying down next to the fire, he sighed. ¡°I¡¯m probably going to take a nap. This hangover is not wanting to go away.¡± And with that, he promptly fell asleep. Pointy Eared Bastards pt 10 Jake woke to the pleasant feeling of all the air in his lungs being forcefully expunged by a hard object slamming into his stomach. Gasping violently in a vain attempt to regain his stolen air, Jake flailed around wildly, trying to stave off his attacker. Rolling away, Jake was able to regain his feet and look around for his assailant, purple flames tracing around his arms. A snort drew the angered and still half asleep human¡¯s attention, and he saw the Old-Elf staring at him with one of his eyes, his rune-carved staff in hands. When the Elf saw that he had the humans attention, he snorted again. ¡°God-ling wake? Come, meet leader.¡± And with that, the Elder began to totter away, cackling to himself. Jake blinked the rest of the sleep from his eyes, and looked around. He was still where he had fallen asleep next to the bonfire, the two Beast-Kin having disappeared. Mizutsune, on the other hand, was shaking his silver pelt with barely contained laughter, his sapphire eyes filled with tears. Jake glared at the fox. ¡°Shut up. I hate mornings.¡± Mizutsune¡¯s cold conscious flooded into Jake¡¯s mind, waves of mirth flowing through the link. ¡°You had best hurry along, Master. I would hate for you to be attacked by a frail Long-Ear with a stick again.¡± With that, the fox began barking in laughter. Jake grumbled to himself and slowly followed the tottering Elf, grabbing and lighting a cigarette as he went. Catching up to the Elf after a few moments, Jake let out a puff of smoke with a sigh. ¡°Hey, old guy, why does your leader want to meet me?¡± The Elder¡¯s walking stick tipped forward and slammed into the flat, the clacking of wood on wood resounding through the darkness around them. ¡°Leader want. Tell Elder. Elder bring God-ling.¡± The Elf nodded, agreeing with himself. Jake placed both hands to the small of his back and leaned into them. His spine popped and snapped with the movement, and Jake sighed in approval. ¡°And they didn¡¯t tell you why?¡± Jake took another drag, feeling the nicotine rush through his system. ¡°Leader want. Elder do what Leader say.¡± The Elf nodded again, letting his nictitating membrane dance over his eyes. Jake nodded as well. ¡®It rubs the lotion on the skin or else it gets the hose again¡¯, huh? So either he really respects the leader, or he can¡¯t do anything besides follow the orders. Weird. _________________________________________________________________________ Within an hour, Jake had found himself in, for lack of a better word, the throne room of the Elves. A circle of torches ringed the entirety of the flat, making this the most lit area in the entire Enclave. Raised platforms were carved into the bark and trunk of the Elderwood in a semi-circle, and glyphs and sigils were spread throughout the trunk, pulsing slowly like a heartbeat. Five female Elves stared at him, their ten pairs of eyes glinting in the firelight. Each was wearing a simple dress, only accentuated by a small metal medallion placed on their chests. The Elder had scampered off as soon as Jake had stepped into the semi-circle, saying ¡®Elder bring God-ling. Elder leave.¡¯ The female Elves were silent, small runes dancing over their blue flesh. Two of the Elves, specifically the second and fourth from the left, were staring at him with hunger dancing in their eyes. Jake shivered involuntarily, and moved his gaze around the Elves. He was intrigued by the emblems that were the only things on the clothes that they wore. If he had to guess, they were symbols of either their status or jobs. Starting from the left-most, he worked his way through the Elves in an attempt to figure out what they were. So, we have two hands shaking, probably trade or communication with other races, maybe? Twin sticks with a circle would be¡­ combat, or defense? I have no clue what the giant tree is supposed to be, but since she¡¯s in the middle she¡¯s probably the leader. A hand holding a plant would have to be agriculture, and the one with the¡­ deer-thing is hunting, I think? Why would they have both hunting and farming? That makes no sense¡­ The Elves continued to stare at the human, their slit eyes gazing into his soul. Coughing awkwardly, Jake nodded his head at the center Elf. ¡°Good¡­ evening. My name is Jake, and I was told that you wanted to speak with me?¡± I think it¡¯s evening, at least. The Elf on the far left with the arm-wrestling emblem raised her hand, drawing Jake¡¯s attention. ¡°We welcome you to our humble Enclave. Please, tell us how you fare in our fair home?¡± Her voice was warm, and Jake could not help but be drawn in with the words. Oh yeah, definitely foreign relations. That was way too smooth for anything else. Jake cleared his throat, and smiled at the Elf. ¡°Very well, thank you. There is something magical about this place that draws me to it, and I am shocked at the simple beauty of your majestic city.¡± His smile grew wider at the Elf¡¯s slightly raised brow-ridge. Wow, that sounded really good. I¡¯m surprised that flowery stuff was in me. The Elf of Foreign Relations quickly mastered her face and slipped an easy smile at the human, her needle-like teeth glinting in the firelight. ¡°We thank you for your kind words, Master Jake.¡± Before she could continue, one of the other Elves raised her hand, the one with the plant-holding emblem. Foreign Relations-Elf closed her mouth slowly, her eyes flashing with irritation before she controlled her emotions. ¡°We have been told that you have affinities with three different elements, specifically those of Dark, Fire and Air. Would this be true?¡± Her voice was cultured, although she spoke very quickly and with passion. The Elf blinked at him rapidly, her third eyelids darting back and forth. ¡°¡­ Yes?¡± Jake was a little taken aback at the question. What the hell does my magic have to do with farming? ¡°Umm¡­ would you like me to demonstrate?¡± Seeing the Elf of the Plants nod excitedly at him, he slowly raised a hand. Concentrating, Jake created a ball of purple flame, which glowed cheerily in the firelight. From his back, tendrils of shadow slowly extended and wrapped around the human. A small cyclone of wind picked up beneath his feet, kicking up dust and making the flames dance. Letting the magic run its course for a few moments, Jake flicked his hand and snuffed out the flame, the shadows bursting into black smoke that drifted away on the falling wind. Letting out a sigh, he returned to his ¡®at ease¡¯ stance, standing with his feet shoulder width apart and his hands clasped behind his back. He looked back at Plant-Elf, nodding his head slightly. ¡°Would that be enough?¡± The Elf had leaned backwards, the spines jutting out of her spine quivering slightly. She smiled brightly. ¡°Yes, thank you. That was perfect.¡± She glanced at the surrounding Elves, who either shook their heads or waved a hand. The one with the twin spear emblem mumbled something that sounded awfully close to ¡®wanted to fight him¡¯ before she too waved her hand. The center Elf leaned forwards, placing her arms on her knees. ¡°Master Jake.¡± Her voice was quiet, like a breeze blowing through the trees. ¡°The Elder has claimed that you are a ¡®God-ling¡¯ along with his claims of your magic. Is this true as well?¡± Jake blinked, trying to keep track of the conversation. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. My Patron is the Goddess Lilith.¡± So, they wanted me to prove that I have magic and that I have a god patron? What, they didn¡¯t believe Grandpa Elf? Middle Elf looked downwards to her hands, before slowly nodding. ¡°Very well. Please, God-ling.¡± She glanced back up to the human, her eyes blazing. ¡°What has the All-Mother tasked you with? If it is within our power, we will assist you in this endeavor. I understand that most Patron Gods do not allow their chosen to reveal any details, but we will be grateful for any guidance that the All-Mother would deem to grant us.¡± Shit. ¡°I cannot tell you of any details, and for that I apologize. Lilith has sworn me to secrecy, and her task is between myself and her.¡± Jake thought quickly. ¡°As for guidance, the All-Mother has deemed that all races should work together, and she has allowed me to tell the Elves that their treaty with the Beast-Kin has her blessing.¡± Giggles, can you bless things? Or am I just pulling this out of my ass? A blue screen appeared over his vision, blocking the sight of the Elves whispering to each other.
You know, you should really stop slandering my name like that. If I wasn¡¯t as awesome as I am, I would have smote you with fire, brimstone and stuff like that. But, as I am an awesome, benevolent and beautiful goddess, I won¡¯t.
¡­ Seriously?
Yep! As for the blessings and such, you¡¯re just pulling that out of nowhere. If anything, it will tell them that I am ok with their trade and such. I do like how you pointed out what I wanted without giving away the big plan. Pretty smart, for a human. Thanks for keeping me entertained! ~ Giggles
Jake flicked away the message just as the Elves turned back to him. Middle Elf nodded her head towards Foreign Relations Elf, who cleared her throat slightly. ¡°Thank you, Master Jake. I will take the matter of the Half-Beasts into my own hands, now that we have gained Divine Insight.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡­ Is divine insight a thing? She said it as if it¡¯s a thing.
Sure. You just changed the fate of these Elves for the rest of their lives. If this was more RPG than literature, you would have gotten an achievement.
What the hell are you ta- Jake was interrupted by Middle Elf standing, shortly followed by each of the other Elves. ¡°Thank you, Master Jake, for telling of the All-Mother¡¯s plans for our people. ¡± Middle Elf turned and nodded to her counterparts, who nodded in return and walked away swiftly. Jake blinked in confusion at the sudden turn of events, and raised an eyebrow at the Middle Elf. She made a placating gesture, and watched the other Elves walk slowly away. When the last of the Elves had left the flat, Middle Elf let out a sigh and leaned against her pedestal. ¡°Forgive me, Master Jake, but I absolutely abhor formality when it is not required.¡± The Elf looked at Jake, a slight smile on her face. ¡°If it would please you, we can dispense with all of the flattery that befits those of our standing.¡± Jake blinked again, before nodding slowly. ¡°Sure. You can just call me Jake, though.¡± The Elf¡¯s smile grew. ¡°And you can call me Triana.¡± She blinked at him, her third eyelids dancing across her eyes. ¡°I am honestly surprised, Jake. You have held yourself with dignity while in the presence of my court. I would not expect an outsider to feel so at ease.¡± Jake shrugged, relaxing his stance as he did. ¡°This isn¡¯t my first time being in front of influential people. And this one was easier than the others, since you weren¡¯t yelling at me and calling me worthless.¡± Jake shuddered slightly at the thought. God, I hated those Review Boards. Triana tilted her head, a frown appearing on her face. ¡°May I ask the reason why they would accuse someone of your standing as worthless? And why did you allow them to live after those accusations?¡± Jake waved away the question. ¡°I apologize, I shouldn¡¯t be talking about my past. The Goddess has forbidden me.¡± Sorry I keep throwing your name out there, but these people seem to revere you and it helps when I keep digging myself a whole.
You¡¯re good.
¡°Ah, my apologies.¡± Triana nodded at the statement. ¡°If I may, I would like to ask you some questions. I would like to know more about you. I am a follower of the All-Mother, myself, and meeting Her personal paramour is intriguing.¡± ¡°Uhh, sure. I don¡¯t like talking about myself, but I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Jake was a little surprised at the question, along with the information about her faith. Deciding that it couldn¡¯t hurt, he went along with it. Just have to figure out what I want to reveal¡­ And why do they keep thinking that Giggles is my lover?
¡­ I have no comment.
¡­You play around a lot with the mortals, don¡¯t you?
N¡­No! Of course not!
¡­ Well, you learn something new every day.
Shut up!
Triana smiled at the human, her needle like teeth glinting in the firelight. ¡°I was wondering how someone like you came to be. From what I saw, and am currently feeling, you are at least an Expert with your magic, possibly even higher. If you can tell me, how are you so powerful?¡± Jake scratched the back of his neck, thinking. ¡°I¡¯ve always been strong with those elements, and I¡¯ve been teaching myself how to use them for a while now.¡± I mean, it¡¯s technically not a lie. Just not the full truth. Triana blinked at him with all four eyes, then quirked her head. ¡°You are a Wildling? A self-taught mage?¡± Jake blinked in return. Wildling? ¡°¡­ Sure, I think.¡± The Elf stared at him for a few moments, before bursting into light laughter. ¡°Oh, Puilla is going to love getting to know you.¡± Chuckling still, she smiled back at Jake. ¡°Ah, I forgot to tell you about her. Puilla is our Matron of Magic. She was the one to ask you to display your magical prowess. She seems to have it in her head that you would want to trade magical knowledge with her. To learn from a Wildling is a very rare treat, since most mages learn from an instructor.¡± Huh. I think that might be interesting. I still want to know what the hell is up with all these runes. He smiled back at Triana. ¡°I think that would be mutually helpful, for both of us.¡± So the Farm Elf was really the Magic Elf. So why was she holding a plant? I¡¯m still confused. ¡°I am sure that she will be pleased.¡± Triana glanced upwards, her smile transforming to a slight frown. She looked back down at Jake, and bowed her head slightly. ¡°I apologize, Jake. It has seemed that we have spent too long talking. I will send someone to escort you back to the flat that the Half-Beasts are located on.¡± She smiled at Jake again. ¡°I will hope that we can continue this conversation at a later time.¡± Jake glanced upwards as well, seeing nothing but leaves far above him. He glanced back at the Elf, and returned the smile. ¡°Of course, it would be my pleasure.¡± How the hell was she able to tell the time? There¡¯s no sunlight. This place is really confusing me. _________________________________________________________________________ Two hours later, Jake had was still being brought back down to his original flat by a pair of Elven males, who chittered back and forth constantly. Jake had lost himself in his thoughts and speaking with Lilith, barely paying any attention to the two as he followed behind them. During this time, Lilith had explained that she had multiple different factions of worshipers throughout the world, but there was no specific race that worshipped the All-Mother in their entirety. Jake had thought that this was an interesting concept, but didn¡¯t question it. His own world had multiple religions that spanned different races. So, with these worshipers of yours, can we use them to help with our goal of world domination and general asshat-ery?
¡­ Maybe. You could use them as minions, so that they further our ends while you¡¯re doing larger stuff. I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll get back to you on that.
That could work. What about a religious war against the other religions? Have your people fall under my ¡®banner¡¯ and strike out against everyone else? That should generate enough hate to make them band together.
I doubt that would work. I don¡¯t have enough followers to be able to pull off a large scale crusade like that. Sure, I might if they are all together, but they¡¯re spread pretty far among the general population. And even then, most of my followers are the common person, with no skills in combat.
Jake sighed, scratching his chin. Well, that doesn¡¯t really help. How about- Jake bumped into the Elf leading him, cutting his thoughts short. Looking around, he found himself back on the flat with the Beast-Kin, and the Elves that were leading him bowed and quickly scampered off. I¡¯m never going to get used to them running away like that. He sighed, and moved to his group that was currently sitting around a bonfire. Mizitsune cracked one of his sapphire eyes open at his approach, the fox¡¯s cool voice entering into Jake¡¯s conscious. ¡°Welcome back, Master. I hope that the old Long-Ear was gentle with you.¡± Shut up. Jake grunted as he sat down, and pulled a cigarette out of his inventory. Nodding at Serena and Felicia, he lit up and inhaled the toxic smoke. Letting it out with a sigh, he looked at the Beast-Kin. ¡°Did anything interesting happen while I was gone?¡± Serena nodded, her eyes never leaving Jake. ¡°Yes, Jake. Apparently, one of the Matrons has taken an interest in our trade, and has personally taken it upon herself to set up a trading agreement with us.¡± The Owl-Kin smiled, seemingly lighting up the night, ¡°Do you know what this means?! We¡¯re making progress! Soon, we can go back to Trentshire!¡± Jake blinked at Serena. ¡­ Does she think it¡¯s because of her? Jake cleared his throat, smiling at the Beast-Kin. ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯m happy for you.¡± Seeing her smile even wider and blush slightly, Jake had to agree with his thoughts. Yeah, she definitely thinks that she is the reason why Foreign Relations Elf took an interest in her. Serena¡¯s smile fell slightly, and she moved around the fire to sit closer to Jake. ¡°And how about you? Have you found some way to cure your sister?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jake thought for a second, trying to figure out what she was talking about. I don¡¯t have a sis- Oh wait! Jake sighed, slowly shaking his head, his gaze moving to the dancing flames. ¡°Sadly, no. I haven¡¯t been able to find anyone who is able to cure a curse of that level. But, I won¡¯t give up. Thankfully, she is not in any pain from the transformation, and I have made sure that she is safe.¡± Does she still think that I wasn¡¯t lying about that? Even after I basically told them the truth? How dense is she? He took a final drag on the cigarette and flicked it into the flames. Jake heard some movement from beside him, and then a pressure was placed onto his shoulder. Jake flinched, and looked at the Owl-Kin who was resting her head on his shoulder. ¡°I am so sorry, Jake.¡± Serena whispered, her eyes tearing up. ¡°If I can do anything to help, please let me know.¡± Her wings expanded and hugged the human, causing Jake to fidget in discomfort. Mizitsune snorted, a cloud of frost expelling from his nose. ¡°I still do not understand why you are so self-conscious about the owlet, Master. From what I understand of her species, she will not give up on the hunt easily.¡± The fox¡¯s eye glinted in the firelight, and a small grin was forming on his face. ¡°If I did not know any better, Master, I would say that you actually enjoy the attention.¡± I do not, shut up. Jake growled back at the fox, but didn¡¯t push away the Owl-Kin. ¡­ Her wings are really soft, though. Felicia huffed, and stood up. Glaring at Jake, she began to walk back towards the hut that she shared with Serena. ¡°I believe that I will retire for the night, My Lady. I am sure that the God-ling will protect you in my stead.¡± Felicia shot over her shoulder, giving Jake a last glare, before entering into the hut with a rustle of leaves. ¡°Have a good night, Felicia!¡± Serena called, and snuggled in closer to Jake. They remained silent for a time, Jake occasionally fidgeting. After a few moments of the awkward silence, Serena readjusted her head on Jake¡¯s shoulder, and began to speak softly. ¡°¡­ Jake, what are you going to do? Once we finish this, I mean. You have nothing keeping you here with m- my people.¡± She stuttered on the last word, changing it to something else. She removed her head, and stared at him with her large brown eyes. ¡°What are your plans? Where will you go? What will you do?¡± Jake was still nervous about the contact, and took a moment to think of his answer. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know. I guess I¡¯ll see what else this world has to offer me. Hopefully, I will find what I¡¯m looking for.¡± The Owl-Kin remained silent, the two staring into the crackling flames, watching the fire move in a hypnotic dance of light and sound. Then, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, almost unheard over the sounds of the wood crackling in the fire. ¡°Can¡­ can you take me with you?¡± The Elven School of Witchcraft and Source-ery pt 1 The world of Laeris had an expansive ecosystem, with each notable location having unique flora and fauna within. On the continent of Mertiz, one of the most unique group of creatures would be those residing in the Dark Woods. With the trees towering above blocking out most of the sunlight, those residing on the forest floor have developed versions of ¡®sight¡¯ to find prey and to avoid predators in the perpetual twilight. The most powerful of all of the creatures were the Leshiye, towering humanoid beings with flesh of bark and vines, which controlled large swathes of the forest. These beings would be above all animals and monsters within their domain, and would send their underlings on tasks to gather food and defend their territory from invaders. And it was this creature that a human, alongside his companion fox, had decided to hunt. After Serena had gone to sleep, and Jake had extracted himself from the sleeping Owl-Kin, he had spoken with Lilith about how to reduce the costs for his bindings. He had come to an understanding in the night that he would require more help with the task the Goddess had given him. While Lilith couldn¡¯t give any details, she had said that the heart of a powerful beast could be used in an item to help. This had led him to one of the Elven hunters, who happened to return to the flat around the same time, and they had described the most dangerous creature around the forest as a ¡®tall tree man¡¯. After getting directions to where the closest one was, he had jumped off of the flat, with Mizutsune following behind him. Mizutsune had stated that if he did not follow Jake, then the human would become lost and more than likely die in the forest. Jake could not dispute the point, and simply ignored it. The duo had been moving through the forest for roughly an hour before they had come across anything interesting besides the occasional glowing light in the distance and rabid animal, which did not openly attack them unless they moved too close. Jake had stopped in front of woven branches, forming a makeshift wall in between the towering trunks of the Elderwoods. Skulls of different beasts were planted on sticks along the edges of the wall, proof that there was some form of intelligent beast in the area. Jake grunted, expelling a cloud of cancerous smoke from his lungs as he flicked the butt of a cigarette into the woods, after making sure that the ember was out. ¡°Well, I think we found our tree-man.¡± Mizutsune snorted, fog rolling off of his body. ¡°What gave it away, Master?¡± Jake scratched his chin, rolling his eyes slightly. ¡°Well, if you look closely, you can tell that this part of the forest is a little bit different. It definitely wasn¡¯t the wall made out of living vines, or the tribal territory markings that gave it away. Definitely not.¡± The fox snorted again, then yawned, showing his gleaming teeth that reflected the purple light from the orb of fire slowly spinning around the human¡¯s head. ¡°Would you like to do the honors, Master?¡± The fox nodded his head at the wall of vines. Jake grinned. ¡°Gladly.¡± Raising his hand, he batted at the air like a cat. A blade of compressed air blasted through the dense vegetation, slicing through the wall of vines. The wedge of air continued into the darkness, slamming into a tree at the edge of purple light and gouging into the bark, chips of wood flying into the air. Turning to the fox, Jake doffed an imaginary hat and bowed, one hand pointing into the now open wall. ¡°Please, Master Fox. After you.¡± Mizutsune rolled his eyes at the human, and sauntered through the wall. ¡°You know,¡± Jake continued as he maneuvered through the severed vines, ¡°I think that I¡¯ve gotten stronger with the spells. Not just level wise.¡± ¡°I would expect so, Master.¡± Mizutsune¡¯s cold voice rebounded through his skull. ¡°Like most, magical proficiencies gain strength as they are used. What are your proficiencies at now?¡± Jake blinked. ¡°¡­ I completely forgot to check. Give me a sec.¡± Pulling up hisAffinities list, Jake looked through all of his progression.
Primary ElementalProficiencies
Air: 63% Earth: 0% Fire: 66% Water: 0% Light: 0% Dark: 65%
Secondary Elemental Proficiencies
Fel: 32.75% N/A
Jake whistled slightly, looking at the menu. ¡°I¡¯m almost at the Grandmaster for Fire, about four more percent then I can reach that milestone. Air is still pretty low, but I guess I haven¡¯t really used it that much.¡± Looking at the Fel proficiency, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. ¡°Do you know anything about this Fel affinity? I haven¡¯t used it at all, yet it¡¯s increased.¡± Before his fox could respond, a blue screen pushed his Skill list aside.
I got this one! Since it is a combination of two of your elements (Fire and Dark), and counts as a sub element of both of those, it is the average of what those sub-elements would be. For example, if you were to ever unlock the Lightning affinity, it would be at half of your Air affinity (63/2=31.5). So for this example, the full equation would be ((66+65)/4=32.75). Now, for the really good stuff. If you were to increase your sub-element affinities, it would also increase their primary affinity!
Jake blinked, then groaned. Can we not do math? I hate math.
Aww! But it¡¯s so fun! Ree¡¯Vol and I would get into discussions sometimes about the good stuff. Creating theoretical features for this world. We had to cut most of them, since they would normally end up creating some form of monster, or making it impossible for certain species to live without being killed by a passing breeze. I really miss one of them, though. It was a system for adding sentient dungeons to the world, but Ree¡¯Vol made the point that they would either be completely wiped off the world, or take it over too quickly for the other races to adapt. That, and when we tried it with a small sample, they all ended up creating the same type of dungeon, which made it rather boring.
Jake stared at the message, never seeing Lilith this excited about anything. I mean, I think that intelligent dungeons would be cool. But who the hell is Ree¡¯Vol? How the hell do you even pronounce that?
I know right! And its pronounced with hard ¡®e¡¯s and ¡®o¡¯. He¡¯s the god of Fate and Destiny, or some such. He was that dark and spooky smoke-man that showed up when you died. He¡¯s basically my opposite, and we take care of this world together. He doesn¡¯t really pay attention to mortals, so they started calling me the All-Mother. I guess you could say that we¡¯re twins, since we were formed at about the same time.
Formed? You¡¯re really starting to confuse me here. A blue screen appeared again, but was overridden with a blood red screen, which Jake had never seen before.
Ignore what Lilith has explained to you. She is very excitable, and tends to ramble during those times. I have made multiple attempts to curtail these moments, but my efforts have been for naught. As she has made multiple comments that have revealed far too much information for one such as yourself, I will become much more active in my¡­ efforts, so to speak. - The Fate-Binder
Jake froze, reading through the ominous message again. ¡­ Umm, Giggles? Did you¡­ The red screen faded away, being replaced by a smaller blue screen.
Lilith is unavailable at this moment. Please leave a message.
Jake slowly waved away the message, and turned to Mizutsune who had stopped when he noticed Jake was not following him. ¡°I think Lilith might have died.¡± Jake stated simply, still trying to figure out exactly what happened in the last minute. Mizutsune blinked, then shrugged slightly. ¡°I highly doubt that, Master. Gods do not die.¡± His voice grew sharper. ¡°But, there is a high chance that we will die if you do not pay attention to our surroundings.¡± Jake snapped into focus, nodding. ¡°You¡¯re right, sorry. Kill big tree-man first, worry about gods later.¡± He glanced around into the twilight, looking for anything that could be considered a giant man made out of ¡®tree¡¯. ¡°Do we have any idea where this thing might be?¡± Mizutsune sighed. ¡°Yes Master, I know exactly where this magical being is supposed to be. I sent a letter ahead, and the monster is preparing a wonderful meal for us, complete with tea. It will be delightful. And after, it shall offer its heart on a silver platter as a way of thanking us for our friendship. What do you think, Master?¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s having a bad day. Besides Giggles, of course.¡± Jake continued to stare into the surrounding darkness. Grunting to himself, he scratched the back of his neck, trying to figure out where to go. Jake froze for a moment, an idea blooming into his mind. A smile began to grow on his face, and he turned to Mizutsune. ¡°I think I have an idea. Hypothetically, if you were some big bad tree boss, and someone decided to burn down your area of the woods, would you be upset enough to come and confront the bad pyromaniac?¡± Mizutsune stared at Jake, his sapphire eyes twinkling in the violet light. ¡°¡­ More than likely. But, you must remember Master, that this creature would assuredly not be sentient. I do not think that our logic would make sense to something of that sort.¡± Mizutsune turned to stare into the darkness, watching dark shapes move back and forth through the twilight. ¡°I would say that we should prepare before we begin, at the very least.¡± Jake glanced into the darkness, light reflecting off of eyes in the darkness. ¡°Yeah, I guess so. I¡¯m surprised that they haven¡¯t attacked yet.¡± Jake kneeled, taking a cigarette out of his inventory and lighting up. I need all the regeneration I can get for this. Binding really takes chunks out of my mana. Mizutsune snorted, glaring at the figures in the darkness. ¡°They have been watching us ever since we came into their territory. I believe that your wind magic has spooked them enough that they won¡¯t attempt a full frontal assault, but I shall remain vigilant in case of ambush.¡± Jake grunted in response, having already begun his Binding. Liquid darkness began to crawl and slither towards a point on the ground in front of the kneeling human, forming a pool of shadow. The pool slowly expanded, broiling and bubbling like boiling water. Time passed as the pool grew even larger, large enough for Jake to bathe in the liquid shadow if he wished.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Tendrils of darkness slowly formed along the outsides of the pool, expanding outwards at a crawl. The tendrils arched upwards and curved back into the pool, creating a ghastly image of blackened ribs in a stew. As Jake finished his cast, the tendrils thrust themselves into the pool and disappeared into the frothing darkness. A pale blue hand burst forth from the pool, blackened chitin glinting in the purple light from its wrist. Its long fingers began to tear at the darkness surrounding it, creating a hole through the shadows. A second hand burst forth, adding its efforts in extracting a creature from the depths of oblivion. The face of the creature burst through the darkness, the chitin from its prominent forehead gleaming in the darkness. Dead, fish-like eyes moved slowly, scanning the surroundings for any threats or, more than likely, sources of food. Its lipless maw opened and closed with each shuddering breath, strands of saliva dangling off of its needle teeth. The creature began to haul itself out of the pool of shadows, liquid darkness pouring from the folds of its chitin armor. As the towering figure rose to its full height, it let out a rumbling roar that reverberated throughout the woods. The frill that extended from the back of its head to between its shoulder blades expanded fully, shaking with the strength of its roar. Jake grinned, perspiration dripping down his face. ¡°Welcome back, Lurker. Are you hungry? I bet you¡¯re hungry.¡± The Lurker didn¡¯t respond, and simply stared into the darkness. Jake grunted, standing up and flicking the burnt out cigarette into the foliage. He glanced over to his fox, quirking an eyebrow. ¡°You ready to see if this will work?¡± Mizutsune nodded, his eyes never leaving the darkness around them. ¡°Always ready, Master. I would actually prefer to start sooner rather than later. There seems to be more creatures out there, and they have surrounded us.¡± Jake looked into the darkness, the twisting shadows seemingly far deeper than what they were before. Eyes glinted in the darkness, and an unearthly chill seeped into his bones, sapping his strength. ¡°I¡¯m on it.¡± Jake walked a few paces forwards, and stopped. He closed his eyes, his lips moving in silent mutterings. Let¡¯s see¡­ I don¡¯t think that would work¡­ maybe¡­ Ah! Here we go! The human spread his arms to his sides, and violet flames began to lick at his body. The flames grew longer, lighting up the towering trunks of the Elderwoods in purple light. A slight wind began to weave through the trees, growing until a screaming vortex of spinning air was surrounding the human with arms raised, the flames roaring to the sounds of the wind. Letting the magic build up for a few more moments, Jake opened his eyes and forcefully brought his arms in front of him with a resounding smack. With the sound of a thunderclap, the flames exploded from his body in a fan of violet hell fire. The flames were spurred onwards by the rushing winds, feeding the hungering flames to greater heights and temperature. The closest small plants instantly combusted and turned to ash, being sucked away by the raging inferno. The Elderwood trees, the giant unbreakable monoliths that served as homes for thousands of animals and creatures, groaned and bent from the force of the blast, their bark smoldering and catching fire in moments. But the pyroclastic torrent did not stop. Where the wave of flame went, death followed on swift wings. The beasts and monsters that had begun to encircle the invaders attempted to flee for their lives, but they were not fast enough. The wave of fire swept all within its wake to their deaths. The blast of air sucked the breath from their lungs, and when they tried to regain what was stolen, flames flew into their waiting lungs to incinerate the creatures from the inside out. The wave of flame continued into the distant darkness, lighting the surrounding world into a myriad of purple and black light. Jake blinked at the destruction, not realizing how potent it would be. Slowly turning back to Mizutsune, he scratched the back of his neck. ¡°¡­ I think that I might have over done this.¡± Before the fox could respond, the sounds of breaking and snapping wood permeated through the forest, the earth shuddering occasionally as if a great weight was being placed on the ground constantly. At the very edges of the violet flames dancing in the distance, a gargantuan figure broke through into the light, humanoid with what appeared to be antlers breaking through the top of its head. Mizutsune snorted, walking forwards to stand by his human. ¡°There is no such thing as ¡®over done¡¯ when it comes to fire, Master. And it seems to have gained the attention of our prey.¡± Mizutsune¡¯s body began to glow with silver light, and the fox reared his head back and screeched in challenge. Jake grinned in response, grabbing another cigarette and lighting up to help regain all of his mana. The figure answered with a roar of its own, a deep sound that was more akin to the creaking of giant trees than any flesh and blood creature. With lumbering steps, the giant began to move towards the group, brushing aside all in its way to exterminate those that dared to intrude on its sanctuary. With a thought, Jake sent his Bound to intercept. With a grumbling growl, the Lurker lurched forwards. When the two giants were meters apart, the Lurker reared its head backwards and shot forward writhing tentacles out of its mouth, spearing into the other giant. With a groan of wood, the giant¡¯s advance halted, and it was forced to contend with the beast of Oblivion. It raised a thin arm, the three fingers of its hand pointing towards the Lurker. Roots exploded from its hand and began to wrap around the monster, constricting and crushing its life away. The Lurker retracted its tendril tongues and began to bite and cut the roots away from it, but the bark was too thick for the creature¡¯s claws to penetrate. As the Lurker was within a meter of the other giant, a large spike of glowing blue ice slammed into the Tree Giant¡¯s head, breaking its hold on the Lurker and forcing it to stumble backwards with the sound of snapping wood. The Tree Giant turned towards its new attacker, seeing a glowing silver fox in the distance, its three tails swaying in the breeze. The giant roared at the fox, and began to charge at the new threat, ignoring the lances of ice that continuously bored into its skin. Before it could move more than a few meters, something wrapped around its giant legs and caused the monster to slam into the forest floor with a loud crash. The Tree Giant roared, turning itself around on the ground to fend off this new threat, but the only thing close enough for it to hit was the Lurker, which had backed off slightly and was simply growling at the giant. Glancing down towards its feet, the Tree Giant noticed tendrils of shadow wrapped around its legs, slowly crawling upwards on its wooden body. With a lurch, the tendrils began to drag the giant backwards. The Tree Giant slammed its hands into the ground, the roots of its hands rooting itself in place. It roared in pain as the wood of its lower body began to split and break from the force of the pull from the tendrils of shadow, but at least it had stopped moving. Disengaging one hand from the soil, the giant reaches down towards the tendrils of shadow holding it in place and severs them with a few swipes of its root-like claws. As the shadows dispersed into black smoke, another blast of ice slams into the giant¡¯s exposed back, wood and sap flying into the air. The Tree Giant roared in pain, but was slammed back into the ground by the Lurker before it was able to rise. The two giants bit, slashed and mauled each other for what seemed like a lifetime, chips of wood and brackish blood and flesh flying from the melee. It ended when the Tree Giant wrapped roots around the Lurkers head, and wrenched the bulbous head around. With a loud crack, the Lurker lost all control and flopped against the giant. Throwing the dead beast away from itself, the giant slowly forced itself to its feet, wood groaning and snapping with the movements. After it had regained its feet, the giant reared back and roared into the sky, proving again that it was the master of its domain, and that all who dare to trespass will be dealt with. ¡°Well, that was a little disappointing.¡± The voice came from above the giant, and as it turned to look into the sky a gust of high pressured wind slammed into the giants¡¯ shoulder, sheering through its defenses and separating the left side of its body straight downwards. With a scream of pain, the giant fell to the ground, greenish sap leaking from the massive rend through its body. With a fluttering of air, a figure dropped out of the sky on wings of writhing shadows. He gazed at the limp Lurker, shaking his head slightly. ¡°I mean, maybe? This thing could just be strong. What do you think, Mizu?¡± The silver fox that had peppered the giant trotted into view, its sapphire eyes glinting in the flames that still raged through the darkness. It barked and yipped, then shrugged its shoulders up and down. ¡°Yeah, I think so too.¡± The being shrugged its shoulder as well, then walked over to the fallen giant. ¡°Sorry, big buddy. But we need your heart. No hard feelings?¡± The light glinting off of white teeth as the figure smirked was the last thing that the giant saw before a blade of compressed air severed its head from the rest of the body. Jake sighed, scratching the back of his head. ¡°I really thought the Lurker would be stronger.¡± Mizutsune moved around the growing pool of sap seeping out of the giant. ¡°That beast was mindless, Master, and it was fighting against something that was much stronger than it. I am surprised that it fared so well.¡± ¡°Guess that makes sense.¡± Jake mumbled to himself as he went through the notifications for his fight.
You have defeated [Unidentified Beast] x5. Experience for [Unidentified Beast] has been withheld until conformation of kill has been verified by your own eyes.
You have defeated the Elder Leshy, Nkjorl Lvl 62.
Congratulations! You have reached Lvl 42! Int +3, Wis +3, 3 Attribute points ready for distribution.
New Spell Created: Pyroclap
From your knowledge, the four things that a fire needs to exist are Fuel, Heat, Air and Chemical Reactions. Your magic provides the Fuel, your rage fuels the Heat, and adding in Air will force the fire to spread farther and faster. The more Air magic powered into this spell, the farther and more violently the spell will go off, but it will die sooner due to an imbalance with the reactions between magic and the living world.
Mana Use: 120 m/s (Averaged. Mana use dependent on ratio of Fire and Air magic used.)
Congratulations! Your pet Mizutsune the [Tri-Tailed Frost-Bound Fox] has reached Lvl 29!
Jake hummed to himself, going over the notifications. He put two of his points into Endurance and the last into Vitality, bringing both up to 30. He glanced over at Mizutsune, who had found a place to sit where there was no blood or sap. ¡°You really didn¡¯t get that much experience from the fight, Mizu. Was that because you didn¡¯t help all that much, or is it something else?¡± Shaking his head, Mizutsune¡¯s cold voice reverberated through Jake¡¯s mind. ¡°While it is true that I did not assist that much for this conflict, it is not uncommon for my race to stagnate at this level of power. The bottleneck between a Tri-Tailed and a Quad-Tailed beast is massive. If I had to make a guess, it would require the same amount of combat experience as a lowly Single-Tail to get to my power for me to gain my next tail.¡± ¡°That¡­ sounds really shitty.¡± Jake pulled a [Skinning Knife] out of his inventory and went to the Leshy¡¯s corpse. He kneeled down and began to cut into the bark around its chest, looking for its heart. Mizutsune shrugged his shoulder, small streaks of frost rolling off of his body. ¡°It is something that I have grown to live with, Master. We gain power exponentially when we gain our next tail, along with a higher intelligence. Apparently, the requirements for gaining the fifth and sixth tails are even more impressive.¡± Jake grunted as his hand reached into the chest of the Leshy, and he could not help but shudder slightly. ¡°This feels so weird. It¡¯s like warm syrup¡­ I think I got it.¡± Yanking his hand out of the corpse and shaking off the excess sap. A large knot of wood was held tightly in his grasp, what appeared to be arteries branching off of the central knot. Green light pulsed within lines of the heart, as if it was still beating and pulping sap through the Leshy. Jake waved the notification of obtaining the [Heart of the Woods] away, and placed the object into his inventory. Pulling a spare pair of clothes out of his inventory that he had grabbed from the Beast-Kin, he quickly changed out of his ruined clothing. After changing, the human looked around into the darkness of the woods, with the exception of the violet flames that were petering out, with only small flames lighting the darkness. He paused for a second, scratching his chin. He turned back to Mizutsune, who was staring off into the darkness with a blank expression. ¡°Hey. Do you know how to get back?¡± The Elven School of Witchcraft and Source-ery pt 2 Jake sighed, tossing the spoils of death around like a small ball. Mizutsune was currently wandering around in circles, his nose brushing over the grasses and dead leaves littering the forest floor. After Jake had gone to discover what the five [Unidentified Beasts] were to gain his missed experience, and the duo had left the now deceased Leshy¡¯s domain, the duo had backtracked their trail towards the Elven Enclave to sleep and prepare. After walking for over an hour, Mizutsune had lost their trail. Jake watched the pulsing [Heart of the Woods] rise and fall through the darkness, its healthy green light offsetting the royal purple of his flames. After watching the Heart tumble through the air for a few minutes, he turned his mind inwards. Giggles, you back yet? A screen appeared before his eyes as soon as his thought finished, blocking out his vision.
Lilith is unavailable at this moment. Please leave a message.
Jake sighed again, waving away the message. He had been trying to get in contact with the goddess ever since he had taken the heart. It would really help if she told me what to do with this thing. I mean, come on. It¡¯s the fucking heart of a tree-man. What the hell am I supposed to do with this?! Grumbling to himself, he threw the Heart into his inventory then stood, applying pressure to the small of his back to the sounds of gas bubbles between the joints of his spine snapping and popping. Sighing in contentment, he gazed into the darkness lurking between the trees. He gazed into the darkness for some time, his mind wandering, before Mizutsune¡¯s cold voice broke through his thoughts. ¡°Master, I have picked up the trail again. I am ready to continue whenever you are.¡± Jake grunted in affirmation, and strode over to where his fox was waiting. The duo continued to wander through the darkness, and Jake could not help but wonder if they were moving in the proper direction. After a few hours of walking through the woods, and occasionally scaring off an angered monster, the duo returned to the specific Elderwood tree that housed the Beast-Kin representatives. Jake flicked a burned out cigarette but into the shrubbery, and glanced at his companion. ¡°You need a lift?¡± Mizutsune shook his head, staring at the towering trunk of the tree. ¡°I will hunt on the ground for a while, Master. I believe that with the death of that large monster, I am close to reaching my breakthrough and gaining my next tail.¡± Jake blinked, nodding slowly. ¡°Alright, that sounds good. Think you¡¯ll get enough from wandering around and killing random stuff?¡± Mizutsune shrugged, his gaze still locked on the tree. ¡°Possibly. I will refrain from hunting too far, should you need my assistance for anything, Master.¡± With that, the fox turned his gaze and began to walk into the dark woods. ¡°Good luck.¡± Jake called after the fox, who shot a feral grin over its shoulder at its master. ¡°I do not believe in luck, Master. Only skill.¡± And with that comment, the fox disappeared entirely into the hungry shadows. Jake chuckled to himself, shaking his head. Fucking fox. Concentrating for a moment, a pair of inky black wings grew from the humans back, and he launched himself into the air. Pumping his wings furiously, he gained altitude and flew up the trunk. Passing by multiple flats, he continued to climb until he was above the flat where the Beast-Kin were living at. Letting himself fall downwards, Jake flared his wings before he touched down, landing gently on the wood of the flat. He glanced around, not seeing hide nor hair of the Beast-Kin that he was looking for. Surprisingly, the flat seemed completely empty. There were normally a few Elves sitting around the fires, speaking to each other or resting, but it seemed that he was alone. Shrugging to himself, he moved to the bonfire that he normally rested at, and sat down, pulling out the [Heart of the Woods] from his inventory as he sat. He stared at the pulsing knot of wood in his hands, moving and rotating it around to get new perspectives on the item. Giggles.
Lilith is unavailable at this moment. Please leave a message.
Sighing, Jake waved away the message and went back to staring at the Heart. She said something about using this in an item to ¡®help¡¯ with Binding. What this help means, I have no clue. What the hell did she mean by ¡®use in an item¡¯, anyways? Jake sighed again, and he pulled a cigarette out of his inventory. Lighting up, he took a drag, letting the toxic smoke enter into his lungs. Exhaling with a slight cough, he cleared his throat and continued to stare into the pulsing green light. Not knowing what else to do, Jake began to experiment. Closing his eyes, he pushed his mind onto the beating Heart in an attempt to learn something more about it. Recreating the [Heart of the Woods] in his mind, he focused his mind onto the beating knot of wood. An image of the heart slowly blossomed into his mind in perfect detail. He saw each and every ridge of the knotted wood, and felt the constant thrum of magical energy pulsing through the object. He paused, inspiration trickling into his mind. I wonder if¡­ I mean, could this work? It might¡­ Creating a miniscule tendril of darkness in his mind, he began to trace a single artery of pulsing green lights with the tendril. Layering the artery with the smoky darkness, he tried to apply pressure to the tendril, forcing it to merge with the Heart. The tendril disappeared, and Jake watched the Heart within his mind. Slowly, the artery began to change color. Instead of the pulsing green light, a splotch of darkness emerged within the emerald light. With every ¡®beat¡¯ of the Heart, the splotch would swell, and then collapse upon itself in tandem with the glowing of the Heart. Jake grinned to himself, but before he could continue something caught his inner eye. With each pulse of the Heart, the splotch would appear to grow smaller. Watching carefully, he witnessed the splotch of dark magic slowly fade into the emerald glow of the [Heart of the Woods].Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. In the waking world, Jake scratched the back of his neck. What the hell. Would that even work? I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m imagining this, or if this is how it¡¯s supposed to be done. Why couldn¡¯t Giggles give me a fucking manual or something? Grumbling to himself, Jake delved back into his mind, bringing the image of the [Heart of the Woods] to the fore of his consciousness. He spun the image around, checking for anything new. I mean, it looks perfect. I didn¡¯t even notice this little indent right here when I was looking it over before. Maybe this is like a building or crafting thing? Fuck it, go big or go home. With that thought, he moved to get his consciousness into the heart of the Heart. Imagining his conscious shrinking, the Heart grew to loom over him like a wooden giant. Finding what would have been a vein that would bring blood back into the heart, Jake moved his conscious into the wooden organ. Following the vein into the knotted wood, Jake was amazed at the minute details within the wooden vessel. With each ¡®beat¡¯, the walls seemed to flex and pulse with unseen power, and a greenish wind blew through the orifice. Wait, how is there still stuff in here? Shouldn¡¯t it have all come out by now? Unless¡­ something is creating it in here. And if I can change that¡­ Jake delved deeper into the wooden heart, following the pulsing green energy. The circular tunnel suddenly expanded into a cavernous void. In the center of the void, a vortex of emerald energy violently twirled, sending pulses of green light arcing through different tunnels spread along the wooden walls. As a pulse passed through Jake¡¯s imagined form, a sense of peace and calm spread through his being. Taking the feeling in, Jake paused for a moment. It feels¡­ clean. Like untouched nature. He moved his attention to the vortex, a smile breaking across his face in the waking world. Let¡¯s see if we can change this. Hundreds of inky black tendrils burst forth from the wooden walls, rushing in towards the vortex. They began wrapping around the end of the vortex of emerald energy, forming a cocoon of shadows. With a mental command, the tendrils began to constrict tighter, smothering the green light. Wood groaned, the walls began to shake. Cracks and fissures formed inside the Heart, spreading quickly through the cavern. Shit. Creating more tendrils, Jake sent them to wrap around and reinforce the walls surrounding the cavern. The walls continued to shake, but the complete melt down of the [Heart of the Woods] appeared to stop for a moment. I have no idea what I¡¯m doing¡­ Umm, maybe fire? With a thought, purple flames raced through the tunnels into the center of the heart, and began to spin around the cocoon of shadows in the center, replacing the once emerald vortex with one of violet flames. The wood of the Heart groaned loudly, and more cracks began to form around the walls. Jake continued to feed mana into the flames and shadows, hoping for the best. The vortex of fire sped up and expanded, tongues of violet lapping against the walls covered in veins of darkness. The shadow cocoon continued to tighten, streaks of emerald being seen through the constricting darkness. With a crack of thunder, the vortex of flames imploded around the cocoon. When the violet flames touched the orb of shadows, it exploded with the roar of a dragon, immolating and stripping the wooden walls of the cavern, and blinding Jake in a flurry of darkness and purple light, forcing the human to break out of his imaginations. Jake groaned in pain, his head pounding. His hands reflexively clenched at the throbbing pain, and through the pain in his head a new feeling came through. One of burning heat, accompanied by the sounds and sickening smells of human flesh being roasted. With a yelp, Jake threw whatever was in his hand at the ground, shaking his burnt hand in a feeble attempt to fight off the pain. Opening his eyes, he glanced at his hand. Blisters were already forming on the reddened flesh, his hand quivering slightly. ¡°God damn it¡­¡± Shaking his hand again, he looked around the flat for what burned him. A screen appeared before him, blocking out his view. Jake paused, blinking in confusion at the message.
Congratulations! Through trial and error, you have successfully converted a [Heart of the ____ ] to a new Elemental Alignment!
Conversion
[Heart of the Woods] has been Converted into [Heart of the Fel Lord]!
Jake waved away the message with his unburned hand, then looked around for what he had held. Laying on the deck of the flat, and blackening the wood it was resting on, was the new Heart. The wood of the Heart had completely vanished, being replaced by a ropy black flesh. Rivulets of liquid flame danced across the surface, glowing cheerily with a purple light. Tongues of violet flames with a center of black danced across the surface, reaching towards the sky. The Heart pulsed occasionally, forcing the flames to grow higher and fall in a hypnotic dance. Jake slowly moved his uninjured hand towards the heart, feeling for any heat. While not as biting as it had been, the heat was present. Slowly, he touched it with the tip of his pointer finger, feeling the burning flesh with his own. Quickly withdrawing the finger, he paused again. There was no pain, only uncomfortable heat. Gritting his teeth, Jake reached down and gently grasped the pulsing Heart. He ignored the heat, and raised the Heart upwards. Black smoke eked out of the bottom of the Heart, dispersing from the wind after falling for a few inches. Whenever the Heart pulsed, a spurt of smoke came from the heart, before being blown away by the wind. ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± Jake spoke in a whisper, not believing his eyes. A smile bloomed slowly on his face, and he laughed. ¡°I fucking did it!¡±
Heart of the Fel Lord
Locked away and forgotten, the Fel Legion waits for release. For thousands of years, the Fel have watched and waited for a break in the fabric of their prison, hoping for a momentary lapse of caution. When it comes, the Legion shall be reborn in this world, and all shall know their wrath. The [Heart of the Fel Lord], when brought together with appropriate materials, will help weaken these bonds.
When added to an existing Formula, adds the following benefits:
Reduces the sacrificed mana cost of Binding beings from the Fire, Dark and Fel Elements by 50% Increases reputation with all Fel aligned races Reduces reputation with all Fae aligned races
Jake grinned, and slipped the [Heart of the Fel Lord] into his Inventory. Grabbing a cigarette, he lit up and inhaled the toxic smoke, the smile never leaving his lips. Exhaling the smoke with a sigh, Jake rolled backwards and laid down on the wood, staring into the darkness above him. A lance of pain reminded him of his injured hand, and he concentrated on it for a second, preparing himself for the pain. A small orb of violet flames appeared over his hand, and the human¡¯s face locked up in pain, his eyes clenched shut. After a few moments of blinding pain, the fire faded, revealing the healed hand. Jake sighed, thankful for the release of pain, and pillowed his arm behind his head, bringing the cigarette back to his lips. God I hate how much that spell hurts. ¡°Pardon me, God-ling.¡± A voice broke him from his thoughts, and Jake opened his eyes to see who had spoken to him. A female Elf was standing over him, looking down on the lounging human with excitement. She was dressed in a simple robe, and an emblem of a hand holding up a blooming plant glinted from her breast. Oh, this was¡­ that one lady from the council. What the hell does she want? ¡°¡­ Yes?¡± The female Elf blinked, an excited smile blooming on her face, revealing her needle sharp teeth. ¡°I have been looking for you, God-ling. I want you to show me your magic.¡± The Elven School of Witchcraft and Source-ery pt 3 Ursal Broad-Fang finished draining his gourd, and slammed the empty container onto the table in front of him. A female Elf, noticing the actions of the Bear-Kin, sauntered over to the table and placed a filled gourd in front of Ursal. A deep grunt was her thanks, and Ursal placed a few pieces of silver on the table for payment. The Elf chittered in gratitude, sweeping up the silver and sashaying back to her counter, the spines erupting from her back swaying hypnotically. The Bear-Kin took a draw on the new ¡®bottle¡¯, and placed it back on the table with a sigh, quickly followed by a loud burp. The Wolf-Kin sitting across from the vulgar Bear-Kin wrinkled his long nose and shook his head to get rid of the stench. Sighing at the vulgarity of his counterpart, the Wolf-Kin took a sip from the gourd he had been nursing for the past four hours. Wincing at the sharp taste, Lupik Brave-Paw sighed again. ¡°I still do not know how in the Five Hells you are able to find the worst places to get a drink in any city we go to.¡± Ursal grunted around the gourd covering his lower face, and Lupik was barely able to make out the garbled words of ¡®best nose¡¯. The Wolf-Kin shot a glare at his alcoholic sponge of a partner, and sighed again. ¡°¡­ Thanks for this, though. I needed this. I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re¡­¡± The Wolf-Kin floundered for a moment, before growling quietly to himself and taking a long draft of his gourd. Coughing as the fiery liquid hit the back of his throat, Lupik hurriedly put the gourd back on the table. Ursal raised an eyebrow at the Wolf-Kin, before snorting and taking another draft of his drink. Sighing in contentment, the Bear-Kin gently placed the gourd on the table and leaned forwards, trapping the sputtering Wolf-Kin in his beady eyed gaze. ¡°It was not your fault, Lupik. The Mageous made his choice. It was either he sacrifice himself, or we would all have died. There was nothing that you could have done to help.¡± Regaining control, Lupik stared into the swirling brown liquid within his gourd, snarling at the reflection. ¡°That¡¯s the point. I panicked, I froze, and then I scampered away like a pup with my tail between my legs.¡± The Bear-Kin raised an eyebrow. ¡°You took an arrow to the leg.¡± Lupik paused, then growled again, slamming his fist into the table. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! I brought shame to the proud lineage of the Brave-Paw pack. If I wasn¡¯t such a flea-stricken coward, maybe we would have been able to drive the Orcs back long enough to escape!¡± The Wolf-Kin¡¯s voice, which had been steadily rising, fell back down to a whisper. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± With a loud smack, Lupik¡¯s head snapped to the side. Raising a hand to cup his injured cheek, the Wolf-Kin stared in shock and hurt at the Bear-Kin across from him, his large meaty paw still raised from the slap. ¡°Enough with your ¡®what-if¡¯ scat, pup.¡± Ursal growled at the Wolf-Kin. ¡°There is no use. It will change, and do, nothing besides crush yourself. If you want to make sure that this never happens again, then do something about it. Wallowing in your self-pity does nothing. Now, drink.¡± Taking his own advice, Ursal drained the last of his gourd, and slammed it onto the table. Anger flashed through Lupik¡¯s eyes, before the Wolf-Kin sighed and followed Ursal¡¯s lead, draining the rest of his drink. Eyes watering, the Wolf-Kin mimicked his friend and slammed the gourd onto the table with a gasp as the liquid burned through his body. Ursal grunted and nodded at Lupik, before standing up. ¡°Come, let us see how the Lady is fairing with the negotiations.¡± Roughly grabbing the Wolf-Kin, Ursal hauled him upwards and began to walk away, leaving a few pieces of silver on the table for the Elf. Lupik shook his head, trying to clear the burning in his throat. ¡°¡­ Thanks again, Ursal.¡± The Wolf-Kin could feel the alcohol worming its way into his mind, muddying his thoughts. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ a great friend.¡± The Bear-Kin grunted in affirmation, and began to drag the tipsy Wolf towards their destination, not noticing the mimicked scene on one of the bridges connecting the Elderwood trees, where a female Elf, dressed in a simple robe with a small emblem bouncing across her breast, was dragging what appeared to be a Beast-Kin without any beast-like traits around by the hand and chattering constantly to it with her bestial language. ______________________________________________________________________ ¡°Wait, what the hell do you want from me again?¡± Jake stared around at the flat that the Elf woman had dragged him to. The wood was scarred, burnt and thoroughly used, runes pulsing on top of the wooden boards. Jake kneeled down towards the closest one, running his hand over the etched rune. It lit up with a golden glow at his touch, repelling his hand from coming in contact with the wood. His [Disciple of Change] skill translating the rune to the word [Protect]. ¡°Your magic! I want you to show me what you can do!¡± The Elf woman was bouncing up and down with excitement, and Jake could have sworn that stars appeared in her quartet of eyes as she stared at him. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen what a self-taught mage can do! I¡¯ve also never heard of a Tri-Elemental! What spells have you created? What combinations have you formed? What sub-elements do you have? What¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Jake quickly waved his hand in an attempt to stop the torrent of questions coming from the excited Elf. He stood back up, and scratched at the stubble growing on his chin, thinking. ¡°I could show you some of the things that I¡¯ve been working on, but I want something from you too.¡± The Elf tilted her head at him, confusion plastered across her alien face. ¡°And what do you want?¡± Her eyes widened, and she took an involuntary step backwards, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°I¡¯m not looking for a mate.¡± Jake blinked, then shook his head. ¡°Where the hell¡­ No, I don¡¯t want to have sex with you.¡± Where the hell did that come from?! How would that even wo¡­ nope, not thinking about it. The Elf blinked her lower eyes, confusion resurfacing on her face. ¡°So what do you want?¡± Jake shook the thoughts from his mind, and turned back to the Elf, gesturing at the pulsing runes littering the floor of the flat. ¡°Knowledge. I have no clue what these rune things do, or how they are used. I also want to know why it is such a big deal if someone is self-taught.¡± The Elf shuffled her feet, runes dancing across her skin. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°How about a¡­ what was it called, quid pro quo, I think? Basically, I show some of my magic or answer a question, and then you answer one of mine. If one of us doesn¡¯t want to answer, we can move to the next question or end it there. Does that work for you?¡± The Elf scratched at the ridge running down the center of her face, thinking. ¡°¡­ I guess so.¡± Jake grinned, and nodded. ¡°Alright, you can go first.¡± The Elf grinned back, her needle teeth glinting in the light from the torches spread throughout the flat. ¡°I want to see you use all of your magic in a single spell.¡± She gestured towards the trunk of the Elderwood, its bark heavily tattooed with glowing runes. ¡°You can use the Tree for your target. The runes will protect the Tree, so don¡¯t hold back.¡± Jake turned slowly to the gigantic trunk, thinking. All of them? I¡­ don¡¯t have a clue. What can I do with shadows, fire and air? Maybe¡­ Closing his eyes, he brought an image to the forefront of his mind. Raising his right hand, palm facing towards the tree, he began to cast. An orb of molten flame the size of Jake¡¯s head appeared before his outstretched hand, its purple light blindingly bright within the natural darkness of the flat. Four tendrils of darkness slowly expanded from the human¡¯s shadow, slithering up his legs and chest towards his raised arm, before reaching out and wrapping around the roiling ball of fire. With a clench of his fist, Jake ordered the shadows to contract, forcing the ball of flame to condense into itself. The shadows continued to constrict, small streaks of purple flame peeking out of the relentless tendrils, until the compressed ball of roiling flame and strangling shadows was the size of a clenched fist. Opening his eyes, Jake turned his fist until his thumb and pointer finger were on top, and then extended those two fingers outwards. With a grin and a muttered ¡®boom¡¯, Jake snapped his hand backwards and upwards, imitating the kickback of a pistol. With a crack of exploding air, the projectile of shadow and brimstone shot screaming into the tree. The shadows splashed against the tree, and a muffled thump that shook the entirety of the towering Elderwood tree reverberated through the Dark Woods, startling countless birds, beasts and Elves. Jake paled slightly at the feedback from the explosion. Shit. Cancelling his magic, he watched the shadows constricting the tree fade away into smoke, revealing a smoking crater that stretched a fair distance into the trunk of the tree, large enough for Jake to lay down in without having any part extend onto the flat itself. Small purple flames danced within the crater, cheerily eating through the bark of the tree.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The runes surrounding the crater had darkened, their magic spent to protect the rest of the tree from the explosion. The rest of the runes glowed dully, and Jake noticed many of them going out as he watched. Jake slowly turned to the Elf, and grinned sheepishly. ¡°Oops.¡± The Elf tore her slack-jawed gaze from the tree, and shook her head in a daze. ¡°¡­ What by the Five Pillars was THAT! THAT WAS AMAZING!!!¡± The Elf woman ran to the crater, gazing with wide eyed rapture at the amount of destruction such a spell caused. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen something so ingenious!¡± She turned back to Jake, her eyes shining. ¡°Why did you compress the fire? Is that why it exploded so violently? I would think so, and you used the shadows to contain the blast within the tree itself. I would have never thought about doing that!¡± The Elf woman began to wave her hands around wildly, then turned back to the tree. Jake blinked at the Elf¡¯s response to him almost destroying one of their sacred trees, completely lost. ¡­ What the hell¡­ Multiple notifications appeared before him, blocking his vision of the extremely excited Elf woman.
Congratulations! You have discovered a new Magical Proficiency! Dark, Fire and Air have combined into Eldritch! Magic Proficiency for Eldritch has been set at 33% ((Dark+Fire+Air)/6). Your insights are strange, Fleshling. Your achievements, quite noteworthy for one from this plane. We have found you¡­ interesting. Savor this taste of our strength, and we shall return when you have garnered more¡­
Notice! You have gained the attention of¡­ something, or somethings. It is impossible to contact these beings, for they will find you when you are ready. Be prepared.
New Spell Created: Void Bolt
Just great. I¡¯m gone for two days, and you get noticed by things not from this world. Two. Days. What the hell is wrong with you? Why can¡¯t you be normal? Why¡­ well, I guess I did bring you here to not be normal. Ugh, fine. It should be interesting at the least. Here¡¯s your spell.
Mana Use: 40 m per Bolt (Charging costs additional 25 m/s)
Jake stared at the notifications for a moment, before slowly waving them away. ¡­ So I take it you¡¯re back, Giggles?
Yup! I¡¯m just going over what you¡¯ve been able to get through since I¡¯ve been gone, going over some updates to the calendar, and just general skill maintenance.
Jake glanced over at the Elf, and seeing her still drooling and mumbling to herself about the crater, turned his thoughts back to the goddess. Should you be telling me about this? Didn¡¯t you get in trouble for giving me too much information, or something like that?
I did. But, from what my counterpart¡­ instructed me on, I can give away general information, without going into the details. Basically, I¡¯m going to be your fairy godmother that points you in the right direction without feeding you the answers.
Jake scratched at the back of his neck. Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ve been doing?
¡­ I don¡¯t honestly know. Maybe? I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ve gone a little overboard sometimes, but I don¡¯t think that I¡¯ve given anything away that a normal person living on this world wouldn''t know.
Before Jake could respond, the Elf ran towards him. ¡°I want to see something else! That was incredible! What mastery do you have? What sub element was that? Did you make a new one? Did you-¡° Jake waved his hand violently, trying to stop the tirade of questions. ¡°Wait! It¡¯s my turn to ask you something.¡± The Elf froze with her mouth forming another inquiry, and then her face transformed into a pout. ¡°Fine. What¡¯s your question?¡± Jake bent over and poked at one of the glowing runes running along the wooden boards of the flat. ¡°These runes. How do you make them? This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve seen something like this, but I don¡¯t have any idea how they work or are made.¡± Jake¡¯s mind goes back to his first day in this world, and the attack by the savage wolf being controlled by the magical collar wrapped around its neck. The Elf hummed to herself, before nodding to herself, the spines trailing down her back bobbing back and forth. ¡°Runes are said to be the language of magic. When written down, and infused with mana, they will perform their written action based off of the elemental affinity of the person who imbued the rune. For example, if a mage with the affinity of Water created a rune of ¡®Repair¡¯, the rune will use the Water affinity to repair the object the rune is scribed on.¡± The Elf gestured towards the crater within the trunk, and Jake turned and saw the wood knitting itself together. A single rune glowed brightly with an emerald light at the back of the crater, and the wood regrew around the rune. Continuing with her speech, the Elf turned back to Jake. ¡°That is the ¡®Repair¡¯ rune in action with an affinity for Nature. It regrows flora and has an increased healing power for fauna as well.¡± Jake glanced at the emblem on the Elf¡¯s chest, of a hand cupping a growing plant. So she isn¡¯t agriculture? Shaking his head to clear the thoughts, he nodded. ¡°Alright, I think I understand. What¡¯s your question?¡± The Elf¡¯s slit nostrils flared slowly, and she sighed. ¡°I have so many, but you¡¯ll only let me ask one.¡± She hummed to herself, thinking. ¡°How about this. How long have you had your affinities? Were you born with them, or were you gifted them by your Patron?¡± Jake scratched at the stubble on his chin, thinking how to answer the question. I knew this question was going to show up eventually. Any help, Giggles?
I just told you that I can¡¯t feed you any information. You¡¯re on your own here Puppet.
Jake groaned internally. Fine. He turned back to the Elf, and nodded. ¡°I received it from my Patron around a year or two ago.¡± I have no clue how quickly someone earns proficiencies, so let¡¯s give me a little wiggle room. I know for a fact that earning Master in around a month or two is insane.
Oh, look who¡¯s learning how to be a little more intelligent with their half-truths. I like it.
Jake mentally waved away the message as the Elf nodded. ¡°While that is incredibly fast for someone to gain the strength that you have, it makes sense in the fact that you have a Patron.¡± The Elf nodded again to herself. ¡°What¡¯s your next question?¡± Jake paused, thinking. Umm¡­ I don¡¯t know. I really only wanted to know about runes. I need to figure out if I can make them work. From what I understand, it sounds just like coding back home, with some random crap thrown in there. I think I can work with that. What else do I¡­ Oh! ¡°How would I go about creating a magic item? I have something that tells me to add it to an existing Formula. I have no idea what that is.¡± The Elf tilted her head to the side, blinking her upper pair of eyes. ¡°What are you trying to make, and what item do you have?¡± Jake paused again. ¡°Uhh¡­ I don¡¯t know? A staff, maybe? And the item is a Heart, if that helps at all.¡± ¡°Wooden or metal?¡± The Elf turned her head away from him, and her eyes darted back and forth as if she were looking through a screen. ¡°¡­ Wood?¡± Jake was completely lost, having no clue what the Elf was working towards. The Elf nodded, and reaching into her Inventory, pulled out a long piece of wood. A smooth metal cap rested on one end of the branch, and inert runes were scribed along the length of the wood. At the head of the staff, ten small branches spread outwards and inwards, forming a nest of interwoven branches. The Elf tossed the staff to Jake, who caught the unwieldly stick of wood, fumbling slightly. ¡°This should work. Basically, all you need to do is imbue the runes first, and then bring the Heart towards the epicenter of the staff¡¯s core.¡± She pointed towards the knotted head of the stick. ¡°The runes will allow the staff to harness the power of the Heart, and protect it from breaking. It won¡¯t last for long if used as a weapon for long battles, but it should work very well as a catalyst for your spells.¡± Jake blinked, staring at the staff in his hands. He moved his attention to the Elf, who was smiling a knowing smile with her needle teeth at him. He opened and closed his mouth, before forcing out a quiet ¡°Thank you.¡± The Elf¡¯s smile turned predatory for a moment. ¡°Of course, but I expect repayment.¡± The Elf reached into her Inventory again, and pulled out a small metal rod. ¡°I want you to imbue this wand with all of your affinities. It will give you some practice, and also repay me for the unfinished staff that I¡¯ve given you. What did you call it? ¡®Kwid-Pro-Kwo¡¯?¡± The Elf¡¯s smile grew larger. Jake blinked, and chuckled. ¡°Close enough.¡± He put his new staff into his inventory and moved closer to the Elf, gesturing towards the wand, which the Elf placed into his hand. ¡°So, how do I do this?¡± The Elf moved around to his shoulder, and began pointing out specific runes on the wand. ¡°This is the ¡®Intake¡¯ rune. Will your mana into the rune and it will draw the magic into the item.¡± She traced a circular line running from the ¡®Intake¡¯ rune towards another rune, which had tens of small lines dancing outwards from it towards the other runes. ¡°This is a ¡®Transfer¡¯ rune. It converts the raw mana into a usable energy source for the rest of the runes. These two runes are required in almost all Runecrafting, especially in the art of Artifice.¡± Jake nodded along with the explanation. ¡°So, force the mana into the ¡®Intake¡¯, which codes into the ¡®Transfer¡¯, which regulates the mana and sends it to the other runes. Got it.¡± Placing his thumb on the encircled vortex that symbolized ¡®Intake¡¯, Jake breathed out slowly. As he breathed, he imagined his mana as a river, flowing along his arm and down his hands into the metal stick. Small flames burst into being along his arm, and danced with the giddiness inherent to fire. Tendrils of shadow creeped downwards, caressing the tongues of purple fire, and a small current of air began to swirl above Jake¡¯s hand, entering into the rune carved rod. A trail of pulsing purple and black light moved outwards from beneath Jake¡¯s thumb, flowing outwards in a circle. The trail connected with the ¡®Transfer¡¯ rune, which quickly filled up with the light. As Jake pushed more mana into the rod, the ¡®Transfer¡¯ rune pulsed twice, before rivulets of the light wormed their way around the rod, connecting to the small runes etched into the metal. The Elf watched in avid fascination at the combination of affinities, before gently placing her hand on the humans shoulder. ¡°That is enough, God-Ling. I thank you.¡± Jake released his control of the mana, watching the fires fade and the tendrils disperse. He handed the now fully charged wand back to the Elf, and sighed. ¡°That actually took a lot more out of me than I thought it would.¡± He muttered to himself, pulling up his status screen to see that it had drained around a tenth of his massive mana pool. The Elf nodded, eyes enraptured upon the charged wand. ¡°It does¡­¡± Her voice petered out to silence for a few moments, before she shook her head and stored the charged wand into her Inventory. ¡°I believe it¡¯s your question, right?¡± Jake raised an eyebrow at the reaction of the Elf, and nodded. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know what I wa-¡° A notification blocked his vision, and Jake¡¯s eyes widened at the contents.
Congratulations! Your pet Mizutsune has evolved into a [Quad-Tailed Frost Bound Fox]!
The Elven School of Witchcraft and Source-ery pt 4 Lilith sighed, stretching backwards in her alabaster chair, groaning slightly as she worked out the knots in her spine. Sighing in contentment as her back snaps and pops, she turned her star filled eyes towards the computer in front of her, lines of text and code flashing back and forth faster than the eye can see. Shaking out her hands, Lilith turned back to her work, the clicking of the keyboard the only sound in her blank world. After some time, Lilith sighed again, the fluttering of her dress causing ripples of color to splash through the fabric. Waiving her hand, the computer and chair vanished into the fog, reforming into a plush couch and television screen. Flopping down onto the couch, the Goddess of Change cycled through the channels showing the on goings of her world. Scenes of death, life, peace and war flashed across the screen, before the television settled on the only human within her domain. Lilith watched her Puppet¡¯s actions for a moment, a small smile forming on her face. ¡°He¡¯s been on this world for less than a month, and he¡¯s already making waves. I love humans.¡± She snuggled into the fluffy cushions, draping her legs over the arms of the couch. ¡°I don¡¯t know why the others were so against bringing someone over. This is working out perfectly.¡± Lilith giggled to herself, the specks within her eyes flashing like dying stars. A slight wind appeared within her domain, causing the shifting fog draping the ground to swirl and dance. Lilith glanced over the head of the couch, and raised her eyebrow at the figure forming out of the twisting fog. ¡°Hey Tenbra, what can I do for you?¡± The swirling fog dispersed, revealing a tall woman dressed in a flowing robe of golden light, cut in such a way that it would reveal tantalizing glimpses of her bronze flesh. A pair of thin arms was underneath her voluptuous chest, while the second pair was resting on her wide hips. Her emerald eyes flashed dangerously underneath her long golden hair, and she lightly glared at Lilith. ¡°I¡¯ve come to talk to you about your newest Champion.¡± The goddess¡¯s voice was soft, a summer breeze passing through a field of flowers, but Lilith could detect the traces of malice hidden within her voice. Lilith arched an eyebrow, and waved her hand. The television dispersed into fog, reforming into a comfortable chair with a straight back. Lilith waved towards the new decoration lazily, covering a yawn with her other hand. ¡°Can we make this quick? You¡¯re interrupting my break.¡± Lilith smirked behind her hand at the tightening of Tenbra¡¯s lips at the statement. The golden goddess closed her eyes, and inhaled slowly through her nose. Releasing the breath with a sigh, she walked over to the chair, the pronounced swaying of her hips moving the cut fabric of her dress back and forth, showing off her toned thighs and legs. Tenbra sat down and slowly crossed her legs, showing off even more skin. Lilith couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes at the goddess¡¯s actions. The Goddess of Change crossed her arms and pillowed them underneath her black and white hair, and turned her full attention towards her sister in godhood. ¡°So? What¡¯s he done now?¡± Tenbra, the Goddess of Life and Fertility, crossed her arms underneath her chest again, and shot a mild glare at the diminutive goddess. ¡°I do not appreciate his actions. The fact that he has¡­ perverted an object for his own personal use and this task that you have set him on is an affront to all of the beliefs that I hold dear.¡± A strand of golden hair fell in front of her emerald eyes, and Tenbra flicked the hair back with one of her four hands. ¡°And this amalgamation that he has called forth using your system must not be allowed.¡± Lilith slowly blinked her eyes. With a sigh, she swung her legs from the arms of the couch forwards into a normal sitting posture, and leaned backwards into the plush cushions. ¡°Tenbra,¡± the Goddess of Change¡¯s voice was hard. ¡°We¡¯ve had this discussion already. Yes, I did not think that he would be able to Ascend his Binding, but it happened. The system in place is there for a reason. If it wasn¡¯t, this world would more than likely stagnate even more than it already has. It is my job to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen.¡± Tenbra clenched her hands into fists. ¡°But don¡¯t you think that you have been favoring this one individual too much? We gods are supposed to be indifferent, yet you cater to this human¡¯s every whim. The others have begun to notice as well. You cannot keep doing this, Lilith. It is throwing the world off balance.¡± Anger flashed through Lilith¡¯s eyes, before being replaced with cold indifference. ¡°I brought this ¡®human¡¯ to this world to do just that, Tenbra. What is so difficult for you to understand, here? The races have been stagnant for the last hundred generations, and only now are they breaking out of their shells, due to his influence. Just imagine if he is actually able to complete my task. If he becomes this worlds boogey man, the one that mothers tell their children will snatch them up if they don¡¯t behave, it will only be better for us. Why can¡¯t you see that? We need this.¡± Tenbra gently tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°Do we? Do we truly need something that will end up in the loss of so much life? Or do you need it to satisfy your boredom?¡± The rumble of thunder rolled through the blank realm, and the white fog slowly darkened to an agitated grey. Lilith¡¯s mane of white and black hair began to flutter in the wind, small sparks of lightning darting back and forth between the strands. ¡°You should remember your place, youngling.¡± Tongues of flame darted from her mouth, and liquid shadows trailed down the All-Mother¡¯s pale arms. ¡°I was governing this world when you were nothing more than the errant thoughts of the cosmos. I formed this world, and you, from the dust of creation. And it would bother me none to return you to that state.¡± Lilith¡¯s eyes seemed to expand, swallowing all of the light into the infinite wells of the void. And as soon as it had appeared, the anger vanished. The thunder ceased and the fog returned to its natural alabaster hue. Lilith smiled at the visibly shaken goddess, her eyes returning to their natural cosmic appearance. ¡°But that would take too much effort, and I really don¡¯t like forcing my power on anyone else. Any other questions?¡± Tenbra stood up shakily, and raised a hand to point at the Goddess of Change. ¡°The others will hear of this. They will not stand for your meddling.¡± Lilith¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°I¡¯m sure they will. Until we meet again, Lil¡¯ Tenbra.¡± The Goddess of Change waved happily as Tenbra slowly dispersed into white fog. As the last wisps vanished, Lilith let her smile drop with a sigh. ¡°This bitch¡­ made me waste my break time.¡± __________________________________________________________________________ Jake flew through the trees as gracefully as he could, homing into the slight pressure that emanated from his bond with his pet. When he had seen the message that Mizutsune had evolved, he had broken the conversation off with the Elven woman of Magic, and had moved as fast as humanly possible to reunite with his improved companion. Jake landed on the flat that housed the Beast-Kin representatives, and glanced around. Noticing a few Elven males huddled around one of the many bonfires dotting the circular wooden platform, and the pressure within his skull pointing him in the same direction, Jake moved towards the crowd. When one of the Elves noticed his approach, it spoke to the others and they all turned towards the human. When it was apparent that Jake was moving towards the group, the group of Elves scattered with a cacophony of noise, which translated roughly into ¡®God-ling comes¡¯ and ¡®flee¡¯. When the mass of bodies dispersed, Jake finally caught sight of his new and improved companion. A massive silver body was curled next to the roaring fire, wisps of fog rolling off of his silver frame. An elongated head reared upwards to stare at the approaching human with deep sapphire eyes glinting with unimaginable intelligence, and a smirk curved the creature¡¯s animalistic face into a mask of cockiness. Mizutsune slowly unraveled his massive frame, coming to the same height as a cow from Jake¡¯s home world. The additional body size was masked by the taut and lean muscles of his frame, and the four waving tails that erupted from his hind quarters. The giant fox smirked at the human, revealing his gleaming white teeth. He moved to meet Jake, each step leaving a ring of frost into the wood of the flat. When the two companions reached each other, Mizutsune butted his massive head into Jake¡¯s chest, knocking the human back a step.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Jesus, Mizu. You¡¯re almost big enough to ride.¡± Jake scratched the fox behind the ears, and began to walk around him, admiring his new and improved companion. He ran a hand through the silky silver fur, feeling the bite of frost emanating from the fox¡¯s body. A high pitched guttural sound emanated from Mizutsune¡¯s throat, and for the first time in his life, he spoke. ¡°I am not a steed, Master.¡± The voice retained its regal nature, but it sounded as if a woman had been gargling gravel for the past few days. Jake paused his petting of the fox, blinking. ¡°¡­ You can speak now?¡± Mizutsune shot Jake another grin, and the familiar cold presence of the fox¡¯s mind broke over Jake¡¯s consciousness. ¡°Some, Master. It is difficult, but I believe I am improving." Mizutsune pulled away from Jake, and shook his coat, causing small slivers of frost to break off and fall to the ground with a tinkling sound. The fox moved back towards the bonfire that he had left, and lay down with a yawn. Resting his head on his paws, Mizutsune turned his sapphire gaze back on his companion. ¡°So, Master, is there anything that I should be made aware of since my absence?¡± Pulling a cigarette out of his Inventory, Jake sat down with a sigh next to the fox. The contrast between the roaring heat from the bonfire and the creeping cold from Mizutsune was comforting, and Jake relaxed back into the mass of his companion¡¯s soft fur. Jake shrugged, moving the conversation to the relative seclusion of thought. Not much. I¡¯ve learned about runes, where it¡¯s basically just a programming language for magic. I played around with a few things like it back on my world, so the concepts are simple enough to grasp. I¡¯ll need to test if I can just make the runes from my thoughts, or if I need to see it first. While this [Agent of Change] skill allows me to read and understand every language, including whatever the runes are from, I don¡¯t know if that translates into writing. Jake lit up the cigarette, and took a slow drag. I also picked up a magic stick that, from what an Elvish woman told me, would work perfectly for setting up the [Heart of the Fel Lord] that we got. Mizutsune turned his head to stare at Jake with a single eye, confusion rolling off of the fox. ¡°Master, I thought that we had acquired a Nature elemental heart from that tree-beast. Where did you get a different one?¡± Jake thought for a second, before shrugging. Sorry, thought you were with me then. I was able to learn how to convert a Heart into an element of my choosing. Not too sure how I got it to work the first time, but there you go. The description says that if added to an item, it will reduce the cost of Binding the elements of Fire and Dark by half. Jake was bounced slightly as Mizutsune¡¯s sides heaved up and down with laughter, and the fox shot the human a grin. ¡°Why am I not surprised that you, of all people, learned how to corrupt an item of that magnitude within a scant few hours, whereas most talented individuals would take years, possibly decades, of study and practice to do something even half as impressive.¡± Jake grinned back. What can I say? I¡¯m awesome. Jake took a drag and laid his head on Mizutsune¡¯s flank, watching the smoke from his cigarette dance through the darkness around them. The human and his companion relaxed to the sounds of the crackling bonfire, comforted with each other''s presence. After some time, Jake sighed. I¡¯ve got a bad feeling that shit¡¯s going to hit the fan here pretty soon. One of Mizutsune¡¯s tails swished back and forth slowly while the fox sighed. ¡°Master, while I understand most of your idioms based off of our link, this one still eludes me. What do those lacy objects the more ¡®noble¡¯ women wave about their face have to do with feces?¡± Jake chuckled dryly. He sent a mental image of a fan from back on Earth, and what would happen if someone decided to throw human waste at it. He felt Mizutsune¡¯s flanks shudder slightly, and the fox yipped quietly in agreement. ¡°I believe I understand now, Master. I definitely thank you for that mental image. It will most certainly not stay at the forefront of my mind for my lifetime.¡± Jake laughed loudly at that, but sobered up quickly. I¡¯m being serious though. I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this. Mizutsune watched his master with a single gleaming sapphire eye, remaining quiet for some time. ¡°Are you actually starting to care for them, Master?¡± Jake shrugged, staring into the twisting darkness surrounding the trees. I don¡¯t know. Serena¡¯s clingy as all hell. The Elves, I¡¯m not too sure about. Sighing again, Jake forced himself to stand up. Fuck it. If this is a mistake, I¡¯ll deal with the consequences later. I¡¯ve got a plan to kick this shit off, but I¡¯m going to need something from you, Mizu. Mizutsune rose to his feet gracefully, arching his back with a stretch. Shaking the sleep from his body, the fox turned to his Master with excitement radiating from his eyes. ¡°What would you have me do, Master? I will accomplish it with as much enthusiasm as possible.¡± A smirk formed on Jake¡¯s face, and he scratched the fox behind the ears. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m pretty sure that you¡¯re going to enjoy at least one part of it. The first step is just a little amount of seduction, followed by a murder most foul. Jake paused, thinking over his statement. God, that was awful. Like a horribly written play. Shaking his head at his terrible word choice, Jake laid out his plans for the deed to his companion. __________________________________________________________________________ Jake watched Mizutsune trot off, his mind wandering to thoughts about the coming conflicts. Shaking his head to dispel those thoughts, he walked towards the edge of the flat, and leaned forwards into a freefall. Black tendrils exploded from below his shoulder blades, and quickly formed into a pair of inky black wings, changing his freefall into a more controlled glide. Jake weaved through the towering trunks of the Elderwoods, until he was a fair distance away from the Elven Enclave. Touching down onto the mulch of dead leaves and grasses, Jake formed a sphere of glowing purple fire above his head, and sat down against one of the many trees. The human pulled out the final two pieces to his plan, and gently held them in his hands. The [Heart of the Fel Lord] pulsed gently, tongues of flame dancing across its top while streams of darkness pooled and poured out of the hand holding it. Jake watched, mesmerized, as the tiny rivulets of violet flame pulsed across the leather surface of the Heart, before tearing his gaze towards the sleek wooden staff that the Elven woman had given him. He created a small tendril of darkness and wrapped it gently around the Heart in his hands, lifting the pumping organ into the air. Grabbing the staff with both of his hands, Jake began to slowly move over all of the unpowered runes littering the fa?ade of the glorified walking stick. If he was understanding the runes correctly, the staff would absorb any energy that would be placed into the nest resting at the top of the staff, just like the Elven woman said. Jake slowly drew in a breath of air, and let it out with a sigh. Finding the vortex inscribed into a circle, he placed the meaty part of his thumb on it, and began to charge the staff¡¯s runes. Streamers of violet flames danced across the top of Jake¡¯s sitting form, while veins of inky black darkness began to crawl up his skin towards the Intake rune. Jake slowly inhaled, and exhaled through his mouth. The magic surged, swirling towards the staff, and began to pour into the rune. The rune slowly exploded into purple and black light, and strands of magical energy began to spiral outwards to the connecting runes. Jake watched the magical energy spread like a virus, corrupting the brown of the staff with ebony and violet light. Jake continued to pour his two chosen forms of magic into the stick, and only stopped when all of the runes were lit. Jake let out a relieved sigh, and watched the pulsing staff with fascination. Rotating the piece of magically imbued driftwood until it was standing upright, Jake clambered to his feet. Jake looked into the nest of the staff. In the exact center of the wooden cage, a single rune pulsed happily with violent energy. The rune was three vertical slashes inscribed within a triangle, as if a beast had taken a swipe towards the wood. Jake¡¯s [Disciple of Change] translated the rune into ¡®Source¡¯, which again was what the Elven woman said it would be. Jake gently moved one of his hands, and the tendril of darkness holding the Heart slowly moved downwards towards the nest. As the organ got closer, small strands of obsidian and violet magic coursed from both the Heart and the rune, and intertwined with each other. Suddenly, the strands became taught, and the Heart slammed into the nest of the staff with an explosion of light and darkness. Jake blinked away the stars blocking his vision, and stopped as he saw what was resting in his hands. The wood of the staff had turned ebony black, with small streams of purple magma resting like veins atop the wood. The metal clap at the bottom of the staff had changed into a small hook, and liquid shadows dripped and swam across its surface. The branches of the head had turned into what appeared to be obsidian fingers, gripping onto the pulsing Heart. A single tongue of flame and blot of darkness moved above the top of the staff, appearing to dance with each other and leaving black and purple streamers of light in their path, etching intricate patterns into the air. Jake¡¯s mouth slowly curled up into a smile, and he chuckled. ¡°I can deal with this.¡±
The Rift Stave of Jer¡¯El
Jer¡¯El Bloodtongue was the last of the Legion on this world. Through his mastery of magic, he weaved death and destruction into a glorious tapestry of carnage. His soul has bonded with his weapon, granting it powers beyond the mortal ken.
Reduces the sacrificed mana cost of Binding beings from the Fire, Dark and Fel Elements by 50% Increases reputation with all Fel aligned races Reduces reputation with all Fae aligned races
Special Ability: Rift Caller:Create a rift from the ever present magical energies coursing through this weapon. The effects of these rifts are unknown, having been lost to the sands of time.
The Elven School of Witchraft and Source-ery pt 5 Felicia sighed, arching her back like a cat. It had been a difficult day of discussion and negotiations. The Elf woman who had taken over for the Elder was ruthless in their talks. Lady Serena, who had been trained by multiple master traders of the Beast-Kin, had been left floundering with each statement that the Matron of Trade had made, and they had steadily been losing the ground that they had gained from the Elder. Shaking her head, she looked around the flat that she and her Lady were resting upon. Noticing that there were no Elven around to watch her, and that her charge was sleeping peacefully sprawled next to the bonfire, Felicia began to practice her magic. A small golden orb of flame appeared above an outstretched hand, and Felicia began to split it into smaller and smaller orbs, creating a constellation of golden light floating above the Fox-Kin. She had developed this method during the weeks of travel with the Mageous before arriving in the Elven Enclave. It had been an enjoyable trip, but was overshadowed by the fact that the Mageous had been lying to them for most of the journey. Knowing now that he had been a master of three different elements and a God-ling, Felicia had felt cheated. She craved knowledge of all kinds, but what interested her most was magic. Being able to contort the reality to suit her very thoughts was seductive in its persuasion. Focusing her mind back onto her training, she contorted the orbs into more and more abstract shapes, mesmerizing herself into the intricate dance of the heavens. She continued this exercise for some time, before moving onto her knives. Dispersing the golden orbs, the Fox-Kin reached into the sleeves of her maid¡¯s dress and pulled out the finger length knives she always had on her person. Grabbing the two sets of three knives in between the knuckles of her fingers, she flicked them towards the bark of the towering Elderwood that served as the support for the flats ringing the massive tree. With a series of quick thuds, the knives embedded themselves into the tree, barely a hairsbreadth away from each other. Reaching into her sleeves again, the maid pulled another set of her throwing knives and flung them towards the tree, delaying the releases of each individual knife to force them to fan out. She continued the throwing practice for an hour, throwing her twelve knives in groups of three, changing them from a tight cluster to wide fans intermittently. After her last through which left six knives in the trunk forming an X, with the center knives buried into the same knot in the tree, she shook out her arms and reached behind the small of her back. With a twist and a pull, two long serrated knives, looking more like small swords than knives, appeared in her hands from the hidden sheath in her sash wrapped around her waist. Holding the knives in a reverse grip, with the blades running along her arms and reaching to her elbows, Felicia inhaled slowly, and exhaled with a sigh. Springing into action, the Fox-Kin began to work through the forms instilled into her since she was nothing but a kit with all the grace of a dancer. The knives darted through the darkness, their pristine blades glinting from the sporadic firelight behind the training Beast-Kin. Dancing between invisible opponents, Felicia spun and sliced, going for the weak points in the armor she knew they would have. Bending backwards to dodge the swing of an oversized axe, she spun back upwards and dragged the knife through the blank opponent¡¯s tendons and muscles. Dancing backwards to avoid an attack, the Fox-Kin sprung forwards and planted both of her knives through the imaginary eye slit of a helmet. Rolling with the falling body, she came back upwards, her daggers leading the movement. Taking a deep breath, the Beast-Kin closed her eyes and brought her hands up to shoulder level, crossing her arms and finishing off her training. Releasing the breath slowly, she slid the knives back into their sheaths and moved to get the throwing knives still lodged into the tree. As she yanked out the final still quivering knife from the bark, she felt a cold presence bloom into her mind, familiar and yet threatening at the same time. Turning around, she threw the knife towards the real threat before it could end her. A blast of frigid air blew the knife off course, and a shard of crystalline ice slammed into the projectile and sent it spinning back towards the Beast-Kin. Felicia dove underneath the returning projectile, tucking and rolling back to her feat with her twin long daggers reappearing in her hands from their sheath. Before she could turn around to face the opponent, the presence within her mind surged, forcing her to her knees from the pressure. A cold and calculating voice echoed within her mind, and the Fox-Kin instantly calmed. ¡°How rude of you, Vixen. To attack someone just for attempting to say hello.¡± Felicia felt the pressure fade, and she slowly regained her feet and turned towards her companion. She blinked in surprise, and then smiled at the figures changed appearance. Felicia bowed her head, the smile never leaving her face. Welcome back, Master Mizutsune. I can see that your advancement into a higher form has gone well for you. The massive fox pulled his lips backwards, showing off his glistening teeth in a feral smile. ¡°Of course it has, young Vixen. What would you expect from someone such as I?¡± Mizutsune looked towards the bonfire and the sleeping Owl-Kin. Turning back to ensnare Felicia in his deep sapphire gaze, he nodded towards the back of the flat. ¡°Come, there is something that I must do.¡± Felicia nodded. Of course, Master. The fox moved towards the edge of the flat, and Felicia fell in step behind him. She could not help but watch the gentle sway of the Mystic Beast¡¯s flank, or the ripples of taut muscle that moved beneath his soft and luxuriant fur. His four tails hung low, barely a finger¡¯s length above the wood of the flat, and the strands of hair swayed with each passing breeze. She felt her heart rate increase, and Felicia attempted to calm herself. While Mizutsune¡¯s presence had been notable before, with his increased strength it was stifling. The fox seemed to hear her wandering thoughts, and turned his head over his shoulder to shoot her a grin. Felicia felt his cold thoughts break into her mind like a wave crashing against the shore. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Felicia shook her head to scatter the thoughts, and looked around. They were on the same flat, but there were no other Elves around, and only a single sputtering bonfire was slowly dying in the distance, giving off small traces of light to brighten the cloying darkness of the forest. Felicia cleared her throat, and turned back to the massive fox. ¡°Master Mizutsune, why did you bring me here?¡± The fox¡¯s grin grew wider, his sharp teeth glinting in the sparse firelight. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one guess, Vixen.¡± Felicia felt her heartrate increase again, and a bright smile broke out across her face to accompany the deep blush settling into her cheeks. Slowly turning around, she got down onto her hands and knees, her tail swishing around quickly. With a growl, Mizutsune tore into the bindings of her dress at the small of her back with his teeth, and tossed the torn away clothing off the edge of the flat. A glint of metal fell with the bundle of clothes, one of the daggers having been dragged away with the fabric. The dagger spun into the darkness, and the only sound within the flat was the sounds of two beasts in heat. _____________________________________________________________________ Jake twirled his new staff through the air, causing the two motes of magical energy on top of the stave to dance and spin through the darkness of the forest. He grinned to himself at how light and easy to wield the weapon was, and then began to experiment with his new toy. So how the hell do I activate its powers¡­ Jake cradled the staff in his hands, and stared at the two motes of light and dark. The black blot swam through the air, its ethereal trail flowing along behind it as if it were liquid, while the ember of violet flame seemed to dance and jump around the slow moving blot, leaving a trail of purple light that shimmered and dispersed into the atmosphere. Focusing his mind on the ember, Jake imagined it stopping its flight, as if it had frozen in time. He felt a slight drain on his mana, and the violet flame paused in its erratic path. The flame steadily grew brighter and brighter, and the staff began to shiver. Jake blinked, watching the small ember grow into a blinding sun as he fed mana into the staff. As Jake averted his eyes due to the blinding light, he stopped enhancing the ember with his magic. With a thunderous crash, the staff released all of the charged mana with a burst of flame and heat from the top of the staff, which was still nestled peacefully in the arms of the human. Jake was flung against a tree from the force of the explosion, slamming into the flora with the sound of snapping wood and breaking bones. The blast knocked out all of the air from his lungs, and the human gasped and sputtered in an attempt to get back the stolen oxygen. Moments later, Jake finally got under control of his lungs, and he spent the next minute coughing and hacking in an attempt to clear them of the smoke that he had inhaled with his first breath. Groaning in pain, Jake slowly opened his eyes to see the forest swimming in front of him. Violet flames hungrily grasped onto the brush and bark of the surrounding plants, and a distinct smell of burnt cloth and flesh assailed the human¡¯s nostrils. Attempting to stand up, Jake barely contained a scream as he placed weight onto his left leg. Looking down, he saw a shard of bone sticking out of his flesh, having been broken when he was blasted against the tree. Taking a shuddering breath, Jake slowly lowered himself back down to a sitting position, resting his battered body against the trunk of the tree. Well, that didn¡¯t go well... A notification appeared in his vision, but Jake brushed it away with a thought, focusing on the more important matter of his broken body. Closing his eyes and taking a shuddering breath, he activated his ¡®healing¡¯ ability. The [Flames of the Phoenix] quickly took effect, wrapping the slightly shaking human in an orb of violet flame. Jake screamed in pain as his flesh, muscle and bone was instantly vaporized and recreated from the ashes, his nerves being the last thing replaced.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Minutes later, the orb of fire dispersed, leaving a naked, shivering and slightly smoking human in a ring of blackened plants. Taking a shuddering breath, Jake slowly exhaled and grinned at the absence of pain. Reaching into his inventory, he pulled out a pair of cloth clothes, and quickly changed into them before grabbing, and lighting, a cigarette. Puffing on the toxic stick, Jake finally calmed down enough to pull up the notification that had appeared.
Ability Discovered: Burst (Fire)
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ~Giggles
Mana Use: 30 m/s of charge.
Sighing, Jake waved the message away and heaved himself to his feet, flicking the burnt out butt into the underbrush. Glancing around at the carnage that he had inadvertently caused within the forest, he walked around and began to stamp out the flames with a shirt that he pulled form his Inventory. I¡¯m going to run out of spare clothes if this shit keeps up. Grumbling to himself, he finally put out the last sputtering flame, and then turned to where he had last seen the magical boom-stick. The staff had buried itself up to the grasping hands in the dirt from the explosion, and Jake spent a few minutes attempting to dig it out. Finally wrenching the stick away with a spray of dirt, Jake inspected the weapon for any damaged pieces. Surprisingly, the stave seemed perfectly whole, the runes glowing cheerily in the gloom and the two motes of energy, the tongue of flame having returned to normal, continued their hypnotic dance. Sighing in relief, Jake sat back down, cradling the staff on his knees. So, we know that we can charge these little blobs of magic with mana, and they have an effect. Maybe it was because I was forcing it to stay in place caused the explosive reaction? Jake scratched at his chin, and paused as he felt burnt hair. Shaking his head, he moved his attention back to the stave. I¡¯m not going to play around with its abilities anymore. But I want to figure out how it¡¯s supposed to reduce the cost of my Binding. The question is, who to summon? I could go with my imp, but I don¡¯t want a demon following me around where there is a chance for him to be discovered. It would tip my hand too soon. Jake watched the twin motes of energy dance through the air, thinking. So, no demon¡¯s yet. The Lurker would be even worse, as it¡¯s just a giant hulking fish-man. Maybe a new Binding? ¡­ No, that would take too much thought. I would go with Quelaag, but, again, giant spider is a dead giveaway. If only she was fully human. That would make things so much easier. And it¡¯s not like I can just wish for her to¡­ Jake stopped, staring off into the distance as his brain caught up with his random thoughts. ¡­ Can I? Oh, shit. If this works, I am a fucking idiot for not trying it sooner. Surging to his feet, Jake grabbed onto the staff with both hands and slammed the bottom into the dirt, stabilizing the violent magical twig. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and concentrated. Rivulets of purple flame surged into being, wrapped gently around the humans shoulders. The liquid flame poured down his arms and inched upwards along the pulsing veins of the staff, reaching towards the [Heart] embedded into the weapons core. When the trailing flames reached the [Heart], [The Rift Stave of Jer¡¯El] pulsed in Jake¡¯s hands. The ember dancing above the [Heart] moved into the beating organ, and the [Heart] burst into violet flames. The stave was pulsing constantly now, the heartbeat of a great beast was coursing through the weapon. Jake concentrated on the image that he wanted, and the Flames followed his thoughts. With a roar of dragon Fire, the [Heart] launched a stream of liquid flame into the perpetual twilight of the forest. The torrent of Fire slammed into an invisible barrier, and began to swirl into a vortex of flames. The human continued to pour mana into the spell, causing the rippling torrent of Flame to surge with the newly added power. The vortex steadily grew, streamers of flame arcing outwards and then curving back into the tear in the fabric of the world. For what seemed like a lifetime, Jake continued to pour mana into the spell, and the vortex continued to grow in power and size. With a snap of exploding air, the disk of spinning Flame extended backwards, a black rend through the fabric of the world absorbing the violet flames. The Rift contracted, and a figure dressed in robes was violently ejected from the darkness, and the Rift closed with a snap, sending the surroundings into the perpetual twilight of the forest. The figure stumbled forwards with shaking legs, and collapsed to their knees. The figure was clothed in a flowing black robe, etched with golden embroidery along its seams. The hood was pulled upwards, masking the face from the light of a rapidly conjured purple flame. Jake slowly knelt in front of the figure, keeping the hand with the violet flame above to light the surrounding area. Being as gentle as he possibly could, he reached outwards and pulled the hood back slowly. Long black locks fell free from the hood, framing the smooth angular face. Black eyes filled with shock stared back at the human, complementing the figure¡¯s alabaster skin nicely and bringing attention to the pert nose and thin mouth of the figure. Jake grinned at the figure, and reached down to one dainty hand, slowly helping her regain her shaking feet. ¡°Welcome back, Quelaag.¡±
Spell Updated
The spell [The Witch of Izalith] has been updated, increasing the Sacrificial cost.
[Old cost ¨C 3,000 Mana over 1 minute (includes Mana Regeneration). Sacrifice 100 Mana to sustain the Binding (Sacrificed Mana will not be regenerated).
New cost ¨C 3,000 Mana over 1 minute (includes Mana Regeneration). Sacrifice 200 100 Mana to sustain the Binding (Sacrificed Mana will not be regenerated) (The power of [The Rift Stave of Jer¡¯El] reduces the Sacrificial Mana cost by 50%).
Jake let go of Quelaag¡¯s arm, and the once cursed woman took a tentative step forwards on legs that had been gone for as long as she could remember. When the leg did not buckle under her weight, she took another. And another. A smile began to bloom on her face, and Quelaag began to laugh. Tears flowed freely down her angular face as she walked for the first time since she had been cursed. The ecstatic woman twirled around to face Jake with all of the grace of a dancer, and clasping her hands to her abdomen bowed deeply. ¡°Human¡­ Jake¡­ I do not know what to say.¡± She stood back up, and gracefully walked over to the human. Holding out her arms, she enwrapped the startled man into a tight hug. ¡°Thank you¡­ Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.¡± Jake froze for a second, before returning the embrace, patting the still crying woman on the back. ¡°No problem. I said that I would, didn¡¯t I?¡± After a few moments, Quelaag pushed backwards from the human, and wiped a tear away with a dainty hand. Still smiling, the cured human glanced around, noticing the location for the first time. ¡°What a strange place¡­ If these trees were any larger, I would expect there to be dragons roosting in their boughs.¡± Shaking her head, Quelaag turned her attention back to Jake, and moved closer to the human. ¡°Jake, will you break my sister¡¯s curse now? I can understand if you require more time, but I would be eternally grateful if you would do so quickly.¡± Jake nodded. ¡°I was planning on it. I just wanted to make sure that my idea would work first.¡± Jake checked his mana quickly.
Mana: 815 (-100)/915 Mana Regeneration: 45.75 m/s
He couldn¡¯t help but snort. Even with casting the 3,000 Mana cost binding, he was already back up to full in a matter of seconds. Shaking his head, he turned back to the raven haired woman. ¡°I don¡¯t need to wait.¡± Pulling out a cigarette out of his inventory, he popped it into his mouth and lit up, thinking that every little bit of additional mana regeneration helped. Readjusting his grip on the stave, he extinguished the orb of fire and was about to start with creating a brand new binding when a cold presence broke into his consciousness. ¡°Master.¡± Pausing, Jake looked back at the expectant Quelaag, and grinned sheepishly. ¡°Sorry, Mizu just started talking with me. Give me about a minute or two and I¡¯ll get started.¡± When he saw her nod, if a bit hesitantly, Jake turned his gaze back towards the darkness of the woods and turned his mind inwards towards the presence of his companion. Hey Mizu. Did you get what I asked you to? From the bond an image slowly bloomed. Felicia was sprawled out on the deck of a flat, her eyes rolled backwards and her tongue lolling out of her mouth. Her half clothed body occasionally twitched and shivered, and Jake could feel waves of contentment rolling off of the fox. ¡°I might have gone a little too far, Master, but the deed is done. Completely.¡± Jake couldn¡¯t help but stare at the sight for a few moments, completely at a loss for words. Shaking his head to get rid of the image, Jake internally growled at the fox. Mizu, what did I tell you about showing off your exploits? I don¡¯t want to see that shit. Well, I kind of do, but we¡¯ve got shit to do, man! ¡°Let me remind you that you were the one to tell, nay, order me to do this deed, Master. If you cannot handle a little bit of skin before you start acting like a young pup in his first mating season, I do not think that you are cut out for this line of work.¡± Shut up. Thanks, though. Jake could feel the fox chuckle through the bond. ¡°Of course, Master. I am here to serve.¡± Mizutsune¡¯s cold presence receded until it was a gentle pressure, letting the human know that he would not be alone. Shaking his head again, Jake cleared his throat and readjusted his clothes. ¡°Well, I think we¡¯re ready to get started.¡± Grasping the hard wood in between his hands, Jake took a slow breath and closed his eyes with the exhale, evicting all thoughts of the fox maid¡¯s alabaster legs from his mind and bringing forth the image that he wanted to bring forth. Shadows exploded from the surrounding twilight of the forest, their reaching tendrils wrapping around the standing human with the speed of a typhoon. The grasping shadows quickly lanced towards the [Heart] embedded within the stave, and the blot of light-stealing darkness floating above the weapon slowly swam into the beating edifice, creating a ripple in the leathery surface of the [Heart]. Jake inhaled sharply, and solidified the image within his mind. A deluge of shadows exploded from the [Heart], moving outwards and downwards to splash into the ground with the roar of a raging river. The torrent of shadows continued to spread along the ground, until a perfect circle of light devouring shadows was etched into the dirt and foliage. A minute passed as the tear through the Void continued to drain magic from the human, and with the sound of tearing fabric, it expanded outwards. A bubble of darkness formed from the darkness, extending upwards to the height of a human. Slowly, the bubble collapsed within on itself, morphing from a perfect hemisphere to the outline of a human. Jake continued to feed the spell as the shadows began to fade, bleeding away to reveal a humanoid figure. As the final shadows dispersed into wispy smoke, the strain of the spell ceased and Jake heaved a sigh of relief. Like Quelaag, the figure was dressed in flowing black robes, the gold embroidery occasionally flashing in whatever light was able to seep through the gigantic trees. The figure slowly raised shaking hands towards the hood covering her face and held them inches from the fabric. Jake cleared his throat quietly, and the hood jerked in his direction. Mimicking Quelaag¡¯s earlier action, Jake clasped his hands in front of his stomach and bowed deeply from the waist. ¡°May I be the first to welcome you to the world of Laeris, my Fair Lady.¡±
New Spell Created: The Fair Lady
And now you have both of them. Well, good luck with that.
Mana Use: 3,000 Mana over 1 minute (Includes Mana Regeneration). Sacrifice 200 100 Mana to sustain the Binding (Sacrificed Mana will not be regenerated) (The power of [The Rift Stave of Jer¡¯El] reduces the Sacrificial Mana cost by 50%).
Interlude - The Calm Before... After telling his Master that he had accomplished the goal assigned to him, and rubbing the fact that he was getting more action than his Master in the humans face, Mizutsune had yawned and decided that it would be a good time for a nap. Leaving the still twitching form of Felicia sprawled in mind numbing bliss where she lay, the fox had padded back towards the bonfire the sleeping Serena was left at. Making sure to not wake the Owl-Kin who was laying on a log next to the roaring flames, Muzutsune had padded over to the bonfire and circled close to the roaring flames. Making sure that there were no sharp objects in his chosen spot, the fox had laid down with a yawn, the frost billowing out of his gaping maw caused the fire to sputter and spit sparks into the everlasting twilight of the forest. Closing his eyes with a sigh, he let the warmth of the flames wash over his massive frame, and just listened to the crackling of the wood as it battled the waves of cold that radiated from his body. Just as his mind was slowing down along with his heartrate, a sneeze coming from the other side of the roaring fire caused Mizutsune¡¯s ears to prick up, and he opened a single sapphire eye to stare at the waking Owl-Kin. Serena mumbled to herself, and slowly pulled herself back into a normal sitting position. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, the Owl-Kin blearily looked around, and noticed the shimmering silver coat of the massive fox lying across the flames. ¡°Hello, Master Mizutsune.¡± Serena yawned, and stretched her arms above her head with a light moan, her wings expanding to their full length before folding back up as her arms came down. Looking around again, Serena turned her large brown eyes on the fox and quirked her head to the side. ¡°I do not suppose that you have seen the Mageous anywhere, have you? He has not returned for a while.¡± Signing again, Mizutsune closed his eye and spread his conscious towards the Owlet. Wrapping her mind in his embrace, he spoke to her. ¡°The last I heard from my Master, he was working on something deep within the woods.¡± Serena¡¯s muscles visibly clenched with worry, and Mizutsune couldn¡¯t help but snort. ¡°Do not be afraid. I am sure that he can handle whatever this little forest would confront him with easily.¡± Serena fidgeted, before sighing while relaxing slightly. ¡°You¡¯re right, of course. He is rather strong.¡± ¡°Who is strong, Lady Serena?¡± A new voice broke through the conversation, and Mizutsune, surprised at the sudden noise, opened his eyes and turned to stare at two Beast-Kin, a Bear and a Wolf, supporting each other as they stumbled towards the flames. On closer inspection, it appeared as if the Bear was supporting the Wolf, who was dragging his feet and rolling his head around. The smell of alcohol coming off the two Beast-Kin was overpowering, and Mizutsune snorted in an attempt to rid himself of the stench. ¡°Ah, welcome back, Ursal. We were just speaking of the Mageous.¡± Serena gestured towards Mizutsune, and the Bear-Kin blinked at what appeared to be a much larger fox than what Mizutsune had previously been. The Wolf-Kin took this moment to slowly fallout from the grip of Ursal, and dragged himself towards the roaring bonfire. Muttering to himself about being a failure, Lupik sprawled in front of the flames and quickly fell asleep, loud snores echoing through the darkness of the trees. Ursal shook his head, and turned back to Serena. ¡°My Lady, I understand that you are still grieving for your loss.¡± He spoke as quietly and gently as his alcohol addled mind would allow. ¡°But the Mageous is dead. We must move past his sacrifice, so that it will not be in vain.¡± Serena cocked her head, and blinked twice at the Bear-Kin. ¡°What are you talking about, Ursal? Jake is still alive. He was just here, and went into the forest to hunt.¡± She turned her large eyes towards Mizutsune. ¡°Correct, Master Mizutsune?¡± The fox yawned and lowered his head back to the wooden deck. Projecting his voice to both of the awake Beast-Kin, he let his animosity towards them for keeping him awake seep into his voice. ¡°Yes, the Master is still alive. Yes, he did die. He is the Agent of Lilith, the All Mother.¡± Yawning again, the fox closed his eyes and let out a content sigh. ¡°Now, I will be grateful for you, if you would be so kind, to shut your maw¡¯s and allow me to sleep. I have spent far too much energy advancing to this level of power and the mating that myself and the vixen Felicia had just partook of.¡± And with that statement, Mizutsune promptly fell asleep, ignoring the slack-jawed stares of both Serena and Ursal, along with the occasional nonsensical muttering of the drunken Wolf-Kin. ________________________________________________________________________ Quelaag watched as her sister danced around the dark forest, giggling to herself like a child. A beaming smile was etched onto her face, and the locks of snow white hair adorning her head fanned out with each graceful spin that Quelana executed. Letting a small sigh pass through her smiling lips, Quelaag moved over to join her sister, who was currently squatting down next to the trunk of a giant tree and poking at a mushroom with a dainty finger. Quelaag was still somewhat at a loss for the feeling of having her own legs back, and not the demonic spider she was forced to coexist with for the past hundreds of lifetimes. And all it took was a single human to correct her life, along with that of her sister. She was still unsure if this world was a dream, but she dearly hoped that it wasn¡¯t. Jake, after curing her sister and bringing her over to this world, had spoken to Quelaag quietly and asked her to get Quelana accustomed to the new world as he had some final business to attend to before they would be able to leave this dreary place. Quelaag had agreed, mostly to spend time with her sister now that both of the sisters of Chaos were no longer under the constant threat of death, either from Quelana¡¯s self-afflicted curse or the threat of constant invaders into their homeland. The elder sister placed a hand gently across Quelana¡¯s shoulder, and kneeled down while giving a one armed hug. The snowy-haired woman turned and gave a beaming smile to her sister. ¡°Dear sister, look at this strange plant.¡± Quelana poked the mushroom again, and a small cloud of spores floated out from underneath the cap. ¡°It is rather spongey, and the dust that it releases floats around in the wind beautifully.¡± Quelaag smiled at her sister, and began to gently pull her away from the mushroom. Quelana pouted slightly, but her frown quickly changed back into her smile. ¡°What is it, dear sister?¡± The two sisters sat down in a small break within the trees, and Quelaag gently spun her sister around to run her hands through the healthy white locks of Quelana. While the elder sister worked on the hair, she spoke quietly to Quelana. ¡°Sister, what do you remember? Before you were brought here?¡± Quelana remained quiet, and Quelaag continued to gently pull on the cascading white hairs, straightening them out and removing the occasional leaf and twig that randomly showed up within.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Darkness.¡± She spoke quietly, barely above a whisper. ¡°Darkness and pain. The last thing that I remember was the Knight of Thorns bringing me a shard of Humanity, and then¡­¡± Quelana¡¯s voice petered out, as if she were struggling to find the proper words. ¡°And then¡­ something changed. The darkness was still there, but it was different. Instead of the clotting, blinding void that I had become used to, I could feel it, as if it was gently enwrapping me within its embrace.¡± Quelaag remained silent, and slowly began to braid her sister¡¯s hair. Quelana sighed in contentment, and began her story again. ¡°The new darkness snuffed out the pain, akin to wet wool being tossed on a roaring flame. And I¡­ reached out to the darkness, and drew it into myself. It was as if the Dark Soul had wrapped me within its embrace, and healed me. Completely. ¡°Then, it felt as if I were being pulled towards somewhere. I allowed it to take me wherever it wanted. I was free, free of the pain and suffering.¡± Quelana shrugged a shoulder daintily. ¡°The next thing that I knew, I was standing on my own feet, and I could see.¡± She turned her head back towards her sister slowly, to not disrupt Quelaag¡¯s efforts. ¡°Who was that human, Sister? Was he the one that healed us?¡± Quelaag nodded, and gently put a finger on her sister¡¯s angular chin, turning her head back around. ¡°Yes, dear sister, he is. While I do not know much about Jake Roshaven, I do know that he is the one who saved us from that never ending agony.¡± Quelaag tilted her head slightly to look at her sister. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Quelana didn¡¯t answer, instead raised her hands and cupped the air. Liquid darkness pooled into her hands, and the viscous fluid quickly filled her small hands. When it reached the top of the small ¡®bowl¡¯, the liquid spilled outwards, staining her porcelain fingers inky black. As the liquid slowly dripped downwards, it evaporated into a thick black smoke that hovered around the kneeling women, dancing hypnotically with the gentle breeze passing around the trees. ¡°¡­ It is strange.¡± Quelana spoke softly, her voice quiet. ¡°All of my life, I have practiced with the flame, and lived with it buried within my breast. I lived my life in the warmth and glow of the eternal fire, and yet¡­ And yet, now I feel as if that flame has left me, leaving me in darkness.¡± She clenched her hands into fists, the liquid shadows spurting between her fingers violently. A small smile slowly grew onto her angular face. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t change this feeling for anything else. I feel strong in the darkness, and my pain is lost within the shadows.¡± She laughed to herself. ¡°Listen to me. I have been blind for as long as I can remember, always wanting to see the light. And now that I have regained my sight, I feel more comfortable in the dark.¡± Quelaag finished braiding her sister¡¯s hair, and gently hugged the woman from behind. ¡°And you are thankful towards the one who brought this change upon you, sister?¡± Quelana leaned backwards into the hug, and raised her hands to grasp onto her sister¡¯s arms. ¡°Beyond grateful, dear sister.¡± ____________________________________________________________________ Tukolii sighed as the final representative of the Elves left the court. The Matriarch had been fielding requests and disturbances within her court for the last three hours, and the last complaint about the ¡®very-fuzzy Half-Bear drink all fire-water¡¯ had almost made the Matriarch snap at the still-drunk Elf male. Tukolii arched her back, the spines jutting from her back quivering slightly, and sighed again. Turning towards the other members of the court, spoke with exhaustion clearly evident in her voice. ¡°I think we shall finish this for tonight. Unless there is anything else?¡± The Matron of Trade shook her head, appearing as exhausted as the Matriarch felt. The Half-Beast delegation and Trade had been making progress with their trade talks, but it was still an ongoing process and took much of the Elven woman¡¯s time. The Matron of Magic had been missing for this session. She had come to the Matriarch prior and explained that she would be attempting to get information out of the God-ling. Tukolii knew that, if Magic was successful, she would be undoubtedly practicing new ideas for spells, new combinations of runes or other such magical pastimes instead of her tedious, but necessary, job of helping the hordes of the Enclave. The Matrons of War and the Wilds appeared bored with this task, clearly wishing to be doing something else. When they heard what the Matriarch asked, the Wilds sighed with relief and began to stretch out the muscles of her shoulders and arms through calisthenics. War, on the other hand, immediately jumped up from her seat and dashed outside of the court, saying something over her shoulder to the effect of ¡®new training regime, will get back to you later¡¯. The remaining members of the court stared at War¡¯s retreating figure, before each getting up and leaving at their own pace. Trade walked up to the Wilds and began to speak to her about any new resources the hunters had found in their hunts, and if they would make any profit if exported or would be more needed within the Enclave. The duo left the Matriarch alone, giving her a nod before they walked out of sight. Tukolii sighed again in relief. Standing upwards, she moved towards her hovel within the Elderwood. Being in command had its perks, including the miniscule amount of distance between her hammock and the place of her work. Walking into the large knot within the towering trunk, the Matriarch gestured and an orb of glowing water appeared above her shoulder, lighting the way through the twisting and turning paths of her home. After many different turns, Tukolii arrived at her current destination. A small shrine was laid before her, depicting her prime deity. A small girl, with star filled eyes, smiled coquettishly into empty space, her wooden frame glowing slightly within the sparse light. The detail of the carving was exquisite, and Tukolli could have sworn that the eyes followed her every movement, and the plain fabric of the diminutive goddess¡¯ dress seemed to change color depending on the angle viewed. Kneeling down in front of the shrine to Lilith, the Matriarch placed her head flat against the woolen fabric lining the small room. Prostrating herself, Tukolli began her nightly ritual of praying to her goddess before allowing sleep to claim her. ¡°Dear All-Mother, blessed be thy name. Thy will be wrought, thy thoughts be brought forth, and thy boredom be fought. May thy Change be with me, now and for all time.¡± Tukolli remained kneeling, her head pressed to the wool, hoping for an answer to her prayers. As normal, nothing happened. Suppressing the feeling of worthlessness to her goddess, the Matriarch slowly regained her feet. Even if she knew that gods worked in mysterious ways, she always hoped that Lilith would respond to her. Without warning, pain exploded from her back. Tukolli screamed and stumbled forwards, crashing into the carved image of the All-Mother. Thick blue blood dripped from her back, and the Elf woman quickly spun around to deal with her attacker, spraying the turbid liquid around the small room. Before she could conjure up a spell to defend herself, a flash of something metallic appeared with the sound of cutting wind. Tukolii sprang backwards in an attempt to dodge, but was quickly stopped by the shrine behind her. Pain again tore through the Elf, as something sharp tore across her chest, splitting her skin and breaking her concentration. Growing desperate, the Matriarch lanced a hand forward, and a pressurized burst of water erupted from her upturned hand. The water slammed into the figure with the bladed weapon, and sent it backwards to slam into the wall with a muffled shout. Getting back to her feet, Tukolii moved towards the downed figure, holding onto her wounded chest with one hand while keeping the other extended to her assailant, torrents of water rotating around her figure. ¡°Who are you, coward?!¡± Her voice emanated power, and hundreds of runes flashed to life on her body, empowering the Elven woman. Coughing slightly, the figure looked up from beneath a dark hood. From the sporadic light of her magic, Tukolii wasn¡¯t able to make out any features beneath the shadows of the cloth. ¡°Who, me?¡± The figure spoke, and his decidedly male voice shook her. Her raised hand began to shake, and her control over her magic wavered. The figure slowly rose to his feet, dusting off his back. Fingers of dread wrapped themselves tightly around her heart, and she realized that, in a moment of irony, her goddess had answered her prayers in her own way. The figure looked up at the Matriarch, his hazel eyes flashing and a cocky grin slowly being revealed by a growing violet light. ¡°I¡¯m the Juggernaut, bitch.¡± The last thing Tukolii, the Matriarch of the Wood Elves saw was a torrent of purple flames as they devoured her completely, turning her skin to ash and evaporating her screams in a rage of hellfire. Minutes later, a figure dressed in burnt clothes fled from the now heavily smoking knot within the Elderwood, and turned around to stare at his handiwork. Looking at the long serrated knife in his hand dripping with blue blood, he sighed to himself and tossed the weapon onto the flat. ¡°That didn¡¯t work out how I wanted it.¡± Bloody Paws and Broken Spears pt 1 Screeches and screams resounded through the normally still and silent forest, and the cries of rage-maddened beasts drove the members of the Beast-Kin delegation to flight. The three Beast-Kin, accompanied by the enormous silver fox Mizutsune, had been driven from the home of the Elves, losing the Bear-Kin Ursal in the process. The Beast-Kin had simply been sitting around the bonfire making conversation, when the Elves had seemed to freeze, all at once. Then, without warning, the Elves started screaming and attacked the Beast-Kin like mad animals. Ursal had been the first to react to the threat, using his body to shield the Owl-Kin Serena from a spear wielding Elf, and lost his life in the process. The brave Bear-Kin had died, choking on his own blood as the spear punctured his lungs, but his sacrifice had bought the rest of the party enough time to wake the drunken Lupik and make their escape. Felicia led the group in their mad dash, wishing that they had kept the two horses that had drawn the carriage on their journey to the Dark Woods. A rustling from the branches above was the only warning before three Elves leapt down on the party, screeching in fury. With a sickening thud, two daggers rammed themselves home in the lead Elf¡¯s sternum, while twin lances of ice slammed into the ones behind it, taking the elongated head off of one and pinning the second to a tree through the stomach. The lead Elf¡¯s plunge turned into an uncontrollable tumble, and it fell on its back screeching in pain from the throwing knives lodged in its chest. With a growl, Felicia jumped onto the downed threat, and plunged another knife upwards into its skull, killing it instantly. Reaching down, she pulled the twin throwing knives out of the corpse and flicked the bright green blood off of the blades before slipping them back into her sleeves. Gaining her feet, she ushered her panting charge onward. Serena, winded from the flight, stared with dead eyes at the corpses, before slowly breaking out into a jog. ¡°Wh¡­ why are they doing this?¡± Barely able to get the words out of her mouth through her ragged breathing, the Owl-Kin mumbled to herself. ¡°We¡­ All we wanted was to trade¡­¡± More enraged screeching drove them onward, forcing the Owl-Kin to silence her thoughts and focus purely on avoiding all of the shrubbery and tree roots in her path. The others ignored her, Felicia keeping her eyes, ears and nose out for any more intruders while also finding the easiest way out of this deathtrap of a forest, Lupik wincing and shaking his head in a feeble attempt to clear the hangover clouding his mind, blue blood liberally coating the curved sword held at the ready. Mizutsune loped along at the rear, his massive frame easily passing over all obstacles in his way and keeping up with the company without any problems. The massive fox continually looked over his shoulder, making sure that their pursuers were not close enough to strike. The party fled through the forest for what seemed a lifetime, occasionally dealing with groups of Elves that sprang out from the darkness. The male dregs dropped like flies from the combination of Mizutsune¡¯s magic and the two Beast-Kin¡¯s blades. Panting, Serena began to slow, her legs quivering from the mad dash. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡± Misstepping, the Owl-Kin¡¯s foot caught itself underneath a root, tripping the exhausted girl and sending her sprawling into the dirt. Coughing and wheezing, she attempted to struggle to her feet, when a coarse hand grabbed onto her arm and hauled her upwards. Before she knew what was going on, she was being carried in Lupik¡¯s arms as he ran, his sword strapped to his back. ¡°Sorry, my Lady,¡± he grunted out. ¡°We can¡¯t exactly stay here right now.¡± Too tired to argue, Serena allowed herself to be carried like a princess, still gasping in an attempt to regain her natural breathing. Glancing over the Wolf-Kins shoulder, and just watched the trees pass by her. A glint of bright light caught her attention in the twilight around them, and the brilliant blue glow shot towards the group with the sound of tearing air. Unable to even cry a warning, time seemed to slow for Serena, the approaching spell signifying a death sentence for the fleeing Beast-Kin. The female Elves had found them. In a blur of silver, a massive wall of ice formed between the party and the magical missile. The missile, a sharpened blade of ice, slammed into the frozen barrier and shattered into hundreds of pieces. A presence forced its way into the Beast-Kins¡¯ minds, and Mizutsune¡¯s powerful voice echoed within their skulls. ¡°Go. I will deal with this kit.¡± Faltering slightly at the sheer intensity of his voice, the Beast-Kin entourage regained their feet and quickly disappeared into the twilight of the forest around them, leaving the massive fox alone against the horde, and the even more dangerous magical maternal Elves. When he felt that the Beast-Kin had ran far enough, Mizutsune lowered his head towards the ground, his hackles rising as an unearthly growl emitted from his chest, high-pitched yet deep and resonating at the same time. His four tails spread outwards, creating a fan behind him. The air around the fox froze within a certain distance, the droplets of water flash-freezing into tiny shards of ice and fell slowly to the ground in a white mist. The gigantic fox watched the distorted image of the female Elf through the wall of crystalline ice, his growl growing in volume as frost liberally coated the ground underneath his paws. Snarling, the fox lunged forwards and slammed his head into the wall of ice, exploding it outwards in a hail of razor sharp shards towards the Elf. The Elf mimicked Mizutsune¡¯s earlier spell, and a sheet of deep blue ice appeared between her and the shards. The hundreds of frozen daggers buried themselves into the wall, causing cracks to form in the magical barricade, and it broke under the onslaught of ice. With the sound of shattering glass, the remaining shards of ice broke through the barrier and slammed into the Elf, her screams of pain getting cut short from the shards buried into her eyes. As the body hit the grassy floor, its blue blood flowing freely from the innumerable cuts marring its body, Mizutsune began to sweep his gaze through the perpetual twilight of the woods, looking for anything that would clue him in to any approaching foes. A niggling pressure at the back of his mind, slowly growing in strength, showed the vigilant beast that he would only have to wait for a short time. An hour passed as the massive fox waited, occasionally dealing with a wave of three to six Elven males, their bodies littering the ground and, if it was truly unlucky, had their corpses nailed to one of the trees via a lance of ice through the torso. Yawning, Mizutsune sat on his haunches, the soft pitter patter of blood dripping into the foliage morbidly soothing in its cadence. Another primal screech drew his attention to a lone male Elf breaking through the underbrush, smoke drifting upwards from its rawhide leather jerkin. Mizutsune watched the Elf, tilting his head slightly to watch its flight. The Elf continually threw glances over its shoulder as it loped through the underbrush, ducking behind trees and moving in an erratic fashion as if to throw off a pursuer who was right on its heels. The Elf finally noticed the massive silver-furred beast, and with another shriek, turned and ran in the opposite direction. Directly into a figure shrouded in darkness so deep that it absorbed what little light filtered through the canopy around it, creating a void of light. The Elf rebounded off of the shadow-clad figure, tripping over a root and falling backwards onto its back. Scrabbling backwards, the figure chittered and hooted in a wavering voice, pleading in its primal language. The figure matched the terror-filled Elf¡¯s pace, and responded with a cold hoot and snarl of its own.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Freezing, the Elf mumbled a quiet bird call, its voice and body trembling. The figures right shoulder lifted and fell, apathetic to the pitiful Elf. The Elf¡¯s hourglass shaped eyes grew bright, both with fear and some other indeterminable emotion. Quickly bringing itself upwards and onto its knees, the Elf slammed its head into the ground, squeaks and hoots erupting from its mouth in an unstoppable torrent of strange words. Mizutsune cocked his head to the other side, and slowly eased himself upwards and trotted over to the figure. ¡°Welcome back, Master. What has taken you so long?¡± The figure sighed, and waved his hand. The darkness surrounding him faded away into wisps of smoke, revealing Jake. His purple and black clothing was charred, cut completely through, and, for some reason, he was missing his left boot. Small rivulets of crimson blood ran down from a cut across his brow, which he wiped away with one of his sleeves. ¡°Hey, Mizu. I got distracted, and then I had to do some stuff.¡± Shrugging again, he gestured at the prostrating Elf, who continued its rambling animal noises. ¡°What should we do with him?¡± Mizutsune blinked at his master, and then sighed at his deflection of the question. ¡°That did not answer anything, Master. But as for the Knife-Ear, what does it want?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. Forgot you can¡¯t understand them. This little guy,¡± Jake gestured again at the groveling Elf, ¡°was part of a fifteen man¡­Fifteen Elf? Anyways, there were fifteen of these guys hunting me down. I got to experimenting with some new ideas for spells, and, well, he¡¯s all that¡¯s left.¡± Jake looked over the Elf, and then turned back to Mizutsune. ¡°He¡¯s asking for mercy, actually. He¡¯s saying that he will follow us, and do whatever we ask of him, if I just spare his life.¡± Mizutsune watched the sniveling Elf for a moment, before turning his cold sapphire eyes towards the human. ¡°And why have you not killed this thing yet, Master?¡± Sighing, Jake scratched at the back of his head. ¡°He¡¯s surrendering? I mean, sure. I¡¯m a dick. But I¡­ don¡¯t want to be that guy who kills those who have already given up, you know?¡± Dropping his hand, he raised it back up to his face and wiped away some more blood, mumbling something about ¡®fucking head wounds¡¯. Mizutsune stared at Jake, incredulous. ¡°Master¡­ Why is this a hard decision for you? The reason for your very existence on this world is to cause mayhem and strife. Why are you faltering at this point?¡± The foxes eyes, as cold and lifeless as the frost wafting off of his silver body, stared into Jake¡¯s. ¡°You have already taken the first step, Master. Do not turn around to stare at what has past. Kill it.¡± The human shot a glare at his fox, before sighing again. ¡°Yes, I know. Of course I fucking know. But¡­ I don¡¯t know how to explain it. It feels wrong.¡± He turned away from the fox, and looked into the surrounding twilight. ¡°What do you two think? Should I kill this guy, or let him live?¡± Mizutsune, not knowing who he was talking to, leaned to the side to stare into the darkness. Two figures strode through the darkness, clothed in billowing black robes. The small amounts of light glinted off of fine golden hems,, and deep hoods were pulled over the figures heads, shrouding their faces in darkness. Mizutsune noticed streaks of black hair poking through one of the hoods, while the other was completely devoid of any noticeable characteristics and was continuously glancing around the trees. The make of the cloth, wafting in what small breeze was able to make its winding way through the towering trunks, made it impossible to determine what race the figures were, but the way they moved was decidedly female, even if they both moved rather slow, as if relearning how to walk. The one with the black hair began to speak, her musical voice enchanting. ¡°To be truthful, Jake, I am in agreement with Mizutsune.¡± The fox¡¯s ears pricked upwards at the voice, and his mind washed over the outspoken figure. Entering her mind, Mizutsune bowed his head with a wolfish smile. ¡°Welcome back, Lady Quelaag.¡± Startled, the Witch stared at the massive fox. ¡°¡­ You can speak?¡± Mimicking his master, Mizutsune shrugged a shoulder, the grin never leaving his face. The other figure¡¯s attention came to a halt upon the prostrating Elf who had turned completely silent at the two new arrivals. Her voice, even more musical than Quelaag¡¯s, had a slight quaver to its melody. ¡°Do¡­ you have to kill it?¡± It daintily walked forwards, stumbling slightly. ¡°My lord, I... I would prefer to have it live¡­¡± Jake turned his attention to the newest speaker, who ducked her head, hiding deeper within the hood. ¡°So that¡¯s two for murder, and two for saving his life.¡± Jake turned back to the groveling Elf. ¡°And don¡¯t call me ¡®my lord¡¯. Jake is fine.¡± The human took a slow breath, and then sighed again. Making a decision, he barked at the Elf. It squeaked, and Jake continued to order it in its primal tongue, the noises emitting from his throat not matching how his lips were moving. After a few moments of hoots, screeches and warbles, the Elf, nodding violently, scampered up to its feet and quickly scurried into the underbrush, vanishing into the twilight in moments. Sighing loudly, Mizutsune spoke directly into the humans mind. ¡°I do not agree with whatever you have done, Master, but I will follow you to the end.¡± Quelaag huffed, and the other figure remained silent. The fox could have sworn that he saw a flash of smiling teeth, but the twisting shadows of the forest were known to play tricks on him. ¡°While I agree with what you told that¡­ creature, Jake, I still believe it would have been better to just end its miserable excuse for a life.¡± Quelaag moved closer to Jake, and flinched slightly when the other figure gently slapped her arm. ¡°Quelana! What was that for, sister?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be cruel, dear sister.¡± The figure, Quelana, admonished her sister. ¡°This does not beget those of our blood.¡± She turned her attention back to Jake, a smile forming on her lips, making her voice even more musical. ¡°I thought that my Lo¡­ Jake¡¯s conditions were perfect for the poor thing.¡± She stumbled over the name, but shook off her discomfort rather quickly. Jake blinked at the sisters, confusion evident on his face. ¡°Wait, you could understand what I was saying to him?¡± Quelana tilted her head, while Quelaag simply nodded. ¡°Of course, Jake. Why wouldn¡¯t we?¡± Quelana asked. ¡°Huh.¡± Jake turned to look at Mizutsune, who shook his head. ¡°I did not understand what you told that thing, Master.¡± ¡°Maybe it has something to do with them being Bound¡­ Eh, fuck it. I¡¯ll figure it out later.¡± Waving away the errant thought, Jake turned his attention back to the group. ¡°So, the Beast-Kin are heading back to their city?¡± Nodding, Mizutsune moved his thoughts into the minds of the group, causing Quelana to squeak quietly at the strange and cold presence invading her mind. ¡°The Half-Beasts are. They had lost the Half-Bear when the Elves first struck, but other than that they are on their way back. I held the Elves back long enough for a decent head start.¡± The fox glanced back into the surrounding darkness, looking for something. ¡°Speaking of the Elves, Master, why have we not been attacked yet? We are in the direct path from the tree-homes to where the Half-Beasts flee. I find this strange that they have not made an attempt on our group.¡± Jake glanced into the darkness. ¡°Yeah, that is kind of weird¡­ Alright, so the Beast-Kin are moving towards their home, and the Elves are no longer hunting them, or at least aren¡¯t following directly behind them.¡± He mumbled to himself, and turned back to the rest of the group. ¡°Alright, I guess we can just head out of the forest for now. The Elves should be on a warpath with the Beast-Kin, so we just need to wait for them to meet up.¡± The group nodded, and began to head out through the woods, Mizutsune leading the way. They continued in mostly silence, the only sounds were Jake occasionally mumbling to himself as he worked through something in his Inventory, and the two sisters occasionally chatting to each other. Before long, Mizitsune turned his head back to Jake, a questioning look in his eyes. ¡°Master, you have been going through your belongings for a while now. What is so interesting?¡± Jake¡¯s eyes focused on the fox, and a smirk began to grow on his face. Swiping away at the invisible interface, he turned his full attention to his companion. ¡°You know how I said that I got distracted when you asked what took me so long to get back to you?¡± Seeing Mizutsune nod, Jake continued, his smirk growing into a full smile. ¡°Well¡­ I may or may not have decided to raid whatever I could find from the Elves.¡± He pulled back up his Inventory, and began to list off his new requisitions. ¡°We are the proud new owners of fifty Elven spears, around one hundred meals worth of food for all four of us, twenty different magical wands and staves, a surprisingly large amount of coinage, some other random bits and bobbles that I thought looked cool or might be useful, and, most importantly¡­¡± He plucked at the invisible screen before him, and a gourd filled with some type of liquid sloshing around inside appeared in his hand. ¡°Booze. Lots and lots of booze.¡± Bloody Paws and Broken Spears pt 2 As the final rays of light fell onto the plains, a shadow flew through the sky on silent wings. Serena tilted her head constantly, looking and watching for any movement through the grasses below. The three Beast-Kin had escaped the forest within a day, and had been on the run constantly since that terrible day a week and a half prior. Feeling the strain of her underdeveloped muscles along her spine, the Owl-Kin began to slowly glide down to the ground, and the two land-bound Beast-Kin running below her. Landing softly in front of her protectors, Serena sighed and stretched out her large wings, stretching the muscles of her lower back in an attempt to relieve them. Mechanically, Serena began pulling out tools and equipment out of her Inventory to set up camp, as the Beast-Kin had been doing since they had to flee for their lives. She was happy for the work, both setting up the camps and the scouting missions. It helped to keep her mind off of the things that she would rather forget. The Elven corpses littering the ground of the woods, the kind and caring Ursal choking on his own blood. What the Elves would do to her people if they- ¡°Lady Serena.¡± Felicia strode up to the slightly shaking Owl-Kin, and gently placed her hands on Serena¡¯s shoulders, the Fox-Kin slightly out of breath from the long run. ¡°If it would not be too much of a bother, would you kindly begin setting up the camp?¡± The Owl-Kin stared at Felicia for a moment with unfocused eyes, before nodding slowly. Felicia smiled slightly at her, and patted her shoulder affectionately. Felicia watched her charge slowly move around the plains, padding down the long grasses in a rough circle and laying down a pre-built campfire from her Inventory. Lupik walked up behind her, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he panted from the day of running. ¡°I do not understand.¡± Felicia mumbled, mostly to herself, her eyes locked onto the sluggish form of the Owl-Kin. ¡°The Mageous should have returned by now, let alone Master Mizutsune. What is taking those two so long?¡± She let out a low sigh, and swept her gaze back the way they came, over the expansive plains of long grasses and towards the dark line on the horizon that was the forest. ¡°Something must have happened¡­¡± Lupik followed her gaze, breathing heavily in an attempt to cool down his body. Pulling his tongue back into his mouth, the Wolf-Kin stretched out his legs and pawed at the ground, relieving the stress in his muscles. ¡°Lady Felicia,¡± Lupik paused for a moment, thinking over what he wanted to say. ¡°I do not know the Mageous as well as you or the Lady Serena. But, if I may ask, what could possibly keep him?¡± Felicia looked towards the Wolf-Kin, confusion evident. ¡°I am not too sure what you are saying, Sir Lupik.¡± He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, making no sound, and waved his arms through the air exasperatedly. ¡°He¡¯s immortal!¡± Finally finding his voice, Lupik almost shouted his response. Flinching, he looked towards the Lady Serena, who appeared to not have heard and was still sluggishly moving around the camping spot. Lowering his voice to barely above a growling whisper, he turned his attention back to Felicia. ¡°From what I¡¯ve learned, both from you and the Lady, he fought off an Orcish raiding force almost singlehanded while only using a third of his potential. A third. A force of their size would have destroyed most of one of our regiments, and they even had a twice cursed shaman on within their band.¡± ¡°But the Mageous sacrificed himse-¡° Before Felicia could finish off her rebuttal, Lupik launched into another quiet proclamation and cut off her words. ¡°That is another thing! Death is an inconvenience to him, at most! He is a bloody immortal, and both you and the Lady worry over him like he is a pup on his first foray out of the den. ¡° ¡°What are you trying to say, Lupik?¡± Felicia snarled and glared at the Wolf-Kin, who blanched slightly at her gaze and the small golden flames lapping along her skin. ¡°What I mean, my Lady, is that I do not think that there is anything in this world besides a god who would be able to even keep the Mageous occupied for any extended periods of time.¡± Felicia scowled at the Wolf-Kin before turning her gaze back towards the distant woods. ¡°Then why are he and Mizutsune not with us?¡± Lupik followed her gaze over the plains, his eyes hard. ¡°I do not know, my Lady.¡± Thinking for a moment, he made an attempt to get back on the Fox-Kin¡¯s good side. ¡°Maybe he is keeping the Elves busy within the forest? Buying us time to escape.¡± The flames surrounding the Fox-Kin slowly faded, and Felicia turned around with a sigh. ¡°Let us hope so. For all of our sakes.¡± _____________________________________________________________________ Sweat dripped down Jake¡¯s face, sizzling and snapping when it made contact with the roaring violet flames covering his body. His head snapped back and forth, keeping his two opponents in his sight as much as possible. Movement out of the corner of his eyes gave him barely enough of a warning to dive out of the way, but he was not fast enough to completely dodge the javelin of ice as it sheared through his clothes and cut a gash into his shoulder. Landing awkwardly on his stomach, the human slammed his hands into the dirt and sent himself uncontrollably flying into the air with an explosion of fire and wind, dodging the searing red flame of his second opponent¡¯s magical attack. As Jake spun through the air, he reached out to the shadows surrounding him and sent tendrils of darkness lancing towards his opponents. With a blur of black and gold, Quelaag darted back and forth, dancing between the tendrils of shadow as they speared into the ground, occasionally swiping and destroying the spell with a scimitar created from solid flame held gracefully in her hand. Mizutsune, on the other hand, went with the other approach and counter attacked each tendril of shadow with a javelin of ice, the two spells crashing together and bursting with released energy. Tumbling back down to the ground, Jake quickly righted himself and, raising his hands with wrists clapped together, shot a torrent of liquid flame towards his two companions. Quelaag darted in front of Mizutsune and held up her fiery blade. The violet flames slammed into the orange and red of Quelaag¡¯s weapon, and the torrent of fire diverted itself around the weapon, forking out behind them and scorching the plains to a crisp. Jake continued to fuel the spell, forcing more and more mana to be burnt in an attempt to break through his opponent¡¯s defenses. Suddenly, the torrent of magical fire cut off, and Jake fell down screaming onto his back, a spear of ice embedded into his leg, shattering his kneecap and almost removing the appendage completely from the rest of the body. Quelaag lowered her blade to the quiet yet excited clapping of her sister Quelana, and extinguished the magic with a twist of her hand, the fiery sword dispersing with a diluted pop. She clasped her hands to her stomach and bowed towards her partner. Mizutsune nodded his head in turn, and slowly padded over to his master who was rolling around on the ground in pain. ¡°Master.¡± Mizutsune¡¯s cold voice echoed through the minds of all three humans as he watched Jake writhe around in the dirt. ¡°Would you care to go again? I believe that ¡®fifth time would be the charm¡¯.¡± Shut the fuck up. Jake spoke through the link, his teeth clenched to stop himself from screaming some more. This shit fucking hurts. Glancing down to his ruined leg, he quickly looked away again. Oh god, it¡¯s about to fall off. I¡¯m going to be sick. Snorting, Mizutsune sat on his haunches and yawned. ¡°I thought that you learned this the last three times, Master? What was it you said when you wanted to duel both me and your Witch? ¡®I can take both you on, no problem. Let¡¯s fucking go!¡¯¡± Jake didn¡¯t respond to that statement, and instead waved over to Quelana. The Pale Lady pranced over to the injured human and kneeled down gracefully. Pulling out a gourd and a strip of hardened leather, she gently placed the gourd against Jake¡¯s mouth, who greedily began to gulp down the burning liquid, only stopping to breathe and moan in pain. After finishing off the gourd, Quelana placed it onto the ground and placed the piece of leather into Jake¡¯s mouth, and after Jake had clenched his teeth, wrapped the strip around his head. After making sure that the strip was snug without being constricting, she bounced back to her feet and jogged over to her sister. The two Daughters of Chaos began to chat away, with Quelaag explaining the different spells she had used and Quelana giving her tips and ideas on different spell possibilities. Jake closed his eyes and breathed deeply and rapidly, waiting for the highly intoxicating liqueur to work its way through his system. When the pain began to fade, either from blood-loss or the alcohol, he wasn¡¯t too sure, he grit his teeth and began to cast. An orb of purple flame appeared around his injured leg, and Jake began screaming again, diluted by the leather strip being ground to fibers between his teeth. Within moments, the human was left panting on the ground, his recently injured leg perfectly whole, his somewhat tanned skin bare to the bright sunlight of the plains since the [Flames of the Phoenix] spell had burned away the clothing on that leg. He was just grateful he had learned how to control where the spell had taken place. Now he just had to replace his pants instead of an entire wardrobe. Maybe I can wear short shorts¡­ Never mind, stupid idea. Grunting and groaning, Jake righted himself into a sitting position, and pulled another gourd of Firewater and a cigarette out of his inventory. He stared at his bare leg for a few moments, letting the combination of nicotine and alcohol wipe away the phantom pains from his recently ruined kneecap. God, I¡¯m turning into a masochist. It had been roughly eight days since the group of four had walked out of the Dark Woods, and they had been camping along its edges since then, whiling the time away by talking, practicing their different forms of magic and, in Jake¡¯s case, getting stupid drunk and challenging his companions to a fight. The first ¡®fight¡¯ ended pretty quickly with Jake being kicked back to Lilith¡¯s domain for a respawn. Apparently, taking a spear of ice to the heart, a ball of magma to the chest and a bolt of necrotic shadows to the eyes would kill him. After spending a day listening to Giggles laughing at his stupidity, Jake was gently tossed out of that misty land and sent back to the land of Laeris. After re-Binding both Quelaag and Quelana, since both of their Binding¡¯s broke upon Jake¡¯s death, the four agreed to make sure to not kill each other during any future episodes of ¡®raving idiocy¡¯, as Quelaag called it. Quelana, on the other hand, decided to stay away from the fighting. When the Binding broke and sent her back to her world, the pain of the curses she was under nearly broke her after being free from the agony for this long. When she was brought back, whole and healthy to Laeris, she had leapt onto Quelaag and began crying, saying that she didn¡¯t want to go back there again. Under the glare of her sister, Jake had promised the Pale Lady that he would do everything in his power to keep her in this plane. He added finding some way to make Bindings permanent to the top of the growing list of ¡®shit he needed to know¡¯. Once he had a larger assortment of Bindings around him, as was his plan, it would be too tedious to keep bringing them back one by one for him. It was definitely not the sight of one of his favorite characters in his years of playing video games crying to force him to look for it. Definitely not. Jake slowly pulled himself to his feet, placing weight on his recently healed leg, checking to see if it had healed properly. Besides a slight twinge in his calf muscles, everything seemed to be working correctly, so he walked back over to the campfire situated on the border between plains and forest. The rest of his party were already there, the sisters talking to each other quietly to not disturb Mizutsune, who was lying down next to the crackling fire, breathing calmly. The meat from their last foray into the forest was spit over the flames, and the snapping and crackling of grease dripping off of it soothed Jake¡¯s mind with its melody.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Jake sat down, and flicked the empty butt of his cigarette into the flames. Gathering his thoughts, he began to sort through the fight he had just had with Quelaag and his fox, looking for any way to improve both of their fighting styles, while also working on his own abilities and possible combinations. He had been doing this since his most recent death, fighting either Mizutsune or separately, and only recently has he moved up to fighting both at the same time. While he was able to defeat both Mizutsune and Quelaag by themselves, it was another matter when the two worked together. His method of zoning out his opponents and overwhelming them with his nearly unlimited mana worked very well with most opponents, when it came to those two working in tandem, everything fell apart. Quelaag was, in essence, an extension of himself. She had the same amount of magical power and aptitude as he did, but she was far more able at controlling her body and maneuvering around most of his spells. The only way he had been able to defeat her was to simply create as many spells as possible and send them crashing against her like a wave. Mizutsune, on the other hand, could read his thoughts as they were forming, and automatically counteract his spells with his own. While his brute power was lacking compared to the humans¡¯, his adaptability with his element was easily keeping pace with the others. Mizutsune¡¯s agile mind was able to determine the best combination of spells he would need to fight against a specific opponent within seconds, and his ability to read minds allowed him to know exactly what his target was going to do next. It was a difficult threat to face, but Jake, again, simply overwhelmed the poor fox with too many magical attacks to dodge or counter. Jake sighed, and let himself fall down on to his back, staring up at the darkening sky above. The first couple of stars, twinkling far above, had finally started to show as the world spun and brought about night. He thought of the coming battle between the Beast-Kin and Elves, knowing that it was his fault. The face of the Elven Matriarch flashed into his mind, the terror and surprise on her face caused his stomach to twist. He pushed the image from his mind, and surged back to his feet. ¡°Alright, so.¡± Jake began pacing before the flames, two pairs of human eyes and a single lazily opened fox eye watched as he began to wear a path into the long grasses. ¡°If I remember right, it was about a two week journey from the animal-people city to the forest by cart.¡± Jake paused, glancing at Mizutsune, who gave a slow blink in affirmation. ¡°So, it¡¯s been about¡­ a week? A week and some change since I stabbed that Elven leader in the back. If those Elven guys that we let live when they attacked us did what I told them to, it should still be a while before the Elves mobilize and start heading out to attack the Beast-Kin.¡± Again, Jake paused and looked around, seeing if the party had any questions. Quelaag and Quelana both shook their heads, and the massive silver fox slowly blinked to hurry along his explanation. ¡°So, unless I somehow lost my ability to tell time and make guesses, we still have about another week or two before the battle actually starts. I don¡¯t know how long it will last, but I want us to jump in about mid-way through. That should give us enough leeway to work our respective magics on both of these guys. I¡¯ll try to think of some type of flashy entrance to get their attention, and then we just rain down hell onto their heads. After that, we sing kumbaya and dance on their smoldering corpses while we stride majestically into the sunset. Any questions?¡± Quelana raised her hand high above her head and began to wave it back and forth energetically. Jake stared at her for a moment, before nodding. ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to wave your hand like a school girl, Quelana. We¡¯re all equal here.¡± The white haired woman lowered her hand and shook her head. ¡°I doubt that very much, Sir Jake. But, as for the¡­ assault, I believe would be the proper term, if I may as, how would the four of us be able to do something of that magnitude?¡± Jake stopped pacing, and looked at her, blinking. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Quelana gestured to the party, waving her arms in a sweeping gesture. ¡°We are only four, yet the animal-kind and those strange looking folk, I believe, are capable of fielding large amounts of troops to combat us. How would we be able to defeat such a large force with only those gathered here?¡± Jake scratched at the patchy beard that was growing on his chin, nodding to himself. ¡°If I had to guess, each of you are as strong as I am, in terms of combat experience.¡± He nodded at both Quelaag and Mizutsune when he said this, and got a small smile and a half-hearted snort in response. ¡°If you¡¯re power is anything like your sisters, Quelana, we should be fine. But I was planning on bringing over some more help for this.¡± While talking, Jake pulled up his status screen and checked his mana.
Mana: 715 (-200)/915 Mana Regeneration: 45.75 m/s
¡°I should have enough for¡­ five? Maybe six more summons, I think. I¡¯m not the best at math, but that sounds about right.¡± Jake cleared away the screen with a wave of his hand and turned his attention back to Quelana. ¡°Each of those should have the same strength as you two, and if they do go down I can bring them back pretty easily. If I¡¯m not distracted, at least.¡± Jake scratched at his neck, thinking. ¡°Actually, maybe not. It takes about a minute for each cast, and I have to be focused on the spell the entire time. I doubt I would have enough time to do that during an actual fight.¡± Jake paused, humming to himself. He shook his head, and turned back to the group. ¡°Sorry, got distracted. Did I answer your question?¡± Quelana nodded, and pulled a skewer out of the flames, nibbling at the roasted meat. Seeing this, the rest of the party each grabbed a skewer and began to eat, with Jake taking three and removing two from the stick for Mizutsune. ¡°So,¡± Jake spoke around a mouthful of meat, before swallowing and taking another bite. ¡°After we¡¯re done eating, I¡¯m going to try to get the rest of the group together. That good?¡± Glancing around, he saw nods and an indifferent shrug. Quelaag finished chewing on a piece of meat, and looked towards Jake. ¡°What are you going to Bind, Jake? Someone else from Lordran?¡± Quelana looked up, both excitement and trepidation evident in her eyes. Jake finished off his skewer with a massive bite, and reached for another one. ¡°Not this time. There was another game, sorry, another world that I was planning on getting them from.¡± Glancing up, he noticed that he had the full attention of the party. ¡°It¡¯s a place called Azeroth. It¡¯s where most of my knowledge of fantasy,¡± with this he gestured around the landscape around them, ¡°and the five I¡¯m planning on bringing over were my demonic companions from that world when I was there.¡± ¡°Demons?¡± Quelaag¡¯s eyes flashed dangerously. ¡°You consort with demons, Jake?¡± Her musical voice had some edge to it, and she glared at the human sitting across the fire from her, who was tearing into his newest skewer with abandon. Jake waved a hand in front of his face, chewing a stubborn piece before swallowing. ¡°Different kind of demons. These are more¡­ tame, I would think? Easier to get along with, at the very least.¡± Quelaag still did not seem convinced, so he tried another tactic. ¡°If they turn out horrible, I can always just send them back with a thought. Would that work?¡± Quelaag thought for a moment, and slowly nodded. Jake shot her a grin, and stood back up, tossing the pieces of wood into the flames from his meal. ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s going to be great.¡± Jake turned around, pulling out a cigarette from his inventory and began to walk into the gathering darkness. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a little bit.¡± Lighting up his cancerous smoking stick, Jake pulled the [Rift Stave of Jer-El] out of his inventory, the massive staff leeching the light of the night sky and turning the area around him to shadow. After a few moments, Jake paused and looked back to the camp, now just a pinprick of orange light against the backdrop of the black wall of trees. ¡°Should be far enough¡­¡± Mumbling himself, Jake turned back around and began to twirl his staff around, almost dropping it on occasion. ¡°Okay, so¡­ I want the Imp, the Observer, Wrathguard, Succubus, and¡­ shit, Voidwalker or Voidlord? Damn, they¡¯re pretty much the same¡­ Eh, I¡¯ll go with the Lord.¡± After finalizing his thoughts, he stopped twirling his massive baton and planted the butt of his staff into the ground. Taking a final drag, Jake exhaled a puff of toxic smoke and spat the burned out cigarette in front of him, stamping out the embers. I really don¡¯t want to wait for all of the summons to go through one at a time¡­ Maybe I can do all of them at once? Jake paused for a second, leaning against his staff. Shrugging, he straitened and grasped the hardened wood firmly. Worth a shot. Jake closed his eyes, and began to breathe deeply, feeling the torrent of energy burning inside of his body, he began to cast. Purple flames, the center a sickly green, birthed upon his body, their tongues lapping against his skin and clothing with gentle kisses. The fires began to slowly spread along his arms, dancing across his body to climb up the shaft of the Rift-Stave. The wood seemed to groan in ecstasy as the flames touched the staff, their fires leeching into the hardwood and causing the intricate runes to pulse with power. Jake continued to pour mana into the spell, the [Rift Stave of Jer¡¯El] greedily taking as much power as possible within itself, and the two motes of energy floating above the head began to dance, slowly at first, before gaining speed. The mote of Fire and Dark interwove in a dizzying dance, hypnotizing in its erratic form. A minute later, the motes were moving so quickly that they were leaving streaks through their paths, trailing violet and black arcs through the air. With a crack of power, the two motes shot forward and down into the earth, leaving pulsing black and purple light connecting to where the magical energies had burrowed into the ground. Jake, his eyes still shut in concentration, ignored the sound. He also ignored the slight tremors beneath his feet that started moments after. The stone rippled and contorted where the two magical motes of mana had entered into the earth, and with the sharp retorts of breaking rocks, something began to push its way through into the night. Twin horns poked their way through the earth, their obsidian sheen reflecting the sparse starlight and the twisting purple flames around the human. The horns were attached to a skull, long and pointed like a horses, the same color as the horns above. And yet, the spell was not complete. With increased vibrations, the monolith of Fel energy began to take shape. The skull was pushed high into the air, adorned on top of the obsidian arch. Twisted skulls and bones were etched into its dark surface, a macabre representation of the never fading presence of death. The arch continued its upwards movement, bringing forth intricate etchings of runic script that flowed along the fa?ade like blood from a wound, glowing with an eerie green light. With a final rumble, the portal to another dimension halted its advance. Towering over the human below, the monolith was roughly four meters tall, and the demonic skull leered down on the world below, violet flames dancing in its empty sockets. Sweat was now pouring liberally down Jake¡¯s neck, but he continued to be oblivious to the world as the intricacies of magic pulled his attention inwards. Light and darkness began to dance around the head of the staff, a growing orb of energy that leaked darkness and liquid flame onto the grasping hands of the staff beneath. The Heart within the cage of long fingers pulsed powerfully to some unseen drum, picking up speed as the Orb grew by the second. Within minutes, the orb expanded to the size of Jakes head, the Heart pounding erratically within its cage, and the orb ruptured. A stream of liquid fire and shadows shot outwards from the orb and slammed into the emptiness of the arch, below the grinning skull. As the magical beam passed through the arch, it slammed into an invisible barrier and tore through instantly. A sickly green vortex appeared around the stream of energy, stretching back into the Void infinitely. The Tear began to violently suck at the surrounding air, drawing disrupted clumps of grass and dirt into the portal to another plain with a roar of rushing air. And with a snap, it stopped. Jake gasped violently, and fell backwards to crash against the earth. Panting, he groaned as his head pounded painfully, sending spikes of pain shooting through his entire body. Groaning, he blearily opened his eyes to squint at the twinkling stars. Rustling in front of him, with the cracking and thumping of falling stone, forced him to crane his neck up and see what his spell had brought onto the world. When his eyes focused, Jake paused and blinked, unable to piece together what was going on. The portal was breaking apart, the obsidian stones color faded into a pale grey and chunks would break off and thump into the ground. The skull¡¯s eyes were empty and lifeless, and its left horn was missing, having already crumbled from the absence of magic. But what caught Jake¡¯s attention was the figure lying face down and groaning a meter from the portal. Long, pale blonde hair fell down over the head and face, unable to hide the two sharp edges of lightly tanned ears poking through the locks of hair. The person groaned again, and began to push itself upwards on small, thin arms. A revealing red dress gave no doubt that the figure was female, the insides of her breasts bare to the night sky. On her hands and knees, the woman let loose a ragged cough, and spoke. ¡°Ugh, what in the ¡­¡± Her voice startled both Jake and the woman. ¡°Wait, what?¡± The figure quickly sat up on her calves, and started patting her angular and sharp featured face. ¡°What the fuck?¡± The figure removed her hands from her face, and opened emerald green eyes, and stared down at her body. Her eyes latched onto her exposed mammaries. With shaking hands, she slowly reached up and grasped onto them, giving them a little squeeze. What happened next would stay with Jake forever. The woman screamed. A scream filled with fear, outrage and confusion. A scream, from the bottom of her lungs, heart and soul. ¡°WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!?!¡±
New Spell Created: Lady of the Black Harvest
Thing 1, meet Thing 2.
Mana Use: 15,000 Mana over 1 minute (Includes Mana Regeneration). Sacrifice 1,000 500 Mana to sustain the Binding (Sacrificed Mana will not be regenerated). (The power of [The Rift Stave of Jer¡¯El] reduces the Sacrificial Mana cost by 50%).
Bloody Paws and Broken Spears pt 3 Jake watched, dumbstruck, as the woman slowly stood up on shaking legs, her eyes forced closed, as she mumbled to herself in a near panic. ¡°Alright, alright. Calm the fuck down. This is clearly a dream. I must have passed out while gaming, and this is just some fucked up reflex of my mind to tell me to stop wasting my time in front of a monitor. So, here¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do. I¡¯m going to wake myself up. Yeah, that¡¯s going to work.¡± Taking a few rapid breaths, the woman reached up and slapped herself across the face as hard as her small arms were capable of. The sharp crack of flesh meeting flesh at high speeds startled Jake, and the woman crumbled to her knees, groaning. She opened her eyes, and looked down at the blood dripping down from her mouth and falling into the long grasses of the plains. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± The woman reached upwards and wiped at the blood with her open palm, black against her sun-kissed skin. She stared at her bloodied hand for a moment, her tongue slowly escaping her mouth to dab at the ruptured skin. Hissing under her breath at the flash of pain, she turned her head and spat out a small globule of blood and spit. ¡°Fucking hell¡­¡± The woman unconsciously curled into herself, bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arm around her legs, her eyes never wavering from the blood glistening from the moonlight upon her hand, her gaze locked into the distance hidden in the liquid. Snapping himself out of his daze, Jake slowly stood up. The movement caught the attention of the woman, who scrambled to her feet and spun around towards him, her hands coming up to protect her head from any attacks. ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± The woman growled at him, watching his every slow move with her emerald eyes. ¡°Where the fuck am I?¡± Jake raised his hands and backed away from the angry and frightened woman, leaving the [Rift Stave of Jer-El] planted into the ground where he placed it to start the spell. Keeping his voice low and calm, Jake began to speak to her. ¡°Hey. I¡¯m Jake. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to attack you.¡± The woman blinked, then squinted at him through the darkness, her emerald eyes giving off a slight glow in the twilight. ¡°Jake, huh? Alright, ¡®Jake¡¯, where are you from?¡± ¡°State Farm.¡± Jake replied automatically, before slapping himself in the face and sighing at his own stupidity. The woman froze, and slowly lowered her hands. ¡°And you wear khakis, right?¡± She didn¡¯t give him a chance to answer, and instead sighed. Arching her neck upwards, she stared into the vast expanse above, watching the twinkling of the thousands of stars in the night sky. ¡°This is real, huh.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question, but Jake felt compelled to answer. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re from Earth, like me?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Shit¡­¡± Sighing again, the woman closed her eyes again and let out a defeated chuckle. ¡°Fucking horse shit¡­¡± Lowering her head, she opened her glowing emerald eyes and stared at Jake. Jerking her head in the direction of the glowing campfire in the distance, she raised an eyebrow at Jake. ¡°Is that yours?¡± Nodding, Jake turned to walk towards the fire and his companions, while attempting to get in contact with a certain loli goddess through his thoughts. Giggles, what the hell went wrong?
Lilith, the All-Mother, is having too much fun watching her Puppet to respond at the moment. Please leave a message. <3
God damnit. Sighing, Jake turned back to the woman. She was swaying back and forth while walking towards him and the fire in the distance, stumbling over her own feet. ¡°Uhh, you alright?¡± Waving a hand, the woman¡¯s foot caught against her shin and she stumbled forward, swearing the entire time. ¡°Yeah, perfectly fine. I don¡¯t know what could possibly be wrong. It¡¯s not as if I¡¯m in an entirely different body, in some random bum-fuck plains in the middle of God knows where. Oh, and did I mention the fact that I have no clue what the fuck is going on?¡± The woman shot Jake a glare before tripping over her foot again. ¡°So yeah, I¡¯m just peachy.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay. Uhh, brief version. This world is run by a child-like Goddess known as Lilith. She based it off of old school role-playing games. Think Dungeons and Dragons, shit like that.¡± Moving his left hand up to shoulder level, Jake flicked his fingers, and a small purple flame appeared over his thumb, lighting up his features from below. The woman stopped, and stared at the flickering flame. ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± She reached out, as if to touch it, and Jake snuffed it with a flick of his wrist. The woman shot him a small glare, before continuing to walk towards the campfire. ¡°Alright, so magic exists here?¡± She paused for a second, before snorting. ¡°Sorry, stupid question.¡± She was no longer tripping over her feet as much, but her foot still occasionally caught on her heel or a clump of grasses, causing her to stumble and swear under her breath. ¡°Yeah, it does.¡± Jake continues his explanation, his mind working over exactly what to tell to this other Earthling that he had accidentally brought over to this world. ¡°It¡¯s based around a system of proficiencies in different ¡®elements¡¯. Think of Avatar, but add in Dark and Light.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t darkness just the absence of light?¡± The woman questioned, changing how she walked in an attempt to find the most comfortable stride that allowed her to move without tripping over everything. ¡°¡­ You know what? I never thought about that¡­¡± Jake mumbled to himself, before shaking his head. ¡°Anyways, magic works on an intuitive system here. No fancy words or reagents to cast a spell, just think about what you want the spell to be, kind of ¡®force¡¯ your mana into the spell, and bam! Magic.¡± Jake waved his hands to emphasize the ease of access for casting spells, and a small spurt of violet flames erupted from his fingertips into the night sky. ¡°It really can¡¯t be that ea¡­ huh.¡± Jake, noticing the woman cut herself off, turned around and looked at her. The female Blood Elf had a sickly green flame dancing around her hands, the demonic fire snaking back and forth across her golden skin. Turning, she snapped out her hand, palm outwards into the distance. The flames responded instantly, and the spell darted out, slithering across the tops of the grasses before disappearing in the distance in a puff of smoke and ash. Not quite finished, the woman clenched her outstretched hand into a fist, and a stream of small orbs of green fire appeared above her head, arching out and slamming into the ground where her first spell extinguished itself. With diluted explosions, the twenty or so orbs of fire impacted the ground and burst, causing small streams of liquid flame to spurt out and splash onto the area around the impact site, the brush catching fire almost instantly. After finishing her bombardment, the woman lowered her hand and hummed to herself. Raising her hand again, the woman snapped her fingers and pointed at the flames in a fluid motion. With a quick snap, the fires that were beginning to spread through the dry grasses snuffed themselves out instantly, the only remains of the spells were the still smoldering grasses and the surprisingly small amount of smoke drifting through the night sky.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Huh¡­¡± The woman stared at the smoke, already dissipating into the wind. Turning her emerald gaze onto Jake, she tilted her head at him. ¡°Did this happen for you too?¡± Blinking, Jake mimicked her head tilt. ¡°Did what happen?¡± The woman gestured to her head. ¡°Knowledge and shit. After I calmed down a little bit from the whole ''bringing me to this world'' thing, I¡­ I can¡¯t think of a better word than remember how things work in this world. How to cast magic, how that this body is just a physical representation of your magical request for something. It doesn¡¯t really explain that bit.¡± The woman scratched at the back of her neck, her golden locks falling in front of her eyes. Grumbling to herself about how annoying long hair was, she flipped her head to the side and her hair whipped back behind her shoulders. ¡°I still don¡¯t know why you wanted me, or why the hell I¡¯m a chick, but I know it¡¯s not permanent, so I shouldn¡¯t really freak out about it.¡± Sighing, Jake scratched at his temple. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s my fault. I don¡¯t know what happened. Do you understand how the Binding works?¡± The woman shrugged, so Jake went on to explain. ¡°Basically, I sacrifice mana to create a being, monster, person, whatever I want from an element, and it acts as a sort of companion until I cancel the spell.¡± The woman nodded, and Jake continued. ¡°I wanted to bring over my demons from World of Warcraft, since we¡¯re about to go through a war, and I needed additional firepower. I guess it fucked up when I wanted to use a single spell to bring out all of them, and, somehow, you got brought over.¡± Not knowing what to do, Jake half shrugged and bowed his head to the woman. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± The woman blinked at him, and her eyebrows fell in confusion. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. Why would¡­ wait.¡± Her brows raised into her hairline, and she took a quick step towards Jake. ¡°What did you say your name was again? Full name.¡± ¡°Umm, Jake? Jake Roshaven?¡± Jake took a step back, confused at her attitude. ¡°Favorite bands?¡± A suspicion began to form in the back of his mind, but Jake answered anyways. ¡°Queen, AC/DC, Disturbed, Five Finger Death Punch, Volbeat, Metallica, System of a Down and Nirvana.¡± ¡°Favorite game series?¡± The woman took another step towards him. ¡°The Souls series, including Bloodborne.¡± Jake took a step towards the woman, his suspicion quickly becoming fact. ¡°Your favorite build to fuck with people?¡± ¡°Giant-Dad.¡± She took another step towards him. They were inches apart, the woman staring up into his eyes. ¡°If you could sleep with any Disney Princess, who would it be?¡± ¡°Esmerelda, the gypsy from the Hunchback of Notre-Dame.¡± Jake responded immediately. ¡°I know she¡¯s technically not a princess, but she¡¯s the main female lead in a Disney movie. Therefore, she¡¯s a princess.¡± Silence reigned as the two people stared at each other, neither blinking as their minds spun around one singular thought. ¡°Shit.¡± The woman said under her breath. She sighed, and gestured down at herself. ¡°How the hell did this happen, though?¡± Jake scratched at the back of his neck. ¡°I guess when I tried to bring over the demons, I fucked up and brought over my warlock instead. I mean, it makes sense now that I think about it. I always thought of the demons as an extension of my character, which was in essence an extension of myself. Damn, sorry about this man.¡± The woman waved her hand in front of her and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re good. I can¡¯t really get mad at myself now, can I? I mean, it¡¯s not permanent. It could be kind of fun, actually.¡± She looked down at her body, before sighing again. ¡°It¡¯s going to take me a little bit to get used to this body, but at least I¡¯m hot.¡± Jake chuckled, and extended a fist. ¡°Yeah, we are pretty good at character customization.¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± The Blood Elf woman bumped knuckles with Jake, and the two independent bodies that shared a personality continued walking towards the campfire. ¡°My only problem is, I don¡¯t know what to call myself. I mean, I could use my avatar¡¯s name, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll get used to it.¡± Jake shook his head. ¡°Can¡¯t. I was able to bring over Quelaag like I did to you... me, I guess. So we can¡¯t use that as a name.¡± The Other-Jake laughed. ¡°No shit? That¡¯s going to be interesting. How¡¯s she like?¡± Jake shrugged. ¡°I would say overprotective over her sister. Other than that, I would say no-nonsense, maybe? Definitely aggressive and really dangerous from what I¡¯ve seen.¡± She laughed again. ¡°Nice.¡± Other-Jake remained silent for a moment, thinking. ¡°Damn, I can¡¯t think of a name right now¡­ How about that one boss from Bloodborne that turned into the big white beast at the cathedral?¡± ¡°Amelia? Think that would work?¡± ¡°Sure, I can go with that.¡± The recently renamed Amelia smiled, her pearl white teeth glistening in the twilight. ¡°So, what Proficiencies did Giggles gift you?¡± Jake turned the attention back to his other self. ¡°Oh, yeah. You can check your stats and shit by either thinking of it or saying it out loud, including an inventory system. And Giggles is the name that I gave Lilith, due to her incessant giggling.¡± Amelia hummed to herself, before bringing her hand up and waving it occasionally through the air in front of her as she went through the different screens. ¡°So, it¡¯s looking like I¡¯m a level 40 with about 300 Health and 1,000 Mana. Proficiencies are¡­ 60% Fire, 60% Dark, 30% Fel and 30% Death.¡± Jake blinked at that, and raised an eyebrow at Amelia, who shrugged. ¡°I guess it¡¯s based off of all three ¡®Lock trees; Destruction, Demonology and Affliction.¡± Amelia let out a single laugh. ¡°God, if I was able to do this back in WoW, it would be so broken. The burst damage of a Destro, the sustain of a Demo, and the damage over time of an Afflict¡­ Oh boy, I¡¯m getting excited just thinking about it.¡± Jake laughed with her this time, and the duo were still laughing when they moved into the light of the campfire. Amelia looked towards the three gathered around the fire, and her movement stopped completely as she stared at both Quelaag and Quelana. Jake, on the other hand, sat down at the campfire and pulled a half burnt skewer from the flames. ¡°Guys, meet the newest addition to the party. Her name is Amelia.¡± With that statement, Jake began tearing into the strips of meat without reservation. The sisters stood up and bowed from the waist towards Amelia. ¡°Good evening, Miss Amelia.¡± Quelana said, straightening with her sister and giving the Blood Elf a small smile. ¡°I am Quelana, and this is my sister Quelaag. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡± Amelia snapped out of her daze, and clutched her hands to her waist and returned the bow, deeper than the other two women did, and almost lost her balance in the process. She recovered quickly, and spoke in a low voice filled with respect. ¡°It is an honor, my Fair Lady and my Lady of Izalith.¡± Amelia straitened and returned the smile to the surprise of both sisters. ¡°I am familiar with both of you, and I feel as if you already know me.¡± The Blood Elf gestured towards the seated Jake, who was struggling to not choke on his food as he chuckled to himself at the two sister¡¯s reactions. ¡°My mind and personality is the same as his, but due to his inability to properly understand how to create a well-working spell, I have been brought to this world using one of the many forms that he and I used to travel to different worlds.¡± Jake flipped the Blood Elf a well-meaning middle finger, and Amelia returned the gesture. Scratching the back of her neck, Amelia smiled self-depreciatingly, and gestured to herself. ¡°As you saw, I¡¯m still getting used to the different body types. But just imagine me as another Jake.¡± The sisters looked at her in confusion, before Quelaag spoke up. ¡°Correct me if I am wrong, but were you not supposed to be summoning demons, Jake?¡± Jake swallowed the last bite of the skewer, and nodded. ¡°Yeah, but I messed it up.¡± He waved his hand at Amelia, and flicked the stick into the flames. ¡°This avatar of myself was the focus for the demons that I wanted to bring over, and either my subconscious or Lilith thought it would be a good idea to use that instead.¡± Smirking to himself, he let his eyes wander over Amelia¡¯s body. ¡°Not to say I¡¯m not disappointed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty narcissistic, man. All these terrible thoughts over something that you created and who is essentially yourself.¡± The Blood Elf responded, situating herself in front of the fire next to Jake and helping herself to a meat skewer. ¡°Fuck you.¡± Jake responded as he grabbed a gourd from his Inventory and took a draw. ¡°Hell no.¡± The two glared at each other for a moment, before breaking out in laughter and bumping knuckles, leaving both Quelaag and Quelana lost and confused, staring at the two sitting around the fire. Mizutsune, on the other hand, simply cracked open an eye and snorted at the two idiots before promptly falling back asleep. Bloody Paws and Broken Spears pt 4 The soft thumps and swishes of parted grass marked Jake¡¯s slow, method pacing as he created a path through the plains. His hazel eyes gazed into the distant unnatural fog that blanketed the early morning landscape, its cold fingers leaving trails of goosebumps across his skin and raising the hair at the back of his neck. Jake glanced over at the Blood Elf woman who stood silently on a rise a few meters away, sickly green light leaking out of the edges of her closed eyes. Her pale blond hair was pulled back into a single braid that travelled down to the small of her back, and her revealing blood red dress fluttered in the small breeze that was able to weave its way through the fog. Perching on her sun-tanned shoulder, her Fel-Imp Bizyal, a small humanoid creature that resembled the slim frame, digitigrade legs and elongated face of the Elves with twin horns erupting from its skull above its pure emerald eyes, constantly whispered into its master¡¯s ear, causing both the Warlock and her demon to cackle occasionally. A serpentine tongue occasionally darted out between its razor teeth, tasting the air while small emerald flames danced across its body. As Jake made another pass, Bizyal flicked its large bat-like ears in either greeting or irritation, the rings piercing its brown flesh striking against each other with a metallic tinkling. ¡°Anything?¡± Jake redirected his meandering path towards Amelia, and stopped next to his mental counterpart, his gaze searching for signs of movement through the thick fog. Amelia sighed while keeping her eyes closed. ¡°Yes, actually. Since you last asked thirty minutes ago, both those beast people and the goblin looking guys met up and settled their differences within an hour.¡± She waved a hand through the unnatural fog surrounding them. ¡°This isn¡¯t fog. It¡¯s just smoke from all of the marijuana that the two races have been smoking to cement their ever lasting peace.¡± The Imp smirked at Jake, and joined into the conversation. ¡°It¡¯s too bad that you didn¡¯t come by sooner, mortal.¡± Sighing, the demon stared wistfully into the sky. ¡°It¡¯s such a shame, too. I¡¯m certain that they would have been far more accommodating of our circumstances if you had been here.¡± The two fell into silence for a moment, before Jake turned back to Amelia. ¡°I take that as a no, then.¡± A small and thin hand slapped into Jake¡¯s nose, causing him to stumble back with a curse. ¡°Oh, sorry. This whole magic thing requires me to move my hands around a lot, you know.¡± Amelia said unapologetically, occasionally throwing out her hands in large, majestic swathes through the air as she conducted her imaginary magical orchestra. ¡°Bitch.¡± Jake muttered under his breath, rubbing his slightly throbbing nose. Bizyal barked a short laugh and smirked at the human. "You¡¯re just upset that the Boss thoroughly thrashed you in the last time you had a duel.¡± ¡°Now, Biz.¡± Amelia scratched the nape of the demon¡¯s neck, her eyes remained closed as a small smile grew on her face. ¡°We both know he has a problem with being second best at anything.¡± Lowering her voice to a stage whisper, she tilted her head towards Bizyal¡¯s large ears. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the inferiority complex has only grown stronger since we showed up.¡± Jake shot a glare at Amelia. ¡°You know I can send you back, right?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± She responded immediately. ¡°Who else would be able to get all of our jokes and references?¡± Jake grunted, turning his gaze back to the fog. ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Sighing, he turned and started walking away, calling over his shoulder. ¡°Let me know if anything happens.¡± Amelia raised her hand and twiddled her fingers at Jake, and the demon perched on her shoulder flicked its ears in farewell. ¡°Trust me, if I see anything going on, you¡¯ll know. I¡¯m as stir crazy as you are right now.¡± Relaxing her hand, the Blood Elf¡¯s attention went back to the demonic eye she was controlling as it hovered over the Beast-Kin city, out of sight, and continued her vigil for the first sight of the battle to come. Jake walked back towards the party¡¯s redesigned campsite, his mind wandering. It had been around a month and a half since he had first brought over his other half, and the unsettling fog that had been present for the last few days that blanketed the entirety of the plains between the Beast-Kin city and the Elven forest without relent was a sure signal that something was going to happen, and soon. While the party was waiting, they had made regular forays both into the woods and the plains surrounding them, to either hunt or just to relieve stress by fighting the many monsters and beasts that were inside of the environments. And if the group had ended up annihilating either of the two race¡¯s scouting parties while on their wanderings, that had just served to fuel the flames of war between the two peoples. Jake, like the rest of his party, had grown in strength, but had begun to stagnate after gaining twelve levels a few days prior. The monsters and beasts in the surrounding area didn¡¯t offer enough of a challenge to him to grant any experience, and if they did, it was far too low to offer anything more than a single percentage for each group or pack. Jake had made the decision to throw all of his gained attribute points into Intelligence, giving himself some wiggle room when it came to spells, and if need, enough mana for another Binding. As Jake followed the mental thread connecting him to his other companions through the fog, he subconsciously began to sift through his Inventory, muttering to himself occasionally. He had been running low on the Elvish spears lately, since he used most of them to stage the corpses of any Beast-Kin that they had stumbled across, making it seem as if an Elf raiding party had laid waste to the unsuspecting animal people. If this fog was not the precursor to something big, then the party would have to venture back into the woods to gather some more. With a swipe of his hand, Jake closed out of the menu and finished his walk to the rest of his companions. Around three weeks prior, he and Amelia had gotten bored with their attempts at power leveling and fighting each other, and had seen if they could use their magic on a more constructive task. It had taken the duo around two weeks, lots of swearing and the occasional fight, but they had been able to construct a ramshackle attempt at a log cabin along the edges of the woods, using air magic to cut the logs into shape and shadow magic as a crane to move the logs around. It wasn¡¯t pretty, more akin to a pile of sticks in the appearance of a cube, but the two were proud of their work, so the rest of the party just accepted it, as it was marginally better than sleeping outside. Jake smiled as he approached the cabin, and patted the logs affectionately when he entered through the open hole that served as a door. A small fire hissed and crackled merrily in the corner, the smoke drifting up and through a hole in the ceiling of the box-like cabin, and crude furniture were scattered around haphazardly in the open space. The rest of his party barely noticed Jake¡¯s entrance, with Quelaag only giving a distracted nod in his direction. The two sisters were sitting around a somewhat wobbly table, playing a game of checkers that Jake had been able to make in a few days of bored labor, and Quelana was thoroughly thrashing her sister in the game. After Jake had explained the game to them, the two sisters had taken to the battle of wits quickly, and had been playing almost religiously. Quelaag tucked an errant strand of raven hair behind an ear, her gaze never leaving the board while she fingered a single charred piece to symbolize the different players. Quelana, on the other hand, was smirking at her sister as she shuffled a growing pile of captured tokens. In his normal spot in front of the fire, Mizutsune¡¯s massive flank rose and fell in a constant rhythm, the recently evolved [Penta-Tailed Frost-Bound Fox] resting contently next to the flames. Mizutsune was now the size of a horse, and his massive frame towered over the rest of the party at just above two meters. While his new size was impressive enough, his once soft and luxurious silver coat had been enhanced with jagged plates of crystalline ice along his hackles and spine, and the fox could move these at will and shred any opponent that attempted to latch onto the fox¡¯s back. Jake grunted in greeting, and meandered over to the corner of the cabin designated as his ¡®workshop¡¯, a simple table and chair covered in anything that the human thought was interesting. Brushing aside a pile of glittering gemstones that seemed to emit their own inner light he had found in the Elven forest city, Jake pulled a leather-bound tome towards him and began to leaf through the yellowing pages. The book was a journal of an Elven mage in her beginning steps towards becoming an enchantress, and Jake had been perusing it in an attempt to glean any information to learn the process himself. But, there was a problem that he couldn¡¯t find a way around. His [Agent of Change] title automatically translated all forms of speech, both written and verbal, and replaced it to English automatically for him. The only problem was, it translated the runes as well. When he read through the journal, he was able to easily piece together the means to write runes onto an item to enchant it, but the runes themselves looked exactly like their English meanings whenever he read through the parts of the journal dedicated to rune crafting. After thirty minutes of banging his head against the proverbial wall of being able to read too much, Jake gently closed the journal with a defeated sigh. Quelaag groaned from behind him, and Jake leaned back to see her clutching onto her head in defeat as Quelana calmly took her last piece and won the game, a small smirk evident on her pale face. ¡°Would you care to play next, Jake?¡± Quelana asked sweetly, batting her long eyelashes at him underneath her snow-white hair.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Snorting, Jake shook his head. ¡°No thanks. I learned my lesson the last three games, and I can swallow my pride enough to admit that you¡¯re better than me. At checkers, nothing else.¡± Sighing again, Jake leaned back into the chair and stretched his arms above his head. ¡°If only we had a deck of cards¡­¡± He mumbled to himself, and began to search through his inventory to search for anything that could be used to while away the time. Quelana huffed in a pout, and began to put away the board and pieces. Quelaag pulled herself together after a few more moments of sulking and began to help her sister, the sisters talking quietly to each other. As the duo were placing the last piece back onto its place on the board, both Jake and Mizutsune perked up and turned their heads to the door. Noticing this, Quelaag and Quelana turned in time to notice an out of breath Amelia burst into the cabin, getting the single sentence that the entire party was waiting for out in a rush. ¡°I think it¡¯s starting.¡± ___________________________________________________________________ Lieutenant Danne of the 3rd Airborne Cavalry Detachment, more commonly known as the Raining Death, were on patrol above the city of Trentshire when the first wave of the Elven hordes crashed against the city¡¯s walls. He and his Flight had just assumed the watch from the 5th, and had been conducting their first rove above Trentshire when they noticed the wall of fog rolling towards the city through the plains. The Lady Serena had returned a month prior, with the grave news of the Elven-kind¡¯s betrayal. Since then, Trentshire had been transformed. No longer was it the flourishing city of commerce that it had been. Now, most of the civilians had been evacuated, and more soldiers had been transferred in from the smaller settlements and towns deeper into the Beast-Kin territory. Trebuchets and ballista had been swiftly built and now dotted the walls towards the south, surrounded by their engineers and guards. Hundreds of Beast-Kin soldiers patrolled the city and surrounding plains, and the different Flights of [Night-Wings] dotted the skyline. But, through all of these defenses, the Elves had almost reached their walls unmolested. The Eagle-Kin Lieutenant brought his Flight to a halt above the Southern gate, and watched the approaching fog for a few moments. As it was nearing the outer limits of the city¡¯s siege weaponry range, Lieutenant Danne spun through the air and turned back to his flight, his large brown wings beating rhythmically. Gesturing towards one of his Flight, a Rabbit-Kin riding on one of the younger [Night-Wings], he began to give orders in his screeching voice. ¡°Corporal, take Turic and Longjaw and head back to Trentshire. If you pass any of the other parties, let them know that we¡¯re going to be scouting this fog. Be careful, it could be a diversion.¡± The three designated members slammed their fists to their chests in salutes, and wheeled their mounts around and headed down to the city. Danne turned to the rest of his flight, receiving nods from the five remaining Beast-Kin and a single shrieking caw from one of their mounts, before the Lieutenant snapped his wings closed, hugging them around his body tightly, and began to plummet towards the ground, his Flight following seconds later. As the Flight began to reach terminal velocity, Lieutenant Danne snapped open his wings a few scant meters above the ground and reared backwards, his large brown wings catching onto the currents of air and sending him shooting above the plains towards the unnatural bank of fog. The occasional beat of a pair of wings behind him let the Lieutenant know that his Flight was on his tail feathers, falling into the standard V-formation with him at the head. Within minutes, the 3rd Detachment circled above the bank of fog, watching for any movements within its inky depths, the rising sun casting their shadows to play across the shifting surface. Danne¡¯s sharp eyes could not pierce the shifting fog, and a slight chill crept up his spine and ruffled his feathers. The Lieutenant turned his head slightly, his eyes never breaking their unwavering gaze from the white expanse, and called over his shoulder and beating wings to the members of his Flight. ¡°Sergeant, is there anything that you can do to clear away this fog? I have a bad feeling about this.¡± ¡°Sir,¡± Sergeant Forst, a Deer-Kin Air mage, the only mage of the Detachment, responded slowly while thinking. ¡°I believe so. We will need to move closer, though, sir. It seems to be really thick, and I don¡¯t know if I can get rid of enough from this height.¡± Danne clucked and nodded. ¡°Alright Sergeant. With the next pass, we¡¯ll move into a dive. When you get close enough, bore a hole directly below me. Got it?¡± ¡°Sir, yes sir.¡± The Flight took a long circuit of the fog bank, before the Lieutenant raised a hand and closed his wings with a snap. The rushing wind kicked up into a roar as the Flight plummeted towards the unnatural white blanket covering the plains. Twenty meters above the bank, Lieutenant Danne almost was knocked out of the air as a massive gust rocketed from behind him and slammed into the bank, boring a hole through the fog in a wide circle underneath the Flight. Before the Lieutenant could berate the errant Sergeant, a flash of movement along the edges of the cleared ground caught his attention. Even with the Eagle-Kin¡¯s sharp eyes, all he noticed was a single leg darting back into the fog. A leg with blue skin, a crooked knee, and it seemed to balance on the ball of its foot. ¡°Elves!¡± Danne screeched as he pulled out of the dive as quickly as possible, his large wings beating frantically as he tried to gain altitude. ¡°We¡¯re under attack! Head to th-¡° His sentence was cut off as multiple spears, too many to count, burst from the fog and hurtled towards the Flight. Many missed, flying through the air, the dawn light glinting off the metal, but there were too many. Lieutenant Danne screamed as three spears found their homes in his body, one slamming into each of his legs below the knee, and the third going clean through his left wing, shattering the fragile bones and cutting through the muscle of the only thing keeping him aloft. Danne spiraled out of control, his flight taking him past the wall of fog and towards the city to crash onto the plains. As he spun through the air, he noticed glimpses of the rest of his Flight being butchered back at the drop zone. He watched a [Night-Wing], skewered by spears, plummet into the rolling fog with its rider screaming at the top of his lungs. He spun around again, and saw a Leopard-Kin tumble out of her saddle, a spear buried within her chest and her armor split like wet paper. And then Lieutenant Danne, the strongest member of all of the Airborne Cavalry Detachments, slammed into the plains with bone-shattering force, the agonizing pain fled to the overpowering presence of the void, and he knew no more. ______________________________________________________________________ On the walls of Trentshire, the collection of Beast-Kin manning the defensive battlements exploded into activity as they saw the scouting party being knocked out of the sky. ¡°Sound the alarm!¡± Taurn, a towering Bull-Kin, bellowed from his perch atop the battlements, and he took his own advice and raised a horn to his lips. The Bull-Kin let loose three long blasts through the horn, pausing for a moment, then repeating the call to arms. Within moments, the other guard stations ringing the city accompanied the alarms with their own horns, and the baritone sound echoed through the city and to the surrounding planes, and occasionally repeated every few minutes. One of Taurn¡¯s subordinates ran up and took the horn from the Bull-Kin, keeping the alarm going as Taurn swept his gaze along the rolling bank of fog, watching for any movement. There was none, surprisingly. Even the fog, which had steadily been approaching the city, had stopped it¡¯s advance and merely remained at the edges of the Beast-Kin¡¯s siege equipment¡¯s range, an impenetrable wall of white mist. Glancing upwards, Taurn saw the first few Detachments of [Night Wings] and aviary Beast-Kin rising into the air above the city, moving into position above the walls to help defend their people. Snorting to himself, the Bull-Kin turned his attention back to the unnatural fog bank. ¡°Ready!¡± Bellowing out another order, Taurn¡¯s herald held a single blast on his horn for a few second, before releasing two short blasts. The call was repeated along the wall, and Beast-Kin engineers ran around the trebuchets dotting the walls, lugging large boulders of stone into the nets underneath the towering wooden constructs. A few of the engineers cranked onto gears and pulleys, raising the counterweight into a firing position. As each of the five trebuchets became ready to launch their payload, their respective heralds let out a single long blast from their horns, and Taurn¡¯s herald turned towards the Bull-Kin. ¡°All stations report ready to fire, sir.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Taurn, his gaze never leaving the wall of fog, spoke barely above a whisper. The city descended into silence, the only sounds were the creaking of wood and the flapping of the [Night Wings] far above, the defenders hardly daring to breath as they watched and waited. Minutes passed, and nothing happened. The defenders began to shift in place, testing and retesting their weaponry, fidgeting with nervous tension. A few of the Beast-Kin began to mutter to themselves, before quickly being silenced by their commanders. The rustling of wings and a quiet thump drew Taurn¡¯s attention behind him, and the Bull-Kin saw one of the [Night-Wings] land onto the wall, its rider nimbly jumping from the large raven¡¯s back and walking over to him. Nodding his head in greeting, Taurn turned his attention back to the unnatural fog, speaking over his shoulder to the male Wolf-Kin rider. ¡°Lieutenant.¡± ¡°Captain.¡± The Lieutenant walked over to Taurn¡¯s side, and lowered his voice to not be overheard. ¡°What has happened?¡± Twin jets of steam burst from the Bull-Kin¡¯s nostrils as he sighed. ¡°The 3rd were on watch, and went to scout out that.¡± He waved a calloused hand at the unmoving wall of fog, then lowered his hand to his side. ¡°On their second pass, for some reason they broke into a dive. From what I could see, their mage tried to break through the fog. I do not know if they succeeded or not, but the 3rd was knocked out of the sky shortly after. I called the alarm immediately, but we can¡¯t bloody well see anything to aim for.¡± The Lieutenant snarled quietly, pulling his lips back to reveal his sharp canines. ¡°Hells. Bloody hells.¡± The Wolf-Kin¡¯s gaze travelled the line of fog, and he snarled again. ¡°It¡¯s just out of range, too. I don¡¯t want to send any more Detachments, either. They¡¯d suffer the same fate.¡± Taurn gave a rumbling grunt in agreement, before his eyes locked onto something emerging from the fog. ¡°There.¡± Even from a distance, the blue-skinned and humped figure of an Elf was easily distinguishable, a break in the white expanse that drew the eye. The Elf slowly moved forward, taking it¡¯s time as it advanced towards the city. Another broke through the fog, and another, and another. A rising tide of blue was bleeding through the fog, expanding and deepening as an uncountable number of Elves slowly moved towards the city like a slowly moving wave breaking across the surf. Taurn could almost smell the fear among his subordinates, a cloying smell that caused his nose to itch. But the hammering in his heart and the panic settling into his bones let the Bull-Kin know that they were not alone in their fears. The Wolf-Kin Lieutenant said nothing, and simply turned back around and mounted onto his [Night-Wing], taking to the skies and moving back to his Detachment. Straightening his spine, Captain Taurn turned to his herald, and gently placed his hand on the shoulder of the terrified Beast-Kin. ¡°We will be fine, youngling. Just let the others know to fire on my signal.¡± The herald stared at him with fear-filled eyes, nodding slowly. The Bull-Kin smiled gently, and turned his attention to the approaching horde. ¡°Come on, you thrice cursed bastards. Just a little farther.¡± And as if the Elven horde had heard his whispers, a resounding shriek blasted forth from the sea of blue flesh, racing across the plains and slamming into the city of Trentshire. Glass shattered, and some of the troops fell to their knees in pain, small rivulets of blood flowing out of their ears. And with their battle cry, the Elven hordes broke into a loping sprint, tearing through the plains towards the Beast-Kin. Bloody Paws and Broken Spears pt 5 Beneath the blanket of magical fog, the Matrons of War, Magic and the Wilds watched with grim determination as the first wave of the Elven hordes charged towards the Half-Beast city. Runes resting above their eyes glowed with green light as it filtered through the fog and enhanced their vision, allowing the female Elves to see the first volley of chunks of stone and boulders fall onto their people with crystal clear clarity, cutting furrows through the advance party as the hunks of stone crushed and rolled into the Elves beneath them. War grimaced as the second and third volley of stones plummeted through the air, turning the males into blue smears across the plains grasses, cutting the original two hundred strong horde in half within minutes. ¡°Of course the beasts have siege weaponry.¡± War growled quietly, as a few more rounds of stone fell onto the remains of the horde. The Matron of Magic nodded beside her, her unblinking gaze watching as the first horde spread out to limit the casualties and force the Half-Beasts to choose targets as they raced towards the city. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that we prepared for this, isn¡¯t it?¡± Magic turned to The Wilds, who had remained deathly silent since their Matriarch had been ruthlessly assassinated, and grinned at her. ¡°Is that not right, sister?¡± The Wilds returned the feral grin, and raised her head to the sky. A single rune on her throat lit up into blinding emerald light, and she barked an order to her troops. Her magically enhanced voice blasted through the plains, the echoing call bouncing off of the city¡¯s walls seconds later. With hoots of mingling fear and excitement, fifty Elves clutching to the backs of ten gigantic four winged owls like fleas blasted through the fog and raced towards the city, trails of the misty air following in their wake. Each of the [Dire Strigidae] carried what the Matron of Magic lovingly called her ¡®blasting orbs¡¯, large stones engraved with runes and magically charged by Wind and Earth magic. When the orbs were dropped from a significant height, the outer shell would shatter and release a highly pressurized blast of wind, turning the resulting shards of stone into deadly shrapnel that tore through flesh, wood and stone easily. Magic couldn¡¯t suppress a small maniacal giggle as she saw the fruits of her labor fly through the air. ¡°Thank you, God-Ling, for giving me this idea. I¡¯m sure that Fire would have worked better, but these little beauties should work perfectly for you and your traitorous friends.¡± War spared a glance towards her sister, before snorting and turning her attention back to the battle. When the Half-Beasts noticed the [Dire Strigidae], they had sent out their own flyers, leaving a small group, along with the archers on the walls, to harass the few remaining Elves still running around on the plains, the forerunners just reaching the shadow of the city¡¯s walls. Battle was met in the skies above the plains, as the smaller and more agile [Night Wings] darted in and out of range of the larger [Dire Strigidae], dodging most of the thrown spears from the Elves perched on their backs. A few lucky throws caught two [Night Wings] on their large black wings, causing the massive ravens to screech in pain and plummet to the plains far below, the Half-Beast riders screaming in terror as they fell to their death. The Half-Beasts retaliated quickly, making more daring passes on the [Dire Strigidae], aiming for the necks, wings and feet of the giant owls. One of the braver Half-Beasts directed its mount underneath one of the [Dire Strigidae], and, tossing its unwieldly lance away, leaped upwards and latched onto the talons of the owl, climbing upwards with grim resolve. War couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as she saw the two Elves hanging onto the legs of the [Dire Strigidae] jab at the climbing Half-Beast with their spears, dislodging the heroic creature with a spear through its skull. Her grim merriment quickly soured as one of the blasting orbs exploded with an ear-shattering crack, turning the [Dire Strigidae] carrier and the two harassing [Night Wings] into chunks of perforated meat instantly. One of the Half-Beasts had rammed their [Night Wing] into the orb, causing the outer shell to shatter and release its deadly payload. ¡°Those are the only orbs we have, correct?¡± War asked Magic as the Half-Beasts detonated a second orb, the crack echoing off of the plains. ¡°Yes. It took too much time to figure out the correct sequence of runes, and I didn¡¯t have enough time to make any more before we set out.¡± Magic dejectedly watched as her new toys were taken out of the sky, the massive [Dire Strigidaes] being forced to wheel about in evasive maneuvers, an occasional Elf being dislodged from their perch and fall screaming onto the plains. War grunted, before raising her head and giving the order for another wave of land bound Elves to run screaming towards the city, just as the final member of the original horde was cut down as it tried to climb up the walls. ¡°This is not going to plan.¡± War muttered to herself as the first volley of stones rained down onto the forerunners of the second horde, crushing tens of the three hundred strong breeching force. Magic and the Wilds bobbed their heads in confirmation. ¡°We still have the few hundred heads in reserve, besides the two full hordes of spearmen, four packs of the riders and the coven of our magicians.¡± Magic reminded War. ¡°The coven also has Bo-¡° Magic cut herself off with a whoop as one of the [Dire Strigidae] broke through the flock of [Night Wings] and dropped its payload onto one of the trebuchets manning the walls. The crack of the orb detonating rang over the sounds of battle, blasting the trebuchet into splinters and the Half-Beasts surrounding the siege weapon into red paste. A few shards cut into a second trebuchet, causing the wooden weapon to groan under its own weight. It prematurely launched its boulder, and with the roar of breaking wood the arm snapped in half and fell onto the defenders, crushing the Half-Beasts under its weight. Another [Dire Strigidae] broke free, and made a pass at one of the three remaining trebuchets, but was shot down by a swarm of arrows before it was able to deploy its load. The dying bird careened into the top of the wall, detonating its charge and destroying a large chunk of the stonework, blasting stone and painting the walls red with streaks of blue from the blood of the Half-Beasts and the riding Elves. A resounding cheer broke from the remaining hordes residing in the fog, and War had to bark an order to stop some of the males from running out of the fog and into the battle. The second horde, spurred on by the success of their brothers, charged forwards with renewed vigor, screeching their battle cries into the sky. Magic cleared her throat. ¡°As I was saying, we have a few Bound that are ready to be sent out, including my own, whenever you think it would be prudent.¡± Underneath the Matron¡¯s feet, a figure of wood and vine that they stood upon shifted and groaned, echoing the ravenous hunger that the Bound monstrosity perpetually found itself with. War hummed to herself, before shaking her head. ¡°Not yet, sister. We still do not know what these Half-Beasts have left. I do not want to waste our mages and their mana without assurance of victory.¡± Flashes of movement along the outside edges of the walls caught her attention, and she pointed them out to her sisters. ¡°See there? They are sending out their terrestrial riders know.¡± The Matrons watched as two groups of mounted Half-Beasts galloped around the city¡¯s walls, having exited the enclosed fortifications from a different gate, and began to charge across the plains at the approaching Elven spears still under fire from the three remaining trebuchets, in an attempt to pincer the blue-skinned attackers between the Half-Beasts flashing steel and crushing bodies of their mounts. With her enhanced vision, War could notice the streaks of steam spurting out from the horses¡¯ nostrils and the sweat gleaming off of their heaving flanks, the Half-Beasts metal armor almost blinding with the reflected light. Noticing the Matron of the Wilds¡¯ eyes on her, War nodded to her sister. ¡°Send out two packs, if you please.¡± The Matron nodded, and raised her head again, letting out a long keening howl break through the fog. Tapering off the primal noise, the Wilds barked once, paused for a moment, and then barked twice again in quick succession before releasing another howl. Through the fog, another feral voice joined into the mournful yet terrifying call, others calling out as thirty two deep brown blurs broke through the wall of fog and raced into the plains. The [Kanids] were large, wolf like creatures corrupted by different forces of magic acting on them as young pups, and when fully grown the large beasts could stare one of the Half-Beast¡¯s horses in the eyes. Twin tusks erupted from the corners of their jaws, curling inwards and encircling the two rows of sharp teeth. Two sets of eyes, a smaller set resting above the larger primary eyes, glowed with ruby light and left light trails behind them as they ran. Mottled brown and green fur shifted from the taught cords of muscle hidden underneath, and the long whip like tail hung perpendicular to the ground flashing by underneath. The Matron of the Wilds had personally bred these beasts of war since they were pups, and the [Kanids] were fiercely loyal to her, their Alpha. Strapped to their backs by the legs, a single Elf clutched onto the [Kanids¡¯] fur, two quivers of spears on either side of the wolf¡¯s back in easy reach of the rider. The Elves were adorned with the bones of their and their beasts kills, skulls and ribs providing light but sturdy armor, and the carved runes glowed cheerily as the Elves spurred their beasts onwards with bloodcurdling cries. One of the Half-Beast cavalry units broke off from their charge at the spearmen, and began to race across the plains towards the two packs, twenty armored horses versus the full weight of two packs of blood crazed monsters. Before the two mounted forces could meet, the other unit of cavalry collided with the Elven spears with a crash of metal and bone, crushing and cutting a swathe through the horde before their forward charge was stopped by the press of Elven bodies. Screams of pain were quickly cut off with cries of rage as the Elves turned their spears on their attackers, and began to stab at the armored cavalry with abandon. War sighed as she saw the Half-Beasts notice their mistake, and attempted to extricate themselves from the horde. ¡°Are they really that unintelligent? If they hadn¡¯t split, they might have been able to survive.¡± The Elven spears had already surrounded the Half-Beasts, dragging the armored riders off of their horses and crushing them below the stamping feet of the Elves and a hail of blows. War turned to watch as the two mounted troops slammed into each other, the screams and baying howls of dying monsters echoing across the plains as the two forces began to tear into each other. Magic, though, was staring at the remaining Half-Beasts on their mounts with a frown on her face. One of the riders had caught her eyes, and she gasped. ¡°Mage!¡± War snapped her attention back to the surrounded cavalry just as a torrent of yellow-white flames erupted from one of the Half-Beasts, and screams of mind numbing pain were quickly silenced as the flames raced down the Elven throats and turned their lungs to ash. The flames arced back and forth, scorching scores of Elves to blackened husks before one Elf was lucky enough to bring down the magical Half-Beast, leaving a third of the hordes original number to continue their attack on the city¡¯s walls, badly burnt they may be. ¡°Blasted hells.¡± War cursed as she saw the remaining three trebuchets resuming their bombardment on the Elven footmen, the cavalry and [Kanid] riders tearing each other apart, and the remaining [Dire Strigidae] slowly being pushed away from the city by the quick [Night Wings] darting back and forth around the massive owls. With a snarl, War reached to her back and yanked one of her spears from its leather sheath. ¡°Change of plans, Sisters. We¡¯re ending this. Now.¡± ¡°Finally.¡± The Matron of the Wilds spoke, the first time since the Matriarch had been assassinated. A bloodthirsty grin grew on her normally placid face, and a manic light glinted deeply from her eyes. ¡°I was beginning to think that we would never be able to start.¡± Magic giggled, and with a flick of her wrist a small wooden wand appeared in her hand. The wood appeared to pulse and twist in her grasp, as if a wild beast was trapped within the wooden cage and was struggling to escape. A trickle of black shadows trailed from the wand¡¯s tip, staining the white of the foggy surroundings in its light-stealing depths as it slowly drifted to the ground. The three Matrons each took a deep breath, and cried out in concert, the magical runes along their throats glowing with a blinding light. A sonic blast exploded from their lungs and crashed across the plains, boring a hole through the impenetrable wall of fog and bathing the Matrons in the light of the sun. Cutting off their cry, the Matrons dispersed back into the fog to move to their troops. The blast raced towards the city, knocking some of the unprepared [Night-Wings] out of the sky with its strength as the sonic boom carried past the airborne fighters and broke across the walls of the Half-Beast city, causing some pieces of stone to break free and rain down onto the plains below. As the echoing cry carried back to the wall of fog, hundreds of Elves, beasts and monsters raised their voices for their Matrons. The ground shook beneath their cries, bellows and shrieks, and as a single unstoppable wave, the Elves assumed a full attack on the Half-Beast city. The fog of war began to dissipate, and from its wispy grasp the forerunners of the Elven war machine emerged with the strength of an avalanche, the speed of a tsunami and the rage of a hurricane. Stone constructs rumbled and crashed over the plains beside the flowing water elementals, while semi-corporeal shapes flitted in the skies above. All manner of beasts and monsters were seen in the ten different Bound creatures, symbolizing their Elven masters¡¯ most vibrant and dark imaginings. Behind the vanguard of Bound creations, a true monstrosity began to emerge. A wriggling mass of tendril like vines pulsed and undulated along the ground. The vines dug into the soft soil of the plains, and dragged the wooden husk of a deformed tree behind them, creating a deep furrow in the earth. Vines wrapped around the husk like veins, burrowing into the dead bark before emerging back into the air, spraying splinters. The wood groaned as segments were torn out of it, being replaced with the writhing vines. Another groan came from the monstrosity, and the vines seemed to pulse and wave frantically as the wooden husk rose from the earth, being held aloft by a writhing bed of vines. The wooden husk cracked and splintered, breaking underneath its own weight. Chunks broke free from the side of the tree facing the city, leaving jagged black holes in its fa?ade, a massive tear that reached half way across the trunk and two smaller holes resting above. The husk froze for a moment, the vines calming their undulations, before it slowly leaned forwards. Deep emerald light grew from the top two holes, glowing with animalistic rage. The bottom tear drew into a hungering smile as the ¡®eyes¡¯ above gazed upon the city. Standing on top of one of the decaying branches, the Matron of Magic patted the husk of wood, sending her thoughts and wishes into the vines beneath. ¡°Attack. Feast.¡± With a bellowing groan, the Bound [Ent] charged forwards, kicking up chunks of dirt and grasses as the hundreds of vines burrowed into the ground and dragged the monster onwards. Darting over and around the heaving mass of vines, the two remaining packs of [Kanids] passed the [Ent] in a flurry of brown fur and snapping jaws, the Matron of the Wilds leading the charge on the massive form of her [Beta Kanid], a larger and far more aggressive breed than the rest of the packs, quickly overtaking the slower Bound and taking the lead of the attacking Elven forces. The rest of the Elves, five hundred male spears and the twenty female mages, sprinted along the sides of the massive Bound [Ent]. The Matron of War bound across the plains, her breath coming in even controlled bursts as her legs ate up the ground between her forces and the walled city. The horrible stench of metallic blood and evacuated bowels hit her keen senses like a wave, and War could feel her pulse start to pick up, a pounding drum in her head as her blood began to race through her body in excitement. With a warbling cry, three of the Air Bound broke off from the other two, and began to crash against the [Night Wings] still flying around the [Dire Strigidae], talons, claws and fangs of cutting winds slicing through the wings of the large ravens with ease. Dozens of bodies, both aviary and humanoid, rained down onto the plains, and the two remaining [Dire Strigidae] began to arc back towards the city below, releasing their explosive payloads onto the siege weaponry along the walls, splinters and bloody pieces bursting and painting the stones with red.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. The Matron of the Wilds led her packs into the remaining Half-Beast cavalry that was still in fierce combat with the two original packs. Each side had suffered casualties, the [Kanid] numbers being crushed underneath the stronger and more heavily armored knights, but their ferocity and tenacity had kept the cavalry held still until help had arrived. And with a flurry of crushing bones and snapping jaws, the Matron of the Wilds had crashed into the Half-Beasts, her [Kanids] weaving in between their pack-mates like water through cracks in stone, and crashed into the cavalry with primal fury. Within moments, the Half-Beasts had been butchered to the last, and the Wilds wheeled the [Kanids] around to charge the final defenses the Half-Beasts had thrown against them. Bloodied and beaten, the remaining Half-Beasts fighting the final Elven males caught in the plains attempted to break off and retreat to their city, but the thirty or so remaining members of the horde attacked with a renewed ferocity, tearing into the mounted forces with spear, tooth and claw. It was a bloody struggle, the screams of dying Elf, Half-Beast and horse echoing back and forth through the skirmish, before the Matron of the Wilds and her [Kanids] slammed into the cavalry¡¯s flanks like a master blacksmith hammering a stubborn piece of metal. The Matron of War watched this all happen, and could not help her now permanent grin from growing into a bloodthirsty smile. The final resistances were crumbling before them, and, as she saw the Bound begin to reach the shadow of the city, soon the Half-Beasts cowering behind the relative safety of their walls would feel the sting of the Elven spears. The Bound Water creatures reached the stone embankment first, surging upwards along the walls like a tidal wave. Surges of fire and beams of light began to strike at the Bound from the defenders, and they were able to quickly decimate one of the Bound as it flowed upwards over the walls. The two remaining Bound Water monsters broke across the bulwark and began to decimate the Half-Beasts, the Bound in the shape of a massive blue turtle that had two bone protrusions poking out the top of its shell blasted most of the Half-Beasts off of the walls with pressurized jets of water, while the other, an amorphous blob of sentient liquid, simply absorbed as many Half-Beasts as possible and held them within its liquid body, drowning the struggling humanoids in its turbulent waters. As the first bodies of the Half-Beasts fell from the walls, the of four Earth constructions slammed into the walls underneath their two Bound brethren, dislodging stones to fall in a rocky rain onto the Bound, the screams of dislodged Half-Beasts cutting off with diluted crunches of broken bodies and bones. The four Bound began to tear and pummel the wall, the very earth shaking as the four large monsters struggled to break through the obstacle in the path their masters had placed upon them. An occasional blade or blast of pressurized air slammed into the Bound at the bottom of the walls, a testament to the determination of the Half-Beast defenders, and would cut furrows through their rocky flesh before the two rampaging Bound Water constructs returned the favor with their own magical payload. And then, with a series of cracks so loud it left most of the combatant¡¯s ears ringing, the portion of the wall under the gentle caresses of the Bound began to break apart and tumble down. Segments of stone ranging from size of a child to that of the [Dire Strigidae] flying above fell onto the Earth Bound below, crushing and burying the constructs underneath they¡¯re weight. A massive cloud of dust and shards of stone billowed into being, obscuring the broken wall from view. The Matron of Magic, however, would not be dissuaded by something as simple as the obstructing cloud of dust and debris. With a manic cry of glee and the hungering groan of her pet monster, the Elf drove her Bound [Ent] into the billowing cloud. Screams and the sharp retorts of shattering wood and bone broke across the rumble of settling stone, and the Matron of War hissed in anger at her sister¡¯s bloodlust. ¡°She¡¯s going to get herself killed.¡± Taking a moment to concentrate, War pulled a hand backwards and then thrust it towards the obscuring dust cloud, letting a primal shriek loose between her needle sharp teeth. A torrent of wind burst forth from her hand and slammed into the cloud, boring a hole through the dust and revealing the Bound [Ent] crawling over the remains of the wall. Snakelike vines darted back and forth, scouring the stone and rubble as the vines dragged the tree¡¯s carcass through the breach. A few of the Half-Beasts were flung over the monster¡¯s body in pieces as the vines at the front of the monster whipped into them and broke the Half-Beasts like dolls. Movement atop the unbroken segments of the wall caught War¡¯s attention, and reacting on instinct, the female Elf spun and threw her spear at a robed Half-Beast that had swirls of orange flame daqncing around their body. With a crack of displaced air, the spear lept from her hand and almost instantly found its new home in the torso of the Half-Beast, the force of the blow sending the mage sailing through the air, dead as soon as the spear pierced their heart. Without breaking her stride, the Matron of War reached back and pulled another spear from her holster, and began to nimbly climb through the rubble of the wall, jumping from one large slab of stone to another. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her horde following suit, and the remaining [Kanids] bounding towards the walls, their maws and claws bloody from the fight with the cavalry. A screech, swiftly accompanied by the thump of pressurized air being released within the city, alerted War that one of the remaining two [Dire Strigidae] had just dropped their payload within the city¡¯s walls. The Matron¡¯s bloodthirsty grin grew into a demented smile, and the Elf began to laugh to herself as she took the final leap off of the debris and launched herself into the city, the edges of her vision bleeding out to pulsing blackness as her hunger for combat began to take over her sanity. A single glimpse, and she already knew that the battle would soon be over. Blood and viscera painted the cobbled streets liberally, and destroyed buildings marked the path of the Bound [Ent] as it ravaged its way through the defenders. In the distance, smoke and flames had sprung up from the blast zone of one of the Matron of Magic¡¯s blasting orbs, the [Dire Strigidae] swinging low to drop off its Elven riders and ¡®pick up¡¯ a talonful of the Half-Beasts that had survived the blast, with the second [Dire Strigidae] swooping low in front of the Matron of Magic¡¯s Bound and releasing its payload, turning the defenders into bloody paste. And then War¡¯s thinking mind knew no more. The animal within smelled the heavenly and disgusting aroma of blood and scat, and the pulsing blackness along the edges of the Matron of War¡¯s vision slammed closed, and the Elf lost herself to the death-filled darkness. ____________________________________________________________________________ Darkness. That was all that she knew, all that she had known, and she was content. For a moment and a millennia, she floated through the inky black, not a thought passing through her mind as the weight of the dark settled over her like a blanket. And through this darkness, noise started to appear. Two beats, one steady and strong, and the other a quick staccato of strikes, ebbed and flowed through the black like waves, the steady beating of her heart and something¡­ else. ¡°Stop.. You¡­ Now...¡± Words, something that she once knew, bubbled up and burst through the darkness. Where they passed, the words swiped through the shadows like a cloth, leaving a foggy view of somewhere else. Somewhere she was just a moment, a lifetime, ago. The smothering darkness pulled and prodded at her, whispering sweet nothings into her ears as they dragged her back into the depths. The steady beats lulled her mind, smothering the streaks of color in their dark grasp. ¡°Come¡­ Back¡­ NOW!¡± The words, a roar through her mind, shattered the darkness into a spider web of cracks. And through those cracks, the light began to press back the darkness. The words grew in volume, the twin beats growing in speed and fervor. ¡°Lianne.¡± And with that one word, a quiet, whispered word, the darkness broke. The light surged forwards, wrapping her up into its embrace and shepherding her into a world filled with color, scent and sound, of blood and screams, shattered buildings and broken bones. The Matron of War gasped and wretched, heaving her stomach onto the bloodied cobblestone road. Again and again War heaved, her stomach twisting in on itself as the final vestiges of her berserker stage left her. Gasping for breath, the Matron of War, Lianne, felt a filled leather water skin thrust into her hand, and the Elf greedily drank from it, the rush of lukewarm water rushing through her system. For a few moments, the water was the only thing that Lianne noticed, drawing from the skin over and over until it collapsed into itself, the last drop falling onto her parched tongue. Sighing in relief, Lianne returned the empty skin to the Matron of the Wilds who had given it to her, and looked around. The three Matrons, along with a handful of mages, two hands of Elfen spears and the Matron of the Wild¡¯s [Beta Kanid], were standing in front of the largest building in the city, grand in its gaudy splendor. The metal door to the building was breaking in on itself, a single point seemingly to have imploded without breaking the wood itself. War glanced downward, and hissed as she saw the state of her hand, mangled and bloody from repeatedly pounding into the obstacle. ¡°So that¡¯s what the other pounding noise was¡­¡± Behind them, the city was in flames. Braying calls from the hundreds of Elven spearmen and [Kanids] running rampant through the streets mixed with the screaming of the dying Half-Beasts provided a dread-filled backdrop to the roving Bound, the large gelatinous Water Bound rolling around haphazardly while the Matron of Magic¡¯s [Ent] could be seen cutting a swathe through flesh and stone with ease. Lianne¡¯s analytical mind took this all within a moment, and she turned her attention back to the metal door, unconsciously wrapping her mangled hand in a sheet of linen pulled from her Inventory. ¡°So, this is it?¡± The Matron of Magic, bloody and slightly worse for wear from the fighting, nodded, twirling around a wand that leaked liquid darkness out of its tip, the shadows trailing purple flames that sputtered and spit at the world in barely constrained anger. ¡°We believe so. The rest of the city has fallen. The last Half-Beast defenders, including their ¡®king¡¯, are supposedly in here.¡± The Matron of War grunted, and gestured at the door with her uninjured hand. ¡°Let us end this, sisters.¡± The Matron of Magic grinned, and pointed the magically charged wand at the obstructing door. ¡°Finally, I can test this thing.¡± Giggling to herself, Magic twisted and flicked the wand at the door. With a hate filled roar, violet flames erupted from the small wooden instrument and slammed into the metal door with the force of a volcano. Tendrils of shadow lanced outwards and inwards, hammering into the metal door as the molten fire instantly turned the entire door red hot, the metal beginning to melt. The Matron of Magic gritted her teeth, the pushback from the magical weapon sending her sliding back a few centimeters, the wand vibrating in her hand violently. Through the roar of flames, the sharp retort of breaking wood was barely audible, but it was loud enough for the Matrons to hear. Her face paling, Magic cursed to herself and jerked the wand upwards and out of her hands, sending the stick of wood, still releasing its magical payload, skyward. A tremendous explosion of hungering purple flames and twisting shadows broke free from the wand as it reached the apex of its flight, the shockwave shattering glass within the large building and slamming the Elves into the dirt with its strength. Liquid fire rained down around the Elves, landing on two of the force, causing them to scream and writhe on the ground before they were put out. Lianne drew herself to her feet with a groan, her head ringing from the blast. Sparing a glare at the sheepishly grinning Matron of Magic, the Matron of War raised her head and barked a resounding order to her hordes to continue what they were doing and to not come forwards. Turning her gaze back on Magic, Lianne growled at her sister. ¡°What have we told you about experimenting with new magic in a live fight?¡± Magic¡¯s grin fell, and she shook her head to get rid of the annoying ringing in her ears. ¡°Yeah yeah, I know. But hey, the doors open.¡± Lianne followed her sisters raised finger, and saw that, indeed, the door was open. If you classified that the door was just molten slag on the cobblestones, with only small pieces still attached to the frames, as open. Lianne grunted, and jumped over the molten pool of metal. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s just get this over with.¡± The Matron of War led her troops into the depths of the building, past plush rugs and suits of shining armor. A few minutes later of wandering, the Matron of the Wilds and her pet pushed ahead of the group, the large wolf sniffing at the ground as it followed the scents of the Half-Beasts deeper and deeper into the keep. Soon, the Elves were standing in front of a wooden door, engraved with expert craftsmanship of depictions of the Half-Beasts flaunting their own ego¡¯s, of brave knights slaying dragons and rescuing princesses. Lianne despised those depictions. ¡°They are in there. Floofy can smell their fear.¡± The Matron of the Wilds quiet whisper was barely audible over the growls coming from her [Beta Kanid]. Magic blinked, and shot a glance at her sister. ¡°You named him ¡®Floofy?¡¯¡± The quite Matron nodded, and before the Magic could respond, Lianne sighed loudly and brushed past the [Kanid]. ¡°Talk about it later, it¡¯s killing time.¡± With those words, the Matron of War raised one of her feet and slammed it into the door. The wooden door, unable to refuse such a courteous way of entering, sprung open and slammed into the walls, barely hanging on by its hinges, and the Elven war party stalked into the room behind the door. A long hallway greeted the Elves, a long red carpet leading past twenty some odd Half-Beasts in shiny metal armor, past three Half-Beast women dressed in beautiful gowns, and stopping at the foot of a stone throne. Perched on the throne, both hands grasping onto the armrests so tightly that it caused cracks to appear in the stone, was their target, the one who had orchestrated the assassination of their Matriarch. The ¡®Alpha¡¯ of the Half-Beasts, Lyrus Proudroar. Lianne turned her head slightly, never taking her eyes off of the traitor. ¡°Close the door, and guard it with your lives.¡± ¡°Yes, Matron.¡± The Elven spears, and one of the mages, walked back through the destroyed doorway, and a sheet of crystalline white ice formed to cover the breach, sealing the Half-Beasts in with the Elven Matrons and their coven. Taking a deep breath, Lianne began to walk forward, her sisters and fellow Elves falling in step behind her, her berserker rage building with each beat of her heart, each step taking her closer and closer to losing control again. Fighting back her instincts, the Matron of War stopped about half way to the first row of Half-Beast guards. Slowly raising her uninjured hand to her back, Lianne pulled a spear from its holster and pointed it at the Half-Beast ruler. ¡°Lyrus Proudroar.¡± Lianne bellowed out, the rune on her throat flashing in the light of the candles burning throughout the hall, and the light streaming in from the stained glass window behind the Half-Lion. ¡°For the atrocity you and your kin have taken against me and mine, for the betrayal of our trust and hospitality, and for the assassination of our great Matriarch, we, the Matrons of the High Elves of the Dark Woods, in lieu of the Matriarch of the High Elves of the Dark Woods, sentence you to dea-¡° Lianne wasn¡¯t able to finish her ruling, as a titanic explosion rocked the keep from the frozen doorway. The icy barrier shattered and melted instantaneously, violet and black flames bursting through the ice with the roar of a dragon. The force of the blast through the hall threw every being standing backwards, and both Elves and Half-Beasts landed hard on their backs and stomachs. Billowing black clouds of smoke instantly obscured the doorway, and the crackling of hungry flames was the only sound in the hall. And then, through the fire and the flames, voices broke through. ¡°¡­ and I¡¯m telling you, there is no fucking way that they are going to be here. What, are they going to be doing a monologue or something? ¡®Oh foul Beast-Kin, though hart taken our queen and we shalt strike thee down.¡¯ Bullshit.¡± The first voice was high and musical, even through the vulgar language. A chuckle, decidedly male, followed after. ¡°Alright, a bet¡¯s a bet. Let¡¯s see who was right.¡± A gale force wind broke through the smoke, revealing seven beings stepping through the obliterated doorway and over the charred remains of the Elves left to defend it. ¡®Beings¡¯ was the most apt description that Lianne could form as her gaze darted back and forth between the new comers. Her eyes first latched onto the abomination. A large bulbous body floated above the ground, four glowing purple eyes stared at those in the room with undisguised interest, and hunger. A massive mouth, filled with large jagged teeth, seemed to make up a large portion of the lower part of the body, while underneath slimy tentacles undulated and squirmed through the air. The monster turned to stare at Lianne, and winked the right pair of eyes at her, its massive maw forming into a hungry smile. The next monster that caught her attention was massive, a hulking blue figure clad in black armor gilded with gold. It¡¯s feet were more akin to that of a furless wolf with four short claws poking out of its blue skin. It carried two massive halberds in its hands, red flames running up and down along the blades, and it stared with disdain on the Half-Beasts and Elves groveling on the ground before it from beneath its horned helmet. One being, a small flame wreathed creature with large floppy ears and a hungry smile, was perched on the shoulder of the most striking and beautiful creature that Lianne had ever laid eyes upon. A body built for sin, and definitely female, the figure had long luscious black hair ringing a perfectly shaped angular face. The light purple skin accentuated her glowing blue eyes. A generous chest was pushed upwards by a small metal bodice, giving tantalizing glimpses of her breasts. Wide hips gently wrapped in a tiny metal thong showed off her long legs, and the cloven hoofs that served as her feet. Large leather wings beat occasionally behind her, and a leather whip dangled from her hand. Noticing all of the eyes on her, the figure smirked and twisted, giving a generous view of her bubbly posterior. Reaching a hand backwards, she gave herself a loud slap on the behind, and moaned seductively. Before all of the Elves and Half-Beasts could be drawn into the seduction of the female figure, the second female of the interlopers groaned and clutched her sun-tanned head. ¡°Are you fucking kidding me? Seriously?!¡± Open laughter drew all eyes to the final figure, and the Matrons¡¯ sharp intakes of breath told Lianne that she wasn¡¯t the only one to recognize him. Hazel eyes underneath a mop of short dirty blonde hair stared at those gathered with humor, a wide smile on his face as he clapped his hands. ¡°Thank you guys for being so predictable. I just got a date with a succubus due to you and your clich¨¦s. So, I just have one question to ask of you all.¡± Raising a hand, the God-ling, the Mageous, and the Agent of Change Jake Roshaven snapped his fingers, violet flames surged up around him and bathing him in their light, shadows leapt up from the recesses of the room and wrapped him in their gentle embrace and a surge of wind danced around him, billowing out the robes that he wore. ¡°Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?¡± Jake grinned as the massive fox at his side growled, flurries of ice caked the ground as his five tails swished back and forth. Jake paused for a second, then frowned. ¡°Damn. No one¡¯s going to get that reference.¡± Shrugging, he turned back to the assembled races. ¡°Oh well. It means I¡¯m going to kill you all.¡± Bloody Paws and Broken Spears pt 6 With a subdued wave of his hand, Jake extinguished the flurry of magic surrounding him. Taking a moment to glance around at the opulent throne room, and it¡¯s still stunned guests, Jake let out a small grunt. ¡°So, how many do you think we need?¡± Jake spoke quietly as he flipped a cigarette into his mouth, lighting up the cancerous stick with a flick of his fingers. Amelia groaned, her head still clutched in her hands. A single bright emerald eye peeked through her fingers and took stock of the room¡¯s occupants. ¡°I¡¯d say we can spare two.¡± Letting out a sigh, she let her hands drop down, and crossed her arms underneath her chest. ¡°Send them to help out the sisters and Grimkath?¡± Jake grunted in affirmation, taking a deep drag and exhaling the toxic smoke with a sigh. ¡°So, Mizu and Biz. I want you two to head back out to the city and help out Quelaag, Quelana and the [Voidlord] with cleaning up the mess. Can you guys do that for me?¡± The massive [Penta-Tailed Frost-Bound Fox] at Jake¡¯s side licked his chops and grinned at the entourage in front of him. ¡°I can.¡± The fox¡¯s voice, an enthralling mix between a soft murmur and growling timbre, grumbled from his throat. ¡°I am upset I won¡¯t be able to help here, but I understand.¡± The [Fel-Imp] patted his [Succubus] mount on the head lightly before jumping off of her shoulder and landing lightly onto the massive fox¡¯s back. ¡°I don¡¯t take orders from you, pip-squeak. It was Boss¡¯s idea, and, clearly, I¡¯m the best bet to save the pale-skinned beauties.¡± Bizyal grinned, his sharp dagger-like teeth flashing below his long nose. Squatting down over Mizutsune¡¯s spine, the imp slapped the foxes side with a cackle. ¡°Let¡¯s go, poochy. Those bastards ain¡¯t going to kill themselves.¡± Mizutsune growled, and swung his head back in an attempt to take a bite out of the hitchhiker. ¡°I¡¯m not a pooch, small one, nor am I a mount.¡± The imp waved his hand in the air, ignoring the fox¡¯s anger. ¡°Yeah yeah, whatever you say fluffy. Let¡¯s get going. Mush!¡± With Mizutsune still growling at the imp on his back, he turned around and sprinted through the broken doorway, streamers of frost and the excited yips of demonic laughter slowly faded away in their wake. Jake took another drag, and exhaled, turning back to the gathered Elves and Beast-Kin before him. ¡°All right, so where were w-¡° A crack of air, a shrieking whistle, and Jake was blown back through the open doorway, the jagged spear that gently impaled itself into his left shoulder carried him back the way that he had come. Amelia blinked, and turned her eyes towards the female Elf who had just thrown the spear. The Elf, a copper pin depicting twin spears danced as her chest heaved up and down in time with her ragged breaths as her eyes flickered with a red light. Screaming, mixed with liberal use of expletives, echoed through the broken doorway, and Amelia let a bloodthirsty grin grow on her sun-kissed face. ¡°You know you just pissed us off, right?¡± Tilting her head to the side until her neck cracked, the Blood Elf¡¯s grin grew into a manic smile. ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy watching the life fade from your worthless body. You aren¡¯t even strong enough to kill off the ranting villain as he-¡° With a scream of rage, the Matron of War interrupted again and launched herself toward Amelia with a thunder clap of displaced air, a jagged spear appearing in her cloth-wrapped hands as if by magic. In the space of a breath, Lianne appeared before the Blood Elf, the jagged spear thrusting towards her throat with blinding speed. A blur of orange and red light burst forth in front of Amelia, and the Matron of War¡¯s momentum was instantly stopped. Her angular face contorted into agony, and her mouth opened and closed in silent screams. A two foot long blade, the metal seemingly made of solid flame, had appeared from her lower back out of nowhere, and the smell of seared flesh and cloth had begun to emanate from the gaping Elf, her spear escaping from numb hands to clatter to the ground. With a tilt of its head, the demonic [Wrathguard], who had instantly transposed itself in front of its demonic master too fast for the eye to see, leaned downwards and moved its helmeted head to be level with the dying Matron. ¡°Please.¡± The demon¡¯s voice, as deep as the seas and as hard as the mountains, broke across the room like a landslide. ¡°I would ask you to refrain from attacking my Lady.¡± With a sharp pull and a twist, the blade of the halberd was yanked out of Lianne, cutting and cauterizing its way through her stomach and intestines on its way out of her body. Losing the support from the weapon, the Matron of War, one of the strongest High Elves of the Dark Woods, collapsed onto the floor in a ragged heap, her face frozen in an anguished rictus as the life faded from her eyes. As if a spell had been broken, the two remaining Matron¡¯s, the large glowing eyed wolf, and the four Elven mages screamed in unison and attacked the Warlock and her demonic host with fervor. But, they were too slow. A torrent of emerald flames leapt from Amelia¡¯s hands, snaking outwards over the ground and flowed over the body of an Elven mage, the demonic flames devouring the blue flesh of the Elf, the screams of terror and mind-shattering pain dying in her throat as her body crumbled to ash and scorched bones within seconds. ¡°Kill those bitches!¡± Amelia shouted to her minions as she sent another incinerating blast of fel fire to intercept a spike of stone that broke free from the earth and launched itself towards the Blood Elf, the two spells destroying each other in a shower of burning stone shards and liquid flame. The massive [Beta Kanid], with its Alpha the Matron of the Wilds directing him from atop its back, leapt with a howl towards the towering armor-clad demon, its red eyes leaving traces as it flew through the air. The [Wrathguard] spun one of its burning halberds around and caught the large wolf in the side of its head with the flat of the two meter long blade, redirecting the massive beast¡¯s leap past itself with a small grunt of effort. As the [Kanid] flew past, the [Wrathguard] Haaroon spun around quickly, the second halberd lancing out and gouging a jagged gash through the beasts side. Landing awkwardly, but keeping to its feet, the [Beta Kanid] let out a short growl of pain as the fur on its side smoldered and light smoke drifted into the air. and turned around to stare at the demon. The growl growing in strength, the massive wolf began to pace around the [Wrathguard] in a loose circle, the Matron of the Wilds hissing at the demon as the pain from her bond with the massive beast leaked into her mind. Haaroon spun both of its massive weapons slowly in its hands, keeping the pacing wolf directly in front of its massive frame. The Matron of Magic, not to be outdone by her sister, let out a screech as twisting and slithering vines appeared out of her hands and lanced towards the floating eye demon. But, as the magically created vines approached the [Observer], the life seemed to drain away from the green foliage as it decayed rapidly in the air, breaking apart into small flecks as they flew unerringly into its gaping mouth. The demon sighed, its long purple tongue darting from behind its rows of jagged teeth to get the final lingering traces of magic stuck to its lips. The demon grinned at the Matron of Magic, and began to speak to her. ¡°Delectable. Earthy, with just a hint of citrus-sweetness to round out the flavor. Reminds me of this druid I once had.¡± The demon undulated as it laughed deeply, its entire body expanding and contracting like a giant balloon. It turned its feral grin back to the Matron of Magic, its body still occasionally shaking with merriment. ¡°May I have another?¡± The Matron of Magic¡¯s angular face contorted in rage, and a writhing torrent of vines and razor sharp leaves erupted from her hands and raced across the short distance to the demonic [Observer]. Tilting its body downwards, the floating sack¡¯s four eyes gleamed with an emerald light, and concentrated beams of pure [Fel] infused mana lanced outwards to meet the approaching spell. The two opposing magical attacks collided with an explosion of light and force, the ground beneath the collision shaking from the strength of the two mages. The Matron of Magic¡¯s eyes widened with shock, and she dove to the side as the demon¡¯s magical attack broke through her own, the green beams of energy lancing outwards from the collision, having cut through the magical leaves and vines with ease. The Matron of Magic rolled to her feet, barely dodging a second beam of energy, and screamed in pain as a leather whip slammed into her body with a sharp crack and traced a line of fire across her back. Cackling brought her eyes back to the demonic creatures, and she saw a glimpse of the beautiful winged monster¡¯s mad grin before another crack split the air and sent Magic tumbling backwards, a deep gouge in her head spilling blood over the floor boards. The [Succubus] Sylvia cackled sadistically to herself again, and slowly advanced on the screaming and flailing Matron, the leather whip cracking against blue flesh with each step of the [Succubus¡¯] cloven feet. Sylvia stopped in front of the quivering Matron as she whimpered, and moving to a knee, the [Succubus] ever so gently pulled the Matron of Magic¡¯s face centimeters from her own, and stared into her eyes. The mind-shattering pain from the demon¡¯s whip faded from the Matron¡¯s mind as she gazed into the [Succubus¡¯] eyes, a warm nothingness bubbling up from her soul as her thoughts ground to a halt. Her lips slowly grew into a stupefied smile, and a single strand of bloody saliva began to make its way out of the corner of her mouth. Sylvia smirked at the stupefied Elf, and resting a soft hand against the Matron¡¯s cheek, she let out a breathy sigh. ¡°We could have had such fun together¡­¡± Pulling the Matron of Magic¡¯s face towards hers, the [Succubus] latched onto the Elf¡¯s mouth with her own, her leathery wings wrapping around the stunned Matron like a blanket. Slight hissing came from the pair, silvery light leaking through the tangle of limbs. Straitening up with a moan of pleasure, Sylvia threw the drained husk to the ground, her pink tongue darting out to draw the last tendril of sticky white essence that was dangling from her mouth. The Matron of Magic¡¯s corpse seemed to collapse within on itself like an empty sack, a euphoric smile revealed by her drawn and drained lips. The [Succubus] tilted her head, a finger tapping on her chin, and she turned to nod at Lofuun the [Observer]. ¡°I think you¡¯re right. It was quite a delectable little morsel.¡± Shooting the floating eye a wink, the [Succubus] turned her attention back to the Beastkin guards to Lofuun¡¯s rumbling laughter. The guards, who had been perfectly happy to simply watch as the attacking Elves moved their attentions to the new arrivals, bristled and raised their weapons at the lustful demon. Smirking to herself, she raised a dainty hand to gesture to one of the younger ones to feed herself, but was interrupted by a rope of emerald flame wrapping around her stomach and yanking her backwards with a startled cry. Amelia dragged her demon back to her side with one hand, while throwing streams of demonic fire at the last living Elven mage, who was cowering behind a shell of stone. ¡°Stop. Fucking. Around!¡± Each word out of the [Blood Elf¡¯s] mouth was punctuated by another torrent of emerald flame that snaked across the floor and slammed into the earthen defenses, before she punctuated her statement by creating seven globules of molten fire above her head that arched outwards and crashed into the wall with the roar of a dragon. The defenses shattered like glass, and the Elf¡¯s death screams rang out as she was roasted alive, black smoke rising from the raging inferno that was her last stand. Glancing backwards to check on the rest of her group, Amelia saw that there was only a single foe still left on the battlefield. The Matron of the Wilds, who had been still fighting the massive [Wrathguard], never had the chance to notice that she was alone before the collective demonic might of a Warlock and her summoned monsters fell upon her and her [Kanid], crushing her underneath a rain of blows and hellfire. As what remained of the smoking corpses of both mount and rider crashed to the floor, the three demons and their master turned to the Beast-Kin Alpha who was still seated on his throne. Crossing her arms over her chest, Amelia turned and spat onto one of the smoking cadavers that littered the ground. ¡°You know you fuckers could have helped, right?¡± The red Lizard-Kin on the Alpha¡¯s side hissed and took a step forward, before Lyrus Proudroar raised a hand to stop her. Standing from his stone throne for the first time since the Elves had attacked his city, he yelled over the heads of his guards to the demonic entourage. ¡°We thank you for your timely arrival. But we must ask, is the Mageous all right? He has been screaming his head off since the fight began.¡± Amelia blinked, and turned around to look through the entryway where curses and expletives were still being shouted from. ¡°Ah, shit.¡± The [Blood Elf] ran back through the doorway, while shouting towards the source of the swearing. ¡°Keep your fucking panties on! I¡¯m coming!¡± The Beast-Kin and demons stared at each other, shifting their weight from side to side as if unsure whether to attack the other or not, as the two beings sharing the same conscious cursed each other out. A wet tearing sound broke through the bickering, followed by another scream and curse of pain. A minute later, both Amelia and Jake walked through the doorway to the throne room. Amelia sported a new bruise over her eye, and she glared daggers at the human to her side who was pulling up a new pair of pants while dusting the ashes of his previous clothing from his body, his [Flames of the Phoenix] spell destroying his clothes once again. His throat ragged from the very manly screaming he had just done for the past five minutes, Jake pulled a flask of water from his [Inventory] and began to guzzle it down.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Loud clapping brought his attention back to the surroundings, and he slowly pulled the flask away from his lips to stare at the Beast-Kin Alpha, a large grin on the Lion-Kin¡¯s face as he slapped his hands together. ¡°Bravo, Ser Jake. Bravo. We thank you for taking care of these filthy pests that made the decision to strike against us. How could we ever repay you?¡± Jake glanced around, taking in the assembled Beast-Kin and his demonic group, before turning his attention back to Lyrus. ¡°Is Serena here?¡± Smirking with understanding, Lyrus shook his head. ¡°No, great Mageous. When we heard of that these beasts planned on attacking us, we thought it would be prudent to send the non-combatants to the cities of our allies. She should be far away from this place by now, safe from all harm and awaiting the rescuer of her people.¡± Jake stared at the Lion-Kin, blinking. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ no. No. You know what? Fuck this, I¡¯m done.¡± Throwing his hands up into the air in frustration, Jake began to walk towards the assembled Beast-Kin. His shadow seemed to stretch behind him, tongues of liquid darkness reaching out in hunger. ¡°I¡¯m fucking done. I can¡¯t keep up this fucking charade anymore.¡± The darkness deepened and expanded again, and something began to squirm within its inky blackness, writhing to escape its prison. Jake took another step, and a portion of his shadow tore itself away and loomed at his side, matching the human step for step as its inky form solidified into an abyssal copy of Jake. Metal rapped against metal as the Beast-Kin soldiers and knights shook within their armor, their dilated eyes darting back and forth between the approaching Mageous, his shadow clone, and the hungering darkness that grew behind him with each step. ¡°If it¡¯s not the ¡®holier than thou¡¯ mentality, it¡¯s trying to force your fucking daughter onto me. And I am. Fucking. Tired.¡± Another step, and another copy ripped itself away from the cloying darkness. ¡°Tired of playing this stupid fucking game with you.¡± The stone walls groaned as the gathering blackness spread, dripping upwards onto the stone ceiling. Writhing streaks of shadow danced in the darkness, and the Beast-Kin guards took steps backwards as the gnashing of countless mouths and the screams of dead and dying creatures reverberated through their mind. ¡°I won¡¯t be a puppet. And I definitely won¡¯t be pussy whipped by the first piece of tail that comes my way. So you can get those thoughts of controlling me with your daughter out of that thick fucking skull of yours.¡± The stones cracked underneath the weight of the human¡¯s next step, and the bubble of darkness began to overtake Jake, covering his lower half in shadow. His hazel eyes gleamed with a violet inner light, and oily traces of red lightning arced across his body, hissing and spitting in anger. Jake paused within reaching distance of the guards, and the smell of urine was thick through the air as one of the younger knights, and the Alpha himself, lost control of their bladders. Cocking his head to the side, Jake¡¯s shadows copied the movement, and feral grins broke across the two doppelgangers. What light was left in the building reflected off of shards of obsidian, and roiling black tendrils snaked out of their gaping holes to trace their jagged teeth. Snorting to himself, Jake shook his head and snapped his fingers. The bubble of shadow that had slowly built up strength burst, and the darkness of the abyss descended on the congregated mass in a moment. The cloying darkness stifled all sounds, where even the haggard breathing and thumping of trembling hearts could not be heard. And from the darkness, two points of light emerged. Blazing with violet light and life, the lights seemed to stare into the souls of the Beast-Kin, judging their very lives, and finding them wanting. White light slowly grew beneath the glowing eyes, and a large Cheshire grin was slowly birthed from the darkness. ¡°Oh well. I won¡¯t have to deal with this anymore.¡± The hellish visage disappeared, and then the screaming began. _______________________________________________ Within the rubble strewn streets of the city, red and blue blood flowed over the cobblestones as the few remaining units of Beast-Kin fought tooth and claw to defend their city from the Elven hordes. The fighting had been bloody, and the Beast-Kin had left many of the invaders¡¯ corpses to cool in the sun. But, sadly, there were too many of the monsters to hold the line. The Beast-Kin had been forced back to the inner keep¡¯s walls by the rushing tide of Elven bodies, and the fighting had finally come to a stalemate as the Elves were funneled into a stone gatehouse, and the Beast-Kin were able to form a proper defensive line. Grunting in effort, Captain Redmaul, a massive Grizzly Bear-Kin decked in once shining armor now coated in blue blood, slammed his oversized great shield outwards and into the sprawling mass of blue limbs and bodies. The Elf spearman in front of the Captain rebounded off of the unforgiving hunk of metal, and sent sprawling backwards into the pressing group of invaders. Pulling his shield back and to the side, Redmaul intercepted another attacker and brought his bearded axe downwards to cleave off an outstretched arm before he slammed his giant door of a shield back into place along the line. The injured Elf screeched in pain, and was summarily cut down with a quick jab of a Beast-Kin¡¯s thrusting spear from another defender at the Captain¡¯s side. Blood leaked from numerous cuts along the Captain¡¯s arms, the Elven spears finding the cracks in his armor and striking with extreme precision. ¡°Step back!¡± The commander roared over the sounds of clashing steel and cries of pain, and the Beast-Kin front line defenders took a step backwards and turned to the side, allowing a new line of fresh troops to take the brunt of the Elven attacks. Hands grabbed onto the Captain¡¯s arms and shoulders and hauled him backwards through the ranks of defenders, pulling him back to allow him a moment of respite. Reaching the edges of the defenders, Captain Redmaul felt his axe and shield slip out of his hands with a reverberating clang, and he crumbled to his hands and knees, gasping for breath as his entire body shook from exhaustion and surges of adrenaline. His head ringing and darkness infringing on his vision, the Captain heaved in lungfuls of air as he tried to force himself back to his feet. Strong hands gripped onto him, and he was hauled bodily to his feet, the world spinning as oxygen fled from his brain. Groggily, he turned his attention to the one holding his quivering body upright. The Commander shouted into his face, spittle flying between the two tusks coming from her mouth, but Redmaul could hear nothing through the pounding and ringing in his head. Slowly, the ringing decreased and the Captain was able to hear his commanding officer. ¡°¡­shield and axe and get ready, Captain! Get back into the line! NOW!¡± With a final squealing roar, the Boar-Kin Commander began to drag Redmaul back to the press of bodies in the gatehouse, arrows and spears flying back and forth over the walls around them. Tripping over something soft and wet, Redmaul stumbled and almost fell face first onto the pile of Beast-Kin bodies that were forming behind the line, the corpses being dragged backwards to free up space whenever the front line troops were able to take a breath. ¡°Ma¡¯am¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t¡­ think I¡­ can go back.¡± Redmaul panted out, flecks of foam and blood leaking from the corners of his mouth. His body shook in exhaustion, and he could feel his heart pounding so hard and fast that he thought it would just stop. ¡°I DON¡¯T CARE, CAPTAIN! GET YOUR FUZZY ASS IN THERE!¡± The Commander squealed as she reached out to another Beast-Kin, and grabbing his dropped axe and shield from the soldier, thrust them into the Captain¡¯s shaking arms. ¡°We must defend the Alpha. We can¡¯t let¡­¡± The Boar-Kin stopped yelling, and turned to the gatehouse, confusion within her beady eyes. ¡°What the hells?¡± Redmaul turned his aching head to see what had stunned his Commander, but nothing caught his attention. The press of Beast-Kin was still in there, along with the Elves. His heaving breaths echoed loudly within the enclosed space, and blood still leaked out onto the stones. Other than that, there was no sound. The Captain¡¯s groggy mind snatched onto the thought, and Redmaul stood straighter as shock hit him. There was no sound. The clash of metal on metal had stopped, there were no terrifying screams of rage. The only sounds were the moaning and screaming of the injured and dying, and the heaving breaths of the Beast-Kin. The Commander huffed and trotted over the pile of corpses to get to the defensive line. Noticing a large form near the front, the Commander raised her voice again to a shout. ¡°Butters! By all that is infernal, what the hells is happening over there!?¡± The Second Lieutenant flinched at the noise, and stood up straighter and saluted the air in front of him on instinct. The large Bull-Kin roared out to the air, making the troops around him grumble and flinch in frustration. ¡°MA¡¯AM! I DO NOT KNOW! THE LITTLE ELF¡¯S ARE JUST STARING OVER OUR HEADS AND NOT ATTACKING, MA¡¯AM!¡± ¡°What do you mean, not attacking!? The bas-¡° Before the Boar-Kin Commander could finish of her screaming, a loud and piercing keening rose from within the city, growing in strength and pitch. The more audibly sensitive Beast-Kin were forced to their knees, gripping their heads as the sound bounced around in their skulls, rivulets of blood leaking out of their ears. The wailing continued for what seemed to be hours, but in a matter of minutes it began to fade away with the stamping of fleeing feet. The Beast-Kin defenders shook off the effects of the wails, and were greeted with the backs of the Elven hordes as they fled the city as if some demon was biting at their heels. Muttered praises and thanks to their god rippled through the defenders as they sagged visibly underneath their armor, the toll of their desperate struggle sapping their strength. A few of the old hands barked orders to the younger troops, and the Beast-Kin slowly fell back into formation. One of the older enlisted, a scarred Hyena-Kin, walked through the battle line and slammed his closed fist against his chestplate in salute when he moved to the officers in the back. ¡°Ma¡¯am, the Elves are retreating. Requesting permission to take a few of the faster troops to hunt them down and finish the route.¡± The Commander huffed, and her entire demeanor changed from the yelling and screeching ¡®motivator¡¯ that she had currently been to a more dignified and controlled persona fitting her rank. ¡°Negative, Sergeant. We cannot leave the keep undefended.¡± Placing a hand on his shoulder, the Commander gave a tired smile. ¡°I know. I want to as well. But we have our orders.¡± The Hyena-Kin nodded, and turned back to the defenders, seeing through them to the fleeing Elves. ¡°I do wonder why they are running though¡­¡± Muttering to himself, he gave another salute to the Officers and returned to the line, barking orders and giving out commendations in the same breath. Captain Redmaul¡¯s groggy mind pondered the same question, and he slowly regained his breath as he thought it through. They were looking over our heads¡­ staring into the sky? No, behind us. Something was happening behind us. Turning his head, he searched for anything that would take the attention of the entire Elven hordes that were attacking the city, and out of the corner of his eyes he noticed movement near to the keep. Black shadows danced within the darkened windows, broken by the occasional flash of purple and sickly green light from within. Eddies of black smoke drifted from the destroyed front door, and liquid darkness pooled around the broken metal to pour into the daylight. A surge of adrenaline rushed through the Bear-Kin, and he gripped his armaments with renewed vigor, ignoring the shaking in his limbs. ¡°MA¡¯AM! THE KEEP!¡± Roaring out the warning, Redmaul began to pound the dirt as fast as his weary body would take him, running towards the keep. Gasps of surprise and shock, quickly followed by roars of anger, echoed behind him and the Captain felt the rest of the defenders following in his steps. A few of the more agile defenders, with the Hyena-Kin Sergeant at the lead, quickly outpaced the trundling Redmaul as they flew like the wind, howling and cackling their battle cries into the sky. Just as the Sergeant set his foot onto the first flagstone of the keep, a deep concussive boom shook the air, and the worked stone of the keep¡¯s fa?ade exploded outwards, a raging torrent of fire and shadows rocking the city. The frontrunners were instantly incinerated from the blast, and the remaining Beast-Kin were thrown backwards, chunks of rubble and melted slag raining down upon them. The world spun around the Captain as he was hurled through the air. His flight stopped abruptly as he slammed into the ground, skidding and bouncing across the cobbled stones before crashing to a halt in a heap. Fighting off the darkness encroaching on his vision, Redmaul gasped and heaved in a vain attempt to get much needed oxygen back into his body. Bursts of light and darkness fought across his vision, and brief glimmers of clarity broke through the pain. Glimpses of crushed bodies underneath piles of rubble, charred corpses, and torn limbs danced through his mind, and with a rumbling growl, Redmaul forced himself to focus through the haze in his mind. The courtyard was in chaos. Flames danced back and forth with joyous abandon as they feasted and devoured everything in their path, chunks of worked stone and debris littered the area, and streaks of red blood painted the landscape in a macabre light. Glancing downward, he let out a hissing gasp as he took in his body. One of his legs was twisted and mangled beyond recognition, and white bone peaked through the broken skin and armor. The adrenaline pumping through his veins was keeping the pain away for the moment, but it would not last. Forcing his gaze away from the grisly sight, his gaze landed on two figures picking their way through the carnage from where the keep had been. One he did not recognize, a tanned woman with a braid of golden locks and elongated and pointed ears was waving around in front of her face, her eyes shifting back and forth as if she was reading something that only she could see. The second figure, a man with short dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes, drew his attention. More specifically, the tendrils of darkness and streamers of violet flame dancing around his body. The Captain tried to speak, but his body instinctively rejected the thought, and he remained silent. As if he could feel the eyes upon him, the man locked eyes with Redmaul and began to walk towards him. The man¡¯s shadow stretched behind him, and silent screams pressed against the Captain¡¯s conscious. Forcing himself, the Bear-Kin matched the man¡¯s gaze with fury and hatred, his heart pumping adrenaline fueled blood as fast as possible through his broken body. The man wreathed in magic stopped in front of the broken soldier, and lowered himself down to a knee, shaking his head as he looked over the battered body before him. ¡°Shit. This won¡¯t do.¡± Latching his hazel gaze onto the Lieutenant, the man spoke slowly, and his words reverberated with barely contained power. ¡°Alright, listen up Fuzzy. What¡¯s going to happen next is going to be some of the worst pain that you can imagine. The good news is, I¡¯m going to heal you. But, not before I pass on a message.¡± The man¡¯s hazel eyes glowed with violet light, and it felt as if Redmaul¡¯s very soul was being sucked into those pools of power. ¡°Your Alpha is dead. His wives are dead. All but one of the Elven leaders are dead as well. And, as of right now, you are literally the last person left alive in this city besides me and mine.¡± Redmaul froze, his face paling as the words sunk in. The pain from his leg flared bright in his mind and he began to scream in both pain and fear, loss and hatred towards this man. His entire world had come crashing down within the span of a day, and there had been nothing he could do to stop it. A ringing slap sent his head sideways, before it was wrenched back to face the man. ¡°Stop crying. You¡¯re going to live. Now, after I¡¯m done fixing your broken ass body, you are going to take this message to any surviving Beast-Kin. Wait, scratch that. I want you to tell everybody you meet. I want you to scream it from the rooftops, I want you to whisper it into the ears of children. Tell them, and let them know fear. Tell them what I have done here today, and let them know that the Voidwalker is coming for them. And they had better get ready.¡± The words, no, the command settled within his very soul, and Redmaul screamed even louder as a surge of violet flames bathed over his body, incinerating his flesh and bones, only to feel them being reknit from the ashes of his mortal shell. And his last glimpse of the waking world was that of a man, wreathed in darkness and flame, a crooked smirk, and his glowing hazel and violet eyes. ________________________________________ Spoiler:MC CharacterSheet
Status
Race: Human Name: Jake Roshaven?? Level: 56??97% Titles: Voidwalker??Friend of Beasts Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Health: 300 Stamina: 300 Mana: 975
Attributes
Vitality: 30 Strength: 10 Endurance: 30 Agility: 10 Dexterity: 10 Inteligence: 45 Wisdom: 45