《The Many Enemies of Ilum》 Prologue - Origin Gory *Yawn* Daniel slowly opened his eyes, to see a fading amber orb bleeding crimson into the cerulean sky as it was pierced by the jagged horizon. ¡°Huh, is it that late already?¡± Daniel immediately jumped up only to fall just as suddenly back on his ass. ¡°Ugh.. Head rush...¡± He stood back up, this time making sure to allow his body a minute to adjust to it''s new elevation. Still feeling the stiffness of his waking body, he awkwardly traversed the ups and downs of the emerald hills that bordered the small hamlet of Windham that he called home. Windham was a small trading hub that sprouted in the middle of the many farms that spotted the fertile lands east of Fionn, the capital of the Kingdom of Fioria. Although there was not much history to its name, the locals took this as a representation of its peaceful past. As he walked down the now empty cobbled path that winded its way through the village, he saw the lights being lit in peoples'' homes, giving an almost fey element to the town dusted in twilight. He began to imagine the families tucked away in their homes; eating warm meals, and reminiscing the day gone by while bathing in the warm glow of the crackling fire in their hearths. These thoughts lead to a growling stomach and a quicker pace. As he reached the central plaza he saw merchants and vendors packing away their perspective wares. Well wares may not be the correct word... more like cabbages....lots and lots of cabbages. As one might gather from this, Windham''s main export was cabbages, the ¡°best¡± cabbages, or so the sign leading into town says. He took the east path out of the plaza, taking it to it''s end, to his home. Now the Farmer, yes Farmer, family estate was the epitome of a regal manor - with decorative bushes and a wrap around porch that the family often spent their evenings lounging on while watching the sun set.... or so he liked to daydream about while sunning on the hills outside of town. In reality the word ¡°hovel¡± comes to mind, but a rather large hovel. Though it would have to be, to contain his mother, father, four brothers, and three sisters. Sadly this ¡°stately¡± hovel, while being able to stand the strong winds the town was renown for (luckily or else he would be living in Cabbageham which sounded off on a couple levels) it was not sound proof and he could hear his family bickering from the street. ¡°Mel, come back here and put on your Elos damn pants, boy!¡± Shouted Daniel''s mother. ¡°Elos don''t want me wearin'' no pants Ma, iffin'' he did then I... I woulda been born wearin ''em!¡± Responded his six year old brother sounding a little proud at his obviously sound proof argument. ¡°Boy, if Elos wanted everyone seein'' you nekkid don''t you think he would have given'' us somtin'' ta look at!¡± By the ensuing silence he could tell that his mother had won the argument. Now some may think this crude talk not befitting a lady, well honestly screw them, try raising eight children and see if you don''t start to let some ¡°civilities¡± go by the wayside. While he loved his family dearly and was of course unashamed of them and their proclivities, this did not stop him from making sure he was alone before entering. This was *ahem* of course to check for bandits and other ne''er-do-wells, but not villeins. After all half the town were villeins. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> After stepping into the house, out from the bite of the wind, but still in the cold, he looked longingly at the disused fireplace. Another problem with the ¡°Farmer Family Estate,¡± was it''s tendency to catch fire. Most houses on the east end of Windham are where the laymen and villeins live, who are obviously too poor to afford stone or brick houses, or even lacquers to fireproof their homes. In fact one dry summer night Miss O''Leary went to check on her barn and left her fragile lantern behind her volatile cow and... no sorry that was a poor joke, no one would be that stupid. ¡°Daniel, you been out shirkin'' your chores again boy!¡± His mother nagged at him while putting on his brother''s pajamas. ¡°Not at all, mother dearest.¡± He responded with false sincerity, while pacing side to side in an attempt to discover if his mother indeed had eyes in the back of her head as he had always suspected. ¡°Both Michael and Manuel said that you weren''t out there helping them with the farm work so would you kindly explain that to me my loving son.¡± His mother responded with a sickly sweet smile. - Oh shit! Whenever his mother changed back to her ¡°city speak,¡± as his family called it, he knew he was in trouble, luckily he was well prepared for this current turn of events...he hoped. ¡°Mom, I do believe that my chores for the day were to milk the cows, feed the chickens, and check the condition of the horses, is that not so?¡± He inquired innocently. ¡°Yes son, I do hope a point is about to be made.¡± ¡°Ahem, yes, well I called in some favors, and have been guaranteed that an adequate job has been done.¡± ¡°Favors? And before you answer stop trying so hard.¡± ¡°''Trying so hard'' I''m sure I have no idea what you''re...¡± seeing his mother''s glare he cleared his throat and continued. ¡°Yeah, anyways, some of the local kids had some problems with their church work, so I may have ¡°helped¡± them with the promise that they would do some manual labor fro me.¡± ¡°Well, as long as the work is being done ''adequately'' I cannot fault you, but what have you been doing all day.¡± ¡°I had been reading outside the village, some of Lyonel''s theorems on the Arcane.¡± ¡°Son, sometimes I worry you''re letting your childhood get away from you.¡± His mother sighed looking at him concernedly. ¡°Also you know Elos don''t take with any of that Arcane Magic,¡± his mother nagged slipping back into the colloquial dialect, ¡°you better be careful, tomorrow is your sixteenth birthday and you''ll be goin'' down to the church to find out what Elos is plannin'' for you. Father Dael will be giving you a Status Plate, and Elos will give you the Job Class you are destined for.¡± Elos is planning for me, the very thought that his life would be arbitrarily decided for him by, to be perfectly candid, a god he did not worship, was an infuriating feeling. ¡°Yes mother, don''t worry, I''ll dress in my Sunday best, and act like a brat- Just kidding I''ll behave, I swear!¡± There was that glare again. ¡°Good, now go eat n'' get ready fer bed, don''t be forgetin'' to say good night to your brothers and sisters.¡± ¡°Where''s Dad?¡± Asked Daniel, noticing his absence form the previous statement. ¡°Your Father is out at a town meeting to discuss things that don''t concern you or us ''Women folk''¡± - Damn, Dad is in for it when he gets home. Daniel quickly went into the kitchen and started picking at leftovers, trying to leave some for his father. After having his fill he quickly went upstairs and rushed into the bedroom he shared with his four other brothers. He stripped himself down to just his skivvies and threw himself into his bed. ¡°Goodnight Michael¡± ¡°Goodnight Daniel¡± ¡°Goodnight Manuel¡± ¡°Goodnight Daniel¡± ¡°Goodnight Moriel¡± ¡°''Night Daniel¡± ¡°Goodnight Mel¡± ¡°HnnnHigh Hahiel¡± Well that took care of the brothers. ¡°Goodnight Abigail¡± ¡°Goodnight Daniel¡± ¡°Goodnight Ariel¡± ¡°...Zzzzzz...¡± ¡°Goodnight Isabel¡± ¡°Goodnight Danny¡± ¡°Goodnight Mother¡± ¡°Goodnight John bo- Daniel¡± That was everyone...that was home at the moment anyways...well except the sleeping lioness, and yes I do take dramatic pauses in my thoughts. Having said goodnight to everyone made him think about how he used to be teased about the obvious difference in his name. His brothers Michael Jr., Manuel, Moriel, and Mel were all name by his father Michael Sr., obviously Daniel doesn''t go along with this naming scheme. Luckily for him their was a snow storm the night he was born, forcing his father to work late, and giving his mother the honor of naming him. Also the Farmers, except for Daniel, were deeply religious, as most good people in Fioria were. Which is why they named all their children in honor of the God of light, and one of the gods to have a hand in the creation of the human race, Elos. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Life on a farm doesn''t start at the crack of dawn, no it starts before then. There are a lot things that need to be done before dawn, and if you want to eat breakfast then you had better get up before that, and if you wanted/were expected to make breakfast then you had to get up even earlier. Luckily today was Daniel''s sixteenth birthday and he wouldn''t have to get up to do chores. In fact Daniel could sleep in until he had to see Father Dael at noon. Due to having lived on the farm his whole life, he found it difficult to sleep in, also it was possible that serial napping throughout yesterday may have played some small part in his wakefulness. While he may be awake he did not feel compelled to get up, and instead contemplated the day before him. Elos, God of Light, never meshed with Daniel''s ideology. From what he had experienced through life in Fioria, where Elos was heavily worshiped almost to the exclusion of other gods, He was a just god that had an austere code which in turn helped His followers that led an austere life. What this meant to Daniel was that you should not think for yourself and instead follow the code set down by Elos and you will lead a happy life, outside the Law of Elos nothing was guaranteed. Daniel couldn''t argue that the villagers weren''t happy, but they truly led simple lives. They ate, they shat, they slept, they reproduced. Such a life was little better than that the farm animals led, with little variance. Daniel secretly admired the god Umbros, God of Shadows. A truly misunderstood god, Umbros was called an evil god by those who knew nothing, and a trickster god by those who still studied the ways of other gods in Fioria. A trickster may be the best definition of Umbros. Umbros represented the dark and the things that existed in the dark; Thievery, cunning, strategy, and forgotten lore. Truly Umbros treasured all things that the light had forgotten. It is because of this nature that Umbros is also a god of orphans, the destitute, and the homeless. These are all things Daniel couldn''t help but think about as he left the house, still munching on his toast, in the late morning light. As he raced out of his house and down the windy path towards the central plaza, he blindly rounded the corner only to abruptly crash into someone, causing his toast to fly out of his mouth and land on a pile of ¡­. cobblestones. ¡°Owie, watch where you''re going Daniel.¡± Said someone in a high pitched voice. ¡°I''m so sorry, I was in a rush to see Father Dael before noon, that I wasn''t careful and that''s why I ran into y...ou...Father Dael?!¡± Still in shock it took him a moment to recognize the castrat- Ahem- Father Dael. - Seriously, ¡°Owie,¡± and that voice....so much for my fateful encounter....WAIT!! What the hell am I thinking about. ¡°Well you found me. Which is helpful, as I was just on my way to see you.¡± ¡°What for Father, I thought that we were supposed to preform the ceremony at noon¡± ¡°Yes, well, knowing you I figured you might just ¡°accidentally¡± sleep through the day, so I came as more of a guard than escort.¡± ¡°You wound me... Nah I''m kidding, good point, I only wish I had slept in more...¡± Responded Daniel as he started to get lost in thought. -SNAP- ¡°Now that I have your attention again, should we make our way to the chapel?¡± Asked Father Dael, although it sounded more like a statement. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Saint Amadeus'' Church of Holy Love, was almost as ostentatious in appearance as it was in name. Standing on the west side of the plaza, closer to the more affluent homes of Windham, it soared over any other building in there. Made almost completely of white stone, it had four outer steeples each with a gold cap, and the central chapel was topped with a large golden star. Leading up to the building were a set of several deeply cut white stone steps. The two large windows on either side of the open entrance both had stained glass depictions of the feats of Saint Amadeus and Elos. As always when Daniel stepped into these hallowed halls he felt an unknown presence way on his mind. This time it was especially notable. ¡°That is Elos, my child, do not be afraid to let him in.¡± Father Dael said seeing the look of curiosity on Daniel''s face. Daniel didn''t want some god, roaming around his noggin, but that was exactly what he was here to do, that and get his Job Class and Status Plate. So he let go, and opened up to the presence he had always tried to keep at bay. ¡°Oh, so the punk finally let me in¡± Said a voice from on high. ¡°The Punk¡± huh?! ¡°Yeah, or the black sheep as you seem to think as my followers as farmyard animals.¡± Said the voice arrogantly. - I gather you''re in my head now. ¡°Oh yeah, and I can read your past thoughts as well....doesn''t seem that you have a very high opinion of me though. Also could you respond aloud, as Dael here is having a hard time following this conversation.¡± Daniel looked over to his left and saw Father Dael in shock, his face pale and his body stopped in mid stride towards the altar. ¡°Father are you alright?¡± Questioned Daniel of the frozen Father. ¡°Uhhh...is that Elos? I think I hear Elos...oh my god, ohmygod, OHMYGOD, OH MY GOD!!!¡± -THUNK- ¡°Let''s let him lie there a moment...yeah...¡± ¡°Has he never heard you before, I thought all priests spoke the word of Elos?!¡± ¡°To be honest the Laws of Elos are my words so technically they are ¡°speaking¡± my word, but I haven''t had the need to contact this particular priest before so it must have been a bit of a shock.¡± Said the god rather offhandedly. ¡°So to what do we owe the ¡°honor¡± of this visit.¡± Daniel inquired sarcastically, feeling comfortable enough to return to his normal speech patterns. ¡°Sarcasm aside, I really don''t understand why you dislike me so much, I just guide the people the way I think they should be led. Any other embellishments are purely the will of the congregation. I am not an all knowing being, there are certain rules that even we gods have to abide by. For example I couldn''t know what you were thinking until you allowed me in.¡± ¡°True, but you seem to have avoided actually answering my question.¡± ¡°Yes well I vaguely see troubled times ahead here in Fioria, and because of the vagueness of these visions I know another god is in play. All I was able to make out was that you are one of those that could be a big help to me in stopping this. Which is why I would like to bestow upon you the Job Class of Hero¡± Said the voice in a rather condescending manner In front of him a Status Plate flashed into existence.
Status Plate
Name:Daniel FarmerAlignment:Lawful Neutral
Level:1Class:Hero
Race:HumanGender:Male
Titles
Chosen of Elos
Fame:0Infamy:0
-
Health:240 / 240Mana:720 / 720
-
Strength:70Agility:90
Vitality:60Dexterity:70
Intelligence:180Wisdom:100
Leadership:100Luck:77
¡°These particular stats don''t seem to match me, and I don''t think that anyone would claim that I''m Lawful Neutral.¡± Daniel said as he continued to examine the tablet. ¡°As you are now, you are of no use to me, so I gave you the class Hero and my blessing which multiplies all your base stats by ten.¡± Elos responded nonchalantly. Ah, well that makes things a lot easier... ¡°I will have to decline your generous offer...¡± - Asshat ¡°Why, and you do remember that I can read your surface thoughts?¡± ¡°Yeah, I just wanted to call you an asshat, and it shouldn''t just be my surface thoughts, as you were able delve into thoughts that I was having much earlier about your ''flock''.¡± ¡°I was able to earlier when you first opened your mind to me, but as this conversation has gone on I have lost control... I mean that I have lost the ability to see any deeper into your mind.¡± ¡°Good, I was hoping that would be the case. Now as for why I rejected you, as we talked you threw out a couple of ''oh-so subtle'' hints that if I went along with this magnanimous gift of yours I might become your asspuppet.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°I AM A GOD, I WILL NOT SUFFER THE SLURS OF A MORTAL¡± Elos'' voice roared in the sonorous halls of His house of worship. ¡°No, I''m quite sure you will, as you previously stated, you do have rules. Also you mentioned your need for others to thwart this upcoming event, which leads me to believe that you can''t take direct action. And there really is no need to take this personally, as you said I am ¡°one of those¡± that could be of help to you. I am sure you''ll find someone much more willing to be your...puppet.¡± ¡° Fine, but you do realize that just because I can''t take direct action doesn''t mean that I can''t control others to do my will.¡± Stated the god, with a thinly veiled threat. ¡°What Mr. Sleeping Eunuch, yeah I think I could have taken him.¡± ¡°HAHAHAhahahaa, fine I will look elsewhere for my hero, or what was that word you used... ''asspuppet''... yes I quite like this. Maybe one with a little less intelligence and a little more faith, or maybe one who at least has the faith stat.¡± ¡°Thanks for being reasonable, now for my status plate and job...¡± ¡°I will remove my blessing and the current job, but you''ll have to get your class from someone else. You might try my brother Umbros, he would like you, or if you could apply for a job the old fashioned way. Most in Fioria won''t accept those that aren''t chosen by me already but I''m sure you''ll figure something out.¡± ¡°Fair enough, I guess I''ll just be leaving the-¡± -RRRRRUUUUUMMMMMBBBBLLLEEE- Daniel slowly looked up to the heavens. ¡°Hey, that wasn''t me.¡± Elos bellowed ¡°Oh, I was a little late here, you might want to drag Dael and yourself into the trapdoor under the altar.¡± Instead of following the gods advice, he stepped up to the stained glass window. He saw fifty hulking brutes wearing black leather and hide armor riding horses with weapons drawn. He looked back towards the altar. He pushed it aside to find the trapdoor, flipped it open and threw Dael''s body down into the darkness then closed it and slid the altar back. ¡°Punk, you should hide, even if you had taken my blessing you''d be no match for those barbarians.¡± ¡°Well no offense, my impotent friend, but I have a family that I would do anything for!¡± He said as he rushed out the front door. ¡°Hmmm, I think he would have done well for me... what do you think brother?¡± Asked Elos. ¡°Yes, but I see more of me in him then you.¡± Responded a voice from below. ¡°You, what would you do with him, you don''t like taking free will from mortals. How could you make use of him?¡± ¡°I wouldn''t, ''make use of him,'' but I will watch this one. Maybe I will have more to offer than power at the price of servitude.¡± ¡°Fair enough, brother. You always were an odd one, choosing to take the castoffs over the prime choices, but none can deny you play the game well Umbros.¡± ¡°The choices I make aren''t any less prime than those you would make, it''s only that we differ in what we judge to be of higher value.¡± <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Outside was a mess of chaos and confusion. Merchants had barricaded themselves behind a pile of stalls and wagons, and were throwing the only things on hand, cabbages. The barbarians easily dodged the cabbages as they rode past the barricade and fired their short-bows on the exposed merchants flank. The merchants fell like wheat to the scythe, their blood spilling out in less volume than their gold coins. The barbarians swung their horses around and dismounted eager to collect the bloody coins that were spilling everywhere. Daniel took this as his chance, and dashed across the square, using the make shift barricades as cover as he stealthily made his way across the killing field. He easily made it to the eastern path as the majority of the forces were focused on the central plaza and the western path leading to the merchants homes. He made his way up the relatively untouched winding path to home. He slammed the door open to find his mother helping his sisters and brothers pack. ¡°We don''t have time for this mother, we must go now¡± He practically screamed in panic. ¡°I know son, we''re just grabbing the essentials, we''ll need these to survive in the wilds- ABBY YOU DON''T NEED SEVERAL PACKS OF CLOTHES!¡± ¡°Where''s dad.¡± ¡°He went with the other men to the square, to see if they couldn''t slow them down.¡± Daniel hung his head. ¡°Mom, there''s nothing left of the plaza, the only reason I was able to make it home is because the merchants gold spilled across the streets. And the only reason that any of us is alive is because we live in the less affluent portion of town.¡± He could see the shock on his mothers face. He was worried that he would have to take charge, but then he saw the shock turn to fury. ¡°All right, everyone out the back now, we''re leaving with what we got- AND NO ARGUING!¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°-----¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°Yes Ma¡¯am¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°Mother, when I was in the church I...discovered a secret hideaway under the altar.¡± ¡°Ya think we could make it ''cross town right now?¡± ¡°Hmmm, maybe if we had a distraction... mother do you have a large sack, three gold coins... and some cabbages?¡± ¡°Manuel go get a feed sack out the barn, and both Michael and Abigail go get all the cabbages you can carry!¡± When both Michael and Abigail returned with the cabbages he started mashing them on the spot. Then he put the large mass of mashed cabbage into the sack that Manuel had secured. After that was done he took the gold coins that his mother gave him and stashed them in his off hand. ¡°All right we should be able to get to the town center easily enough, everyone stay low and follow me.¡± Daniel quietly went to the front door, and opened it slowly. He peeked outside and having seen no one he moved on his way down the path until he reached the blind corner that he had bumped into Dael earlier that day. He furtively stuck his head around the corner, and saw three barbarians making their way to the corner. He looked back at the houses the barbarians had passed then grabbed a loose cobblestone and passed it back to Michael. ¡°I don''t have the necessary skills here, so I am going to need you to-¡± ¡°I don''t have the skills to be kickin'' three warriors ass with a rock.¡± Interrupted his brother. ¡°I don''t want you to fight them, we can''t fight them, hence the stealth. Now I need you to toss that stone into that houses second floor window. If you throw it behind them or to the side it will not buy us enough time to sneak past them, we need them to spend their time rechecking every last place of that house.¡± ¡°Well, why didn''t you say so.¡± Said Michael as he chucked the rock perfectly through the houses window. -Crash- Daniel went back to checking around the corner, seeing the barbarians rush back to the house they had just finished checking. He gave the thumbs up behind him and went as fast as he could while still remaining silent, his whole remaining family following behind him. They made it to the east entrance into the plaza and directly across from them was the west path and the church. Between them and the church were about twelve barbarians looking through the already looted bodies of the fallen merchants. ¡°Okay mom, do you remember where I said the trapdoor was?¡± Daniel whispered. His mother looked at him curiously then nodded her head. ¡°Good, now I''m going to perform a trick like brother Michael did, I''m going to need you guys to follow mommy, and don''t forget to keep your head down.¡± He whispered to his younger siblings. He looked up at his mother, seeing the confusion on her face slowly slide into understanding and then returning to their earlier fury. ¡°-¡± Daniel quickly covered his mother''s mouth just as she was about to yell at him. ¡°Someone needs to do this mom, and honestly I''m the only one who can. I love you.¡± Then he readjusted the sack, using both hands, as if he were carrying something heavy and charged past the merchants bodies letting out a small squeak as he passed the looting barbarians. ¡°Oy, where ye think yer goin''!¡± Shouted the largest of them. I stood there in mock fright, waiting to see how many I would draw. ¡°Beaver, Barbara, and Boomer you go after-¡± Just as he was calling out to his henchmen I readjusted the bag and let go of the three gold coins that I had been holding on to. ¡°Never mind men, I-I''ll get ''im meself.¡± He stuttered pushing his cronies out of the way, only for them to close formation behind him and all join in the chase. Daniel ran for all he was worth, using his better knowledge of the town to avoid dead ends, while constantly trying to lose them behind houses. After several minutes of them following him he realized where his feet had led him. To his hill, where he enjoyed watching the sunrise and the sunset. - It''s as good a place for my final rest as any. ¡°Oh, looks like our little rabbit ''as run ''imself out. Now if ye be givin'' us that bag of yours we''ll be willin'' to let you go.¡± Said the bandit, whose name likely began with a B, with his sincerest of smiles. - Yeah, fat chance... Daniel slowly lifted the sack of mashed cabbages over his head, watching the bandit''s eyes follow along with it. Then he threw it with all his might to the bottom of the hill on his right and made a mad dash to his left in the direction of the forest. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Daniel had somehow been able to hide in the forest for three days now, eating only the same type of berries that he saw in animal droppings, and drinking dew. While it was safe to say that he was surviving he sure wasn''t thriving. He had lost a lot of wait and he was worried that so long away from other people had started to make him crack. He couldn''t stay there another moment, so he slowly made his way out of the forest the night of the third day. He crawled slowly up the hills, every few seconds making sure there were no bandits about. He did spy an empty sack whose contents had many bootprints on them, suggesting that they had been stomped on in a mad rage. He made his way to the south entrance of town, still not seeing a soul. He snuck past empty houses, weaving through the detritus strewn throughout the street until he reached the plaza. There were clumps of bodies haphazardly piled about the square. He ignored the sight of them, and most of all he ignored the smell. Making his way past all this, he reached the no longer pure white steps and continued on to the open church doors. ¡°What is this?¡± Daniel said in confusion at the horrible scene in front of him. Dead bodies lay all over the inside of the church except not all of them bore only the sign of the sword. Some had bruising as if they were fighting each other. Yet none of these things shocked him as much as what he saw in the corner. He fell to his knees. He slammed his fists on the marble floor, breaking many of the small bones in both hands. ¡°Why?¡± In the corner of the church was a small huddled family, all holding onto each other, even in death. ¡°Sorry kid...seems you''re one of mine now.¡± Said a low voice that seemed to come from everywhere in the darkness. ¡°Umbros.¡± Daniel said simply, feeling rather laconic in his current broken state. ¡°When the wealthy got here, they remembered the secret room under the altar, and forced your family out, saying it was their privilege. Ahh, this is why I hate those who have...¡± ¡°What happened to those festering lumps of vaginal discharge.¡± He said, looking for someone to release his fury on. ¡°Hah, sorry again kid, but those idiots didn''t even think to shake off the bandits following them, so when they saw them enter and never leave, they realized there must be a hidey-hole somewhere in here. After doing away with your family they smoked them out and killed all of them just as quickly as they came pouring out.¡± ¡°I will hunt these barbarians down and kill them with my own hands.¡± ¡°Boy, you couldn''t kill one barbarian let alone a hoard of them. What you need is power, and I have that in spades.¡± ¡°I don''t want your power, that would render my vendetta meaningless. What I need is to get stronger, and kill them with my own strength.¡± Responded Daniel, while looking at his emaciated body. ¡°Good. If you had taken my offered power I would have been disappointed in you, especially after that speech you gave my brother. Instead what I have to offer is aid to the cunning, it won''t give you any power but it will lift some fetters that could be in your way, and also I will give you a job that should get you to where you can get power.¡± -FLASH- Once again his status plate suddenly appeared in front of him.
Status Plate
Name:Daniel FarmerAlignment:Chaotic Good
Level:1Class:Adventurer
Race:HumanGender:Male
Blessings
Orphan of Chaos
Fame:0Infamy:0
-
Health:24 / 24Mana:72 / 72
-
Strength:7Agility:9
Vitality:6Dexterity:7
Intelligence:18Wisdom:10
Leadership:0Luck:7
¡°Wow, no offense to me, but this looks like crap! And what does ''Orphan of Chaos'' do for me.¡± Daniel said after looking at his status plate. ¡°If you press your finger to it, or anything else on the tablet for that matter, the plate will give you an explanation for it.¡± The Dark god, with infinite patience, kindly responded. -TAP-
Blessings
Orphan of Chaos
You are a child blessed by Umbros. Due to breaking free of all restraints and surviving in this chaotic world, Umbros has blessed you so that there will be no restrictions in learning skills outside of your class.
Class
Adventurer
Adventurer''s have the ability to learn a little bit of every classes skill, but in return they cannot learn very high up multiple skill trees. Also the adventurer class gives you access to certain factions outside of the guild itself.
¡°I see how this could help along the way, but they both seem to overlap... but that may be a good thing. It would be hard to explain why I was able to perform multiple skills without giving away that I was blessed by Umbros. Otherwise I don''t see much point in this class.¡± Daniel spoke his thoughts aloud while rereading the plate. ¡°As an adventurer you will automatically be accepted into the Adventurers Guild without any hassle. Where I, as a god of forgotten lore, may be able to push certain quests towards you. Quests that would give you the power that you seek.¡± ¡°That sounds awfully convenient to me, I didn''t really see anything that could be considered worthwhile in this trade for you.¡± He replied cautiously. ¡°Hahaha, I truly enjoy smart humans, especially those who have the wherewithal to deny my brother. That would be payment enough, but only for what you have already been given. As the promise of future powers... well as I said these would be quests, dangerous quests. Any Skills you would gain at the end would be payed by making it through to the end.¡± Daniel looked at the plate in front of him, and grabbed it. ¡°I accept.¡± ¡°Good, now to begin you search for power I suggest you make your way south west towards Aodhan, the old capital of Fioria, and now a place filled with adventurers looking to search the old ruins for their forgotten treasures.¡± ¡°Just one last favor, I would like to change this...¡± Daniel said while pointing at something on his status plate. Umbros observed him from the shadows, his voice full of disappointment. ¡°Everything has a cost, and so far you''ve ended up well off without doing anything stupid, I was hoping we could end it on that note....¡± The god looked over to where his finger was pointed and started laughing. ¡°HAHAHAHAHAhahahaha, I was wrong boy, alright since this such a small favor I''ll make this change for you. Pick something good.¡± ¡°Ilum¡±
Back to Main PageChapter 01 - Don''t Put All Your Gems In One Jacket
Chapter 01 - Dont Put All Your Gems In One Jacket *Author''s Note: I had this chapter up earlier, but then as I went through it I made so many changes that it almost became a totally different chapter. So I deleted the old one and put this new version up. Also with edits this chapter is now also over 5k words. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Ilum felt a little less broken, and a little more confident after speaking to the god. -No, my god. He realized that he could no longer claim to be atheist loose and god free. And yet he felt that Umbros was if not trustworthy, Hah!, then at least not out to use him and lose him. Which, considering his current predicament, was more than he could ask for,and after speaking to Elos it was maybe even more than he had growing up. He stood up and moved over to sit on one of the pews. He had to think about what his next goal was, and what he needed to achieve it. - First, my problems: Now for solutions: Ilum got up and moved over to the door, he looked back at his family and realized that while it may impede him he still had one more need to fulfill. He moved all of his families bodies out of the chapel and down the stairs, into the center of the plaza. He looked through the ''barricades'' for a cart large enough. Then he made a quick trip back home to grab a shovel, he thought about changing his clothes but there seemed little point in getting them dirty as well. Returning back to the square while munching on some heavenly cabbages, How could I have ever thought they were anything but ambrosia from the gods, he started lifting the bodies into the cart when he realized there was already a body curled up inside. Michael Sr. must have thought he could hide himself in the cart when things had gone south, although this obviously didn''t work out for him judging by the intestines spilling out of his gut. This brought on another wave of grief, as he recalled all the times he had enjoyed playing with his father. His father had taught him almost all he knew about life. From how to take care of farm animals to how to take care of his family. He was a good man, who deserved more than to die in obscurity. Pushing his feelings down he moved on with his task.He finished loading up the bodies onto the cart trying not to think of who or what they were, instead imagining that he was loading the cart up with fallen branches, just another part of village life. He made his way to his favorite spot, where he had almost died yesterday. It seemed almost as if the world was mocking him with the scene of the rising sun. As if it were saying everyone could die and it wouldn''t change anything in the grand scheme of things. He took the shovel to the side of the hill facing the mocking sun, and started digging. Sadly this took a lot longer than one would expect of a son who had grown up on the farm constantly doing manual labor. As his strength stat clearly stated he didn''t actually use his muscles much which in turn led to a poor stamina or vitality. He usually traded off his chores to the other kids, but seeing as how this wasn''t exactly an option at the moment, he continued shoveling while taking frequent breaks. A couple hours after noon he started to climb out of the pit he had dug. Looking back at it he sighed with relief, seeing that all four of his brothers, three sisters and both parents were able to fit inside. He took another rest before he started filling it back in. He ignored his screaming muscles as he stood up and thought about what he should say. He felt a familiar pressure at the back of his head. He thought about how he had been able to talk with the god without letting him in all the way towards the end of last time. -Maybe I could build a place in my mind for ''welcoming'' such individuals. Such a skill, it would seem, is detrimental to my continued freedom. He thought while considering he had only turned sixteen a few days ago, and had already made the acquaintances of two gods. He thought about his mind as a fortress with a moat, drawbridge, outer wall and finally a castle in the center. He imagined slowly letting down the drawbridge while at the same time opening a little bit of his mind. ¡°Hoh, that''s an interesting talent you have there punk.¡±Said his old ''friend'' Elos. ¡°Thanks, but onto business.¡± Responded Ilum quickly, hoping to curtail any long winded speeches from the loquacious god. ¡°Yes, I suppose this is business for me.¡± The voice resounded thoughtfully in his head. ¡°Could you do something for them, they were true practitioners of your Law.¡± ¡°Of course, I''m not evil, despite what you may think of me. I love my followers and your family were some of the truest.¡± Elos responded somberly, maybe even a little bit sadly. ¡°Then...Thank you Lord Elos¡± Ilum said while clapping his hands and bowing over them. ¡°Oy,oy, stop that- thank you for the respect but for some reason, coming from you that gives me the creeps.¡± - Hah, maybe he isn''t evil. He''s more like a mischievous grandfather that never grew up. Ilum thought to himself. - Crack- Suddenly the dirt that he had piled onto the pit had formed into a giant slanted block, made out of the same white stone as the church. Written on it were the names of all his family, all of them except him. ¡°Thank you, once again gramps.¡± Ilum said cheekily. ¡°Gramps? Hmm, fine brat I will give you special permission to call me that. Also I''ll give you a reward for your help in laying some of my followers to rest.¡± Responded the voice in his head, just as cheekily as Ilum himself. Then he felt the walls in his ''fort'' collapse as they were blown away easily, also he felt certain sections in his ''castle'' move farther away. ¡°What was that old man?¡± He asked forgetting about the previous sense of ''familiarity'' from a moment ago. ¡°It''s never a bad thing to know your limits brat. Also you have a long ways to go, so you need to stop having these pity parties. I made certain events feel like they were a long way off, but you can still remember them should you choose. I certainly didn''t do this to help you though, or my brother, you got that punk?!¡± Elos responded. -Yeah definitely a mischievous old grandpa. And was that a bit of tsundere play at the end... best not to think about it. Ilum felt the pressure leave his head, and as soon as he did a fine golden dust started to fall from the sky. Reaching his hand out he tried to catch some but it just passed right through. He looked back towards the village and saw that it was covering the whole town. Bidding a last farewell to his family he ran to town to see what the crazy old god had done. Reaching the village the first thing he noticed was that it didn''t smell like an invading hoard of unwashed barbarians had passed by, nor did it smell like piles of dead bodies were rotting everywhere. Once he reached the main square he saw that the golden dust was actually being absorbed by the dead bodies and even the air. ¡°The bodies should remain in a form of stasis, at least long enough for some people to find and give them a proper burial.¡± Said Gramps, back in the front yard of his mind. ¡°How long do I have before said people get here.¡± Said Ilum nervously, as he still had his checklist to complete... well mainly looting. ¡°Don''t worry brat, you should have at least one whole day until they get here. Dael only left here a couple days ago, and it should take about a half day for them to get here, which would put their arrival time around tomorrow afternoon.¡± ¡°So I wasn''t the only survivor!¡± Ilum said excitedly. He was happy, even if it was only the Elos-fanboy priest. ¡°Why did you think I gifted you, just because you buried your own family? No, you saved one of my precious priests- even if it was that stupid fanboy one...¡± ¡°Oy, you can''t say that.¡± -Somehow I became the straight man here! ¡°Alright well I''m off to find my Assp-Hero, so you have fun looting the town, and I do believe that the barbarians hardly touched the underground storeroom. There won''t be anything great, but enough to help you get where you''re going.¡± -I wonder if the gods are big gossips.... ¡°Thanks Gramps, see you around, or whatever¡± ¡°Yeah, good luck.¡± This time when Gramps left his head there was no proceeding miracle, and it felt like he was truly gone. Ilum got up and made his way back to the church and to the trapdoor under the altar. Luckily some lamps were still lit, though they didn''t have much oil left. Looking around the secret-room for the first time he was surprised to find how small it was. -No wonder they fought each other, there''s barely enough standing room for ten people, let alone the entire western district. There wasn''t much here except a few bodies that had been trampled as others had tried to escape the smoke, but at least it looked like these wealthy few had yet to have their corpses looted. Going through he was shocked at the wealth he found from these three bodies alone; sixteen gold pieces, fifty-three silver pieces, and three hundred and seventeen coppers. All together more wealth than his family had seen at any point in their lives, in fact if his father had sold all the farm animals and the farm itself, he might be able to get fifteen gold pieces for it. All together this bit of wealth added up to twenty-one gold, six silver and seventeen copper, because a hundred coppers equaled one silver coin and ten silver coins to equal one gold coin. Not finding anything else of value he moved back upstairs. Then he did another shake down of everyone there. He didn''t find much but what he did find was worth it, adding another seven gold coins to his growing collection. Tossing a boot away, he realized the barbarians must have been to stupid or busy to bother checking the bodies seriously, but then again he didn''t want to spend the rest of his time digging through piles of corpses just to check their shoes. So figuring a life savings was enough gold to move on to another area to search. He decided that to save time he would just move to the most likely place he would find the necessary items for completing his immediate goals. Finally he would go up the western path and ransack the homes of the wealthy. After reaching the western path he immediately went to the first house on the left. -So, yeah, they were idiots. The first thing he saw when he entered the front door was chaos, furniture was thrown around cushions were ripped and anything that could be opened was so. All signs that the place was thoroughly searched, except of course for the expensive silks, the hundreds of costly clothes, and the expensive paintings and statues. -So if it wasn''t shiny they didn''t take it? Yeah definitely idiots! Ilum felt the need for a break, so he threw a jacket off an ottoman, only for it to make a loud smack as it hit the floor. He quickly went over and picked through the pockets of the jacket, finding nothing. Still feeling the heft of the jacket he decided to feel the seams. -Kaching! There were large lumps in the lining of the jacket. Ilum ripped it up and gems the size of his thumbnail came pouring out the bottom of the jacket. He then ripped the seams along sleeves and the collar, with much the same results. Getting up he greedily looked at the other piles of clothes. Doing a thorough search he found several more jackets that each produced a couple hand full of thumbnail sized gems. From what he could make of the room, it would appear the nobles stuffed the lining of several jackets with all their gems, then when the barbarians ripped the house apart they ignored the the oddly heavy clothes thinking that like the silk, they were just made of fancy cloth. -This is too much wealth, I won''t be able to carry all of this, so maybe I should take the silk and leave the ge- He abruptly stopped that train of thought when he felt someone bump into his ''fort'' then leave. -Hmmm, felt more like Umbros this time... could be this one of those nudges he was talking about. -Okay, I guess I''ll take the gems...but why? Hmm...maybe I should look at my stats again. Ilum thought while pulling out his tablet.
Status Plate
Name:IlumAlignment:Chaotic Good
Level:1Class:Adventurer
Race:HumanGender:Male
Blessings
Orphan of Chaos
Fame:0Infamy:0
-
Health:40 / 40Mana:72 / 72
-
Strength:12Agility:9
Vitality:10Dexterity:9
Intelligence:18Wisdom:10
Leadership:0Luck:14
¡°Holy crap!¡± Ilum exclaimed. Almost all his stats had risen some even doubling. -Must be because of all the physical labor I''ve been doing, but ''Luck'' ¡­ hmm... must because of how lucky I''ve been or rather how stupid the barbarians have been. But that still doesn''t explain the need for gems, I guess I''ll look into some of my stats.¡±
Health
A person''s Health stat represents the condition of the physical vessel, and is directly derived from their Vitality stat. Other things can effect your Health stat, for example some Potions can even give you temporary boost, while others can cure you completely.
-Nope
Mana
Mana is an invisible force that exists in all things, organic or inorganic. Mana is directly derived from your Intelligence stat, and it''s regeneration is formulated with the Wisdom stat along with a common denominator that you are born with that cannot be changed. Sentient species are capable of manipulating this force with chants, or spells, and some even at will. The manipulation of Mana is called Magic. Just as with your health other things such as Potions may effect your Mana stat.
-This isn''t it either... although some of the words stand out, maybe this is what Umbros was talking about when he said you could tap on other things within the tablet. He thought while bringing his finger to press on Magic.
Magic
Magic is the manipulation of mana. There are many classes of magic that all differ from each other; from the way one manipulate mana, to the ways in which one may cast the magic. Some magic doesn''t even involve casting, but rather storing it in an other object. The amount of magic held depends on many factors, the most common of which is durability.
Notice
Due to figuring out a usage of the Status Plate on your own you have received +2 Intelligence and +3 Wisdom
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. -Hmmm, storing magic in other objects, I guess gems would be ideal for it. I''ll have to look into this further when I get to Aodhan. Now what is this about a notice?
Notices
Notifies you of a change in your status
Notices:ON
Vibration:OFF
Notification Time:15 seconds
¡°Vibration...hmm, let''s try it out.¡± Ilum said as he pressed where it said OFF. After he had pressed it the plate started to shake violently in his hand for about three seconds, then abruptly stopped. -Well I imagine that will be useful in the future. Ilum went on to search the other houses, but found little else of value except a few more bolts of silk, but no more caches of gems. Surprisingly he hadn''t found any weapons, all though he saw hooks and plaques where some might have hung. All of his newly earned wealth would mean nothing if he couldn''t find someway to defend himself on the road. His luck came through for him again as he reached the estate at the end of the lane. No imagination this time, this was an actual manor. However surrounding the manor were the bodies of the town guard still in their armor, and some still clasping their swords. Ilum ran up and started going through and looting the bodies, sorting the loot by type. He had almost finished sorting through the bodies when - -BVVVV- -!@#$% He nearly shat himself before he remembered the new setting on the tablet. Calming himself he pulled out the plate to have a look at it.
Notice: New Skill
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
LootingBeginner632%
Due to excessive looting, it''s no longer just a good way to get stuff, but a way of life. You have this down to a science. You gain an increase to the speed of looting, and a decrease to the likelihood of missing loot.
-Hah, well whatever, it sounds useful. Ilum went back to looting, with apparent skill. Sadly he did not find anything that fit or anything that he could lift to use in battle, until he saw the mayor at the bottom of the pile. For the most part the Mayor was wearing crap; silk robes and a velvet shirt. But gripped in his doeskin gloves was a beautiful saber. It was thin with a slight curve that just screamed deadly, and it had a thick hand guard that wrapped around a half the grip that came done to a slightly curved pommel. The best part about it though was that it was light! Ilum pried the sword from the mayors hand and took a couple swings with it. -SWISH- When swung it felt like it was cutting the very air. It was the perfect weapon for him. He went back to the mayor''s body to get his belt and scabbard. After punching a new hole in the belt he was able to equip it. He felt like a real adventurer. He then went back to the central square after forming an idea thanks to all the bulky armor he couldn''t equip. -With my thin frame, I should go for more of a speed oriented fighter, so that means lighter armor. After reaching the plaza he went towards the south near the southern exit where his father''s friend Samuel lived. Samuel was a hunter, he would have plenty of dried, leather hides, and most importantly some leather armor. He stepped into Sam''s house and started collecting dried and salted leather and throwing it into one of the many leather rucksacks that Sam had laying about. Then he searched in the other rooms and found one that was filled with leather tunics of all shapes and sizes. He tried on a few that looked good until he found one that was slightly too big for him, figuring he would have room to grow into it as he started eating regularly, and building muscles as he quested. He then found the matching pants and went off to find some boots. After fully decking himself out, Ilum ate some of the dried meat he couldn''t carry, the salty taste making him thirsty. He went out back to get a drink in the well we he saw a stranger looking up at him. His normally well maintained, long black hair, looked mangy. His forest green eyes nearly invisible behind his drooping eyelids and the many bags under them. His normally fair complexion, was marred by blood and grime. He threw off the leather clothes and picked up the bucket filled with water, and poured it on top of himself. After he finished cleaning himself, he dried off in the sun, trying to tame his hair. After feeling he was dried enough he put on the new black leather top and pants, the same shade as his hair. He went back inside and cut a strand of leather off a hanging hide, then used it to tie his hair back. He grabbed the rucksack filled with dried meats, and grabbed some spare packs and headed out. He started heading back towards the ''gem merchants'' house, when he heard a whinny. He bolted for the nearest house and waited. - I thought he said that I would have until tomorrow afternoon before anyone comes here. He heard another whinny followed by some clopping, but it sounded like only one horse. He slowly peeked his head out of the house, seeing no one he moved up to the fence and crouched down. In front of him was a lone horse. The craziest part wasn''t that there was a lone horse in front of him, or that it was already saddled, no, the craziest part was that it wasn''t a draft horse but a genuine racing horse and a palomino at that. -It must have been one of the merchants'' horses that was able to get away. Seeing as how the horse was calmly drinking from the fountain, now was a good time to leave. He slowly went back inside to find something he could bait the horse with, and found some sugar cubes and an apple in the kitchen. He calmly made his way to the fountain, holding both hands up. The apple in his left hand and the sugar cubes in my right, both palms flat up. He was about seven paces away from the horse before it noticed him. It slowly turned towards him and backed itself up against the fountain. ¡°Shhhh, shhhhh, it''s okay. Here, have an apple.¡± He said in a low voice, while cautiously extending his left hand. The horse looked at him, obviously afraid, but it''s hunger won out. It took one last look at him, then ate the apple whole. As it was ''wolfing'' down the apple, he brought his right hand up, and put it to the horses mouth. As it sniffed at the sugar cubes he started stoking it with his left hand. ¡°That''s a good horse. Have some sugar, it tastes great.¡± Ilum said as he continued to stroke the horses side. The horse started to merrily lick at the sugar cubes. After it had finished gorging on the treats I had brought, it looked back up to me as if asking for where the rest is. -You sure were an easy beast to tame. He grabbed the horses reigns and led it to Samuel''s house and grabbed all the sacks he had left behind. Then he guided the horse to the neighbors house where he tied...her, yup her, to the fence post. Then he went inside to scrounge up some fruits and put them in empty sack, then he returned to the horse and tied the sacks onto the the back of the saddle. He reached into the fruit sack and pulled out another apple, and started to lift it up to her mouth, only for her to quickly reach down and swallow it whole. ¡°Alright girl, how about we give you a name?¡± He asked while gently stroking the side of her neck. ¡°I''ll take your silence as a yes. Hmmm, you seem to like apples, so how about Apple-¡± ¡°Nay.¡± The horse neighed while scowling at him. ¡°You know it almost sounded like you said nay, and not neigh...but it''s impossible to tell. Either way you don''t seem to like the name. You like apples and you have a beautiful golden coat, so how about Golden Deliciou-¡± ¡°Neigh¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Maybe I should move away from apples-¡± He started to say, when he was interrupted by the horse vigorously nodding it''s head. ¡°Okay. Let''s see, with that energetic attitude you remind me of my youngest sister Ariel.¡± He thought aloud while feeling a slight twinge of pain in his heart, but not as much as he would have thought. -Must be the work of Elos'' parting gift. -AHEM- ¡° Also,¡± he continued, ¡°Ariel means Lion of Elos, and with that golden coat I think it would fit you quite well.¡± The horse stopped eating for a second to make one dip of it''s head, as if in acquiescence of this name. ¡°Good, so Ariel it is. Now Ariel I''m going to need your help in transporting some stuff to another town, but I promise that I will protect you along the way. Deal?¡± The horse looked at the sword on his hip, then at his emaciated figure and started to whinny, almost as if it were laughing. Then it looked at his somber demeanor, then at the sack tied to the saddle filled with fruit, then gave a nod of it''s head. ¡°Thank you, Ariel. Now I know you''re no draft horse but there are a couple more sacks I would like to fill if you think you could manage it.¡± Ariel tossed her head, her mane flying, and started pulling at the reigns, as if saying C''mon already! Ilum laughed and untied her reigns from the fencepost. Then he put a foot in a stirrup and swung his other leg around and into the other. He grabbed the reigns and turned her towards the western district, then they flew. At least that''s what he imagined flying felt like, by the time he had gotten used to Ariel''s speed they were half way up the western road. Then he had to turn her around and start heading back to that first house that could only belong to the gem merchant. He swung off Ariel and proceeded into the merchants house and started grabbing gems and filling a with them. He didn''t really have a method or preference of gem, instead trying to get a variety based on their color. Still, with two large sacks mixed with gems, and some bolts of silk, he was sure he would have enough variance when he got them appraised to discover the difference in their ability to hold magic and mana. Going back outside he found the greedy horse turning in a circle trying to get at the bag of fruit. He went up to her and put his bags down so that he could open of the bag of fruits and take out a pear for her to eat. While she was eating the it he started tying on the other two bags. Once that was done he swung his legs back into the stirrups and turned her towards the central plaza and then onwards toward the south exit. He knew it was fast approaching midnight, but he wanted to be well away from the town in case he slept in. and people arrived. If they found him with his ill begotten loot, he shuddered to think of the ramifications. He followed the tracks of the mounted barbarians south until they reached the forest then he urged Ariel west towards the fertile Bran River that bordered the northern half of town while heading east to west. They traveled west this way for a couple hours. It was now a few hours past midnight and he could tell that Ariel was growing tired, though she was trying to hide it. He pulled her closing to the river and slowed their pace. ¡°Go ahead and grab a drink.¡± he said while swinging off of her. She went to the river and started lapping at the water greedily. He came up behind her and started untying the bags and removing the binds to the saddle, then he unbuckled his belt and removed his leather clothes until he was just in his skivvies. Once everything was removed and she had her fill of the water, he guided her to the shallow part of the river. He slowly forced her to walk into the water until it was below her shoulders and just below his chin. He started to rub into her coat, trying to loosen knots and get out the sweat that had built up over the days that she had been on her own. After several minutes of that, he left her alone to play in the river as she seem to actually enjoy the water now. He grabbed some dried meat and ate it as he went to another sack and grabbed some spare leather hides and threw it on the ground. He thought about making a fire, but it was summer and it''s light could only draw trouble. With nothing to do his mind started to wander towards the events of the past few days, which led to him remembering the image of his family huddled together in death, and as he did so he started to feel his rage coming back, stronger than he would have expected consideringthe gift from Elos. He jumped up and moved over to where he had put the bags. He then grabbed his scabbard and unsheathed the sword, as it was withdrawn it sparkled in the moonlight. It''s deadly curve seemed to calm him. As he took slow breaths trying to keep his cool, he noticed that Ariel had stop playing in the river to look at him. He waved her on as he took his sword and went a few paces away from the campsite. -I guess sorrow can dull with time but the desire for revenge can only be satisfied when it is fulfilled. When he was a few paces from the campsite with the sword still in hand, he figure that he may as well at least get used to the weight of it. He swung it around like he was chopping wood back at the farm. It looked horrible, and it felt awkward. He tried to remember how the guards used to swing their swords and copy their movements. -Swish- -Yeah, this is better, but still...it''s not quite right, is it because the swords are different... -BVVVvvv- Ilum looked over towards his pile of clothes and grabbed his tablet.
Notice: New Skill
Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:
Sword Mastery - SaberBeginner112%
Due to owning and attempting to use a saber you have unlocked the very basics of this skill.
-I feel like someone is trying to insult me, but whatever I finally have an attack skill!¡± In his excitement he swung the saber several more times until he was dry, and just when he was worrying that he might get sweaty again a wave of fatigue rolled over him. He went back towards the campsite, sheathed his sword, and checked his status before going to sleep.
Status Plate
Name:IlumAlignment:Chaotic Good
Level:1Class:Adventurer
Race:HumanGender:Male
Blessings
Orphan of Chaos
Fame:0Infamy:0
Health:44 / 44Mana:80 / 80
Ph. Attack:12 ¨C 24Ph. Defense:18
-
Strength:12Agility:12
Vitality:11Dexterity:10
Intelligence:20Wisdom:13
Leadership:0Luck:18
Prologue - Origin GoryBack to Main PageChapter 02 - Throw In the Cowl